Charity Work (2/?)

Spoiler: S02E18 Jones

Pairing: Emily/JJ, slight JJ/Will

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Criminal Minds or any of its contents.

Author's note: I found my beta!! Somehow she put up with me and managed to do a great job, so thanks B. Thank you everyone who reviewed, I really hope you enjoy this one too. Also want to dedicate it to Tams and Soad. You guys weren't kidding when you said there would be bugging. =D

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She turned over in bed and shielded her face with the pillow, making a promise to kill whoever turned the lights on. She didn't care to check what time it was, all she knew was that it felt like way too early for her to be awake. All she wanted was to go back to whatever dream she was just having. That was until she felt it. The scent hit her nostrils way before she heard the sound of the door being carefully opened. Emily was so worried about not waking her up that JJ decided to pretend she was still asleep.

The coffee's scent was moving closer, but before she could have an idea of exactly how close, she felt the cushion shift. Emily found a bit of space and sat next to the lying blond, leaning on the headboard.

"I know you're awake, JJ" Emily's voice carried a hint of laughter.

"Then you … coffee" She chuckled throatily at the blonde's muffled reply.

"Then…what?"

JJ lifted the pillow just enough so that she could speak "Then you wouldn't mind passing my coffee"

"You mean, my coffee?"

"Yeah, like you'd ever have milk in your morning coffee." JJ took her time sitting up by the older woman, morning light clearly still bothering her.

"And some people still say I'm addicted to coffee" Emily said as she had the coffee cup snatched out of her hand.

"Oh my appreciation for coffee has nothing to do with your known addiction"

Emily overtly dramatically faked being stabbed to the heart, and burst into laughter after earning a light slap from the blond; who, ceremoniously, drank some more of the discussed beverage. When the laughter started to die out and JJ turned a bit, to be able to more easily look her in the eyes, she knew the tone of the conversation would change.

"What happened?" The blond asked "And don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about"

"It's nothing, really"

"Emily…" JJ started, but stopped short as the brunette sighed. Emily knew very well what that tone meant. That was going to be harder than…Nah, she knew from the moment the blond put into words that they were going to talk about it that that was a conversation she wouldn't be able to escape from.

"Reid…Well he has kinda, sorta been a bit…rude. Actually, maybe that's a bit too much. Overtly impolite maybe…"

"He's been a jerk" The blond stated, stopping another one of the brunette's rambling.

"Well…" Emily took a deep breath "Yeah" She looked apologetically "I'm sorry"

"Why are you apologizing? Did you do something to him?" The blond was sure of what the answer would be.

"No! I'm…I'm pretty sure I didn't do anything to him."

"Then don't apologize. It's not your fault. When did it start?"

The brunette hesitated "A couple weeks ago"

"Weeks? Why did you take so long to…" JJ took a quiet calming breath before continuing "You could have said something sooner"

"You've been working as a team for years, JJ. I'm just the new girl…"

"You know better than to…Weeks? How many weeks?"

"JJ…" Emily looked apologetically. She knew when the blonde found out she would blame herself. She still had a hard time when it came to anything relating to the Henkel case, especially if involved Reid.

"I'm going to talk to him" JJ used the same voice she used when telling Emily they would have that very conversation.

"Don't" Emily pleaded.

"This is not your burden to carry"

"This is nobody's burden to carry" Emily took a deep breath and looked the blond in the eyes "JJ, It's not your fault" She repeated the other woman's words, vehemently.

"I'll…I'll talk to him. At least try to understand. There must be…" The blond stared out the room's window "Gosh, I never thought Reid could…"

"Anyone can" The brunette said with certainty, looking a bit saddened. The blond continued to stare at the open window, the sunlight not bothering anymore. She thought over the things she had been told, quietly, under Emily's concerned look. She watched as the blonde's thoughts crossed her mind, and showed on her face. She knew the blond had come to a decision about the situation when her face regained the usual calmness she usually portrayed.

"Is it really as late as it seems?" The blond finally said.

"Nope, we still have a couple of hours before having to…" She stopped mid-sentence when the familiar sound of a mobile phone's ringtone filled the hotel room.

"Please tell me that is not my phone" The blond glared at the brunette, who was already laughing at the irony, "You just had to go and jinx it". She handed – more like threw at – Emily the coffee mug and kneeled down, for better access to her bag.

"Being a Press liaison and everything, shouldn't you like, keep your mobile nearby at all times?"

"Not funny, Prentiss!" JJ replied, having finally reached her phone.

"Oh it's Prentiss now?"

