#jenifer

*JJ’s POV*

The call came in at 6:12 A.M., too early for anything good. I was halfway through my first cup of coffee when my phone rang, the sharp buzz cutting through the quiet of the kitchen. Will was still upstairs with the boys, the house calm in that rare, fragile way that never seemed to last long enough. I almost didn’t answer. 

Almost… 

I glanced at the screen, Alexa, my brother’s wife, name flashed. My stomach tightened before I even picked it up. 

“Hey, Alexa.” I said, trying to keep my tone light, normal. “Everything okay?” 

There was a pause on the other end. Not long, but enough to make something cold settle in my chest. 

“JJ… is Y/N there?” 

The question didn’t make sense. 

“What?” I let out a small, confused breath. “No… why would he be here?” 

Another pause, this one heavier, shakier. 

“He didn’t come home last night.” 

My grip on the phone tightened instantly. 

“What do you mean he didn’t come home?” My voice dropped, all warmth gone. 

“I mean…” Alexa exhaled unevenly. “He left work around six. He texted me that he was heading home, and then… nothing. His phone goes straight to voicemail, and I thought maybe- maybe he stopped by to see you or the boys or something-” 

“No.” The words came out sharper than I intended. “No, he didn’t come here.” 

Silence. 

I could hear her breathing on the other end, quick and panicked. 

“JJ, this isn’t like him.” 

I knew that… 

God, I knew that. 

Y/N was predictable in the best way. Routine. Responsible. The kind of man who called if he was going to be ten minutes late. He didn’t just… disappear. My mind was already moving, pieces clicking together in a way I didn’t want them to. Male. Mid-twenties. Routine schedule. Same area. The case… 

No. 

No, no, no- 

“JJ?” Alexa’s voice cracked slightly. “Do you think something happened?” 

I forced myself to breathe. 

“I don’t know yet.” I said carefully, even though my pulse was already racing. 

“But I’m going to look into it, okay?” 

“Okay…” She whispered, but she didn’t sound reassured. 

“I’m going to make some calls.” I continued. “Check hospitals, see if maybe there was an accident or something. I’ll get back to you as soon as I know anything.” 

Another shaky breath. “Please.” 

“I will.” I promised. 

I hung up, but the silence that followed felt louder than anything. For a second, I just stood there in the middle of my kitchen, phone still in my hand, heart pounding so hard it hurt. Then training kicked in. I grabbed my keys off the counter so fast the clattered toward the floor before I caught them again. I didn’t bother finishing my coffee. Didn’t bother going upstairs to explain to Will. I just moved. 

The drive to Quantico was a blur of red lights and and worst-case scenarios. I kept replaying Alexa’s voice in my head. He didn’t come home. And the case… three victims, same profile. Y/N fit it. Too well… 

“Don’t jump to conclusions.” I muttered under my breath, gripping the steering wheel tighter. 

“You don’t have confirmation.” 

But my instincts were screaming. 

I didn’t slow down when I got to the bullpen. I walked straight in, and the second I did, heads turned. Emily was the first to notice something was off. 

“JJ?” She said, already standing. 

“I need everyone in the conference room.” I said, my voice sharper than usual. “Now.” 

That was enough. No one questioned it. 

They were all there within minutes. Spence was already clutching a file, Tara was watching me carefully, Luke was leaning forward slightly, alert, Garcia was hovering near with her tablet, and Rossi’s arms were crossed, his expression enreadable. Emily stepped closer. 

“Talk to me.” 

I took a breath. 

Kept it together. 

“My sister-in-law just called me.” I said. “Y/N didn’t come home last night.” 

The room went still. 

Spence’s brow furrowed instantly. 

“What time was he last seen?” He asked. 

“She said he left work around six.” I said. “Texted Alexa that he was heading home. After that, nothing. Phone goes straight to voicemail.” 

Garcia’s face fell. 

“Oh no…” 

I pushed forward before anyone could say anything else. 

“He fits the victim profile.” 

