A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I posted! I hope you guys are still with me and enjoy this chapter! Let me know what you think!
"Do you think she'll be okay?" JJ asked Emily softly on the drive back to the police station.
"I hope so, Jayje," Emily whispered, squeezing JJ's hand across the console. "Are you?"
"What do you mean?" JJ tried to sound confused.
"You've seemed really..." Emily sighed. "Off, I guess. Is everything okay with you?"
"I'm ok, Em," JJ said softly.
"I don't believe you," Emily replied, but she left it at that.
They arrived back at the police station and went to find Hotch. He had called Emily while they were still at the hospital and let her know they had caught the unsub and found the missing girls. They felt really bad about completely missing the actual case they'd come for, but Hotch swore that it was okay and he was proud of them for finding and helping Leah. JJ was relieved to find out they were flying home that night, as she was exhausted and missing her baby boy like crazy. She slept the entire plane ride. As they headed to their cars, Emily noticed the strain and exhaustion on JJ's face.
"Can I give you a ride home, Jayje?" she offered.
"No, it's okay, Em. I just really need time with Henry and I'll be great."
Emily nodded reluctantly and they went their separate ways toward home.
JJ raced home, eager for the comfort of her son in her arms. She was surprised to see that Will's car was not in the driveway. She figured he must have taken Henry out to do something, but it was getting late and the little boy should really be in bed soon. She rolled her eyes thinking about their differing parenting styles. This is why it was never a good idea to have a baby with someone you barely know. She headed for the kitchen and found the note on the counter she'd been expecting that would explain where her family had gone. She skimmed over Will's shaky handwriting, getting the gist of what it all meant. Will hadn't taken Henry to do something fun, he'd taken the little boy to JJ's parents' house. She grabbed the glass of wine she had just poured for herself and took it and the note into the living room. She sat on the couch, downing her wine and rereading the letter.
Jennifer,
I am sorry to spring this on you when you are just arriving home from a difficult case. Things just aren't really working out with you and I and Henry anymore. I'm not sure what has happened, but you have changed. I hope that you get the help you need to get back to yourself, but it's obvious that I am only a hindrance to you and to Henry. I am taking my old job back in New Orleans. I still love you, but I can't deal with the way things are anymore. I will take Henry any time you need me to and I am not giving up on us altogether. I just think that we both need some time to figure things out. Henry is at your parents house until you are ready to get him. I'll call you in a few days to see how you're doing and to make arrangements for Henry. I love you, JJ.
-Will
JJ went back to the kitchen and poured a second glass of wine as her eyes became misty with tears. She knew she should have expected this, but it came as a shock right now. She picked up the phone and called her mom, asking if Henry was alright to stay until the next day. She tried to keep her voice even, but it was obvious to her mother what was going on. After hanging up, JJ finished the bottle of white and let the tears stream down her face. It didn't matter if she fell apart tonight; no one was here to care. Her text tone surprised her and she considered ignoring the message. The thought hit her that it might be Will, realizing he had made a mistake and telling her he wanted to come home. She headed to her go bag, which sat on the small table near the front door, and pulled out her cell phone. The text wasn't from Will, but from Emily, which gave JJ a surprising feeling of comfort.
"Hope you made it home okay and are feeling better :)", the message read.
JJ considered her options here. She could tell Emily that she was fine and was headed to bed, she could ignore the message altogether, or she could tell her best friend the truth. She decided on the latter.
"Will left me."
Not even a minute later, her phone was ringing and Emily's picture popped up. She took a deep breath to pull herself together before answering.
"Em?"
"Jayje, are you okay? What happened?"
The bottle of wine had lowered JJ's inhibitions and she choked on tears rather than answering.
"I'm coming over," Emily said quickly and hung up.
