Chapter One

Small Favors

JJ took a sharp intake of breath. "Adam, I said no." She told her older brother for the fifth time. The two siblings stood rigid in the middle of JJ's office completely oblivious to the cautious looks that JJ's co-workers were sending them.

"Please Jen. I need your help. It's your responsibility. You're part of the Jareau family whether you like it or not." He pleaded, although his voice was losing its petitionary tone and beginning to turn to a tone of anger. JJ sighed shutting her eyes tightly, shaking her head once more. "Jennifer." His voice was now much more stressed, uncontrolled. "I need your help. Your family needs your help. After the hell you put us through, I'd like think you'd do this one little favor for us." His eyes were stony, cold, unforgiving.

JJ recoiled as if she had been slapped. Her hands began to shake, as she fought for control of her voice. "Get out." The two words were plain, simply. Adam, however, stood unmoved by the raw emotion prevalent in her voice.

He laughed a short forced laugh. It sounded sinful. "That's right Jenny," He told her, his tone acid as he hissed the sound of her once beloved childhood nickname. "Hide. Runaway. Avoid me. You've always been a coward."

JJ could feel as her blood boiled beneath her skin, she yearned to slap her brother with all the force she could muster, to knock him to the ground and call him insulting names. But she didn't. Instead, she took a large gulp of air and took a step for her door. "I have to brief my team on a case we have in Ohio, I assume you can find your way out." She told him coldly over her shoulder. She didn't even spare him a glance.

Before she could reach the door, an iron grip crushed her forearm causing her to halt. "We're not done disusing this Jennifer." He told her as she struggled to get out of his grip.

"Let go of me." She hissed, her tone dripping with hatred, but his hold remained unbreakable. He steered her so she was standing in front of him and he was blocking the door, her only means of escape.

"No!" He yelled. "Not until you agree to help us!"

For a moment, JJ considered flagging down one of her co-workers. She could tell the Morgan was just waiting for an excuse to bust down her door, Spencer was watching her facial expressions closely, standing not far from where Morgan was leaning up against his desk, ready to signal the older agent as soon as she displayed any signs of need help. Rossi sat at Spencer's desk, leaning back in his chair, watching her intently. Emily also remained seated at her desk, her face was stoic, but JJ knew that if she simply said the word, Emily would be at her side in moments.

JJ couldn't do that though. She couldn't show her co-workers just how bad her relationship with her family was. She couldn't show them signs of weakness. JJ focused all of her attention of her brother.

"Mr. Jareau, I am requesting politely that you release me and remove yourself from the premises, if not, I can always call for some security to escort you out of the building." Her voice was tight, formal. She worked hard to keep her face emotionless.

That was the final straw for Adam.

He spun her around and then slammed her roughly against the neutral back wall of her office. JJ blinked once in confusion, but knew she should have known better than to have provoked Adam. "Jennifer you owe it to us!" When she didn't immediately answer him he drew back his hand and slapped her with brute force. "Don't turn your back on your family again!" He spit and JJ's world was spinning.

It was also apparently the final straw for Morgan.

Morgan came rushing to the aid of his friend and co-worker as soon as Adam slammed JJ against the wall. He crashed through the door of her office and pulled the red-faced Adam off of the younger agent. He, in turn, slammed Adam into the wall with the same force as Adam had just a few seconds ago.

Spencer, Emily, and Rossi were at the heels of Morgan. Whether it was for emotional or physical support, JJ was unsure of. She blinked once slowly, her world beginning to refocus.

"I don't know who you are," She vaguely heard Morgan tell her older brother, "but I do know that you've just assaulted a federal agent."

"Only because she deserved it." Adam hissed back at Morgan who tried to hide his surprise at his confession.

"Morgan. Stop. He's my brother." JJ told him, stumbling a little before Spencer and Emily reached out to steady her.

Morgan's face took on the expression of surprise, but he didn't loosen his grip on Adam. "JJ?" Morgan asked simply, wanting her to explain what exactly was going on.

"Just let him go." She commanded and Morgan's face flickered with various emotions. He went from indecisive to resentful till he finally pushed Adam away with a disgusted look coloring his face.

"I better not see you around here again." Morgan threatened as Adam collected himself.

