Not much changes for Hotch and Juliette in the week after the run. Juliette's back to herself on Monday, greeting Hotch at the crack of dawn with their favorite coffee. While Strauss' returned to work, she still completes most of her work from Hotch's office couch, helping him with his so that he has more time with Jack.
Two back-to-back cases lead them to Friday, and although they were solved quickly, the team's itching for a break. Fortunately, Hotch arranges for them to have Saturday off, and everyone immediately has plans. Spencer and Garcia are headed to a Comic Con, which he explains to Juliette on the jet ride back. Rossi has a cigar event, JJ is spending the day with Henry, Hotch is heading to the zoo with Jack and Jessica, and Morgan and Emily are viewing houses.
Speaking of whom, Morgan did apologize for his ring comment from when she first joined the team, as well as his insensitivity that Saturday. However, Juliette isn't quick to accept the apology when she knows he gossiped, because Garcia came to her between cases to ask why so much of her file is redacted.
Juliette decides to spend her day catching up on her own case files that have been neglected since she's been helping Aaron. Hotch was adamant that she take the day off, but Juliette knows that it's better for her than sitting at home alone all day.
So that's how her Saturday morning starts, picking up a large coffee at her usual spot before setting up shop on Hotch's office couch. She's barely been in the office for an hour before the normal rushing around in the building intensifies, and Anderson informs her of a hostage situation in a major DC bank.
She coordinates with Hotch to call the team to the scene as fast as possible, as they're taking point with Metro DC police. Juliette's the first of them to make it to the bank, briefed by JJ's husband, Will LaMontagne.
She learns that he and his partner were first on the scene, engaging in a shootout with two of the men. He shot one of them, but they managed to retreat back into the bank before backup arrived.
As Hotch and the rest of the team show up, they learn that this trio, known as the Face Cards, have conducted seven bank robberies in the past seven months, killing one person at each robbery. They hack the security cameras to turn off when they're not wearing their masks, made to look like the King, Queen, and Jack.
Just as Hotch is about to assign roles, Strauss arrives on the scene. "The Director ordered me to supervise your operation."
Hotch nods, but Juliette notices his posture stiffen. "We're about to open lines of communication."
"What about a tactical assault?"
"That's not a good idea, there are hostages in front of the doors and windows."
Strauss only nods, stepping away as her phone rings. "JJ, Reid, and Prentiss, look at past robberies. That's going to be our victimology. Morgan, strategize tactical options with MPD. Dave and Leroux, I want you to handle negotiations." Hotch orders.
As the group disperses, he motions for Juliette to step to the side with him. "The Director's going to want this over with as soon as possible, but I'm concerned the UnSubs won't react in the way they're expecting."
"I'll do my best to keep her off your ass, but I'm worried too much of this is over her head." Juliette says, trying not to get his hopes up.
"Thank you." Hotch nods, excusing himself to help Morgan.
Unfortunately, the UnSubs react to Rossi and Juliette as Hotch expected, demanding for a medic with the threat of killing more people. When the Director demands they send a medic in, Juliette has to step away. Higher-ups thinking they know what's best is how people get killed, and it's only the thought of getting this case over with that calms her down.
It feels as though they're going one step forward, two steps backwards. While they have an ID on the two men, the medic's shot just minutes after he enters. Just after the gunshots ring through the medic's earpiece, Strauss enters the room. "The Director's ordered a full tactical assault."
Hotch's gaze could kill. "When the crossfire starts, that's going to happen to the hostages caught in the middle?"
"That's the wrong call, Erin, and you know it." Juliette says, her hands clenched into fists.
"It's not my call."
Juliette's eyebrows furrow. "You're here, and you're in charge."
"You want me to disobey the Director?"
"No, I just want you to buy us a little time. Don't be so efficient."
Strauss studies Juliette before nodding. "Whatever you're going to do, do it fast."
The team overcomes their surprise quickly, instead working on a new negotiation tactic. Through intel Emily received from Interpol, as well as Garcia's sleuthing, they're able to find that the woman texted 911 thirty seconds before they robbed the bank, and someone else is watching the bank robbery remotely.
They use this information to attempt to tear the man and woman against each other, but it backfires. "Enough, I'm done talking to you. I want to talk to the cop who shot my brother."
"No, no, forget it." JJ immediately says, panic clear in her voice.
"JJ, if it means we can end this-" Will starts, but she cuts him off.
"What makes you think he won't shoot you the second you walk inside?"
"I know you'd do it if you were me."
JJ can't disagree, but Hotch cuts in. "Sorry Will, it's not an option."
The male UnSub, who they've identified as Chris Stratton, speaks into the phone again. "Where's that cop, huh? I ain't got all day."
