Criminal Minds 1. Chapter 1

**Hellooooooo friends! Oh, how I've missed you all! I hope you've enjoyed your year (wow, it's been that long) and are looking forward to a beautiful summer! I'm happy to introduce the sequel to Predetermined Fates and I can't wait to share this story with you! Thank you for sticking with me and if you read The Sounds of Silence, thank you for that as well! Now off we go!**

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**Chapter 1**

"He's making a break for it!" Morgan's voice rang in all six ears. In an instant, the agents sped off in search of the criminal they had been tracking down for weeks- a sick, depraved man who preyed on children no older than 10. Diving into the thick forest, one of the BAU's youngest members completely forgot about her fear of the forest. The only thing on the blonde's mind was making sure that Dennis Snow was behind bars by nightfall.

"There's a clearing up ahead!" Emily Prentiss' announced, her accelerated breathing easily detected through the earwig JJ wore. Turning her head slightly to the right, the blonde double checked to make sure that her boss was right behind her. Hotch nodded and the two continued pushing through the forestry until the clearing was visible. They slowed down, removing their weapons from their holsters, and cautiously approached the field. Before them stood an old windmill, obviously beyond repair, where the suspect had run into. Emily and Morgan had been the first to arrive and were clearly waiting for the rest of the team.

"He's got a gun." Morgan said as he saw the two approach. The group could already hear Rossi and Reid's footsteps emerging from the forest behind them.

"We don't know the layout. It could be a trap." Hotch narrowed his gaze at the structure, analyzing it from the outside.

"Well, we can't just stand here." Emily huffed, hands on her hips as she too seemed to look over the mill for any alternate entry points.

"We're not." Hotch nodded once, making the decision to breach the building. "Emily, Morgan take the back. The rest of us will keep him distracted from the front."

"Be careful." Everyone nodded as JJ's knowing tone caught their attention- particularly the attention of the only other woman on the team. It had been a little less than three months since Emily Prentiss had discovered that she was pregnant. Against JJ's advice, she decided to withhold from an announcement until at least the fourth month. That, of course, meant that Hotch had no reason to remove her from active field work. This was only the second case the BAU had worked on since the discovery and the last had gone off quite smoothly- if one considered suicide by cop smooth. At least last time they didn't have to run around the woods, chasing a madman with a gun. JJ snapped out of her own thoughts as Hotch prepared to kick down the door in their way. She inhaled deeply and flexed her fingers against her weapon as the door came crashing down.

"You good?" Morgan turned briefly to assess his partner. Emily nodded once in return before kneeling before the locked door and removing a bobby pin from her hair. Within seconds, the door was open and their entry seemed unhindered. Raising their weapons, the two agents took a cautious step inside the poorly lit structure and immediately turned on their flashlights. Before either had a chance to react, the door behind them slammed shut and a pair of footsteps came rushing at them. Emily heard Morgan grunt and spun on her heels, her light catching the sight of two bodies wrestling on the ground. Unable to get a clear shot, the brunette moved to holster her weapon and yank the criminal off her partner before she heard his chilling voice.

"Unless you want to see your boyfriend's brains splattered along the wall, I suggest you drop it." Aiming her flashlight towards the voice, Emily's heart leapt to her throat at the sight of Morgan in a headlock with a gun resting against his temple, blood dripping down his nose. Their unsub, Dennis Snow had managed to get the upper hand on the surprised agent, leaving Emily with no choice but to toss her weapon to the ground.

"Dennis, you know there's no getting out of here." Emily's calm voice tried to reason with him as she raised her hands defensively. "Killing him will only make things worse for you."

"I am _not_ going back there!" Snow cried, his hands trembling at the mere thought of returning to prison. "Do you know what they do to people like me there?!"

"Dennis, you've murdered eight children." Emily explained. "Killing a federal agent will-"

"Shut the hell-"

"Dennis Snow, FBI." Emily sighed in relief as the sound of Hotch's voice reached her ears. She could hear her team arrange themselves around the man, guns drawn and aiming straight for his head. If Snow so much as twitched the wrong way, she was sure one of them would bring him down without hurting Morgan.

"It's over, Dennis. Don't make this any worse than it has to be." Rossi told the man who was closer to his age than the others'.

"No, no, no!" The BAU flinched as they saw Snow press the muzzle of his 42 closer to Derek's head. "I can't go back. Won't." Just as Rossi opened his mouth to continue his reasoning with the criminal, Snow tilted his body to the side and reached his arm out- gun in hand. He chose the closest agent- Emily- and took aim, knowing that these were to be his last seconds. Time seemed to slow down as the BAU realized what he was doing. One by one, they reacted. Morgan did everything he could to knock the man off balance, the thought him hitting Emily terrifying him to his very core. Reid, Rossi and Hotch all waited for the opportune moment to fire, hoping that it would be before a bullet even left the 42's chamber. JJ, on the other hand, had only one thought in her mind. If that bullet hit her- vest or not- Emily would sustain severe damage, not to mention the baby she carried inside her. Dropping her gun, the blonde took off at full speed towards her friend and dove wildly just as the sound of gunfire crackled through the air. She winced as she felt herself hit Emily's body and heard the other woman let out a rush of air on impact. The two crashed to the ground, instantly followed by Snow who was dead before he landed.

"JJ!" Emily cried, completely ignoring the men that had surrounded them. Morgan rushed to her side, making sure that his partner was unharmed, as the others crowded the blonde who remained unmoving. Emily scampered to her friend's side and caught sight of two large slugs embedded in her torso.

"Call a bus." Hotch's voice was calm but the others knew just how close to panic he was. After all, it had been less than a year since JJ had taken a bullet to save her newly found sister, Leila. No one was keen to relive that nightmare. Reid was already on the phone with 9-1-1 before the group heard a groan escape JJ's lips. Emily pulled the woman into her lap and moved the golden hair out of her face, revealing a grimace.

"Ow." The blonde rolled her head to the side and opened her eyes slightly before trying to intake a breath and regretting it.

"Easy there." Rossi knelt at her side. "Don't try to take deep breaths."

"JJ." Emily practically whispered. The blonde turned her head and made contact with Emily's gaze. What she found there confused her. "Why would you-"

"Why do you think?" she retorted before grimacing once more and placing a hand on her vest. She grazed the two bullets that could have easily killed her and felt a slight wave of panic wash over her. "Get this off me."

"Slowly, slowly." Rossi eased her into a sitting position as Emily undid the Velcro that kept the vest on her. Maneuvering her way around JJ's form, she managed to remove the garment without causing further pain. Just as JJ managed to sit upright without help, the brunette practically shoved Rossi out of the way and enveloped her in a gentle hug. JJ winced slightly but smiled as she accepted it warmly.

"Thank you." She whispered in her friend's ear. "So much."

"Don't mention it." Emily noticed just how labored JJ's breathing was and immediately released her. The sounds of an ambulance could be heard and Hotch was at the blonde's side, ready to lift her up and carry her to it.

"Not a word." Their boss ordered as he saw the former media liaison's mouth open. He gingerly lifted her in his arms bridal style and tried to ignore the sharp intake of breath as he slowly made his way outside, the rest of the team right behind him.

"Thanks." JJ smiled as he placed her on the gurney. Hotch frowned down at her.

"I thought we agreed no more getting shot." He crossed his arms as if scolding a child. JJ couldn't help the small, painful chuckle that escaped her lips.

"Technically I," she stopped to intake a sharp breath, "didn't get shot."

"Details." The dark-haired man waved his hand in dismissal before offering her a rare smile and making room for Emily to take his place in the back of the ambulance. Hotch sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he watched the vehicle speed off towards the setting sun. He felt a strong hand clap him on the back and turned to see Morgan, no longer bloodied, smiling at him.

"Can't take 'em anywhere." He joked with a shake of his head. Hotch couldn't help but agree.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

There hadn't been a time where Emily could recall feeling so guilty in her life. As she sat in the hospital waiting room waiting to find out just how many internal injuries JJ had because of her, Emily couldn't help but drop her face in her hands. Ashamed to face the rest of her team, she sought out a hidden corner of the room after she had spoken to JJ's doctor about the incident. She explained everything to the woman who seemed more than understanding and eventually conceded to be checked out herself. Thankfully, there was no damage to her or the little life inside her and that seemed to be the only consolation she would have. Having just gotten off the phone with Christopher Knox, the father of her child, and being read the riot act- for good reason- Emily half expected that the team would make her walk back home to D.C. They were in Texas.

"Hey." A voice snapped her out of the pity party she was throwing. Emily looked up and saw Morgan, a smile on his face and a steaming cup of coffee in his hand. He handed the cup to her and placed a gentle hand on her back.

"Are you alright?" she realized that she had failed to ask before- amongst other things she had failed to do recently. The man nodded and nudged her shoulder.

"It's not your fault. It was her choice." He rationalized and Emily nodded, plastering a fake smile on her face so that he would drop the topic altogether. If only she had told them the truth then she would've never even been there to get shot at in the first place.

"Thanks." She motioned to the cup before setting it down in front of her. She noticed Morgan's strange look but chose to ignore it. Just then, JJ's doctor came out and informed the team that she was fit to travel- just not for field work for at least another two weeks. Surely, the blonde took well to that news having just been allowed to return to work recently. They hurriedly packed their things at the hotel and were on their way to the airstrip less than an hour later. JJ had- thankfully- fallen asleep on both car rides, her medication clearly taking its toll. Hotch was prepared to carry her again as they prepared to board but the blonde suddenly awoke with a burst of energy. The team chuckled as they watched her enter the jet and plop down on the nearest seat, her head leaning against the window and enjoying the cold feel of it on her skin. As they settled in, Rossi leaned over and tossed a blanket over her still form. They took off wordlessly, no one acting any different than usual and surprising the still-guilty ridden brunette. Emily risked a glance at the once again sleeping JJ before easing her way over Morgan and into the bathroom. When she returned, JJ had awoken but seemed slightly out of sorts. She sat next to the woman and offered her a bottle of water.

"No thanks." She said with a thin smile before returning her head to its previous position.

"JJ." Emily got her attention once more. "I just wanted to thank you. Again. You didn't have to do that."

"Of course I did." The blonde replied, her tone a tad higher than usual and Emily realized that JJ would most likely not remember this conversation in the morning. With a smile and a shake of the head, the brunette went to stand before feeling JJ place her head on her lap. Sighing, she looked down at the big, blue eyes that had glazed over hours ago.

"You really didn't." Emily insisted and regretted it almost immediately.

"Did to." JJ frowned. "I don't have anything in there." She patted her belly and tilted her head in thought. "Not like you do!" JJ drawled out the last part and Emily's cheeks immediately flushed, feeling all eyes turn to her. JJ, unaware of what she was saying, turned her head in Emily's lap and pressed an ear to the brunette's still-flat stomach.

"What did she just-" Emily heard Morgan ask Rossi before JJ continued.

"Hello in there." She whispered as if not wanting to disturb the fetus. "I bet you're gonna be really cute." Emily lowered her head, allowing her hair to cover most of her now bright red face as JJ continued to talk to her stomach as if it were an actual person.

"When were you planning on sharing this news?" Hotch raised an eyebrow in her direction and Emily could already hear the lecture.

"Emily likes secrets, Hotch." JJ came to her friend's defense. "Like that one time she and Detective McHotness went to visit her mom and when they got bored they started to-" JJ continued to speak even after Emily had placed a firm hand of her mouth in a desperate attempt to stop the blonde. Morgan practically fell out of his seat laughing, Reid choked on his water, Rossi was sending her a look that communicated nothing short of 'good job' and Hotch remained as stoic as always. When JJ seemed to finish her tale, Emily cautiously removed her hand from the woman's mouth. Seconds later, she was asleep on Emily's lap and the brunette turned to flash her boss a charming enough smile that would keep her out of trouble. Needless to say, it was ineffective.

By the time the team had landed, JJ's medication had worn off leaving her unaware of what transpired on the jet and in pain. Emily allowed the blonde to hold onto her while they walked a handful of paces behind the men. She helped JJ into the car and sat next to her, squeezing her hand every time the SUV drove over a bump in the road. Finally, the SUV that held the two women and Hotch pulled to a stop in front of JJ's home. The three knew exactly what would transpire when they entered and prepared themselves for it. Before the group even got to the front door, it opened revealing a red-faced Leila. The now 19 year old girl practically sprinted to the front lawn where Emily had released JJ and enveloped her sister in a desperate embrace.

"Don't do that." Leila could be heard whispering in JJ's ear in between the sobs that could no longer be stopped. JJ returned the hug and stroked her sister's raven hair as she closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry." The blonde said softly. The pain wracking her body was barely noticeable as her sister held onto her for dear life, crying into her t-shirt. After a few moments, Leila slowly let go of the blonde and furiously wiped at the tears on her cheeks. She quickly turned to Emily and reached out for her next.

"I'm glad you're ok." She told the older woman and Emily smiled into the girl's shoulder as she patted her back. The teen carried JJ's bag inside, Hotch and Emily following, and placed it at the foot of her bed. Before long the four heard the pitter-patter of little feet and Henry appeared.

"Momma!" the five year old cried as he raced towards her. Leila reached out and stopped his rapid approach.

"Henry, remember what I told you?" the girl raised an eyebrow at her nephew.

"Momma has boo-boos." Henry stated with a frown. "So don't hug her _too_ tight."

"That's right." Leila wisked some hair out of the boy's eyes before stepping out of his way. Henry rushed forward but slowed down as he waited for JJ to make her way down to his level. When she managed to stay kneeling, the little boy wrapped his arms around her neck gingerly and buried his head inside the crook of her neck.

"Momma ok?" his small voice asked. JJ nodded against him with a smile.

"Of course." She placed a kiss to the boy's lips before beginning the process of standing. "You're welcome to stay if you'd like. Both of you."

"Thank you, but it's almost Jack's bedtime and-"

"Say no more." JJ waved a hand at her boss. She knew the importance of not missing bedtime. She turned her gaze to the strangely silent brunette.

"I'd love to…but I have to go home and get the lecture of my life from a more than agitated detective." Emily rolled her eyes, already dreading the conversation she would have with Chris. When she had called and told him about the incident, he insisted on driving down and meeting her at her apartment. Emily was sure that he was already there, waiting for her with a speech prepared.

