Lead the Way - Chapter 038 - 4x10 - Brothers in Arms
Yesterday was meant as a quiet evening together, eating, some drinking, being in bed early. It ended with me falling into bed two steps past exhausted at 3am. Lucky for me I have no deadlines, boss, appointments and can do this on a regular week day. Who doesn't want to be an author?
But quickly now, before LJ gets into her moods again and won't let me post. This chapter is based on the tenth episode of the fourth season and was written by Holly Harold. The Unsub, the plot and the dialogue I didn't use all belong to her.
Lead the Way - 038 - 4x10 - Brothers in Arms
“Hey JJ, it’s Emily.”
“Hi Emily. How are you?” It had been a while since Emily had called and JJ hadn’t really expected to hear from her until they were back from Phoenix, Arizona. Garcia had told her that the team was going there to help catch a serial cop killer and from what she had heard, it would be a tough case.
“I’m fine, thanks. You?”
“I’m good, too. Although I miss you…”
“Me too.” There was a moment of silence before Emily spoke again.
“Listen JJ, I wanted you to hear this from me, rather than the TV…”
“What is it?” JJ immediately tensed.
“This Unsub… He is targeting police officers he chooses at random. We’re having a really hard time to predict his next move; any call could be another trap.” She paused again before she continued “Hotch will give a press conference later, saying that the FBI will take over the investigation and we expect the Unsub to switch his focus on us.”
“No!”
“Don’t worry, we’ll all be safe.”
“Isn’t there anything else you can do? Haven’t the local cops been able to come up with any leads?”
“Not exactly. There’s no victimology to speak of, since he can’t influence who shows up at the scene.”
“I know you need to do whatever you can to catch this guy, but… Emily?”
“Yes?”
“Please be careful?”
“We will.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JJ sat alone in the dark room, the phone still clutched in her hand. She had always known that her job was dangerous, but this outsider perspective was new to her. Emily was somewhere across the country, targeted by an Unsub, along with the rest of her team, her family.
The thought that this could have been their last phone call was more than chilling and she wondered if this was the way Will had felt when he had flown to New York.
As she thought back - how he had tried to protect her, to get her out of harms way as though she was somehow more fragile, helpless - she couldn’t help but notice the remarkable difference between his and Emily’s behavior.
Will had always given her the impression that she was a frail, porcelain doll, whereas Emily hadn’t tried to shield her at all. On the contrary, she had contacted her herself, and practically told her that this could be the last time they talked.
She trusted JJ that she could handle this news, and she wanted to hear her voice before going in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“He is so adorable,” Garcia said as she was rocking little Henry in her arms. JJ had asked if she wanted to go and grab a cup of coffee together while waiting to hear from their team. Happy to be distracted from her fear and give her best friend the same comfort, she had agreed. They were now sitting together at a Starbucks not far from the FBI headquarters.
“He is, isn’t he?” JJ smiled at her boy, fondly. She picked up her cup and breathed down on the hot beverage.
“How is she fitting in?”
“Who?” Penelope asked a little bewildered.
“Agent Todd.”
“Oh, she manages. I guess it’s not easy to look at all these horrible photos and decide who they can help, but then you know that.”
“Yeah, I do.” JJ sighed. “And does she get along with… you know… the others?” Hopefully the technical analyst would not see through that.
“Oh she had trouble adjusting at first, like telling a detective she’d let him know if the case was interesting, the team would look into it.”
“Ouch.” JJ thought quietly she had prepared her better than this.
“Yeah, and then she lied to a victim’s family and Hotch called her on it.”
“Mhmm.” The media liaison took a sip from her coffee, hoping Garcia would go on.
“But you know, that’s okay now I guess. Emily has taken her a little under her wing.”
“She has?”
Careful not to reveal how much this information affected her JJ put down her mug. Meanwhile Garcia cursed herself under her breath. ‘Of course she’s going to read something into this.’ She wondered how she could reassure her friend without betraying her promise. Garcia had agreed a little too quickly to the profiler’s request not to let JJ know that she had caught her and Emily kissing.
“You know how Emily is. She’s just trying to make her feel part of the team.” Both women wondered just what team that was, but neither said anything out loud. Penelope decided to keep an eye on the new girl, just in case.
Their thoughts were interrupted by Garcia’s phone.
“Is everything all right?” She paused for a moment. “Thank God.” Another pause. “Sorry to hear that… No need. She’s here with me, I’ll let her know. Do you want to…okay. Come home safely and thanks for the call.”
JJ looked at her expectantly.
