Morgan didn't hesitate to use the spare key JJ gave him to enter the house. His eyes quickly glanced around in search for her before he called out to her, "Jay, baby where are you?" He heard her faint, answering whimper coming from the floor above him. Morgan took two steps at a time as he made his way quickly up the stairs. His heart broke as he took in the defeated woman collapsed on the floor near Henry's bedroom door. Morgan could hear the angry actions of the young boy he had grown to love like a son and he knew immediately that the conversation between JJ and Henry didn't go well. He walked briskly to JJ's side and gave a small smile to her after she slowly brought her eyes up to meet his.
Morgan crouched down in front of her and reached out slowly with his hand, as if approaching a wild animal, to touch her cheek. JJ's eyes were swollen and unfocused as she stared at his approaching hand. Her baby blues shone brightly out of her red eyes. His hand cupped her cheek and he gently wiped away her tears as JJ turned her head to nuzzle into the warmth of his hand. Derek reached out with his other hand to wipe the tears from the other side of JJ's face before moving again. He rose from his crouched position before her before reaching down to pick her up bridal style from the floor. JJ gasped in surprise to find herself hoisted up into the air by Derek's arms.
JJ immediately curled her body into Derek's; his strength and ease at holding her up made her feel safe in a way she had not felt in a really long time. She turned her face to hide in his neck, as a wave of shame made its way burning through her body. This was not the way things were supposed to happen and JJ questioned why every time it felt like she was taking a few steps forward, something happened to drop her back at square one. JJ felt the tears stinging her eyes once more and JJ pressed her face into Derek's neck more in order to try and hide them. She felt weak and the feeling disgusted JJ. Her hands gripped at Morgan's shirt tightly as she tried to pull herself closer.
Morgan just stood there in the hallway holding JJ's body close to his. He swayed gently as he held her up in the air as if rocking an upset child. "It's okay baby. Everything's going to be okay." Morgan whispered softly to her over and over again until he felt JJ begin to calm. He walked slowly toward her bedroom, knowing that JJ was emotionally strung out for the day and needed to rest. He slowly entered her room and approached her bed. JJ shook as she felt Derek lower her to the bed, whimpering at the loss of Derek's warmth. "Shh… Everything's going to be okay." He leaned down slowly to kiss JJ on her forehead. "I'm just going to check on Henry. Make sure he's okay." Derek frowned as a sob once more wracked JJ's body. Her pain over her argument from her son so palpable Derek could taste it in the air. He collapsed onto the bed next to JJ to take her into his arms.
"Derek…" JJ whimpered brokenly. She wanted so bad to go back and do things differently, but she didn't know what she could have done to make things better. Make it so Henry could understand that there was nothing or no one that could ever do anything that could shake her love for Henry. He was the best thing to happen to her and every moment that she spent with him, good or bad, she cherished with all her heart. She wished she could tell him that but she knew he was so angry that he would hear nothing that she'd say. The Jareau family was notorious for their suborn streaks and even worst, their tempers. "He hates me!" She wailed out brokenly. Derek's heart broke at the declaration. He had never heard JJ in such pain, in all the time that he's known her; he's never heard her defeated and that is how she sounded right now.
Derek squeezed his eyes against the tears that stung them. She pressed her face tightly into his chest, needing his strength now more than ever. Derek opened his mouth for a second before closing it once more, unsure what he could say that could do anything to take away the pain JJ was feeling. It hurt him deeply to see her this way and Morgan felt powerless once more, like he did when he found her beaten and bruised after her altercation with Will and Derek flushed with anger at his continued helplessness. He tried once more to find some words to provide a measure of peace for the woman he had come to love with all of his heart.
He looked down to meet her eyes before saying, "JJ, listen to me. I don't know exactly what went down between you and Henry, but I have the feeling that the conversation about you and Will didn't go over too well with him. Despite that, there is one thing I need you to understand, regardless of what that little boy is saying right now, he loves more than anything in the entire world." Derek said fiercely before continuing, "you are the center of that kid's universe JJ. And I know for a fact, even though her is young, I know there is nothing that he would not do for you. I can tell he's angry with you right now, but you and I both know that at the end of the day, that you and Henry will come out of this together as a family." Derek paused before he said painfully, "Whether you're with me or with Will or with no one. You and Henry are an absolute, not a doubt." Derek finished quietly, watching slowly as he allowed JJ to ruminate over his words for a while.
He knew they were not enough right now to fix everything that happened tonight, but he had a feeling they were enough to be stop gap for JJ's pain for a while. Until her and Henry had a chance to truly talk and work things out. He watched as she slowly looked away before turning her stare back to meet his. Her voice was quiet and rough from her crying, "Thank you." She reached up slowly to meet her lips with his in a sweet kiss. His touch made her feel warm and safe once more. She knows that her and Henry were hitting a rough patch, but ultimately she knew that Derek was right. They would get through this together. Thought he was wrong about one thing, "You're right. We will get through this together. Henry… me…" she paused before staring back into his eyes once more, "and you." Derek's eyes widened in surprise at JJ's declaration. She continued softly, "I can't do this without you. I need you Derek." She kissed him once more hungrily and though she felt her passion flare, she was too exhausted to do much more.
