A/N: Thank you for the reviews, alerts or just reading!
Chapter 2
JJ swiped her security badge through the system outside of Garcia's lair and then entered her security code. When the light turned green, she opened the door and entered. Garcia swung in her chair to see JJ entering, carrying five week old John "Johnny" LaMontagne safely strapped in his car seat. Garcia, rising from her chair, looked at JJ as she set the car seat down on Garcia's work table opposite of her systems. JJ set the diaper bag down next as Garcia pulled her into a huge hug.
"What are you doing here," Garcia asked.
JJ smiled. "I may still be on maternity leave, but that doesn't get me out of my annual review." She looked at Garcia. "Do you mind," JJ asked with another smile, nodding at Johnny.
"Oh my gosh, you know better," Garcia beamed. "Give me the lay of the land with my new golden child." JJ filled her in and then headed into the bullpen via the side door. Reid was heads down with a case file and the rest of the agents were busy as well.
She softly knocked on Hotch's door and pushed it open more as he called her in. "Hi," Hotch smiled, getting up from his chair. "How are you doing?"
"I'm good," JJ smiled and then looked at him. "Starting to get antsy to get back to work," she confessed.
Hotch shook his head, nodding her into one of the chairs. "I'm looking forward to having you back as well JJ; we all are," he smiled. "But not until your OB-GYN signs off and you get some work in with Morgan to get back into field shape."
Hotch sat down and they made small talk with him smiling about Aunt Penny taking care of Johnny. "What about Henry," Hotch asked.
"He's at a day long soccer camp this week and loving every second of it," she smiled.
"And how is he handling being big brother?"
JJ smiled. "It was a bit tough at first; but he's finally adjusted to it. He told Will and me last week that he doesn't wake up anymore with Johnny crying in the night." Hotch smiled. "And we let the boys bond together with Henry giving Johnny his 'good night' bottle," she said with a smile and fingers raised in quote marks.
"Haley and I always wondered how Jack would handle a sibling," he smiled. JJ smiled as well. Hotch pulled a file off a stack. "Let's get started so you get back to enjoying just being mom for a few weeks more." JJ nodded.
"Biggest question is how are you dealing with the aftermath of Askari?"
"You don't fool around do you Hotch?"
Aaron looked at her. "PTSD is nothing to be fooled around with. I know that as much as anyone."
"Was there a problem with my psych eval," JJ questioned.
"None," Hotch responded. "But like me with Foyet, there's ways of getting around it." JJ looked at him. "I didn't want them to know that I was secretly working my profile of Foyet much more in depth and giving the impression I was losing it like Shaunessy. They would have chalked that up to PTSD."
JJ looked at him. "Thanks for being honest." It was Hotch's turn to look at her. "Honestly Aaron, I've gotten some help; outside help that Emily recommended," JJ said looking at him with a small smile. It vanished quickly. "The Bureau shrinks say 'you can trust us; it's all confidential' but you and I know that isn't entirely true."
Hotch nodded. "That's all I need to know JJ; if you tell me it's not smoke and mirrors, I believe you."
"Honestly Hotch, I was ate up inside for a while. But I'll tell you this," she slightly smiled. "I wanted to try to get pregnant again. Will said he wouldn't until I got better first."
Hotch smiled. "I think Johnny closes that issue." JJ beamed.
Leaning back into his chair, Hotch looked at JJ again. "When you re-entered the Unit, you were pretty gung-ho for a while."
JJ slightly laughed. "Will called me the Super Ninja of the BAU." Hotch looked at her. "After Emily left, I knew I would get partnered up with Morgan more. And I'm sure you both have noticed I'm not built like Emily." She smiled. "Morgan calls me Pennsylvania Petite for a reason." Hotch nodded.
"Remember the case in North Mammon nine years ago," JJ asked. "The one my aunt pressed me to take a look at because she was friends with Judy Homefeldt?"
"I remember," Hotch said.
"On the plane ride home, you asked me if I wanted to be a profiler. I gave you the big speech about being the person the overworked detective could reach out to?" Hotch nodded again with a smile.
"When I was training Jordan Todd in to take over for me when I was pregnant with Henry, I told her the job required some profiling as well. Fast forward to the situation with Emily when Doyle almost killed her and we kept the secret. On the jet to Paris, she called me out." JJ looked at Hotch.
"She figured out my backstop story of leaving the BAU and she challenged me to think like a profiler." She smiled at the memory. "She asked me what would Hotch tell you to do." JJ looked across the desk. "And after what happened in that desert; Hastings raping and killing Nadia and Askari's part in the whole plan, I knew I was more than just the little petite blonde that assisted this team. I knew I could do more. I called Rossi knowing you were an agent down, even with Seaver on board. He vetted me out pretty thoroughly," she smiled.
"News flash; Dave told me." JJ smiled. Hotch smiled back and then turned serious. "But that still doesn't explain the Super Ninja as Will said."
"I was over-compensating, trying to prove I belonged in this Unit; as a profiler," she flatly stated.
"It's not the punch in your game JJ that makes you a profiler," Hotch said. "It's what you can do looking at the clues, using our techniques and studies to catch unsubs."
"I get that now Hotch," JJ said. "And honestly, Will said something to me that has stuck. I'm a wife and mom first. That's what I've loved about my therapist," JJ smiled. "She's really helped me learn to balance all that." She eyed Hotch. "Another reason we both were comfortable with me getting pregnant again," she smiled. Hotch eyed her. "Don't get me wrong Hotch. If a situation in the field requires me to get down in the trenches with Morgan, I won't hesitate to do it. But I'll do it now, backing my partner and with my partner backing me."
"Good to hear," Hotch said. "In the meantime JJ, I am not questioning your work around here," Hotch added. "It's been top notch. But I and Dave for that matter noticed you were indeed over-compensating to try and prove you belong. You don't need to anymore."
"I get that Hotch," she smiled.
"And Gideon?"
JJ shook her head. "That hurt all of us Hotch. But we solved that one; for Gideon. I know in my heart he's resting peacefully in the afterlife with that knowledge. That one has not and will never enter my nightmares."
Hotch smiled. "Mine either and for the same reason," he said, getting up from his chair, motioning her to the door.
"Hotch?"
JJ got the uncharacteristic large, rarely seen Hotch in the office smile. "It's been nearly ten years since I've held a newborn, smelling like baby lotion." He eyed JJ. "And you cannot convince me that Garcia doesn't have Johnny out of his car seat, holding him."
"Gee, that's a tough profile," JJ laughed, reaching for the door handle, looking at her watch. "But Hotch, Johnny had his bottle an hour and half ago. You might be smelling something more," she said looking at him.
Hotch smiled again. "I remember that too."
###
A/N: Just getting something off my chest.
