AN: Thanks to all of you for your support of this story. I appreciate it.

I wanted to address a couple of comments:

SouthunLady- no worries there won't be a miscarriage. I've had 3 so really don't have the stomach to write that outcome. The baby will be born in chapter 29

rmpcmfan- Hotch leaving will be a blow for the team. In the moment he is making what he thinks is best for his family. In a few chapters will make changes in his visitation with Jack. Things will get worse for the BAU. But that will prompt changes that will lead to things getting better that will be described in the epilogue.

CHAPTER 23

Around noon the next day, JJ walked down the hall of the hospital towards Emily's room. After a good night, as promised, she was moved out of ICU earlier that morning. Her new hospital room was now on the same floor as Hotch.

She was relieved that she as well as the remaining members of the team didn't need to go into the BAU for the foreseeable future. As a result of the attack, the team had been automatically placed on leave pending the conclusion of an investigation. Once that was complete and they were back in the office, they would be off rotation for field cases.

Each of them was going to be required to have three visits with the Bureau psychologists. They would only consider putting them back on rotation if everyone was cleared after those three visits.

This was a hurdle that the team generally hated and they would attempt to rush the sessions to gain their clearances as soon as possible. But this time, they weren't in a big hurry.

With not being expected in the office and given that both of her friends were doing well, JJ took a couple of hours before arriving at the hospital to shop for a few items that after picking up items from the apartment yesterday she thought Emily and Hotch would appreciate.

For Hotch, she brought a couple more pairs of the athletic shorts that she knew he wore when working out. With his stab wound and incision, it seems that they would be more comfortable short term than the jeans and suit pants that mostly made up his wardrobe. Everything else he had asked for she had brought the day before.

For Emily, she had gotten a few shirts with various front closures for her to wear once her arm was taken out of the immobilizer. For now, JJ had some button up shirts similar to a dress shirt but made out of a stretchy material that were big enough to accommodate her arm secured to her torso as well as the immobilizer. Along with that a few pairs of knit pants so she didn't have to try and navigate buttons, snaps or zippers with one hand.

For the couple, JJ had stopped at a baby store where she and Will had done a lot of their shopping for Henry. As a new parent herself and learning the role their thoughtfulness around the time of Henry's birth had in the delay of the team finding out about their marriage, JJ wanted to do something special for them. With all of the chaos going on as well as the significant unknowns, she didn't want to wait to acknowledge the newest member of the BAU family.

While she knew from experience that Garcia would soon be giving them lots of gifts, JJ had two in particular that she wanted them to have. From her. The first was a baby book. When JJ had walked up to the baby books, this one had immediately jumped out to her as being right for Hotch and Emily. The second was a small stuffed animal that was the same brand as one of Henry's favorites but a different animal so there was no confusion later between the two kids.

When she walked into Emily's room, she noticed that Spencer was alone in the room with Emily who was close to tears. As she entered the room and closed the door, Spencer gave her a look that clearly said, 'help'. Walked up next to the bed, JJ leaned into Emily right side and gently hugged her. During the hug, Emily bursted into tears as Reid quietly slipped out of the room.

After holding her friend as she cried for a couple of minutes, JJ moved back and handed Emily a tissue. After watching her wipe her eyes, JJ softly asked, "what's wrong?" as all sorts of possible problems crossed her mind.

Emily sighed before answering, "I don't know how to do this Jayje. Our apartment is still a crime scene. Aaron is being discharged tomorrow and I'll be discharged in three days and I have no idea where we are going. Strauss is lurking around somewhere. I still need to give statements about what happened but I don't even want to think about it. My shoulder is completely fucked up and will never be the same again. I don't have a job, at least not one I can actually do anymore. I am pregnant and didn't even know it. In a few months I'm going to have a baby and don't even know if I'll be able to hold him or her. How can I take care of a baby when I can't take care of myself?"

JJ nodded her head empathetically. Pregnancy hormones. It seemed as if even the strongest could become overwhelmed by them. And Emily was dealing with much more than most right now. What she had been through over the last couple of days would have shaken most people.

