AN/ So, according to my profile poll, people wanted a sequel to After Three Years, (which absolutely delights me because that's one of my favorite stories) so here it is. SSBAILEY is such a great partner that I couldn't help but jump at the chance to have her co-write this with me. We hope you enjoy!

AN2/ For anyone that hadn't read the original one-shot, 3 years after JJ left the BAU Hotch went to bring her back to find out that she was being abused. The previous story had JJ's son with a different name, but that's changed now so that it's Henry to avoid any confusion.

PART 1

"JJ, are you sure you're ready to do this? You've only been back for a week, it can wait." Hotch asked softly as they sat in his car in the bureau parking lot. They had dropped Henry off at the FBI offered daycare just down the road, and were now sitting silently in his car. He had noticed how JJ's fists were clenched tightly, though that was the only tick that may have given her away as being nervous.

"No. I mean, Yes. I mean, I can do this." JJ said softly, taking a deep breath and opening the door to exit the car.

He quickly exited the car at the same time, determined to provide moral support. "Hotch?" She asked, startling him as they stepped into the elevator.

"Yeah?"

"My erm, bruise," she whispered as though it were a secret, "is it totally obvious?"

"What bruise?" He asked, truthfully he could see the outline of it a little, but she didn't need to know about that.

"Thanks." She smiled, "Do you think everyone will be okay with me being back? I don't want to cause problems."

"They all love you JJ. They're happy that you're back, but some things are different..." Hotch started, but was cut off by Garcia and Emily greeting them as the elevator opened to the BAU's floor.

"JJ!" Emily smiled, hugging her friend lightly, "I missed you!"

JJ's words were caught in her throat, unable to speak for a moment while Emily hugged her. "I've missed you too." She finally choked out, overcome by the love that eminated from her friend.

Finally pulling away, Emily looked at her excitedly "I want to show you something." She practically dragged JJ over to her desk, the exact same one she had been using since she joined the BAU. "This is Meredith, but Brian's nicknamed her Meri." She said, pulling a picture off a desk.

JJ examined the photo, it was of a tiny little baby in pink. "Is she yours? How old is she?"

"Yeah, she's four months--I've only been back at work for a month myself, but I miss my little Meri everyday--she's adorable." Emily gushed proudly.

"So, have you guys thought of names?" Emily asked her as they sat eating take-out at a New Mexican precinct.

"Well, I really like Adam, but Will likes Henry for a boy."

"Henry? Like Henry Lee Lucas?" Emily laughed.

"Yeah, I told him I'd rather die before we named our son Henry, but we'll have to see." JJ laughed.

"What about for a girl?" Emily asked, sipping her cola.

"I'm not sure. I had a friend named Merideth, and I love that name."

"Oh! I love that too!" Emily squealed.

"Ok, tell you what! Next one to have a girl gets to name her Merideth."

"She's beautiful Em, really." JJ smiled, "So Brian's the husband?"

"Yep, our girl here married a doctor." Garcia chimed in, sounding every bit like the proud parent. "Dr. Brian Patterson."

"I'm really happy for you Em." JJ answered honestly, "But I guess I need to see what a mess my office is--I'll see you guys later."

"Serial killers seem to be extremely busy this morning" JJ muttered to herself as she poured over the fifth case file to come through the fax machine before 9am. "Well I guess we're going to Milford, Delaware."

After alerting the team individually that there was a new case, she ignored the odd looks and set up in the conference room. She knew that before she would have just announced loudly that there was a briefing, and with telling the team each time it had come out as more of a request, but she couldn't help it.

Shaking her head to clear the memories that came to mind as she entered the conference room, JJ started placing the files and pens in front of each chair--the team filing in as she did so.

Plopping down in the chair that was closest to the door, Reid was met with a glare from Derek Morgan. "Okay, geez Morgan. I forgot, I'm moving." the young genius surrendered as everyone got situated around the table.

Filing away the scene she had just witnessed for later, JJ immediately started the breifing. "A detective from the Milford PD in Delaware faxed me this case file this morning." Pausing, she clicked up three gruesome crime scene photos, "The bodies of three women--all age 23--have been found all over the city. All were beaten, raped, and had both breasts removed peri mortem. They all bleed out from the wounds within hours of when they were inflicted."