"As far as I know, that's still your name, honey" Emily laughed harder at the horrified look in JJ's face when she realized she had already answered the phone. "Jennifer Jareau. Good morning to you too, Detective LaMontagne" She coughed and tried to keep her professional voice, while trying to get Emily to stop imitating a puppy dog. The blonde's next words abruptly cut the jokes, "Another body? Give me the address and we'll meet you there" The brunette handed her the closest piece of paper and pen she found and waited, as the blond scribbled down the information and finished the phone call.

"They found another man dead. Pretty sure it's the same killer. I'm gonna call Hotch and…"

"I can call Hotch, go take a shower" offered the brunette.

The blond thought it through before walking to the bathroom, "I won't be long"

"I'd take some extra time if I were you. You are kind of stinking" Emily joked, loud enough for the blond to hear through the bathroom door and come back out.

"I'm so not you and, by the way… " She snatched the cup from the laughing brunette's hand and ran back the bathroom, "that's my coffee"

It didn't take her long to get their boss on the phone, "Hey Hotch. LaMontagne just called, said there's…He already called you? Oh, no nothing. I'll meet them downstairs in a few then. She's taking a shower but I'll let her know"

She walked around the room in silence, gathering all that was necessary for another day on the job, hardly any attention on it. She couldn't help but find it strange the detective's actions. It's far from unusual for a detective to call the team's press liaison, but seems a bit unnecessary since he had already called the team's boss.

"Is something wrong?" JJ asked softly, still very wet, wearing only a towel. Emily, as always one to get lost in her own thoughts, took some seconds to realize JJ was already out of the bathroom and had spoken to her.

"The guys are waiting for me downstairs"

"Already?"

"Yeah…LaMontagne called Hotch. Before calling you."

"I am the press liaison, you know" Emily shot her a look that made it clear that was not the time to be condescending. She could almost see the wheels turning in the brunette's head, trying to connect any loose dot. "The guy is crazy about solving this case; I'm surprised he didn't call the entire team. "Emily let out a short chuckle and smiled brightly, but the blond was sure of two things, the smile was a bit forced and the brunette wasn't at all convinced. If the blond herself wasn't unaware of the detective's gooey eyes her way the previous day, she knew the brunette had definitely seen.

"Lucky you, you still got some time left. Hotch asked you to meet him at the police precinct when you're ready, and the rest of us will meet you there after we check the scene. Hopefully we get to build a concise profile today; god knows this city doesn't need any more tragedy"

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Emily moved through the pull the bullpen, mobile phone glued to her ears, looking for the blonde media liaison.

"Garcia found a similar case in Texas. Gideon asked us to go check it. You, me and Reid. I don't know; that's what I'm trying to straight out." Passing by one of the last offices in the corridor she found the blond agent, who was busy talking on the phone "Just found JJ. I'll call in a sec" Emily hung up the phone and leaned on to the doorway, knocking on the door in order to get the blonde's attention. JJ made a sign for her to wait and continued to listen to whoever she was talking to through the telephone.

She watched, still surprised her how they, so easily, became friends, being so different. Their differences went way beyond their contrasting looks. It went from their brought up to the way they felt about their job, with most of what was in between.

It took a while for Emily to realize there was something different about the blond, in a special kind of way. One day, on a Thursday night, she stayed until late in the bullpen, draped over a pile of files that weren't due the next week. It was less about wanting to get it done than being too lazy to go home. If anyone found her asleep in her desk in the morning she could blame the "mysterious" theft of her – carefully hidden ­– coffee powder by an unknown technical analyst. However, in a rare universal conspiracy in her favor, she was lucky. Not unknown to late hours in the federal building, the BAU's press liaison had just decided that was the last case for the day when she saw, through her office's window, the dark-haired female; looking like she might start to drool at any minute. It didn't take long for her to be by the brunette's side, suitcase and car keys in hand, taking her attention away from the tedious paperwork. Somehow, the blonde convinced her not only to continue the paperwork in the morning, but also to get her lazy ass out of the chair she had been glued to for the previous five hours, at least.