Sitting down on the bed next to Emily, JJ took her right hand and waited until Emily was looking at her before saying, "you go forward. One day at a time. One hour at a time if you need to. We are working on a plan for housing once both of you are released. Dave is running interference with Strauss. Yes you and Hotch will need to make statements but not today. Wait to see what the doctor says about your shoulder in a couple of weeks, it may heal better than expected. You are on medical leave right now so table the work issue until you have more information. I didn't know I was pregnant right away either. You are going to be a wonderful mother, Emily. I told you two years ago I could see you with kids and that hasn't changed. You will be able to hold your baby. You still have your right arm. I will help you find a carrier or sling that works for you. You aren't alone with all of this."

Emily nodded as JJ spoke then took a deep breath before answering, "I know. It's just so much has happened. I was going home to go to bed after that horrible case to find that there was a psychopath in our apartment who wanted to kill both Aaron and I. Next thing I remember I'm here and since then it's been one news bombshell after another."

"What happened today, before I came in?" JJ asked.

Emily gulped before wiping her eyes again before she answered, "lunch. I can't cut my food. Spencer had to help and I hate it. Do you know how long it has been since I needed help feeding myself? I don't because I don't remember that far back. And that is just on top of needing help with everything from getting washed up to taming my hair to getting up to use the bathroom."

JJ sighed and suddenly wished she had arrived earlier at the hospital. This reaction to her current condition really shouldn't have surprised any of them given how much Emily valued her independence. "Emily I understand that it's frustrating you. You are used to being independent. For years now you have helped each one of us out countless times. Can you let us help you for a while? You will get back to doing all those things yourself but for now please let us help you. We don't want you to accidentally hurt yourself."

Emily sighed and nodded before tearily answering, "I'll try but that's not easy for me. It's been hard enough adjusting to letting Aaron do things for me since we got married. I can't guarantee I won't get cranky about it at times."

JJ smiled as she nodded with no question in her mind that grumpy Emily would be making repeated appearances over the coming weeks and months. "Understood. Do you want to see a couple things I bought for you?" JJ asked trying to pivot into another topic.

"Sure." Emily replied before JJ took the baby book out of the bag and placed it in Emily's lap. As she turned the pages, Emily looked up at her and said, "Jayje, It's beautiful."

"I thought of it after Hotch mentioned how much you were looking at the ultrasound pictures. This one just seemed right for you. You and Hotch can fill in as much or as little as you want." JJ explained.

"Thank you." Emily said before continuing to page through the book.

After watching Emily look through the baby book, JJ said, "And this is the second baby item I got for you." as she took the stuffed giraffe out of the bag and handed it to Emily.

With the first smile JJ had seen in days from her best friend, Emily responded, "I love it."

"Henry has the one as well only an elephant. This way the kids won't get them confused." JJ explained the choice.

Before Emily could respond, the door opened. A worried Hotch walked into the room carefully assessing Emily followed by Dave and Spencer a few steps behind him.

"Hey, Hotch. Come on in." JJ said quickly got up from where she was sitting on the bed so Hotch could sit on the chair next to the bed. As he sat down she explained, "we were just talking and I shared with Emily a couple of gifts I got both of you for the baby."

Hotch looked over at her surprised as he settled in the chair. He had been worried and came over quickly when Reid came into his room and said that Emily was upset and he had come as soon as JJ had arrived.

Looking at her now, he could see that she had been crying however also seemed to be in better spirits. He glanced at the baby book and stuffed giraffe sitting on Emily lap before looking over at JJ and saying, "Thanks JJ." not just for the gifts but for helping Emily.

JJ nodded before walking to the other bags she had arrived with as she answered, "of course. I also did some shopping this morning for both of you."

After she went through a couple of bags, she pulled out the shorts and handed them to him as she said, "Hotch, I got you a couple more pairs of shorts. I thought they would be more comfortable for now while your incision heals."