"Serves you right." The women heard Hotch mumbled behind them. Emily raised an eyebrow at the man before shaking her head and turning to the others. They remained silent. Sighing, she ran a hand through her hair.

"We'll see you soon." Hotch told JJ. "But not too soon, I hope."

"Oh, trust me she's got her own speech ahead of her." Leila mumbled, already aware of what was going through Will's mind as he counted the seconds of his shift.

"Momma, what's agitated?" Henry's curious eyes looked up at her and JJ smile half-heartedly.

"What your father will be when he gets home." The blonde responded with a yawn. Emily and Hotch took that as their cue and headed for the door where Hotch decided to be a gentleman and hold it open for the brunette. Emily groaned loudly at the taste of what the next several months would be like and JJ didn't miss the mischievous look on her boss face as they got into the SUV and drove off.

"Alright little man, it's time for bed." Leila announced after a few seconds of quiet. Henry complied willingly- as he always did when Leila asked- and headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth, leaving the sisters alone. JJ stood passively, fingers picking at her nails, while she waited for Leila to say something. As the seconds trickled by in agonizing silence, JJ lost her patience.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" the blonde asked, her crankiness clearly on a higher level than usual. Leila simply shrugged, her white tee easing upwards and revealing her tanned stomach.

"What do you want me to say?" she asked, a bored look on her face. JJ shrugged and withheld a wince as the movement irritated her broken ribs.

"I don't know, just stop looking at me like a kid that's home after curfew." The blonde moved to enter her room but was blocked by Leila. "Look, I know it was…risky but what was I supposed to do? It would've hit Emily. I was the only one who knew and I couldn't just let her…" she drifted off just as she was about to say 'lose the baby'. Leila's gaze softened as she saw the internal struggle her sister was going through. She knew about the baby JJ had lost in Afghanistan and wasn't about to bring it back up.

"Your-our mother called." Leila changed the subject and JJ raised an eyebrow. "She wants to get together. The three of us." She watched as her older sister shifted her stance at the mention of their mother. It had been hard getting back in touch with their parents after what had happened in New Jersey and the blonde still hadn't come to terms with what they had done. Unfortunately, she knew that part of Leila's therapy was to rekindle-or in this case, kindle- the relationship with her parents. That would mean that JJ had too as well.

"What do _you_ want?" she asked Leila. The teenager crossed her arms and frowned as if she still hadn't thought about it.

"I-I think it couldn't hurt." She admitted. Leila knew how JJ felt about the whole situation and didn't want to push her into spending time with their mother. "You don't have to come if you don't want to. I totally under-"

"No." JJ replied forcefully. "No, I'm coming with you. There's no way you're doing this alone." Leila smiled and reached out for her sister's hand.

"Thanks." She said softly as she felt JJ squeeze her fingers. "I'll tuck Henry in, you should go to bed."

"K." JJ said with a nod, finally acknowledging just how tired she was. That medication really did a number on her. Leaving her go-bag on the floor, JJ slowly removed her shoes, socks and pants before reaching for one of Will's discarded shirts. Sighing as the smell of her husband surrounded her, she finally eased into her own bed and was asleep in seconds. She didn't wake up when Will came home or when he and Leila discussed the current situation right outside their bedroom door. Only when Will entered their bed did JJ finally crack an eyelid, force a smile and slowly roll towards her husband before falling back asleep in his arms.

Outside, a hooded man kept a close eye on their home. He watched as the lights turned off one by one and the street fell into darkness. Only then did he approach the front door and place a bouquet of flowers along with a card on the porch before sprinting two blocks away and getting into his car. With a dark grin and a menacing look in his eye, Jeremy Parilla turned to the backseat and chuckled as his next victim squirmed and kicked against the bindings that held her. Tears streamed down from the girl's pure, blue eyes and stained her cheeks as Jeremy drove off, his only thought of the moment they would close forever. Very soon, the BAU would be reminded that crossing him was not something they wanted to do.


	3. Chapter 3

**No, you didn't imagine the title change. Hope everyone enjoys the update!**

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**Chapter 3**

"And worst of all, you made JJ keep something so important from the rest of your team!" Detective Christopher Knox seemed to finish his lecture as Emily stared with wide eyes from the living room loveseat. _Finally_. Slowly, she stood and began making her towards her boyfriend of almost six months.

"I know, I know." With every word, she stepped closer to the tense man until she stood directly in front of him. "I know and I'm sorry. I'm sorry JJ got hurt, I'm sorry I kept it from the team and I'm _extremely _sorry that I made you worry."

"It's almost a seven hour drive from Jersey, Em." Chris' face softened as Emily took his hands in hers. "Do you have any idea what was running through my mind that whole time?"

"I'm sorry." She repeated. Although she was tired of being spoken to like a rebellious child, her feelings of regret were genuine. She never meant to cause any harm by keeping her pregnancy a secret. Thank God she had chosen to tell Chris the moment she found out. Who knew what he would've done if he had discovered this way?

"I'm just glad you're alright." The blond-haired man smiled warmly before placing a palm against Emily's stomach. "Both of you." The brunette smiled widely. Words couldn't explain just how thankful she was that Chris had wanted this baby as much- if not more- than she had. Sure, she could raise the child on her own financially but she knew what it was like to grow up in a home where the parents were separated and didn't want anything like that for her child. _Her child_. The phrase rang through her mind over and over again. No matter how many times she thought it, it would never feel natural. Her, Emily Prentiss, as a mother just seemed to defy the very laws of the universe. She and Chris had discussed it briefly but Emily was secretly terrified that she would make an awful mother. She knew that Chris would make an excellent father and he tried convincing her that he believed the same for her but to no avail.

"Me too." She said with a smile as she reached around Chris' waist. The man smiled coyly in return as he pulled her against him suddenly and planted a hot kiss to her lips. Emily continued to smile as she felt his stubble tickle her chin and cheeks until finally, they drew apart for air. Just as Chris leaned forward to kiss her again, Emily eased out of his reach leaving him more than slightly disappointed.

"You know our six month anniversary is next month and I figured…I could just give you your present now." She leaned against the door frame of the bedroom and watched as Chris' sparkling, blue eyes lit up like a firework.

"What kind of present?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Emily backed into the bedroom slowly, taking his hand and leading him inside.

"The kind that might not fit in a month."

He watched as the couple held hands merely feet from the window. _How stupid of her_, he thought. _Doesn't she know that I'm still out here?_ Just as they started to kiss, a feeling of disgust ran through him followed by an audible gag. He watched as Emily Prentiss led her boy toy into the bedroom- where the blinds where unfortunately shut- with a grin. He gave the two enough time to become intoxicated with one another before exiting his car and silently making his way to her front door. Hiding his face from the camera in the lobby and elevator weren't a problem- he didn't care if they saw him. In fact, it was better that they did. When he entered the elevator and pressed the number 4, he made it a point to remove his hood and shoot the camera a smile before finding Prentiss' apartment number. _It would be so easy_, he thought. _So easy to just walk in and slaughter them both…too easy._ Instead, he stuck to the original plan and placed a single pacifier on Prentiss' doormat alongside a note. With a smile, he exited the building and hastily made his way back to his hideout. There was someone that was eager for his return.

Less than an hour later, Jeremy arrived at his destination and with giddy joy, made his way back to the basement. He made it a point to crank down the temperature even further, bringing it to a chilling 35 degrees, before entering. At the sound of his footsteps, the two occupants of the room had shrunk into a corner, huddled together like children in the dark. The eldest, a blonde in her 30s, held the head of the brunette to her chest as the younger woman trembled. Jeremy could already hear the moans of pain and fear coming from the youngest. The sound was nothing short of an angelic choir to his ears and as he approached, he saw that even the blonde shrunk away from him. He grinned widely. _Not so brave after all_.

"Just let us go." The blonde said with all the strength she could muster. "We won't tell anyone, just let us go."

"Now why would I want to do that?" Jeremy tilted his head to the side with a frown. The blonde swallowed hard.

"Sh-she needs a hospital." She tried to reason with him. He nearly laughed out loud- reason…_with him!_ "Please, she's hurt." At that, Jeremy couldn't help but snicker. He knelt down to their level and took the blonde's chin in his hand gently. He relished in the way she stared back at him- full of rage and defiance. It was perfect, just like _her_.

"That's the point." He said as calmly as he could and watched as a handful of tears streaked down the woman's face. Suddenly, he grabbed her by the collar and yanked her forward, leaving the brunette to fall to the ground with a gasp. The older woman didn't struggle- she knew there was no point. Instead, she turned her head to face the wall to her right and Jeremy's temper flared. He grabbed her face and forced it back to his.

"Please." the word barely escaped her lips but when it did, it all but shattered the man's illusion of her. This wasn't right! It wasn't _her!_ With a narrow gaze, he raised a hand and struck her across the lip. She cried out in response, surprised by the hit. He had never hit her before- that was saved for the brunette. Instead he did other things to her.

"You'll never be her." he growled in her ear and the woman couldn't help but whimper at his tone. Before she knew it, his hands were around her throat, closing her airway more and more as the seconds trickled by. Her wide, blue eyes were frantic and wet as she clawed at his hands in a desperate attempt to save herself. Jeremy could barely hear the cries from the brunette as she begged him to stop- all he saw was red. Who was this woman- _this whore -_to think that she could ever compare to the woman he was truly after?! Before long, the twitching and scratching ceased, leaving a terrified look on the blonde's face forever. As he stood, Jeremy finally acknowledged the outright sobbing from the younger woman who had pushed herself further into the corner of the room. He smiled before removing the trusted hunting knife at his ankle. Turning to her, his hands bleeding from the various cuts the now-dead blonde had inflicted, he raised his arms in an inviting notion.

"Your turn."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"I thought we agreed. No work while you're on medical leave." Will's voice surprised her, making her jump slightly in her seat as she closed the file she had been reading.

"I know, I know." JJ pushed the pile of folders away and continued to sip her morning coffee until Will bent down for a kiss. As usual, Leila was the last to awaken and slowly made her way down the steps. If there was one thing the sisters _didn't_ have in common it was that Leila _hated_ mornings. JJ, on the other hand, sometimes couldn't tell the difference between night and day.

"Morning." Leila mumbled as she tied her hair up in a crooked ponytail before plopping down next to her sister. JJ chuckled at the brunette, her eyes still closed and legs crossed as she tried to wake up fully.

"Morning, Sunshine." JJ reached out and ruffled the younger woman's hair only to get slapped away.

"Morning Leila!" Henry squealed as he crawled into his aunt's lap. Leila was barely able to sustain his weight as she continued to rub her eyes with a frown. Will smiled at the girl as he placed a cup of coffee and two waffles in front of her. Henry hurriedly scarfed his down and hopped off of the teen before speeding into the bathroom to get ready for school.

"How are we related?" JJ heard the brunette mumble to herself as her forehead hit the tabletop.

"Maybe if you weren't up until 4 AM, you'd actually have some energy." JJ shrugged and winced as her ribs protested- again. She heard Leila scoff.

"Yes, Mom." The teen sighed before chugging her coffee and following Henry into the bathroom.

"So what were you working on, cher?" Will drawled as he came up behind his wife and placed his hands on her shoulders. JJ leaned back into his chest.

"Trying to figure out where we're going next." She told him. Will frowned.

"Isn't that Hotch's job now?"

"Technically, yes but a second opinion doesn't hurt." JJ admitted with a smile.

"And what's the verdict?"

"I'm not sure yet." The blonde reached out and picked the first of a pile of two. "There's a case in Boston that sounds a lot like a group of teenagers but they're escalating in violence. So far they've just sent people to the hospital but I'm worried that it'll get worse."

"And the other?" Will tilted his head towards the last file. JJ sighed before opening it.

"This one's local." She knew Will would like that. "But it's…strange."

"What's strange about it?"

"It looks like D.C's got a serial killer but I can't help feeling like there's more to it."

"A serial?" Will raised an eyebrow as he massaged JJ's already-tense shoulders. "Doesn't that take precedent over a gang of teenagers?"

"Well, yes." JJ admitted. "I just have a really weird feeling about it."

"What's the case?"

"Metro PD's found four bodies, two pairs of women, with the same MO but they're from opposite sides of the city with no visible connection between them."

"So he's picking them at random?"

"Maybe but there's got to be more to it." JJ frowned as she picked up the file once more. "It's always a blonde and brunette with blue eyes."

"I'm so excited!" Penelope squealed as she hugged Emily for the fourth time in ten minutes. The brunette swayed side to side as her friend bounced with glee. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Pen, I don't know." Emily chuckled. "It's been less than three months."

"But you'll get to know soon, right?" Penelope asked with wide eyes as she held onto Emily's forearms.

"I don't know if I want to." The brunette admitted, much to her friend's horror. "I don't really care to be honest. I just want them to be healthy."

"Well of course they'll be healthy!" Penelope cried as if it were obvious. "Look at their momma- badass, crime fighting, Morgan-beating machine!" Emily chuckled.

"It was _one time_." They heard the man in question announce from behind them, his arms thrown into the air in annoyance.

"Give it a year and it'll be two." Emily called back.

"You think I'm gonna take you on after you've had a baby?" Emily was momentarily surprised at her partner's concern. "Have you seen mothers go on their crazy maternal rampages?! No thanks." And just like that, it was gone.

"It's true actually." Reid seemed to appear out of nowhere. "Because of the significant increase in hormone levels as well as the added pain tolerance after giving birth, mothers typically show an increase in strength and aggression especially during the child's first two years of life. Although it has been suggested that the pain of child birth is so extreme that the mother actually goes into physical shock and can't remember exactly _how much_ it hurt."

"Thanks, Reid." Emily offered him a thin smile as she lowered her eyes back to her paperwork.

"Way to scare her, Reid." Hotch said causing all eyes to turn to him as he overlooked the group from the balcony outside his office.

"I'm not scared!" Emily cried, an automated response leaving her lips before the truth could slip out. Hotch waved a hand in dismissal.

"Of course." He dismissed the very idea before continuing. "Everyone in the conference room in 5."

"We've got a case?" Morgan asked and their boss shook their head.

"Not exactly." The dark-haired man responded ominously before turning his back to the team and entering the conference room. The rest didn't wait for 1 minute, let alone 5, before following.

"What's going on, Aaron?" Rossi raised an eyebrow as he took his usual seat, surrounded by the others who all had equally confused looks on their faces.

