Season 3 - Episode 9- "Penelope " - Already There
It was late…or early, depending on how one looked at it.
JJ remembered it with vivid clarity. It was one of those moments in your life where everything slowed down, and yet, at the same time, your senses were magnified by a thousand.
She remembered slowly waking up in Hotch's arms, hearing his phone ring on the nightstand. She remembered how he had reached over her to grab the phone, his body pressing deliciously against her as he did so…and then she remembered the look.
As he was told over the phone, that one of his friends, Penelope Garcia, was in the hospital that night after being shot.
He hung up the phone, his last words being, "I'll be there as soon as I can."
JJ sat up as he leaned forward and put his head in his hands for a brief moment, and she reached for one of his hands. At that, he looked up, his eyes scarily wide, and he simply said…
"Penelope's been shot."
JJ's other hand shot to her mouth, barely believing what she was hearing, but she then quickly reacted. Both of them did. Quickly, Hotch grabbed his cell and dialed Jessica, his ex-sister-in-law, and told her that he was dropping Jack off.
Then the both of them rushed to the car and quickly dropped the young Hotchner boy off while the two of them sped over to the hospital, determined to be there for their friend.
JJ now sat in one of the waiting room chairs, knowing that Spencer would be arriving any minute.
Hotch had called him not long ago.
She worried her hands together, slightly jazzed and on edge because of the coffee she'd had only a few minutes earlier that Hotch had given her, but at the same time, she was completely numb inside at what was happening.
She dimly realized that coming straight from Hotch's house wasn't the best idea, but she hoped that everyone would be distracted enough to not notice that her and Hotch had arrived at the same time…and that someone would give her a ride back to her house.
Suddenly, the elevator pinged and Spencer stepped out.
She walked up to him.
"She's in surgery," she said a bit shakily. "There's no word."
A look of absolute disbelief crossed the young genius's face and she sympathized with him.
"This is crazy…"
She inwardly agreed, but for different reasons. She silently hoped that Spencer, with his eidetic memory, did not notice that her hair was slightly off kilter, as was Hotch's, that her makeup was smeared, and that she was one button off on her shirt…she would have to fix that before the rest of the team arrived.
The fact that they were both still in their work clothes from the day before should have been a dead giveaway that something was wrong, but, morbidly she thought, she was pretty sure that no one would notice.
Hotch walked behind her and she silently basked in his unspoken support…
…thank God, he was there with her.
END PART 10/?