A/N: This chapter is back from the dead! The revised version of The Truth About Katie is finished and ready to be read. Just remember there is a difference or two. Just warning you.

Takes place about four to five months after the previous chapter.

As usual, read, review, and enjoy!

January 9th, 2014

Safe to say, this past case was not an easy one for JJ. Teens were being murdered and their deaths were staged to look like suicides. JJ kept remembering the moment she found her sister hanging in her bedroom. It was a horrifying image. There were no signs of any suicidal thoughts. That made it worse. Nothing left to tell them why she killed herself.

The plane ride back to Quantico had JJ fiddling with the necklace her sister gave her before she died. Spencer sat across from her on the plane.

"JJ," he said, trying to get her attention. "I saw how much this case affected you. Just like the last time. I know that your sister's death affects you consistently with these kinds of cases. I want to help." JJ didn't respond at all.

"JJ, if it's okay with you, I have a suggestion." He now had JJ's attention. "I have some unused vacation time and I know you have some too. I suggest that we find out why your sister killed herself and get you and your mom some closure. Will can keep an eye on Henry in the meantime. I know it's a touchy subject, but we can figure out why. If someone else caused it, we can bring justice for your sister. And if you don't want to, that's okay."

JJ contemplated the idea for a moment. "I'll call Will to have him come over to keep an eye on Henry. I'll have Garcia on standby, just in case."

Spencer was confused for a moment. "Will come over? You live together."

JJ bit her tongue. She didn't mean to say anything about her and Will splitting up, especially because of why. "I'll explain later."

"Okay. So we head up to Pennsylvania and find out what we can about the events surrounding her death."

"Whose death?" Danny asked as he walked up to them. JJ decided they should at least one more mind on the case.

"My sister. I want to know why she killed herself. Do you think you could help us?"

"Sure, I'm always looking to bring justice to the bad guy, if there is one."

"Okay, so we'll meet up early tomorrow morning and set off for Pennsylvania," Spencer said.

The jet landed an hour later. Will would babysit Henry and Garcia would be her back-up. The trio met up at 5:00 AM and set off for Pennsylvania.


Their first stop was JJ's mom. Some of Katie Jareau's behaviors could explain what had happened. They arrived at JJ's old home, where her mom still resided.

"JJ, are you sure about this? This could be seriously psychologically scarring to find out why your sister committed suicide," Spencer said.

"I am sure, Spence. I need to know. If someone did something to her, they need to be brought to justice," JJ insisted.

"Okay, if you say so."

Spencer rang the doorbell.

"Hello?" Sandy Jareau said as she opened the door. "Jennifer! Oh, It's good to see you. And you brought friends. Spencer, isn't it?"

"Yes. Or Dr. Reid."

"A doctor?" JJ had never mentioned her friend Spencer was a doctor.

"PhD's, all three of them."

"Moving on quickly, Jennifer? And with a doctor, no less?"

"Mom!" JJ said, hinting to her mom that she hadn't told them about her and Will splitting up. Spencer heard every word and was trying to put the pieces together but he had to stay focused on the task at hand. Danny heard every word as well, but focused on case.

Sandy turned to face Danny. "And you are?"

"Danny Johnson. I work with JJ and Reid," he answered.

"Mrs. Jareau, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask a few questions about your daughter Katie," Spencer said.

"Why?" Sandy said, her voice now dipping to sad volume.

"We want to help you too get closure on this. Figure out why she might have killed herself and, if anyone caused her to do this, bring justice to her."

"You think someone else might have caused this?"

"Mrs. Jareau, it's always a possibility," Danny said.

"We want to know about her behaviors before she died. What was she normally like?" Spencer said.

She motioned for them to enter and they sat down opposite each other as Sandy started. "She was always a happy girl. She had friends, a good life, and siblings that she loved and loved her back. She wasn't that different before she died."

"Did anything happen in the days before she died?"

"Nothing changed; that's why we weren't sure why she killed herself."

"Who were her friends?"

"She had a boyfriend named Dexter Arnold. Her best friends were Samantha James and Cyndi Renault."

"Do you know where they live?"

"All three of them are dead. They were all strangled to death five years after each other. First, Dexter, five years after Katie died; then Sam, five years later; and then Cyndi, five years after that."

Danny spoke up. "They were all strangled to death?"

"Yes. Why?"

Danny thought for a moment, stroking his thin-haired mustache. "Doc, I'm going to head to the police station. I'm going to see if these deaths are connected. Maybe Katie's death has something to do with these three murders."

Sandy looked up. "You think my daughter may have been murdered?"

Danny looked her in the eye. "I'm starting to believe so. How did she die?"

