A/N: Hey all. Here's the latest chapter. It's short, I know, but I'll hopefully be able to update soon. Let me know what you think!

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From ilovetvalot and tonnie2001969, the two lovely moderators at the forum Chit Chat on Authors Corner: The Second Annual Profiler's Choice Awards are up & running at "Chit Chat on Author's Corner" forum. The nomination ballot IS available! Please, please, please READ the rules and category descriptions before casting your noms. Time is running out. The LAST day to submit your ballot is October 15, 2011, 11:59pm EDT. Remember, without you guys there'd be no awards! HAVE A BALL! We're SUPER EXCITED!

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

Chapter 4: Damage Control:


JJ rode the elevator up to the BAU, empty handed—if Hotch wanted the transfer done so badly he could get the damned box himself. She was tired and ready to go home. Only home time was a half a work day away, and these days her home life wasn't particularly restful.

She let out a sigh as she stepped off the elevator and started for the glass doors that led to the bull-pen. She looked up at the upper offices hoping to catch Hotch in his office; she needed to demand an alternate assignment. Luckily, he was there and she started across the noisy bull-pen when a loud squeal suddenly halted her progress.

A second later she was nearly bull-dozed over by her extremely hyperactive best friend.

"Oh, peaches," Penelope greeted her endearingly; she proceeded to give her a big hug. "I just heard. Thank goodness you're all right."

"You just… heard?" JJ repeated, confused.

Penelope pulled back to nod at her emphatically. "About your near death experience and your triumphant rescue by our very own Italian Stallion."

JJ made a face as she tried to hide her laughter at her friend's latest nickname.

Garcia returned the look. "What, too much?"

"Just a bit," JJ confided.

"Yeah, I'm trying to come up with a good one for him," Garcia added. "Guess I'll keep trying."

JJ smiled at her friend. "How'd you know about my fall? It was literally only ten minutes ago?"

News couldn't travel that fast, could it?

"Will," Penelope stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Will?" she echoed. She thought she'd made it perfectly clear to him that she did not want to speak with him until she returned home.

"Yeah," Garcia continued, "He came up and I ran into him. That's when he told me what happened. And then he said he was going up to thank Rossi. Isn't he a sweetheart?"

Warning bells suddenly rang in JJ's head. "He went to see Dave?" JJ asked for clarification purposes.

"Yep," Garcia answered. "He's up there right now."

Crap, JJ cursed. She abruptly left her friend's side and started for the stairs. She took them two at a time, listening for tell-tale signs of trouble—yelling, banging, or, you know, gun shots…

She didn't hear anything as she approached Rossi's closed door. But that didn't mean anything. One of them could already be dead for all she knew.

Tentatively, she knocked on Rossi's door. She waited for a response, anything, and let out a huge sigh of relief when she heard Rossi call out, "Come in."

At least he's alive…

She turned the door knob, pushing the door open and stepped inside. Immediately, her gaze lit on the two men; both looked perfectly healthy. That was something. But if they weren't chewing each other out, what were they doing?

JJ gave each of them, in turn, a suspicious look. "Is everything all right in here?"

She looked from one to the other, both remaining tight-lipped. Neither was going to tell her what was going on, she realized. After sharing one last charged look with Dave, urging him with her eyes to reveal all, she turned back to Will.

"Will, I thought we agreed that I'd see you back at home?" she said, mincing her words carefully.

Will gave her a look that she could only read as disgusted, before announcing, "Forget this!" and then proceeded to stomp out of the office.

JJ threw Rossi, who'd been watching her closely, an embarrassed look.

"I'm sorry about this, Dave," she apologized, before running after the father of her child.

She caught sight of him just as he was approaching the top of the stairs. "Will," she called out, hoping he'd pause and not make her run after him, causing a scene. All she needed was Strauss catching wind of her soap-opera-y day…

Luckily, he stopped on the second step. He turned around to face her, his movements very reluctant. She hurried to catch up to him. She gave a self-conscious look around, but no one seemed to be paying them any attention.

"What, JJ?" Will asked, voice tired.

She took a deep breath. "What did you and Agent Rossi speak about?" she asked.

"Look," he said, voice full of derision. "You said we'd talk at home, so let's talk at home, ok…"

He started the climb down the stairs, leaving JJ to call after him, "Will?" feeling too helpless for comfort.


That's it for this. Hope you enjoyed.

Thanks to everyone who's reading and reviewing: HansonFanGermany; Longbourn22; p95000; SunnyInOregon; DreamerChild88; ilovetvalot; and cmrocks.

Next chapter should be out by Sunday at the latest.