A/N: Sorry for another wait. But here is the next chapter. I hope everyone likes it!

Special thanks to samcarter1980, jenny crum, Rid3ThatChocob0 and K.I.M (I am glad that you are okay. It must have been really scary.)!

Thanks for reading.

Please review!

I don't own criminal minds.

Chapter 36: Goodbye love

''Like I care.'' JJ said bluntly as she was still standing in front of Hotch.

''What the hell is wrong with you?'' Hotch said as he shook JJ by her arms. He was trying to make eye contact but JJ kept adverting her eyes. Something he saw a month ago was completely vanished. The distance was even greater. For Hotch is was impossible to believe that JJ killed someone. He knew she needed to be questioned but he couldn't believe that she would unnecessarily pull the trigger.

''Nothing. Absolutely nothing.''

''JJ, please! Say something!'' Hotch pleaded.

''What am I supposed to say? I stopped caring. I spent my entire life like that. I lived in pain because of it. That is how I spent my life!'' JJ said softly but there was a certain power in her voice.

''I know, but that doesn't mean that you are supposed to stop. You have everything to live for. You are not supposed to screw up your life like this. I will get you some help and then…then…maybe we can…'' Hotch said but JJ interrupted him.

''There is no us. Not anymore. Nate and I are back to where we were.''

''Of course. I should have known I meant that little to you.'' Hotch snapped.

''Really? You are going there? Just bring me into a interrogation room and question me or charge me even. And find Nate! They are going to kill him for information.'' JJ said angrily. She looked up when she saw Emily standing in the doorway.

''Put her in the SUV. I want you to start the interrogation.'' Hotch ordered and he walked out of the room, leaving JJ and Emily alone.

''Come on.'' Emily said as she took one of JJ's arms.

Emily put JJ in the car and she climbed behind the wheel to drive to Langley. Emily glanced at JJ a couple of times during the drive. JJ was looking out the window until Emily finally started talking.

''Why did you want to work for Interpol?'' Emily asked curiously.

''There was never a good reason. The job just offered me freedom I would have never been able to get otherwise. Back then I thought I was going to be the best time of my life but it turned out to be the…''

''Worst?'' Emily asked to finish her sentence.

''Yes. Why did you work for Interpol?'' JJ asked, knowing that Emily had a past with one of the major agencies. She had noticed it in the time they were working together.

''What? How…how did you know?''

''I can see it. It is in your attitude and stamina. I am the same. Kind off.'' JJ stated.

''I honestly don't believe you did this. This entire case is about revenge on you and your team. If someone in your unit wanted revenge they would have killed you already. It has to be someone from the outside.''

''Why are you telling me this?''

''I know I am not supposed to share this information with you, but this entire case is a bust. For the terrorists it about causing pain to this country but to someone else it is about your team members who died in Iraq. It is about justice for something. I just have a bad feeling about this one.'' Emily said as she pulled up in the parking lot of Langley.

''You are not the only one.'' JJ said kindly.

Emily brought JJ into the conference room with closed blinds instead of a interrogation room. JJ sat down and she saw James Carter emerging into the room.

''Give us a moment, Agent Prentiss!'' Carter ordered.

''Of course, sir!'' Emily said quickly as she left the room.

''I don't if I should charge you or just punch you in the face. What were you thinking?'' Carter asked angrily.

''I was thinking about justice, James! You didn't have my back. What was I supposed to do?'' JJ said angrily as she was standing up from the chair because she didn't want to look like she was intimidated.

''You were supposed to tell me were Atkins was. Your loyalty is with us. It is not supposed to be with a fugitive.''

''He didn't do this! I didn't do this! Someone else is behind this.''

''And who might that be?''

''Someone who is set on destroying me and everyone I care about. It is not anyone in this unit. It has to be someone outside of the agency.'' JJ explained.

''Well, you have nothing more to say in this case. You are a witness and a suspect. If I were you I would start telling me what happened in the past month.'' James threatened.

''We tracked the terrorists and we decided to take them down today. But it didn't go as planned.''

''I got that because Nathan is still gone.''

''I know. I was there. They overpowered us when we entered the room. One of the guys was coming up from behind Nate and he was able to shot Steven Reynolds before he was overpowered. They threatened to kill them if I didn't drop my gun, so I did. They couldn't take me because the FBI interfered.'' JJ stated and she dropped into the chair afterwards. Her body was weak. She didn't feel much at all. It was as if she died inside. The past month had definitely taken some toll from her. She missed Hotch every single day. But she also loved the fact that she was around Nate again. Her mind and heart were torn and she didn't know who or what to chose.

''We will find him. I promise.'' James said.

''Are you guys following the guys that got away? Do you have any idea who there are?''

''Yes, we know who they are. We know where they live and we are going to arrest them.''

''I want to be there. I want to go with them. When are they going?'' JJ asked frantically.

''JJ, calm down. I know you didn't do this. But you have to stay calm. You can go to the raid, but I don't want you to interfere. Plus, you have to be around someone at all times. If one of my bosses found out that I let you go, they will kill me. So, don't be stupid!'' James said as he uncuffed JJ. He took one of her hands to help her up from the chair.

''Why are you really letting me go?'' JJ asked because she knew James would never let her go like that.

''Derrick Nash vouched for you. He told me that you have been calling him in the past month and that you were following his orders. He also told me that he wanted you to keep quiet about the fact that he was still in contact with you.'' James explained and he didn't notice the astonished look on JJ's face.