Sandy recalled the horrifying image. "She had hung herself from the rafters."

Danny suddenly had a realization. "Now I'm convinced that these deaths are connected."

Spencer turned to him. "Why?"

"Katie died of hanging, supposedly. What if someone strangled her and posed it to look like suicide? Then five years later, the murderer decides to murder her ex-boyfriend. There's a pattern. Every five years, someone dies."

"You're right. If she was murdered, what would our profile be?"

"I'd say, at the time, a white male in his thirties. Has considerable strength if he manually strangled her. I'd say someone Katie trusted; a police officer maybe."

"Okay, let's get to work."

Danny searched through police records with help from Garcia. Spencer and JJ continued to interview her mom for anything that might help.

The hours of searching turned into days. They worked to find anything relating Katie's death: the police investigation, the coroner's report, anything.

For three days, they found nothing that could help them. It appeared that the only possibility is that Katie had indeed killed herself.

Then, Danny realized something. He had only searched through police reports and the coroner's report. Both had said that Katie died of asphyxiation, which could be possible through hanging, but from what the reports said, the rope was not tight enough and her body was hanging. The only way she could have died that way would be if she had her neck snapped. Since that was not present, that was proof enough to create investigation.

Danny immediately went to the local PD with his discoveries. The proof was too great to deny. It was no longer deemed a suicide. This was now a murder investigation.

The local police investigated every bit of information on Katie's death. Danny helped them a lot with searching while JJ and Spencer got as much information from Mrs. Jareau. After another day, they still had nothing. It was time to call in the big guns.

"Agent Hotcher speaking," said Hotch on said on the other end of the line.

"Hotch, it's Danny. We need some help up here. We have a murder investigation up here and could use some help," Danny said.

"Why?"

"It's JJ's sister Hotch. She never committed suicide. She was murdered."

Hotch was silent for a moment. "Do you have proof?"

"She died of asphyxiation, Hotch. The reports say the rope wasn't tight enough to cause that. I also have reason to believe that her killer has also murdered her ex-boyfriend and best friends."

"Should I bring the team up there?"

"Do what you need to Hotch. We're gonna need more than three of us looking for answers."


About three hours later two Bureau SUVs pulled up to the police station unloading the team.

Danny was the first to greet them. "Good to see you guys. I hate to call you up, but we need a few extra minds on this case."

"Why?" Morgan asked.

"Let me explain," Danny said. He took a deep breath. "When JJ was eleven, she found her sister hanging in her bedroom. Apparent suicide." The team gasped in horror, save for Hotch and Blake. "Ever since, JJ's been wondering why she would kill herself. However, recent discoveries have led me to believe that she was murdered. She died of asphyxiation, not a broken neck. The rope she had apparently hung herself with wasn't tied tight enough to kill her that way. Since then, every five years, someone who was close to Katie Jareau was strangled to death. I believe, confidentially, that a police officer may be our UnSub. An officer that has the strength to strangle someone manually. Someone who knew Katie well. Most likely, at the time in his mid-thirties, most likely taller than the victim, probably a white male."

"So we have an initial profile," Hotch said. "This means that our UnSub is now in his mid- to late fifties. We have our work cut out for us. Let's go."

"I'm going to go find JJ's brother. We should at least inform him of the investigation. Maybe he saw the UnSub without realizing it," Danny said.

"All right, the rest of the team and I will stay here and investigate each of the murders, JJ and Reid will keep talking to Mrs. Jareau, while you visit JJ's brother."


It took a little work and some help from JJ's mother, but Danny eventually found the home of Martin Jareau. He strolled up to the door and knocked.

"Martin Jareau, FBI," Danny said.

The door opened, but instead of a grown man, Danny saw a nine year old girl.

"Dad, there's a strange man at the door!" she yelled.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Martin said as he ran down the stairs to the door. "You go entertain yourself for a little while, okay sweetie?"

The little girl nodded and ran off.

"How can I help you, sir?"

"Martin Jareau, I'm Agent Daniel Johnson with the FBI…"

"Do you happen to know my sister by any chance?"

"Yes, sir, that's why I'm here."

Martin's face turned to a look of concern. "Is she okay?"

"JJ's fine. I'm here about your sister Katie. We have evidence that she was murdered and this same murdered has killed three other people since."

"Katie was… murdered?"

"Mr. Jareau…"

"Everyone calls me Marty."

"Marty, listen. We have an idea of what our suspect is. We need you to help us out. Were there any policemen who were very friendly to you or your sisters?"

"There was one: Officer Matthews."

"Do you know his first name?"

"No. Just that he's a police officer." Marty froze. "You think he did this?"

