"JJ, I think we're staying local. Virginia State PD have requested our assistance and I agree when they say it's urgent. I apologise for not telling you before you picked out another." Agent Hotchner said, his mouth a firm, straight line as usual. JJ wondered when he'd last smiled in front of the team, it was a rare sight. She couldn't blame him though. It was hard for the whole team to smile or laugh with everything they saw on a daily basis.
"Okay, that's fine, Hotch. I'll see you at the briefing then," she said with a smile. It didn't quite reach her eyes though, it looked slightly like she had to remember to smile. She turned to leave, but she rotated the wrong way, giving her boss a clear veiw of her stitches and split lip. She cursed in her mind.
"JJ, what's that?" He motioned to his own temple. His brow was creased slightly and JJ thought she could hear a slight note of concern in his question.
"Oh, this? It's nothing." She replied calmly, no surpise there - she'd rehersed in her head enough- and touched her temple to display what 'this' was. As soon as she made contact she regretted it as she felt herself wince.
"yes, is that stitches, JJ? What happened?" He asked, holding back the concern that threatend to lace through his voice. He was very protective of his team and had every reason to be too, he thought of Elle and Gideon, whom it all got too much for.
"Uh, yea. I was, um, jumped last night. Just some guy trying to snatch my purse, he got scared off anyway. Didn't take anything." She said, lying through her teeth. Bit of an understatement, huh JJ? she thought to herself.
"Are you okay? Should you even be working? That looks like a nasty head wound, do you have a concussion?" he asked, faking his calm.
She smiled like it was nothing. "Yea, I'm fine. Don't you even try and put me on desk duty," she joked, "This is about my only war-wound anyway." Her boss just looked at her doubtingly, examining her to see if she was really okay. This made her nervous. "Right, so, breifing in twenty? See you then."
Exiting her bosses ofice, she bumped into her college and close friend Garcia, technical anylist for the BAU. The contact between them hurt like hell, but she put on a brave face. Hell, that face had been there all morning. As usual, she was dressed brightly and her blonde hair was tied in bunches with ribbons.
"Hey, Pen. How're you?" JJ asked, really wanting to ask how the hangover was going but stopped herself as they were still in earshot of their boss. Not that he would mind much, it's just be quite embarassing for Garcia.
"Bonjour, my beautiful little croissant! I'm fi...oh my gosh, Jayjie! What happend?" Garcia asked, gently but firmly seizing her friends head and inspecting her wound. So much for the bangs helping, JJ thought.
"Nothing happend," she explained, taking Garcias hands off her face and guiding her to the bullpen to wait for their other collegues. "I got jumped last night heading home, the guy ran off without anything. That's it, Pen,"
"Nothing? You were attacked, you could have died!" Garcia exclaimed, freely letting the concern seep from her voice. JJ laughed at her friends over-reaction.
"Who could have died, Reid asked, entering the bullpen while munching on a deep green apple. JJ shot Garcia a look.
"No one, Spence. It's Noth..." She was cut off.
"Jayjie was attacked!" the technical anylist blurted. JJ shot her another look. If looks could kill, thought Garcia.
"What? Are you okay?" Spencer asked. He couldn't fathom the idea of JJ being attacked, of becoming being a victim. Although she was only a few years older than himself and of another sex, she was one of the toughest people he'd ever known.
"I'm fine, Spence, honestly. Garcias just over-reacting, a guy tried to rob me last night, that's all." She explained, wonderig how many times again she'd have to do it again over. Doctor Spencer Reid looked at her, inspecting her like her boss had done. Just as before, it made her nervous.
"I'm fine. You don't have to inspect me. Or do you not beleive me? Do you want a strip-search?" JJ snapped. As soon as the words left her mouth she wanted to pull them back in and swallow them. She curserd herself mentally. This had been exactly what she had wanted to avoid, giving them cause to beleive she wasn't as fine as she'd been making out. However, her comment made Reid blush and he went and sat in his unoficially resignated chair. They always sat in their same seats, it was just something the team did.
They three of them could hear agent Derek Morgan and Emily Prentiss approaching -their joking bickering could be heard easily-. Their childish arguing ceased with a laugh as they entered the bullpen.
"Hey guys" Emily greeted, taking a seat. In return, she recieved a smile from all three agents.
"Well, hello there my hunk-a-licious chocolate statue of perfection," Garcia greeted Morgan personally.
"Hello, baby girl," He replied with a playful chuckle.
Just as she was lowering into her chair next to JJ, Emily too spotted the stitches. She was just about to ask her about them when Hotch entered the bullpen and took his own seat, handing out the case files. She met Garcias eyes and she shot her a look that said "Back off, I'll explain later". With a nod, Emily turned her attention back to the case.
JJ regretted opening the file as soon as flipped the page. She turned a ghostly pale and felt nausesous and sick.
A|N So sorry for the late update! This chapter took forever to write so I hope you like! I just want to say thanks to velizara95 , dino-dog83 , spingal & Cribellate for their support and many reveiws which I havn't responded to - Sorry about that - and also to those to have been adding this to their alerts. Thankyou! I'm kind of worried about this chapter, you know, in case I played their reaction wrong so please let me know :) & remember, reveiws make 'Closing Time' come faster! Much love, me!