Four weeks. JJ didn't realize how much could change in four weeks. In that time, she had attended physical therapy, and returned to work for full duty. Her recovery progressed a lot quicker than the doctor had expected… something she was extremely grateful for.
Also, in that time, Will moved out. They had discussed everything with Henry and Michael, and that went… well. Michael was still too young to understand, but Henry knew exactly what was going on. At first, he asked if it was because of something him or Michael had done, but by the end of the conversation, they had reassured him that it wasn't his fault. They told him that while there would be some changes to the living situation, they still loved him and Michael more than anything in the world. He seemed to accept it, and then thought it was pretty cool that he would have another bedroom at his dad's new place. JJ was so thankful for the resilience of her boys, as they seemed to adjust o the new situation well.
The custody arrangement was a little more tricky, due to JJ and Will's jobs, but they made it work. JJ would keep the boys throughout the week. Will would keep them on the weekends, and whenever JJ had a case. In order for that to work, JJ had to reduce her hours. She would only go on every other case, and would consult by phone the rest of the time. This way, her and Will were both able to spend pretty equal time with the boys.
Emily was really good about securing JJ's hours, so that was a big weight off of the blonde. Emily was also the only one, besides Reid, that knew about the impending divorce.
JJ knew the team would find out eventually, especially since her change of schedule, but she wasn't exactly sure if she was ready to let them know her marriage had failed. Right now, all they knew was that she was cutting back on cases to spend more time with the boys. Although, she was pretty sure some of them had their suspicions… and had noticed her lack of wedding rings. They're profilers, after all. Oh well, if they knew, they knew.
Today was Friday. It had been nearly six weeks since the shooting. JJ still had some pain every now and then, but she was quickly getting back to her normal self.
The team was coming back from a case today. It had been JJ's time to stay in DC, so the past three days, she had basically had the bullpen to herself (save for Garcia, but she mainly had to stay in her office).
While the rest of the team was away, JJ did help with their case some, but she spent most of the time reviewing consults, and sending in profiles to the authorities that needed help. It was an adjustment, staying back while the rest of the team ran into danger, but she quickly settled into the new role. She enjoyed being able to take her kids to school, pick them up, and tuck them in at night.
Her and Will remained friendly throughout the separation. They actually found that they were getting along better without living under the same roof.
She still talked to Spence almost every evening, whether they were on a case or not. JJ looked forward to those conversations. Besides seeing her kids, that was the highlight of her day.
The glass doors opening behind her quickly pulled JJ from her thoughts. The team was back. JJ smiled and turned to greet them. "Hey guys!"
The agents greeted her in return, Reid even pulling her into a brief hug.
Hearing that the agents were back, Garcia came barreling out of her office to join the greeting.
JJ turned to Luke. "Heard the takedown didn't go as planned. You alright?"
The agent in question was littered with various scrapes and bruises after getting into it with the unsub. Emily had told JJ that the two had gone crashing through a window after a big fight.
Luke smiled. "I'm fine. You should see the other guy."
Smirking, JJ shook her head. "Of course. What was I thinking?"
Matt patted the blonde on her shoulder. "We miss you out in the field when you don't go. Maybe if you had been with us, you could of taken down the unsub before he threw Alvez out the window," JJ laughed, as did the rest of the team, "but I get wanting to spend more time with the family. How are Henry and Michael?"
"They're good." JJ sighed. She didn't want to lie to her friends anymore. She turned to Emily. "Um… can I make an announcement real quick?"
"Of course." Emily gave a reassuring smile, obviously knowing what JJ was about to say.
"I haven't exactly been truthful as to why I had Emily reduce my hours. It is to be with the boys more, but Will and I are working out a custody arrangement. We're getting a divorce."
None of the agents really seemed surprised… except for Garcia. She was… well, surprised was an understatement. "What do you mean?! Why?! What happened, peaches?!" She went to ask another question, but JJ held up her hand.
"Penelope, breathe. Will and I love each other, we do, but we aren't in love anymore. This is what is best for us and the boys." JJ looked around the room. "The rest of you don't seem surprised."
Rossi was the one to speak up. "JJ, you're our family. We can tell when something is wrong. I think I can speak for all of us, when I say I'm sorry you're going through this. Is there anything we can do?"
JJ shook her head. "No, I think we're okay, but thank you."
Garcia was standing there with wide eyes. "You guys knew, and didn't say anything to me?"
This time, Tara spoke for the group. "I think we all just had our suspicions, but it isn't our place to say anything." She then turned back to JJ. "We're all here if you or the boys need anything."
"Thank you. All of your support means the world to me." JJ knew she was lucky to have such an amazing group of people standing next to her… even if she would have to face a million questions from Garcia.
A/N: Thank you for reading! I've been lacking inspiration for this story lately, so I apologize if my writing shows that. I hate that because I was really excited about this one in the beginning. I feel like there aren't as many people interested this story, as there were in the beginning. Please let me know if you are still enjoying this, if not, I might go on hiatus for a while.