She pulled away softly from Derek and searched his eyes once more before turning her head to rest against his chest. Derek sighed tiredly, his hand moving up to run his fingers through JJ's hair. He said the only thing he could think of at this point. "I love you Jay, more than you could ever possibly know." His arm shifted to bring her closer as he waited for her to fall asleep. He leaned down slowly to press a kiss against her hair before turning his cheek to rest against her. He wanted to check on Henry, but he knew how JJ was when it came to her son. Her admitting weakness to him was not the same thing as asking him to intervene. So far when it came to these situations, despite Morgan's offers to be there for her, JJ had decided to forego everything alone. He felt another flash of anger at his continued helplessness and while he knew he shouldn't take it upon himself to get involved he couldn't sit around and do nothing anymore.
There was a very good chance that JJ was going to get angry with him, it wasn't his place to put himself in the middle, but the woman he was desperately in love with was shattering before his very eyes and he couldn't sit back and watch it happen. And while Derek knew that JJ was a very strong woman, it was actually one her best characteristics, he also knew that every person had a breaking point. JJ may not be seeing it, but Derek did, she was on the edge of a cliff right now and if her and Henry didn't work this out soon, she was going to go over the edge. Derek waited for JJ's breath to deepen, not wanting to attempt this while she was awake. He waited a couple more minutes making sure she was truly asleep before attempting to leave her side. She was exhausted, the bags under her eyes a sign of the recent stress she's been under. He caressed her cheek once more before leaning over to giver her one last kiss on the cheek.
He made his way quietly from her room, shutting the door gently behind him before making his way down the hall towards Henry's room. He paused outside the door taking a deep breath before reaching up to knock. Henry's response was instant, "Go away! I don't want to talk to you. I hate you!" Henry's forceful declaration made Derek wince and another piece of his heart broke for JJ and Henry. He cursed Will once more under his breath for the pain he brought them. Even so, a part of Derek was happy Will screwed up because it gave Derek the chance to act on feelings he tried to bury away a long time ago and that part made Derek feel guilty in ways that he couldn't explain. He shouldn't be happy that JJ's relationship went to shit especially when he sees how she is now but Derek couldn't help but hope that eventually that she and Henry would come out better from it. Hopefully he'll be apart of it. Now that Derek had her, he was sure he could ever let JJ go.
He took another deep breath before continuing, "Henry, it's me, Uncle Mo'. Can I come in?" He asked gently, waiting for the boy to respond.
"Uncle Mo'?" Henry asked suspiciously. "Is mommy with you?" His voice sounded hopeful and angry at the same time and Derek closed his eyes against the sharp pang of pain.
"No buddy, she's resting right now. Is it okay if I come in? I just want to make sure you're okay?" He waited again, hoping Henry would say yes. He didn't want to talk to the boy through a door, but he would if he had to.
"Okay." Henry's quiet response made Derek sigh in relief as he reached out to open the door. He tried to not to let the sadness on his face show when he took in the distraught boy before him. Henry was broken and Derek knew that if something didn't give soon, that this family was going to be destroyed. He turned away from Henry to close the door behind him before making his way further into the room. He sat on Henry's bed and leaned back against the headboard before gesturing to Henry to come toward him.
"Come here kid, and tell Uncle Mo' what's going on." He knew the best way to get Henry talking was to give him the chance to just get things off his chest. He didn't like to feel badgered, a trait Derek knew that JJ shared in spades, which at times made it difficult to talk to them. The Jareaus were quick to get defensive. He waited for Henry to climb up into his lap and lean his back against his chest. He stayed patient long enough for Henry to get comfortable. He wasn't the closest member on the team to Henry but he did spend enough time with the kid to know already that there was nothing he wouldn't do for him. He hopes in the future he and Henry could build a bond in the future but right now he knows what Henry needs is a friend, and outside party he could vent to and Derek knew that he and Henry were close enough that he could give him that.
Henry looked up at his uncle's eyes; the warmth of them soothing him a bit. He could always talk to uncle Mo' but he was worried that when he told him what happened that he was going to get into trouble. He wasn't nice to his mommy and he said some things he wished he didn't say. Henry felt his eyes burn at the beginning of tears and he turned away from his uncle Mo' not wanting him to see him cry. Derek quickly moved to reassure Henry as quickly as he could, "Hey kid, it's okay to be upset. It's not going to change anything. Just tell me what happened, you're not in trouble." Derek said warmly before waiting once more. He allowed Henry the chance to wipe away his stray tears before turning to face Derek once more.
Henry opened his mouth with a sigh before saying, "Mommy doesn't love me anymore." He said brokenly, unable to continue.
Morgan gripped Henry to him a little tighter before asking, "Why do you say that kid?"
"Mommy said that she doesn't love daddy anymore. She told me that I am part daddy and part her. If she doesn't love daddy, how can she love me?" Henry asked questioned. Before Derek could respond, Henry continued, "I said I hated her." He finished quietly.
