Sorry about the delay again. I promise updates will become more regular when I move back into school. My car was totaled this week and it's been an absolute mess of a summer so please bear with me. Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 6

JJ's first week back at work seemed to have snuck up on the BAU agents. They hadn't been expecting her to simply show up and act like everything was normal so quickly. They knew that JJ was aware of the situation but the blonde wasn't sure what her team had been told. Hotch, without telling anyone, had begun negotiating with Metro Police in an effort to involve his team in the investigation. So far it seemed to be failing and the BAU remained in the dark. JJ returned the file she had been given once Strauss got word of her having it and was ordered to stay away. It wasn't an order she was willing to follow. One day when all six of them were gathered in the meeting room, JJ snapped.

"I can't take this anymore." She blurted out, surprising the five agents. Everyone waited for her to continue. "We all know the reason we haven't touched any new cases all month and pretending like it isn't happening isn't going to make it go away."

"JJ, we're not pretending." Emily spoke up, her voice soft. "The last thing we want is to see you or your family hurt again."

"And you think that keeping me out of the loop is the way to go about that?" the blonde frowned. "I deserve to know what's going on and so does my family."

"We've been ordered to-"

"I know." The blonde sighed. "But you can't possibly expect me to stay away from this. Especially when he's so close."

"That's exactly why you should stay away." Hotch spoke up, crossing his arms defiantly across his chest. "You're what he's after and if he ever gets his hands on you again it'll take more than a flesh wound to keep him away."

"Hotch, we all know that Metro isn't equipped to handle a case like this!" JJ placed her hands on her hips. "If it were any other unsub, they would've already asked for our help."

"They have, we're just not allowed to touch it." Rossi explained, his eyes staring at the cup of coffee in front of him. "Another unit will assist them and they're findings will be delivered to us."

"That's not good enough." JJ demanded. Seeing her team's eyebrows raise at her short temper, she sighed and lowered her voice. "I'm sorry but this isn't right. We're the only ones who can stop him. Even Metro can see that. Hotch," she turned to implore the man to her left, "you've got to convince them."

"I've spoken to the lead detective several times and he assures me that our help is wanted." Hotch said. "The only person that needs convincing is Strauss."

"Great." Emily rolled her eyes as she leaned her head back in her chair. "The Dragon Lady's never going to let us-"

"Let me handle Strauss." Rossi interrupted. "I've got more than enough…leverage on her to make her see things our way."

"Even if we manage to work the case, I don't think it's a good idea for you to be involved, JJ." Hotch turned to the petite blonde and could've sworn that she was ready to knock him on his ass.

"You tried sending me away last time and look how well that worked out." JJ narrowed her gaze at her boss. "While I understand why you think that, I'm telling you with the utmost certainty that there is no force on Earth capable of stopping me from catching this man. You're welcome to try." The hardened look in her usually warm blue eyes made Hotch regard her more seriously. He knew that when it came to family, JJ would stop at nothing to keep them safe. He also knew that she was right- the entire FBI couldn't stop her if they tried. He let out a short breath.

"If we get the case, I suggest you take Leila away from D.C." Hotch said. "Having her too close doesn't seem like a good idea." JJ nodded, agreeing with him for the first time in what felt like months.

"I'll speak to Strauss in the morning." Rossi stood and threw his jacket over his shoulder before wishing the team a good night and leaving, slowly followed by the others. Ten minutes later only Emily and JJ were left, one finishing up paperwork while the other tapped her fingers impatiently on a desk.

"I need to talk to you." JJ finally said and Emily immediately dropped her pen. She had sensed the blonde's anxiety all week and was relieved that she had finally said something.

"I can see that." Emily offered a smile which wasn't returned. Suddenly, it felt as if the temperature in the room had dropped drastically. Emily watched as her friend approached her, standing over her in a way that could easily have been interpreted as menacing.

"What have you been telling my sister?" JJ asked, her eyes unwavering. Emily didn't miss the way she said 'my sister' instead of Leila's name. The brunette knew there was no point in lying.

"Only what she asked for." Emily stood, coming eye to eye with the woman in front of her. JJ didn't back up.

"I know you're just trying to help," JJ inhaled deeply as if trying to keep her voice under control, "but telling her what's happening to these women isn't going to make her feel better."

"JJ, she came to me already knowing the facts of the case." Emily tried to explain. "She read them in the file you brought home."

"Oh, so it's my fault?" JJ frowned.

"What? No." Emily shook her head. "She came to me and asked for my help. There was no point in telling her 'no'." She left out the part about how Leila said she would just find someone else to teach her if Emily refused. The girl was probably in enough trouble with her sister already.

"The point is that now she's under the impression that Parilla's going to pop out from underneath her bed." JJ replied. "Whatever it is you're 'teaching' her, stop. She doesn't need your help."

