Disclaimed!
This chapters a bit longer than the last few and there's also a bit of a gap between this chapter and the previous but only by two weeks or so, it's just so I can move the story forwards.
Let me know what you think.
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JJ watched over her son's shoulder as he carefully wrote the three new words he had learned in school in his new notebook.
Kissing the top of his head, the single mom smiled brightly down at her focused son. "Wow, aren't you a clever big boy."
"Q-U-E-E-N." Henry spelt out loud once he finished writing.
"Good job, buddy." JJ praised with another kiss on the top of his head.
A knock on the door, dragged the profiler's attention away from her chatty son. Leaving Henry at the kitchen table, JJ jogged down the hallway, calling out to the visitor. "Give me a minute!"
Looking through the peephole, the blonde agent paused slightly before opening the door. "Will."
"Hey, do you have time for me to come in for a coffee?" Will asked with a crooked smile.
JJ stepped aside and pointed to the kitchen. Following her husband through her house, she watched the father and son hug and chat amongst themselves, while she made drinks for the three of them.
As she passed the full coffee mug over to Will, he kissed his son's head and smiled. "Henry, I gotta talk to your mom. Are you going to be fine here, while we go into the living room?"
"Okay." Henry smiled sadly as his attention turned to the work in front of them.
JJ patted her son's shoulder. "We're right through there buddy, I'll leave the door open."
"Kay, mama." Henry continued to write, oblivious to the adults leaving the room.
JJ followed Will into the living room, watching where he sat so she could keep some distance between them. "What's going on Will? I thought you were working days, this week?"
"I got switched to night shift yesterday." He answered with a slight shrug before sipping on his coffee.
Leaning back on the couch, JJ frowned at his wandering gaze. "Is everything alright?"
"I got the team leader position for the drug bust operation." The detective revealed with a small, proud smile.
JJ met his eyes with genuine happiness. "Congratulations."
"Yeah, well, my schedule is going to be a little hectic for some time, so I won't be able to take Henry for a while." He stated slowly. "I know you've got work too."
"I'll figure something out." JJ shrugged her shoulders.
"It'll only be for a few months, while the team gets settled and we get into the case." Will reassured confidently.
The profiler nodded once. "It's fine. Congratulations on the new job."
"That's all you're going to say?" He retorted in disbelief. "JJ, I just told you I won't be a part of our son's life for a few months, that you're going to have to reorganise your work schedule again, and you're fine with it?"
JJ inhaled slowly. "I want nothing more than you to be a consistent part of our son's life, but what do you want me to do Will? Yell? Start an argument? I've been rolling with the punches for the last few months. Henry will be fine, I'll see to his every need, because I'm his mom and moms are supposed to do everything humanly possible so their child is happy and healthy."
"I'm not trying to question you as a mom, Jayje." Will cocked his head to the side apologetically.
"I know." JJ bit her lip beneath her teeth.
Will sighed at her distant behaviour. A few moments passed with JJ silent and avoiding his eye line. Not being able to cope with the silence, the slightly older man breathed out slowly. "I went to see my lawyer this morning."
"Oh?" She raised an eye in sudden disbelief at the turn in direction of the conversation.
"I've signed the papers. Your lawyer will be getting them any day now." Will announced hesitantly.
JJ sighed quietly. "Okay."
Her gaze became cold as her thoughts internalised, while the newly single mother already began strategising her next move.
"JJ, we've been civil so far..." He began but was quickly cut off by her raised hand.
"That's not going to change, Will. I'm just stressed. I'm happy for you with your new job. You're moving on, as you should." JJ stood after placing her coffee cup onto the table that separated the couple. "I'll get the papers back to you as soon as I can."
"This is separation has happened quickly between us, I don't want you to feel rushed." He consoled softly.
"As long as the papers have what we agreed on them, they'll be back to your lawyer by the end of the week." She stated as a matter of fact.
When Will had moved out of their old home, they agreed that they'd have joint custody of Henry with JJ acting as primary guardian. That hadn't changed in the year or so that they'd been a part but it had been some adjustment. Everything else material wise, including the sale of their former house, was shared equally or returned to the rightful owner, before Will had even filed for divorce.
"JJ, please, stop for a moment. This doesn't have to be awkward. I want us to be at least friends, for Henry's sake." He implored with wide eyes as she moved slowly around the room.
JJ tilted her head sideways. "I have enough friends, Will."
Will sighed in heartfelt before standing. "How are you?"
"I'm okay." She answered with a shrug of indifference.
The newly promoted detective followed his soon to be ex-wife into the kitchen where their son was happily colouring in the front of his new notebook. "How's everything going with Rossi and your mom?"
