AN: So, for those of you following Another Try or Hurt Me, don't panic, I'm still updating them, but I got this idea into my head last night and it just won't seem to get unstuck, and I'm home sick all day yesterday, so I've got an opportunity to write, plus, if I didn't, the lovely spider muse of mine will bite, and thats really not nice.
"What?" JJ's shocked voice echoed through the bullpen, closely followed by the distinct sound of the papers she had been holding hitting the floor with a loud rustle, drawing any eyes that hadn't already been on her and Hotch to her. Her surprised emotions and wide eyes drew Morgan's attention, and he frowned.
"JJ, maybe this isn't a conversation to have here right now." Hotch said quietly, but not quiet enough that it couldn't be heard. "I know it's a lot to take in ,and that it's going to be difficult, but it's above my paygrade. Strauss' too. There's only so much that I can do. I'm not pleased that this is happening either."
JJ shook her head, steadying herself on the handrail with one hand as her other hand nervously ran through her hair, even as her knuckles tightened almost imperceptibly on the railing, indicating a lot to those of the people there that knew JJ's signs.
Morgan frowned and stood up from his desk, standing behind JJ and gently wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing the back of her head. "I got you baby." he said softly, only turning to address Hotch after JJ had nodded mutely, turning to bury her head in Morgan's chest, his arms tightening protectively around the blonde that had become his life. It was no secret to anyone in the office that he and JJ had been dating, since they'd grown close after Will left a little over a year ago.
"Hotch, what's going on?" Morgan asked, and there was a definite tone difference between the way he had addressed JJ and the way he was addressing the unit chief. Whatever was going on, Hotch had started it, because JJ had been fine when they had arrived at work this morning.
Hotch sighed, rubbing his forehead. "It's not really my business to tell you." he said tiredly. Morgan sighed somewhat angrily at the unit chief's usual way of trying to avoid keeping the whole team involved in something that involved just one agent.
"Whatever it is, it scared the hell out of my girlfriend, and therefore, it just became my business know, whether you tell me now or she tells me later." Morgan said bluntly. "JJ and I don't keep things from each other, and you know that. And personally, I'd rather know now so I have some idea of what to expect if JJ continues to not take this well instead of waiting until she's in a place where she can tell me just what the hell is going on."
Hotch started to open his mouth to say something, but JJ cut him off. "You can tell him, Hotch." JJ said softly, her voice disturbingly quiet, an unusual habit that betrayed just how much whatever was going on was affecting her already. Hotch nodded, and sighed once more.
"I did all I could to prevent it from happening." the unit chief said. "I tried stopping it, Strauss tried stopping it, hell, Strauss' superiors tried stopping it," he started to say, but Morgan cut him off.
"We're not at a team meeting, Hotch." Morgan snapped, the combination of JJ's behavior and Hotch's apology for not being able to help ramping up his nerves. "Just cut the fancy speech and tell me what the hell is going on."
Hotch sighed and shook his head. "Okay. If that's what you want. I was trying to make it easier for you." he said. He took a deep breath, like he wasn't quite coming to terms with it yet himself. "I got a call from Strauss' superior, who had subsequently gotten a call from the National Guard. As you know,
we're preparing for a war with North Korea, and they've been recruiting FBI agents. Well," he paused and took a breath before continuing, and Morgan's heart sunk with a dreading feeling that he knew where this conversation was going. "They want JJ to go. No, want isn't the right word. They're taking her."
"What?" Morgan nearly shouted. "No! That isn't happening! I mean, damn, Hotch, she's got Henry here! Besides, she's never even had military training! Why not you, or me, or Rossi or Blake? We've all served before. JJ's just our media liaison! She can't serve, especially not overseas in a major war!" The overwhelming realization that he was losing JJ to the very country he once served and was still working for hit him square in the chest, and he held JJ close to him, well aware but unconcerned that most of the bullpen had turned their eyes to watch the scene unfolding in front of Hotch's office.
"Morgan." JJ's soft voice drew his dark brown eyes away from Hotch, and his gaze fell on the blonde beauty pressed so close to had seen a future with this woman, the once in a lifetime girl who had finally settled him down from the party life he had used to lead. "I'll be okay. They just want me to come down to the base for a while. I probably won't ever see the field. I'll be doing the same thing I'm doing here over there, except I'll be fielding missions, not cases."
"I've seen bases destroyed. People who weren't ever supposed to see the field killed." Morgan said softly, no trace of his previous anger in the way he addressed JJ. "Or worse. I don't want to lose you, Jen." His thumb traced the line of her cheekbone, causing the faintest hint of a smile to dance across JJ's face.
"You won't lose me. Ever." JJ said softly. "I won't be gone for long. They said at most it would be a two year tour, and I've still got eight months to get myself back into military shape before I have to leave. They said they were willing to provide me with a physical trainer, so I'll be staying here in the area until I leave."
"I'll train you." Morgan said impulsively. "I'm still in shape, and I have been since I came back from the marines. I'll train you, show you the ropes on how to get yourself in shape and stay that way." he was just hoping, longing for a way to spend as much time with her as he could before she was shipped away on what he was dreading was a death mission. Any invasion into North Korea wasn't going to go well, and he had a sinking suspicion that there was still something that JJ and Hotch were keeping from him.