"I just received a call from Metro PD. They've asked for our help on a case of theirs." Hotch stated. His team waited for the rest. "I told them we can't help them."

"What, why not?" Emily frowned, having never heard of her team turning down a case.

"I believe it's a conflict of interest." He continued in the same mysterious tone.

"Hotch, man what are you talking about?" Morgan rolled his wrist, eager to understand what was going on. Instead of telling them, their boss decided to show them.

"Four women- two blondes, two brunettes." Hotch clicked on the remote towards the screen and Penelope had to shield her eyes from the images that popped up. Wide, blue eyes stared at the group of six from beyond the grave. "All blue-eyed and found in pairs in abandoned areas."

"Alright, so DC's got a serial." Morgan concluded. "What's the conflict of interest?"

"He takes them separately and holds them for a few days in someplace well-below room temperature." Hotch continued as if the other man hadn't spoken. "ME reports multiple stab wounds to the chest, neck and legs of the brunettes along with bruises consistent of a beating over the days they were held. Both blondes were repeatedly raped before they were strangled to death." Hotch watched as looks of recognition passed over his team.

"You don't think-"

"He's back." Hotch nodded at their youngest member, confirming his thoughts immediately. "And he wants us to know it."

"Damnit." Emily groaned and placed her head in her hands as she shook her head. Before anyone could ask, she raised her head. "A few nights ago, when we got back from Texas, someone left something on my doorstep. I thought it was just someone trying to be funny."

"What?" Morgan cried, outraged at the thought that someone like Parilla could have gotten so close to his partner.

"What did he leave?" Hotch raised his head with a frown. Emily sighed.

"A pacifier with a note."

"Do you still have the note?" Rossi asked and Emily nodded, standing and making her way back to the bullpen and into her purse. She returned holding an index sized piece of paper with a tissue and placed it on the table for everyone to read.

**_CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BAU FAMILY ON THEIR 13_****_TH_****_ MEMBER! PRAY IT STAYS THAT WAY._**

"Thirteenth member?" Morgan questioned with a frown.

"He could mean the six of us, JJ, Will, Henry, Leila, Jack, Chris and Emily's baby." Reid thought aloud.

"'Pray it stays that way'?!" Penelope cried. "What does that mean?"

"It's a threat." Emily explained as she subconsciously placed a hand over her stomach. "He's saying that there won't be thirteen of us for long."


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry about the delay. It's been a pretty bad summer so far &amp; I haven't really felt like writing. I hope you enjoy the chapter &amp; meeting the winner of the little competition I posted during Predetermined Fates.**

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**Chapter 5**

Less than a week had passed since the BAU's discovery of Parilla's actions and the team had decided that it was best that the Jareau family was left unaware of their findings. They didn't want JJ's family to worry when there was nothing they could do to help. Under the impression that both Jareau women had no idea about the killer's spree, Emily was surprised when she received a phone call from a very determined- and angry- Leila.

_"__I want you to teach me." _Leila demanded as soon as Emily had said 'hello'.

"Teach you? Teach you what?" Emily frowned as she searched her purse for the keys to her car.

"_How to defend myself against him. What to say when…if he gets me._" The conviction in the teen's voice made Emily stop in her tracks.

"Leila…how did you-"

"_JJ left a file on the kitchen counter. She's been acting weird all week. I knew something was wrong so I-" _

"JJ knows too?!" Emily cried, surprising a short man across the parking lot. "How long?"

"_Uh, I don't know. Maybe two weeks?"_ Emily pinched the bridge of her nose and leaned against her car door.

"Leila, listen to me. We've been ordered not to touch this case. Hotch didn't even want you guys to know about it. I can't just-"

"_No, Emily!" _Leila yelled into the receiver and Emily could tell that the girl was close to tears. "_I'm never feeling that way again and you if you won't help me then I'll find someone who will!_" As Emily got into her car and tossed her bag onto the passenger's seat she realized that Leila was right. She deserved a fighting chance against the monster that had almost destroyed the only family she had left. Besides, if she refused and anything happened to Leila, she would never forgive herself.

"Meet me at my apartment at 7." The older woman sighed, knowing that it would come back to bite her in the ass. She hung up with Leila and immediately dialed Hotch's number, knowing that their Unit Chief would want to know about the failure of their plan to keep the Jareaus ignorant. Clearly that isn't something one accomplishes with ease.

Kira looked in the mirror briefly, flinging chestnut strands behind her ear, and glanced once more out her bedroom window. Her friends waved to her, anxious to be on their way, and she waved back before rushing to say goodbye to her mom and running out the door. The group walked to the local field where they began their typical warm-up routine, passing soccer balls to one another and weaving around orange sticks in the ground. By the time their practice was over, Kira- along with the rest of her team- was drenched in sweat and ready for her daily ice bath. As the group walked home, their numbers diminished as one by one they went their separate ways, leaving Kira and her closest friend Emma alone.

"You _still_ haven't texted him back?" Emma cried, throwing her arms into the air for emphasis. Kira blushed. Having always been the shyest of her group of friends, Kira never really felt like she fit in. Her mother had decided that moving to D.C from their home in England would be a good change for her and ever since she had been taken out of her comfort zone, Kira became introverted and less social. That was until she joined her high school's soccer team. Rekindling an old love, Kira eventually grew out of her shyness and learned how to be a part of American society. Her accent, on the other hand, seemed to be a constant reminder that she was, in fact an outsider.

"Not yet, but I will eventually. Promise." Kira's dark blue eyes were downcast as she heard Emma snort.

"Yea, well you better." The blonde girl bumped her shoulder into her friend's. "I'll see you tomorrow." Emma waved as she sprinted down her street, leaving Kira to complete her trek alone as she did every night. Sighing, Kira checked her phone revealing three unread text messages from Kyle. She blushed at the mere thought of the senior and shoved her phone back into her pocket, telling herself that she would reply after her bath. She would never get the chance. As the 16 year old girl turned the corner, she felt a cloth being pressed over her nose and mouth. Caught by surprise, she gasped, inhaling the distinct scent of chloroform that immediately dulled her senses. She fell backwards, into her kidnapper's arms and was unconscious before the back door of the sedan was even open. Less than a block away, Kira's mom had just finished preparing her favorite dinner, completely unaware that her daughter would never get to taste it.

The first thing Kira registered was her hair tickling her nose and cheeks. She inhaled a deep breath, trying to shake away the uneasy feeling in her stomach, before opening her eyes. She tossed her head back enough to move the hair from her vision and took in the sight before her; a room lit by only one light with a single door for entry and exit. Kira wiggled her arms only to notice that her hands had been tied behind her back and that the wire around her wrists was cutting into her skin. She hissed in pain as she tried to roll into a more comfortable position.

"It hurts less if you sit still." The voice from the far corner of the room caused Kira to jump, letting out a loud gasp as she huddled against the wall behind her. "Sorry."

"Wh-who are you?" the girl asked as the owner of the voice came into the light. It was woman, not much older than her, with golden hair and strikingly blue eyes. The woman's hands were also bound behind her back and there was a hazy look in her eyes suggesting that she too, had been drugged.

"Cara. Cara Sheppard." The blonde said, her voice as sweet as honey. She inched closed to the younger girl with a soft look in her eyes. "And you?"

"Kira Taylor." Kira's wide eyes betrayed the fear she felt as she drew her knees to her chest and pressed her back against the wall. Cara approached her slowly, wincing as the wire around her wrists drew blood.

"It's going to be alright, Kira." The older woman promised with a smile and Kira found herself breathing easier at the prospect of facing this with someone beside her. Eventually, Cara made it to her side of the room and sat next to the shaking teenager. The blonde touched her shoulder against the girl's in an effort to comfort her. With her hands bound she couldn't provide as much solace as she wanted to.

"Why are we here?" Kira jumped at the contact but quickly leaned towards the older woman. "What's going on?"

"I don't know." Cara admitted. "Where did he take you from?"

"I was walking home from practice." Kira dropped her head. "God, I could see my house from where he grabbed me."

"So someone's waiting for you at home?" Cara asked hopefully. Kira nodded. "Good, that means they'll call for help when you don't show up."

"What about you?"

"I was walking to my car from the gym. He came up behind me and put a cloth over my mouth before dragging me to a car." Cara saw that she hadn't answered the girl's question. "No one's waiting for me."

Both women jumped at the sound rapid footfalls right outside the metal door. Kira turned to face her new companion with a desperate look in her eyes while Cara's expression told nothing. The door swung open and a tall, dark haired man loomed over them with a beaming smile. He looked the two women up and down before extending his arms as if to hug them.

"Welcome." He said, slowly crouching down to their level. "Sorry about the, uh…accommodations but it's the best I could do."

"What do you want from us?" Cara frowned as he eased closer, his breath hot on her face. The man reached a large hand out and took hold of her chin, drawing her closer.

"All in due time, Cara." He whispered almost seductively before offering her a twisted smile. Cara hated to admit it but the man was attractive. His piercing eyes stared at her with an intensity she had never seen before so she did the only thing she could- she stared back.

"Who are you?" Kira's shaky voice seemed to shake their abductor from his trance. Without releasing Cara's jaw, the man turned and responded with a hard backhand to Kira's lip. The girl cried out as she fell over, unable to cradle her injured jaw. Cara's eyes danced towards the girl as she tried to shake out of the man's hold.

"Leave her alone!" the blonde found herself yelling. At the look of shock on the man's face, she thought that he had finally realized the gravity of what he had done. She was wrong. He growled and leaned forward before grabbing the back of Cara's head and hoisting her to her feet. The blonde groaned at the pain but refused to let the tears on the corners of her eyes escape. Kira was already upright and staring at her with wide eyes once more.

"I don't see why we couldn't start right now." The man rushed forward, pinning Cara to the wall, and brought his lips close to her ears. "My name is Jeremy. Say it. Jeremy." Cara's lips remained sealed but after a hard yank on her hair and a vicious look from her captor, she relented.

"Jeremy!" she cried, shutting her eyes as the man nestled his face in the crook of her neck. _No, this couldn't be happening._

"That's right." He chuckled as he inhaled her scent. Moving back and relishing the look of horror on both the women's faces, Jeremy smiled lovingly at the blonde before pressing his lips firmly against hers. Cara squirmed and shook her head in an effort to get away but Jeremy's hold on her was iron. She remained plastered to the wall while he assaulted her mouth. When he was finished, Jeremy released her, causing her to fall back down next to Kira. The girl looked mortified at what she had witnessed, her eyes wet with tears as she realized why they had been taken. Cara, ignoring the blush in her cheeks from the forced kiss, scooted closer to the girl. The two shared a look of mutual understanding and trust before Jeremy stepped between them and grabbed Kira by the collar of her shirt. Surprised and terrified, the girl let out a shriek as he came dangerously close to her. Cara opened her mouth to demand that he stay away from the teen before she realized that he had no intention of kissing her. Jeremy frowned as he took in the girl, long dark hair matted with sweat from her practice. Sapphire blue eyes that danced from one corner of the room to the other. It was all too much for his fragile state of mind to comprehend. He shoved her forward and into the dirt wall. Kira hit it hard, banging her shoulder against a particularly rough spot, and crumpled to the ground.

"Don't hurt her!" she could hear Cara begging but was more focused on getting her bearings. Jeremy ignored the blonde completely, placing one foot on either side of the teen and dragging her up by the hair. Kira refused to cry out but tears streamed down her face regardless as Jeremy's face contorted with rage.

"You ruined everything!" he screamed in her face. Kira shrank back as much as she could. "You little bitch! I should've killed you when I had the chance!" he raised a fist and the only thing Kira would remember would be the sound of her head hitting the ground.


	6. Chapter 6

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!

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**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.


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry about the wait. College is really kicking my ass this year. I hope you're all still with me. Please drop a review and let me know what you're thinking!

**Chapter 7**

"There she is." Leila pointed subtly towards one of the many coffee shop windows. JJ turned and saw her mother sitting at a rounded table picking at her cuticles and waiting for her daughters to arrive. She sighed. It had been a long time since either of them had seen Sandy Jareau and JJ had to admit- she missed the times when her mother would come around more often. Whether it was to babysit Henry so she and Will could have a night to themselves or simply to have dinner, her mother had always been present at the snap of her fingers. Now, it was like the two lived on separate planets. Pushing thoughts of Parilla away, JJ placed a warm hand on her sister's shoulder as they crossed the street. Sandy saw them coming and rose from her seat as they entered the café. There was no denying that the woman had been crying. Sniffling, she took a step forward and enveloped both daughters in an alarmingly tight embrace. JJ exhaled slowly, forgetting what her mother's hugs felt like, but Leila stiffened in response. The woman had never spoken, let alone touched her before and she still wasn't exactly keen on physical contact. Sandy released the two of them and motioned towards the table with a teary smile.

"Please, sit." she said softly. JJ slid in first, knowing that Leila didn't like feeling cornered, and folding her hands in front of her. Leila mirrored her sister, staring at the tight fist she had made instead of looking at her biological mother. A minute or two passed in silence until their waitress approached and asked for their orders. Sandy said she had yet to finish hers and JJ and Leila stuck with water. Finally, JJ had enough of the silence and spoke.

"How's dad?" she raised her head and finally looked ignited a conversation. Sandy didn't miss a beat, taking the bait with gratitude.

"Not too bad. He's just getting over a nasty cold we both had though." she paused for a moment. "He wanted to come but couldn't find anyone to cover the store for him." JJ nodded her understanding.

"Store?" Leila asked, almost in a whisper. Sandy was eager to answer.

"Yes, we own a small sports shop in East Allegheny. It's the only one around so it gets pretty busy, especially around this time of year." Sandy offered her youngest daughter a smile which Leila tried to return. There was no mistaking how uncomfortable the youngest Jareau felt. JJ reached over and took her sister's hand in hers. Sandy watched the gesture and smiled.

"How are you liking D.C, Leila?" she asked. Leila nodded.

"I like it." she said. "It's easy to get around and I really like my school and obviously, living with JJ."

"What school did you chose?" Sandy asked, genuinely interesting.

"George Washington."

"That's a very good school, Leila! Congratulations." Sandy almost reached out to squeeze her daughter's hand when she caught JJ shaking her head. "Studying anything specific?"

