Disclaimer: see my profile
A/n credit goes to the writers of CM for the dialog from "Nameless, Faceless.
JJ joined Reid on the jet and took his hand. "Hey," she greeted, quietly.
"Hey," he faced her and tried, but couldn't quite force a welcoming smile to his lips.
"You okay?"
"Was going to ask you the same question."
"I'm fine, but I'm worried about Penelope."
She glanced at her friend who stared at her laptop as if it were a foreign object. Her lack of interest made her wonder if Garcia would bounce back.
"I hope she'll be okay," Spencer whispered.
JJ squeezed his hand. "You're amazing, babe."
"Why?"
She scrutinized his sincere expression of confusion and once again, it hit her how lacking in ego was her new husband.
"Because you always put others above yourself."
"Not always," he argued.
"No one's perfect, not even you, Spence." she gently teased.
He attempted another smile but failed again. "I should've seen what William wanted to do."
"Babe, you're not all-knowing. None of us saw it coming."
"But –"
She touched his face. "You're not to blame."
He nodded and finally managed a small smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I'm going to take a nap."
He settled back in his seat and closed his eyes. When JJ was certain that her husband slept, she left her seat and went to sit across from Garcia.
"Hey, Pen."
"I must look out of sorts if you're calling me Pen."
"I wanted to make sure you're all right."
"Oh, I'm all right. Watching someone take a shotgun blast at close range put a serious kink in my day, but it'll make me tougher, right."
She winced at the uncharacteristic sarcasm and the hollowness of Garcia's voice. Even her bright red hair seemed to drop in defeat and her eyes were shining with unshed tears.
"No one wants you to be tougher, Garcia. We love you as you are."
"Thanks, Jayje, but –"
"No buts," she reached over and squeezed Garcia's forearm. "You have to be the color in our lives, okay."
Garcia wiped away the tears sliding down her cheeks. "You're a good friend."
"So are you. We couldn't do this without you."
"Don't you ever forget it," she intoned, and JJ chuckled, softly.
"We won't - trust me," she assured her colorful friend.
"So," Garcia asked with a sly smile. "How are things with my sweet cheeks?"
JJ sat back and smirked. "Fine."
"Fine! That's all you have to say."
"Shh…" she put a finger to her lips like a teacher admonishing a student. "This is the workplace."
Garcia pulled her latest knitting project from her bag. "Okay, Peaches. I understand the meaning of discretion. The next time we go for drinks, you can tell me all about him. It won't be difficult to drag it from you after a couple of tequila shots."
"Well see," JJ retorted. "As I recall Emily and I drank you under the table a few months ago."
"I was off my game," Garcia responded with the dignity of a duchess having lunch with the queen.
"If you say so," JJ responded. "You sure you're okay."
"No, but I will be. After all, I have my family right here.
"Which is why I expect you to talk to me if you need it, okay?"
"I will, I promise."
JJ went back to sit next to Spencer and soon she fell into a brief but resting sleep while the jet arrowed its way home
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JJ and Reid met the team at 751 North Harney Street after only four hours of sleep. Detective Walker took them through the scene as quickly and succinctly as he could.
"I don't understand why we're here," Morgan asked a bit testily as they were supposed to be on stand down.
"Two days ago, a Dr. Barton got a note telling him the sender was going to kill his son. If the doctor tried to keep the boy hidden, one person, per day, would die in his place."
"And you think this is connected," Emily postulated.
"The note is signed, "LC," Reid put in as he scanned the file folder in his hands.
"Yesterday there was another victim," Walker continued. "Multiple gunshots and the shooter wrote LC in white chalk, next to the body."
"Unless Dr. Barton puts his son in harm's way, we'll have a victim per day," Reid said.
Emily asked JJ about Hotch as they were leaving for Dr. Barton's home. "I've left him voice mails. He's probably sleeping."
"Try him again," Rossi instructed.
JJ tried but got his voicemail. She gave him Dr. Barton's address and decided not to worry because they were all tired.
Reid didn't blame Dr. Barton for his upset when hours later Emily left to check on their boss. Hotch's behavior had distracted all of them and he needed to regain his concentration and help Dr. Barton find the man trying to kill his son.
The flash of final understanding hit when Emily called to tell him about Hotch and the meaning of LC as living children. Dr. Barton was the target, not his son. He jumped to his feet and rushed after the doctor, who'd insisted on going to pick up his son as per usual on his day off. He sprinted to the front door but didn't see the man with the gun until it was nearly too late. He leaped and tackled Dr. Barton to the ground as the gun boomed. Something bit into his knee and then he slammed to the ground with a jolt that sent shock waves through his entire body.
"Whatever you do stay down," Reid warned the doctor as he used his body as a shield and held his gun ready.
"Don't protect him, he killed my son," said Mr. Meyers
"No, your son was killed in a car accident."
"Stand up," Meyers demanded.
"I'm not going to ask you again," Reid said firmly. "Don't make me shoot you. Drop the gun."
"Stand up, you coward."
"Mr. Meyers listen to me. Your son was killed in a car accident and this is not what he would want."
