What Happened to Jennifer?

Abyss

Nietzsche said, "When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks into you."

Wooden floor creaked as Jennifer Jareau fast walked and weaved her way through her home to avoid the arms and eyes of her husband. Trembling hands pulled blonde locks into their signature ponytail.

"Darling.. look at yourself. You're shaking-"

"I'm going.. and there's nothing you can say or do to stop me" JJ's firm rebuff was followed by the slam of the refrigerator door, JJ just having downed a swig of milk. Body stiffened at the same time her mind flashed back.

"Babe-" Will LaMontagne tried again, trying to get his wife to listen to reason.

"Will.. I do not want to hurt you so please let go of me" His grip tightened, JJ's voice did so too. "William!" she barked, eyes narrow and dim. "I said-" she wrestled her way out of his arms roughly. "Let go of me!" she grabbed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder as she grabbed the doorknob. "I love you" she said, and then she was gone.

The car smelled of pine and leather as JJ placed the vehicle in drive, hands tightened around the steering wheel as she drove. "Go away" she seethed, the man in the passenger seat sucked his teeth at her.

"Now why would I do that? Come now Jennifer.. we've been through too much together by now" Knuckles turned white but her lips said nothing. "The silent treatment huh?" he asked, keeping his cool. "It's just as well.. I'd imagine your throat is still sore" again JJ said nothing, focusing on the road. Flipping her blinker on to signal her upcoming turn gave the man the exact occasion to further taunt her. "Is working really a good idea Jen?" he asked, his tone dripping with faux concern. "I mean.. just look at you"

"No! You do not get to take my job from me" seat belt nearly smacked her face at the speed it went flying from its buckle. She grabbed her bag and let herself out, the man still eyeing her with that predatory look in his eyes. Screwing her eyes shut, JJ slammed the door and locked it. When blue orbs opened again the man was gone.

A hush went over the bullpen as JJ walked inside, every pair of eyes was trained on the blonde agent in a blue sweater and black pants. No one expected her back and yet there she was. Sliding into her seat JJ made a show of not looking anyone in the eye, especially her cube mate. Doctor Spencer Reid was a factual genius but not the best at reading social cues, still even he knew to keep his distance. Everyone did and if they felt that Jennifer shouldn't be there they kept it to themselves, for they knew how stubborn their JJ could be.

"Agent Jareau.. can I see you in my office?" the sudden call of her title startled JJ and she jumped slightly. Caught off guard like that JJ did not have the best luck masking her pain. Still she looked toward the man who'd called for her with a smile, nodding at his request and following him into his office. "Sit down Jareau" again with the last name thing? Even for Hotch that was strange. The office door closed and Aaron Hotchner strode over to his desk, pulling out the chair and sitting down as well. "JJ.. you know you shouldn't be here.. it's too soon and after what you've been through"

"What? Are you saying I can't do my job?" JJ was quick to go on the defensive, this was her job. She was happy here. She was her best self out on the field.

"You know that's not what I'm saying" Hotch's normally steely tone softened when he looked at her. "But I do think you need to take a step back. Recover some more"

"No!" JJ's counter reply was swift, hard. "They do not get to take my job from me too" she reaffirmed her earlier statement. "I won't let them." A knock at the door startled them both, Hotch shifted his eyes from JJ to the door.

"Hate to bother you sir" Emily Prentiss' voice came from the other side. "But we've got something" JJ and Aaron both turned from the door to each other.

"Thank's Prentiss, give us a minute"

"Of course" Emily's heels click-clacked away.

"If there's nothing else" JJ stood, tightening her ponytail and grabbing the door handle. She opened the door and then looked toward her superior. "Sir"

"Where are we headed this time mama?" Derek Morgan entered the room with an air of confidence only he could achieve, claiming his spot beside Hotch before Penelope Garcia spoke.

"Tallahassee, Florida, Home of the Orange Blossom, because police there found the bodies of three women, bound and gagged on the bank of a nearby lake. I'm placing the info on your tablets if you'd like to follow along." Garcia waited a second for the others to get up to speed. "Okay first up is: Ginny Davis a 34 year old single mother from Tampa. She was reported missing two days ago by her teenage son but she has been missing for at least two weeks"

"Wait.. why would he wait so long to report his mother missing?" JJ glanced toward Morgan as he spoke. "I mean why not report it outright?"

"Ah! That would be because, according to her son Landon, it wasn't out of the ordinary for Davis to leave for at least a week at time, she almost always returned. But when she didn't show up after she called him two days ago he got worried and went to the police." Garcia flipped to the next photo at the same time everyone else did. "Next up is: 44 year old Massie Goodman, husband reported her missing the day she disappeared but, of course, was told to wait a few days. When she didn't show after day three he filed a missing person's report." Again Garcia flipped the screen. "Final girl is: 22 year old Addilyn Landsbury, mother of a baby daughter and wife to an adoring woman, Melanie"

"Wait.. wait" Everyone in the room turned to look at JJ who, up to this point, hadn't said a word. "Look at her nails.. that looks like blood under them. And her wrists have a bruise wrapped clean around, like her arms were being held by someone's hand. And... if you look under her dress she's not wearing underwear"

"That's inconsistent with the other two victims" Reid pointed out "Ginny and Massie don't share the bruise marks or the absence of.. well.. you know"

"They didn't fit his fantasy"

"What was that JJ?" Prentiss looked up from her own tablet when she heard JJ mutter her sentence.

"Massie and Ginny didn't fit his fantasy.. look at all three of them. They share similar facial and body structures. Even hair color is the same. All brunettes."

"Okay.. but what fantasy exactly?" Morgan asked, still eyeing his tablet.

"A sexual one" JJ answered at the same time Hotch tried to speak.

"I'm sorry?-" Hotch asked, now also looking at JJ.

"The bruise line suggests she was being restrained. The lack of underwear and blood under her nails suggests she was raped. She likely tried to claw her attacker, thus resulting in her being restrained." Hotch seemed to trust her judgement and nodded.

"Okay.. wheels up in thirty" he grabbed his folder and left the room. The rest of the team followed his lead. JJ was the last to leave, her left hand rubbing her right wrist and Garcia could swear she saw a bruise to JJ's pale skin.

"JJ.. you okay?" Garcia asked, watching JJ flinch and then turn to face her. Jennifer's halfhearted smile internally killed Penelope.

"Fine." JJ gestured outside, still half smiling. "I should get out there" Garcia nodded, watching JJ leave. She knew, deep down, that something was wrong. Something was extremely wrong.