JJ stares at the murder board. The latest family had seen the unsubs finally cross the line to murder. It's a spree but the team can't seem to find a link that could help them find the next family the pack could target. Garcia had even hacked several databases looking for even the thinnest of threads that could connect the families together. JJ suddenly turns.

"Shit! What if each family is the target of a particular unsub? There's no connect because the four unsubs have different reasons for the attacks. Perhaps even different reasons for the brutality involved."

Hotch slowly nods. "Good theory." He moves to one of the chalkboards and turns it over to the blank side. "Okay, family 1: what are potential reasons for the attacks?"

Ignoring the obvious reasons that could be common (opportunity, income, etc.) the team instead looks back at their notes and the records of the initial police interviews to come up with the things that don't match to other families. They even list whether the family had any pets and what those pets were. They take two hours to carefully dissect the private lives of the 5 families that have been attacked. Finally Hotch steps back from the chalkboard. The room is silent as the agents each read the various notes.

"This is just as confounding as the previous notes," Reid points out.

Morgan nods in agreement. "True. But I feel like there is something there that we're just missing."

"I do, too," Rossi says. "Reid, are you sure you're not seeing a pattern?"

Reid rubs his temple. The near-blinding headache that had been his constant companion since Emily's outburst at the team is starting to throb again. "Sorry. Just don't see it."

Hotch studies him. The genius is paler than normal. "Reid, you okay?"

Reid just nods. "Headache."

"Migraine?" JJ asks.

"Almost," he concedes. He won't admit to them he is having trouble sleeping which is only making the headache worse.

Hotch sighs and glances at his watch. "It's 8:30. Let's call it a night. Reid, get something to eat, take a couple Aleve and get some sleep. The rest of you, try to put it away for the night. Be back here at 7 tomorrow unless there's a break sooner."

No one argues. As JJ packs up she suddenly gets an idea. She lifts up her phone and takes a picture of the chalkboard. She texts it to Emily with a note.

Will call you in a little while. Can you see what we are missing?

JJ has just put her briefcase on her shoulder when she gets a text back.

Lots of new jobs on the list. Did they ever get public assistance?

"Holy shit! That could be it!" The rest of the team looks back at her. JJ is scanning the board. "New jobs." She hits a prompt on the phone. "Garcia, have these families been on public assistance in the last year? Welfare, food stamps, anything?"

The team eases back to the table. Morgan studies the board and nods. "That's it. New jobs. No connect to old jobs but I bet there was a gap between employment."

He and Rossi start to dig through the papers in front of them again. Reid stares at the board. How had he missed that? He wonders. He rubs his temple once more. JJ smiles.

"Right. Shoot it to us, Pen." She hangs up. "Within the last year all the families had been getting food stamps and unemployment benefits. Of course, once the unemployed spouse got a job that benefit ended."

"And soon after they were attacked?"

JJ frowns. "No. They all got off 2-4 months ago."

"Could be the reason for the rage," Rossi points out. "These families pulled themselves out of needing assistance and the unsubs are bitter."

Reid starts to pace. "The unsubs are controlled, organized, they leave nothing behind. We know they are young. What about recent college grads unable to get jobs in their chosen field? And then older workers, willing to take less money to support their families, get the jobs the unsubs see as their right?"

Suddenly the team is energized. Even Reid's head is not hurting as much as it had been. As they start to delve back into the files, JJ sends a text to Emily.

Well done, profiler. Will let you know how it turns out.

Hotch calls Garcia. "Garcia, we need a look inside the companies that hired these people. We need to know who wasn't hired. Concentrate on recent college graduates."

"On it, sir. But I warn you some companies don't digitize their rejections as carefully as others."

"Just do your best." He hangs up and looks at JJ. "I know tomorrow is Sunday but we need to speak to the HR directors at these companies. Find them on the company websites and let's get in touch with them. We need to meet with them ASAP."

JJ nods. "On it." She turns her computer back on and starts to look up the first company.

"Oh, and JJ?" Hotch continues. She looks up. "Tell her thank you."

JJ blushes. "Right, Hotch." She studiously avoids looking at the others, not wanting to see what they think about Emily's involvement in the case. She feels Morgan's eyes boring into her like a drill but still doesn't look up.