"What you're asking isn't easy." Juliette says into the phone.
"Well, I'll make it easy. Send in the cop, I'll let a few hostages go." Chris says. "A sign of good faith, isn't that what you said."
Juliette takes a deep breath, glancing to JJ's shaking head. "Releasing the hostages is a great first step in resolving this conflict, but we can't send someone else in to be killed."
"This ain't a fuckin' debate." He groans, dropping the phone as they watch him on the security cameras. Chris picks out a man from their human barricade, forcing him to pick up the phone. "Tell her your name."
"It's... It's Shawn Harper."
As soon as Shawn's finished speaking, Chris raises his gun and shoots him point-blank in the head. "You just killed Shawn Harper. Not me, you. I'm gonna shoot another hostage every sixty seconds until you send in the cop."
"Screw this, I'm going in." Will says, stepping away from the group.
Before anyone can move, Will's past the barricades and jogging towards the doors of the bank, with Morgan and Emily holding JJ back. Juliette's frozen in place, listening to JJ's broken cries to her partner. But she shakes herself out of it, turning towards the security camera feed just in time to see Chris shoot Will.
This time, JJ's screams break her heart to pieces. She can feel the agony in her voice, the hopelessness that she had once felt. She tears her eyes away from the camera when Rossi places a hand on her shoulder, looking up to the rest of the team. "We need to get inside." JJ says, determination lining her voice.
Hotch's expression falters, as if it hurts to hear her speak. "JJ, it's too risky."
"Aaron..." She pleads.
Hotch looks to Juliette, their eye contact not lost on the other team members. As soon as she nods, he gives in. "Let's go in."
They can't just storm the place, and coordinating a plan with SWAT proves more difficult than Juliette thought. As soon as they're about to enter, Will and another hostage manage to distract Chris, allowing the rest of the hostages to exit the building.
They decide to simply rush in, a plan much easier without a dozen other lives to consider. Just as they start in building, a low rumbling precedes a blinding blast, knocking every agent to the ground.
Juliette isn't knocked out by the explosion, instead pushed into an unsuspecting police officer. She mumbles an apology to him, immediately clutching her gun and racing into the rubble. Finding every member of the team but Hotch, she exits the bank to see him on the phone. "Yeah, I love you too, buddy."
As soon as he hangs up, he turns to Juliette, relief coloring his face. "I couldn't find you."
"I went in to find stragglers." She explains. "Do we know what happened?"
"Some sort of explosion near the electrical lines." He exhales, placing his hands on his neck. "We do know that wasn't improvised, someone's been planning this for weeks."
"My bet's on the woman." Juliette shakes her head. "Have they found Will?"
"No, JJ and Morgan are searching the underground tunnels now." Hotch's face softens. "Are you alright to keep working this?"
"As long as I have something to do."
"Go coordinate with MPD, I'll call you when I hear from the others."
It doesn't take long for Hotch to order Juliette back to the tents, filling her in what they found. While Will had left 'breadcrumbs' behind in order to tell the team where they're taking him, it's Garcia who found him on security cameras, leaving with the woman and one of the hostages, who turned out to be her partner. While Will was shot in the arm, they had an EMT patch him up before escaping in a government SUV.
This doesn't leave them with much, as there are dozens of those cars in the area, just that they can see. Thankfully, this is when Emily rushes into the room after another call to her Interpol contact, informing them of times when that type of bomb has been used before, leading to identification of both of the UnSubs.
They use this to piece together their motivation and relationship, leading the team to believe they're attacking Union Station. While JJ rushes back to her house after her sitter doesn't answer the phone, Morgan, Hotch, Emily, and Juliette enter the train station.
Juliette starts up one staircase with Emily, gun unholstered by her side. As soon as they enter the second floor, they see a man running across the platform. "I got the suspect going out the east wing." Emily says into her mic, turning around to look for Will as Juliette runs after him.
Their chase doesn't last long, Juliette knocks the UnSub down after two bullets to the back, only calling for medics after kicking his gun away and ensuring he's unconscious. She then runs back in the direction of Emily, finding her and Will panting on the floor with a freshly disarmed bomb attached to his chest.
The afternoon is a blur for Juliette, between directing the bomb squad, calming Emily through a panic attack, and accepting praise from Strauss and the Director for their work. She finally makes it back to the building that evening, showering in the gym locker rooms and changing into something less ash-covered from her go-bag.
Juliette only realizes she had left her things on Hotch's couch when she enters the bullpen, forcing her to wave past the team and sheepishly knock on his office door. He's in the room alone, setting down his pen when she enters. "I was working in here before I heard the news this morning, I hope that's alright." Juliette explains, gathering her files into a tote.
