Truth and Lies

Chapter 13

** Emily's POV **

"Wait, she's a lesbian?" I repeated in disbelief.

"That's what she said to him."

"She could be making it up, trying to make him stop." I argued.

"No, the look in her eyes, that's real fear and anger. She's telling the truth."

"So what now, we're looking at a hate crime?"

"His reaction suggests that he didn't know. My initial thought was that it's someone from her past. Maybe someone she rejected or neglected to think about."

"This guy had to have been watching or listening in. He wouldn't have known about JJ's date with Morgan otherwise." 

"Wait, JJ went on a date with Morgan? But he's..."

"I know, Penelope, I know. None of us knew that at the time. God, if this doesn't break him then..."

I stopped mid-sentence because Morgan walked in.

"What's happened?"

** JJ's POV **

Goodness knows how much time has passed. I threw up after he left, so my stomach was rumbling extremely loudly from hunger. I managed to crawl out of view from the camera, which was still recording. He hadn't come back in yet.

Exhausted, I crawled into a ball to try and sleep, when something flashed through my mind.

~ Flashback, three years ago ~

The bar was crowded, and a man in a suit walked up to me. 

"Hey, gorgeous. What's a pretty girl like you doing out here on your own? It's a dangerous world."

"Don't I know it." I answered, trying to leave.

He grabbed my wrist and I stopped in surprise.

"Stay, have a drink. My name's John. John Winters. What about you?"

"Jennifer. I really have to leave though, can we do this some other time?"

He stared as I walked past him, his eyes were an electric blue.

How could I have forgotten those eyes? 

There was no sign that he was coming back, so I slowly crawled back to the camera. Someone had to be watching, right?

"Please, help. Anyone. I don't know where I am, but the guy's name is John Winters. Probably thirties or forties, lives in DC."

That was all I could manage before passing out.

** Morgan's POV **

"Emily, there's something, I know there is. I'm not a kid, so don't tell me it's nothing." My voice rose.

"Derek, please. You need to calm down. This isn't helping JJ."

"Just tell me, Emily, goddammit."

"Fine. The video feed was muted, but Hotch saw her trying to say something. We got a reading analysis done, and she said something to the unsub."

"Emily, spit it out."

"Morgan, JJ's not straight. She's a lesbian."

Before I could respond, Garcia gasped and ran from the room.

"Emily, go after her."

As Emily left, I went over to Garcia's laptop. The video was still running, but JJ was collapsed on the floor. Tears were clouding my vision and I rubbed my eyes hard.

Hotch was right behind me.

"What is she trying to say?"

Another analysis was done, and Hotch was reading as the analyst made notes.

"John Winters. Thirties or forties. DC."

"So JJ knows him. She never mentioned him."

"It was probably a brief encounter. When Garcia comes back, have her look for an address. He'd need somewhere quite private and secluded to hide JJ."

"Let's find this son of a bitch." I replied, and Hotch didn't comment on my language.