A/N

As per request(s), I tried turning the tables and put Blake in the position of nurse. HA, but really, she did not like that to start with, but I think she had to rethink her attitude, at least towards the end.

This isn't quite femslash as it could be read as friendship alone, although of course I see it as femslash because I so badly wanted to pair them up.

Hope you'll like it!

She had been eyeing her co-worker for the past three hours, getting increasingly worried. JJ was definitely not well. Blake wasn't sure what was wrong, but she suspected the flu; it was making its rounds at Quantico at the moment, knocking people out left and right. It could be just a cold of course, but that usually didn't give people - unless they were very whiny - that "I'm-about-to-die"-look that JJ unknowingly sported right now. And JJ was not whiny. She may have looked girly and fragile, but she wasn't.

They had both stayed after returning from a case, to finish up on some paperwork - even Hotch had gone home already, to catch up on some quality time with Jack - and in the quiet, empty bullpen she could actually hear the laboured sound of JJ's breathing. While the younger woman tried her best to hold back a cough, there was little she could do to stop the symptoms from progressing. She also seemed to have the chills; shivering and clasping both hands around her mug of hot coffee as if to warm them. All this Blake could pretend to ignore, but when JJ's teeth actually started chattering, she felt she could no longer be quiet.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," JJ replied, but the sound of her voice said 'absolutely not'. "It's just cold in here, that's all."

It wasn't. Blake wasn't particularly hot-blooded herself, and in November she preferred to combine turtlenecks and wool blazers, but at the moment, the blazer hung over her chair and she felt comfortable enough without it. JJ however huddled inside her knitted cardigan like she wanted to curl up into a tiny ball and devour her own body heat.

"You wanna go home? I can finish this alone," she said, trying to sound casual.

JJ coughed and Blake winced at the sound. Yeah, no cold came on this quickly, this was the flu alright. Great.

"No. I have to take the bus home anyway, and it's about thirty minutes left until I have to leave anyway, so…"

"Can't Will come and pick you up? You don't sound too good."

JJ gave her a weird glance.

"What? What did I say?"

"Oh, you didn't know. Will and I separated a month ago."

Blake blushed. No, she hadn't known. She wasn't the type of person who would get personal with her colleagues.

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

"Yeah, well…"

JJ rubbed her temples as if she had a headache. Blake debated with herself about what she should do. She was at best awkward around sick or injured people - it wasn't lack of empathy, it was just insecurity, she had no idea what was expected of her - and she wasn't exactly thrilled at the prospect of catching this bug herself. If there was anything she found even more uncomfortable than looking after others, it was showing a dent in her own armour. But JJ was obviously getting worse and she did feel sorry for her.

JJ hastily got up from her chair and said;

"Sorry, I'm gonna…" before rushing to the bathroom in the corridor. Blake heard her throw up, sighed, and began collecting her things. Germs or no germs, JJ needed some help and she would feel like a terrible person if she ignored that.

When the younger woman returned a couple of minutes later, Blake had collected her things too, turned off their computers and met her in the doorway. JJ was so dizzy and weak she had to lean against the doorframe. Her head pounded and her throat felt like it was haphazardly being cut with razors.

"Come on JJ, I'm driving you home," Blake said and handed over JJ's coat and purse.

"You don't have to…" JJ began, but Blake cut her off.

"Yeah, I do. I don't think you'll be able to walk to the bus stop by yourself, and I don't want to be responsible if you collapse out there," she said, quite harshly. "Put on your coat."

"Alex, really, I'll…"

"Just do as I say," Blake snapped and immediately bit her tongue. Oh God, she was so bad at this, it was horrible. But JJ almost seemed relieved at her straightforwardness and did as she was told with no further argument.

"Do you need anything?" Blake asked as they had gotten into the car and were on their way. "Do you want me to stop at a drugstore?"

JJ shook her head and pulled her coat closer around her shivering body.

"Just turn on the heat."

"It's already on."

"Full blast?"

"Full blast. I've felt like I'm having a hot flash ever since we left Quantico," she said in an attempt to joke. JJ smiled feebly and closed her eyes.

"Sorry. But I'm freezing like hell."

Blake frowned. She had never seen JJ like this before.

"We're almost there," she said, as if that would help. "Unless you want me to take you to the hospital."

"Alex, it's the flu. It's not Ebola," JJ said without opening her eyes. "I'll be fine once I get an Aspirin, some tea and my couch."

Blake fell silent and let JJ rest, something the younger woman was incredibly grateful for. She didn't like feeling like a burden, and especially not to Alex Blake, who seemed to prefer keeping a professional - almost cold - distance to her colleagues. As a profiler, JJ was certain this had everything to do with Blake's previous experiences in the Bureau; becoming a scapegoat in the media wasn't exactly something that made anyone more open to others… but that didn't change the facts. Blake didn't like it when people invaded her personal space, and she didn't like imposing on other people's personal space.

Still, JJ was thankful Blake had saved her from walking to the bus stop in the cold November wind, then sitting on a bus for almost 45 minutes, then having to walk for another ten minutes to get to her house. She hadn't realised how sick she was until they had reached the parking garage and she was sure her shaking legs wouldn't carry her another step. Somehow she made it all the way to the car and collapsed in the passenger seat, and now she just wanted to go to sleep. The car was about as clean and tidy as its owner - there were no old paper mugs or hamburger wrapper on the floor, not a spot on the windshield, hardly any sign of usage at all - and JJ felt a moment's worry that she might throw up again, which would be mortifying to do here. But she was too weak to keep worrying, and she soon drifted off into a feverish slumber.