"Not yet but I've been thinking about it recently." Leila said, seemingly getting more comfortable as the conversation progressed.

"Have you now?" JJ raised an eyebrow, having never heard the teen discuss the topic of a major. Leila smiled.

"Mhmm." Leila saw their waiting expressions and was momentarily startled at how similar the two looked. She supposed that being dark-haired, she was the odd one out in the entire family. "Well I really like archaeology but I've also been looking into marine biology."

"Those are both excellent options." Sandy approved immediately and JJ had a small flashback to when she told her parents what she wanted to study. At least Leila's interests could be accepted. "Have you always had an interest in animals?" The conversation continued smoothly, transitioning from school to sports and even to Leila's adopted family. Although strange at first, Leila eventually relinquished information quite easily about her family. Sandy knew well enough to ask questions about their accident or anything related to their deaths- JJ had schooled her enough to know by now. Before long, the three were smiling and giggling together as if they had done this before. Sandy's heart felt like it would burst the first time she heard Leila laugh and when JJ was finally able to look her in the eyes. They had a lot of growing and learning to do, but as the three Jareau women sat in at that table, they knew that everything that had happened between them could be fixed. They were, after all, family. As they stood to leave, having spent over four hours together, Sandy hugged JJ first and whispered her thanks in the younger woman's ear. JJ simply smiled in return. When she stopped in front of Leila, she was surprised when the teenager was the one to step forward and wrap her arms around her mother. Leila sighed, taking in the scent of her for the first time as she buried her face into the crook of her neck. Sandy placed a gentle kiss to the top of her head before allowing several more tears to streak down her cheeks. The two parted and Sandy reached over to cup the brunette's jaw.

"You look so much like her." she said with a sad smile. Shaking her head as if dismissing the thought, the three parted ways in the parking lot where Leila asked her sister what she had meant. JJ sighed as she reached into her wallet and pulled out a photo. It was old and folded but Leila could easily tell what it was of. There stood a small JJ- no more than ten years old- and a taller brunette beside her. JJ had her arms wrapped around the girl, a wide smile on her face revealing a missing tooth. The other girl was looking down at her, a grin on her lips that didn't seem to reach her eyes. She was in the process of pushing back a handful of hair when the photo was taken but Leila was able to take in her characteristics.

"Andrea." JJ told her. "I was nine, she was fifteen. I had just scored my first goal." Leila noticed the soccer garb young JJ was wearing and the goal post in the background of the photo. Smiling, she handed it back to her sister.

"She looks really proud of you." Leila watched as JJ handled the photo with care and placed it back into the save confines of her wallet. The blonde mumbled a 'yea' before putting the car in park.

"Jareau." JJ answered the phone call quickly, closing and locking the front door behind her. Henry and Will appeared, the toddler squirming out of his father's hands to welcome his mother and aunt back home. Leila picked the boy up and rasberried his neck causing him to squeal loudly.

_"JJ, it's Hotch_."

"Yea, Hotch. What's up?" she replied, throwing her bag and keys on the table and scooping up the running toddler.

_"We've got it. The case. Strauss agreed to let us help."_

"Are you serious?" JJ asked, surprised at how quickly Rossi had worked his magic over the woman. "That's great!"

_"Not exactly." _Hotch sighed. _"JJ, they've got two more bodies." _At the news, the blonde put down her son and ran a hand through her hair in frustration.

"Where?" she asked, her tone change already telling Will and Leila where she was headed.

_"West Potomac Park." _

"I'll meet you there." JJ hung up before her boss could tell her that her presence wasn't necessary. One look to her family and they nodded, knowing that there was nothing they could do to keep her away. She kissed Henry on the cheek and quickly got back into her car, speeding towards the popular tourist attraction.

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Kira was startled awake when the door to their prison slammed shut. She jumped, awakening Cara as well. The blonde's eyes darted around the room as her breathing became slightly erratic. Kira reached over and gently placed her hand over the older woman's who squeezed hard in return.

"He's coming." Cara practically whimpered, her eyes shutting tightly at the thought of Jeremy Parilla. Despite her fear, she placed a protective hand around Kira's shoulders and the younger woman couldn't deny the slightly comfort it gave her knowing that she cared. "Don't be afraid." Kira simply nodded, finding that her voice was caught in her throat. The two watched as the knob turned and Parilla peeked his head in. Seeing that the two were awake, he smiled and strolled in. The women saw the second door behind him and took in the chain and lock with defeated eyes. Jeremy rolled a bottle of water towards them and leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Well, drink it." he said exasperatedly. Wary of the man, Cara eased herself forward, ignoring her body as it screamed at it, and took the unopened bottle. She opened it, took a small sip and turned to offer it to Kira when Jeremy _tsked_ at her.

"That's not for her." he pointed at the brunette but refused to look at her. Pushing himself off the wall, he knelt in front of Cara and gently took the bottle from her hands. The blonde frowned.

"We've been down here for days. She's thirsty." Cara tried to reason with him. Jeremy simply stared. "Please, she's just a kid."

"I said, that's not for her." Jeremy's pale eyes widened and Cara couldn't help but shrink further into the wall behind her. Kira squeezed the woman's hand and opened her mouth to tell her that it wasn't worth it when Cara continued.

"Please Jeremy." she begged. "She can't hurt you, she's just-"

"Did I stutter?" Jeremy's voice rose slightly and both women flinched. Kira continued to claw at the blonde's hand, begging her to stop. Cara never got the chance to respond before Jeremy repeated the question, this time screaming directly in her face.

"N-No." Cara trembled as his rancid breath made contact with her nostrils. His smell, his voice, his very presence brought flashbacks of what he had done to her merely hours ago. Cara's eyes were downcast until Jeremy's hand grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. The blonde held back a whimper if only for the sake of the teenager at her side. Kira, on the other hand, was afraid to look away. Her eyes bore into Jeremy's hand around the woman's thin face, silently begging whoever was listening to spare her what they knew was coming. She didn't fail to notice how much tighter the blonde's grip had gotten the closer Jeremy was to them.

"Look at me." Jeremy emphasized every word, his nose less than an inch away from Cara's as the woman brought her teary eyes to his hard ones. "Why do you care? Hm? Why do you care about what I do to her?"

"B-Because she's…she's just a kid." Cara fought to keep her voice from cracking and failed as she clawed for the correct response. If only she knew that no matter what she said, Jeremy's reaction would be the same. "She doesn't deserve this, she-"

"She deserves _all of this!_" He cried and Cara whimpered in surprise. His grip on her tightened as he tossed the bottle of water to the side. Using his free hand to forcefully separate the two, he raised Cara to a standing position and held her against the wall. "You both do."

"No!" Kira's shrill voice echoed in the small room as she launched herself forward, barreling into the mountain of a man. Jeremy practically snarled as he dropped Cara and turned to backhand the younger woman across the face. Kira fell from the force, unable to cradle her injured face, and simply glared menacingly back up at him. "Leave her alone!"

"I will do," Jeremy watched as a small trickle of blood dripped down the girl's lip, "whatever I want to her." With a solid kick to the chest, he silenced her, ignoring Cara's cries as she implored him to stop. Kira curled into a ball, desperately trying to ease the pain for just a second, as she watch Jeremy pin the blonde to the wall. She was crying now, tossing her head from side to side as she chanted 'no' over and over again.

"Don't-Don't do this. Please, don't." Cara's sobs shook her entire body as Jeremy ripped off her only remaining article of clothing- her shirt- and tossed it behind him. It landed an inch away from where Kira lay and the girl immediately began to cry as she took in the scene in front of her. Never in her worst nightmares could she believe what she was about to witness. Cara continued to cry as Jeremy held the back of her head in place and began to remove his jeans. His body was more than heavy enough to hold her relatively still after the beating she had taken during their previous confrontation and he used that to his advantage- fondling her chest as his knees forced hers apart once more. Kira closed her eyes, refusing to watch, but it did little to keep her from imaging what was happening. The teen did something she had not done in a long time- she prayed. She prayed for Cara to be alright- or as alright as possible. She prayed for their safe return home, but most of all, she prayed for Jeremy Parilla to die a slow and painful death- preferably one that arrived relatively soon. By the time her praying was done, so was Jeremy and Kira opened her eyes to see Cara laying naked on the dirty floor and Jeremy bending down to place a sweet kiss to her lips. The blonde had stopped crying and merely hugged herself as she shook, the pain from the assault finally catching up to her. Jeremy tilted his head in curiosity and observed her expressionless face. With a shake of his head, he moved hers to the side. Cara's eyes were blank- as if there was no one actually inside her body anymore. Jeremy continued to shake his head as the azure eyes gazed through him. He stood abruptly and slapped his hand against the wall.

"No, no, no!" he began to pace, coming dangerously close to Kira. The girl continued to look over the blonde woman, waiting for her to snap out of her trance and react. She didn't. "That's not right. Not right. _You're _not right!" Jeremy yelled at her but still, Cara remained motionless. Kira's eyes began forming tears once more, terrified of being left alone with a silent Cara. Suddenly, she realized that that was no longer an option. Jeremy cried out in anger and lowered himself back down to Cara's level. He placed a knee on either side of her and turned the woman on her back. He shook her violently but still, nothing happened. Only stray tears strolled down the woman's dirtied cheek. The longer she remained unresponsive, the angrier Jeremy became and soon, Kira feared for more than Cara's sanity. Eventually, Jeremy's hands managed to find their way around Cara's neck, seemingly begging her to react. As his anger increased, his grip tightened and soon Kira realized what he was doing.

"You're killing her!" she cried, all of her own pain suddenly forgotten. Crawling forward, Kira managed to wrap her bound hands around the man's neck and began to tug backwards but it was like she wasn't even there. Jeremy's face was beet red, his veins ready to burst from the effort he was exerting to 'wake Cara up'. Kira managed to look over the man's shoulder at Cara's blank, red face. Tears continued to flow down the woman's cheeks and Kira continued to try to pry the man off of her but without success. Before long, Cara's body stopped twitching and seemed to relax as her head lolled to the side. Eyes still open, they managed to stare directly at Kira. The girl began to sob loudly as she realized that the woman was dead. She knelt beside her and reached out, stroking several blonde hairs away from the opened eyes before finally closing them forever. Kira rocked herself to and fro, sobbing uncontrollably at the thought of being left alone with the man. She could only image what he would do to her after killing someone he claimed to 'love' in such a brutal way. Words escaped her as she watched Jeremy rise and wipe his nose with his sleeve. Silently, the man walked over the first door, unlocked it and took something from a table. Kira's cries turned hysterical when she saw the large hunting knife in his hand. She turned away from him, much preferring to look at Cara's peaceful face than the man who would kill her. She wouldn't beg or plead for her life when she knew there was no point. Kira accepted her fate as Jeremy took her by the collar and dragged her to the other side of the room. She couldn't help but think of her mother, her friends, her school, all the things that she wouldn't get to do as his face finally came into focus. Forcing the sobs to stop, Kira stared directly at him and noticed a few tears staining the man's cheeks. Perhaps he did have feelings after all. Her sapphire eyes looked up at him and through the unshed tears, saw the knife begin its decent before she felt it make contact with her flesh. The last thing Kira felt was her body tip over directly parallel to Cara's. The last thing she saw was the blonde's serene demeanor as she waited for hers to mimic it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Ma'am, this is a closed crime-" The uniformed officer with a baby's face sidestepped out of JJ's way when the blonde flashed her credentials in his direction. She barely acknowledged him raising the tape for her or apologizing- her mind was focused solely on the women they were here for. She couldn't believe it- couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that this man had ruined so many lives because of _her_\- because of his obsession with _her_. JJ knew she was good at her job- she knew that she was a good person and that she tried her best to help those she loved but no matter what she did, no matter how long she lived for, she knew she would never be worth this. Swiping the hair out of her eyes, JJ approached her team from behind and started pulling on the latex gloves the uniform had handed her. It took a while for the others to realize that she was there and by the time they did, she was already behind Emily, staring at the corpse of the blonde woman. Suddenly, a hand wrapped around her arm and twirled her. She faced Hotch, his expression more concerned than upset that she had come.

"JJ, you don't need to be here." he practically whispered. "We can handle this."

"And leave me out of the loop? I don't think so." the blonde narrowed her eyes at her boss who almost flinched at her tone.

"No, JJ." he insisted. "We wouldn't do that, it's just that…you don't need to see it." For a moment, she seemed to consider it before gently pulling her arm out of his grasp and shaking her head slowly.

"Yes," she said, "I do." She proceeded to kneel by Emily's side, ignoring her friend's look, and forced herself to focus on the task at hand. She had to forget who had done this and what he was truly after. She had to forget that this wasn't just some woman- it was supposed to be her. She most certainly had to forget that the teenager lying less than fifteen feet away was supposed to be her sister.

"Jay." Emily said questioningly. The younger woman didn't even look in her direction.

"I have to see it, Em." she sighed. "All of it. I have to know."

"It won't help." Emily assured her but JJ merely shrugged it off.

"Oh yes it will." she insisted. "What'd've we got?" she turned to the medical examiner who was just rising to examine the brunette.

"Her name is Cara Sheppard, 31, from Georgetown." the older man informed her. "Cause of death was manual strangulation around 1 to 3 this morning. Looks like she's been raped but I won't be able to confirm that until I get her back."

"Can you tell how long she was there for?" Emily asked. The doctor raised an eyebrow as he thought.

"I can't say for certain yet but by the looks of it, she isn't too malnourished. I guess he fed them while they were there."

"How kind of him." Emily and the doctor shared a look as JJ mumbled. The brunette waited for the man to move on to the other body before turning to her friend.

"You really don't have to see this." she pressed. JJ seemed oblivious to the fact that she had even spoken. Her sapphire gaze was fixed on Cara Sheppard- how her hair had been combed and her clothes were cleaned. JJ almost scoffed out loud. They all knew that Cara hadn't had much use for them in Jeremy's presence. Almost instinctively, she reached out and moved a strand of hair away from Cara's closed eyes. She tried hard to ignore the deep bruising around the woman's neck as she gently stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry." she told the woman. JJ closed her eyes briefly, trying to picture what Cara would've looked like on a normal day, what her hobbies were, where she liked to go out to eat, how she spent her holidays. Opening them and coming to the somber realization that Cara would never get to spend another Christmas with her family or do any of the other things she could do, JJ rose. Casting one last look to the ground, she fought against the tirade of tears that threatened to fall. Now was not the time and this was certainly not the place. She looked around and caught sight of Emily kneeling over the second body- the body of the dark haired teen. She took a deep breath and released it slowly before finally approaching.

