Author's Note: So, this is my first Criminal Minds story and it has spoilers for Lauren (6x18). I got this idea yesterday and it kept nagging at me so I decided to share. I plan on making a chapter for each member of the team if you guys are interested. I'm not sure if it'll have any pairings, though if I decide to write one in it'll definitely be Morgan/Prentiss. But, as I said, I'm not sure as of yet.

Oh, and English is not my first language and this story is unbeta'ed, so if you catch any mistakes please let me know.

Thanks for reading and tell me if you think I should continue writing it.

xx

Letters From the Grave

Prologue

Supervisory Special Agent and Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner Sat in his office going through the first of many piles of paperwork that needed his signature and approval. The morning briefing had assured his team that there was no need for going away on any cases, so he just assigned consults to his team of profilers and rattled off some requests on information for his technical analyst and retreated back to the quiet privacy of his office. Roughly ten thirty in the morning his cell phone rang and the caller's name brought a startled raise of the stoic agent's eyebrow. He hadn't received a call from his unit's former media liaison in over seven months, since he was sworn to secrecy about Emily Prentiss surviving her encounter with Ian Doyle.

His voice, however, showed none of the worry and apprehension he felt as he answered the phone with a polite and succinct "JJ?".

"Hotch, Doyle is dead". There it was. Without preamble. The news he had been waiting to hear for a long time.

"And you're absolutely sure?" The serene intonation of his question would have fooled anyone into believing this was just an ordinary work-related phone call instead of something that could drastically change the dynamics of the close-knit that the BAU had become over the years and especially the past months.

"Yes."

"Does she know? Have you talked to her?"

"Yes to both questions. She is still overseas and will remain that way until the taskforce in charge officially closes the investigation and make sure none of his, uhm, subordinates - so to speak – are onto her. They estimate about seven to ten weeks before she'll be able to come home." Hotch hadn't heard so much contained emotion in the blonde's voice since the birth of her son.

"All right then. But, JJ, what about the –"

"You're allowed to disclose the information to the team provided that they know how important it is that they keep it to themselves. I'd like to be there with you when you tell them, if you don't mind. And one more thing, Hotch, she is allowed to communicate with few people via letters that will be sent to me first and she told me she wants to write to Spence, Morgan, Garcia and Rossi."

"Okay, JJ. I'd like to tell them as soon as possible if that's alright with you. I think this has been kept from the long enough and, frankly, I am worried about their reactions."

"Oh, I know what you mean. If you want, I can ask Will to pick Henry up from kindergarten and drive there so we can tell them later this afternoon.

"That'll be fine. I'll see you at around five thirty then?"

"See you then, Hotch." JJ could barely keep the excitement from her voice. She knew telling the team would be incredibly hard and she honestly feared the reaction of some of them – namely, Morgan – but she couldn't help but feel happy that this whole ordeal was finally coming to an end.

"Conference room in ten, guys" Said the Unit Chief, barely sparing a glance down to the bullpen as he headed toward Rossi's office to relay the same message.

Once they were all seated and looking expectantly at their team leader, somewhat disturbed by the unusual summon so close the end of the working day, Hotch motioned to the large TV behind him. The eerily silent room was filled by Garcia's gasp as she spotted the bloody image of a lifeless Doyle laying on a curb somewhere in Boston.

Morgan had his jaw clenched and his knuckles were white from the force of his grip on the table. Rossi and Seaver just stared intently at the screen while Reid had a look of childlike sadness adorning his young face.

Giving his team a moment to compose themselves, Hotch started.

"Ian Doyle was killed last night by a CIA taskforce in the outskirts of Boston. I received the information from JJ earlier today and we thought best to brief you some details of the case together. She should be here in a few minutes." He felt incredibly guilty having lied to his team, his friends for so long, especially having to watch them suffer through the grief of losing such a close friend.

As soon as the door opened and JJ stepped in, Garcia and Reid started to bombard them with questions about Doyle and his son as Morgan looked increasingly pissed, as if having ended him now wouldn't do them any good, she was gone anyway.

The blonde barely looked at them as she inserted her flash drive on Garcia's colorful laptop and asked her friend to open the pictures with a touch to her shoulder and a gentle, almost apologetic smile.

At Penelope's strangled sound of confusion, the profilers quickly gathered around the small screen.

"Is that.."

"When were these taken?"

"Why are you showing these old pictures to us?"

Inhaling deeply and closing her eyes for a few brief seconds, she started "These were taken this morning by agents who have been keeping tabs on Emily while she is in hiding and using different identities overseas."

By then, the multiple questions morphed into one that was voiced – in an increbly hurt and angry tone – by Derek Morgan.

"WHAT?"

Reid looked happy, stunned, hurt and finally betrayed as his focus shifted from JJ to Hotch.

"You knew about this." The team leader nodded curtly and, on his defense, looked very guilty.

"She's coming back home then?" The oldest profiler asked, with a leveled yet emotional edge to his voice.

"Not for a few weeks, the have to clear all the people connected t Doyle before they allow her back on the States."

The sob that broke free from the bubbly analyst shook Morgan from his angry trance and he started to head for the door when JJ grabbed his forearm and, looking carefully at each and every member of her old team said "She has been cleared to have communication with a handful of people of her choice and, as per her request, each of you will get a letter or two in the upcoming weeks. If you don't want to see me when I deliver them I fully understand, but please know that I only hid this from all of you for Declan's safety, Emily's and your own."

With her vision blurred, she watched Derek finally leave as Garcia got up to hug her and Spence took the hand she offered, clasping it tightly and wiping at his eyes.

Rossi got up and left Seaver seated at the table watching the pictures of her former mentor in some little European town.

Clasping a hand over Hotchs's shoulder as the younger man rubbed his temples he said "It's going to be a long few weeks."

TBC?

Let me know if I should post more! Thanks for reading,
Marina xx