Blake parked outside JJ's house, and reached out a hand to touch her shoulder and rouse her from her state of near-unconsciousness .

"We're here."

JJ looked around, seeming disoriented and hazy. Blake did not like this, not one bit.

"Hey, do you need any help now?" she asked hesitantly. "With Henry, or…?"

JJ tried to smile. Even her lips hurt.

"Thank you. But it's not necessary, he's with Will this week."

She tried to get out of the car and somehow managed to stumble on her own feet, nearly falling over. Blake got out, walked around the car and steadied her the few steps to the door. When JJ put the key in the lock, Blake took another look at her glassy eyes and wondered what the hell to do.

"Okay… do you have someone you can call if you get worse?"

"I'll manage," JJ said. "See you. Thanks for the ride."

"Hmm… okay. See you. Call me if you need anything."

She turned to leave, took two steps towards the car, then changed her mind. JJ just looked too awful.

"On second thought, I'd better stay and keep an eye on you."

"I told you, it's not Ebola," JJ said with a forced smile.

"Yeah, if I thought it was, I definitely wouldn't stick around," Blake shot back. "Are you going to stand out here in the cold and argue, or are you going to let us in?"

She hated how she always ended up sounding so brusque when she worried about anyone. She supposed it was some kind of defence mechanism, making sure nobody thought she was soft and, by extension, exploitable, but it was still ridiculous. Why couldn't she just push that selfish fear aside for once? She forced herself to soften her voice as she decided to tell the truth;

"I snap at you because I'm worried, okay? I'm just like that, but I'm working on it."

"I know you are," JJ said. "When you first came to the team you wouldn't even have offered me a ride home."

That stung, but she took the remark in stride because she knew it was true. She had bad experiences with getting too personal with co-workers and bosses, but this team was different. She wanted to share with them and wanted them to allow her in. It wasn't so easy for her to change, though.

"You're right. But I am here now, and I'm way too concerned about you to leave."

That too was true, and JJ seemed to understand, because she finally unlocked the door and let them both in.

I've been an idiot, Blake thought as they made their way through the darkened hallway and into a cosy kitchen. Mutual concern must be better than uncaring solitude.

"You really don't need to stay," JJ said. "I don't wanna get you sick too."

And Blake, who less than an hour ago had had the same concerns, lightly dismissed it altogether.

"I'll cross that bridge when I get to it."

"Do you mind if I go and lay down?" JJ asked and coughed again.

"You should do that. I'll make some tea."

"It's right over there."

She pointed and Blake nodded.

"Good. Now go before I have to carry you."

"You wouldn't."

Blake thought of the times she had had to carry Erin Strauss to bed after she had too much to drink and passed out somewhere, smiled ruefully and said nothing. JJ disappeared, hacking a raspy, unpleasant cough.

So, tea. What else does a good nurse offer? Chicken soup? I don't know how to make chicken soup. Scratch chicken soup. Who the hell decided that's so important anyway? Florence holier-than-thou Nightingale?

Besides, JJ didn't look like she would be able to eat anything anyway.

I'm so bad at this, it would almost be amusing if it wasn't so pathetic.

Eventually, she had managed to make some tea and even finding some honey. She felt like a burglar when she searched the cupboards, but she had decided to grin and bear it. Now wasn't a good time to, ha ha, chicken out.

She carried two cups of tea into the living room, where JJ had laid down on the comfy couch. Since the other woman was curled up there was room enough for Blake too, and she sat down next to her.

"JJ," she said softly. "Here you go. Careful, it's hot."

JJ sat up, took the cup and once more pressed her hands against it for warmth.

"Thank you Alex."

Blake smiled nervously and put her own cup down on the table in front of them.

"I'll go and get you an Aspirin. I'll find some Kleenex as well. Is there anything else you need?"

"Yeah, I need you to calm down. I won't die on you."

Blake had to smile as she realised how she must sound.

"I'm just not very good at this nursing thing."

"You're doing fine, Alex. It's sweet of you to care."

"Of course I care. I'm just terrible at showing it."

She took a deep breath and made an effort to relax. She hesitated, then reached out a hand and felt JJ's forehead.

Oh God, the poor thing is burning up.

JJ twitched.

"Your hands are cold!"

"No sweetie, you're the one who's hot."

Sweetie? She had never used that word to JJ before. She held her breath as she waited to see if she would be called out on it, but JJ said nothing, she just looked miserable. Blake relaxed a bit more. As for Aspirin and Kleenex, she didn't have to look through JJ's stuff; she had both in her own purse. She got up to get it, and when she returned JJ had huddled up so that her chin nearly rested on her knees. Blake pondered this agility for a moment, shook her head and put the things down on the table next to the untouched tea. She looked around and found a thick, warm blanket on the armchair. She draped it over JJ's shivering body.

"Hey, are you sure you don't want to go to bed instead?" she murmured. JJ nodded.

"I never go to bed this early," she said. Blake rolled her eyes.

"I don't think that counts when you're sick."

"I wanna see the late news," JJ explained, and her voice cracked altogether at the last words.

"Fine. But after that it's bedtime for you."

"God, you're bossy," JJ whispered.

"I can be worse. Lend me a corner of that blanket, will you?" Blake said and pulled up her legs beneath her. If she was going to wait for a full hour before she could get JJ to bed, she might as well make herself comfortable. As JJ wriggled into a position that allowed Blake a piece of the blanket, the older woman suddenly realised that this was rather cosy. Not that she was going to admit that to anyone, not after all the walls she had put up. But yeah… looking after someone else was a nice change to her usual self-centred life routine.

Not that she would want to make a habit out of it, but… it was a nice change nevertheless.