A.N: Hey everyone sorry this is taking so long, but with work and school life is getting so full. But aside from that here's the next part, this one I figured needs a little insight into why, basically will get to learn more about where Will is and JJ and Rossi's tentative relationship as well as a little more of Kris and Reid to and maybe a smidge of Emily and Hotch and of course Morgan and Garcia talk to couldn't leave that off. It's a bit long winded so bare with me on that. I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, alerted and added to favorites you guy's rock as usual. And now on with the show.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter thirteen

Five minutes later she still stood rooted in her spot by the elevator shock, hurt and even self-loathing running through her mind and heart as she stared at the place Morgan had stood.

"Penelope," a voice called tentatively from behind her.

Slowly, painfully Penelope turned to face, Kristine who stared at her compassion in her dark eyes, making her wonder how much she'd heard. "Kris," she said tersely stiffening her back and walking towards the taller brunette, "work, we have work to do."

Kristine just nodded and turned to go back the same way she'd came, feeling a change had settled. She'd only caught the end of their fight the harsh words they flung at each other and had to try and block the pained sorrowful expression on Morgan's face that would be forever imprinted on her memory. Granted she didn't care for the profiler's attitude much, but she did respect him for his tenacity and the way, even after Hotch's departure he held the team together, albeit by short tethering strings. She'd never seen him look so broken in the past one and a half years she been working for him, then again Garcia hadn't been around all that time to bring the broken part of him to the surface.

Entering her office they both got to work dividing up the searches and paperwork evenly, a quiet descended on the pair and only the sounds of tapping could be heard.

To lighten the heavy mood, Penelope asked over her shoulder, "So you and Reid hu?"

Head snapped around to stare at Penelope wide eyed, "No, no of course not I mean…" Kristine stuttered out, "he'd never no… it's not."

Penelope held up a hand, "Sugar it's written all over your face, so truth is something going on?" she pushed hoping that her gumdrop would finally have found someone to care for him.

"Your seeing things PG there's nothing there trust me," she paused turning back to her own keyboard, "besides he'd never see my like that I mean look at me and then look at him. No nothing there."

"What do you mean look at him and you? It is because he's a genius? That because he's socially awkward that your too good for him?" Penelope asked anger coloring her voice, wondering where her friend who treated everyone like a friend went.

Again her head whipped around, 'I definitely need to stop that I'm going to get a whiplash,' Kristine thought, before answering, "Hell no Pen if anything I'm not good enough for him," she confessed lowering her black framed eyes.

"Bull shit," Penelope responded vehemently turning fully to face her, "why in the name of everything that's holy would you say something like that."

Sad eyes, looked back at her, but the next words didn't answer her question, "So what's with you and Morgan?" she asked deflecting the conversation off her.

"Well played," Penelope exclaimed turning back to her own computer.

"Thanks, but still Pen, and I know it's not my place, but in the short period of time that I've know Morgan he's never acted like this, never been emotional in the least bit. If anything he's always been cool, and stand offish, Spen… I mean Reid told me when I first started that he was different a long time ago, hard headed, stubborn, kept his private life just that yes, but not this ready to snap, totally closed off person he is now. Granted I only saw and knew him from a far off position, but even I, who can't see difference in personality if it struck me in the face, could tell something had changed in him."

"What's your point Kris," Penelope shot back not turning to face her, but listening to every word that she spoke, her heart breaking into millions of tiny pieces never knowing that her departure had, had such an effect on Morgan.

Emily and JJ, well more Emily, only gave her small bits about him, they knew she didn't want to be reminded of what she'd lost, therefore she never knew the state he'd slipped into. Regret and guilt built a hole in her heart, but then the street ran both ways he'd never told her about his girlfriend. However, now that reason sounded hollow to her own ears and she cursed her own weakness for bolting and not saying anything to him.

Taking a breath, "My point is Pen when you left I think he lost a piece of himself, a very important piece and now he's just walking around a shell of the man he once was. I remember the Christmas Party's were the two of you acted so much like a couple that when I first started that's what I thought, but then you were shot and got with Lynch things seemed to change. I just, when we'd go out for coffee all those times back then you never seemed very happy with him, but one mention of Morgan and your face would light up. I just don't want to see you pass this chance by to fix whatever happened between the two of you," Kristine finished slowly her own regret filling her voice with each last word as if she'd been there before.

In her heart she knew what Kristine said was true, but her head still stubbornly refused to budge. They'd slipped apart months, hell even a year before she left, he let that happen, 'Didn't you let that happen to?' a small voice asked taunting her. 'But I tried, he never did, never kept it together, dropped the ball,' her heart argued or maybe, 'you dropped the ball to Penelope when Kevin came into your life, hell before that when Battle shot you, things started going down hill from there,' her head battled back not giving up. She remembered the night he'd said those three magical words that sent her heart soaring to the clouds then plummeting back to earth faster than a falling star knowing that he didn't and would never mean it the way she did. But then why this reaction to her leaving, why has he turned so cold and distant from everyone. Questions she had swirling in her head as she went back to work and silence once again descended.

