Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, nor do I intend to profit from this story in any way.
I know in FF World Will tends to be an unpopular figure because he gets in the way of whichever main character you might ship JJ to be with. But personally I really like Will, and I also like the idea of JJ not having to go through his death, or him leaving her or something like that, but just getting to be happy with the father of her child.
So this is just a little story I had twirling around in my mind that I thought I'd share. I hope you enjoy it.
Cheers, friends.
"Mom!"
JJ heard Henry's startled yell. She dropped the paperwork she had been occupied with and hurried upstairs. His voice was coming from the bathroom.
"Henry, what -" Water was spraying rapidly from the pipes below the sink. Henry was soaked.
"I don't know what happened! I turned on the tap to wash my hands, there was a big clank sound and water started shooting everywhere!"
"Don't worry bud it's not your fault," she said as she reached to to shut off the water. She twisted the handle on the pipe, but the water continued to spray. "Oh, that's not good." She turned to Henry,
"Go get changed hun, take your wet clothes to the laundry room okay?"
"Sure"
"I'm gonna call someone." JJ opened the bathroom door to find two sets of eyes gazing past her in wonder.
"What happened?" asked Luke with awe as he took in their dripping clothes.
"I think a pipe broke or burst or something" JJ answered.
"Are you gonna call Daddy?" asked Julia. JJ laughed.
"No. I'm gonna call a plumber." JJ left to grab the phone and watched her twins follow Henry with more questions about his ordeal.
JJ called a plumber, explained the urgency of the situation, and was assured that one would be there in 15 minutes. She hung up and dialled her husband's cell.
"Hello,"
"Hi Honey"
"Hi Cher, what's up?"
'A pipe burst or broke or something in the bathroom upstairs, water's spraying everywhere, I can't shut it off."
Will laughed, "Do you want me to come home?"
JJ smiled into the phone, "No, I called a plumber."
"That's probably wise" Will answered and JJ laughed. Most handy work Will was very good at, but when it came to plumbing he had no problem admitting that he was clueless.
"I was just calling to let you know that the bathroom is soaked and we have a night of bathroom drying ahead of us."
"And so I should bring home take-out because you'll be with the plumber and with all the cleaning you won't want to cook."
"Bingo. God I love you."
Will chuckled, "I love you too. I'll be home in an hour and a half."
"See you then."
They hung up and JJ changed out of her wet clothes. She was dropping them in the laundry room when she heard the doorbell. She ran to let the plumber in and lead him up to the bathroom.
"I'll be right back, I just need to check on the kids for a sec."
The plumber nodded and began to assess the damage. JJ found the kids in Henry's room. "I'm going to be busy with the plumber for a little while. Are you guys okay in here?" They nodded. JJ returned to the bathroom to find that the plumber had already started working.
"How many kids do you have?"
"3" JJ smiled.
"How old?"
"The oldest is 8, the twins are 5"
"Wow, twins, that's gotta be a handful."
"It can be," JJ laughed.
"Boys or girls?"
"2 boys and a girl"
"I've got 2 girls myself"
"Oh, how old?" And so JJ spent the better part of an hour with the plumber, holding what needed to be held, showing him to other pipes in the basement and chatting with him about their respective children. JJ wrote him a cheque when he left. Shutting the door behind him, she turned to go check on the kids. She opened the door to Henry's room to find Henry and Luke quietly playing with trains. She took in her boys, Henry being a fairly solid blend of herself and Will; Sandy hair, Will's blue eyes (which were lighter and greener than her own) and her smile. Luke's hair was darker than Henry's, but their eyes were the same. Luke looked just like Will had at that age. JJ had no doubt Luke would grow up to look just like his dad.
"Where's Julia?" she asked gently. Henry shrugged.
"Not here," he answered. JJ pulled the door partially shut behind her. She walked past Luke's empty room before pushing open the door to Julia's.