"She doesn't have ID." A uniformed cop told Emily.

"It looks as if she was coming back from a practice when he grabbed her. Besides, she can't be older than sixteen, what kind of ID would she have on her anyway?" Emily thought aloud before turning to the younger cop. "Please have your department check for recent Amber alerts matching her description. If we don't get anything off that then we have no choice but to go to the media."

"She's so young." JJ shook her head as she replaced her old gloves with a new pair and lowered herself down to Emily's eye level. Just as the brunette opened her mouth to speak, JJ raised a hand in protest. "Don't tell me that I don't have to be here."

"I was just going to say that Reid texted." Emily defended. "He said that Cara's been missing for almost five days."

"Then she should've gone missing around the same time Cara did." JJ said as she pointed to the girl's shoes. "She's wearing cleats made for artificial turf. There can't be that many of those around here. We can have Garcia check which open fields were in use around the time of the kidnappings and get team rosters."

"Right." Emily was surprised at how quickly she had put that together.

"I'll let him know." JJ sprung up, happy to have made a contribution but equally as glad to get away from the girl's body. She whipped out her cell phone and pressed Reid's speed dial while watching Emily look over the girl for any more particulars.

_"Reid here."_

"It's JJ." she said curtly. "I was thinking, can you have Garcia run down any artificial turf fields in the area and find out which ones were being used around the time of their disappearances?"

_"I'll call her right away. JJ-"_ the blonde rolled her eyes, _"How are you holding up?" _

"Spence, I'm fine and I really wish everyone would stop acting as if I'm going to shatter and focus on finding him."

_"You're right, JJ. I'm sorry." _At hearing Reid's tone, JJ immediately regretted her temper. Before she could apologize, he said, _"I'll let you know what Garcia comes up with." _and hung up. JJ sighed, putting away her phone as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Cara Sheppard's body had finished being loaded onto a gurney and JJ froze as it rolled past her. _God, this is all my fault_. The thought threatened to overwhelm her right there and then until she heard Emily's cry.

"JJ!" the older woman yelled across the field. "Get someone over here _now!_" Confused, JJ spun on her heel and motioned to the nearest person to join her. The medical examiner's intern followed without question as the blonde sprinted towards her friend.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

There was no denying how worried she was. Emily watched as JJ all but ran away from the body before them and she couldn't blame the woman. Sometimes Emily wondered just how JJ could see what she saw every day and get a decent night's sleep at night. She truly admired the woman from the first day they met. Emily's fingers skimmed the teenager's clothes in search of pockets or anything that would help them discover her identity. There was nothing just like she expected. She lifted the girl's hand slowly and took stock of the tissue beneath her nails. _At least she got a piece of him_. Emily risked a glance towards the girl's face and almost flinched. JJ was right, she was far too young to have met the worst humanity had to offer. Her heart broke for the girl in a way that seemed foreign to Emily. Placing a subtle hand to her stomach, she managed to guess why. Just as she was about to place the girl's hand back down, something happened that made the woman's blood run cold. _It moved_. Emily jumped, almost losing her balance as she stared wide-eyed at the girl's hand. Surely, she had just imagined it. Slowly, she reproached and knelt down closer, placing her ear to the girl's mouth as she held onto her now still hand. Just as Emily was about to smack herself on the forehead it happened again, except this time, the girl spoke.

"M-Mom?" Emily gasped loudly as she pulled the girl into her lap.

"_JJ!_" she cried, stroking the girl's forehead and trying to coo her into settling back down. "It's alright, we're here to help you."

"Ca-Cara?" the girl's azure eyes danced around before finally meeting Emily's. The older brunette looked down at her torso that was littered with far too many stab wounds and began pressing down on as many as she could. The girl whimpered against her, eyes still searching for her friend.

"Get someone over here now!" Emily demanded, her voice on the brink of panic as fresh blood pooled between her fingers. By now, Hotch and Derek had heard her and were rushing towards them. Before long they surrounded the girl along with JJ, the medical examiner and his intern.

"Oh my God." they heard JJ breath as she too tried to slow the girl's bleeding.

"Get a bus, _now!_" Morgan shouted over everyone's shoulders.

"It's going to be alright." Emily smiled down at the girl who continued to cry. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Taylor." she breathed. "Kira Taylor."

"That's great Kira. My name is Emily." she said with a wider smile. "We're going to get you out of here ok, Kira?"

"I want my mom." the girl sobbed as the BAU took note of her thick accent.

"We'll find your mom sweetie, just relax." Emily promised as she, JJ and the medical examiner tried to slow the bleeding as much as possible.

"Agents, here!" They heard a cry and turned to see an ambulance with its doors wide open, waiting for their patient. Morgan was the first to stand, taking the girl into his arms and carrying her towards it. Kira had yet to release Emily's hand so the brunette climbed in alongside her. The doors were shut and the bus was gone before anyone could even piece together what had happened.

"She's alive." JJ said in an almost questioning tone. "How…"

"Find the first responder." Hotch's voice left no room for misinterpretation. He was out for blood.

"Let's get to the hospital." Morgan quickly ushered the two out of the park and into one of their SUVs. JJ sat in the back, eyes wide and head still reeling, desperately trying to shake off her feeling of dread. Only one thing mattered.

"She's alive."


	9. Chapter 9

**Once again, I'm so sorry for the delay. 2014 really kicked my ass and I just haven't been in much of a writing mood recently. College has been keeping me disgustingly busy but I promise that I will continue to write as much as I can. Thank you for sticking with me!**

**Chapter 9**

It had been hours since the team had heard anything from the doctors. By the time the rest of the team had arrived, Emily was waiting for them in the waiting room, her shirt and pants dark with blood. While they waited, Hotch sent Rossi and Reid to retrieve Kira's family. They returned an hour later with a distraught looking woman in tow. She introduced herself as Kira's mother, Natalie Taylor, and proceeded to sit motionless with her face in her hands, strawberry blonde hair obscuring her face. JJ sat to her right, desperate to comfort the sobbing woman but her mind refused to form a sentence. She was distraught herself, knowing that it was her actions that led to Kira's misfortune. Emily on the other hand, could not stand the silence. After she was handed a pair of scrubs from a nearby nurse, the brunette approached the woman and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Is there anything I can get you, Mrs. Taylor?" she asked softly and Natalie looked up through wet eyelashes. She shook her head slowly.

"No, no thank you." her accent was thicker than her daughters and Emily wondered when they had moved to the States. "It's 'ms.'."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Emily said but the woman waved her hand in dismissal.

"It's fine."

"Kira's father, is he-"

"Been out of the picture for quite some time now." she explained.

"Would you like me to get you a phone so you can call him?" Emily asked but Natalie shook her head.

"Patrick hasn't seen Kira since the day he abandoned us. She was two." Natalie pinched the bridge of her nose and released a shaky breath. "What is taking so long? I need to know how she's doing." Natalie rose from her seat suddenly and began pacing. Emily rose with her.

"I'm sure they'll come speak to us soon. They know we're waiting."

"Why are you here?" the fair-haired woman rounded on her. "Why aren't you out there, looking for the monster who did this to her?!"

"Ms. Taylor, I assure you we're doing everything we can to stop him." Emily raised her hands defensively.

"Well it's not enough now, is it?" Natalie trembled as she spoke, her outburst drawing the attention of the BAU and several others bystanders. "I've seen the news reports. This isn't the first time, is it?" When Emily hesitated, Natalie's voice rose. "Is it?!"

"No." the brunette admitted. "But my team and I _will_ stop him, no matter what it takes." The fire in Emily's once gentle eyes seemed to shock the woman. She frowned as she examined the profiler's face.

"He's done something to you…all of you. Hasn't he?" she asked quietly. Emily's face hardened as she hesitated once again.

"Yes." A new voice drew their attention back to where they had been seated. JJ's head was lowered but there was no doubt that it was her who had spoken. "Yes, Ms. Taylor, we've encountered him before."

"Then why is he still out there?" Natalie's voice rose once again as the tears streamed down her pale face. "Why isn't he dead or in prison?!"

"Because I messed up." JJ swallowed hard and rose from her seat.

"JJ." Hotch's warning set the blonde's gaze to him.

"Her daughter is in there because of me, Hotch. I think she deserve to know exactly what happened."

"B-Because of you?" Natalie asked, more than confused. "Wait a moment…you're that woman- that agent on the news a year ago."

"Yes." JJ nodded once, almost regretting speaking up as the other woman approached her.

"He's still after you then." Natalie said, almost to herself. "You and that other girl that was saved."

"My sister, yes."

"Your sister." Natalie repeated, almost shocked. "So my daughter was taken-why? Because she looks like her?!" JJ watched as the woman's face grew redder. She also saw Emily take a cautious step towards the two.

"Yes." JJ was rather impressed at how perceptive Natalie Taylor was until the woman grabbed her arms hard. She winced but raised a hand to stop Emily and Hotch as they approached.

"You could've killed him!" Natalie cried, shaking JJ slightly. The blonde opened her mouth but nothing managed to come out in time. "Why didn't you just kill him?!"

"I tried but-"

"You _tried_?!" Natalie couldn't control the tears as they raced down her cheek. Nor could she control the tightening grip on JJ's arms or the wild look in her eyes. She continued to shake the blonde before her, waiting for a reaction but the agent just continued to stared at the ground.

"I'm sorry this happened. I swear I will-" JJ wasn't surprised when she felt a sharp sting rise from her lip as the woman's open hand made contact with it. A small trickle of blood made its way into her mouth as Hotch grabbed the woman from behind and yanked her away of her.

"This is _your_ fault!" Natalie screamed as Hotch dragged her away. JJ continued to stare at the her feet, ignoring the pain and the hot tears that made their way down her cheeks. Only when they could no longer hear the woman's cries did Emily approach her friend. The brunette reached out to place a hand on JJ's arm but the blonde slapped it away.

"Don't touch me." With a hard look JJ cupped her jaw, hiding her broken lip, and sped for the nearest door, brushing past a stunned looking Reid. Emily took a step to follow before Morgan grabbed her arm.

"She needs her space, Prentiss." His soft eyes spoke volumes as to how he felt. "You know that better than anyone." Before Emily could respond, a call of 'agents?' caused the remaining four to spin on their heels. A short woman, no older than forty, stood before them wearing what were once white scrubs. Now red coated the woman's abdomen and arms causing the four remaining agents to jump.

"I'm Dr. Greiner-"

"Kira, how is she?" Emily inquired immediately, her eyes wide as she waited for news of the girl she had saved.

"It doesn't look good." Greiner lowered her voice, dark eyes downcast as she delivered the news. "We managed to stop most of the internal bleeding but the damage is just too severe."

"How long does she have?" Rossi's monotone voice asked what the others were too afraid to.

"Maybe hours." the words stung as Emily heard them. She resisted the sudden urge to cry for girl and instead took a step closer to the older woman.

"You have to take me to her."

"What she needs is her family, Agent. Not an interrogation." Greiner almost immediately regretted her tone when Emily narrowed her gaze at the woman and snarled,

"I am _not_ going to interrogate her. If I can talk to her, figure out what she knows, we may be able to stop this man before he kills for the seventh time. Is that alright with you, Doctor?" After several seconds of silence, Greiner finally sighed.

"This way." She spun on her heels and began leading Emily past the 'restricted' sign on the door behind them. As Emily approached the door, she could already hear the beeping of Kira's heart monitor and the ventilator that breathed for her. She braced herself for the sight she was about to witness and forced herself to remember why she was there. They had to find Parilla. They had to make sure that this didn't happen to anyone else. Swallowing hard, Emily turned the knob and entered the dimly lit room. Try as she did, the sight of a seventeen year old girl surrounded by machines and biding her time was not something she could steel herself against. With a shaky breath, Emily approached the bedside and took a seat. As she licked her lips, debating on how to begin the conversation, Kira's eyes snapped open, frantically gazing around the room. When the light blue orbs caught sight of a friendly face, they stopped and watered immediately.

"Hey Kira. Do you remember me?" Emily asked, forgetting that the girl couldn't speak. "My name's Emily and I'm with the FBI. We're going to find who did this to you, alright?" She watched as Kira's chest struggled to rise and fall of its own accord and momentarily closed her eyes.

"Take my hand, sweetheart." Emily placed her hand in the girl's palm and Kira grasped it lightly. "Give me one squeeze for 'no' and two for 'yes', ok?" Two squeezes.

"Do you know who did this to you?"

Two.

"Have you met or seen him before?"

One.

"Was his name Jeremy?"

Two.

"Do you know where he took you from?"

Two.

"Was it after practice?"

Two.

"On your way home?"

Two.

"Do you know where he took you?"

One.

"Was there anyone else with you?"

Two.

"Was her name Cara?" At the mention of the woman, Kira's heart monitor jumped. Emily saw the girl struggling to hold back tears and knew that she had seen what Jeremy did to the blonde. Emily decided to omit any questions about what had happened, knowing that they would only make Kira more uncomfortable. Besides, they knew what the man was capable of.

"Kira, do you remember anything specific about the room he held you in?"

A moment's pause… then two squeezes.

"Was it carpeted?"

One.

"Brick walls?"

Two.

"Were they red?"

One.

"Grey?"

Two.

"Was it underground?"

Two.

"Did you ever see past the door?"

One.

"Do you remember the car ride?" Kira wrinkled her brow. "A little?"

Two.

"Was it over an hour long?"

Two.

"Could you see anything?"

One.

"Hear anything?"

Two.

"Other cars?" She wrinkled her brow again. "A ferry?"

One.

"A train?"

Two.

"That's great, Kira." Emily brushed a handful of hair out of the girl's eyes. "You're doing great. Are you up for a few more?"

Two.

"Did you go over the train tracks?"

Two.

"Was Cara in the car too?"

One.

"Did you smell anything when you got out of the car? Like trees or sewage?"

Two.

"Which one? Trees?"

Two.

