Chapter 07

BAU Headquarters
Quantico, VA

Early summer 2005

Emily

"So they're diametrically opposed to each other?" Emily Prentiss asked.

"Yep." Morgan replied. "Drives them both nuts."

They saw that the moment they walked into the bullpen. It was Emily's first full day, she'd met Derek Morgan, her unofficial 'partner', and now she was finally getting to see her desk. But along the way they passed the break area. "I made them last night." Spencer was saying. He opened a plastic box and let out the most heavenly aroma. "Morning buns. It's a flakey croissant dough with an orange-cinnamon-brown sugar filling."

"Which will completely undo the two hours I spent in the gym this morning." JJ replied. She was clutching her coffee like a magic talisman against carbs.

"Come on, you have to try them!"

"Why can't you go back to making soup?"

Oh there was only one way to solve this argument. "I'll split one with you." Emily said.

"Thank you." JJ replied as Spencer fished one out of the box for them.

After introductions were made and small talk all around Emily got to the part that now had her curious. "So, you're both infected?"

"Yeah, for about a year now." JJ replied.

"What's it like?"

"It's...nothing. We've been taking these classes to help control it when it comes up, but so far there hasn't been anything."

"So neither of you have been matched with anyone?"

"N...no." JJ turned and looked in the direction of her office without looking. "Granted with this last case I haven't looked in a few days."

"Me neither." Spencer said. He headed for his computer.

Emily trailed after JJ as she went to her office and punched a number into a website. "Nope, nothing." She said.

"Aww." Emily replied.

"Yeah, I don't know." JJ replied to that. "It's still kinda weird after all..."

"Oh my god!" Penelope exclaimed from the bullpen.

JJ got up and both women headed for the bullpen. They found Spencer staring at his computer, his jaw hanging loose, with a shocked Morgan and Penelope looking over his shoulder. "What is it?" Emily asked. She turned to look as well.

There was a match.

"Oh my god." JJ said.

"It says she's been in the system for two days." Penelope said. "Have you felt anything different for the past two days?"

"Um, no." Spencer replied. "Nothing I've noticed."

"Okay, come here Spence." JJ grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him out of his chair and over to her quiet office, trailing Penelope behind them. There she pushed him down into the visitor's chair. Emily watched from the doorway with Morgan. "Remember what we learned in class, you have to breathe and focus."

"I just feel silly when I do that!" He replied.

"Spence! Focus."

As Emily watched he closed Spencer closed his eyes and shifted his breathing. After a few minutes he cocked his head. "You really can separate it off." He said. "It's not that hard once you start trying."

"Okay, but what are they feeling?" Penelope asked.

"Um...happy."

"Spence!" JJ protested. "You're supposed to get specific; it's supposed to be easier to split it off if you do."

"I know, I know, but there isn't much there." He replied. "Just...happy. Content I guess. There's nothing really exciting."

Emily shrugged. "I guess happy isn't a bad thing."

"No." Morgan agreed. "But with all this talk about abusers you kinda want to go out and be the hero. You can't save someone from happy."

They wandered back out. Spencer fetched his coffee and box and went back to his computer and stared at the simple notification on his screen. This number, matched two days ago. "I hope she releases her contact info soon." He said. "If she's like this all the time I probably should apologize."

"Why?" Emily asked.

"I might be too exciting for her." He pulled out a bun to have with his coffee.

Emily smiled. "Somehow I doubt that."

Logan School Condos
Apt #13
Washington DC

Spencer

Content. That truly was the best way to describe what Spencer felt from his life mate most of that first day. Most of that first week in fact. All day, every day, whoever she was she was very happy with her life right now. She was content.

It wasn't until Friday evening that he felt something. A frisson of excitement early in the evening, a hint of nerves which settled into a sort of heightened awareness. But by the end of the evening it eased down into a mild disappointment. "Sounds like a date which didn't go well." Penelope said over the phone. "Not a really horrible date, but not all that great either."

"So why doesn't she release her contact information?" Spencer asked. It had been five days, surely that was enough time to get to the DMV.

"Maybe she's just nervous about the whole alien thing. Give her time, she'll be curious eventually."

"I hope so."

But Spencer wasn't only hoping for his sake. As the week-end passed he began to notice something else mixed in with that contentment, something mild and minor, but most definitely there.

His life mate was lonely.

Spencer could understand that. On week-ends, when he was away from work and all his friends, he was lonely too.

BAU Headquarters
Quantico, VA

Thursday, August 25, 2005

JJ

Spencer might have been matched first, but JJ was the first one to be truly affected by the infection.

"Did you hear the news?" Penelope asked when she walked in the office.

"What news?"

"Last night the virus database was hacked. Nothing was damaged but someone got the records for the entire east coast."

"That's...interesting." And a little disquieting. It was making her uncomfortable. "All they'll get from me is my name and phone number though. Big deal."