"Jules?" She scanned the empty room. JJ went back downstairs, "Jules? Julia?" she called. JJ walked through the kitchen, living room and dining room. She poked her head into her office and into the bathroom. "Jules, sweetie, where are you?" JJ heard a thump in the front hall. She walked towards the door but saw nothing. She turned on her heel before she heard it again. "What?" she murmured to herself as she opened the coat closet.
"Oh my god!" she yelled as she opened the door to find Julia, her arms duck taped together behind her back, a piece of tape over her mouth. Tears poured down her daughter's face as JJ picked her up and hugged her close. "Oh, baby" JJ lamented softly. She kissed Julia's temple as she gently pulled the tape from her mouth. It was wet with tears and so it pulled off fairly easily. JJ carried Julia to the kitchen, setting her on the counter to grab a pair of scissors and cut the tape from her hands. Once her arms had been freed Julia threw them around her mother and burst into fresh tears. JJ lifted her from the counter and carried her to the couch in the living room. She sat with Julia on her lap. She soothed her tears with gentle rocking, soft murmurs and stroking her daughters golden blond hair that was so like her own. In every way that Luke resembled Will, Julia was a tiny replica of JJ. As Julia calmed, JJ found the eyes that were a perfect likeness of her own. Looking at her mom, Julia took in a shaky breath and stopped crying. JJ kissed her daughter's temple again as she asked,
"What happened sweetheart?"
"We were playing cops and robbers. I was the robber. Henry and Luke caught me and said I had to go to jail." Tears welled in her eyes again, and JJ wiped away the tear tracks on her face with her thumbs.
"It's okay, you're okay now. What happened next."
"Handcuffs." Julia offered, "Henry got tape for handcuffs. Then we went to the closet 'cos it was jail. I didn't want to go to jail anymore but they said I had to. And then they put tape on my mouth and pushed me inside and shut the door and it was dark and I couldn't get out!" Julia began to work herself up again and JJ hugged her and ran her hand over her hair to calm her again. She realized that with her hands behind her back Julia would have been unable to reach the door handle to free herself.
"How long were you in there Jules?" JJ asked once Julia had calmed back down.
"A long time. They had already caught me when you came to tell us the man to fix the bathroom was here. And then I had to go to jail." JJ closed her eyes at the realization that Julia had been in the closet for close to 45 minutes.
"I have to go talk to your brothers" JJ spoke in Julia's hair as she snuggled closer but nodded. JJ grabbed the remote and flipped on the television and found a program that had several animated fairies dancing around the screen. Julia turned her attention to this as JJ ran up the stairs. She roughly pushed open the door to Henry's room where she found the two boys still occupied with the trains. JJ looked at Henry.
"Henry William" she said through gritted teeth and the boys dropped their toys. She turned to Luke and said "Luke Daniel"
"Mom's mad" Luke said quickly as he nudged Henry.
"Oh yeah. Mom's mad" JJ replied crossing her arms. "You duck taped your sister and locked her in a closet for almost an hour." Her voice rose as she almost yelled "What were you thinking!"
"She was the robber. She had to go to jail" Luke offered quietly.
"So it was just a game?" JJ asked. Luke nodded. "Do you think it sounds very fun, being tied up in a dark closet for an hour?" Luke shook his head. JJ pinched the bridge of her nose and said, "Luke, go to your room until your dad comes home." Luke got up to leave and JJ added "and sit on your bed. No toys." Luke nodded as he left the room, fully recognizing how much trouble he was in. JJ rounded on Henry whom she knew full well was the mastermind behind this little plot. Luke would go along with anything his big brother did.
"Henry, we'll talk about this when your dad comes home. But right now I want you to sit on your bed and think about what you just did, and how Julia would have felt, tied up, tape over her mouth, in a dark closet that she couldn't get out of for an hour. You really think about what you did to your sister." Henry moved to his bed staring at the floor without saying a word. JJ shut the door behind her and walked past Luke's room, glancing in to see him sitting on his bed tracing the patterns on his comforter. She went into Julia's room and grabbed Sunny, Julia's beloved teddy bear before heading back downstairs.