A few hours later, and searches that yielded nothing Kristine turned to Penelope, "Its five Pen you ready to close her down?"

"No not, yet just let me," she began.

"Penelope," Kristine stated forcefully, "we've got nothing to go on, no leads, no connections nothing, and until, God forbid, we get another body or he shows himself we got nothing. Let's get out of here, go to dinner and try to put this day out of your head."

"She's got one hell of a plan there Garcia," JJ's voice sounded from the doorway.

"See even JJ agrees, so grab your shit and let's go," Kristine returned starting to power down her babies.

Reluctantly, she did as Kristine suggested and stared packing away her trinkets and things until, "You can leave those PG, nothings going to happen, they'll be fine promise," Kristine voiced, watching as her friend had started to pack up.

Haunted eyes, glance up at her, "Thanks Kris."

The other woman just waved it off, and finished her task.

"So they ready, yet?" Emily's voice said, as she came up behind JJ.

"Ready for what?" Penelope asked standing and stretching her back muscles.

"To get the hell out of dodge Pen, your staying with me, so I thought we could have a girl's night, Emily and Kristine are coming with us," JJ answered eyes watching the pair.

Kristine's head snapped up, "You don't have to invite me JJ it's ok really, I've got loads of stuff to do at home it's not…"

"No it's not, but you are a part of this team and dysfunctional family so stop being hardheaded and let's go," Emily put in her voice stern brooking no argument.

"But I have no closes and besides I snore," Kristine said trying to weasel out once more though her heart warmed at Emily's mention of her being family.

"Go bag Kris and as for the snoring I'll put up in with Em, she snores to," JJ offered waving the two women forward.

"You might as well give up Kris they won't let it drop," Penelope tossed in following the tiny blond out the door her own duffle bag in one hand purse and lab top in the other.

"Damn strait," Emily answered last one to follow after Kristine locked her door.

As they passed the bull pen Penelope's eyes searched for Morgan unconsciously and caught sight of him standing up top just a few feet from the conference room door. When he spotted her, he turned his back and walked towards his, Hotch's old office. A deep sigh left her lips, but nothing more.

"Going home ladies," Rossi's deep smooth voice asked.

"Hell yes Dave and wash this day out of our hair," JJ returned, facing him.

"Need any help with that," he teased heat flaring in his dark eyes.

"None from you Rossi," she tossed back easily.

"Then goodnight ladies and remember to be careful," David advised apprising each woman in turn but his eyes lingered on JJ a fraction more.

"I think we'll be fine Rossi, you have three gun totting agents here if one of us doesn't get him the other two will," Emily tossed in gaining a withering look from Rossi for her cheek.

Kristine, upon entering the bullpen, searched for Reid seeing him sitting at his desk, back towards her, she wanted to say something, anything, to apologize for being so rude earlier but the words died on her lips as he turned around when Rossi first spoke. Their eyes locked and she could see something lingering just beneath those warm brown depths before he turned his head back around no words falling from his lips. Disappointed that he didn't even say goodbye, but knowing it was her own damn fault, she just fell in line behind Penelope as the four of them headed for the elevator her heart screaming to go back and talk to him, to tell him, at least goodbye like they normally did, but her body and mind refused to obey the commands.

A brief stop at Kristine black Ford Fusion to grab her go bag and they were off towards JJ's house. Twenty minutes JJ pulled the dark crimson Honda Accord into her parking spot, across from her town home.

"Moving up in the world I see," Penelope commented following the blonde.

"More like moving downward again, Pen," JJ replied, pulling her keys out and unlocking the door.

"Meaning?"

"It should be a house, with four bedrooms and a pool out back, not a three bedroom town home, with no yard or a safe place for Henry to play," JJ responded trying to keep the venom out of her voice.

"Where is my little prince to begin with?" Penelope questioned setting her bags down by the coffee table.

"With his father, for the next few days until this case is solved," JJ answered from the back bedroom.

"How's that going?" Emily asked, slipping off her heels and copping a seat on the plush grey couch.

"It's going," JJ responded walking back towards them, closed changed to a pair of sweat pants and a tank top her blonde hair pulled back into a tight pony tail. She glanced at both Penelope and Emily, before her eyes caught sight of Kristine still standing next to the closed door. "We don't bite Kris, come on in farther plop your stuff anywhere, don't mind the toys. Oh and if anyone wants a shower or to freshen up bathroom's on the left down the hall." She made her way into the kitchen grabbing the phone and menus on her way, to setting a pot of coffee and tea.