"We get the results later on today." JJ replied with a small grimace.
"That was quick." He raised his eyes in disbelief.
JJ rested against the kitchen bench at the other side of the room. "Rossi paid an exuberant amount for express service."
"What are you going to do if he is your father?" Will asked while pulling Henry onto his lap after sitting next to the young boy.
JJ smiled thinly at Henry's disinterested expression of their conversation. "I don't know."
"You would never keep this little tyke away from me." The father tickled his son briefly, causing them all to giggle.
"So?"
Will groaned softly. "Rossi doesn't deserve to be kept away from his daughter, even if she is a stubborn, pain in the ass with serious commitment issues."
"I don't have commitment issues Will." JJ retorted confidently.
"No?"
She smiled thinly. "No, I was totally committed to you."
"Then maybe I was the one with the issues." He reminisced silently.
"I never said I didn't have issues." JJ scoffed. "But yeah, you had issues too."
They grinned at each other momentarily before Will broke the harmony. "Are we sure divorce is the way to go, it seems so permanent?"
"That's what we decided and I think it was the right choice." She laughed sadly.
The Southern detective frowned. "You do?"
"Will, you're happier now than you've been in a long time." JJ replied knowingly.
"You made me happy." He revealed in a whisper.
"Same, here." JJ looked down at the floor dejectedly. "But we don't anymore, do we?"
"Maybe we could have tried harder?" Will sighed.
"Do you really believe that?" The profiler asked sceptically. "Because I don't think I have any more fight left in me."
"JAYJAY!" Jack tumbled into the room from the hallway, running straight to the blonde agent for a quick hug before turning to Henry who had wiggled off his dad's lap. "Can I take Henry upstairs to get his toys for tonight?"
JJ smiled brightly and kissed the top of the little boy's head. "Sure, but try and leave the room in some state of normalcy rather than a bombsite."
"Okay JJ, I promise." Jack told hold of the younger boys hand and led him towards the doorway.
Will cleared his throat as he leaned back on his seat and ruffled his son's hair. "Bye buddy."
"Bye Daddy." Henry waved distractedly. "Hi Hotch!"
"Sorry about that, Jack ran ahead of me." Hotch apologised after hugging Henry quickly and watching the two boys run towards the stairs. Spotting the other man at the kitchen table, the Unit Chief, smiled welcomingly. "Oh hello, Will."
"Hotch." The detective nodded in response.
The two men stared at each other awkwardly for a few slow minutes, before JJ placed her coffee cup onto the counter. "Hotch is driving us to Rossi's."
"I see." Will stood slowly and extended a hand towards the older man. "Thanks, for everything."
"I would do anything to make JJ and Henry's lives a little easier. It's been a tough couple months." Hotch smiled thinly while his eyes glared into the younger detective.
"I know and I appreciate everything you're doing... for my family." Will smiled, overly friendly in response.
JJ coughed loudly and stepped forwards slightly. "Well I should go and finish getting ready."
"Of course. Is it okay if I take Henry tomorrow, so I can talk to him about everything?" Will asked hopefully.
JJ nodded slowly. "Sure, but we probably won't be back till around lunch."
Will raised an eye in surprise. "You're staying at Rossi's? Won't that be awkward?"
"Erm, no." JJ glanced over to her colleague, knowing how it could sound to her soon to be ex-husband that she was spending yet another night in her boss's spare room rather than being alone with their son in her new home.
Hotch caught the questioning look on the Louisianan's face. "My place is closer, so it'll be a shorter drive tonight."
"I see." The three adults hovered awkwardly in the middle of the kitchen, unsure of who should make the first move.
Hotch caught JJ's eye and smirked. "I could do with a coffee."
"Great, I'll make you one." JJ straightened with a grin.
"No, I can do it. You should go and get ready for tonight." The elder profiler instructed nonchalantly.
"I'll call you tomorrow." Will stated with a nod.
JJ rested her hand on Hotch's arm and squeezed, as he moved around the room to make his coffee, before she turned to Will. "Okay then, I'll walk you out."
There was yet another awkward moment between the married couple at the door before Will left with a less than enthusiastic smile. "So, you and Hotch?"
"Are friends, Will, you know that." JJ replied quickly.
"Okay... good luck with those results, we'll talk tomorrow?" He asked as he kissed her cheek before leaving the small suburban home.
JJ watched her ex wander to his car before closing the door and beginning her preparations for the evening she had been dreading for the last few weeks.
...
(A little JJ/Hotch chapter up next before the paternity test results)
Thanks for reading!