In the living room, Julia was still watching the fairy show when JJ entered. Her eyes lit up when she saw her mom and her bear coming towards her. JJ handed Sunny to her, sitting down on the couch and pulling Julia into her lap. Julia hugged the bear and snuggled closer into her mom. JJ knew Julia liked to cuddle when she was upset and JJ was more than happy to indulge her. Julia rested her head against her mom's chest, she pointed to the television and began telling JJ about the various fairies. They had been like this for around 10 minutes when JJ heard the door open.
"Daddy's home" JJ said softly. Julia smiled but made no attempt to remove herself from her mom's arms. JJ picked Julia up with no effort. She was around 2 inches shorter than Luke and most of the other kids in her kindergarten class and somewhere around 35 pounds. They walked into the hallway.
"Hi Princess" Will drawled to his daughter as he leaned forward to kiss JJ. He set down a bag of take-out. "Well hello Sunny" Will nodded to the bear as he pulled back from the kiss. He looked at Julia again. "What's wrong Ladybug? What happened to your hands?" he asked indicating to the redness that had spread where the glue in the tape had irritated her skin. Julia placed her head back against JJ's chest and answered,
"Henry and Luke taped my hands and taped my mouth and put me in the closet and I couldn't get out, and it was dark, and it hurt my arms and I was scared." Julia's voice wavered at the end and Will reached out,
"Aw Jules" he crooned. She reached out towards him and Will took her from JJ. He kissed the top of her head as she rested it on his shoulder. Will rocked back and forth as he looked at JJ questioningly. JJ grabbed the take out and lead Will into the kitchen.
"They were playing cops and robbers while I was with the plumber. Julia had to go to jail in the front closet after Henry and Luke handcuffed her with duck tape. They taped her mouth and left her in the closet for 45 minutes." Will stared at hr flatly.
"You're kidding"
"I wish"
"You poor thing" Will looked down to his daughter in his arms, "Are you okay?" Julia nodded.
"The boys are in their rooms - thinking. They're waiting for you to come home so we can talk to them."
"And?"
"Oh, they're so grounded."
"I'll say"
JJ looked down to Julia, "Jules, Mommy and Daddy have to go have a talk with Henry and Luke."
"Okay," Julia replied. JJ grabbed crayons and a colouring book from a drawer and set them on the kitchen table. Will set her down at the table and Julia opened the book to a clean page.
JJ and Will headed up the stairs. JJ lead Will past Henry's room saying "Luke first," knowing that Luke was not the instigator of this plan and also that at 5 years old, he would have found sitting on his bed with nothing to do for 10 minutes far more difficult. JJ opened the door and Luke looked up to see his parents enter.
"I'm sorry" Luke said, right away. JJ sighed as she sat on his bed.
"That's good Luke but we still have to talk."
"Okay" he answered looking down again.
"Have you been thinkin' about what your sister was feelin' when she was tied up down there while you were upstairs playin'?" Will asked. Luke nodded.
"Luke, you've been in your room for 10 minutes. Julia was in the closet for 45 minutes. Your room is bright, you can move around and be comfortable on your bed. Julia was tied up in that dark little closet. Are you thinking about how awful that was for her?" Luke nodded.
"I'm sorry" he said again. JJ continued to talk to Luke.
"Why did you tape her hands?"
"Handcuffs"
"Why did you tape her mouth?"
"I don't know" Luke answered quietly.
"Why did you put her in the closet?"
"That's the jail."
"Why did you leave her in there for so long?"
"I don't know" Luke answered truthfully again.
"Whose idea was jail and the handcuffs?"
"Henry's"
"Who put the tape on her mouth."
"Henry. 'Cos she said she didn't wanna play anymore, and didn't wanna go to jail, and she was gonna yell and tell Mom"
"Why didn't you help your sister?" Will asked. "You knew that puttin' her in the closet like that wasn't okay and you didn't help her."
