Friends In Low Places, a criminal minds fanfic

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Friends In Low Places

Pinch hit for : mcsaz91

Summary: JJ comes home from a case and finds out that the only people she can rely on are her friends.

Pairing: JJ and Will, sort of

Disclaimer: I don't own them; I'm only playing with them.

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It had been a long week and Jennifer Jareau was more than tired. She was beyond exhausted. All she wanted when she got home was a kiss from her man, a hug from her son and a long hot bath. She never realized how much goriness she missed out on being the media liaison. She knew she couldn't wash away the images in her head but she could at least smell better.

She parked the car in the driveway next to Will's truck and grabbed her gear before heading inside. The house was suspiciously quiet when she opened the door. She had sent a text message to Will when the jet had landed letting him know she would be home soon but had not heard back from him. Were they trying to surprise her?

"Hello!" She hollered pausing for to listen for any kind of noise. Her senses went on high alert. She pulled out her gun and methodically checked her own house. A quick sweep of downstairs revealed no clues to Will and Henry's whereabouts. She paused at the foot of the stairs. If they were up there and something had happened to them she didn't want to be alone when she found them.

Pulling out her phone, she began texting: Priority 1 emergency, my house. Come now. She tapped the team listing and hit send. She moved to the front door, opened it and leaned against the doorjamb as she waited for the cavalry to arrive.

The first to arrive was Penelope, followed in a few seconds by Reid and Rossi. As she was explaining the situation Morgan and Emily both screeched around the corner in their vehicles and slammed the brakes to stop in front of the house. She finished her explanation by the time Hotch arrived; Jack was in the car with him. Dave took control of the situation, ordering Reid and Emily to re-search the first floor while he and Morgan took the second floor. JJ told Hotch what was going on as Aunty Penny kept an eye on Jack.

Reid and Emily finished their sweep and returned to the front porch as Dave and Morgan descended the stairs. JJ looked at them expectantly. "They're not here," Dave said quietly as he reached out his hand towards her. "He left this on the bed."

She looked down at his hand and it took a moment for her to recognize that he was holding an envelope out to her. Her hand trembled as she took from him.

"That son of a…" she muttered as she ripped open the envelope. She pulled out the paper inside and flattened it out. She could practically feel the empathy exuding from her friends as she began to read.

Dear JJ,

I know a letter is not the best way to end a relationship but you have to admit that ours isn't a usual relationship. I love you, I really do and I love our son. But I can't go on like this. It is not fair to either of us. I want you to be home with me every night but you want and need to be with the team. I understand that and don't hold it against you. In fact, it is one of the things I most admire about you. I haven't been completely honest with you. I met someone else about three months ago. I haven't cheated on you physically but I have been spending a lot of time with this woman. I have fallen in love with her. She is everything to me that you can't be. I hope you can understand that. I know that you will probably hate me for this but I have asked her to marry me. We are getting married today. I know you are on your way home now. I have Henry and will bring him to you after the ceremony then we can arrange for me to get my stuff out of your house.

I'm really sorry, Will.

"Read this," she growled as she thrust the papers into Emily's hand. "Out loud."

Emily complied and read it so the team could hear. When she finished she turned to JJ and opened her mouth to speak. JJ held up a hand stopping her before she stared.

"No apologies, no I'm sorry's," she stated. "I have a plan."

"Whatever you need kiddo," Dave smiled at her. "I'm in."

She grinned at him and the rest of the team as they chimed in their assistance as well.

"Garcia, I need you to work your magic and find out where this shindig is taking place," JJ began.

Garcia nodded and ran off to her car to get her babies.

JJ turned to Reid and Emily. "Can you two start gathering Will's things and put them in his truck?"

"Sure," Emily said as Reid nodded. They headed into the house together.

"What would you like from us?" Morgan asked. She grinned at them. Garcia scurried past them and into the house as well taking Jack with her.

"You three are going to escort me to the party!"

Dave, Hotch and Morgan shared a look then smiled at JJ. "You want bad-assery?" Morgan asked.

She nodded.

"This is going to be fun," Dave smirked.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

JJ laughed out loud when she came down the stairs to find her henchmen all dressed in jeans and black t-shirts with their weapons on their hips. Hotch looked uncomfortable, even though he and Dave looked as smoking hot as Morgan. She found out they were all wearing Morgan's t-shirts.