"You've helped more than you can imagine, Kira." Emily cooed. "We're going to stop him, I promise. We won't let this happen to anyone else." Emily felt Kira release her hand and looked down. The younger brunette had placed her thumb, index and middle finger together and began to move her wrist. "Pen?" Kira nodded slowly and Emily reached for the pen on the table beside them. She glanced around the room and, finding no paper, offered Kira her arm instead. The girl grasped the pen lightly, almost too lightly, and focused on what she wanted to say. Emily felt the pen moving against her skin but her gaze was fixed on the girl before her. She took in her half-open eyes and sickly pale features and had to swallow back the anger and bile in her throat. By the time the sentence was complete, Kira was exhausted, her eyes shutting briefly and her head dropping against her shoulder. Emily looked down at her arm and nearly lost her ability to maintain a calm expression.

_Am I going to die? _

Emily choked on her response- at a loss for words for the first time in years. Did she tell the girl the truth or convince her that everything was going to be ok? Of course, Kira wasn't stupid. She knew- whether it be by what she felt or by the lack of a response, Kira knew she was dying. The teenager opened her teary eyes and met Emily's gaze once more. She took up the woman's hand and squeezed as she tried to offer the agent a smile. Emily smiled back, her own eyes filling with unshed tears, just as the door swung open and Natalie Taylor rushed to her daughter's side.

"Kira." she breathed as she took one of Kira's hands. "Oh, my poor Kira. It's alright. Everything's alright now. I'm here." Emily shared a glance with the distraught woman and knew that she had spoken to Greiner. Natalie Taylor knew her daughter was going to die. Emily watched as the woman placed a kiss to her daughter's forehead and held her hand while she trembled with the force of holding her tears back. Emily marveled at the woman's strength as she squeezed Kira's hand one last time and rose to leave. She stood by the door and placed a hand against her belly, fighting back her own tears. As she slowly made her way down the hall and towards her team, Emily heard the sound of a heart monitor flatlining and moved out of the way as doctors and nurses shoved past her in an attempt to get to the room she had just left. Even as the doors to the waiting room closed behind her and five pairs of eyes met hers, Emily could still hear Natalie Taylor's cries. They sent a chill up the BAU's spines at the sound but Emily had a much different reaction. She bolted to the nearest garbage can and emptied the contents of her stomach. She could hear the BAU gathering around her and felt someone place a hand on the small of her back as they held her hair away from her face. When she was done, Emily wiped her mouth and turned. Had it been any other day, she would have been embarrassed but given the situation, she couldn't bring herself to care. Emily was surprised however, when she saw JJ standing next to her, the blonde's hand still on her back.

"I'm fine." she mumbled, her gaze lowered.

"Kira?" they heard their boss ask. Emily shook her head without a word and felt JJ shift beside her. "Everyone go home. Whatever Kira told Emily can wait until tomorrow."

"Wait, what?" Morgan asked, a frown etched on his face. "Hotch, a girl just died in there because of this monster and you expect us to go to bed?"

"There's nothing we can do at this moment. We'll reconvene in the morning when everyone's rested." As Morgan opened his mouth to argue, JJ surprised everyone by not only speaking, but agreeing with Hotch.

"He's right, Morgan." the blonde said weakly. "We're no good to anyone right now."

JJ broke away from the group and stood in front of the Emergency Room entrance. She wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes, allowing a few tears to escape as she thought of the people that had died in her place. Before long, the blonde felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Emily. The woman was waiting for her with a haunted look on her face and JJ allowed herself to deflate against her friend. The two walked outside together, each leaning slightly on the other. There were no words needed. There were no words that would make what happened more bearable. As they entered the SUV and the hospital shrunk behind them, the two women shared a glance- one that spoke volumes and reiterated a promise spoken before.

_We will stop him._


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

JJ toyed with the fabric of her sweater as Hotch turned the SUV onto her street. They had dropped off the others first and JJ knew why. She knew what her boss wanted to say to her and already had an answer prepared for him.

"Before you go," Hotch barely turned his head in her direction. "There's something I'd like to discuss with you."

"I already know what you're going to say," the blonde drew a deep breath, "and even though it's probably the smart thing to do, I can't."

"Why not?" Hotch now turned himself completely to face the woman. He took in her slumped shoulders and tired eyes and wanted nothing more than to make this nightmare end for her. "JJ, please. Take your family and go. We _will_ find him but until then, it isn't safe for any of you here."

"I'll talk to Will about taking Leila and Henry to my parents' but I'm not going anywhere." she insisted, turning her gaze to meet his. The once bright, warm eyes of the former media liaison were not darkened and cold. Hotch would've given anything to go back several years and see her as the ray of sunshine the team had unofficially dubbed her as. Seeing his friend so distant and depressed was like a solid kick to his gut.

"We can't lost you, JJ." Hotch lowered his voice. "You know that none of us would be able to deal with that- especially Leila."

"And I wouldn't be able to deal with myself if anything happened to another person because of me!" the blonde cried suddenly, causing her boss to straighten. Moments later she sighed and lowered her head. "Listen Hotch, I know you're just trying to look out for me but I'm not going anywhere. Please, just try to understand."

"I do." he admitted. "Call me if you need anything, ok? Any time." With a crooked smile, JJ nodded and climbed out of the SUV and waved to him from the front door of her house. Closing the door behind her, JJ dropped her bag and leaned against the wooden frame. Although it was late- almost midnight- she knew that both Will and Leila would still be up and she dreaded having to discuss this with them right away. Unfortunately, she didn't have a choice. Popping her head into Henry's room, JJ smiled at the sight of her son asleep peacefully and decided not to disturb him. Down the hall, she saw the door to Leila's room partially open and heard soft music coming from inside. She knocked and entered after hearing a quiet "come in".

"Hey." the blonde watched her sister swivel around to face her from her desk. Leila was obviously working on an assignment of sorts, a pencil in between her teeth and a textbook on her lap. The younger Jareau removed the pencil and started to roll it in between her fingers- one of her anxious ticks that JJ had caught onto early on in their relationship.

"Hey." Leila offered her a small smile. "Everything ok?" the teen frowned when JJ didn't return the grin. Standing, she made her way over to her sister and placed a warm hand on her forearm. "What is it?"

"I need to talk to you." JJ said in almost a whisper. "I'll get Will. Can you wait in the kitchen?"

"Sure." Leila cocked an eyebrow but did as her sister asked as the blonde went to retrieve her husband. Two minutes later, the couple joined Leila downstairs where she was seated on the marble countertop picking at her nails. Will and JJ sat around the table, the blonde's grip on her husband's hand almost painful. It took a few seconds but before long, JJ finally addressed her family.

"I think we all know what I want to talk about." she began. "We all know what's been going on recently and there's no more ignoring it. Parilla's back." Saying the words aloud brought a bitter taste to the woman's mouth. She didn't miss how both her husband and sister stirred.

"Has the team made any headway?" Will asked quietly and JJ shook her head 'no'.

"We've just been granted access to the case." JJ prepared herself for what she was going to say next. "Today, I had to tell a mother that her daughter's death was my fault."

"Jay, you know that's not-"

"I understand that no one else sees it that way," JJ stopped her sister, "but I do. And when I saw that girl," she swallowed hard, "when I saw that girl, all I could picture was you." She looked into her sister's big eyes.

"That's not going to happen." Leila stated, sure of the fact. JJ merely shook her head.

"You don't know that." she insisted. "The simple fact of the matter is that we don't know _anything_ right now. I'm not willing to risk your life- any of your lives- on a mere chance that something bad won't happen."

"What are you saying, Cher?" Will tilted his head, not liking where the conversation was headed.

"Will, I need you to take Henry and Leila and stay with my parents until this is over." JJ stated, her resolve evident in her tone.

"There is no way in hell you're not coming with us." Leila jumped off the counter, careful of her volume so she didn't wake Henry. JJ put her elbows on the table and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Leila, I don't have time to argue about this with you." she sighed. "You're going- you're _all_ going- and that's the last I want to hear of it."

"Can you even hear yourself right now?" Leila crossed her arms. "You're not my mother JJ and I sure as hell am not going to run away with my tail tucked between my legs simply because you said so."

"I am trying to save your life!" JJ shot up, standing almost nose to nose with her sister. Leila, startled by the outburst, shrunk back but only slightly.

"You're my sister and I'm not leaving this city until we're _all_ safe." the younger woman pressed.

"I don't have to explain myself to you, Leila." JJ shot back. "You live in _my_ house and you're going to listen to what _I _say. It's that simple."

"JJ." Will warned, afraid of what his wife might say next.

"Don't 'JJ' me, Will." the blonde turned on her husband. "That man is a psychopath and he knows everything about me. How long do you think it'll be before he gets bored of kidnapping and torturing women and moves on to bigger things like taking our son away from us?!"

"JJ, no one is going to hurt Henry." Will tried to take his wife's hands but she yanked them away.

"You don't know that!" she cried. "No one knows what's going to happen and I'm not risking my family's lives on the whims of a crazy person!"

"He's after _you_, JJ!" Leila turned her sister around to face her. "He's going to come after _you!_ _You're_ the one who should be leaving!"

"I am not going to run away from him." JJ's voice was low and almost threatening.

"Then why should I?" Leila countered, sensing her sister's agitation grow with each passing syllable.

"Because this is my job, Leila!" the blonde tried to explain.

"No it's not!" the brunette yelled back. "Your job is to catch criminals, yes, but not when _you're_ the victim!"

"I am _not_," JJ pointed a finger in her sister's face, "a victim."

"That's exactly what you are whether you chose to admit it or not." Leila held firm. "We both are."

"No, we're not." JJ insisted. "We're survivors and I'm trying to make sure we don't have to 'survive' anything again!"

"The only way to ensure that is to come with us!" Leila cried, running a hand through her hair in annoyance. "We care about you just as much as you care about us. Why should we hide while you're out there chasing a serial killer?!"

"Because this whole thing is my fault!" JJ waved her hands around them. "You and everyone else are done suffering because of my mistakes!"

"Maybe we should all just calm down and go to-"

"Please Will," JJ sighed, closing her eyes for just a moment. "Tell me you understand what I'm trying to do." Leila's gaze went from one to the other, unsure of whose side the man would take.

"I do." he admitted softly, reaching out to take her hands into his. "But Leila's also right."

"I can't leave." JJ shook her head slowly. "I can't leave the team to clean up my mess. These women- these victims- they deserve my complete attention and dedication."

"I know." Will nodded as he cast a sidelong glance to his sister-in-law. He took in her red face and grinding teeth and knew that she was beyond angry. "We're all just scared and stressed but we're going to get through this. All of us." He reached out and pulled Leila towards them, wrapping his little family in his arms. Although tense, Leila eventually put her arms around the couple and accepted their warmth. A few stray, angry tears slid down her cheek and when JJ saw them, she brushed them away.

"I'm going to fix this. I swear it." she told the younger woman, her hand still cupping her cheek. Leila opened her mouth to respond but decided against it, shaking her head out of her hold and taking a step back.

"I'll get Henry's things together." the teen said numbly as she proceeded to go back upstairs. When she was gone, JJ turned to her husband and fell against him. Tears strolled down her cheeks as if in a race and her entire body trembled with their force.

"Oh Cher," Will closed his eyes as he held her and stroked the back of her head. "You're exhausted." As the tears continued to pour out, he felt JJ nod against him. Wrapping a secure arm around her waist as the other continued to comfort her, Will half led, half carried his wife up the stairs and into their bedroom. He sat her down and removed her shoes and socks for her before retrieving an old University of Pittsburg tee and helped her change into it.

"Will?" JJ mumbled as her husband pulled the covers over both of them.

"Yes?" he asked, pulling her into him. Laying her head on his bare chest, JJ could feel her heart begin to slow back to a normal pace. She wrapped an arm around his waist and squeezed as tightly as she could.

"I'm sorry." she practically whispered against him. Will immediately started to shake his head.

"Don't be." he said. "None of this is your fault. I love you. Forever." He felt his wife smile at the words and the thought made his heart leap.

"Love you too." she told him softly before falling asleep pressed against him. Will stayed awake for the remainder of the night. He wanted to make sure that if JJ awoke at any point, he would be there for her. Also, the thought of abandoning her at a time like this sent his heart racing and his blood boiling. He wanted nothing more than to lock her, Leila and Henry in the house and find Jeremy Parilla himself. _God help that man if I ever get my hands on him_, Will thought to himself. When JJ stirred and groaned in her sleep, he wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and whispered gently in her ear,

"I'll keep them safe, Cher. You just make sure you come home to us."

At the sound of his voice, the blonde agent sighed and settled more soundly into her sleep. Will smiled at the sight of his beautiful wife and tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear before kissing her cheek and closing his eyes. Hopefully, sleep would come before their son wanted his morning pancakes.

**Promise the next chapter will be longer and sooner. Although it is summer now, I am taking 2 difficult summer courses so don't hate me for not uploading as often as I should! Thank you for reading! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Another chapter since I've been so bad with uploading. Review please!**

**Chapter 11**

As the couple poured their morning coffee, they shared a glance at the sound of an alarm going off almost directly above them. As quickly as it had started, it stopped and left them wondering why Leila was refusing to get up this morning. Sighing, JJ put down her mug and ascended the steps, almost running into an already hyper Henry as he rushed to get ready for school. JJ heard no response as she knocked on the door and decided to look inside. The blinds and curtains were still drawn and she could distinguish the lump on the bed as Leila's sleeping form. Slowly, she approached the bed and sat on the edge. Placing her hand on her sister's arm, JJ shook her slightly.

"Leils, it's almost eight." she informed the teen. Leila simply turned away from her. "I know you're upset but you're going to miss your class if you're not up soon."

"What's the point in going to class if you're making me hide out in Pennsylvania for God-knows how long?" came her mumbled reply. Clearly, she had been awake for a while. "Besides, I barely slept."

"Is it the nightmares?" JJ asked, concern for her sister overriding her annoyance. Leila shrugged underneath the covers. "Well if you want to talk about them, I'm here."

"Yea, for now." JJ heard the younger woman grumble to herself as she stood to leave. Biting her lip, the blonde opened her mouth to respond but decided against it.

"I'll be downstairs for the next half hour if you want to talk about it." she told her sister, feeling the heavy weight of guilt already beginning to push her down.

"Where are you going?" Leila asked out of curiosity. JJ never left for the office this early.

