Emily woke suddenly, surprised to find the bed empty with dampened sheets. "JJ?" She called, trying to bring the dark shapes of the room into focus. The clock flashed 5:52. "JJ?" She tried again, louder.
Trying not to panic, she slid the spare key from its folio and tiptoed down the hall, attempting not to wake her partners in the surrounding rooms. . The door clicked open with a green flash as she pulled away the key. Empty.
When Emily was back in her own room, she dialed the blonde's number- relieved to hear JJ's voice after the first ring.
"Emily? What's wrong? Are you okay?" JJ spat, out of breath.
"Jennifer? Where are you?"
JJ doubled over, placing her hands on her knees. She smiled, thinking back to her dream as Emily said her name. "I went for a jog." She panted. "I didn't want to wake you, but trust me- I needed to run."
Emily blinked, looking over her shoulder at the ruffled bed. Oh. Okay… I just got worried. Enjoy yourself, Jareau."
JJ grinned. If only you knew. "I'm heading back now. Have coffee ready? Or are you going back to sleep?" They still had an hour and a half before they had to get ready.
Emily yawned. "I'll go find some."
"No, don't. I didn't know if the room had a pot. I passed a shop somewhere along the way and I'll bring us both back a cup "
"You spoil me, JJ."
"The perks of being my best friend."
Emily smiled as she stared at her phone, the line disconnected. But I want to be so much more.
An hour had passed and still, JJ hadn't reappeared. Emily's eyes were now glued to the door, waiting for the handle to flicker any moment and the blonde to come bouncing in. But every minute passed without movement.
She hated to call again, but unless JJ had jogged back to D.C., she should have been back by now. Something felt wrong in the pit of her stomach.
The phone rang six times before being going to voicemail. Great. If I call Hotch on this and she shows up a minute later, she's going to kill me.
Emily shook her head, unable to shake the thoughts running through it. But then Garcia came to mind. Quickly, her fingers dialed. "Garcia, I know it's early but I need a favor."
"A favor?" Garcia mumbled. "Of what variety?"
"The secret kind."
"Oh, my favorite flavor. Okay, go for genius. What can I get ya?"
Emily hesitated, still staring at the door. "You're going to think that I'm being ridiculous, but JJ went jogging this morning. And an hour ago, I talked to her and she said she was on the way back."
Garcia's tone changed, hardening. "She's not there?"
"No. And I'm worried. I'm probably overreacting, but I'm worried, Pen."
"Okay, hold on. Im typing her number in now to trace-" she paused, her voice heightening. "Emily, her phone is at the same place her last call came in from an hour ago. She hasn't moved."
"Shit." Emily hung up and threw her door open, springing down the hall. Like a mad woman, she began beating on Rossi and Hotch's doors.
Both answered at the same time, Rossi in his boxers and Rossi in a white undershirt with dress pants. "Emily?" Rossi asked, somewhat shocked.
"JJ is missing."
Hotch extended his door for them both to follow and started getting dressed. "Prentiss, explain" he said as he slid on a pair of pants.
"She went jogging this morning and when I called her an hour ago, she said she was on the way back. She said she was stopping for coffee and then she'd be home. When she didn't show and wasn't answering, I had Garcia trace her cell and it hasn't moved since she spoke to me an hour ago." Emily panted, speaking quickly. "I knew something was off- I should have called Garcia twenty minutes ago when she first didn't come back."
Rossi put his hands on her shoulders. "Emily, this isn't your fault. Come on, let's go find her."
Hotch nodded, "She could have fallen or dropped her phone. She's probably fine."
Emily went back to get her gun, leaving the two men alone. Hotch looked to Rossi, "Dave, why were they sharing a room?"
Rossi held his hands up in surrender. "Don't look at me, Aaron. I just work here."
"JJ?" Emily screamed, kicking her way through a wooden patch off a jogging trail.
Hotch and Rossi echoed nearby, "Jareau?"
Come on JJ, where are you? Emily swore to herself, looking for prints. Come on, baby, please answer me. Please. "Jennifer!"
Distantly, JJ heard Emily calling. The world felt heavy, like her head was filled with sand. She tried to answer but couldn't bring the world into enough of a focus for the words to form. Exhausted, her head collapsed against the leaves.
What happened? She tried to think, bringing a hand to her head. She pulled her fingers away and saw the blood. Great.
This time is was Rossi's voice, but clearer. "JJ?" He called, his footsteps rattling a few hundred feet away.
"Here!" JJ coughed, barely above a whisper. "I'm here!"
Rossi passed by. She heard his footsteps draw closer and then grow distant. Shit. Come on Jareau, get it together. You can do this.
JJ struggled to sit up, giving her lungs more air to breathe. "Here!" She answered. "I'm here!"
Emily stopped, her ears alert to the whistling wind. "Jen?" She called again, listening. Was it her remind playing tricks or was JJ answering?
The brunette heard again, but louder. JJ. "Say it again, Jay. I'm here! I'm coming!" Emily turned frantically in circles, listening for the sound.
Hotch and Rossi heard it too- or maybe they heard Emily's response. Either way, they met her by the path.
"Jareau, keep yelling!" Hotch ordered. "If you can't come to us, keep screaming. We'll find you."
JJ heard Hotch's call but couldn't stay upright any longer. Everything went black as she fell into the ground, listening to Emily's voice as the world faded away.