The words tasted like acid. 

“Male, mid-twenties, routine schedule, same general area as the other abductions.” I swallowed hard. 

“If this unsub is escalating, if he’s shortening the cooling-off period-” 

“He could’ve taken Y/N last night.” Tara finished quietly. 

I nodded once. 

“Yes.” 

Silence. Heavy, thick, and real. 

Luke shifted slightly. 

“JJ… we don’t know that for sure yet.” 

“I know.” I said quickly. “But I’m not waiting until we do know. Not on this.” 

Emily stepped in, voice steady. 

“You’re right. We treat this as connected until proven otherwise.” 

Relief flickered through me, small by immediate. 

“Garcia.” Emily continued, turning slightly. “Start with Y/N’s phone records, last known location, anything you can pull- traffic cams, bank activity, everything.” 

“Already on it.” Garcia said, fingers flying across her tablet, but here eyes flicked to me, soft and worried. 

“I’ll find him.” 

Spence was already thinking out loud.

“If the unsub maintained the same approach, then Y/N likely didn’t perceive him as a threat. That suggests a level of social engineering- someone approachable, non-threatening, possibly someone in a position of authority or familiarity-” 

“Which mean’s Y/N didn’t fight.” Rossi added. “Or didn’t have a chance to.” 

My chest tightened. 

“Then we find where he was intercepted.” I said. “We retrace his route home, look for anything out of place.” 

Luke nodded. 

“I’ll look at traffic cams along his commute with Garcia.” 

“We should also notify local law enforcement, get units out to check hospitals, accidents, anything that could rule out alternative explanations.” Tara added. 

Emily looked back at me. 

“We move now.” 

I nodded. Because every second mattered. Because if this was the unsub… then the clock had already started. 

As everyone started moving, gathering files and heading out, Emily caught my arm gently. 

“JJ.” 

I looked at her. 

“You good to work this?” She asked quietly. Not doubting, just checking. I didn’t hesitate. 

“I have to be.” 

Her grip tightened slightly, grounding. 

“We’ve got you.” She said. 

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. 

“I know.” 

I followed the team out of the room, one thought repeated over and over in my head- 

Hold on, Y/N… Just hold on…

We split fast, no hesitation, just muscle memory and urgency driving everything forward. That’s what we did. It’s what we trained for. Except this time, it wasn’t just a case. This was my baby brother. 

I rode with Luke, my fingers clenched around my phone so tightly they ached. Garcia was feeding us locations as she got them, hospitals first. 

“Nearest ER is five minutes out.” Luke said, glancing at me briefly before focusing back on the road. 

“We’ll start there.” 

I nodded, even though my chest felt like it was caving in. 

“Yeah.” 

Hospitals meant hope. Accident, injury, something explainable.

The first hospital was a dead end. No Y/N. No John Doe matching his description. No late-night admissions that fit the timeline. Nothing… I kept my face neutral as we walked out, but inside something twisted tighter. 

“Next one.” I said immediately. 

Luke didn’t argue. 

Second hospital, same result. Thrid, nothing. By the fourth, the hope that this was something simple was slipping through my fingers. 

“He’s not here.” Luke said quietly as we stepped back out into the parking lot.

I shook my head, more to myself than him. 

“No… he would’ve been registered by now. Even if he was unconscious.” 

Which meant… 

No. Don’t go there yet. 

Garcia patched through over the comms. 

“My beautiful crime-fighting humans… I have checked every hospital within a fifty-mile readius. No Y/N Jareau. No unidentified patients matching his description.” Her voice was softer than usual, careful. Like she didn’t want to say the next part out loud. I closed my eyes briefly. 

“Okay.” I said, forcing myself to stay steady. “What about accidents? Traffic reports?” 

“Already ahead of you.” She said. “No reported accidents involving his vehicle. No impounds, no roadside incidents, nothing flagged overnight.” 

That last thread snapped. Because if he wasn’t in a hospital… If he wasn’t on an accident… then there was only one thing left. 

