Shoupe shook his head and let out an amused snort, nodding his head and disappearing through the doorway. JJ stood, his eyes trained on the opening until she appeared, smirking and glowing and so fucking beautiful he could hardly stand it.  “Heard I was requested?” she quipped, her eyebrow raised as she leaned against the door frame.  He shrugged, standing and trying to act nonchalant even as his feet pulled him closer, drawn to her like a magnet, always. “Yeah I don’t know, she - ” he thumbed at the lawyer standing off to the side, “ - thought it’d be good. I tried to tell her no way do I want you in here.” Her arms found his shoulders automatically, a reflex that matched his hands now resting lightly on her waist. She pulled lightly on the hair on the back of his head. “Shut up, you idiot.” He tugged her a little closer. “Yeah but I’m your idiot.” Her nose brushed with his, a full smile finally breaking out on her lips. “Damn right, you are.” “And you are a menace,” he smiled back. The kiss was brief, over far too quickly for all the possibilities and desires running through JJ’s head. But they were in the middle of an interrogation room, again, where one of their freedoms was on the line, again. Probably both of theirs, this time, actually.

Kie pulled lightly on the hair on the back of his head. “Shut up, you idiot.” JJ tugged her a little closer. “Yeah, but I’m your idiot.” Her nose brushed with his, a full smile finally breaking out on her lips. “Damn right, you are.” “And you are a menace,” he smiled back. The kiss was brief, over far too quickly for all the possibilities and desires running through JJ’s head. But they were in the middle of an interrogation room, again, where one of their freedoms was on the line, again.  The new lawyer cleared her throat behind them, and JJ turned, releasing Kiara so she could step in the room and close the door.

“They don’t look backed into a corner, do they?” Mike asked. Anna let out a small hum herself and JJ could feel her eyes on them, on him, apprising and doubtful, and on her, concerned and resigned. His skin warmed with the survey. “He did protect her, risked his life for her, has stuck with her through all of it.” “I will give him that - he does love our daughter,” Mike said softly, as if he was reminding himself of something instead of just coming to the realization. “Besides, I believe I backed you into a corner once upon a time and it turned out alright for us,” he told Anna.  “Alright, more cooking, less parallels, please, Chef,” Anna scoffed, a lightness to her huff that sounded a lot like her waving a white flag. “If you’re gonna try, I’m gonna try.” The sound of a kiss floated to his ears and it wasn’t an approval by any means, but it was at least a window. A window that gave JJ hope that maybe one day Kie wouldn’t have to choose between her family and her family. Maybe this whole ordeal might actually be worth it in the end.  He wasn’t exactly an optimistic person, but there was a first time for everything and it seemed with Kiara, firsts weren’t quite as impossible as he’d expected.

“Kie, I know what you’re going to say, and I have to go,” he whispered roughly. “He really doesn’t,” Pope piped in, trying to get a word in. “I know, I’m not going to stop you,” she told him and JJ’s face scrunched in confusion even if she couldn't see him. “You’re not?” “No. I would go myself if I were there. I get it. I just wanted to tell you to be careful. No hero moves,” she instructed. “You’re sorta famous for those lately and too damn much the hero gets hurt and I’m not about that.” JJ huffed. “I don’t take orders from you, woman,” he quipped. “But yeah, I’ll be careful,” he said a little softer. He clicked the phone shut and passed it over to Pope. “Text John B an update, yeah?” “I don’t like this,” his friend told him as he flipped open the old phone to do as he was asked. “Hey, I got this, you just gotta trust me,” JJ told him.

“Well, we see what Rafe remembers. Either way, we need to figure out a way to keep you both off the stand. The DA is a shark. If there’s any inconsistencies with your statement, if it contradicts Barry’s - ” “And it will,” Kie huffed, crossing her arms.   “ - or Rafe’s, we have a problem,” the lawyer continued. “They’ll grill you until you say something that they can hang you with. And with nothing sticking to Ward, or to Rafe, there’s no reason to doubt their version of events.” “So how do they avoid testifying? They’ve already submitted statements, is that not good enough?” Anna asked, looking worried. “Can’t they just… refuse? Isn’t that what the fifth amendment is for?” “Yes, but unfortunately the legal system often benefits the abusers over the abused. The rich over the… less well-off,” the lawyer said, trying to dance around the elephant in the room, like it hadn’t been looming over JJ for his whole damn life. “You mean the Kooks over the Pogues.” JJ scoffed. “Same shit, different day.”