(Criminal Minds) - How Soon Is Now? - Chapter Ten (Part Two)
‘’Prentiss!’’
Morgan’s voice echoed loudly, ricocheting around the derelict buildings. The teams hardhead moved swiftly over the debris from years of neglect, strapped in his FBI vest and pointing his gun in any direction he endeavoured to move in. As his eyes scanned the area, his ears straining to hear anything, he scowled as the blood pumped through his body. One of their own was down, and he was not leaving here until he found her.
‘’Emily!’’
Off to the side of him, JJ moved over the crap left strewn out too, as they moved over the area that was clearly old foundations of a building long gone. She looked around too, also in her vest along with a blue, FBI jacket. Gun drawn with a worried scowl of her own. She also listened as hard as she could, desperately wanting to hear Emily’s voice call back to her.
Ever since they had realised that both Emily and Detective Raynes had disappeared, JJ had felt the sickness in the pit of her stomach. The others had assumed that she was worried for a friend, her co-worker; little did they know that it went so much deeper than that. That all that future that she had envisioned was hanging in the balance. She just couldn’t lose Emily now, it wasn’t an option. Just like Morgan, she wasn’t leaving here until she found her lover. Alive.
Behind the two searching Agent’s, two men hovered uncertainly. Paramedics, gripping their equipment and waiting until they were needed, letting the Agent’s do their part first. The rest of the team had branched off. Reid and Gideon were searching another side to the ignored area, as Hotchner and Detective Fuller, Isabelle’s partner, searched another. All three teams with paramedics following them, and the FBI’s search and rescue on their way to flood the rest of the area.
Emily, still with Isabelle’s in her arms, had fallen asleep at some point, subsiding to the cold and the exhaustion of her experience. But her restless slumber was disturbed by some sort of noise. But her head was a little thick, and it took her a moment to recognise what was going on. She heard the sounds of deep echoes, and it registered as familiar within her. She frowned, lifting her head up from it being rested back on the wall, straining to listen again.
‘’Emily!’’
That voice, she did recognise. That voice she would recognise wherever she was.
‘’I’m here! Down here.’’
Both Morgan and JJ stopped immediately, looking around the empty space before looking at the other, their breaths catching in their chests.
‘’You hear that?’’
Morgan asked, wanting to confirm that he hadn’t just been hearing something he wanted to hear. But JJ nodded quickly.
‘’Yeah, I heard that.’’
JJ turned away from Morgan again, looking in the direction she thought Emily’s voice had come from.
‘’Em, keep talking so we can find you okay? We’re coming for you.’’
Emily sighed with relief, instinctually tugging Isabelle tighter in her arms. She opened her mouth to try and tell Isabelle that they had been found. That everything was going to be fine, and they had come for them just like she had said they would. Her eyes looked at the back of her head, the body lying over her, some covered in the water. And then it hit her. Then the flooding of sadness rushed into her eyes, and no sound came out because she realised, there was no need for it. Isabelle was gone already.
‘’Sound out Prentiss!’’
Emily started, blinking out of her realisation daze, shaking her head a little to try and throw the cobwebs out. She looked up to the grate and its limited view of the outside world. Up there, she was being searched for. Up there, JJ and Morgan were calling to her. JJ was calling to her. Her Jennifer, her lover. The woman that she was falling for. And those memories came flooding back to her, the plans they had, the life they were starting to share together. Isabelle was right. Love, family, that’s what it was about.
‘’I’m in a vent…or well…there’s a grate above me, it’s round…’’
JJ pointed forward, indicating what looked like a heavy, rusty covering. She charged forward along with Morgan, feeling the extra adrenaline push through her body. Quickly, she holstered her gun, leaning down to grab the handle on her side of the grate, as Morgan did the same on his. After a count of three, they hefted the thing off, groaning a little as they did.
‘’Oh my god, are you okay? Are you hurt?’’
Her dismayed eyes widened even further as they set upon Emily, slumped down at the bottom of the large, old vent/well. The relief that swept through her was enough to rattle her breathe, but the worry she had been carrying didn’t subside, it just got replaced. JJ could see how pale Emily was, how cold and disorientated. The older woman blinked as she looked up, an almost confused look crossing her features. She looked almost like a lost little girl, searching for answers as to what just the hell she was doing there. Holding onto the slumped over Detective protectively.
