Lead the Way - Chapter 101 - Outside the Box
Writing the chapters that make up what I call Cooper II was something I was really looking forward too. It turned out to be extremely hard, though. It was hard because I had to figure out everyone's reaction, come up with a plan to rescue JJ and Henry, invent some kind of protocol I'm sure the FBI has for these situation, one that goes beyond the lame "we don't negotiate with terrorists". I don't think I handled as many characters ever before and I tried very hard not to forget a single one of them.
Whenever I was stuck I would write for JJ's side. The drabbles that make up her trip were so much fun to write I had to stop myself. I have a very clear image of every one of those hallucinations, but I think you can fill out what's missing due to the character limit with your own imagination.
And on a very different and very silly side note: I just realized that chapter 1-0-1 is called outside the box :D Anyone else feel like a thousand teachers just groaned?
Lead the Way - 101 - Outside the Box
“Prentiss?” She didn’t react.
“Hey, Prentiss.” He snapped his fingers before her eyes and she jerked up. “Are you okay in there?”
She looked around and found herself sitting at her desk at the BAU. She didn’t recall driving or informing the others, but she must have. Morgan was standing in front of her with a concerned look on his face.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m good. Do we know anything yet?”
“Not so far. As soon as Hotch is off the phone we’ll start.”
Emily looked confused. Who could he possibly be chitchatting with now? Surely there was nothing more pressing than this.
“Who’s he talking to?”
“JJ’s parents.” He squinted at her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Of course.”
Naturally JJ’s parents had to be informed. They would probably want to come down here. That was what parents did, right? Be concerned, show support... she had seen it many times. ‘Wait a minute.’ They would come here! And JJ had just told them about her. She didn’t even know how they had taken it and now she was about to meet them, for the first time, under the worst possible circumstances.
“Excuse me a minute. I’ll be right back.”
Before Derek could ask anything she was already gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The walls are shaking, the ceiling has already started to come down. JJ is still bound to her table and Cooper is laughing in his corner. She jumps out of her body and flies out of the window. It seems like the only sensible - strike that - It seems like the only thing she can do. Henry is still in there, but she can only watch as the structures come undone and bury her son alive. JJ screams louder and harder than ever before until her lungs bleed. She spits out a rainbow and follows it. Hopefully to her beloved Emily.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Hi Will. This is Emily.”
“What’s wrong?” At least he didn’t pretend that this was a normal occurrence.
“JJ’s been kidnapped.”
The line stayed silent and Emily inhaled as quietly as she could.
“There’s more Will. Henry was with her.”
“Are they okay?”
“We don’t know yet, but given this guy’s MO we’re pretty sure he’s not hurting them.”
“What’s his MO?”
“That’s…” She wanted to say classified, but she knew he’d find out eventually. She just wasn’t ready to face it herself yet. “…complicated.”
“What can I do?”
“JJ’s parents will probably come down and I wouldn’t want them to have to sit through this with just some faceless agent.”
“I don’t want to sit by, holding hands, I want to do something. I… JJ is still…”
“I understand, but you don’t have the clearance and…” She didn’t say that Cooper may only count on taking as many people with him as possible, that he might be out to hurt Emily as much as possible and that that could mean that Henry would have to grow up without a mother.
“…I’m sure JJ would want her parents to have someone to help them through this.”
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
She could hear him ruffling in the background with something and added: “I’ll have a visitor’s badge for you with the receptionist.”
He hung up without saying another word.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JJ sees Emily below her. She is wearing her crown and sitting on her throne. Rossi, Hotch, Reid, Garcia and Morgan are bowing to her. She motions them to get up and has them sit by her side. It’s a wonderful image seeing everyone in the most precious cloth, golden embroidery and heavy make up.
JJ can’t make out a word they’re saying, but she knows somehow that it’s a wedding ceremony. Emily is going to take a King. She flies down to see who is arrogant enough to think he can take her place and finds her brother Brad.
Whenever I was stuck I would write for JJ's side. The drabbles that make up her trip were so much fun to write I had to stop myself. I have a very clear image of every one of those hallucinations, but I think you can fill out what's missing due to the character limit with your own imagination.
And on a very different and very silly side note: I just realized that chapter 1-0-1 is called outside the box :D Anyone else feel like a thousand teachers just groaned?
Lead the Way - 101 - Outside the Box
“Prentiss?” She didn’t react.
“Hey, Prentiss.” He snapped his fingers before her eyes and she jerked up. “Are you okay in there?”
She looked around and found herself sitting at her desk at the BAU. She didn’t recall driving or informing the others, but she must have. Morgan was standing in front of her with a concerned look on his face.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m good. Do we know anything yet?”
“Not so far. As soon as Hotch is off the phone we’ll start.”
Emily looked confused. Who could he possibly be chitchatting with now? Surely there was nothing more pressing than this.
“Who’s he talking to?”
“JJ’s parents.” He squinted at her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Of course.”
Naturally JJ’s parents had to be informed. They would probably want to come down here. That was what parents did, right? Be concerned, show support... she had seen it many times. ‘Wait a minute.’ They would come here! And JJ had just told them about her. She didn’t even know how they had taken it and now she was about to meet them, for the first time, under the worst possible circumstances.
“Excuse me a minute. I’ll be right back.”
Before Derek could ask anything she was already gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The walls are shaking, the ceiling has already started to come down. JJ is still bound to her table and Cooper is laughing in his corner. She jumps out of her body and flies out of the window. It seems like the only sensible - strike that - It seems like the only thing she can do. Henry is still in there, but she can only watch as the structures come undone and bury her son alive. JJ screams louder and harder than ever before until her lungs bleed. She spits out a rainbow and follows it. Hopefully to her beloved Emily.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Hi Will. This is Emily.”
“What’s wrong?” At least he didn’t pretend that this was a normal occurrence.
“JJ’s been kidnapped.”
The line stayed silent and Emily inhaled as quietly as she could.
“There’s more Will. Henry was with her.”
“Are they okay?”
“We don’t know yet, but given this guy’s MO we’re pretty sure he’s not hurting them.”
“What’s his MO?”
“That’s…” She wanted to say classified, but she knew he’d find out eventually. She just wasn’t ready to face it herself yet. “…complicated.”
“What can I do?”
“JJ’s parents will probably come down and I wouldn’t want them to have to sit through this with just some faceless agent.”
“I don’t want to sit by, holding hands, I want to do something. I… JJ is still…”
“I understand, but you don’t have the clearance and…” She didn’t say that Cooper may only count on taking as many people with him as possible, that he might be out to hurt Emily as much as possible and that that could mean that Henry would have to grow up without a mother.
“…I’m sure JJ would want her parents to have someone to help them through this.”
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
She could hear him ruffling in the background with something and added: “I’ll have a visitor’s badge for you with the receptionist.”
He hung up without saying another word.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JJ sees Emily below her. She is wearing her crown and sitting on her throne. Rossi, Hotch, Reid, Garcia and Morgan are bowing to her. She motions them to get up and has them sit by her side. It’s a wonderful image seeing everyone in the most precious cloth, golden embroidery and heavy make up.
JJ can’t make out a word they’re saying, but she knows somehow that it’s a wedding ceremony. Emily is going to take a King. She flies down to see who is arrogant enough to think he can take her place and finds her brother Brad.