Hotch looks at Morgan and Reid. "Morgan, Reid, you two head back to the hotel. Reid, try to get rid of the headache. Morgan, be ready to lead the takedown if we find these guys."

Morgan finally tears his eyes away from JJ. He nods. "I will. The team can count on me. Always," he says pointedly.

JJ finally looks up and sees the anger in his eyes. She just shakes her head and goes back to her search. She'd deal with him later.

By the time JJ, Hotch and Rossi leave the police station at 10 they have appointments with the 5 HR directors for the next day and Garcia has found 3 names for them to ask about specifically. In the SUV, Rossi turns and looks back at JJ.

"How is she doing?"

JJ shrugs. "Honestly? I'm not sure. Elizabeth is there trying to help her deal with things but she has a ways to go before she's ready to forgive us for our real or perceived sins. And I think she has a lot more to admit to herself about herself before we get anywhere."

Rossi nods. "I can believe that. But she is talking to you now, right?"

JJ nods. "To a point. It's not the same but it's something. Truth is, I'm still pretty pissed at her. I'll help her all I can but she knows when she's better she'll have Hell to pay for walking out on me and the kids."

"I bet. Keep in mind one thing, JJ."

"What?"

"When you and the kids needed her, she came back."

JJ gives him a small smile. "Yeah, she did. It's the one thing that keeps me talking to her. If she hadn't I'd…I'd have probably asked for the number of your divorce lawyer," she admits quietly.

"Here's hoping you never need it," he says kindly.

JJ just nods and turns to look out the window. Rossi turns back, glancing at Hotch as he does. He'd finally had his talk with JJ. Maybe tonight is the night he gets his protégé to talk, too.

JJ has just finished changing into pajamas when someone knocks…make that pounds on her door. She walks over carefully and sees Morgan through the peephole. She sighs and opens the door. He barges right in.

"Why even text her? She's not here because she doesn't want to be. If she wanted to be part of the case she'd have been here not on some damn task force."

JJ swallows. "Morgan, she gave us a good direction to take. Can't you just focus on that?"

"Maybe if she'd been here we'd have gotten that lead before 4 members of a family were murdered! Did you think about that?" he asks angrily.

"Or maybe not! You can't play the 'what if' game and you know it, Morgan!"

"No, but I can be mad at her. And I can hate what she's done to this team and hate that she didn't even give us a chance to defend ourselves!" He suddenly seems to deflate. He drops onto the foot of JJ's bed. "And I hate that I just don't know how I feel about her anymore. I hate that…that I'm not sure if I care to hear her apologies or excuses or anything. I don't want anything to do with her, JJ. And I never thought I could feel that way about Emily. Sure we argue and fight but we always make up. This time…this time there may be no making up."

JJ leans against the dresser. "I know. She knows, too. But she had to do this her way, Derek. It's not how you or I would do it but it's how she's doing it."

"But why a task force? Why something that nearly killed her before?"

"I think it's because she never felt settled about the outcome of JTF-12. This time she can direct the op and make it end on her terms. If she can see it through to the end and walk away feeling like she really did make a difference it will heal that old wound in her heart. Add in the realization Garcia made her face and she's got a ways to go until she even tries to come back to us."

"Garcia? She talked to Emily?"

JJ raises her eyebrows. "You didn't know?" He shakes his head. "Yeah, Pen went and confronted her the night we left for this case. Em had a big breakdown when Pen made her admit she's a victim of sexual assault. She's not been raped but the assault was there and when Emily finally admitted she was a victim Garcia said something just…just burst inside her. She's getting hammered with emotions and feelings of weakness. She's just got to find her strength again. I think…I think if this task force goes well she'll find that strength."

"And if it doesn't go well?"

JJ shrugs. "Time will tell if we ever get her back or not."

Morgan just nods. He thinks about everything JJ has said. "I've heard everything you've said, Jayje. But I'm still pissed at her."

"Understood. I am, too."

He nods again. "So, uh, how are the nesters?"

JJ shrugs. "I haven't really felt different. I honestly don't think it's worked this time. And, well, maybe that's for the best right now."

"I'm sorry, Jayje," he says compassionately.

"Like I said…it's probably for the best."

