JJ stares at her desk. She had purposely gotten in early to have a few moments alone. She slowly reaches out and turns on the electronic photo frame, smiling slightly as it starts to scroll through pictures of Emily, Henry and their family. She sits down in her chair. The cushions that never seemed soft enough are suddenly clouds after having wooden chairs to work in for 9 weeks.

"Comfy, isn't it?"

JJ jumps and turns to find Morgan smiling at her. She grins.

"Yeah. I had hated this chair. Now it's like heaven."

He grins and hitches a hip onto the edge of her desk. "I know what you mean. Before we left I had thought about buying a new mattress set. Saturday night I wept that old mattress was so damn comfortable."

JJ laughs. "Amazing the perspective we have now, eh?"

"Definitely." He takes a sip of his coffee. "Uh…did you have…dreams? Nightmares?" he asks quietly.

JJ slowly shakes her head. "Not yet. I figure I will but just being beside Emily has…has centered me." She looks at him sympathetically. "I'm sorry you don't have that with someone."

Morgan nods. "Yeah, me, too. Never realized how much it could mean to just…just have that person that holds the monsters at bay."

JJ smiles. "Me neither. I mean, I always knew she could just…just calm me when things were too much. But I never knew how much I needed her to find that place in me where the crazy gets sane again. I love her so much, Morgan. I know I can't live without her."

He grins and squeezes her shoulder. "I know, Jayje. I hope I find that person someday."

She pats his hand. "You will. I know you will."

He nods and stands. "Ready to meet with Jordan at 9?"

JJ shrugs. "I guess so. Think she and Andrade will like your idea about us teaching the next agents?"

Morgan shrugs. "Jordan will like it because it means better agents for her reports." JJ chuckles. "Andrade should since it helps his team. If they can sell it all the way up to Rickets I think it will be a major boost to the unit. We got blindsided by some things. I'd feel better if the next agents had the benefit of what we learned."

JJ nods. "I agree. And with all our free time it shouldn't be a problem to work in a few classes, right?" she jokes.

He chuckles. "Of course not. Might miss a few rounds of solitaire but it will be worth it."

JJ laughs. "Right."

"Well, let me go sort through my inbox and emails. Hopefully nothing important got stuck on my desk for 9 weeks."

JJ watches as Morgan makes his way to his office she turns on her computer and goes to get her first cup of coffee of the morning. While she had been in Afghanistan Gerald had sent her his special grounds. JJ sneers. The FBI's coffee is not quite as good.

"Well, chalk up one thing that was better over there," she mumbles as she walks back to her desk.

She has just finished clearing her inbox when she hears her name called. She turns and smiles at Chief Straus.

"Good morning, Chief."

The chief smiles at her. "Welcome home, Agent Jareau. We've missed you. And I am very proud of the work you and Agent Morgan did overseas. I hope you realize that you exemplary record will probably lead to more promotion opportunities. Most likely the Pentagon will start courting you again."

JJ rolls her eyes. "Thank you for the praise…and the warning. Chief, I am right where I want to be and where I am meant to be."

Straus smiles and pats JJ's shoulder. "Then when you tell them to stick it, if they pressure you some more send them my way. You don't need to deal with those headaches."

JJ is surprised. "Uh, thank you, ma'am. I will."

Jordan looks over the proposal Morgan and JJ had worked on while on their 30+ hour flight back to the US. She smiles.

"It's a good idea, guys."

"I know there is still some refining to do, but we would be hitting on all the things that caught us by surprise. Agents know the job, it's the intangibles that we could cover," Morgan point out.

Jordan nods. "I get it, I do. But I will warn you, Andrade has it in his head that surprise keeps agents on their toes and teaches them better."

JJ leans forward, anger in her eyes. "Surprise nearly got Mack and I killed. The scar on my face is proof that surprise can kill us. And if it helps, I'll show him the impact bruise over my heart that proves also helps prove that."

Jordan laughs. "And what would it do to Emily's blood pressure if she hears you flashed my boss."

JJ can't help but smile. "It wouldn't be good. Trust me." She sits back in her chair. "Jordan, the reports, the files, they are good for some background. But real experience would have been a hell of a lot more helpful while we prepped to go."

Jordan looks from JJ to Morgan and back again. "I'll fight for this to happen then. You have my word." They all stand, the meeting over. "Andrade may have more questions for you about your reports and about this proposal. But if all goes well, you'll be able to officially put your time in Afghanistan behind you by the end of the week."

Morgan sighs. "Good. And if he asks if we'd be interested in going back, tell him—"

"FUCK NO!" Morgan and JJ say emphatically together.

Jordan laughs. "I'll pass that on…though I may couch it in kinder terms."

It is a little after 10 when they get back down to the BAU. The rest of the team was already in the round table room for their Monday meeting. Morgan and JJ hurry in.

"Sorry. Ran over with Jordan," Morgan explains.

"Hey, who're the new kids?" Emily asks from the computer screen.

"College interns," Rossi jokes. "They think they have what it takes to make it in the BAU."

Reid chuckles. "We'll eat 'em alive."

Morgan and JJ roll their eyes. "Okay, okay, you've had your fun," Morgan drawls. "Now, how about we talk cases so JJ and I can get this place back on track."

Hotch raises an eyebrow. "Garcia…how long would it take to do a thing and get him sent to, say, Fargo?"

Garcia chuckles. "Faster than a bumble bee sipping whiskey!"

The team laughs, all wondering where the heck she comes up with these things. Hotch slowly looks at each member of his team.

"Good to see you all here," he says sincerely. "Our strength has always been the way we work with each other. I can honestly say we have missed the insights and support from Morgan and JJ. It will be good to be back up to 100% again."

"Well, more like 95% since I'm only there by video," Emily points out.

He grins. "I stand corrected. So," he hands folders to JJ and Morgan, "let's take a look at what we have on tap right now."

And just like that, the team is back to work…together.