Meyers lowered the gun as he seemed to hear emergency sirens rushing closer. Their wail must've touched something in him because Reid saw the purpose surge back into his eyes, but this time they were the desperate eyes of a man that wanted to die.
"Don't do it," Reid commanded.
Meyers raised his gun and he squeezed the trigger of his revolver. The explosion of the shot rocked him to the core.
The next moments were a blur of wondering if the doctor could save Mr. Meyers and attempting to ignore the pain that began to seep through the temporary effects of adrenaline on his body. The pain bit into his knee like a living thing, making him crave a shot of Dilaudid.
Then, his beautiful JJ was there, crouching over him with suppressed fear in her blue eyes. "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay, but you guys need to find Emily. Something's happened to Hotch."
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When Reid awoke several hours later, the first thing he saw was another hospital room, and the second was his Jennifer in an uncomfortable chair, asleep with her hair half covering her face. The agony in his knee was gone or buried so far under the effects of drugs, he couldn't feel it. He watched his wife sleep and after a minute began to wonder if Hotch was okay. He speculated how long it would take to feel like they were all safe again.
He wasn't sure when he fell back into sleep, but when he woke JJ was there and it was fully morning with bright sun behind the blinds over the windows. His beautiful wife smiled, and it warmed her eyes until they resembled the summer sky bereft of clouds.
"Hey," she said and bent over to kiss him.
"Hm… You smell wonderful."
"Isn't it amazing what a shower and sleep will do for a girl."
"How long did you sleep in that chair before they kicked you out?"
Her cheeks turned pink. "A couple of hours. When did you wake up and why didn't you say something?"
"Because we came off a brutal case, then immediately were called back for another. I get shot and Hotch is in this same hospital with nine stab wounds."
She tried a smile, but tears collected in her eyes. "You scared me, Spence."
"I'm sorry, Jennifer."
A young man with short blonde hair, green eyes, and dark blue scrubs entered the room. "Good morning, Dr. Reid. I'm your replacement nurse, Trent. I'll be here until eight tonight."
"Hi," he waved at Trent who smiled in return.
"Hello," JJ said. "I'm his wife, Jennifer Jareau Reid."
"Happy to know you. Dr. Reid, your vitals look great. I'm here to see if you need anything. They'll bring up your breakfast in about ten minutes."
"Um, I need a bathroom break and I'm thirsty."
"No problem. I'll get one of the aides in here to help. Mrs. Reid, would you like something to drink? We have juices, water, and coffee."
"Coffee would be great, just a little sugar, please."
"Coming right up."
JJ sipped on her coffee while waiting for Spencer and watched some of the activity around her. It always amazed her how hospitals all looked the same no matter where she traveled in the country. They all had identical beige walls and tile floors and had similar smells and doctors and nurses dress in scrubs or white coats with stethoscopes wound around their necks. God, she hated hospitals!
"You feel better," she asked after the aide brought in Spencer's food tray.
"Yeah," he said after a long pull on the straw fitted into a plastic mug. "I never thought I would say this, but water tastes better than coffee right now."
"Are you sure you didn't lose too much blood?" she gently teased.
"No major arteries were hit," he said seriously. "Trent said I'm lucky because they didn't have to replace my knee."
"I know," she said. "I'm glad your leg is still attached."
He studied her for a moment. "I'm sorry I frightened you."
"Babe, let's talk about it later. I need you to rest and get back on both feet, okay."
"Are you sure," he asked.
"Yes, I don't want to have a serious discussion while you're here. Let's talk about something else."
"Do you think the Redskins will go to the Super Bowl this year," he deadpanned.
JJ's eyebrows went into her hair. "Spence, it's barely the beginning of the season."
"I know," he said, and his eyes began to sparkle with mischief. "I assumed it's never too early to collect stats and data on the physical health of the players, the skill of the coach, and –"
"Spence!"
"Yes, my love."
"When your knee is healed, I'm going to break it," she threatened, pleasantly, but with promised violence in her eyes.
He shrugged, "Just trying to be more conversational."
"Oh you," she shook her head. "What am I going to do with you?"
"I can think of several possibilities."
"Are you certain you didn't lose too much blood to your brain," she asked politely.
"I didn't lose enough blood to affect my cognitive abilities, Jennifer."
"Not yet."
"We should talk about your penchant for threatening violence against my person."
"Then perhaps you should consider behaving yourself for a change," she suggested.
He smirked at her and she sighed. "I need to tell you about Hotch and what happened while you were in surgery.
He listened as his wife laid it out, the Reaper and Haley's banishment into the witness protection program with Jack. "We have to find the Reaper, Jennifer. We have to get them back."
"We will," she assured him. "Right now, you need to relax and get better. Will you promise me that you'll put all of your energy, physical and mental into doing what it takes to walk again."
"Yes," he said, firmly. "I promise."
"Good. I have a feeling we're all going to need all our strength in the weeks to come, especially Hotch."
"You're right," he agreed.
She leaned in for another kiss. "I love you, Spencer Reid, more than my life."
"I love you, too, Jennifer Jareau Reid. Promise me you'll never go away."
"Never," she assured him and clasped his hand. "Now, why don't we see what you have for breakfast."