Late Night Rendevouz - A series of one-shots following the events of the season 6 episode "Lauren.
JJ receives a number of late night phone calls in the months following Emily's death. It seems that whenever she receives one of these calls, she is already thinking about Emily.
It had been four months to the day since the funeral and in that time on more than one occasion JJ had found herself deliberately avoiding her friends and former colleagues for fear of being found out just from being looked at. She knew that from firsthand experience that as profilers they could detect the slightest hint of a lie. JJ knew it stupid, but she couldn't help feel guilty when she talked to them or saw them on days off. She felt the same way when she looked at her son; it was almost as if she had robbed Henry of another parent.
Since she had 'died', JJ had discovered that her sleeping patterns had changed dramatically. She would fall asleep on the edge of the right side of the bed and wake four or five hours later in the same position, not feeling at all rested or refreshed. Her body refused to spread out and take refuge in the sheets laced with her scent. Three weeks after the funeral, JJ had flown to Paris to give her three new identities, to say one last goodbye. Despite given the chance to say farewell twice, the blonde hadn't been able to bring herself to face the left side of the bed.
Henry had been particularly fussy for the entire week and on top of being sick, it left JJ with a very poor sleeping pattern. Knowing that she was alive, was literally making her lose sleep and JJ wasn't sure exactly how much longer she could last like this. Still, at 2 am and only hours before her alarm would spring to life, she couldn't shut her mind off. 'Where was she? What was she doing? Was she missing them as much as they were her?'
The media liaison was pulled from her musings when the phone rang. Her head whipped around to check her clock. 2:07am. She didn't need the two-year-old down the hall to wake up especially after he had only fallen asleep an hour before. Her hand grazed the phone, instinctively answering with her surname. Anyone ringing this late surely had to be someone from work.
"Jareau." There was nothing but silence on the other end and the blonde strained her ears in a search for any kind of noise.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" There was still no response. "If you don't answer I'm going to hang up."
She let her words hang for a moment, and her ears strained more than she thought they could. Henry started crying from his room down the hall. She let out an exasperated sigh into the receiver. Just as she readied herself to move the phone away, a voice came over the phone so quickly and so quietly JJ immediately thought she had imagined it.
'I'm sorry.'
Then the resounding two-tone noise followed a swift click. Whoever was on the other end had finished the call.
JJ started at the device before returning it to its cradle and heading down the hallway to settle her son, the words being pushed to the back of her head for a later time when she was more awake and aware and not dragged down with fatigue. She was sure that when she would wake in the morning, it would have felt like a dream.
Chapter title is from the song lyrics of Fix You by Coldplay.
Please be gentle. I am experimenting with the format of a series of one-shots instead of a long-winded chapter.