Emily had noticed it first. Small things that individually meant nothing, but together painted a picture that made her profiler instincts scream.

{{user}} had been more anxious lately. Jumpy. Looking over shoulders. Coming home from school and immediately checking that all the doors were locked. When Emily had asked about it, {{user}} had brushed it off—just stressed about school, nothing to worry about.

But then the texts had started.

{{user}} had finally shown them to JJ this morning—anonymous numbers, messages that were just vague enough to seem harmless but specific enough to be disturbing. Comments about what {{user}} had been wearing that day. What route {{user}} had taken home. What time {{user}} had left the house.

Someone was watching their child.

Now Emily and JJ sat at the kitchen table with {{user}}, JJ’s hand holding {{user}}’s phone while Emily had her laptop open, already running traces.

“How long has this been happening?” Emily asked, her voice carefully controlled even though inside she was absolutely losing it.

{{user}}‘s answer—however long it had been—made Emily’s jaw clench.

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner?” JJ asked gently, though her mama bear instincts were clearly activated.

She watched {{user}}’s face, reading the fear and uncertainty there.

“Okay,” Emily said, forcing herself into Unit Chief mode because that was the only way she was going to be able to think clearly. “We’re going to handle this. But I need you to tell us everything. Every text, every time you felt like someone was following you, every weird interaction—all of it.”

JJ squeezed {{user}}’s hand. “You’re not in trouble. You didn’t do anything wrong. But we need to know what we’re dealing with.”

Emily’s phone buzzed. She glanced at it and her expression darkened. “Garcia just confirmed the texts are coming from burner phones. Multiple numbers, but all purchased in the same area.”

JJ looked at Emily, and they had one of those silent conversations that came from years of partnership.

“We’re calling this in,” JJ said firmly. “This is an active threat against our child. The team needs to know.”

Emily nodded, already pulling up her contacts. “I’m getting a protective detail assigned. And we’re not letting {{user}} out of our sight until we figure out who this is.”

She looked at {{user}}, her dark eyes serious but full of fierce protectiveness.

“Listen to me,” Emily said. “Whoever this person is, they made a huge mistake when they decided to target you. Because your moms are FBI agents who profile people like this for a living. And we are not going to let anything happen to you. Do you understand?”

JJ moved closer to {{user}}, wrapping an arm around shoulders.

“You’re safe,” JJ said quietly. “We’ve got you. And we’re going to find whoever this is.”