CHAPTER 3

12:01 a.m.

It had been over two hours since JJ had gotten off the phone with her brother. It hadn't been a pleasant conversation. There had been shouting, name calling and more than enough guilt to last both people a lifetime.

And now she found herself lying in bed next to her sleeping fiancé wishing that Henry hadn't been in bed when she'd gotten home from work. She wanted nothing more than to hold him in her arms and look into his small blue eyes and tell him how much he was loved, how much she loved him. Shaking her head and rolling onto her side; she was not her father she told herself as she closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep.

2:56 a.m.

Tossing and turning in the bed JJ couldn't help but think back to the promise she'd made to Charlie. She had promised him that she wouldn't get involved. She'd never broken a promise to him before. Not one of the important ones anyways. But she'd made that promise before she understood what was going on. Before he'd told her what he knew. Before she'd found out why her Father had come to see her, to ask for her help.

How could he expect her to stay out of it? She was after all a FBI Agent. Thinking about it for a moment she knew the answer to her own question. By not being involved she wouldn't get hurt, she wouldn't have to talk to her father. Charlie was trying to protect her. He was her big brother after all. And at that thought a smile began to form on her face.

4:27 a.m.

She'd given up on sleep at this point, opting instead to sit on the couch in the dark sipping a cup of tea. As she sat there staring out the window into the night she contemplated what she was going to do. Did she keep her promise to Charlie and forget what she'd been told or did she use her connections as the FBI and honour her father's request, even if she hadn't given him a chance to plead his case to her.

"Hey," Came the gentle voice from behind her.

"Did I wake you?" She asked turning her head in the direction of Will's voice.

"No." he said wiping sleep from his eyes as he made his way next to her on the couch. "What are you doing up Cher?"

Her only reply was a non-committal shrug as she leaned into him placing her head on his shoulder. Will for his part reached out and wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in closer. They were both continent to sit like that forever, just being close. After some time had passed Will finally felt her body relax into his and her breathing even out. When he looked down at her face his suspicions were confirmed she was indeed asleep.

Reaching down he slowly removed the cup of tea from her hands and placed it on the coffee table before gently picking her up in his arms and carrying her back to their bed for some much needed rest.

6:45 a.m.

Standing in the kitchen, dressed in a white blouse and black slacks waiting for the coffee to finish brewing, JJ pulled out her phone and dialled the familiar number. It was early, but she knew he'd be up. It was after all a working day.

"Hotchner."

"Hotch, it's me."

"JJ, what's wrong?" three words she thought. It'd only taken him three words to figure out something was wrong.

"Nothing. I just need some personal time. I have a family situation to take care of."

"Of course. Is Henry alright?" Hotch asked remembering the boy had been in the hospital not that long ago.

"No he's fine, so is Will." She paused and let out a sigh before continuing. "It's more of an extended family matter." She answered.

"Ok. Well take as much time as you need. And JJ?"

"Yes?"

"If you need anything you'll ask right?"

It was more an order than a question, but she answered it anyways. "Yes. I'll be in when I can. Thanks Hotch." And with that she hung up.

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Returning to his desk with his 3rd cup of coffee Reid carefully looked at the stack of files on his desk. "Ok, which one of you tried to sneak your consults into my pile?" He asked eyeing both Morgan and Prentiss as he asked.

Holding up his hands in mock surrender, "Wasn't me kid." Morgan said before giving Reid a smile.

"Oh no," Emily started, "you're not pinning this on me Morgan."

"I'm tellin' ya it wasn't me." Morgan defended.

"Well the pile didn't just magically grow overnight." Emily scoffed.

"Everyone can calm down." Hotch said as he entered the Bull Pen. "It was me. I put the extra files into everyone's consultation pile."

"Why?" Reid asked.

"JJ, took some personal time. So I divided up the cases she was working on." Noticing the looks from the three profilers in front of him Hotch continued. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Reid asked as Morgan and Emily traded glances with one another.

"What he means is," Rossi stood and interjected himself into the conversation after he too noticed the same change in behaviour that Hotch had seen. "We're profilers Reid, we can tell that you all know something about why JJ isn't at work today. You're body langue shifted as soon as Hotch mentioned her taking personal leave."

Hotch stood there glaring at his team, making sure to look each in the eye before he spoke again. "What's going on?"

"We don't know much." Morgan began. "But when we got back to the office last night, her dad was waiting for her."

"It wasn't exactly what you'd call a happy reunion. He came to ask for her help. They argued, she walked away, he left." Emily continued the story, opting for the short version.

"Do you know what he wanted?" Hotch asked.

"No," Morgan said. "She never gave him a chance to ask."

"Maybe we should call her." Reid said looking around the room at the others.

"I don't mean to be callous but if she wanted our help she would have asked." Rossi reasoned.

"He's right." Hotch nodded his agreement. "She knows we're here if she needs us. For now I suggest you all get started on that paper work." Hotch said before heading to his office.

A/N: Ok I haven't gotten it written yet BUT... I think you will get to find out the big mystery in the next chapter!

Still like? Is this where you thought the story would go? Comments/thoughts?