Disclaimer – I own nothing Criminal Minds related!
If I could make a wish list of what I wanted to see in season 7 it would be more JJ/Hotch scenes (of course), better continuity, more realistic storylines (it's not that I didn't like the Prentiss/Doyle storyline, I just felt blah about it), no more behind the scenes troubles and some tension, especially between Morgan and JJ because I never understood where it came from but I always liked those scenes, a la Revelations and Mosley Lane... anyways the purpose of that rant was because I wrote this woo!JJ is returning to Criminal Minds fic!
And here it is, let me know what you think!
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JJ blinked a few times as the words on the page she as reading blurred. The BAU jet was somewhere over Oklahoma in the dead of the night. Glancing around the plane, she made sure her colleagues were getting some well deserved rest after a difficult case.
The blonde had only been back three days when the call for assistance came in. The last week had been a whirlwind and if she were being honest with herself, the Pennsylvanian wasn't sure if she had caught her breath yet.
One minute she was in a boring Pentagon budget meeting, then the next thing she knew her supervisor had called her into her office, informing the stunned blonde that the FBI needed her presence and here she was.
Hotch was temporarily acting as Section Chief of Quantico and dealing with his son while she was acting Unit Chief of the BAU. It was controversial move for the supervisory profiler to make and she could sense the tension as soon as she stepped off the elevator three days ago.
Hotch had reasoned that Morgan was in no fit position to take on the lead position again. Prentiss's 'death' had hit him hard and a recent case involving a family member had become too personal and Hotch could see the Chicago native on the verge of a breakdown. Rossi refused to even think about stepping into the unit chief role and so he had called in JJ.
She had argued that it wasn't her place, but Hotch's insistence won and then everything just got awkward.
The whole team had welcomed JJ home with open arms, but the time she had been away from her one time home, things had changed.
She had changed.
There was plenty her friend's didn't know about her time away. The fact she covered up Emily Prentiss's 'death' was just the tip of the ice berg. But Hotch had trusted the former media liaison with his team and she wasn't going to let him down.
JJ knew it would be a transition. Garcia mockingly called her ma'am, while Seaver was instantly formal with her, not knowing how to necessarily act around the returning agent. Reid was glad to have the familiar face around but kept his distance and Rossi being his normal smug self had insisted on calling her kiddo. Morgan on the other hand, was his usual self.
The case they had taken was closed and things had mainly gone smoothly but not after JJ had to take Morgan aside and force him to deal with the case at hand and not his personal feelings towards her.
Pushing the case file away from her, JJ sighed as she saw Morgan stand from his seat and come to sit in front of her. Placing his I-pod onto the desk, the profiler cocked his head inquisitively. "Why did you come back, JJ?"
"Hotch asked me too. Besides I miss working with you all." JJ answered with a straight face, keeping her emotions in check as her colleague continued his questioning.
Shrugging, Morgan watched the blonde intently as he spoke. "You had a cushy job with the DOD."
"It's not the same Derek." JJ answered quietly, as she piled the files up that she had been reading. "Say what you really want to, Morgan."
Morgan shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "You shouldn't have told me to go to the police station, JJ. I should have been in the field."
"I needed you to deliver the profile." JJ replied coolly. "Look, I'm not here to tell you how to do your job, Derek..."
JJ paused momentarily as Morgan's expression became unsure. "I don't get why Hotch would want you in charge."
Closing her eyes briefly, JJ composed herself internally. It had been nearly five months since Prentiss had 'died,' five months she and Hotch had been keeping a shared secret and apart of her believed that the team suspected something was off, so as the profiler opposite waited for an answer, the blonde took a deep breath and regained her confidence. "Morgan, believe it or not but I'm a good agent. I can run a case with my eyes closed. I can do the paperwork, deal with the bureaucrats, lead an interrogation and handle the media. But I'm not a profiler. I expect you to be able to take care of that side of the case. I want this to work out."
"We're a profiling unit, don't you think a profiler should be in charge?" Morgan stated in a hushed tone, not wanting to wake the rest of the plane.
"Hotch is in charge, I'm just here temporarily." JJ reassured calmly before leaning back in her seat. "But in all honesty, Derek, no a profiler doesn't have to be in charge if she has good profiler's in her team. I know taking orders from me is particularly difficult for you and I'm sorry you weren't asked to be team leader..."
He scoffed in ridicule. "That's what you think this is about?"
"Talk to me Morgan." JJ prodded encouragingly.
"This is about the fact that you left. You're no longer an FBI agent or a member of our team." He snapped harshly, noting Seaver staring at them from the far end of the plane.
Nodding, JJ's eyes widened as she saw her one time friend stare at her angrily. "You're mad at me."
Groaning, Morgan ran a hand over his head and sighed. "I shouldn't have said that."
"You're angry Morgan. That's why you're not running the team this time. I'm not here to act as dictator. I'm just going to keep the team on track and I hope I have your help with that." JJ bit her lip softly as she waited for a response.
An uncomfortable silence overtook the pair as Morgan stared at his hands. "Do you miss her?"
"Of course I miss Emily. She was one of my best friends."
"You never cried." Morgan criticized as the continued their eye contact.
'How did Hotch do this for so long?' flashed through her mind suddenly as she saw the hurt in her friend's eyes. "I... I was upset, I just mourned privately."
"You weren't mad at her for not coming to us?" Morgan queried with a raised eye.
JJ shook her head slowly. "She was trying to protect the team. I respect her for that."
"I don't know how this is going to work between us." The profiler stated as he gestured between them both with his hand.
The blonde straightened in her seat and smiled thinly. "Derek, you either accept that I'm acting unit chief and do your job or you can stay at the office on desk duty and I'll bring someone else along until Hotch returns."
Morgan pursed his lips while staring at the petite woman in frustration. "JJ, no offence, but you can't..."
"Derek, that's your choice. I can't have you acting up because a non profiler is running the team for a few weeks. There are peoples' lives on the line here, and while I accept there's still some adjustment to be done I'm not going to put up with what happened the other day. If you think I need to be questioned, fine, let me know in a professional tone. But if you just don't like what you're being asked to do because I'm the one who asked, you should probably stay in the office and allow the rest of us to do our jobs."
Flinching at JJ's stern voice, Morgan took into consideration his options for a moment before nodding and speaking through gritted teeth. "Fine. I'll adjust my behaviour."
"I'm glad, this team needs to stick together." JJ smile warmed as Morgan stood and began to move away from the table.
Pausing at her side, the profiler rested a supportive hand on the Pennsylvanian's shoulder. "Do you really think Hotch is going to come back?"
Meeting his curious eyes, JJ shrugged. "I don't know but if he doesn't the team will support his decision."
"You should get some rest." Morgan squeezed her shoulder and smiled softly.
"You should too." JJ returned the smile and watched as he took a seat opposite the couch where Reid was sprawled over.
Her eyes met Seaver's briefly, before the younger woman quickly shifted her gaze in embarrassment. Things were definitely different JJ mused as her attention turned back to the case files. As she scanned the top of the document, she felt her Blackberry buzz through the table. As she read the text, JJ smirked slightly and rolled her eyes upon seeing the sender's ID, she knew that not everything had completely changed.
1 new message: Hotch – How did everything go?
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Thanks for reading!