''Yeah.'' JJ agreed easily. She had no idea what he was talking about. She hadn't been in contact with her Interpol supervisor. She hadn't talked to him for weeks and he somehow managed to have her back. JJ couldn't be happier about it. She walked into the bullpen to call him.

''Nash!'' the voice said.

''Hey. It is me!''

''JJ! How are you? James informed me about you situation. I told him a lie to get you out of this mess.''

''I know. Thank you! I am so grateful. And I am doing okay. We already have another location. I hope we will finally get them.''

''You will. Oh, JJ! I have to go. A case is waiting for me! Bye!.''

''Bye.'' JJ said quickly before the line went dead. The conversation felt awkward but she didn't want to think too much of it. Derrick was the person who gave her the job and he had been her boss for five years.

''Are you ready?'' Emily asked and she scared JJ with her question.

''Wow, you scared me. I am ready. Where are we going?''

''I don't know. Hotch has the locations on his phone. We have two addresses. Two SWAT teams are ready. We are going to get them, JJ. I promise, we will.'' Emily said reassuringly.

''Thanks.'' JJ said as she followed the brunette out of the building.

Remote location, Maryland…

Hotch, Morgan, Prentiss and JJ went to the first location while the rest of the team went to the second. They had already arrived at the location and they were gathered around the car with a SWAT team around them.

''We are going in at the same time. We will split into two equal groups. One group will take the front and another one the back.'' Hotch ordered and everyone nodded in agreement.

''JJ stays with me. Morgan and Prentiss, take the front! We will take the back.'' Hotch said and everyone started to move into position to enter the house. JJ was standing behind Hotch when she suddenly heard noises coming from a barn not too far from her.

''I heard something coming from the barn.'' JJ announced and she was already running off without permission from Hotch.

''JJ! JJ!'' Hotch said softly but she was already gone.

''You guys should go in. I will go after her.'' Hotch said to the SWAT team and he left to go after JJ.

JJ was entering barn as quietly as possible. She stopped in her tracks when she heard sniffling coming from the back. Her gun was pointed in front of her and she was hyper vigilant. She stepped around the corner and the image in front of her made her freeze entirely. Her gun fell to the ground. She ran towards Nate and she saw an explosive attached to his body. There was a timer on it and it said they only had four minutes left.

''Nate! Oh my god! No!'' JJ gasped as she kneeled down next to him and she was about to touch a wire when Nate stopped her.

''Don't! The explosive will go off if you remove it from my body. It keeps going because of my heart rate. There is not possible way to cut the wires. I have been thinking of an option but there isn't one.'' Nate said to JJ as the sweat was dripping down his forehead.

JJ could see that the explosive was built in a way that he could never get out of it. It was wrapped around his body and one of the beams of the barn.

''We need to find a way!'' JJ yelled.

''There is no way. JJ! Look at me! Please!'' Nate pleaded, knowing this was going to be his last moment with JJ.

''I love you.''

''No, I am not saying goodbye!'' JJ said quickly and she heard Hotch coming up from behind her.

''When I look at you, it is like darkness disappears and everything is put into a new perspective. I know I could never live without you. To not hold you in my arms, to not kiss you and to not tell you how you changed my life.''

''I can't listen to this. I can't leave you.'' JJ said as she saw that times hit three minutes.

''He loves you, JJ. You love him! I see it in the way you look at him. It is okay. You deserve the best. Go! Go!'' Nate said with a tear streaming down his face.

''Aaron! Do something! Please!'' JJ said as she turned around.

Hotch had already called the bomb squad, but he knew it was too late. He had seen the explosive and there was nothing he could do. It was built to kill someone. There was no way they could stop it.

''JJ, I can't. We have to leave!'' Hotch said.

''JJ, go!'' Nate said when JJ wasn't moving.

''I am not leaving you here!'' JJ said and the tears were falling down her face.

''You have to, JJ. You are the only who can beat him!'' Nate said.

''Beat who?''

''Derrick! It is Derrick Nash, JJ! He is the traitor.'' Nate said.

''Leave! Take her!'' Nate yelled when the timer hit two minutes.

''I can't!'' JJ yelled.

''Yes, you can. I never wanted this life for you. I never wanted you to bare this kind of responsibility and pain, JJ. But you are far too driven. You will never let anyone stop you from who you are.''

''You have to hold on. There are coming!'' JJ said, knowing bomb squad was on the way.

''JJ! We have to get out of here!'' Hotch said again but he wasn't getting her attention.

''I love you, JJ!'' Nate said when he saw Hotch wrapping his arms around her tiny waist to pull her away.

''I love you! I don't want to leave you. I don't want to leave you.'' JJ said when she was already a few feet away from Nate. She was able to escape Hotch's grip and she was next to Nate again. She pressed her lips against his until Hotch was pulling her away again. The timer hit one minute at that time.

''Aaron! Let me go! Don't do this.'' JJ cried out but she couldn't escape his firm grip. She was struggling as he was pulling her outside.

''JJ, I have to. I can't let you die.'' he said as he put her down on the ground next to the SUV and his hands still stayed around her body. Everyone was behind the car for cover, waiting for the explosion.

''Let me go!'' JJ yelled again.

She cringed when the barn finally exploded. The force of the blast caused her to collide with the ground. Hotch lost his grip on her in that time and he saw her running towards the burning barn. He quickly caught up with her and he held her back again.

''No! He is burning to death! Let me go!'' JJ yelled and he cries were becoming frantic.

''I can't do that.'' he said softly and he let her go when she stopped struggling.

''No! Nate! Nooo! No!'' she yelled and she fell to the ground.