"She's afraid and rightfully so." Emily crossed her arms, her own temper flaring. "She felt weak and helpless the first time and told me that she never wanted to feel like that again. What was I supposed to do?"

"Assure her that he won't get that far!" JJ cried. "She's just a kid, Emily. She doesn't need to know how to manipulate and control a serial killer!"

"She's not a kid, JJ. After what she's been through, Leila's not only more mature and responsible than others her age but she's also more aware." Emily reasoned. "Being in a situation like that…it changes people. You can't blame her for being afraid."

"She has no reason to be." JJ said, the conviction in her voice evident. "I'm her sister and I'm going to protect her from anyone who tries to hurt her again."

"JJ, this isn't about you." Emily realized that her friend's real problem was how close she had gotten to her sister. After losing Andrea, JJ found a second chance in Leila and now felt like Emily was stealing Leila away from her. "I know you love her and I know you'll protect her with every fiber of your being but there are some things that are out of your control. Her knowing what to do in a worst case scenario isn't a bad thing."

"Yes it is!" JJ took a step forward. "How do you not see the damage you're doing? She's already terrified of every stranger that knocks on the door and you putting the idea in her head that Parilla taking her is inevitable will only make it worse!"

"Denying the fact that it might happen leaves her unprepared and-"

"No." JJ stopped her. "He will never touch her again- not as long as there is breath in my body."

"JJ, he's killed four women and taken another two." Emily lowered her voice. "Do not underestimate this man."

"Stay away from my sister, Emily." JJ practically snarled. "I won't ask you again." Snatching her coat from the back of chair, JJ took off leaving her friend behind. Emily watched the woman walk away and lowered her head. A door opened to her right and she saw Hotch emerge from his office, a look of pity on his face. Before the man could try to comfort her, Emily was out the door and in the elevator where she fought back the tears that threatened to escape. JJ's reaction had hurt her. After all, she was only trying to help. With a sigh, Emily realized that there were a lot of things that came with carrying a baby- one of which was definitely a much less hardened interior.

There was no mistaking the pain that radiated in her skull. Kira barely remembered the first time she had gotten a concussion but what she felt now was similar- if not identical. She knew that the moment she opened her eyes, the light- not matter how faint- would simply cause more pain. Choosing to leave them closed, Kira lifted a hand to her hand and felt around. There was a bump on the back of her head but thankfully, no blood. Reaching her hand around to her face, she felt her swollen lip and a little cut on her right eyebrow. She wiped the small trickle of blood away before hearing a faint voice.

"You awake?" Kira tried to remember the name of the woman she was trapped with. She knew it was similar to her own but couldn't exactly put her finger on it. Straining against the light, Kira cracked an eyelid open and saw the blonde woman laying on her back not five feet from her. There was something wrong. When Kira had awakened in this pit, the woman had been quick in approaching and trying to comfort her. Now she simply lay there, unmoving except for the sapphire eyes that waited patiently for a response.

"Are you alright?" Kira asked, her throat sore. Slowly, she brought herself on her hands and knees, ignoring the way the room spun, and began to crawl over to the blonde. When she reached her side, Kira saw why she hadn't moved. The first thing that drew her attention was that she was not longer wearing the pants she had been brought here in. They had been discarded on the other side of the room. Deep purple bruises seemed to have been painted on the woman's thighs and neck as well as her forearms. The woman's dirtied face made the tear stains hard to miss and the way that she avoided Kira's gaze spoke volumes to the girl.

"I'm fine. Are you?" she took Kira's hand in her own and squeezed, trying hard not to cry in front of the girl. Kira nodded slowly, still reeling from the discovery of what the man had done to her.

"Cara," the woman's name had finally come back to her, "I'm-I'm so sorry I wasn't-"

"Don't be." The blonde shook her head. "It wouldn't have made a difference anyway." Deep down inside, Kira knew she was right. This Jeremy didn't seem like a man who was refused what he wanted. Kira swallowed hard and took the woman's underarms, slowly pulling them backwards until they reached a corner. She righted Cara until the woman stopped wincing from the pain and let the blonde lay her head on her shoulder. The older woman took her hand and held it tightly, taking deep, shaky breaths.

"My mom would've called the police by now. They're looking for us." Kira tried to reassure her companion. It didn't seem to be working.

"Yea." Cara managed, her breath tickling Kira' neck as exhaustion took over her body. Before long, Cara was asleep, her face covered by a mass of once golden hair, leaving Kira alone. A sense of dread came over the teenager as she took stock of their predicament. Was there really any hope of escaping a man as sick as Jeremy? She wept quietly, trying to keep her sobs soft enough so as not to wake the sleeping blonde. God knows, they needed all the energy they could muster for when he returned- and Kira was certain that when he did, it would only get worse.