Stand In The Rain

Twenty Five

Unsure as to why, JJ had woken abruptly from her sleep. Her first thought was that the babies were awake, but when she felt her baby bump through her pajama top, she concluded that, for once, both of her children were fast asleep. She also noticed that Emily wasn't in the room at all.

"JJ, what's wrong?"

A light sleeper, Penelope had woken and turned on the light, sitting all the way up in her bed as she did so.

"Nothing, Penelope." JJ told her friend. "Go back to sleep."

Penelope wasn't having it, especially when she noticed that the third member of their trio was absent.

"Where's Emily?"

"I was just wondering that, myself."

KNOCK KNOCK!

Quite curious as to who was visiting, the pair made themselves decent by putting on robes the hotel had provided before JJ got out of her bed and answered the door.

Imagine her surprise when Hotch turned out to be the one calling on them. He was dressed, although in a sweat shirt, jeans, and sneakers because given the time of night it was and the nature of the situation, he didn't have time to change into his usual business attire.

Immediately more awake, JJ stepped aside to let him enter and shut the door behind him.

Penelope spoke up first. "Sir, what's going on?"

Hotch turned to JJ. "You should sit down."

JJ did as she was told, and Hotch's tone alone told her that she should be on her guard, so she sat right next to Penelope, whose hands were plastered on her baby bump. She was already tapping into her nervous mother hen mode and not saying anything, leaving JJ to echo the question that had already been asked.

"What's going on?" JJ's hands fell to her own pregnant middle, instinctively wanting to protect the babies. "Is it about Emily? Where is she?"

"It's more about your mother, Jennifer."

Now JJ just felt confused. "My mom?"

"She went to meet Prentiss and Reid to tell that she'd had an encounter with Oscar Lee. She also had Annalynn with her."

"What?"

"Your mother was able to report what she needed to, and they about to drive them back to Foxworth Hall, but Oscar surprised them in the parking lot. According to Prentiss and Reid, he even had a gun."

JJ wasn't sure how she managed to even speaking, but she found herself asking, "Is my mom hurt? Did he shoot her?"

"No... but he did abduct her at gunpoint."

JJ immediately felt like she'd been stabbed in the heart, and was only vaguely aware of Penelope giving her a back rub in between her shoulder blades, probably a tactic to keep her calm and something to focus on.

"And they just let him take her? Please tell me he didn't hurt Annalynn; DeLilah wouldn't be able to handle it."

"He didn't touch her, no."

JJ breathed a sigh of relief, although her heart tightened all over again as a new thought hit her.

"Aaron," JJ said seriously as she got to her feet. "Do you know if my mom at least has her inhaler? She's got bad asthma!"

Hotch knew for a fact that Sandy had left her purse at the crime scene, but he didn't have any firsthand knowledge of the exact inventory of its contents, making him feel like a bad friend as he answered her.