Chapter Two
"JJ wait" Reid called after her trying to catch her before she joined the others in the conference room. "Can we talk?"
"Spence we have three missing children, this is not the time to talk about my marriage." She snapped back at him.
"Six missing children, there was a previous case that fits with this one last month." He explained knowing that she was correct it wasn't the time to talk about anything else. This morning eight year old twin girls along with their ten year old brother were abducted from their church parking lot. The previous month another sibling group was taken from a different church on the other side of the city.
"All right what do we know?' Emily asked as they studied the board.
"Both abductions were at a church after services were over a time when parents typically have their guard down." Tara spoke first.
"So is it a location of convince or is there a religious component?' Luke wondered aloud. "Both times it was sibling groups of three children there has to be a connection to that." He continued.
"The kidnapper never reached out to the first set of parents and have yet to reach out this most recent one. So we can rule our money as a motive." JJ finally spoke up.
"Same number of children, in a similar location, sounds like someone is trying to replace children." Reid commented.
"I'll have Garcia start looking for sibling groups that went missing, or were killed." Emily said picking up her phone. "Reid and Tara you two go to scene from this morning, Luke and Rossi go back to the first church. JJ and I will stay here and talk to both families and people who know them." She instructed her team.
"Have Penelope see if any of the cases she find have a religious component to them." Reid added before following Tara out of the conference room.
Reid ad Tara were at the second church when Emily called them, they had a lead of a woman named Miranda Williams whose children had died in a church fire the previous year, they had an address on her. Emily. JJ and the rest of the team met them there. The woman was gone but they found the three children from this morning locked in a storage shed, but there was no sign of the other children.
"They were here earlier but she said it was time for them to go to church." The oldest boy told them.
"She's taking them to the church that burnt down." Reid said at once. "It won't end well if we don't get their quickly."
As predicted when they arrived at the other church the children were jeopardy. Williams had them tied together and was holding a gas can.
"JJ, you talk to her first mother to mother." Emily instructed. JJ nodded adjusting her vest and walking towards the scene. Rossi and Luke made their way around back.
"Miranda, my name is JJ I am with the FBI and I want to talk to you." JJ said in a quiet nonthreatening tone. "I know what happened to your children and I am so sorry, but you don't want these children to get hurt do you?"
"I need my babies back." Miranda began to shout.
"I understand that, but hurting them won't bring yours back. Their mother wants to see them again. She loves them just like you do your babies." JJ explained.
"But she wasn't watching them, she should have been watching them. A good mother always watches her babies." Miranda cried the gas can in her hands shaking.
JJ spotted Luke coming up from behind, "OK well we will make sure she takes better care of them but first I need you to put the gas can down. All right" JJ said inching closer reaching her hand out for the can and quickly snatching it just as Luke moved to tackle Miranda.
Within an hour all six children were reunited with their parents at the hospital. The team finished up their work and headed to the airport. "Good work today guys, six children will all be back home tonight, we don't' get too many cases that end this well." Emily commended them as they left the station.
Reid was the first one on the jet and settled himself into a seat in the back and was genuinely surprised when JJ came and sat down next to him. He understood though sitting next to him meant not answering questions about her weekend away with Will that would surely come up from the team. Despite their promises to not profile each other it was still next to impossible to give half-truths to each other, they all knew each other too well. It was late at night and when the plane took off the cabin lights were dimmed, Reid softly reached for her hand and took it in his own. She made no attempt to move it as she looked over at him with a slight broken smile as she was fighting back tears.
"It's ok, it's all ok." He repeated his words from Rossi's wedding. She laid her head on his shoulder knowing that in truth nothing was OK, but he was still sitting there and that made things better. She slept most of the flight home and he woke her before they landed.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to use you as a pillow the entire flight." She apologized.
"It wasn't a problem." He smiled at her.
"What time is it?" She asked feeling completely disoriented from the back and forth travel and events of the weekend.
"It's just after midnight, did you text Will to let him know you were on your way?" He asked,
JJ shook her head, "No, I told him I would see him tomorrow. "
"JJ can we go somewhere and talk, please?" He whispered as the others were beginning to take notice of them. Before she could answer Alvez was grabbing his bag from next to them and Emily was calling to them. They disembarked the plane unable to have another moment together. Reid tossed his bag in the trunk if his car, got behind the wheel and felt his phone buzz. He slipped it from his pocket and read her message.
I"ll meet you at your place
Reid nodded to himself as he pulled his car out of the lot thankful that they would at least have the opportunity to talk about everything that had happened. He was still shocked that Will had asked her for a divorce. Reid refused to let himself be in anyway the cause of ending their marriage. He would leave the BAU if he had to, cut off all contact with her no matter how much it hurt him. He loved her and her boys and he had the most respect for Will, he would not let them throw away what they have.
He had been home for almost twenty minutes when he she finally knocked on the door. He had begun to wonder if she had changed her mind. When he opened the door she was holding a bag that clearly contained a bottle of wine.
"I knew you wouldn't have any." She explained stepping past him into his apartment.
"I'll find you the corkscrew and make myself some coffee." He answered.
JJ sat at the breakfast bar in his kitchen while he made his coffee. "So it's been some week." She said with a nervous laugh.
"JJ, I'm sorry I asked you what I did at Rossi's wedding. It wasn't fair to put you in that situation." He apologized, "If that has something to do with Will…" he started but she cut him off.
"He knows Spence." JJ told him flatly knowing it would be pointless to beat around the bush with him.
'What is it he thinks he knows JJ?" He asked her
"Are you really going to make me say it again Spence?" She asked him
Reid looked away from her, "I mean does he think that we are sleeping together?"