Adam ignored the man's words and walked slowly over to JJ. Spencer and Emily quickly slide in between the large man and their liaison but Adam acted as if they weren't even there. "Think about what I said Jennifer. My flight leaves at five tonight. I have your ticket; call me when you stop being such a selfish idiot." He told her and before anyone could react he was gone.

"JJ-" Morgan started but before he could finish JJ was pushing her way by them, making a beeline for Hotch's office.

Her three co-workers wasted no time in chasing after her, Rossi having taken it upon himself to make sure that JJ's brother left without making a scene.

They all shouted questions at her, ones that even if she wanted to answer she wasn't sure if she could because she couldn't make them out over everyone talking at once. As she approached Hotch's office, she took a deep breath to calm herself. She knocked once on the door before opening it and walking quickly to the front of Hotch's desk.

"I need to take some personal time." She said rather quickly, and as a trained profiler Hotch knew that something was wrong. Besides the obvious emotion displaying on her face, Hotch knew that the rest of the team was right behind his door and listen intently, something they did when something was wrong.

"Of course JJ, is anything wrong?" He asked, trying to extract some answers from the blonde quickly.

"It's just some family issues that I have to deal with." She answered, finally collecting herself and putting on what the team had deemed as her 'press face'.

"Well, if you need anything just let me know. We're here for you JJ." Hotch assured her, knowing that it'd be useless to try to get anything from her now. "Will a week be enough time?" He asked and she nodded.

"More than enough. I only need three days." She told him and he nodded.

"Well, if you need any more just call me." He said and tried to study her without making it blatantly obvious he was breaking the 'no inner team profiling' rule.

She nodded and quickly headed out of his office. As soon as she pulled open the door, Morgan, Emily, and Spencer fell forward, almost falling on top of each other like in the cartoons. If it had been a different situation JJ might have laughed. But not now. She excused herself and stepped around the, heading quickly towards her office.

The three stooges, as JJ had now decided to call them, followed her hastily. "JJ, you can't be serious." Morgan started off and JJ had to bit her tongue not to snap at him.

"What do you mean Morgan?" She asked dully, entering her office and stacking files on top of each other to try to find something.

"You can't seriously be thinking about going with your brother." He answered unfazed as JJ threw open a drawer and took out a key.

"I'm not thinking about it, I'm going." She answered swiftly and stuck the key into her pocket, now reaching down underneath her desk to grab her go bag.

"But JJ!" Spencer exclaimed and she turned on him sharply. He gulped, but bravely didn't back down despite JJ's intense glare. "He just manhandled you in the middle of the FBI!"

When JJ didn't say anything Emily added, "Who knows what he'd do to you behind closed doors." She told her friend, concern lacing through her voice.

"He wouldn't hurt me." JJ told her co-workers shaking her head and started to try to leave her office before Morgan stepped in the way.

"That bruise on your arm begs to differ." He told her and she sighed, her composition dropping for a moment to reveal a vulnerable women.

"Please guys. I have to do this." JJ pleaded with her teammates.

"Why JJ? What's going on?" Morgan asked, his stance softening at the look on JJ's face.

"I can't tell you." She said, shaking her head and pushing past Morgan, who was unprepared. She walked out of the bullpen and before Morgan, Emily, or Spencer could go after her, another blonde figure rounded the corner and confronted them.

"Where is she?" Penelope cried, trying to see past Morgan and into JJ's office. The three stooges shifted uncomfortably.

"Who?" Emily asked, deciding it best to play dumb, but Penelope shot her a look that would have made even Aaron Hotchner cringe.

"She left Mama." Morgan told her honestly.

"What? Why would she do that?" Penelope cried in outrage. "And why did you let her?" She asked him and his eyes widened and he held his hands up in surrender.

"She was determined to go, I couldn't stop her." He told her and tears began to form in her eyes.

"She can't go back home!" Penelope cried, looking truly terrified.

Morgan's eyebrows rose a little. "Do you know something we don't?" He asked and Penelope hesitated.

AN: I've kind of been on a writing frenzy lately! I'm excited for this story as JJ is my favorite character! I'm hoping that this interest you! I've had this idea in my head for a while but I just never got around to writing it. Anyway! REVIEW! The more reviews I get, the faster I'll update!