"Until we have evidence, I can't say for sure. But I assure you that I and my team, which includes your sister JJ, will do everything we can to solve this murder. We will get your sister justice."

Marty nodded. "Thank you."

"Thank you for your assistance. Have a nice day. I'll make sure JJ tells you if we have a break in our investigation." Danny walked back to his SUV. He was headed back to the police station. It was time to dig up a bit of dirt on Officer Matthews.


"Okay," Garcia began once everyone, including JJ and Reid, gathered together. "Officer Jonathan Matthews. Nice cop apparently; had a lot of praise. His wife however did not think this because she divorced him and took away their seven year old daughter."

"When did they divorce?" Danny asked.

"1981."

"What did the girl look like?" Danny asked, thinking that there might be a connection.

"She was blonde with blue eyes."

"Just like Katie," JJ said.

"I think the pieces are beginning to add up. Garcia, why did they divorce?"

"Give me a sec," she said. "Says that his wife claimed that he was abusive to her and their daughter. Violently, apparently; bruises, cuts, etc."

"So," Hotch began. "We have a divorced cop who was abusive to his family. Why would he go after Katie?"

"Katie died in 1991 when JJ was 11," Spencer began. "Ten years after his wife divorced him. Katie was blonde and had blue eyes. He may have mistaken her for his daughter."

"Or she's a surrogate for his daughter," Danny offered. "He probably killed her to get some kind of high out of killing a girl that looked like his daughter. Once he realized he had killed her, he staged it to look like it was a suicide so that no suspicion would be thrown to him, if the town knew about his divorce."

"What about the boyfriend and her best friends?" Rossi asked.

"Probably to eradicate that memory of murdering Katie," Danny said.

"He might've felt guilty about killing her and wanted to rid himself of the memory," Spencer said, picking up where Danny left off. "He killed the three on the fifth, tenth, and fifteenth anniversaries, respectively; probably to ease the guilt of her death."

"One question though," Alex began. "2011 passed, why was no one killed?"

"Maybe he was finished after killing the friends," Morgan suggested.

"Or maybe he did try to kill someone, but didn't succeed," Danny said.

"My brother was attacked in 2011," JJ began, interrupting the conversation. "Someone tried to strangle him, but he got free and ran for the police."

"So now he's targeting the family," Spencer said.

"The next 5-year increment of the anniversary isn't for two more years. If he keeps to his schedule, then he won't attack again for a long time," Rossi said.

"One problem with that," Danny said. "If this guy's a cop, he knows the murder investigation has started. He might escalate or flee completely. Garcia we need an address."

"Let's see," She began. "2137 Marshall Street."

"Thanks Garcia." Danny hung up the phone and started for the door. "Let's find Matthews before he gets away of kills another Jareau." JJ stood up and headed out with the rest of the team. Normally she would stay behind, but since her family was in danger, she would not stick around for Matthews to sneak up and attack her. Besides, she wanted to see the man who killed her sister get what's coming to him.


They drove to the address Garcia had given them and saw a normal-looking house.

"It's always the ones that look like they live normally," Danny said.

Once they pulled up, Morgan, Hotch, Blake, and Rossi slid around to the back of the house in case Matthew made a run for it, while JJ, Spencer, and Danny went to knock on the front door.

Matthews opened the front door with a groggy, "Hello?"

"Jonathan Matthews," Spencer began. "I'm Dr. Spencer Reid with the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI. These are my co-workers Daniel Johnson and Jennifer Jareau."

"Jareau?" Matthew said with his eyebrows raised. "You mean like Katie Jareau?"

"Yes sir," Danny replied.

"So sad to hear about that back then. To know she was murdered, it breaks my heart to hear that," Matthews replied. The three of them knew he was lying. He started shaking when he talked about Katie's death. He also attempted to feign sorrow for hearing about the investigation, which was easily detectable in his voice. The three of them knew that he was the UnSub.

"Well, you should be sorry to hear Katie's death," Spencer began.

"Because you're under arrest for her murder," JJ finished, staring angrily at the man who had taken her sister away.

As soon as she said that, Matthews ran for it. He ran out the back door, only to be confronted by four FBI agents pointing their guns at him.

"Going somewhere, Officer?" Rossi said. Morgan and Hotch ran up to cuff him. They brought him around front where JJ confronted the man who took her sister's life.

"You're a sick bastard. You killed my sister because you were physically abusive and your wife took your daughter. I hope you rot in Hell for it."

"She was a nice girl," Matthews replied with a smirk in his voice. "Really sweet. I had regrets in killing her since she was so much fun to play with."