Hotch immediately noticed that they were the same ones he kept in his workout bag. He nodded agreeing that they would be more comfortable because having anything right now on his abdomen was painful. Looking over at her he said, "Thanks JJ. It will be."

"And Emily a couple of things for you." She went to another bag and took out a few shirts explaining, "first some shirts for the next couple of weeks that will fit over the immobilizer." After handing them to Emily, she pulled another pile out of a different bag as she said, "then these are a few different kinds of front closure shirts for you to try once the immobilizer is off."

"Thanks JJ. I can't wait to try them." Emily said as she looked at the shirts.

JJ nodded and responded, "let me know which ones you like and I can get more. I thought the front closure would work better than a shirt that needed to go over your head for a while. Then in this bag are some knit pants so you don't need to try to do snaps, zippers or buttons with one hand." She explained as he pointed to the last bag.

Emily smiled as she responded, "that will be awesome." She had been dreading needing to have someone help her use the bathroom for the foreseeable future. As much as she loved the guys on the team, there was no way she was ever going to feel comfortable having them help her in the bathroom. At least with knit pants, she could manage herself.

"You're both welcome. I'm going to give you two some time for yourselves. I'll check back later." JJ said and she hugged them both and walked out of the room. Taking her lead Dave and Spencer excused themselves and came out as well.

Spencer thanked JJ before excusing himself. As she and Dave watched him walk down the hall, Dave asked worriedly, "is she OK JJ?"

JJ looked over at him and smiled before answering, "yeah she'll be fine. A lot has happened over the last couple of days and her world has just turned on it's side. Plus she's contending with pregnancy hormones."

"What did you tell her?" Dave asked.

"Let us help. That she has always helped the rest of us. For once, let us help her. I also think that it is just starting to hit her the full impact of what happened." JJ explained.

"What are her worries?" Dave asked.

JJ sighed before answering, "I think the biggest one is a loss of independence. It's one thing to decide to give some of it up when you are with someone in a relationship. It is another to have it taken from you because you are physically unable to do things for yourself.

Other than that she doesn't want to think about what happened and knows she still needs to give statements, what to do about work, how is she going to manage with a baby.

But the time sensitive one is what are they going to do when they are discharged?

I've addressed most of her concerns but I don't think that this will be the only meltdown she'll have."

Dave nodded as she explained not surprised about the reason for Emily's sudden emotional breakdown nor JJ's assessment that it wouldn't be the last given what the doctor had said about the challenges for her recovery.

He sighed before filling JJ in on what he and Hotch had been working on when Reid had come to find them, "well hopefully Hotch is telling her what we decided about living arrangements.

The detective stopped by earlier and they found out how Foyet got into the apartment. Apparently he just walked up to the super and said he was there to do work on their apartment and the man just gave him the key without verifying anything." Dave explained feeling his anger rise again as he did.

JJ looked at him seriously as she responded, "please tell me you are joking."

Dave sighed and shook his head as he sadly answered, "I wish I was. The super was fired but Hotch still doesn't feel comfortable going back there even once they release the scene.

But since neither is in any condition to be moving or even looking for a new place right now, they are going to come stay with me. I have a guest room with an ensuite on the main floor that they can use. I also have a good option that we can set up for Jack to use as well.

As soon as they clear the apartment which the detective said will be in the next day or so, we'll arrange to get all of their stuff moved out. Hotch will make a list about what will go to storage vs what will come to the house.

They are welcome to stay with me as long as they need. It will give them time to recover before they need to even consider looking for a new place without having to stay in a hotel."

"Sounds great but two requests." JJ answered

"Yes." Dave asked curiously.

JJ sighed before saying, "one don't try to do everything for Emily. Let her do as much as she is physically able to do."

Dave nodded as he said, "OK, but I will step in if I feel she is going to hurt herself. And the second…"

JJ nodded at his qualifier before continuing, "foods that can easily be managed and eaten with one hand. Don't make a big deal out of it but it will help her feel better about her situation if she doesn't need someone to cut her food."

Dave nodded as he now had a better understanding of what happened at lunch with Reid, "understood."