"I have to do some food shopping before I go to work or we'll starve." the blonde tried- and failed- to make her sister smile. "Do you want to come with me?"

"Wouldn't want to make you late." Leila responded without hesitation and lowered herself back into bed.

"Ok." JJ nodded, expecting the response but saddened nonetheless. "Love you."

"Close the door on your way out." Came the huffed response. JJ nodded again, accepting her anger. It was far too early to get into this now. JJ did as she was asked and slowly went back downstairs. Packing her purse and fetching a traveling mug, she decided to do her shopping a little early than anticipated. The earlier she got to the BAU, the better. And besides, she didn't want to stay in the house any longer. Kissing Will and Henry goodbye, JJ got into her car and continued to force back the unshed tears all the way to the grocery store. When she got there, she ignored the looks of fellow shoppers as well as the cashier as she continuously wiped her eyes on her sleeve, undoubtedly smudging her makeup. As she paid and bagged her items, an old woman approached her and put a hand on hers. JJ jumped slightly at the unexpected contact.

"Are you alright, dear?" the woman asked, genuine concern in her features. JJ plastered on a fake smile and nodded.

"I'm fine." she assured the woman. "My dog just passed away a few days ago and I'm still a little upset." The lie flowed smoothly from her lips.

"I'm sorry to hear that." the woman patted her arm. "I hope your week improves." JJ smiled again and thanked her before making a b-line for her car, hoping to avoid any more concerned strangers. Just as she was making sure the last bag remained upright in the trunk, JJ heard a set of footsteps directly behind her. Before she had a chance to turn and acknowledge the owner, he spoke.

"You seem to have recovered nicely." the chilling voice said with a hint of amusement. Without turning, JJ knew who it was. Parilla…and he had her cornered. Thinking quickly, JJ looked down at her hip for the nonexistent weapon. _Shit!_ It was in her glove compartment. She struggled to decide whether to fight, run or speak to him. With her back to him, JJ didn't know whether he had a gun or not but if she ran, the chances of him hitting her were quite slim. The sound would also attract the attention of everyone in the store. No, he wouldn't be that stupid to bring a gun. He had a knife. Betting her life on that knowledge, JJ extended her leg, trying to aim for his shins in an effort to knock him off his feet. She missed slightly, catching his hip instead, and she heard him groan before speeding around her car and towards the passenger side door. Yanking it open, she fumbled for the latch that opened the glove compartment but just as she felt her fingertips graze the barrel of her weapon, Jeremy's hand wrapped around her shoulder and spun her to face him. His appearance had drastically changed from that last time they had seen each other. He was leaner, more muscular, and had a more rugged look to him. His beard was unshaven and his eyes danced wildly as if he were a lion and she the gazelle.

"Why are you in such a hurry, JJ?" he asked with a tilt of his head. Closing the door she had opened, he pinned her against it, his arm pressed painfully against her chest to keep her in place. "Aren't you going to try to convince me to run away with you again?"

"Jeremy-"

"I don't want to hear your bullshit anymore." he snarled as he increased the pressure on her chest and neck. JJ struggled to breath and wrapped her hand around his arm, nails digging into his skin in a desperate attempt to get him to ease off. It didn't work. "How's your bitch of a sister doing? Still as annoying as ever, I presume?"

"Leave her alone." the blonde managed to growl and Jeremy couldn't help but smile.

"Don't worry, she'll be with us soon." he promised and watched as her eyes grew. At the thought of her sister in his grasp again, JJ threw her knee up and connected right in between his legs. Parilla groaned and released her as he fell to his knees. JJ did the only thing she could do- she ran. If she made it to the store before he caught up with her, he would most likely abandon his mission to kidnap her. If he didn't, there would be several people in there that could help her bring him down, knife or not. Less than twenty yards away from the entrance, JJ's breath caught in her throat as she felt a hand wrap around her hair and yank her backwards. She practically flew backwards and into his arms, feeling a sharp pain coming from her right side.

"As I was saying-" Jeremy stopped his gloating as he saw the woman grimace in pain and shut her eyes tightly. JJ went limp against him as she went down, the pain in her lower back increasing by the second. She opened her mouth to scream for help but no sound came out. Jeremy frowned, confused by what had happened until he looked down and saw the knife in his hand embedded into JJ's back. His eyes grew wide with fear as he felt her blood coating his hand and coat.

"No, no, no." she heard him whisper as he laid her gingerly on the ground. He took in her wet eyes and sickly pale face and began to stroke her hair, tears making their way down his own cheeks and onto her chest. "It was an accident. I didn't mean to. I swear, I didn't mean to!" JJ stared up at him, face contorted in pain, mouth open but unable to force the words out.

"Hey!" a new voice called from somewhere ahead of the two. Jeremy's head snapped up as a balding man rapidly approached them. "What's going on here?!"

"I didn't mean to!" Jeremy screamed as he stood, JJ's blood now soaking his pants, shirt and arms.

"Someone call an ambulance!" the man shouted towards the entrance of the store. He pointed an accusing finger at Jeremy. "You stay right there! Don't you move!" Jeremy frantically looked down at JJ and back up at the man. Making a last minute decision, he reached down and yanked the knife from JJ's back causing the woman to cry out in pain and roll onto her side. Before the man could approach him, Jeremy sprinted back to JJ's car, got in and sped off. The man immediately knelt at JJ's side and pressed both hands against the still bleeding wound. By now, several shoppers had come to see what had happened and the old woman JJ had spoken to was on the phone with 9-1-1. As the man rolled JJ on her stomach to apply more pressure to the wound, he saw a black wallet sticking out of her back pocket. Removing it slowly, his eyes widened at the contents.

"Holy shit." he mumbled. "Tell the cops she's FBI!" He heard the old woman relay the information to the phone in her hand and turned his attention back to the semi conscious woman. "You're going to be alright. Just stay still." He heard JJ begin to mumble something and leaned closer to decipher it.

"Tell them," she gasped, "I'm sorry." As he saw the woman's eyes begin to close, the man pressed harder against her wound- both to stop more blood from pouring out and to keep her awake.

"You can tell them yourself when you see them." he assured her. The ambulance sirens could be heard and he could tell they were less than a block away. "Help's almost here. Just hold on a little bit longer."

"M'sorry." JJ kept repeating as the blinding pain continued to coarse through her entire body. She could feel her warm blood pooling around her and wetting her shirt and pants but she didn't care. All she wanted was for the pain to stop. As she squirmed in the man's grasp to get him to release some of the pressure, JJ's vision began to darken. She could barely hear the sounds of the EMTs pulling up next to her, taking over for the man and loading her onto a stretcher. She knew they were asking her questions to try to keep her awake but her voice just wouldn't work. Keeping her mouth open to suck in as much air as she could, JJ allowed her head to loll to the side as the EMT above her ripped her shirt open and another slammed the doors shut.

"You're going to be alright, Agent Jareau." the man kept repeating. "Just keep your eyes on me, ok?" JJ looked straight at him but saw only the blurred outline of his face. Before long, even that was difficult to see as her blood continued to soak the ambulance floor with no signs of stopping. Mere seconds passed before JJ's eyes rolled into the back of her head and her body went completely still.


	12. Chapter 12

**You have every right to hate me. I know, I suck. I'm on vacation now so I'm sure there won't be another wait like that. Thanks to those that reviewed recently and made me feel like writing again. I'm sorry it took so long but like I said, I will DEFINITELY be finishing this story and soon. Enjoy.**

**Chapter 12**

"That's not the point, Jack!" Leila cried into the phone. Jack was currently visiting a relative in Georgia otherwise, Leila knew he would be there with her. After almost two hours of discussing the new turn of events, she could feel her temper rising and knew that she should end the conversation before she said something she didn't mean.

"_The point is that you both love each other and whatever she's doing, you have to know it's for your own good._" Leila huffed, knowing that her boyfriend was right but refusing to acknowledge it.

"Whatever." she mumbled. "I have to go."

"_I'll call you tomorrow._" she could practically hear the smile in his voice. It aggravated her to no extent. "_Love you_."

"Uh-huh, me too." Leila shook her head as the sounds of his chuckling could be heard as she lowered the phone from her ear and pressed the 'end' button. Spinning around on her desk chair, she went back to the finishing the work she had missed in today's lecture. A part of her regretted skipping it but she was in no mood to hear about turbidity and zooplankton for three hours after what had transpired between her and her sister the night before. Will had called the house a few times throughout his shift to see how she was doing but she continued to give him the cold shoulder as well. After all, not only was he no help but he even went as far as to agree with JJ. Leila scoffed at the thought, trying hard to push her anger to the back of her mind just long enough for her sister to come home. Then, she'd have no problem resuming the discussion and making sure she got her points across no matter what. With a tight smile, she assured herself that the faster she finished the assignments, the faster JJ would come through the front door and be greeted with an vast array of arguments as well as a few colorful words Leila had already decided on.

—

_They weren't doing enough!_

Panic flooded his system as the machines around her began to wail loudly. Clenching and unclenching his fists inside his pockets, he watched as several doctors and nurses crowded around her, most of their gowns splattered with her blood.

_This is all your fault!_

He couldn't help the tears as they raced down his cheeks. Not bothering to wipe them away, he held his breath as one of the men in white brought the paddles to her chest. One burst. Two bursts. Still, she remained completely still.

_Completely dead._

Staring intently at the machine that monitored her heart rate, he began softly hitting his head against the wall to his left. As the monitor remained flat, he started banging harder, barely feeling the pain as he caught a quick glance of her face. A tube protruded from her mouth in a terrifying angle and her golden hair covered some of her face. He watched her pale hand fall slightly to the side and waited for her fingers to curl. They didn't.

"Sir," a voice called. He ignored it. "Sir, are you alright?" A woman in white, most likely a nurse, was at his side watching him hit his head progressively harder against the wall. She grabbed hold of the back of his head and called for help. Realizing that he had been seen, he wriggled from her grasp and sprinted out of sight.

_You fucking idiot! So stupid! Your fault!_

As he ran, he continued to smack his hands against his head, spots of blood appearing on his palms from the wound he had caused moments before.

_Dead. She's dead. What do I do? What do I do now? _

The thoughts wouldn't stop coming, all telling him that her death was his fault but a part of him resisted.

_Not my fault! I didn't want to hurt her! She shouldn't have run from me. I loved her!_

Ignoring the hot tears as they continued to stream down his face, he got into the car he had stolen and flew out out of the hospital parking lot, almost taking a sign and several pedestrians with him.

_They'll pay. All of them. I'll make them pay. _

"Don't worry, JJ." Jeremy spoke aloud for the first time since the accident. "I'll make sure they get what they deserve for keeping us a part. All of them."

—

"Is JJ in yet?" Emily asked from over her desk. Reid shrugged while Morgan leaned back in his chair and offered her a raised eyebrow.

"Why, you got a baby question?" Emily raised her own in return, crossing her arms with a smirk.

"Would you prefer I asked you if I did?" the brunette's jest caused the younger profiler to falter. She chuckled at the expression on his face.

"No, I haven't seen her yet." Morgan finally answered. He saw his partner momentarily frown but thought nothing of it. Just then, Hotch emerged from his office and practically ran to Rossi's. Only Emily seemed to notice and her interest peaked when she saw the two men whispered intensely. Before long, they began to approach the bullpen and she drew the attention of her remaining two colleagues.

"Hotch hasn't looked that pissed since…" Morgan stopped to think.

"Since Parilla." Emily and Reid finished for him. At the mention of the man, all three tensed and looked at one another. As Hotch and Rossi approached them, they stood immediately and waited for either one to speak. Reid beat them to it.

"Where's JJ?" he asked, his voice small like a child's. Rossi lowered his gaze while Hotch visibly steeled himself for what he was about to say.

"She's dead."

—

Emily ran a hand through her straightened hair as she paced on the LaMontangue's porch. She had been standing there for almost fifteen minutes, terrified of knocking on the door. She knew that Leila was alone in the house and guessed that it was for the best. She could only imagine what the teens reaction would be. Emily readied herself, sucking in a deep breath, and ringing the doorbell. After several minutes of waiting, Emily frowned. She called out Leila's name as she knocked on the glass. Hearing nothing in response, Emily's mind raced. Did she know? Was she hurt? Or worse: had Parilla gotten to her? Hand on her hip, Emily tested the knob and saw that it was open. A slight wave of panic washed over her at the thought of what happened to JJ- to her friend. Forcing back the tears that still needed to be shed, she rushed into the house, gun raised. Almost immediately after entering, Emily heard a door closing further into the house. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as she experienced a fear she couldn't remember feeling in another other hostile situation. Her step faltered as her thoughts went to the little life she was carrying and the lack of body armor she was wearing and a part of her wanted nothing more than to run out and call for help. Startled out of her thoughts as another door opened and closed, Emily swallowed the almost crippling fear and pressed forward. As she turned a corner sharply, she heard a brief scream and saw Leila drop the basket of laundry she was carrying. Emily immediately lowered her weapon, relief flooding her entire body like never before, and raised her hands in a defensive manner.

"I'm sorry!" she cried. "I rang and knocked but you didn't answer and I just got worried."

"It's fine, it's cool." Leila reassured the woman as she took out her earbuds and pressed a hand to her chest, feeling her rapidly beating heart.

"I'm really sorry, Leila." Emily almost smacked her own forehead but Leila offered her a small, humorless smile as she squeezed the older woman's shoulder.

"Really, it's ok." she said softly. "I understand why you got worried."

"You really shouldn't leave the door unlocked." Emily scolded her. "Especially now." Leila was already nodding.

"I know, I know."

"I mean it, Leila. It's dangerous." Emily's voice almost broke. Thankfully, Leila didn't catch it.

"Look at you going all 'mom' on me." she playfully slapped the agent's shoulder. "I mean if that kid is anything like you, you're gonna need a lot of-"

"Leila there's something I need to tell you." Emily interrupted, her hand waving away whatever joke the girl was about to say. At the seriousness in her tone, Leila's grin dissipated within seconds. Her eyes rapidly searched Emily for any sign of what she was going to say but she knew it couldn't be good.

"What is it?" she asked, her voice smaller than she had ever heard. Deep down, Emily was sure that Leila knew what she was going to say. The older brunette positioned herself closer as she opened her mouth to say the words that would forever remind her of the taste of vinegar.

