Disclaimed!
Hi to everyone who is still interested in this story, I know it's been a bit stop and start.
I hate it when I have unfinished stories still incomplete. I'm trying to get them all finished. This one just has the most chapters already wrote, so is getting the most updates.
I haven't forgotten about my other ongoing stories, including 'Rebuilding Bridges' and 'A Shoulder to Cry On' for those who were PM-ing me. I've just hit a wall with those two fics.
Here's the conclusion to Will's reappearance. Let me know what you think.
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JJ clutched Hotch's upper arm as she stared at the darkened figure standing in the doorway. The Unit Chief hovered protectively close to the younger blonde agent as her ex shared a knowing glance between them. "Can I come in?"
"It's late, Will." JJ frowned at his expectant expression.
He looked down at the carpeted floor guiltily. "I know I'm sorry for not calling first but I've just been debriefed and I wanted to see you and Henry."
Hotch pulled back first, giving JJ an encouraging smile. "I'll go and check on the boys."
JJ dropped her hand off of his arm and nodded before stepping aside and allowing her ex-husband into her home. "You've just finished your undercover assignment?"
"Yeah, I have. It was a bitch of a case." Will nodded as he followed the profiler into the living room, appreciating the civil small talk as she went about turning on lamps to brighten the darkened space.
"Did everything go okay?" She asked as she sat on the couch at one end, making sure there was enough distance between them as he sat on the other side.
The detective groaned in discomfort. "We didn't get what we wanted but no one was hurt and the objective was basically met."
"Well that's one thing." She smiled weakly.
Will sighed during the awkward silence that ensued. "How's Henry?"
JJ's eyes snapped towards her former partner in silent frustration. "He's getting better every day."
"Was it bad?" The father of one asked hesitantly.
"We nearly lost him again." She choked-up slightly.
Will reached for her hand and squeezed it comfortingly. "I'm so sorry JJ. I wanted to be here."
"Yet you weren't." She pulled back and stood abruptly.
"If I could have been here you know I would have. I didn't want to put you and Henry in any danger." He explained with a coarse throat.
JJ nodded once before crossing her arms across her chest and leaned against the far wall. "He has a hearing aid. The hearing loss could have been worse but the aid has improved his hearing loads since he got it."
The father's expression paled before he scrubbed his eyes tiredly with the palm of his hand. "God..."
"He's doing okay and we're getting by. My dad paid off all the bills and Hotch and Jack have been great with getting Henry back to his old self." JJ stated softly.
"You and Hotch certainly look cosy." Will muttered dryly.
The petite blonde woman straightened defensively. "I'm not going to apologise for moving on Will."
He stood, meeting her eyes non-judgementally. "You shouldn't feel the need too."
"Listen, I don't want this to be so awkward. I want you in Henry's life but, Henry and I can't keep on living in that daze we found ourselves in before the divorce, we need things to move on." JJ bit her lower lip nervously between her teeth.
"Our marriage was over seven months into it Jayje. I don't want to make anything difficult for you. After all I just want you to be happy, especially seeing as I couldn't make you happy." He offered reluctantly.
"We shouldn't do this now. It's late and you're clearly exhausted." She inhaled slowly. "We've avoided this conversation for the last year, it can wait a couple more days."
Will stared at her knowingly. "If we don't talk now, we'll keep putting it off."
"You made me happy, Will and I am sorry that I wasn't very good and telling you that you did." She countered reluctantly.
"I was the one that ended our marriage, JJ. I knew we were going to be better off in the long haul if it ended when it did. I might not have chosen the best time to file the papers, but I was only thinking of your, and Henry's, happiness." He stated remorsefully.
She scoffed a whisper. "You didn't even try..."
"I'd been trying for years, JJ." Will sighed. "Once we got married things were different. When we lost the baby it hit me why you waited so long to accept my proposal in the first place."
"I didn't think we needed marriage but I don't think it was a mistake that we did get married." She justified weakly.
He smiled warmly in agreement. "You were right. We didn't need a wedding to solidify our family and I still pushed. I mean, at the end of the day, you only agreed to marry me because you were scared that you could have lost Henry and I."
"I'm sorry." She whispered.
"This isn't on you JJ. We were happy for a really long time but when things turned bad and I couldn't be there for you the way you needed me too, I finally understood the dynamics of our relationship for the first time." Will stood so he was no longer staring up at his one time partner.
JJ wiped away the tears at her eyes. "I'm not sure that I understand."
"If we can only be there for each other in the good times and can't comfort each other during the bad times, we were never going to work. You knew when we first started going out that we had to be fully committed to each other, first in the long distance then with the unexpected pregnancy. You were weary of commitment because of your parent's marriage and I was insecure because of my life losses." Will scrunched his face in discomfort. "I lost my whole family over a span of a couple of years and I tried to rush you into to being my replacement family. I expected you to be there for me and I wanted you to need me which you never really did. Then the moment you did, I realised that how one-sided our relationship is always going to be. I can't be the man you truly need me to be. I have expectations that neither of us could have fulfilled in that marriage."
