Return to Mt Horizon

19

JJ's pov
The team stared at me. "I lived on the fucking streets. You think drugs didn't pop up?" Spencer was silent. "Now you're quiet? Now that you can't guilt me, you get quiet." I yelled. "Kid." Rossi said, trying to put a hand on my shoulder. "No. You want to hear about the things I did? I had sex for money. I slept under highways and in alleys. I got high, I got drunk. I found my best friend dead, twice!" I yelled.

"You don't have to do this." Emily whispered. I ignored her. "I found my friend dead and made her a Jane Doe. The next time I did it I stole her life. Is that what you want to hear? You want to hear about how I stole my best friend's life?" I yelled at him and walked forward. "Do you want details?" I yelled; he didn't say anything.

"Say something to me!" I continued yelling at him. I felt arms keep me away from Spencer and I fought them. "You wanted to hear it so say something!" I tried to get the arms off me and I managed to slip out of them. "Get off me!" I yelled. Derek had let go and I stormed off to the bathroom.

I turned the shower on and got it, sitting down immediately. The water hit my head and I put my head in my knees. Maybe it was the steam, maybe it was the anger, but it all made my head spin. "Jay?" I heard when the door creaked open. "Hey Em." Of course it was Emily. "You okay?"

That was definitely a word that could be used. "I'm fine." I think she laughed. "Liar." I rolled my eyes and turned the water off. The only thing that separated the two of us was the shower curtain. "I shouldn't have told anyone. It would've been easier to keep up with the lie." I heard her make some noise before a towel was passed around the curtain.

"I'm going to give you a hug but I assume you are naked in the shower." I laughed and took it. After wrapping myself up, Emily pushed the curtain aside and sat by me. I leaned into her shoulder and she held me in her arms. "I'm happy you told me. We have another thing in common now."

After I dried off and got changed, we joined the rest of the team. I didn't say anything, I just went to bed. The next morning, Emily joined me at breakfast and Penelope joined after she woke up. "I have a plan for today. Juliette was talking about the spot you would go to for the lake so why don't we go? Make sandwiches, get snacks, spend the day. What do you say?"

I looked at Emily and nodded, I needed a lake day. Penelope squealed and ran off to spread the news. By noon, everyone was ready to start the walk. It wasn't too long so we were able to take our time. Emily held my hand as we walked, almost making us fall over a few times. When we got to the spot I used to hang out, Penelope, Kat and Juliette started setting up the food.

"Rough night?" Sophie asked, sitting next to me. I laughed. "Heard about that?" She nodded. "Hotch told me on the walk. Wanna talk about it?" I shook my head. "Yeah I figured." We sat there in silence until Peter switched spots with her.

"You know you're still my kid right?" I scoffed and looked at him. "Just because you didn't say goodbye, doesn't mean you aren't my kid." He nodded and said to me. "How can you just be fine with it?" He smiled. "Because at least I know you were safe for the last 15 years. You weren't on the streets or dead. That's something."

"I always hated you optimism." He laughed. "That's why I do it." He put an arm in my should and went to join the others in the water. I sat alone for a second before Emily, wet from the lake, sat by me. She didn't say anything. She put an arm around me and hugged me again.

Sophie's pov
When I watched Ezra, Auggie, Kat and Juliette chicken fight, Daisy elbowed me in the side. Shelby was half asleep on Emily's shoulder. "I don't think I've ever seen her that comfortable." She said.

"They do this a lot. The minute Emily joined the team, they were closer than anyone." Penelope added. I saw Spencer look at the pair before looking at Penelope. "Don't feel bad for her blow up." I said to him.

"I just didn't know about it all." He said, a small smile on his face. "Because she's perfected the art of not telling. That's her talent." Daisy added. I nodded along. It was true. Shelby could hold onto everything she needed to.