‘’Emily, are you hurt?’’
JJ repeated, a little less frantic this time, realising that Emily didn’t need that hitting upon her right now. What she needed was clarity, she needed calm. So JJ sank to her knees slowly, and then laid out onto her stomach so that she could peer over the side of the hole. Blue eyes dared to move from her girlfriend long enough to scan the stone walls of the round prison, seeing no steps running down the sides. Just a couple of rusty stumps or old nails indicating that once upon a time there had been a ladder nailed there. It made her cringe at the thought of just how they had been put down there then.
‘’I…I don’t know.’’
Emily replied honestly, scowling a little as she dropped her eyes to stare straight ahead, trying to remember if she’d been injured or not. She vaguely remembered hearing a snap or something on the way down this hell hole, but she couldn’t really figure out if it had been from her or Isabelle. She was so cold, so numb and probably in shock that she just couldn’t tell anymore.
‘’What about Detective Raynes?’’
Emily blinked, hard. Once again, she drew the limp body closer to her own before she took a breath, looking back up toward JJ.
‘’She’s gone.’’
JJ stalled for a moment, her heart sinking at the look in those brown depths. At the image of Emily holding onto the other woman, almost like she was nurturing her. Had she been holding her this entire time? Stuck down there with a dead woman?
‘’JJ, I’m gunna go back to the entrance and bring the rescue squad back here. We’ll get her out of there soon, just keep her talking okay? Don’t let her start to freak down there.’’
Morgan instructed softly, clearly concerned. JJ nodded in understanding, having no intention to let Emily start to freak out down there. If she had been the kind of person to be easily offended, she would have taken some. But she wasn’t, and he didn’t know about their relationship. But even so, it wasn’t like she would let her colleague down like that. But the thought was barely in her head, her focus instead being on the situation before her. Of getting Emily the hell out of there, and back up to safety.
‘’You better hurry up, she looks like she’s in shock.’’
Morgan nodded before he started off running again, back in the direction they came and holding the walkie talkie up to his mouth. JJ watched him for a second, before casting a glance over to the paramedics. They still hovered about, not knowing what to do with themselves. JJ didn’t really pay any mind to them though, instead she looked back down at Emily.
‘’Okay sweetheart, it’s just you and me right now. The team is coming back with tactical okay? We’ll get you out of there soon. You just talk to me right now, okay?’’
XXX
The fact that she knew that Hotchner was watching her interaction, closely, with Emily did not bother JJ in the slightest. Not in this particular situation. Not when Emily needed her. Not when she needed to say anything she could to make sure that the brunette stayed calm while everyone else scurried about loudly, mocking up the rig and shouting orders between one another in their endeavour to get the Agent and the late Detective out of the hole.
JJ remained in her position, being the one that became Emily’s focus. Talking about anything and nothing, some things not personal, some things very personal. At any length, it didn’t leave much room for doubt what they had become to one another. No one needed to jump to any conclusions, just take a tiny step and they’d be there. But who cared, really? No one said anything, all just wanting their colleague and friend to be safe and out of harm’s way. Though JJ could feel the burn of Hotch’s scowl, she just didn’t respond to it.
Not even after Emily had finally reached the topside, shrugging off the paramedics and they swamped her, interested only in being in JJ’s arms. Just a simple, but tight and nurturing hug. A loving hug. JJ didn’t deny her that. A woman had just died in her girlfriend’s arms, she wasn’t really thinking about trying to hide their relationship.
It wasn’t as though they were being completely unprofessional either. She had done what she always did. What she needed to get the job done. The fact that this time it include her lover and possibly a little more information that she would have cared to divulge was irrelevant in the end. She would have done the same for any of her friends, talked about anything they wanted just to make sure they kept their sanity.
It was her, of course, that had guided Emily back to the awaiting ambulance. Holding onto her as the exhausted profiler walked along slowly and limply, wheezing in pain every now and again. They had been closely followed by the worried paramedics that she still wouldn’t let near her.
