Chapter 12

"What about Seattle?" Reid asks.

"Nothing." JJ dismisses, far to late. That last comment had caught her off guard. And she knows she has given far too much away. "So you're saying he is in Seattle?"JJ tries to change the subject, and pull herself together.

"I didn't say that." Reid begins, but Hotch motions for him to be quiet.

"What about Seattle then?" She presses.

"You tell us." Hotch answers.

"You brought it up." She reminds him.

"Did you make any comment to Garcia, or anyone, indicating that this unsub was heading to Seattle?" Hotch asks her.

"No." She answers, confused. "Why would I say that? I don't know where he is going , if I did I would have said so!" She asserts defensively.

"But Seattle means something to you?" Hotch presses her.

"Nothing thats relevant to this case." She answers quickly.

He is shocked momentarily by her lack of co-operation. As the senior agent he is in charge. If he asks her for information, she gives it. End of story. He has never had this kind of issue with her before. He knows there are things under the surface he isn't privy to, but he doesn't begin to understand why she has taken this defensive attitude towards him. Why she has such a negative attitude about this particular case.

"You may possess information valuable to the case." He reminds her, treading carefully, seeing just where this is going. He really shouldn't have to remind her of such things.

"I have no information relevant to the case." She asserts bitterly. She is angry, so angry, and Hotch can not work out why. Reid shifts uncomfortably in the chair, not wanting to be a part of this.

Hotch pauses, taking a breath. Trying not to let his frustration show

"I would like to be the judge of whether the information is relevant to the case." He tells her, calmly, deliberately avoiding getting swept up in her anger, or showing her anger at her insubordination.

JJ makes no answer.

"Reid, would you leave us." Hotch orders.

"He can stay." JJ protests, before Reid has a chance to move.

"I asked him to leave, go help Garcia please, Reid. Now."

"Ok." Reid mumbles, shooting JJ a sympathetic glance.

"I'm trying very hard to understand what is going on here." Hotch says patiently.

She shrugs "I don't know what you want me to say."

"What is it about this case?" He asks.

"Not everything is about this case. What is it about this case that you all are so obsessed with?" She asks in return.

He deliberately does not answer. "So, you are refusing to co-operate, is that what you are telling me?"

"I have told you all I know, I went along with your cognitive interview, I answered your questions." She asserts.

"You didn't answer my question about Seattle."

"Ask Emily." JJ tells him.

"Why?" Hotch demands.

"I don't know why you are asking me about Seattle. If you have something to ask, ask Emily. If he knows about Seattle its because Emily told him. Ask her. Ask her how he knew her name, she probably told him that too! And all because you sent her in there." JJ throws back at him.

He sits, collecting his thoughts. It's not that he is shocked by her allegation. He has already been wondering how far Emily would go to catch this guy. To think she knew her cover was blown wasn't too much of a stretch. To think she deliberately went out of her way to blow her cover- that was another thing all together. It's not the first time JJ has voiced her anger at him for being the one to approve Emily going undercover either. He has already discussed this with her and yet she can't seem to let it go. He purposefully does not comment about Emily.. "I did not say that the un sub mentioned Seattle. I asked if it meant anything to you."

"It means nothing to me." She tells him darkly.

"Would it surprise you to know there has been another murder. We are looking into the possibility that this is the same perpetrator." He shifts the focus of the conversation.

"In Seattle?" JJ asks.

"Would that mean something if it was?"

"Not to me."

"What do you think about the possibility of a new victim?"

"Why ask me? I am the least qualified, least experienced, least trusted member of this team. Ask the others." She says, regretting it instantly, it only makes her sound immature.

He doesn't waste time assuring her of her value. "I'm asking you. That's your job, to investigate these cases. So I am asking for your professional opinion, if you still consider yourself part of this team that is." He lets that last part slip inspite of himself.

"Is that some kind of threat? You think you can hold my job over my head because I don't answer personal questions?"

"JJ." He begins, quite astounded by her outburst and behaviour. "I made no such threat. Frankly your behaviour is a great concern for me. But I am aware this case in particular has been difficult on everyone. I am confident we can all take a step back and remain professional and do our job. If not, that's a problem. Now, your thoughts about another murder..."

"Shouldn't we discuss this as a team?"

"We will, but I like to hear your thoughts first."

"It's too soon." She says instantly. "For another victim. Doesn't really fit the pattern."

"He was interrupted with Emily, might have forced a change in pattern?" Hotch suggests.

"He has been interrupted before, and he could have killed me and Emily. He had the chance. He didn't, couldn't, because he hadn't played out the fantasy first. But if the victimology and MO is consistent I suppose it cant be ruled out." She tells him, thinking aloud.

"The MO is partially consistent, but a change in victimology." Hotch tells her. "Same age and socioeconomic background, but blonde hair."

"He has never targeted blonde women." She reminds him.