JJ balled her hand in a fist and knocked Matthews down to the ground in one punch, leaving him with a broken, bloody nose. She held him down to the ground and spoke. "The only reasons I'm not killing you right now is because I don't want to lose my job and because I would rather see you face justice for what you've done." She stood up and walked back over to where Danny and Spencer were still standing.

"I'm sorry, JJ," Danny said.

"You don't need to be sorry," she replied. "We got the son of a bitch who took her away from me and he's behind bars for good."

Danny and Spencer hugged her tightly.

"Come on, we'd better go tell your mom and brother what we found out."


An hour later, Marty and Sandy Jareau stood in her kitchen as they listened to the information given to them. They cried tears of sorrow for the loss of their sister and tears of relief that they found the bastard who took her away.

When they left, Danny headed straight for the SUV he was heading back to D.C. in, while Spencer stayed behind to comfort JJ a little more. JJ was staying a little longer to help her family cope with the new information, and Spencer was considering staying behind as well to help out a little.

"I'm sorry about your sister, JJ," Spencer said.

"It's okay, Spence. At least now I know that it wasn't her. She never killed herself. And now the bastard who killed her is behind bars for good," JJ said.

"I'm glad that he's gone too. You have closure now. That monster is certainly not getting out any time soon."

"Thank you, Spence."

"It's no problem, JJ. You're my best friend. I care about you like you're family. I love you, remember?"

JJ smiled and realized that she could no longer hold back. She grabbed his face in her hands and pulled him to her, engaging her lips in a battle with his. She stood there kissing him for nearly ten minutes.

Her mother looked through the window of her home to see her daughter kissing the man she truly loved. Marty stared out the window as well to see JJ kissing Spencer. He had never met him, but from how highly JJ spoke of him, he was happy that Spencer was there to take care of her. Danny's jaw dropped in shock when he saw it from the SUV. He was going to have a serious talk with JJ later.

JJ finally pulled back when she needed oxygen through her mouth instead of her nose. Spencer stared at her for a moment. "Spence?"

Spencer started stuttering. "I-I sh-should be heading back t-t-to Quantico. I h-hope you enjoy your time with your family. I'll see you when you get back."

"Spence, wait!" she called. Spencer was already walking to the SUV. He climbed in and drove away with Danny.

"Doc," Danny said as Spencer drove away. "What the hell was that?"

"I don't know," Spencer replied. "But now it's got me all confused."

"Why?"

"It hasn't even been a year since Maeve. I feel like I've betrayed her."

Danny stared at his best friend. He reached his hand over and patted Spencer's shoulder. "It's okay, buddy."

"No it's not. JJ's married. She has Will and Henry. I might have just broken up a family. I'm just so lost and confused. I have no idea what to think."

Danny felt bad for Spencer, but he felt more anger for JJ than sympathy for Spencer. "Don't worry, buddy. Everything's going to be okay. You didn't betray Maeve. JJ betrayed you and Will," Danny said, anger in his voice. "Don't worry."


Meanwhile, JJ just stood where Spencer had left her. She wasn't just hurt that Spencer didn't reciprocate, but also confused as to what's going on with him. He was always in love with her. Even after Henry, Spencer still reciprocated her kisses. Now he didn't.

She didn't know what was wrong. What had she done?


The next day, JJ returned from her vacation with her family. Spencer didn't speak to her or even give her a second glance. Danny didn't talk or look at her either.

Spencer was just confused. Danny, however, was pissed. It showed in his face. JJ confronted him later that day.

"What's going on? Why aren't you or Spence talking to me?" she asked.

"Oh," Danny began, anger and sarcasm in his voice. "You want to know why we aren't talking to you. Well, the reasons are connected. I'm pissed at you. Why did you kiss him?!"

JJ gasped. "You saw that?"

"You bet I did. You're married with a kid and you kissed him. You seriously confused him. That's why he's not talking to you. You confused him. It hasn't even been a year since Maeve's died, so he's told me. Not to mention that you kissing him possibly meant that he might unintentionally break up a family, and you know that's the last thing he wants for Henry: to grow up like he did. You hurt him and you seriously confused him. That's why I'm so pissed at you." Danny took a deep breath. "Now that I've gotten that out of my system, I've got work to do." He started walking away.

JJ stood there. She had completely forgotten. The anniversary of Maeve's death was a few days away. Now she felt horrible. She had unintentionally hurt and confused her best friend/true love.

Could he ever forgive her?

Sorry for the rushed ending. It just came at the last minute.

So, how was it? Good or bad? Better than last time? Leave a review, please.

Make sure to check in next time for this:

Reid needs help in coping with the most dreadful day of the year.

Until next time! See ya!

-D.C. al Coda