"Will." She shook her head slowly.
He closed the gap between them and rested his hands on her shoulders so she was forced to meet his eyes. "I'm not sorry that I filed for divorce JJ. I think you're going to be a lot happier now you've got someone who doesn't put all the expectations on you that I did."
"I really did love you. I don't want you to think that I didn't or that it was easy for me to move on." JJ conspiratorially whispered.
"I know. I'll always love you Jennifer Jareau." Will kissed her forehead before pulling back and looking around the room, his eyes casting a glance on anything other than his ex-wife.
JJ inhaled deeply before continuing. "If anything, you're insecurities and expectations of our marriage only fuelled my own eccentricities when it comes to relationships. We both ended our marriage because it was what was best for us and Henry."
"We'd do anything for him right?" Will grinned broadly.
JJ chuckled lowly. "Yeah. We might not be able to make a marriage work, but we do our best to be damn good parents."
"Even though I wasn't here when he needed me?" The southern detective replied gingerly.
"That's for you and Henry to work out. I'm a little pissed off at you if we're being honest, but I'll get over it for Henry's sake." The single mother said pointedly.
Will glanced towards the door eagerly. "Can I see him?"
"Of course, but don't wake him up. He hasn't been sleeping." JJ warned gently.
He nodded as he edged closer to the door. "Would it be okay if I swing by here tomorrow and spend some time with him?"
She inhaled unsurely before nodding once. "Why don't you come over for lunch, say half twelve?"
"I'll bring sandwiches." Will replied gratefully before smiling reassuringly at the hesitant blonde. He slowly edged out of the room, leaving his former wife second guessing her actions of just letting back into their lives.
The now senior Maryland detective hovered at the bottom of the stairs as he observed the Unit Chief quietly closing his son's bedroom door. The two men caught and held a measuring gaze as they stood at opposite ends of the staircase.
Will cleared his throat abruptly and nodded. "Hotch."
"Will." The profiler retorted gruffly.
The younger man walked briskly up the stairs, meeting the FBI agent at the top of the stairs and holding out a hand. "Thank you, for everything."
Hotch gripped his hand firmly as they shook and stepped aside to allow the other father into the quiet bedroom to greet his son for the first time in the better half of six months.
The profiler waited protectively outside the door for a few moments before feeling satisfied enough to head back to the living room. He found JJ staring out of the window down into the deserted street. "Is everything okay?"
JJ jumped slightly at the unexpected question and slowly turned around. "I'm not sure whether I want to throttle him or cry in relief that Henry gets to see his dad again."
"Well there was no yelling so that's one good thing." He smirked in response.
"We never yelled at each other." JJ muttered quietly.
"And yet you yell at me." Hotch raised an eye in amusement.
JJ pursed her lips cunningly. "It's called passion."
"We have passion?" He closed the difference between them, wrapping his hands around her thin waist and feeling relief spread within him as she raised her arms to tie around his neck.
JJ grinned widely as her fingers idly played with the short, dark hair on the back of his neck. "Oh yeah, lots and lots of passion."
"Do you want me and Jack to go home tonight?" Hotch asked softly.
She shook her head in certainty. "No, Will's just kissing his son goodnight. We'll be alone again in a few minutes."
"So, do you want me to get the spare bedding out of your wardrobe?" He looked down at her with pursed lips.
JJ's face scrunched up in confusion, creating a 'V' shape on her forehead. "Why?"
"It's a cool night to be sleeping on the couch without bed linen." He reasoned dryly.
"The moment is totally ruined, huh?" She giggled lightly.
Hotch placed a gentle kiss onto her warm and waiting lips. "I don't want to pressure you into anything."
JJ lowered her head slightly so his lips were resting on her forehead as she spoke. "That's sweet but I'd like to fall asleep with your arms around me, if that's alright by you?"
An impatient cough swiftly broke Hotch and JJ apart, as they suddenly realised Will was lingering in the doorway. "Erm, I'm going to get going."
JJ pushed her hands into her jeans pockets guiltily as though she had been caught doing something she shouldn't have been. "Right, we'll see you tomorrow?"
"I'll be here for 12:30." Will confirmed with a nod.
She smiled warmly. "Okay then, I'll let Henry know you're coming over in the morning when he wakes up."
"Great. Night Hotch." Will offered his farewells quickly while wandering back to the front door.
"Night Will." Hotch shared an amused smile with JJ at the awkwardness between the three of them, as her ex found his own way out.
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Thanks for reading!