He knows this. And wonders if she has made the connection yet in her own mind. "There was a thought that perhaps the victim might be a surrogate. For you. After all, in his mind you are the one responsible for ruining his plans with Emily." Hotch explains carefully, watching her reaction.

She sighs, shaking her head. "That would be right." She says. "I did the right thing going in there, you wont convince me otherwise. If I hadn't he would have killed Emily. And what do I get for my trouble? All of you take her side, accuse me of acting too emotionally, and now I have a psychotic serial killer after me."

"You seem very angry." He observes. She hadn't seemed worried about her safety, or even Emily's. She was still so angry, and he can't get to the bottom of it.

"Give me a break. Stop profiling me. I'm not the criminal."

"So you believe that you could be in danger?" He presses her.

"Possibly, Emily too I Suppose."

"He has never gone back to other victims before." Hotch reminds her. "Even unfinished victims who got away."

"He did a lot of things differently this time." JJ tells him, thinking to herself that Emily did a lot of things differently too.

"I can arrange for some security until we are certain of his whereabouts."

"Can I go now?" JJ asks, a little too restlessly.

"You made some very serious allegations about Agent Prentiss and her conduct in the field. I would like to discuss that further."

Until that moment Jennifer hadn't thought of it as an allegation agains Emily, though Hotch was right, she was plenty angry at Emily. She thought of it as an allegation against Hotch, against Morgan, against the team. They never should have sent Emily in there. Morgan should have been watching closely. JJ hadn't stopped to think that it was Emily who was responsible for her actions, her choices. And that reporting this to Hotch is bound to have serious consequences. On one hand she was so terrified at what Emily had become, and so desperate for Hotch to see, to listen, to believe, and to do something. On the other hand, that would mean the end of Emily's career. She hopes she is mistaken. That she is crazy and seeing things that aren't there. But the fear of losing Emily again, for good this time, was too much to take. No matter how hard she tried to cover up for her, and she cant say she tried very hard. Partly because she was angry, but partly she was afraid. And frustratingly powerless to help.

"I didn't mean..." JJ stammers, wanting to take it all back. But she knows Emily wont listen to her, Emily wont listen to anyone, and maybe this is the only way to keep her safe. Maybe this team wasn't big enough for the two of them anymore. And no matter how this played out, she knows one of them has to go. She simply isn't capable of doing her job under these conditions. And she doesn't see any way out. She had covered for Emily, more than once, lately. Thinking it was in Emily's best interests. Thinking she could help her. But Emily crossed a line. And JJ doesn't know any other way. Still, she doesn't tell everything she knows. She feels bad enough being the one to tell this much. Feels bad enough knowing that Hotch has to act on this, to dig into Emily's actions and decisions, dig into her life. But what else can she do, what can she say? "Look, maybe you are right, it's been a stressful case, and maybe I was wrong..." Even as she says it, its not convincing. She already insisted so strongly that she was right. She knows Hotch sees right through all of this, but she cant bring herself to stop.

"I will get to the bottom of this." He says, confidently.

"You shouldn't take my word, ask Emily." Now that she is believed, taken seriously, suddenly she wants to take it all back. She is so confused, like Hotch said she is angry, at him, at Emily, but deeper than that she is afraid. Terrified.

"I have asked her, you heard her answer me. More than once. She insists that her cover was solid and there was no issue with the case."

"Well then." Is all JJ can say.

"One of you must be mistaken." He points out.

"Guess so."

"And clearly both of you have found this case stressful."

"Guess so." She says again.

"Perhaps it would help if we discussed this together."

"I don't really think..."

"We may never know what was going on in the unsubs mind. And frankly- it does not matter at this point for the outcome of the case. My deeper concerns are about this team and it's ability to function. Something has gone wrong in this case, and I can't have the team out in the field until it is resolved. I have already taken responsibility for my judgement to send Emily undercover. But it has become clear there are deeper issues, and while they may be personal issues, I can not have the team affected like this. We have to trust each other, to be on the same page. We are responsible for each others lives, as well as the victims and people we interact with. This is not acceptable conduct from either of you."

"What about the latest victim?" JJ tries desperately to distract Hotch. Last thing she wanted was to be stuck in a room with Emily while Hotch profiled the both of them. Partly because it was personally uncomfortable, but more so because she has seen the darkness in Emily's eyes. And while she is desperate to reach her, she is at the same time deeply afraid of what will happen if that darkness takes over.

"I will see what the rest of the team thinks." Hotch tells her. "As we are on lock down we can't be any real assistance, I will have our findings passed on to the police in the area. Nothing more we can do at this juncture. The likelihood is this case isn't related. And I feel it is important to sort this issue out tonight."

"I understand sir, but I don't think..." She tries, even calling him 'Sir', but he is determined to get to the bottom of this.

"Please wait here while I ask Agent Prentiss to join us." He says it nicely, calmly, but there is no mistaking the fact it is a direct order, and despite the way she has behaved tonight, the things she has said to him, to Emily, she hasn't got it in her to disobey this time. And even if she did, they are on lock down, she has nowhere to go.