Return to Mt Horizon

10

JJ's pov
"I can't tell you." Emily stepped forward and grabbed my arm. "Jennifer please. I'm scared." I pulled away. I never wanted to hurt her, I didn't think this would get this far. "Em, I can't tell you. Like my whole life will fall apart. Everything I have ever made of myself. Everyone will hate me, you will hate me."

Her eyes looked at me with sadness. She pulled me into a hug and held me. "Please. Let me help you. Why did you attack Walt today? Why are you being so hostile to Shelby? I know you feel something for her, something sad. So why are you turning it into hate?" I back up and balled my fist. I didn't know what to say so I just held them to my head.

"Talk to me. Please." I shook my head and looked at her. "I can't." Emily scoffed and turned away from me. "Fine. Be like that. Hate that poor innocent girl for no reason." She yelled. "God Emily you don't get it!" I yelled back. "Then help me get it. Help me understand why you are so hateful to that poor little girl."

"Because everyone else is! My whole life everyone has hated me and been cruel to me so why can't I? I'm hating on me like everyone else does!" My eyes got wide and I covered my mouth. "What do you mean?" She whispered, taking a step back from me. "God Emily. Don't you get it?" I scoffed at her. She just shook her head.

"I am Shelby Merrick! A team full of profilers and none of you got it? The stares, the reactions, everything. There were so many clues that you didn't see." I cried. Emily didn't say anything and I laughed. "I fucking knew it. You hate me and I knew you would." I turned around and started to pack my things when I felt her arms around me.

Emily cried into my ear and I turned around. I don't know what's going on. "I could never hate you. God. I love you. How can you not see that?" I hesitated before pulling back. "What?" She laughed and wiped my face. "Jennifer Jareau, Shelby Merrick, whoever you want to be. I fucking love you and I always have. You are the most enticing, perfect human being and I am so madly in love with you"

I did know what to say so I leaned forward and kissed her. I grabbed onto the back of her head and pulled her as close to me as I could. She pulled back and held my face. "I love you too." I whispered. She smiled and pulled me into a hug, playing with my hair again. I never wanted to leave but she pulled back fully.

"You have to tell them. How are you going to explain everything that happened tonight?" I let go and backed up. "Emily I can't. I committed a fucking crime." She tilted her head and bit her lip. "You have to. Be honest and who knows what might happen." I scoffed and tried to leave but I ran into Hotch and Rossi.

"Main cabin. Now." He stated. I rolled my eyes and obliged. When I got there, everyone was there. Sophie saw my face and stood next to me. "Do it kid." She whispered. I looked around at everyone: Daisy, Scott, Ezra, Spence, Pen, Derek. I looked back at Sophie and she nodded. When everyone sat down, I walked to the front of them all.

"I'm going to explain myself but I don't want question or interruptions. Deal?" Some people nodded. "Say yes or I leave and don't come back." I said, crossing my arms. They all said yes and I looked at Sophie. She gave my her smile and I brushed my hair behind my ears.

"I was born a little outside of Seattle. My mom named me Shelby, after her mom, and had another daughter when I was 3, Jess. Parents got divorced and she remarried when I was 7. 2 months later he came into my room at night and did things. He did it the next night, and the next night, and every night after." I couldn't look at my teams faces so I stared at the door.

"When I was 14, I ran away. I didn't have anywhere to go so I went to the streets of Seattle where I learned how to work them. I made money the only way I could and started having sex for money. A couple months later my mom found me and sent me here. I stayed here until my stepdad had a heart attack so I went home to take care of him. I found out Jess was being molested too and I called the cops."

"My mom brought me and Jess back and I stayed until I was 18. Everyone was planning on leaving so I left first. I broke into the shed, stole a kayak and hid it for three days. Then, I packed my things, and left down the river. I went back to the street and met a girl on her spring break trip. She looked like my twin, it was crazy." I laughed, thinking back to when we compared baby photos.

"Her name was Jennifer Jareau. I learned everything about her and stayed at the hotel she was staying in, until I found her dead. So I did what I knew how. Make her a jane doe, I had done it when my friend Patty OD'd. But this time I took over. I took her ID and cards and luggage. I became her. I flew back and graduated as her, as JJ."

"I completed college, went to the FBI academy and joined the BAU. I have lived as Jennifer Jareau since I was 18. I left and never came back. When we got this case, I did everything I could to keep this hidden. But turns out when you return someplace, you become the person you were. Seeing my stepdad just was the final straw. I had the opportunity to kill him and I was going to."

When I finished talking, no one said anything. I scoffed and turned to Sophie. "Does that heal me now? Am I fixed?" She didn't say anything and I laughed. "You're the one that pushed me to do this and now you aren't talking?" I looked at Emily. She was just covering her mouth. I rolled my eyes and left for the cabin again.