Luke exhaled slowly beside me. “JJ…” 

I didn’t let him finish. 

“We keep going.” I said sharply. “He drove home from work. That means there’s a route. Somewhere along that route, something happened.” 

“Yeah, we’ll find it.” Luke nodded. We had to. 

Back at Quantico, the board was already filling up when we regrouped. Maps, timelines, victim photos, and now, Y/N… His picture stared back at me from the center, pinned alongside the others. Emily looked up as we walked in. 

“Anything?” 

I shook my head. 

“No hospitals, no accidents, nothing.” 

Her jaw tightened slightly. 

“Same here.” She said. “Reid and I checked surrounding counties. No hits.” 

Spence stepped forward, already deep in thought. 

“If Y/N followed his usual routine, then the unsub likely intercepted him within a predictable window of time. Given the previous abductions, that window is approximately fifteen to twenty minutes after departure.” 

“So close to home…” I murmured. 

“Or somewhere he felt safe.” Tara added. “A place he wouldn’t question stopping.” 

“Gas station, convenience store, maybe even a fake breakdown scenario.” Rossi said. 

I nodded, my mind racing. 

“He’s using something to lower their guard.” I said. “Something that makes them stop willingly.” 

“Which means no signs of struggle at the scene.” Luke added as he stepped in. 

“Exactly.” I said. 

“I’m pulling traffic cam footage along Sam’s usual route. It’s a lot of data, but I’ll find something. I promise.” Garcia said. 

“Thank you.” I said, meaning it more than I could put into words. 

Time stretched. Minutes felt like hours. Every second that passed without an answer felt like a countdown I couldn’t see. I stood in front of the board, staring at Y/N’s picture, trying not to imagine where he was. What he was going through. If he was scared. If he was hurt. If he was… No. Focus. The unsub escalates. Cooling-off period shortens. Confidence increases. That means… 

“He’s getting bolder.” I said out loud. 

Emily glanced at me. “Yeah.” 

“He’s not going to hold them for long.” I continued. “Not anymore. The timeline’s shrinking.” 

Spence nodded. “If the pattern continues, the unsub’s endgame is approaching faster with each victim.” 

My stomach dropped. “Then we don’t have time.” 

“No.” Rossi agreed. “We don’t.” 

A phone rang, sharp and sudden. Everyone stilled. Tara reached for it. 

“Lewis.” 

We all watched her. Waited. Her expression shifted almost immediately. Focused, alert. 

“Okay.” She said. “Where?” 

A pause. 

“We’re on our way.” She hung up, already turning to us. 

“That was local PD.” She said. “They found a car.” 

My heart slammed against my ribs. 

“What kind of car?” I asked, even though I already knew. 

Tara met my eyes. 

“Grey SUV.” 

The room went silent. 

“Where?” Emily asked. 

“Abandoned off a servic road about fifteen miles from his last known location.” Tara said. “No driver. No immediate signs of a crash.” 

My vision turned slightly. 

“They took him…” I said quietly. 

No one argured because we all knew. 

“They took him.” I repeated, louder this time. “That’s out confirmation.” 

Luke’s jaw tightened. 

“Unsub’s escalating.” 

“Yeah.” Rossi said grimly. “And now it’s personal.” 

I swallowed hard. It became personal the second Alexa called me. 

“Let’s go.” Emily said firmly. 

The drive to the scene felt even worse than the drive that morning because now we knew. This wasn’t a maybe anymore. Y/N had been taken and the clock was ticking. The car was exactly where Tara said it would be. Pulled off the side of a quiet, isolated service road. Too quiet. Too perfect. I stepped out before the SUV had even fully stopped. 

“JJ-” Luke called, but I was already moving. 

I approached the car slowly, every step heavier than the last. The driver’s side door was closed. No visible damage. No shattered glass or skid marks. It was clean. Too clean. Just like the others. 

“Careful.” Emily said as she came up beside me. 