"I'll just be a minute," Kristine stated, pointing towards the hallway.

"Anything particular you want for dinner?" JJ asked, as Kristine stopped just before the hallway.

"Don't matter to me, hon anything's fine," she responded.

"Never say that to JJ, sugar plum cause only God knows what she'll order then," Penelope tossed in claiming the over stuffed black armchair.

"Hey I resent that remark Penelope Marie, I can't help you wouldn't tell me what you wanted on your pizza. How was I suppose to know you didn't like olives at least I didn't put anchovies on it," JJ shot back sticking her tongue out at the other woman.

A bubble of laughter escaped Kristine's lips before she could suppress it and all three women looked at her, before busting out laughing, relieving the tension. Kristine just shook her head and started for the bathroom again a little more relaxed then before.

Sobering up just a fraction, Penelope glanced towards Emily, "So how do you feel about Hotch coming back?"

"Just had to ask the tough questions right off the back didn't you Garcia," JJ admonished, catching the brief look of sadness flash in Emily's dark brown eyes.

Hands folded in her lap, Emily looked down gathering her thoughts, quietly she spoke, "I'm not sure how to feel about it all Pen. I mean, if all goes well then we'll get Hotch back, but that doesn't mean we'd as in him and I would pick up where we left off. It's something I have to leave to the fates."

"He will honey, if I know Hotch any at all, and granted it will take time, but there will come a time when the two of your will be making little Hotchner's together," Penelope said leaning forward and resting a hand atop her two.

To dispel the gloomy mood, JJ asked again, "So dinner, pizza, Chinese, or I could whip something up."

"Pizza," both Emily and Penelope chimed in unison.

"Pepperoni, with extra cheese please," Kristine stated, entering the living room once again, having donned a pair of jean shorts and short sleeved pale yellow t-shirt, her long brown hair, falling around her shoulders. She didn't give away the fact that she'd heard their little conversation, knowing the deep history between the three of them and in a way envying them for having such a connection, one that she only had once in her life, but had lost it.

"How in the world have you managed to hide that from us for so long? Lardy woman Reid will flip if he ever sees this," Emily commented rising from her position to examine the ink emblazed on her shoulder.

A smile lit her features and she began to explain, "Come off it Em, it's not that big and besides my mom would've loved it," on her shoulder inked into the pale freckled skin, rested a Celtic cross with a white dove in flight in the center, "In God's hands" arched over the top, in blue letters outlined with black and at the bottom in purple letters, was her mothers name, Katherine Hunter. "Besides it's not the only one I have," she grinned pointing down to her ankle, were a dark blue star, with an intricate pattern rested.

An hour later, two boxes of pizza, soda, chips and even a few bars of Hershey chocolate, all four women sat facing the TV which played "Love Actually" though turned down so they could still talk.

"So Jayje honey how is dear William these days?" Penelope asked, taking a sip from her tea glass.

JJ's pale blue eyes shot up, "Fine I guess," she answered shrugging her shoulders.

"You never did tell me exactly what happened between the two of you," Penelope threw back, knowing that it'd been a little over a year since Will's ultimatum.

"Pen," she stated bragging out her name, "you know what he wanted and it was something I just couldn't give him, I couldn't leave the team, he knew that before we started to whole mess and him issuing his warning didn't and wouldn't change that fact. I mean I get why he wanted me to leave, we'd just lost Haley and he was scared something like that could happen to me, but to tell me I had to choose between him and Henry and my job was just unfair."

"And stupid if you ask me," Emily threw in, after washing down her bite of pizza.

"Pretty damn stupid you should've let me wipe him from existence honey bun, I mean really, the nerve of the man, but at least you got a better one out of the deal now," Penelope said a glimmer of mischief peeking in her eyes.

"I don't have a clue what you're talking about PG," JJ stated maintaining her innocents.

"Oh I don't know about that one sugar, you and that tall drink of water who try's to claim he's all gruff, but really a softy well when it comes to you that is," Kristine tossed it knowing what Penelope was talking about.

Throwing her hands up in surrendered giving up trying to convince them that nothing was going on, "Well whatever you three are seeing, and yes Emily Prentiss you've been on my ass for a long time to, I just don't and that's the way it should be, I've got to much on my plate as is."

"You just keep thinking that one, Jayje, but one day," Emily laughed feeling a pizza end hit her square in the forehead.

They relaxed together, talking about this and that, nothing to big or mind consuming to worry about. The case; their jobs would all come flooding back in the morning. No doubt about that one.

End note: yea I know long hu, I hope though that everyone liked it just let me know