Monday morning mail call sees Emily receive a notice from a district attorney's office. She opens it to read a summons to a disposition.
"Son of a bitch," she mutters as she reads.
"Supervisory Special Agent Emily E. Prentiss must report to our office at 9 a.m. on Wednesday March 31, 2010 to be deposed in the case of Alice Victoria "Vicky" Waddell and in the case of Crime Scene Technical Advisor Peter Gordon Scott.
For both you will be required to explain your profile that led to Waddell being a suspect in multiple murders as well as clearing her of the murder Scott has been charged with. Make sure to bring any pertinent case work and notes to the deposition.
If you have any questions, contact Assistant District Attorney Olivia Cousteau. Should you not show, a bench warrant will be issued in your name."
Emily makes note of the contact information in her phone datebook then heads up to Hotch's office. She taps on his door.
"Got a second, Hotch?"
He gestures to the chairs in front of his desk. She sits down and hands him the order of appearance.
"Looks like the cases of Waddell and Scott are moving forward. My guess is the only reason they have to deal with her is because of the one murder initially attributed to her. His lawyers are probably trying to once again blame a dead woman for that one."
Hotch nods. "Most likely. Didn't Morgan offer an opinion on this case?"
Emily shrugs. "Unofficially. Just helped me hammer out what was bothering me about my profile of the unsub. He's the one that tossed out the unsub was a woman. I noted it in my official statement to Detective Taylor. He may get a notice or they may just focus on me."
Hotch nods. "Okay. Let Morgan know just in case. Get your flight booked for Tuesday night."
Emily stand, taking back the summons. "Yes, sir."
Emily heads back into the bullpen, glad to see Morgan just hanging up his phone. She walks over to him and hands him the summons.
"Hotch wanted me to give you a heads up about this in case you get one, too."
He reads it over and nods. "Okay. Doubt they need much from me. You did all the work."
"True, but I did note I spoke with you about the case and that you put forward 'pertinent information' in the development of the profile."
He laughs. "You mean I saw what you missed."
Emily laughs. "Yes. But my way sounds like I didn't miss anything."
Morgan nods with a smile. "Yeah, I see how it is. I'll keep that day free just in case I get summoned. Hopefully it will be you all by yourself lonesome. I hate those types of depositions. They are going to want to be even more in depth since one suspect died."
"Yeah, I know. I figure I'll be there all day if not two. And I'm sure I'll be going back when the defense sees what I've told the prosecution. They'll want a crack at me, too."
He grins. "You always have all the fun."
She laughs wryly. "Yeah, just what I was thinking."
She heads back to her desk to get her flight and hotel booked. When she has the itinerary she shoots it over to JJ with an explanation of why she's going. She gets an email back a couple minutes later.
"Gee…lucky you. :o)"
Emily just smiles and shakes her head. No one ever gets any sympathy for this frustrating part of the job.
Tuesday morning Hotch and JJ are waiting for the elevator after a meeting with two other departments. A man walks up to them.
"Chief Hotchner?"
Hotch turns. "Yes?"
The man extends his hand. "Agent Michael Turner, White Collar."
Hotch shakes his hand. "Good to meet you, Agent."
"Sir, I understand you will have a position opening soon in your unit. I'd like to sit down and discuss it with you at your convenience. I am sure you'll agree I'll make a—"
"Uh, Agent Turner," Hotch interrupts. "I don't have a position opening. And if I did, you would be required to go through official channels and not try to backdoor anyone. One thing you should know about me is I don't appreciate someone who tries to duck the rules."
The man doesn't know when to quit. "Oh, right. I understand, sir. But I am sure I heard that you could only promote from within before opening the position up to the whole agency. And let's face the facts, sir, there's no way a media liaison or a technical analyst has the brains to make it as a profiler."
Hotch steps in front of JJ before the woman can respond verbally…or punch him. "Turner, you've just guaranteed you will never work on my BAU team."
Hotch hits the elevator button. Turner is lucky the one they had missed is still waiting. Hotch lets JJ precede him into the car. As the doors close she is glaring at Turner. Hotch sighs.
"JJ, he was way out of line. He—"
"Stop, Hotch. Just…forget it. We'll know on Friday if he's right or wrong."