JJ was also wearing black. Skin tight black jeans tucked into knee-high leather boots topped with a black v-neck sweater. She looked bad-assed and ready to kick butt. She slipped her service weapon into the holster on her hip. She wasn't planning to use it; she only wanted to scare the crap out of whatever woman it was that had married Will.

JJ rode to the event with Dave as Hotch and Morgan followed in Will's truck. The team had succeeded in packing all of his things in record time and jamming into the bed of the truck while Garcia did her thing and JJ changed clothes.

They pulled up to the front door of the hall where the reception was taking place. A young man stepped forward to park the cars for them only to cower back to his chair as Dave sent a glare at him. The three men followed closely behind JJ as they entered the building.

Music was playing loudly and people were laughing and drinking as was usual at an event like this. JJ recognized Will's parents and other family members scattered amongst the crowd. A waiter walked by, she grabbed a full glass from his tray and downed it in a single gulp.

"Easy," Dave whispered in her left ear.

"Just a little liquid courage," she replied.

"I know," he smiled.

Hotch leaned into her other shoulder. "Want us to wait here?" She nodded and he continued. "Will is standing in front of the band with what appears to be his new bride."

JJ centered in on the area and spotted Will. She nodded again and pushed her way through the crowd. Not looking around she marched across the dance floor and stopped right in front of the happy couple.

"Will," she said loudly. He looked at her. JJ reached over and took the glass of champagne out of the bride's hand. She tilted the glass at them and swallowed the entire contents before tossing the empty glass at the woman. She smiled inwardly as she could see the fear on the other woman's eyes.

"JJ," Will said finally. "I wasn't expecting you here."

"Obviously," she growled. She smirked at the woman clinging to his arm. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

"Now is not a good time," he said softly. "Why don't you go home and we'll talk about it when I bring Henry over?"

"Where is my son?" JJ asked as she looked around. "HENRY!"

As she yelled the music suddenly stopped and all eyes were on the three of them. She could feel the crowd shift towards her then suddenly step back. A glance over her shoulder affirmed the fact that her henchmen had stepped up behind her.

Will swallowed hard as he took in the three unsmiling men. "You heard the lady," Morgan stated. "Where is her son?"

"Our son," Will said brazenly." Is playing with his cousins in another room."

"I'll get him," Hotch announced. He glared at Will before leaving the room.

"JJ…" Will began.

"I don't want to hear it," JJ announced. "You said everything you needed to in that letter you left for me. You're a real son of a bitch, you know that? You don't even have the balls to call me or at least wait until I came home."

Will snorted. "How long did you expect me to wait? I never know when you are going to be home, JJ. And when you are, I can't talk to you because you are so worn out."

"Well," JJ smiled. "You no longer have to worry about that do you?"

"Mommy!" Henry cried. JJ turned and genuinely smiled when she saw her son. Hotch handed him over to her. Henry wrapped his arm around her neck and held on tightly.

She gave Will a withering look. "Your crap is in your truck which is parked out front. Don't darken my door again."

"I still want to see my son," Will protested.

She glanced at him as she turned away. "Well then I will see you in court," she told him. "If you remember, your name isn't on the birth certificate."

She began to walk away. Will started to follow but was cut off by Dave. "Just so you know, I'll be paying all of JJ's court fees. So you can expect any judgments against JJ to go on for years. I hope you can afford it."

Will looked at the older man for a moment before stepping back. "You're a bastard," he spat.

Dave smiled. "It helps to have friends in low places. Remember that."

He turned and followed JJ and the guys outside.

"What did you say to him?" JJ asked.

"I just reminded him that you have better friends than he does," Dave told her.

She laughed. "You're right about that. Take us home, okay?"

He nodded and they all climbed into his vehicle and drove off into the sunset.

The End

Here are the lyrics to the song:

Blame it all on my roots
I showed up in boots
And ruined your black tie affair
The last one to know
The last one to show
I was the last one
You thought you'd see there
And I saw the surprise
And the fear in his eyes
When I took his glass of champagne
And I toasted you
Said, honey, we may be through
But you'll never hear me complain

(chorus)
'Cause I've got friends in low places
Where the whiskey drowns
And the beer chases my blues away
And I'll be okay
I'm not big on social graces
Think I'll slip on down to the oasis
Oh, I've got friends in low places.

Well, I guess I was wrong
I just don't belong
But then, I've been there before
Everything's all right
I'll just say goodnight
And I'll show myself to the door
Hey, I didn't mean
To cause a big scene
Just give me an hour and then
Well, I'll be as high
As that ivory tower
That you're livin' in