Derek sighed again, trying to think of what he could say to help the situation. He shuffled Henry a bit so that he had no choice but to face Derek before speaking, "Do you hate your mom Henry? Be honest." Derek already knew the answer to the question but he knew that Henry needed to say it, needed to hear himself say it to believe it.
"No, I love my mommy. Always. But she doesn't…" At that Morgan cut him off.
"Henry, kid, listen to me. Your mother loves you, more than anything in the whole entire world. You know how I know that?" He waited for Henry to shake his head in the negative, "Because I see the way she looks at you. You are her greatest accomplishment and I know there is no one in the world that she is prouder of. She thinks the world of you kid. I know, because it's the way she talks about you. Everything you do brings her happiness and I know there isn't a moment that goes by where she doesn't love you. There is nothing your father can do to change that. I promise you."
Henry looked like he was wavering under the intensity of Derek's gaze and strength behind his words but he wasn't completely sold yet and Derek he needed to push a little more. "Did I ever tell you about my dad?"
"No."
"He was a cop." He paused, the next part hard for him to say. He wasn't going to get to explicit, especially considering Henry's age. "He died when I was a young boy." He paused and took another breath before continuing. "My mother used to cry all the time. She used to look at me and break down and cry. I knew then, it hurt her to look at me. I used to think, she couldn't love me anymore if I caused her so much pain." Henry didn't look away as listened Derek's story. "I started to hate my dad for leaving us, for making my mom cry. Eventually, things kind of blew up like they did here between you and your mom. I thought she didn't love me and I told her so but you know what she told me?" Henry shook his head no. "She told me, she didn't love me because I was my dad's son, she loved me because of me and only me; that her love for me had nothing to do with my dad, but everything to do with the fact that I was her son. She told me, Henry, that a mother's love for her child is forever." Derek took a beat. "Since I know that to be true for me, I know it's true for you. Never doubt that your mother loves you Henry. It's just not possible for her not to."
Henry couldn't stop the tears this time as he turned in Derek's arms to hug him. His mom was the most important person in the world to him and the thought of losing her terrified him in ways he couldn't explain. "Promise?" Henry pulled back to stare Derek in the eyes. Needed the reassurance now more than ever.
Derek stared him back resolutely in the eyes before answering, "Promise."
Henry sighed before nodding and continuing. "Do you think she'll forgive me for what I said?" He asked innocently. For a young boy, Henry was quite thoughtful and Derek was proud that even at a young age, Henry understood the severity of his words. JJ did an amazing job raising Henry and Morgan couldn't help but think that she would be a great mother to their child some day. Derek paused at the thought, knowing that was a little ambitious in thinking about where their relationship was going to go, but even then he couldn't completely shake the idea of JJ pregnant with their child.
"She already has kid." Henry nodded again, looking away before turning back to face Derek once more. Derek could tell Henry wanted to tell him something but he was hesitant and Morgan frowned at the idea that he may have said something wrong. "Henry? What's going on in that head of yours kid?"
Henry paused before leaning toward Derek. "Uncle Mo'? Can I tell you a secret?"
Derek frowned for a second, worried about what Henry had to say but he quickly hid the look not wanting to discourage Henry from telling him what was going on. "Of course kid, you know you can tell me anything."
"Promise?" Henry asked innocently again.
"Promise." Derek repeated again, knowing that he would never break one of those to this kid. It was too important to him and he had a feeling that if he and Henry were going to go anywhere than this moment between them will either make or break them.
Derek waited patiently for Henry to speak. "I think… I think my dad is hurting my mommy." He whispered out brokenly.
Derek gasped and winced in surprise at the statement. He didn't know what to say in that moment not wanting to completely overstep his boundaries. "Why do you think that Henry?"
He waited for the boy to respond. "I saw the bruise on her face and she told me daddy did that. Why would he do that?"
Derek's heart broke for the little boy sitting in his lap and he tried to think of a way that he could explain. Derek was in it now; there was no way he could turn back. When JJ wakes up, it would be likely that she was going to mad at him for intervening but he didn't think he could leave Henry here without some kind of understanding. He sighed deeply before answering, "Honestly kid, I don't know why he would do that. Some times people get angry and they lose control. But it doesn't make it right. The thing you need to understand though Henry is that it's not your fault. It's something that your mom and your dad have to work out."
"But what if daddy tries to hurt her again?" Henry asked quietly, the concern for his mother's safety clear in his voice. Derek closed his eyes against the thought and rage sparked within. He felt it in his gut that Will snapped and he was dangerous but that was not something for Henry for worry about and Derek would be damned if he allowed Will to make Henry and JJ unsafe. He wouldn't continue to sit idly by and let Will hurt them anymore. He looked down to the little boy in his lap and made a solemn vow.
"He won't Henry. I won't let him. I'll protect your mom, I'll protect both of you."
The weight of his words hung quietly in the air for a moment before Henry's voice broke it once more. "Promise?"
"Promise."
A/N: Hey guy, sorry about the delay, I know some of you were thinking this was about to be another one those long delays. I assure you I'll try my best not to let that happen. Just kidding. It's exam period for me so this took me a little longer to finish this chapter but I finally got it done and I hope you guys enjoy it. The next one should be out sometime next week. Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone!