Say It Again

Chapter 19: Once Upon A Time

The next fifteen minutes pass in relative silence as we work, but the air is thick with tension, as per usual when we're together. I don't say anything until I notice JJ's brows are furrowed, and she's chewing the end of the pen in her hand.

"What is it, Jayje?" the pet name slips out of my mouth before I can stop it, and my face turns bright red. Hopefully she won't notice.

She hesitates for a moment before responding, and she cocks her eyebrow a little when she notices my blush. "I'm missing something. I know Disney really well, and I've been wracking my brain trying to figure it out." I think this is the longest conversation we've had since we ended things.

"Well, Garcia said no one was scheduled to work in all five locations. I mean, who else would be in those areas?" My voice is light and steady. I don't want her to stop talking to me.

"It would have to be someone that didn't look out of place in any of the parks. Someone who has access to backstage areas. Someone who's familiar with all the parks. And it would also have to be someone that wouldn't look out of place with a child..." JJ's voice trails off for a moment, and I don't say anything for a minute. All of a sudden, JJ's eyes widen, and she sits up straight.

"What?" I sit up too, leaning toward the blonde.

"I don't know why I didn't think of it before. There is a group of cast members that know all the parks, have access to pretty much every backstage area, and no one would look twice if they had a kid with them," JJ speaks faster as recognition shines in her eyes.

"That sounds like exactly what we're looking for," I look at her, and my stomach clenches when she makes eye contact with me. Her eyes are bright, and the guarded look she's had for weeks has disappeared for now.

"VIP tour guides. Guests can pay extra in order to cut the lines and move around quickly. Sometimes tour guides even watch kids for a moment while their parents ride things and such," JJ finishes and seems to remember that she's talking to me. She swallows and sits back down, the guarded look once again shuttering her eyes.

"Okay, why don't you go get Hotch, and I can call Garcia and have her look through the VIP tour guides and see if she can find anyone that fits the description Mrs. Jones gave us," I pull out my phone as I finish speaking, and JJ nods and heads to the door. She hesitates for a second, and I think she's about to say something, but she just shakes her head and walks out.

I don't have time to dwell on that right now, so I push it out of my mind and dial Garcia.

"You have reached the most amazing best friend ever! What can I do for ya sweetness?" Garcia's voice floats through the speaker, and I can't help but smile.

"Hey, Penelope, I think JJ may have figured something out, but we need your help," I begin.

"Wait, you and JJ worked together on something? How did that go? How are you feeling about it?" Garcia speaks a mile a minute, and I chuckle before interrupting her.

"Nothing happened; it was strictly work. But I need you to look at VIP tour guides that work at Disney World. Focus on white males, and see if anyone matches the description of the chin-scar guy." I look up as Hotch walks in with JJ on his heels, and my face reddens a little. I'm glad she didn't come in while Garcia was talking about her.

"Okay, I will call you back as soon as I have something. Love you!" I can hear Garcia typing furiously before she ends the call.

"Alright, what have you figured out?" Hotch asks, looking at both JJ and me.

"JJ, fill him in," I say with an encouraging smile.

...

An hour later, Hotch's phone rings as we're talking about other possibilities if the unsub isn't a VIP tour guide.