"I'm really sorry Daddy"
"I know you are. And I know you're never gonna do anything like this ever again. To anyone." he added. Luke nodded vigourously.
"I promise."
"Good. But you're still grounded." Luke's face fell at his dad's words.
"No t.v, no computer, and no video games for 3 days" JJ said. Luke looked utterly dismayed but knew better than to say anything.
"And you're gonna miss your soccer game tomorrow," Will added. Luke looked to the ground but nodded.
'I'll call you when dinner's ready," JJ added as she and Will left to go to Henry's room.
Will opened the door to his son's room. Henry was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He sat up when his parents came in. They sat on the end of his bed.
"Henry I know I don't have to explain this to you. I know, you know what you did to your sister was mean and wrong." Will spoke sternly, and JJ thought briefly about how before they'd had kids she hadn't known how serious a Cajun accent could sound. Henry nodded and Will continued. "So why don't you tell us why you did it?"
"I don't know" Henry sighed and Will shook his head,
"That's not gonna cut it Henry"
"Well we were playing cops and robbers and she was the robber. She had to go to jail." He emphasized his point in the hope that his parents would understand. They stared back at him without speaking and he quickly continued. "But she was being stupid -" He caught his mother's eye and back-pedalled from the word he was not to say, "I mean, she didn't want to play anymore. She didn't want to go to jail, but she had to. She was ruining the game!"
"So you taped her hands and mouth?" JJ asked.
"No, she was already wearing the handcuffs when she wanted to quit. She just didn't want to go to jail."
"But you pushed her in the closet anyway? And you taped her mouth shut?" JJ continued.
"I just wanted to finish the game and I didn't want her to scream."
"Why did you leave her in the closet for so long then if you knew she didn't want to be in there?"
"After Luke and I finished the game I knew she'd been in there for a long time and I knew she'd be mad and she'd tell and I didn't want to get in trouble." Henry hung his head.
"You thought she'd just stay in there forever? She'd never come out and you'd never get in trouble?" JJ asked.
"No, I don't know. I just didn't want to get in trouble."
"Well you're in trouble bud," Will drawled and Henry nodded,
"I know."
"I want you to think about something," Will continued and Henry met his gaze. "How would you feel if you found out someone else did this to Julia? How would you feel if you found out someone at school made Julia pay a game she didn't want to play?"
"Bad"
"And how would you feel if you found out someone taped up her hands and her mouth."
"Bad"
And how would you feel if you found out someone locked her in a closet for an hour?"
"I'd feel bad, I'd be mad at whoever did that to her."
"I know you would, because you love your sister. You wouldn't let anyone do something like that to her. So if you wouldn't let anyone else hurt her like that why is okay for you to do it?"
"It's not."
"That's right. You're her big brother. It's your job to protect her, look our for her." Henry nodded. "That's why you will never hurt your sister like this again."
"I won't, I promise."
"Good boy" Will finished and Henry looked to his mom,
"Am I grounded?"
"Oh you bet." JJ nodded and Henry heaved a large sigh. JJ would have laughed at his theatrics but she didn't want to send the wrong impression.
"No t.v, no video games, no computer and no soccer games for 3 days" Will told him.
"No soccer!" Henry cried. JJ looked at him as only a mother can and Henry accepted that it was not up for discussion. "Okay" he said.
"Go get your brother and wash your hands for supper." JJ told him as they left the room.
Down in the kitchen JJ began to unpack the food while Julia showed Will her colouring. He took her to wash her hands and when they came back to the kitchen the boys were helping JJ. Will cleared his throat as they entered the room and JJ turned to her sons, "Do you have something to say to your sister?" She asked them.
"I'm sorry Julie" Luke said quickly.
"Yeah, Jules I'm really sorry. We'll never do anything mean like that to you ever again." Henry added. Julia nodded, not quite ready to forgive them at this point and JJ couldn't say she blamed her.
They ate supper amicably, the kids telling stories about their days from before the pipe burst with JJ and Will chiming in whenever they had something to add. When supper was over and they had begun to clear everything away JJ realized they still had the mess in the bathroom to clean up.