All Emily was interested in was clinging onto what she loved. Not talking, but still needing that touch. JJ had made her lie on the gurney in the rig, but held her hand the whole way there. Looked her girlfriend right in the eyes the whole way there. It was only as Emily had been taken away at the hospital that the connection was broken.
And that’s what had led her to this moment. Standing at the nurses’ station, ignoring the buzz of noise and the hustle bustle around her as she filled in the paperwork sitting on the counter top. Still JJ had on her vest and jacket, deciding to keep them on given that she didn’t really have anywhere else to put them.
‘’Prentiss is still being seen to?’’
JJ looked up from the mountain of paperwork and nodded lightly, lifting up her hand with the pen still sitting in her fingers to scratch just above her eye as she looked across at Hotchner. He stood there, almost awkwardly, like he was walking on hot coals. That ever persistent scowl etched onto his face as he looked briefly around the moderately busy waiting area before setting his sights back on her. She could see the truth in his eyes right away, and it hung in the air thickly. The elephant was practically sitting on them both.
‘’Yes Sir, they said she would be finished soon though.’’
Hotchner’s frown furthered.
‘’I assumed they would want to keep her for observation.’’
JJ nodded and shrugged tensely at the same time.
‘’They do. She’s insisting on going home. So when they’ve finished with her she’ll be signing an AMA form.’’
Hotchner nodded, the scowl relenting just a little bit in understanding. It wasn’t like he was the biggest fan of hospitals either, and if he were in the same position; he thought he might be signing that same form too. As long as she checked out okay, he wouldn’t make an issue out of it. Emily Prentiss was a stubborn woman, he knew arguing with her would do no good.
‘’What’re you doing?’’
He pondered lightly, seeing JJ return to filling out the forms before her.
‘’Insurance paperwork.’’
‘’You know Prentiss’ insurance details?’’
JJ looked up, realising that it had just rolled out of her mouth like it was normal. That elephant got a little heavier as the two of them just looked at one another for a moment, before she swallowed the small lump in her throat and nodded, almost casually.
‘’Yeah.’’
JJ had known Aaron Hotchner for quite some time. She liked him. She respected him. She thought he was a good leader, a good man. She considered him to be a friend. But she also knew that look he was giving her right now. The one that told her that he wasn’t happy about this. The one that told her that when they returned to Quantico, this was going to be dragged out.
So she stood her ground in her eyes, making sure he knew that she was prepared for that. And that it wasn’t going to scare her. She wasn’t a baby, and when she wanted to be, she could dig her heels into the ground so far that hell nor high water could make her move. That, he had seen firsthand plenty of times. He had even been on the receiving end of that, along with her ass kicking’s and pissed off rants.
For now though, it would wait. And for now, that moment was broken.
‘’Agent Prentiss, please rethink your decision.’’
Both JJ and Hotchner looked up to see a harassed Doctor, hot on the heels of Emily who was clearly ignoring everything the little man said. She still looked a little pale, pained and moved gingerly, but she had that look in her eyes.
‘’Can you get me out of here please?’’
She asked pointedly, firstly looking at JJ and then over at Hotchner. The Doctor behind her sighed, resigned to the fact that she wasn’t going to comply. Emily all over really. If she could pick herself up and dust herself off, she wouldn’t stay here. And that was that. So the man in the white coat walked to the desk, reaching over to pull out a form and a clipboard.
‘’You need to sign this.’’
He sighed, handing the board over to his patient. She took it without a word, singing it quickly and thrust it back at him. After that, she looked up between her two fellow Agents again, eyebrow raised with a determined and demanding look pooling in her eyes. JJ nodded, looking through the paperwork before she handed the pen to Emily, indicating her to sign at the bottom.
She went about that quickly too, and JJ gave the nurse at the desk the papers before following the brunette and her boss out of the hospital. She knew that Emily had clammed up, shut down. Knew that she was reeling from her experience. Which was why she wasn’t pressing her right now. About that, or about refusing to stay in hospital for just one night. Because she knew she’d talk to her about it when she needed to.
XXX
‘’Prentiss, a word in my office?’’