"Yeah, Spencer said the same thing. He left a mailing address. He's a little miffed though."

"Why?" That came out a lot grumpier than JJ intended. But everything had been coming out a lot grumpier than intended.

"Be-cause now the hacker knows who his life mate is and he still doesn't." Penelope frowned. "What is up with you this morning?"

"I don't know. It's like ever since I got up this morning there's been this cloud of doom following me. It's like something really big and scary is coming."

By now Morgan had wandered up to join them. "You sure it's you?" He asked. "Because that sounds a lot like how Brisco described feeling Cargill stressing out when she knew she was in for a rough night."

"Yeah, I..." But JJ stopped. Could it be? "I haven't checked in a few days..." She turned and headed to her office, waking up her computer and going to the now so familiar bookmark.

"I just hope he released his name." Morgan said. "If he's in there."

"He is." JJ stared at the screen. It was so bland, so innocuous. But it just changed her life forever.

She had a match.

"Oh. My. God." Penelope said. "Has he released his contact info?"

"Not yet. This says he only entered the system yesterday. I have been feeling off the past couple of days, he must have just been infected this week."

"Hopefully he'll release it soon." Morgan said. "Then we'll go help him with whatever's wrong."

"We?" JJ asked.

"Yeah. He's family."

Logan School Condos
Apt #13
Washington DC

"So, have you tried to differentiate yet?" Spencer asked.

"No." JJ replied. The BAU didn't do 'partners', like most other law enforcement did, but if they had Spencer would likely be hers. Now she and Penelope had come to his place for dinner, and so she wouldn't have to be alone with the constant itch of anxiety that had nothing to do with her. She'd even brought her go bag in case she decided to crash in his guest room. "I didn't have time today."

"So go try now." Penelope said. "See if you can really contact him."

JJ sighed, but turned to the living room and the big floor pillows there. "This makes me feel silly." She said.

"At least you're getting something more than a pleasant work day." Spencer replied.

"Work day?" Penelope asked.

"Given that there's a plus or minus maximum five year differential between life mates already matched and I'm at the upper limit she's likely in her early 20's." Spencer said. "She didn't feel any stress around the times you would expect for finals or papers to be due, so she's likely post-collegiate. She's pursuing a career she enjoys that pays her enough to not cause stress around the usual times when bills come due. She doesn't have any conflicts at work, and she enjoys the works she does, as she feels most relaxed and comfortable during the standard work day. She feels a small amount of stress around rush hour, but not enough for a driver so she's likely taking mass transit, meaning someone living in an urban area. She's not in a steady relationship but does date once or twice a month. I believe she's a young professional in a stable, white-collar job living in an urban area somewhere who really enjoys her career but who doesn't have a regular romantic partner. And that is all I know about her."

"Huh." Penelope considered this. "At least you don't have to worry about her."

"True."

"Oh my god." JJ said. "You can differentiate. It's like he's right over here." She sort of traced the space next to her.

"Can you get a better handle on what he's feeling?" Spencer asked.

"Nervous. Something big is coming. Scared about it. A lot of bravery though, or maybe bravado. And he feels like he's running out of time. Aagghhh!" JJ opened her eyes with a huff. "I want to help him! I just don't know how!"

BAU Headquarters
Quantico, VA

Friday, August 26, 2005

The name of JJ's life mate wasn't released that day, or that night, or by the next morning when she checked at home. But the emotions she was feeling from him were just growing stronger. And worse. "Did you sleep last night?" Spencer asked as they met in the elevator.

"Kind of." JJ replied. "I don't think he did. He better have his name up." She said as she headed straight for his office. "Ahhh!" Nope, still no name.

"You know, you might try that emotion burst technique they taught us." Spencer said. "It might at least get his attention."

"Ohhh, I don't know. I guess." It was worth a try. "Have you tried it yet?"

"No. But my life mate hasn't been feeling any negative emotions. There hasn't been any reason to pry. Yours is."

"Okay." JJ settled back in her chair, and evened out her breathing. Picture a concept, they had said, and build up the emotions around it. Concern, curiosity, awareness, whatever that concept means to you. Feel them as intensely as you can, let it all build up inside you. Then try to mentally shout it at the other person. It might be enough to jar their awareness.

So JJ let those emotions build and build and when she could hold them no longer she mentally shouted at the other mind she could touch with her own. Who are you?

He didn't feel any different.

She did it again. She let it build and build until she could shout once more. Who are you?

Nothing.

Once more. Who are you?

When she breathed again it felt different. He felt different. The anxiety was gone, replaced by curiosity at first, and then the sudden shock of realization. "I think it worked." She said.

"Oh?" Spencer asked

"Yeah. It feels like he realized I'm there. Maybe now he'll get off his duff and go to the DMV."

"Hopefully."