JJ shook her head, "No, he says that he knows I wouldn't be unfaithful in that way. He just says he can't share me anymore."
"Then I'll leave the BAU, I'll teach fulltime." Reid offered quickly.
"It's not enough Spence, he knows that we are too connected." She explained tears forming in her eyes.
"JJ, I can't do this, I can't be the reason Henry and Michael lose their family." Reid spoke emphatically.
"I don't think there is much either of can do at this point." She responded finishing her first glass of wine a pouring another. "He's already found another house, he's been thinking about it for a while."
"Maybe a separation would help, maybe it will give him some clarity," Reid offered.
"Damn it, Spence do you not get it my marriage is over because my husband knows that I am in love with another man, that I have always have been, and always will be, there is no fixing that." She yelled slamming her glass down and getting up to leave. "Great going Jennifer you manage to love two men but neither of them want you and one of them has never been in love with you." She reprimanded herself as she made her way to the door. She was gathering her purse and her hand was on the knob when she heard him speak.
"Jennifer, I never said that I don't want you and I certainly never said that I am not in love with you." He confessed his voice firm but not angry.
She turned slowly back to him, "You have never said that you do or that you are." She whispered tears falling freely down her face.
"What do you want from me Jennifer? For over a decade you have been in a relationship with a man that can offer you everything that I can't. Will can give you safety and security, he understands how to make you feel loved, he's the best father two boys could ever want. If I loved you the most loving thing I could do would be to let you have a life like that. JJ my mental health is shaky on a good day, I have virtually no experience in a relationship, and I certainly have no idea how to raise a family. Wishing you a happy life with Will and the boys is how I can love you."
"Spence…" She said closing the space between them and wrapping her arms around him. "Please just say it, I need to hear you say it even if this is the only time."
She felt him breathe in before his voice regained its composure, "I love you JJ, I have since before I understood what it meant to be in love with someone and I always will." He tilted her head up so he could look in her eyes. 'I mean it Jennifer I love you, but if there is any chance for you and Will I want you to make it work."
She nodded as she offered him a half smile, "I know you do and it is part of why I love you Spence, but I am certain my marriage it over. It has been for a while."
Reid carefully slipped from her arms and walked over to his window, "So where does that leave us?" He asked.
"I don't know right at the moment." She admitted, "I know whatever comes of us wont' be easy and I feel like if we are going to have a chance I need to make sure I end things the right way with Will." She explained.
Reid nodded in agreement, "I'm not going anywhere and I'm not going to push you, just know that I am here." He watched her tuck her hair behind her ear and could tell she wanted to say something, "What is it?"
"I was wondering if I could stay here tonight. In your guest room. I'm just not ready to go home and face it all yet." She confessed.
Reid crossed the room to her pulling her into a hug again, "You are welcome here anytime, JJ." He told her as he placed a kiss on top of her head.
Reid carried her suitcase to the guest room, "Can I get you anything?"
"Honestly I just want to go to sleep, thank you Spence." She answered.
"All right then, I'll see you in the morning." He told her and headed off to shower. When he got out of the shower he walked by the guest room and the door was still slightly open and he noticed she was sitting up in bed. "Jennifer, are you all right?"
"I was just thinking about what comes next how there are going to be a lot of tears and hard moments before all of this is over." She confessed.
Reid entered the room and lifted the covers and sat next to her, "All of those things will be there in the morning, just sleep tonight." He told her settling them both against the pillows and turning off the lamp next on the bedside table.
JJ woke to the sun streaming across an empty bed the next morning, she wondered at what point Reid had left her. She could hear him in the kitchen and she quickly dressed and made her way to join him. He was sitting in his window seat with a cup of coffee and his journal.
"Good morning." She greeted him softly not wanting to disturb him too quickly.
"Good morning." He answered her with a smile making room on the window seat.
She sat down next to him and noticed a peculiar expression on his face, "What is it?" She inquired.
He looked out the window as he answered her, "So many mornings I've sat here and pictured you there and being able to start my day with you, and now you are here and I am glad, glad for the honesty between us, but I also feel guilty." He admitted.
JJ settled back against him, "I know what you mean and I can't make any promises of what comes next, but I know it feels like for the first time in a long time I'm not lying to myself or the people that I love."
That sat together in a comfortable silence for a while, Reid feeling somewhat surprised how quickly he learned exactly how she fit best into his arms. "I'm due at Quantico in a couple of hours, but if you want to stay after I leave you are welcome too." He told her.
JJ sat up and shook her head, "No it's time I get home and begin to deal with all of this. I owe it to Will to make this as easy as possible."
Reid nodded in understanding, smiling when he felt her wrap her fingers around his, "How long will you be there?" She asked.
"Two weeks, but you can call anytime." He told her. "Jennifer I need you to promise me something."
"What?" she asked
He leaned forward and moved her hair back from her face, "Promise me that if you still think there's a chance for you and Will you will take it."
She took his face in her hands, "Only if you promise me something."
"What?" He asked growing increasingly anxious at their proximity.
"That you will work on understanding that none of this is your fault and that we cannot help that we love each other." She told him.
"JJ, remember last night when you questioned if I wanted you? I can honestly say I have never wanted anything more than I want to kiss you right now." He whispered and she smiled and moved back from him.
"But I know you aren't going to. Are you?" She asked.
"We can't, you have too much to figure out first and that's not something that I want either of us to regret." He told her.
She took his hands in hers and kissed them, "I should go. I'll see you when you get back from Quantico." She collected her purse from the couch where she had dropped it the previous night.
"Jennifer" He called after her.
"What?" she asked turning back to him smiling at him.
"I love you."
TBC