"God, I forgot all about the bathroom." She said rubbing her hand across her face.
"Right, about that," Will drawled, "I was thinkin' that the boys and I would finish up in the kitchen here, and then we'd head upstairs and get started on the bathroom while you girls go get some ice cream." JJ broke out in a huge grin and Julia squealed,
"Really?"
"Well if it's alright with your mama." Will said. JJ caught sight of the boys and knew from their dejected faces that they were unhappy, but that neither would argue with the decision that they would not be having ice cream because she knew they truly did feel bad. As a mom she hated having to punish her kids, but she knew that this small victory was exactly what Julia needed after what she had gone through today. JJ stuck out her hand.
"Of course it's okay. Daddy said I could have ice cream too," she joked and Will laughed. Julia took her hand and JJ said, "C'mon ladybug." She lead Julia from the kitchen and out the door. They walked the 2 blocks to the ice cream parlour hand in hand. Once there, JJ got chocolate with peanut butter cups and Julia got vanilla. JJ had long ago given up trying to get her daughter to try a more adventurous flavour. They sat together on stools, and Julia swung her feet back and forth. JJ licked her cone and Julia at hers from a dish with a spoon. When JJ had finished hers and Julia was nearing the end when she turned to JJ and asked,
"Mommy can we bring ice cream home for Daddy and Henry and Luke?" JJ looked at her surprised.
"You want your brothers to have ice cream after they locked you in the closet?"
"Well..." Julia said thoughtfully, "I'm still kind of grumpy with them because they were mean today. But I know they really love ice cream, and they already missed the best part anyways."
"What's that Jules?"
"Coming to the ice cream store is the best part, 'cos the ice cream tastes better here. So if they can't come here maybe they can at least have ice cream?" JJ's heart swelled at her daughter. She kissed her forehead as Julia dropped her spoon into the now empty dish.
"I think we can arrange that." she smiled. JJ settled for bringing home 3 ice cream sandwiches. She didn't think cones or dishes would last a 2 block walk with a 5 year old, so she chose the sandwiches which she could carry while giving Julia a piggy back home. When they entered the house JJ gave Julia the ice cream and she ran upstairs to the bathroom to find her dad and brothers. JJ followed her and when she entered the bathroom she saw Luke and Henry happily biting into their ice cream and met Will's confused expression. She leaned against the countertop with him.
"She didn't want you guys to not get any ice cream" she told Will and he broke into a big smile.
"Of course she didn't." he beamed at his baby girl. After a few moments of watching her brothers eat Julia turned to her parents.
"Mommy will you come play flower fairy dolls with me?" she asked. JJ quickly glanced at Will to see if he actually needed help in the bathroom. He gave a barely discernible shake of the head and JJ smiled as she answered,
"Of course ladybug." Julia ran happily to her room and JJ turned to Will.
"It's actually not that bad, we'll probably be done in here in an hour" he offered. She smiled at him as he added, "plus we already got ice cream, better do something to earn it." JJ laughed and kissed him.
"Mommy" she heard Julia call. She left her boys in the bathroom to join her daughter.
2 hours later the bathroom was clean, and the kids were tucked away in bed. JJ entered her bedroom to find Will sitting on the bed reading an article from the morning's paper. She sat beside him and he tossed it aside. She leaned against him and his arm wrapped gently around her resting on her thigh.
"I still can't believe they would do that to their sister." he sighed.
"Me either" JJ admitted, "but I don't think they'll ever do anything like this again." Will nodded and JJ turned to face him. "That was actually some pretty fine parenting today " she teased and she gently kissed him. Will chuckled.
"You weren't bad yourself " and he kissed her back. As JJ kissed him again she thought she was lucky. Behind it all she really did have good kids, and when there was a problem she had a solid partner in Will. She loved him, she loved her kids. She was lucky. She was happy.
I hope you made it all the way to the end :) and that you enjoyed. Reviews are always greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.