All In One Word

by Thn0715

One word can explain everything. Why they work so hard. Why they are so passionate. For each member, it can all be summed up in just one word. As usual, I do not own Criminal Minds or its characters.

4. Compassion

A/N: Hello again! Thanks so much for all the reviews! Glad you are all enjoying this. I actually had a bit of trouble with this section as well. It surprised me a bit, actually. I usually have a fairly easy time writing JJ. So special thanks to WrenWing and Falcon-121 for looking this one over and giving me a few tips. You guys rock!

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COMPASSION

It's a good feeling to know that I can be the person grieving families can come to and lean on. I can show emotion, empathy, sympathy, and most importantly, compassion when the others can't. I'm the one who doesn't have to be 100% agent all the time. Oh, believe me, I can turn Agent Jareau back on in a heartbeat when I need to. Especially when the press starts smelling fresh blood. Those bloodthirsty vampires want a shot at one of those families? They have to go through me first.

Of course, I've picked up on some profiling techniques. You can't work with this team and not learn a bit of what they do. It helps when I have to make decisions regarding which cases we take. That decision is always the hardest part of my job. I am constantly afraid that I've made the wrong choice. That is, until we get to our destination. That's when I meet the overworked, underpaid, exhausted police captain who is out of ideas as to how to stop the monster that is loose in his city. Or when I come face to face with the victims' families. Those who have already lost their loved ones and those who are looking for the smallest ray of hopeful light to break through their worst nightmares. They are counting on our team to live up to their reputation, and they are counting on me to be their rock, their support system when they have nowhere else to turn. I am honored to be that for them. I am honored to protect them from the press. I am honored to share in their joy when their missing loved one is returned home. And as hard and upsetting as it is, I am honored to be the shoulder they cry on when the news is its darkest.

These families need compassion. It is because of them that I never took the classes to become a profiler. I have enough profiling ability to contribute to the investigations from time to time. But someone has to be able to stop being the agent and quite simply be human. I am more than willing for that agent to be me.

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Supervisory Special Agent

Media Liaison

Jennifer Jareau