"You know I don't mind." Hotch leans back in his chair. "Rossi's have a party at his mansion tomorrow, something for JJ and Will. He says we're all coming, whether we want to or not."
"He still forces people to call it his mansion? I need to check his ego more often." Juliette scoffs, savoring her boss' grin. "I don't have any plans, what about you?"
"I'll have to bring Jack, but Henry will be there, so it should be fun."
Juliette finishes gathering her things, starting towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, Hotch."
"You can call me Aaron." Hotch says, stopping her in her tracks.
"You seem to prefer to call people by their first names." He explains. "I'm comfortable with Aaron, if you'd like."
"I've never been one for last names with people I'm close to, it feels impersonal." She debates internally for a moment, settling with what her heart's saying. "You can call me Juliette, if you'd like."
A soft smile creeps onto his face. "Goodnight, Juliette."
"Goodnight, Aaron." She returns, finally exiting his office.
♠
Juliette's one of the last people to enter Rossi's backyard, immediately taking a glass of champagne from one of the tables and stepping aside to observe the crowd. There's a canopy set up for what she can only assume is JJ's ceremony, and classic rock playing through speakers circling the property. Her attention's grasped by Jack and Henry, who are watching Spencer perform a magic trick.
She almost wonders where Hotch is, until he exits the house with a glass of whiskey in his hands, heading directly for her. "I didn't peg you for the tattoo type."
Juliette's low-cut slip dress reveals more then she would normally show, including the blackbird tattoos emerging between her breasts. She flashes her signature bittersweet smile. "Griff and I got matching ones, Blackbird was our wedding song."
"That happens to be my favorite album." Hotch nods, ready to talk extensively about The Beatles when Rossi whistles from the front of the crowd, signaling whatever he has planned is about to start.
The ceremony's small, and Juliette feels selfish for being reminded of her own wedding day. Her party consisted of family and a few close friends, done in a small park in upstate New York. She's snapped back to reality for their kiss, joining the team in clapping for the couple.
They start their first dance to a Chicago song, but as soon as the second song plays, almost everyone's on the dance floor. Juliette starts out dancing with Rossi, attempting to enjoy the moment, but discreetly watching Emily make her way around the stage.
When Rossi drops her arms, choosing to dance with Emily as she whispers something in his ear, Juliette's only left with one person to dance with; Hotch.
She tentatively takes him hand, both of them ignoring when she jerks at the feeling of his hand on her waist. Her skin burns as her their torsos press together, yet she can't help but notice how much she enjoys it. Still, it ends all too soon, with a quick tap on her shoulder she's being traded off again
Suddenly, her hand is intertwined with Emily's, and she's whispering in Juliette's ear. "I'm going back to Interpol, to run the London Gateway office."
Juliette's not surprised at the choice to leave the FBI, but to Interpol? "You really want to go back into that?"
Emily smiles, the bittersweet kind they both know all too well. "Even in a room of profilers, you're the only person not to ask why."
"I know what it's like to want a fresh start." She says, watching Emily's eyes flutter down to the rings on her neck.
"So you and Hotch really aren't-"
"We're just friends." Juliette cuts her off, perhaps a little too harshly.
"Alright, just... don't forget about your own fresh start."
With that, a new song plays. It's something more upbeat, allowing everyone to get lost in the crowd, and for Juliette to slip away. She stands to the edge of the patio, another champagne in her hand, lost in her thoughts. In that incessant guilt.
The group disperses after the song ends, most opting to mingle rather than break a sweat in their nice clothes. Juliette's still alone when JJ approaches her, surprised by the gesture. "I can't thank you enough for what you did yesterday. Will and I- thank you."
Juliette starts to say it's not a big deal, but being squished in a hug stops her. When JJ pulls away, her face is more somber. "You don't have answer this, but... why did Hotch look to you at the bank?"
Juliette's almost surprised, she honestly thought her personal life had made it around the entire floor by now. "I think he wanted someone else to tell him that breaking protocol was the right call, but I'm not sure why he chose me."
Her finger absent-mindedly twist the rings. "I know what it's like to loose someone to bureaucracy, and I'd do anything to make sure no one else goes through the same thing."
"Thank you." JJ starts to tear up, and Juliette wants to scream for her to stop, because soon she'll be crying too. "I'm sorry about your..."
"Husband, Griffin." She takes a breath, suddenly realizing where she is again. "Today's not about me, go enjoy your family."
"Okay," JJ starts, clutching Juliette's hands. "But you know you're our family, too."
She only nods, but for the first time since she joined the team, Juliette believes it.