He stands and pulls her into a hug. "I'll let you know if I ever believe you really mean that."

JJ shivers, fighting the tears that threaten. He runs a hand through her hair.

"It's okay to cry, Jayje. Cry for all of it."

And so she does, letting him hold her as she finally releases the emotions that she had been trying to keep bottled up in deference to the case and to just keep putting one foot in front of the other as her personal life seems to be crumbling uncontrollably.

After Morgan leaves, JJ glances at the clock and sends a text.

Are you still awake?

Her response is her phone ringing with Emily's ringtone.

"Hi."

"Hi, Jen. How's it going?"

"We need to see a marriage counselor," JJ blurts. "I get that you have a lot going on emotionally but if you want this marriage to work you have to start trusting me more with your emotions. As long as we've been together it's absolute bullshit that you walked out on me and the kids and didn't even have the fucking guts to try to let me help you. Dinner and a movie aren't going to fix this, Emily. I want us to see a counselor and I want some joint sessions with Dr. Westfallen. If you can't handle any of that let me know now so I can stop feeling so damn helpless and start moving forward with dissolving our marriage."

Emily is stunned. She had not expected such an angry and emotional outburst from her wife. The thought of divorce nearly makes her throw-up. She is completely speechless.

"Emily? Are you there?"

"Y- -yeah," Emily croaks. "I…I understand, Jen."

"I don't want understanding, Emily. I want either agreement or disagreement. I want to know…know where I stand with you," she finishes tearfully.

"Oh, Jen. God, Jen, you are the most important woman in my life. I swear I know I was wrong. If counseling and joint therapy is what is needed to prove that to you I'm in. I promise you I am in. I will do whatever I have to do to fix things with you."

JJ takes a deep breath. "Okay," she says with relief. "Okay, then."

Emily listens to the silence a moment. "Do you…need to get some sleep?"

"Yeah. Your thought led us to a new direction to take tomorrow. If it pans out we'll be closing in on these guys."

"Good. I'm glad."

"Morgan is pretty pissed I asked you."

Emily frowns. "He can get over it."

"You two have a hell of a confrontation in front of you, don't you?"

"Maybe. I'll be honest, Jen. Right now I'm still not sure what I feel regarding him or Hotch. I'll think about them after I start making amends with Reid and Rossi, and after I finish making amends with Pen."

"Emily, if you don't fix things with Morgan you probably won't fix them with Pen."

"True. Guess time will tell, right?"

JJ sighs in resignation. "I suppose so." She glances at the clock. "I, uh, need to get to sleep. Have a press conference at 8 to tell the media a whole lot of nothing and then I'll try to help Garcia refine a few searches while the team talks to the HR managers."

"Glad that idea helped a little. Good luck tomorrow."

"Thanks. You, too."

"Me? Why me?"

"Mom knows about us and she's pissed at you."

"Oh." Emily thinks a second. "What does it say about me that I'm more upset about disappointing your mother than mine?" she asks seriously.

"It says to me you recognize the woman that helped you open up emotionally. That means a lot to me, Em."

"I'm glad, Jen. I am so sorry for all this."

"I know you are. And the more your actions show that the better your chances are of repairing the crack in our foundation."

"Good. I love you, Jen. Please don't doubt that. I love you so much but I'm just…the anger at you is ridiculous but I can't let it go yet. I have no fucking idea why but I can't. But please don't think I'm not fighting to get rid of it and just concentrate on loving you."

JJ wipes a tear from her cheek. "I love you, too, Em. We'll fight together to right all this, okay?"

"Okay." Emily sighs, wishing she could have said all these things in person. "So, um, goodnight, baby."

"Goodnight, sweetheart. I'll let you know how things go tomorrow."

"Good. Hope you stop them."

"Me, too. So, damn, um, goodnight again."

Emily can't help but smile a little. "So we're back to that." JJ chuckles. "Goodnight, Jen."

"Goodnight."

Like pulling off a Band-Aid, JJ hangs up quickly. No, she wasn't done fighting for her wife. But no she wouldn't continue to be a whipping post for Emily's emotional upheaval. She rubs her stomach unconsciously, trying to figure out if it would be for better or for worse if this insemination didn't work.