Emily looked up at hearing her name, and frowned slightly at the stern tone in Hotchner’s voice as he stood just outside of his door. She nodded once, watching him go back inside without a word. They had been back for a little over a half hour, and to be honest all she wanted to do right now was go home.
Everything about the day had just been hard. Getting to the station after leaving the hospital had been hard too. Seeing Isabelle Rayne’s family there. Telling them what she had promised to tell them. Isabelle’s Mother, who looked just like her, had cried in her arms. Thanked her for being there with her daughter. As if it made it any better.
It seemed like a blur to her, the plane ride home. Everyone had just wanted to get back, de-brief and go home. Hardly anyone had said anything. About the case. About Isabelle. Or about the obvious status of her and JJ’s relationship. There had been plenty of silent looks though. Sitting on that plane had been hard too.
Now, five minutes after they had finished their de-briefing and half an hour before they could actually leave, Emily stood from her seat at Hotchner’s command, completely aware that Reid and Morgan were watching her carefully. Again, she declined to make comment, just making her way up the stairs and then stepping into Hotchner’s office. They all knew what this was going to be about.
‘’Shut the door.’’
Emily shut the door silently, automatically moving to stand in front of the large, organised desk that her superior sat behind. She was actually surprised that he hadn’t waited until JJ got back from the meeting in the pressroom she had gotten called to to do this. Emily almost wished that he had. But she didn’t need JJ to help her take whatever Hotchner was about to dish out. It wouldn’t change the fact that she would refuse to end their relationship.
‘’This can’t happen.’’
Hotchner stated clearly, raising both eyebrows as he stared directly into her eyes. Direct, stern and solemn, just like she thought he would be. The only movement he received from her was a small shrug.
‘’It is happening. It’s been happening for three months. At least.’’
She replied evenly, not letting any emotion either way slip into her voice. She wanted him to see how calm she was. How dead set she was.
‘’I can’t have the both of you endangering the team. It’s against regulations. I will overlook it this once, but it stops now or I’ll have no choice but to report you and take action.’’
He threatened just as evenly, just as calmly. Voice deep and sincere. Like Emily didn’t already know he was sincere in his threat. He was Mr FBI of course. Or, at least, he was when it didn’t come to his little pets. She certainly hadn’t reached that status. She was the intruder still. He had come to trust her work, but she knew for a fact that he still hadn’t come to truly trust her. Still weary of how and why she was transferred here to mysteriously. Plus, she knew how much he respected JJ. And like she had mused when this first began, she had come to this unit and gone after the heart of it.
‘’Then report me.’’
‘’What?’’
‘’You heard me. You do whatever it is you need to do. And so will I.’’
‘’I’m not joking here Prentiss. This is it. You decide now. You wanted this assignment. So choose.’’
The two just looked at one another for a second as the air tensed even further. Both adopting the same steely resolve in their eyes, just as stubborn as the other. Neither one willing to back down. Until Emily moved slightly. Not in her stance, and never taking her eyes away from the man seated before her. She made sure, actually, that she never let her eyes drop as she removed her gun, placing it onto the desk before pulling out her credentials and tossing them next to the sidearm.
‘’I’m not you.’’
She stated, still just as calm. After that, she just turned around and walked out. With no urge in her step, just as composed and strong as usual. She closed his office door on the way out, and she didn’t turn back as she moved back to her desk. Emily didn’t need to look around to see that he was watching her. She didn’t have to look at Reid and Morgan as she picked up her coat, but she didn’t anyway. Taking to heart the silent dismay and confusion that they held in their eyes, knowing that they didn’t know what to do about the situation. At least they seemed to have a little respect there for her. Maybe now they would realise that she didn’t feign loyalty. Ever.
Nothing was said as she walked out, leaving the ringing of phones and the dim of voices behind her. She wasn’t Aaron Hotchner. She couldn’t sacrifice her heart like he was doing with his family. She loved being a profiler. It was who she was, and she knew part of her would spark out at giving this up. But it wasn’t the largest part of her. The larger part of her was unwilling to sacrifice what was actually more important. What she needed desperately, what she wanted desperately. And that was her life. And that was exactly what Isabelle had told her it was. Love and family.