Disclaimed!
So there's more to come with JJ's mysteriousness coming up, hope you're all enjoying the story so far.
*Apologies if my mistakes (usually grammatical) make it difficult to read, it's hard to find a good beta and be able to update regularly as people have lives... I also tend to write the way I talk, so go figure :P
Let me know what you think!
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JJ pressed a hand to her forehead where a migraine had taken residence. Stepping off the elevator, her instinct to turn right to her office dissipated, as she caught sight of her team sitting in the bullpen.
It was well after midnight and they appeared to be the only people left in the building other than the security guards she passed in the lobby.
Pushing through the heavy glass doors, JJ frowned at all the wide eyes staring back at her. "What's going on?"
"Sunshine!" Garcia ran forward enveloping the petite blonde in soul crushing hug.
JJ's frown deepened as Prentiss and Reid both also stepped forward to hug her. "Is everything okay?"
"No it's not okay." Hotch stood from his seat, his hand in his trouser pockets and a stern expression on his face.
JJ met his cold stare with a confused look. "What happened?"
"You went missing, peaches!" Garcia answered, dragging the blonde's eyes off of the supervisory profilers.
JJ continued to be confused as the whole team looked to her for an answer. "I wasn't missing."
"Those men in the car..." Reid stuttered.
JJ pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Those men in the car were former associates, well one of them was."
Reid replied slowly. "It was all a little..."
"Weird JJ, the whole way you got driven away in broad daylight was weird." Prentiss interrupted as JJ stared back without the foggiest idea.
Hotch slowly retreated to his office as JJ responded. "I'm sorry, I never meant for you all to worry. I said I'd be back."
"Just don't do it again, okay sunshine!" Garcia ordered while hugging her best friend again.
Morgan and Rossi exchanged a look with the blonde as Hotch's office door closed. "Where were you girl? Are you in trouble?"
"Morgan, I..." JJ faltered on her explanation.
Garcia scoffed emotionally. "No way, you need to tell us where you were. You're phone got disconnected, do you know that?"
"Yes, I disconnected it." JJ answered knowingly.
Prentiss stepped forward, closer to the newest profiler. "JJ, are you in trouble?"
"Emily, I can't talk about where I was today but honestly guys, there is no need to worry." JJ reassured confidently.
Garcia nudged her best friend's arm. "So where were you?"
"I was in a meeting." JJ stated distantly, her eyes glancing up at the Unit chief's office.
Rossi inserted himself into the conversation. "A meeting in the Capitol building?"
"No and you need to forget anything Hotch told you about that." JJ retorted sternly.
The elder profiler raised his hands in surrender and watched JJ slowly edge towards the stairs to the balcony. "I should..."
"We'll talk properly in the morning but this isn't over JJ." Garcia said with a nod ushering the rest of the team to collect their belongings as JJ took a few encouraging breaths outside the familiar grey door.
Opening the door, without knocking, JJ quietly closed it and leaned against the wooden frame, her eyes landing on her sleeping son lying down on the couch at the back of the room. "Thank you for watching him."
"I'm not a babysitter. I'm your boss." Hotch replied formerly as he watched her from behind his desk.
Meeting his eyes apologetically, JJ tilted her head while staying stuck to the closed door. "I'm sorry about today."
"You're sorry?" Hotch asked dryly.
JJ blinked a few times at his harsh tone. She had known Hotch to be gruff with other members of the unit, but she had always been lucky not to face his wrath. "You're right, you're not a babysitter. It won't happen again."
"No it won't." Hotch turned his focus to a file on his desk. "You should take him home."
JJ stepped forward towards his desk. "Hotch..."
"I don't want to know JJ. I obviously worried for nothing." Hotch began scribbling on the paper.
JJ sighed slowly. "I didn't want to worry you. You understand that I can't talk about everything I do with you."
"I do." Hotch nodded, not bothering to expand.
Seeing he wasn't going to meet her eyes, JJ groaned knowing it was late and she wasn't going to get the stubborn profiler to talk to her.
Turning to Henry, She placed her arms underneath his sleeping body and lifted him to her chest. "I'm sorry for today, Hotch."
A small whisper stopped the blonde before she reached the door. "I don't understand."
"Hmm?" JJ glanced at his desk where Hotch was staring at her intensely.
Frowning, Hotch shook his head from side to side. "I don't understand why you can't tell me where you've been. You told me about your sister. You told me Prentiss was alive and in hiding. You told me it wasn't working out between you and Will and we drank the pain away. Why can't you just trust me and tell me where you've been?"
His voice had strengthened during his speech, causing Henry to stir from his sleep. JJ groaned at as her young son's eyes stared up at her tiredly. "I trust you but I don't trust myself."
"Not good enough JJ. Your insecurities have never been a problem between us." Hotch scoffed and rolled his eyes.
JJ jigged Henry slightly to get him back to sleep. "What do you want me to do Aaron, break all of the rules. Get us both sent to jail, is that really what you want?"
"I want you to stop being evasive. I'm tired of all the lies, JJ. I'm sick of feeling this way." The Unit Chief raised his arms in frustration.
JJ exhaled slowly. "Hotch..."
"Fine if you can't tell me what you're doing when you're on bureau time maybe this isn't working out." Hotch turned back to his work.
JJ's jaw dropped in shock. "What?"
"I made a mistake bringing you back and making you a profiler. We should discuss a different path." He picked up his pen and signed a form.
JJ shook her head firmly. "Hotch."
"We'll talk in the morning." Hotch concluded, ignoring the blonde and her son stand in the middle of his office.
Stricken, JJ brought her son's head closer to her chest and turned on her heels. The Pennsylvanian's darkened blue eyes struggling to tear away from the profile of her boss as he silently returned to his paperwork before she left his office.
The rest of the team had seemingly disappeared for the night, which JJ was grateful for as she felt a sudden wave of emotion over take her after Hotch's stern words, while heading to her office to get her car keys.
Placing a sleeping Henry down on her chair, JJ wiped a tear away, off her cheek before rifling through her desk draw for her keys.
Taking a few deep breaths, she picked up her son once more and headed for home, wanting to be in bed and under her blankets, not wanting to resurface for the rest of the month.
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