“They’re all fine. The Unsub was killed by another suspect.” The agents went silent for a moment. Then Garcia thought of something:
“Oh, and Emily says hi.” Garcia smiled as her best friend blushed.
But quickly now, before LJ gets into her moods again and won't let me post. This chapter is based on the tenth episode of the fourth season and was written by Holly Harold. The Unsub, the plot and the dialogue I didn't use all belong to her.
Lead the Way - 038 - 4x10 - Brothers in Arms
“Hey JJ, it’s Emily.”
“Hi Emily. How are you?” It had been a while since Emily had called and JJ hadn’t really expected to hear from her until they were back from Phoenix, Arizona. Garcia had told her that the team was going there to help catch a serial cop killer and from what she had heard, it would be a tough case.
“I’m fine, thanks. You?”
“I’m good, too. Although I miss you…”
“Me too.” There was a moment of silence before Emily spoke again.
“Listen JJ, I wanted you to hear this from me, rather than the TV…”
“What is it?” JJ immediately tensed.
“This Unsub… He is targeting police officers he chooses at random. We’re having a really hard time to predict his next move; any call could be another trap.” She paused again before she continued “Hotch will give a press conference later, saying that the FBI will take over the investigation and we expect the Unsub to switch his focus on us.”
“No!”
“Don’t worry, we’ll all be safe.”
“Isn’t there anything else you can do? Haven’t the local cops been able to come up with any leads?”
“Not exactly. There’s no victimology to speak of, since he can’t influence who shows up at the scene.”
“I know you need to do whatever you can to catch this guy, but… Emily?”
“Yes?”
“Please be careful?”
“We will.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JJ sat alone in the dark room, the phone still clutched in her hand. She had always known that her job was dangerous, but this outsider perspective was new to her. Emily was somewhere across the country, targeted by an Unsub, along with the rest of her team, her family.
The thought that this could have been their last phone call was more than chilling and she wondered if this was the way Will had felt when he had flown to New York.
As she thought back - how he had tried to protect her, to get her out of harms way as though she was somehow more fragile, helpless - she couldn’t help but notice the remarkable difference between his and Emily’s behavior.
Will had always given her the impression that she was a frail, porcelain doll, whereas Emily hadn’t tried to shield her at all. On the contrary, she had contacted her herself, and practically told her that this could be the last time they talked.
She trusted JJ that she could handle this news, and she wanted to hear her voice before going in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“He is so adorable,” Garcia said as she was rocking little Henry in her arms. JJ had asked if she wanted to go and grab a cup of coffee together while waiting to hear from their team. Happy to be distracted from her fear and give her best friend the same comfort, she had agreed. They were now sitting together at a Starbucks not far from the FBI headquarters.
“He is, isn’t he?” JJ smiled at her boy, fondly. She picked up her cup and breathed down on the hot beverage.
“How is she fitting in?”
“Who?” Penelope asked a little bewildered.
“Agent Todd.”
“Oh, she manages. I guess it’s not easy to look at all these horrible photos and decide who they can help, but then you know that.”
“Yeah, I do.” JJ sighed. “And does she get along with… you know… the others?” Hopefully the technical analyst would not see through that.
“Oh she had trouble adjusting at first, like telling a detective she’d let him know if the case was interesting, the team would look into it.”
“Ouch.” JJ thought quietly she had prepared her better than this.
“Yeah, and then she lied to a victim’s family and Hotch called her on it.”
“Mhmm.” The media liaison took a sip from her coffee, hoping Garcia would go on.
“But you know, that’s okay now I guess. Emily has taken her a little under her wing.”
“She has?”
Careful not to reveal how much this information affected her JJ put down her mug. Meanwhile Garcia cursed herself under her breath. ‘Of course she’s going to read something into this.’ She wondered how she could reassure her friend without betraying her promise. Garcia had agreed a little too quickly to the profiler’s request not to let JJ know that she had caught her and Emily kissing.
“You know how Emily is. She’s just trying to make her feel part of the team.” Both women wondered just what team that was, but neither said anything out loud. Penelope decided to keep an eye on the new girl, just in case.
Their thoughts were interrupted by Garcia’s phone.
“Is everything all right?” She paused for a moment. “Thank God.” Another pause. “Sorry to hear that… No need. She’s here with me, I’ll let her know. Do you want to…okay. Come home safely and thanks for the call.”
JJ looked at her expectantly.
“They’re all fine. The Unsub was killed by another suspect.” The agents went silent for a moment. Then Garcia thought of something:
“Oh, and Emily says hi.” Garcia smiled as her best friend blushed.