She didn't remember how they got to JJ's house, or how she ended up on her living room's sofa. The first conscious moment she could remember after being approached by the blond in the bullpen was of a hazy vision of her, clad in pajamas eating popcorn, eyes focused on the TV. Her attempt to say something was shooed by the blond, because it was her favorite part of the film and no one could interrupt. Emily chuckled at the blonde's manners, but didn't point out the fact that she was the one who spoke through the whole scene; in fact, she spoke through the whole film. The brunette was already wide-awake when Richard Gere went up the fire stairs to the waiting arms of a young Julia Roberts, all complete with an extra narration by a blond FBI agent. The blond smiled as if it was the first time she watched it, and Emily smiled with her, for a whole different reason. She wasn't particular fond of romantic Hollywoodian films, it bothered the hell out of her when someone spoke throughout a film; and there she was, watching a commented version of Pretty Woman for the third time that month, with a smile on her face. Yeah, there was something different about the other woman; she could just feel it…

"Emily!" JJ tried for the hundredth time. She started softly but the lack of response from the brunette had her close to shouting to get the other woman's attention. Spacing out really was her thing.

"What?" The brunette asked, coming back from her musings.

"I just asked what you think" JJ looked at Emily like she had grown a second head.

Emily didn't know what to do. The blond looked like she was starting to get annoyed by her lack of attention and she had no idea what the question was about. She strained her mind in hope she had somehow heard a word of the blond had said before, but nothing came. She felt embarrassed before the words even left her mouth.

"I agree with you"

"That's good to know" The blond shook her head and smiled. "You were looking for me?"

"Right, Garcia found a similar case in Galveston, Texas. Gideon asked me, Morgan and Reid to go check it, tonight."

It wasn't a long flight, but the blond knew there was a great chance the brunette would only be back in the morning. There was no doubt sleep would take a bit longer to come that night. No comfort from home, no comfort from Emily's company. Hopefully soon she would have the comfort of a job done.

"No problem. I'll get the details with Garcia and let you know when it's all set up." The blond said, already looking for her mobile phone.

"Thanks, I'm gonna look for Hotch. Give him the heads up."

"OK, I won't take long. And Emily…" She said, getting the brunette's attention before she walked away "I didn't ask you anything"

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She had been sitting on the plane for a while before Morgan walked inside, carrying his traveling bag. It didn't take too long for her to realize Reid had bailed on them.

"Where's Reid?" Morgan asked and took a seat across the small table beside her.

"I was hoping he was with you"

"Thought you said you called him"

"I did, four times. Nothing" She explained, checking her watching, worriedly and quite frustrated "The victim's fiancé is expecting us. What are we supposed to do?" Morgan knew she was right, he checked his watch once more. If they didn't leave soon, they'd be late to talk with the victim's fiancé; and getting late hardly made for a good impression.

"We got one option. Wheels up"

The rest of the flight was all about the case at hand, who and how they would do the talking, and such details. It was never easy talking to victims' families, no matter how long it had passed. Anyone would say it is worse to be the one to give the news, but it's tough no matter the situation. There's only so much time can do. Asking them to talk about something they wish to forget it ever happened; quite the task. Reid's name remained unmentioned all through. Emily wasn't going to talk about it. Morgan knew she wouldn't.

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They walked through the hotel's tight corridor; travelling bags in hand, in search for their rooms. They were closer to the killer now; thanks to the talk with the victim's fiancé, they were sure that the unsub was a female and they found how she might be luring her victims. That could definitely be called a productive trip, the kind that got most of them on the edge.

"Sleep?" The brunette asked.

"Yeah, we got amazing…what, five hours, before having to be aboard the airplane?"

"Grandma!" She mocked. "I'm taking any chance I can get nowadays."

"Don't know why." He said, just as they found the doors to their rooms "From what I heard, ya sleep like a log"

Emily stopped opening her door and stared at him confused. He chuckled when she let out an exclamation and went back to her door muttering she would kill the blonde liaison. He threw a good night before going into the room. Mechanically, Morgan put the bag in the first corner he passed, put his wallet and mobile phone on the nightstand, his main gun in the drawer.

He stood there, quietly looking around the room, sometimes staring at the bed. Truth be told, he had no wish to sleep that night. Opposite to Emily, he wasn't a fast sleeper; he knew by the time he managed to fall asleep they'd have to be on the plane. He picked up his things, leaving only the bag, before shutting his room and knocking on the adjacent door. If he wasn't getting any sleep, no way Prentiss was.

"Just a moment!" She called out, but was ignored by Morgan who kept knocking harder and harder, aware of how much she 'loved' when people did that.

"What the hell?" Emily snarled after opening the door to the sight of the dark man, hand raised, ready for another beat.

"Saw a pool table downstairs" He gave her his trademark smirk, ignoring completely her obvious foul mood.

Morgan watched as she briefly thought it through, then walked back in; and stared, with a hint of sadness, at the mobile open, lying on the bed. She picked it up before holstering back her gun, and said, "I'm in"