I nodded, even though my hands were shaking slightly. I reached for the handle and opened the door. Empty. My chest tightened painfully. 

“Y/N…” I whispered under my breath. 

Spence moved around to the passenger side, scanning everything. 

“There’s no sign of a struggle.” He said. “Which supports the theory that he exited the vehicle voluntarily.” 

“Or was coerced in a controlled manner.” Tara added. 

I looked inside the car. His phone was gone. Keys still in the ignition. That made my stomach drop. 

“He didn’t plan on leaving.” I said quietly. 

“No.” Rossi agreed. “He thought he’d be right back.” 

I closed my eyes for half a second. Then opened them again. Focused. 

“We work the scene.” I said, voice steadier now. “We find out how he was taken, and we find where he was taken to.” 

Emily nodded. 

“Garcia, we need everything on that location. Property records, nearby buildings, abandoned structures, anything.” 

“On it!” Garcia said immediately. 

Luke stepped closer to me. 

“We’ll get him back.” He said, low and firm.

I looked at the empty driver’s seat, then back at my team. At the people who never failed me. At the only chance Y/N had. 

“We have to.” I said. Because there wasn’t another option. Because I wasn’t losing him too. Not like this. Not ever. 

The car sat there like a taunt, too clean, too quiet, and too final. I forced myself to step back, to breathe, to let the profiler part of my brain take over before the sister in me completely unraveled. 

“Walk it.” Emily said quietly. 

I nodded. We spread out around the scene. Every inch mattered, every detail. Because somewhere in this nothing, there had to be something. Spence crouched near the front tire, studying the ground. 

“There are faint impressions here.” He said. “Not deep enough for clear tread identification, but heavier than a standard sedan.” 

“Truck?” Luke asked. 

“Possibly.” Spence said. “Or a van. Something with enough space to transport an adult male.” 

Transport. 

The word hit harder than it should have. 

I swallowed. “Anything else?” 

Spence shifted slightly, pointing. 

“Scuff marks. Here, and here.” He pointed at the dirt with a careful finger. 

“Y/N likely exited the vehicle, stood here, and then…” 

“Was grabbed.” Tara finished. 

“Or guided.” Spence corrected. “There’s no sign of a struggle. No drag marks. That suggests compliance.” 

“Which means the unsub talked to him.” I said. “Got close enough to control the situation.” 

Rossi nodded slowly. “Authority figure.” He said. “Or someone who knows how to sound like one.” 

I turned, scanning the road. It was isolated. Minimal traffic, perfect place to stop someone without witnesses. 

“He planned this.” I said. “He’s choosing locations where he can control every variable.” 

“Which means he’s local.” Emily added. “He knows these roads.” 

Garcia’’s voice crackled through. “My crime-fighting geniuses, I’ve got something that might help narrow that down.” 

“Talk to me.” Emily said. 

“I mapped all four abduction sites.” Garcia said, excitement threading through her voice now. 

“There’s a geographic overlap, a comfort zone. And guess what sits right in the middle of it?” 

We all waited. 

“An old industrial zone.” She said. “Mostly abandoned warehouses. Some condemned properties. Low foot traffic, minimal surveillance, basically a serial offender’s dream.” 

My pulse spiked. 

“How many buildings?” I asked. 

“Too many to search blindly.” Garcia admitted. “But, hold on-” Rapid typing. “-okay, filtering for properties with recent activity. Utilities, minor electrical usage, anything that suggests someone’s been there recently…” 

A pause. 

Then… 

“Oh.” 

“What?” I asked. 

“There’s one.” Garcia said. “Warehouse, technically condemned five years ago, but… it’s pulling low-level power. Not enough to flag normally, but enough that it shouldn’t be completely dead.” 

“Address?” Luke asked. 

Garcia rattled it off. 

Emily didn’t hesitate. 

“That’s our location. Let’s go.” 

The drive was worse this time, because now we had something. Which meant we were close. Which meant… he’s there. My leg bounced uncontrollably as we sped down the road. 