"He makes no effort to redress the bodies before he dumps them" Rossi observed, "This guy obviously has no remorse whatsoever."

"The victim's--Rachel Moore, Stevie Roberts, and Meagan King--were all found within a two week time period, and only Meagan was reported missing by her brother, Charlie King." JJ added, pulling up the DMV photos of each victim. "Detective Davies said the town is practically on lock down, people are afraid to leave their homes, children are being kept home from school. Apparently Milford is fairly small town, and the police are afraid that if an arrest isn't made soon the public may begin to take matters into their own hands"

"According to the census taken in 2000, Milford, Delaware, had a population of barely 6,000 residents." Reid tossed out, "Most of them were male."

"That seems like my sort of town." Garcia said causing all in the room to chuckle.

"Wheels up in 20?" JJ asked, avoiding eye contact with all of the other members of the team.

"Yeah, wheels up in 20." Hotch reaffirmed as everyone closed their files.

"Anna, honey we caught a case..." Rossi said into his blackberry as he boarded the plane, grimacing at what he knew her reaction would be, "I know it's out anniversary, baby--I'll make it up to you. I promise!"

Taking a seat next to Emily on the jet, JJ whispered, "Em, who's he talking to?"

"Oh, that's Anna--his wife." Emily informed her blonde friend. "They've been married about six months, and believe me when I say it's been a long six months for all of us."

"I'm sorry, I'm still processing the fact that David Rossi got married, again." JJ whispered back, watching as Dave slammed his phone down on the small table at the front of the plane, "Ouch! I guess you weren't kidding about it being a long six months, huh?"

"You have no idea."

"So," JJ approached the question carefully, "What else has changed?"

"Everything." Emily laughed, "and nothing." Seeing the distant glance on her friend's face, she decided to oblige a little. "Well, I've gotten married and had a baby, but other than that, same old same old."

"Yeah, Merideth, what a cute name." JJ pointed out hoping her friend still remembered.

"I knew you hadn't had a girl yet, and---" Emily smiled, but left her sentence hanging, "I just liked having a little secret that only you and I know."

"So, Rossi's married?" JJ asked, avoiding Emily's eyes and trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, and she's about 20 years younger than he is. She worked for his book publisher, but the most has probably changed for our resident genius." Emily revealed.

"Oh, really?" JJ asked.

"Yeah, he's been dating this girl for forever, I know she's talked to him about getting married, I think she might have to pop the question first, even though I went with him to pick out an engagement ring." Emily laughed.

"No way! Are you serious?" JJ asked, her mind running a mile a minute at this new revelation, "Reid's planning on proposing to someone?!"

"I've very serious. Austin's really sweet, you'll have to meet her when we get back--he met her during a case we did while you were on maternity leave." Emily answered as the jet took off from the runway. "I think that was during the Jordan Todd era."

"The Jordan Todd era?"

"Oh, yea we started referring to them as "era's" after the six liasion left." Emily answered, "But I guess that's over now, we're really glad you're back Jayje."

"Thanks, I'm really glad to be back." JJ said awkwardly.

Entering the precinct for the first time brought back a flood of memories for JJ--most of them unpleasant. This precinct looked almost identical to the one Will had worked.

"Hey, pretty lady, how can I help you?" An attractive officer with a Southern drawl surprised her. It took everything she had not to cringe visibly.

"You can tell us where your boss is." Morgan spoke up from behind her, "And since I don't think he'd want to hear about one of his officers having a sexual harassment suit filed against them, maybe you should get back to work."

"Whoa, hey man I didn' mean to be disrespectful." The officer surrendered immediately. Pointing across the room, he added, "The boss is waiting for the FBI over there in the conference room."

Turning around to say thank you, JJ was immediately met with Derek Morgan's back retreating into the conference room behind Hotch and the others, "Well, Thanks anyway Derek." She whispered, and moved to follow her team.

AN/ I hope you liked it!