"Leila," it took all of her willpower to hold the girl's gaze. Her voice low and soft, Emily could hardly believe she was saying the words aloud. "JJ's dead."

"What?" the shock on Leila's face was evident. All color from her once tanned cheeks had faded as she let her phone drop to the ground with a _thud_. Her eyes were wide and already filling with tears as the her mind decoded the phrase. Suddenly, she was falling, her body weighing more than she could bear. Emily expected this and reached out for her, slowing her descent to the ground and allowing herself to fall with her. Leila grabbed onto Emily's shoulders as she knelt in front of her, her eyes begging her to take it back. But she knew there was no going back. JJ was dead. Her sister was dead. Her only real family was gone and it was all her fault. As Emily watched the turmoil unfold on the girl's face, she couldn't help but shed her own tears at the sight. She could almost feel Leila's pain as if it were her own- after all, she too had lost a sister.

"I'm so sorry, Leila." Emily whispered, her hands stroking soothing circles on the girl's arms. "He found her in the parking lot of a grocery store and-and he had a knife." Emily watched as silent tears rolled down Leila's face, her head lowered as the grip on her shoulders tightened. "We don't know exactly how it happened yet but we will. We'll get him, Leila, I swear it."

"No." the girl shook her head slowly, almost zombie-like. "You won't." Emily pulled her closer, pressing the trembling teenager against her chest, as the two cried. She could faintly hear Leila's sobs as her tears stained her blouse and she shut her eyes tightly, desperate to be anywhere but here.

"It's going to be alright." Emily promised. "We're going to make it better." She whispered words of encouragement and strength against Leila's ear as she laid a gentle kiss to the top of her head but the teen heard nothing. The blood rushing behind her ears and the thoughts that ran through her mind were the only things she could understand.

_You didn't say you loved her back._

_She thought you hated her. _

_This is all your fault. _

_You made her leave early. _

_You made her take you in. _

_He was after you- not her. _

_This is all your fault._

_You should've never been born. _

"I wish I was never born." Leila found herself mumbling against Emily's shoulder. She felt the older woman stiffen as she said it but couldn't bring herself to regret the words. It was true. As her heart tugged, ripped and opened, Leila could think of nothing but how she wanted nothing more than to be dead- to have never existed. The tears came easily, the outright cries even more so and before long, Leila found herself exhausted and dried out. She allowed herself to lean against Emily and close her eyes. As the agent stroked her hair and rocked her, Leila soon fell into a light, restless sleep against the woman's chest. Emily was sure her heart was breaking as she eased them against the wall and cradled Leila like a child. Even in her sleep, the girl was still crying and Emily couldn't help but continue to cry with her. She didn't deserve this. No one deserved this. As she watched Leila fall asleep, she swore that even if it was the last thing she did, she would avenge what Jeremy Parilla had done to this family- to _her _family.


	13. Chapter 13

**Ok, I know I suck but this past year has been absolute hell so please don't hate me too much. I hope some of you are still with me seeing as I will definitely be finishing this story. Enjoy the update and expect another soon.**

**Chapter 13**

"Swann, it's Prentiss." Emily worked hard to suppress the shudder in her voice. "I need a favor."

"_Emily,_" the voice on the other line seemed surprised. "_This isn't really a good time_."

"I don't care." Emily practically spat. "You owe me after Brussels. And Tokyo. And-"

"_Yes, yes, I understand,_" the man sighed loudly. "_What's happened?_"

Leila could hear Emily's voice as she explained the situation to a friend from her past. She shut the door. Hearing it once was enough. Glancing around her bedroom, Leila felt her heart tug. The picture of her and JJ seemed to stare at her from the nightstand. Dragging her feet, Leila reached out slowly and picked it up. As she lowered her head, tears she didn't know she had shed fell onto the frame. She watched the droplet make its way in between the two smiling sisters and tightened her grip on it. As more tears fell both onto the frame and on the floor, Leila felt her hands begin to tremble at the force. Focusing on JJ's face and taking in the smile she wore as the sun was beginning to set behind them, Leila's anger seemed to boil over. She heard a crack and noticed that her hold on the frame had caused it to break. As she saw the glass break straight across JJ's face, Leila felt her knees give out beneath her. She ran her fingers across the picture, along the cracks she had formed, and felt a whole new onslaught of tears rise up from her throat. Clutching the frame to her chest as she cried, Leila vaguely heard the door behind her open. She felt a hand- presumably Emily's- being placed on her shoulder. The older woman knelt beside her and Leila forced herself to lean slightly against her. The act didn't comfort her. In fact, it made her anxious, but she knew that Emily had lost someone today too…and Emily wasn't like her. She wasn't as damaged.

"Leila," the smooth voice brought the girl out of her thoughts. She raised her head and allowed her wet eyes to meet the agent's. "We can't stay here." Emily took in her look of confusion and explained. "He'll be looking for you now. It isn't safe."

"Safe?" Leila muttered her first word in hours. She didn't understand. This was her home, why would she leave it? What would happen to Will and Henry?

"I promise, I'll explain everything on the way but we have to get to the BAU." Emily insisted. "Please, Leila. Trust me." The words stung Emily as soon as she said them but the girl didn't seem to notice. Instead Leila gave her a small nod and began to stand up. Emily watched as she removed the picture from the broken frame and began to pack. Leila had never been one for physical possessions and she filled a backpack with the essentials in minutes. Emily escorted the trembling girl downstairs where she seemed to pause. Leila took a moment to scan the room, seemingly trying to engrave it in her memory. She knew that there was a chance she would never see this home again. Emily gave her as long as she could before gently ushering her towards the door. The two closed it and Leila took a little longer than usual to lock it. She placed a hand against it and wiped several stray tears away as Emily opened the car door for her. She sat, clutching her backpack to her chest as Emily started the car. Leila buried her face in the bag, unable to watch as the house disappeared from sight. As Emily glanced over at the girl, she felt new tears build up in her eyes, blurring her vision slightly. She swiped at them furiously, angry at herself for being so helpless. They drove in silence and before long, they arrived at the BAU. Emily tried hard not to rush the girl but being out in the open for too long made her nervous. They knew Parilla would be coming for Leila soon. A part of Emily wanted him to come for her now- while she was with her. She relished the thought of putting a bullet in between his eyes once and for all. Pushing the thought aside, she wrapped her arms around Leila's frame and led the girl inside. As the elevator dinged, announcing their arrival, Emily heard the girl swallow hard and steel herself for the next few hours. Thankfully, the other agents had either been informed of the situation or were too busy to notice their arrival as they wordlessly offered the two polite smiles before returning to their work. No one stopped them. No one tried to talk to them. As they made their way past the glass doors, Emily noticed the rest of the team gathered in the conference room. As she moved to walk up the foyer stairs, she felt Leila stop. The girl's stare was focused solely on one thing- JJ's desk. Emily's gaze traveled up to the conference room where the team was waiting. She and Hotch made eye contact and he sprang up to help. Exiting the room, the Unit Chief made his way to the bullpen and to Leila.

"Leila?" his voice was soft, afraid of startling the girl. Instead, it seemed as if Leila had heard him coming. "Leila, I know this is hard to believe right now but everything is going to be ok." Her head began to turn towards him, the look on her face saying one thing: "how can anything ever be ok again?" Reluctantly, she walked past the man and opened the door to the conference room only to be met with a pair of arms around her neck as Garcia tackled her.

"Oh my poor baby," Garcia cried. "It's gonna be alright. We're going to fix this and everything's going to be alright." Leila nodded once against the woman, her arms remaining still at her sides. Getting the message, the analyst let her go and led her towards a chair. The rest of the team seemed aware of her aversion to physical contact and sat in silence. Hotch offered his seat to Emily who under normal circumstances would have shot him a deadly look. She sat, her face in her hands almost immediately.

"I know this isn't easy," Hotch began, "but we're going to need to discuss some things…as a family." He paused, taking in the indifferent look on Leila's face. "Will is picking up Henry from school and coming straight here. I'm hoping to have something to tell him when he arrives. Emily?"

"I cashed in a few favors with Agent Swann from the Marshals." Emily cleared her throat. "He's sending two of his best agents here from New York as we speak."

"You're sure we can trust them?" Morgan spoke up. "I'm not exactly keen on handing Leila over to some strangers."

"I've saved Swann's life more times than either one of us can count so considering the fact that seeing her go is the last thing I want to do, yes we can trust him." Emily averted her gaze as soon she heard just how hostile that sounded.

"I still don't like it." Morgan pouted. "She should be here, with us, where we know she'll be safe."

"We thought JJ would be safe with us too." Reid's small voice added. He raised his head slightly before continuing. "If we're hunting Parilla, we won't be able to afford splitting our attentions. Besides, the further she gets from here, the better."

"Reid's right." Rossi said. "I don't like the idea any more than you do, Morgan, but we have to think rationally. How are we going to protect Leila and catch Parilla at the same time?"

"This isn't up for debate." Hotch stated firmly. "The Marshals will take Leila into protective custody until we catch this man. I've already decided on where they'll be taking her and the details have been sent to Agents Rhodes and Cavill. When they arrive, the three of them will leave immediately. The rest of us will work this case night and day for as long as we need to until that man is behind bars."

"Or in a grave." Everyone heard but seemed to ignore Emily's addition.

"Leila," Hotch turned his gaze to the silent teen, "do you have any questions?" Leila's eyes danced from agent to agent as she tried to take everything in. She didn't want to leave. She didn't want to spend months in a secluded cabin while her family risked their lives for her. As she opened her mouth to say so, she stopped. There was no point. The look in all of their eyes was immutable. They would go to extremes to keep her safe- even if it meant never seeing her again.

"Leila, I promise we're going to find him." Emily saw the look of panic begin to form in the girl's eyes. "We know you don't want to go but this is the only way to ensure your safety. It won't be for long, I swear." They watched as the girl swallowed hard and nodded once. As soon as she did there was a knock on the door and Will entered carrying a sleepy looking Henry. Leila shot out of her seat and into his arms in seconds. The team could hear his gentle coos and her shaky sobs. They glanced at one another uncomfortably until it ended and Hotch explained the situation to Will. Leila remained glued to his side as JJ's husband fought a hard case to get her to stay. It didn't take long for him to understand that this was, in fact, the best course of action. Sighing in defeat, he pulled his sister-in-law close and offered her a tight smile.

"I know this looks bad, cher," he wiped the tears from her cheeks, "but it doesn't matter how you far you go. We'll still be family and we'll be waiting for you right where you left us."

"I'm scared." Leila admitted in a small voice. Will placed Henry on the ground and hugged her properly.

"I know. So am I." he stroked her hair softly. "But you know she'd want you to be safe, right? That's all she ever wanted." Leila pressed herself harder into the man and nodded.

"I didn't tell her I loved her." she mumbled against his chest. "When she left this morning. I didn't say it back."

"Oh, Leila." Will shook his head. "She knew you loved her. Never doubt that. Ok?" Leila nodded once more.

"The Marshals are here." Hotch's voice made the teen tense up against Will. Releasing him, Leila knelt down and motioned for Henry to give her a hug. When he did, she released a shaky breath as she placed a kiss on the top of his head.

"I love you, ok?" she whispered to him. "I love you so much and I am so sorry this happened." Henry's little arms squeezed her as hard as they could.

"You going on vacation?" he asked innocently. Leila pulled back and tried to smile as she nodded.

"I'll be back real soon, ok?" He nodded.

"I love you too." he beamed at her, unable to understand what was happening. Leila was already being ushered out the door and towards who she assumed to be Agents Cavill and Rhodes when Will scooped his son up and held him close. Looking back, she saw Hotch close the door to the conference room leaving only the two men and Henry in it. The blinds were shut and she couldn't help it as the curiosity set in. She didn't have the debate what the men were discussing before Emily spoke.

"Leila, these are Agents Rhodes and Cavill." she introduced the man and woman in front of her. "They're going to be taking care of you until we can resolve this."

"It's nice to meet you Leila." the woman smiled, extending a hand. "I'm Amy." Leila shied away. "This is my partner, Adam Rhodes." The man offered her a genuine smile.

"I can take that for you." He motioned to the backpack on her shoulder. Leila took a moment but eventually handed it over. "We have a car ready to go just outside." Leila looked up at Emily. The woman moved closer to her protectively as the four entered the elevator.

"Don't be afraid, Leila." she whispered. "You're going to be just fine." As the door opened and Leila caught sight of the white sedan that was waiting for her, she spoke.

"I don't want to go." her voice was small as she took a step back into the older brunette. "Emily, please."

"I know but it's the only way to keep you safe." Emily insisted as she took in the terrified expression on the girl's face. "They're going to make sure no one hurts you."

"But you're my family. I can't just leave!" Leila cried. Emily took hold of her shoulders and looked right in her eyes.

"You're coming back, Leila." she pressed. "This isn't permanent. It's just until-"

"But I didn't even get to see her!" the blue eyes almost identical to her friend's filled with tears. "I didn't get to say goodbye!" Emily shut her eyes briefly, unsure of what to say to get the girl to understand. Her own heart was still breaking at the loss of her best friend and now she had to force Leila away when it was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Please Leila," she practically begged. "None of us want this but it's the only way we-"

"What if he finds you?" Leila cried. "You or Henry or Will or Garcia? What if he takes one of you away from me and I don't get to say goodbye again?!"

"Nothing is going to happen to us." Emily said sternly. "Nothing. We are going to find this man and we need to know that you are safe in order to do it. I know that this isn't what you want- trust me, I know- but you have to understand that it's the only way we finish this once and for all."

"You're-" Leila took in the enraged look in Emily's eyes. "Are you going to kill him?" The question caught Emily off guard. Seeing as the Marshals were most certainly within earshot and they were still in an FBI complex, the agent sighed.

"Leila, please just go with them." Emily said softly. "One way or another, this is going to end and it's going to end soon." The knowing look she gave the girl answered her question and Leila seemed satisfied. Wordlessly she reached out and hugged the agent.

"This time," Emily heard Leila whisper in her ear, "make sure he's dead." Emily nodded against the girl and kissed her cheek. As the two separated, Emily watched as Agent Rhodes opened the door for Leila and his partner. When the three were situated, Rhodes put the car in 'drive' and the last Emily saw of Leila was the blank stare the girl shot at her as they drove off towards an unknown destination.


End file.

Criminal Minds, Angst, Drama