CHAPTER EIGHTY

EVOLUTION

17x02 Contagion

JJ sat alone, her thoughts consumed by the eerie silence that enveloped the room. She wasn't entirely alone. She had the quiet company of Elias Voit. For seven days, he had remained mute, refusing to utter a single word, leaving JJ to wonder if he would ever break his silence.

In an odd way, she found herself growing accustomed to the quiet moments, a strange sense of solace amidst the chaos. On one hand, she felt as though she was failing her team by making no progress with Sicarius. On the other, she relished the opportunity to retreat into her own thoughts, undisturbed by the need for constant interaction.

It was a double-edged sword, however, as her mind inevitably wandered back to Emily – a confusing maelstrom of love, terror, and anger swirling within her.

"Hey, you," JJ said stiltedly into the phone, breaking the silence.

"It's me," Luke's voice came through. "Pretending to be your wife. How's it going?"

"Pretty slow," she answered honestly. "I'll definitely be home for dinner. What are you making?"

"The boys want breakfast for dinner."

"Of course the boys want breakfast for dinner. They always do," JJ said, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. That wasn't a lie – Luke knew enough about their family dynamic to play a convincing Emily. "No, it's your eggs. Oh, come on, it's the only thing you know how to cook."

JJ heard Elias shift in the background.

"You got him," Luke said, his voice laced with satisfaction.

"Yes. I do." She smiled to herself, a brief moment of triumph. "Okay, I'll see you tonight. Okay. Bye."

"Bullshit."

JJ's brow furrowed as Elias's voice cut through the silence, sharp and accusatory.

"Excuse me?"

"Bullshit. 'A,' you would never have that conversation in front of me and 'B,' no wife talks to her husband like that. Not after kids."

JJ grimaced internally. What did it say about the state of her marriage that that was the most normal marital conversation she'd had in weeks?

"Maybe not your wife..." JJ said, taking a seat, her gaze fixed on the man before her. She knew she had to tread carefully. His jaw clenched briefly.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Elias asked, his voice tinged with a hint of desperation.

"Doing what?"

"Taunting me like this."

JJ narrowed her eyes. "You have over 50 bodies in two shipping containers, and I'm taunting you?" The weight of his crimes hung heavy in the air.

"Why are you here? Of all the agents they could have sent in here, why did they send you in to talk to me? The agent who used my family to manipulate me. That was you, wasn't it?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Yeah. So, fool me twice? I don't think so. If you're here, it's 'cause you have some sort of ulterior motive. I don't know what it is yet. But I will."

JJ had volunteered to take the first stab at Voit for a variety of reasons. Though she didn't want to admit it, part of the appeal was to get away from the rest of the team. You're angry Jennifer. Her mother was right. She was angry. And she knew that taking it out on her friends wasn't right. Channeling it into work had to be better. Right? Being angry at Elias Voit was easy, and nobody would fault her for it.

But she was pretty sure this wasn't what her mother had meant when she said she needed to find a better outlet for her anger. This wasn't an act of selflessness - this was an act of self-destructive avoidance.

"Oh, my god…" JJ said, something dawning on her. She shook her head, lips curling with disdain. "You don't know anything," she muttered with a scornful scoff.

"I know what I'm talking about," he argued back.

"Then prove it!" JJ raised her voice slightly.

"Social contagion," he said arrogantly. Contagion. JJ narrowed her eyes. The hint of a smirk played on his lips. "You'd know about that, wouldn't you - Jennifer?"

JJ felt the familiar heat of anger flare up in her chest. She hid it but she suspected he could see it anyway. Was she infected with this anger? Was it spreading through her like a virus? Could everyone see it killing her? Perhaps Elias Voit was the best profiler of them all.

"You know what else I know?" He continued. JJ turned around. "I know… that Agent Prentiss is a little too busy right now to be at home making breakfast for dinner." Elias smirked, his eyes glinting with a mixture of amusement and something far more sinister. "Did I say husband earlier?" He added with faux confusion and a grin.

JJ took a deep breath, to steady herself. It shouldn't have surprised her that Elias knew personal details about them, but the thought of him getting out of jail in five years and knowing about her family was deeply unsettling.

"That is all for today," Elias said flatly. He turned and walked back toward his bunk.

JJ fought to steady her voice, "Uh - no, I still have more questions."

"I have no more answers." He regarded her with an emotionless stare. "But I will let you know when I'm ready to talk again."

Emily stood alone staring at the board in front of her. She closed her eyes briefly, feeling the dull throb of an impending headache. So much weighed on her mind lately - the ever-mounting caseload, the strain it put on the team, the guilt she carried over Bailey's death. And underlying it all, the specter of her illness hung over everything.

She thought about JJ. Emily could see the worry etched on her face. She missed the lighthearted way they used to love each other. The easy smiles and the gorgeous sound of JJ laughing. She had every right to be furious about the whole situation - the way she found out and the heartbreaking injustice of it. Emily wished she could reassure her, but she didn't even know what to say to reassure herself.

Emily closed her eyes again. This was just the beginning. They had a slew of doctors appointments lined up to figure out their next steps. But thoughts of radiation, chemotherapy, and maybe even surgery flashed through her mind. She was so scared; more terrified than she had ever been before. How could she be strong for her family when she could barely hold herself together? Emily clenched her jaw when she heard the door open behind her.

"You never would have done that to Hotch," Emily seethed. "Never."

"Fine. Then convince me," David said.

Emily turned back to face him. A look of understanding passed over his eyes - so quick she almost missed it. But she could see the empathy. He might not know what was going on, but she could feel his quiet support. She gave him a forgiving smile.

JJ steadied herself before taking the final few steps up to the open door of Emily's office. She knocked on the door and entered the office slowly. The tension between them was palpable.

"Em," JJ said softly, closing the door behind her. "Do you have a minute?"

Emily looked up, her eyes meeting JJ's. She nodded, feeling suddenly anxious. "Yeah. What's up?"

JJ took a deep breath. "I think we need to talk about... us. About everything that's been going on."

Emily's expression tightened slightly. She opened her mouth to respond, but hesitated. She pushed her chair back from her desk, stood, and rounded her desk. She was reaching out for her when a loud knock on the office door made them both jump a little.

The door swung open, and JJ flinched away from Emily, crossing her arms over her chest. Luke strode in. "Hey, guys -" He paused, immediately noticing the tension in the room. "Oh, sorry. Did I interrupt something?"

JJ and Emily exchanged a glance, their unfinished conversation hanging in the air.

"No, it's fine," Emily said, forcing a smile. "What do you need, Luke?"

"JJ," he started. "Did you check your email?"