Hotch turns and stares at her. "He's wrong, JJ. The only way you didn't pass that test is if you forgot to take it." He smiles. "And if that's the case we need to discuss your memory."
JJ gives him a small smile. He can tell she's still worried. When they get to their floor, he watches as she walks to her office and shuts the door. He detours past Emily's desk.
"Idiot just insulted your wife."
Emily raises an eyebrow. "Want me to pummel him or help her? I'm up for either."
He grins. "I took care of him. She's all yours."
Emily stands. "Thanks, Hotch."
Emily heads to her wife's office. She taps on the door, then enters. She sees the fury and the fear in JJ's eyes. She steps in and closes the door.
"Let it out, baby. Let it out."
And she does, calling that agent a bunch of dirty names, including a few foreign ones she had learned from Emily. Finally she sighs…and lets Emily pull her into a hug.
"He's an ass, Jen. And when you pass you can go dangle your new credentials in his face…and maybe accidently smack him in the face with them."
JJ smiles. "That sounds so nice."
Emily just grins. "You are a twisted little woman, Jen. A twisted little woman."
Though it is not discussed, everyone knows this is the week they find out JJ's future with the team. Friday is the big day and everyone had been hoping for a case to take their minds off the test results. On Thursday afternoon they get their wish. Hotch hurries into the bullpen.
"Team, conference room now!"
Reid is in JJ's office turning in a couple of files when Hotch knocks on her open door. "Conference room. Now," he states, his face a mask of stress.
JJ and Reid nod as he hurries past them, obviously to get Garcia. JJ looks at Reid.
"Not good. If it bypasses my desk and goes straight to Hotch it's from the director."
Reid nods. "I know. Not good is probably an understatement."
Reid hurries back to his desk to get his notepad. JJ quickly gathers her things and heads to the conference room. Morgan, Rossi and Emily are already waiting. She looks at them.
"Anyone know anything?"
"Only that when Aaron looks that tense it can't be good," Rossi notes.
Just then Hotch enters from the hallway. He closes the door to the bullpen and sits down. He slowly looks around the table, tension radiating off of him.
"I know cases normally come through JJ and when they come from me you know they have to be a red alert from the director's office." He takes a deep breath and grins. "Which is what made this so easy and kind of fun, too. GARCIA!"
The door to the hallway is opened by Kevin Lynch as Garcia walks in carrying a cake and balloons. Everyone is confused…until they see what the cake says:
"CONGRATULATIONS PROFILER JAREAU!" with airbrushed images of the FBI and BAU logos in the center.
JJ's mouth drops open as everyone else cheers. Garcia sets the cake down and pulls her best friend up into a hug.
"CONGRATS, JAYJE! YOU ROCK!"
Everyone else gets up to hug the new profiler. Emily waits until last so she doesn't have to let go. She stands behind her wife, her arms wrapped around her waist. JJ has her hands on Emily's as she looks at each person in the room.
"I…I don't know how to thank you. All of you. You've helped me study, helped me in the field, challenged me. Everything you did helped me so much. I don't know what I would have done if I'd have had to leave this unit." She glances up at Emily. "I might have just retired to become a kept woman."
The gathered team laughs. "Well, glad that's not the case. Jen alone with my credit cards and I'd be broke in a year," Emily teases.
JJ kisses her wife's chin…but never denies that statement. Garcia hands JJ a knife and the newest profiler happily cuts her cake for everyone to enjoy. Once everyone has a piece she looks at Hotch.
"What you did was pretty damn cruel. How the hell did you get my results a day early?"
He gives a conceited grin. "Like I don't have connections with the proctors."
She laughs. "Ah, right. Um, Hotch…how soon can I smack that ass Turner in the face with my creds?"
Hotch laughs. "April 1."
JJ raises her eyebrows. "Seriously? I get my new credentials on April Fool's Day?"
"Well, most people think we're nuts for doing what we do so it sounds strangely appropriate," Reid points out.
Everyone laughs, knowing he's correct. They spend the rest of the workday in the conference room enjoying cake and exchanging stories of crazy times they've had on cases, both before and after joining the BAU.
A/N: I made a mistake in my "New Year, New Life" thread. See, the ladies got married in October of 2009. Then they rang in 2011 just a couple months later. Umm…not exactly possible even in my alternate universe! So, with this thread, I'm back in the missing year of 2010. Sorry, y'all!