“JJ.” Luke said quietly beside me. “We go in smart, okay?” 

I nodded, even though my chest felt like it was going to explode. 

“I know.” 

But all I could think was hold on, Y/N. Just a little longer. 

The warehouse came into view like something out of a nightmare. Old, decaying, and windows either boarded up or shattered. No movement. No sound. Too quiet. We pulled up a short distance away, weapons already being checked. Emily turned to us. 

“We assume he’s inside. Possibly with other victims. We go in coordinated, clear room by room.” 

I barely heard the rest, because my focus had tunneled down to one thing. Finding Y/N. 

“JJ.” Emily said, sharper this time. 

I looked at her. 

“You stay with me.” She said firmly. “No solo moves.” 

I nodded. 

“Got it.” 

Even if every instinct in me screamed to run ahead. 

We moved in, slow and silent, weapons raised. The door creaked slightly as Luke pushed it open, and the smell hit immediately. Damp, rot, and something worse underneath. My stomach turned. 

“Clear left.” Luke whispered. 

“Clear right.” Tara added. 

We moved deeper. The warehouse stretched out in low, shadowy rows. Old equipment, rusting metal, dark corners that felt like they were watching us. A sound, faint, barely there. A thud, then, a weak, muffled noise. I froze. 

“Did you hear that?” I whispered. 

Luke nodded. 

“Back there.” 

We pivoted as one, moving toward the sound, faster now. Careful, but urgent. Another noise, closer, a strained, broken voice. 

“Mmm-” 

My heart stopped. 

“Y/N?” The name slipped out before I could stop it. 

“JJ-” Emily warned. 

But it was too late. Because I heard it again, clearer this time. 

“...J…J…?” 

Everything in me snapped. 

“Y/N!” I shouted, breaking formation as I ran toward the sound. 

“JJ!” Footsteps behind me, my team following. 

I rounded the corner, and there he was. Chained to a support beam. Bruised. Bloodied. Barely conscious. But alive. 

“Y/N, oh my God-” I dropped to my knees in front of him, hands immediately reaching for his face. His eyes fluttered open. 

“J…J…” He whispered, voice raw. 

“I’ve got you.” I said quickly, my voice shaking despite everything. “I’ve got you, you’re okay.” 

“FBI!” Luke’s voice barked behind me. “Don’t move!” 

I turned just in time to see him and Tara tackle a man trying to bolt from the shadows. The unsub, struggling and swearing. Gone in seconds under their combined force. 

“Suspect in custody!” Tara called out. 

I barely registered it, because Y/N’s head had slumped slightly. 

“Hey, hey, stay with me.” I said urgently, cupping my face. 

“Y/N, look at me.” 

His eyes struggled to focus. “You… came…” He breathed. 

“Of course I did.” I said, my throat tightening. “I’m right here.” 

Spence was already beside me, checking Y/N’s pulse, his injuries. 

“He’s dehydrated, possible concussion, multiple contusions.” He said quickly. “But he’s alive.” 

Alive. 

The word hit me like a wave. I exhaled shakily. 

“Okay… okay…” 

Emily knelt on Y/N’s over side, helping work the restraints loose. 

“You’re safe now.” She said calmly. 

THe chains fell away, and the second they did, Y/N slumped forward into me. I caught him instinctively, wrapping my arms around him. 

“I’ve got you.” I whispered, holding him tight despite the tremor in my hands. 

“I’ve got you.” 

His fingers weakly gripped my sleeve. “Thought… I wasn’t gonna…” His voice broke. 

“Don’t.” I said quickly. “Don’t even think that. You’re okay. You’re here.” 

Footsteps approached. Paramedics. Voices, movement, but all I could focus on was him. Alive. Breathing. In my arms. As they loaded him onto the stretcher, his hand found mine again, weak, but there. 

“You came…” He murmured again. 

I squeezed his hand gently. “Always.” 

And for the first time since I got the call from his wife, I felt like I could breathe.