The Heart Gets What The Heart Want

I don't own criminal minds. This is a story not intended for young readers.

Chapter 1

"Meet me in the conference room in ten people. We have a case." The beautiful blonde Media liaison announces from the balcony platform outside of her office to the team in the bullpen. She goes to the unit chiefs office and knocks on the door. Once she hears 'come in', she sticks her head in the door, "Hotch, conference room. Ten minutes. We have a case," As JJ finishes her sentence, she notices Hotch was distracted. Which everyone knows, is a very unusual thing for the unit chief who is totally professional and focused when at work. "Sir, is something bothering you?" JJ's genuinely concerned about Hotch. She'd noticed that something had been going on in his personal life, but didn't want to push. She knew that he's a very private person and if he wanted to talk about it, he would.

"Come in, shut the door and have a seat," Hotch waves a hand to one of the seats in front of his desk. JJ knew this means he's going to trust her enough with his problem to open up to her. JJ takes the first chair she reaches and sits fast, as if she was getting some gossip from her best friend, Penelope Garcia - Technical Goddess, as she liked to be called. "I got a call from Hayley. She got a job offer that pays almost triple what she makes now. But the problem is, it's in Florida. Well, she's taking the job and Jack. I'm losing my boy. I can't try to get custody because of the hours this… place takes. So I have to fly down as often as possible to see him. It doesn't seem fair. At least Hayley says I can have the house. So I can give up the apartment. I hated that place." Hotch's hands are pressed together flat and held to his lips. She stares out his window, almost forgetting JJ's there."

"I'm so sorry to hear that sir. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Let's just keep this info to ourselves. Just between you and me." Hotch hasn't moved an inch.

"Sure sir. We have to get to the conference room. I believe the team is waiting on us. But if you need to talk sir, let me know. I'll be there to listen. Kind of the way you're there for us, if we need." JJ stands up and heads to the door. Just as she gets there, she stops when she hears the deep voice of her boss.

"JJ?" JJ turns around to hear what the man has to say.

"Yes sir?"

"Thank you for listening and caring. Go ahead and start the briefing. I'll be there shortly. Whatever I miss, you can fill me in on the plane. That's it." Hotch picks up the phone and starts dialing.

"Your welcome sir." JJ leaves the office. She hears Hotch's voice and assumes it was Jack, his son to whom he was talking to. JJ smiles as she walks over to her office to grab the case file and quickly heads to the conference room. "Sorry I'm late guys. Now, this case is in New Hope Maine. Little girls, age six are being abducted. They all have the same hair color, eye color and are girls age six. We have three victims. No bodies have been found. No evidence of foul play. They were all in different places when abducted. No witnesses as of yet. Nothing that ties the victims together. Different schools, no acquaintances with any of the families. The first victim was taken the first Friday of the month, two months ago. The second victim was taken the first Friday of the month, last month. The third victim was taken four hours ago. The local police and local bureau would like us to try to come up with a profile of the unsub and help track down the children. We have three sets of parents that are out of their minds with worry. We do have one piece of evidence. The unsub dropped a typed note. It reads:

'Dear Mommy and daddy,

I'm being well taken care of. Don't worry and know that I love you. I will be a good girl and do as I'm told. I'm not afraid.

Cindy- I'm allowed to watch Hannah Montana.

Brooke- I have all my dolly stuff so I can play.

Zoë- I have my lap piano mommy, so I can keep practicing.

They are all fine. I will never hurt my babies. I love them and promise to take good care of them. I will hug them and spoil them. They are in good hands. Thank you for giving them to me.

The old woman in the shoe.'

So we know that it's a female unsub."

"It sounds like she's not wanting to hurt them. She wants more than one daughter. So maybe she's trying to get her daughter back." Reid throws out there.

"But why three girls? One should do." JJ replies.

"Maybe they are to represent triplets. Maybe she lost her triplets and something happened recently to make her snap. Something like their sixth birthday. Garcia, can you check to see if there's any triplets that died that are girls? Check six years ago up until two months ago." Dave says, flipping through the case file he had I front of him.

"Right on it." Penelope Garcia rushes from the conference room and bee lines for her fortress of information.

"Maybe baby girl will find something and save the team a trip to New Hope, Maine." Derek hoped he was right. With that, only one, maybe two members of their team would have to go. Hotch walks in and had a confused look on his face.

"What's going on? Is the briefing over already?" Hotch asks, still confused.

"Sir, we think we might have a lead. Garcia's checking on the info and if our findings are what we think they are," JJ's interrupted by Penelope rushing in, waving a paper.

"I found the unsub! One Valerie Maladano. She had triplet girls a year and a half ago. But three months ago, her husband Paul and three daughters, Lucy, Lacey and Lily all died in a horrible car accident. They all burned to death. That poor heart broken mamma." Garcia says, wiping away a few tears.

"So, if they go to her house, they might find the children there." Emily says, the rest of the team thinking it.

"JJ, can you call them with the info and see if they really need us?" Hotch looks to JJ.

"Sure, I'll get right on this," JJ leaves the room. Just as she clears the threshold of the conference room, JJ's cell phone rings. She answers, "Jearau."

"JJ, I think we need to talk." JJ knew that Will meant, it's over.

"Can I call you back? I'm finishing up a case. I might not have to go away tonight. Can we talk when I get home?" JJ asks.

"You can call. If you don't get me, leave a message and I'll call you back." Will says, annoyed by the lack of time they had for each other. A long distance relationship wasn't working.

"Ok, bye." JJ hangs up. They never made it to 'I love you'. JJ's trying to avoid the situation all together. Once she gets to her office, JJ sits at her desk and just has a mini melt down. She thinks back over the last month and she wasn't ready for it.

After a few minutes and a lot of tears, JJ collects herself and makes her call with the info.