Everything was so quiet for a moment you could hear a pin drop and then it was like resounding roar as JJ's world shattered in front of her. She shook violently as she stood frozen in the middle of the bullpen. Her eyes couldn't process Derek flying across the bullpen and tackling Will to the ground, his fists meeting Will's face over and over again. She was numb to everything, unable to feel Emily or Elle wrapping their arms around her as they tried to steady her, her body on the verge of collapse. Her ears could barely hear the shouts of Rossi and Jason as Hotch and Spence tried to pull Derek off of Will as Will's words continued to loop in her mind like a broken record.
"Can somebody tell me why this bastard is fucking my wife?"
30 Minutes Earlier:
JJ and Derek were riding the elevator up to the bullpen. The morning atmosphere had turned awkward after JJ couldn't push away her troubling thoughts and while she knew she did her best to try and keep Derek in the dark; she knew he could tell that something was off. Everything was blowing up around her and while she knew that she was able to fend off Will the last time, she had a feeling that he was nowhere done with trying to get back at her and worst he knew now that Derek was the man that she was seeing. That wasn't a secret anymore in the BAU but it was still a secret kept from the rest of the FBI and if everyone in the unit wanted to keep their jobs then it had to stay that way. If Strauss or anyone else above Hotch found out about the inter-team relationships they were all screwed.
One positive that JJ could take from the morning was that Henry seemed to be talking to her again and while it was a bit awkward she could say that they seemed to be taking things in the right direction. When she thought of her little boy, she couldn't help but think of his father and the man he turned to be. There was time when JJ truly believed that she was going to spend the rest of her life with Will but somewhere along the way things seemed to take a turn for the worst. She remembered the charming New Orleans Detective that talked to her with a confident but sweet swagger that made her heart race and skin flush with excitement, and now all she can easily picture was the scruffy drunk who made her skin crawl.
Was she really such a destructive person? Did she drag Will into the depths of darkness and ruined the light that warmed her the first time they met? She couldn't think of what she could have done to push Will so far. He had made the decision to move for her and for Henry because she cared for Will and wanted her child to have a full family, to leave the BAU, to leave her family wasn't even a possibility in any realm that she could imagine. These members of the BAU weren't just coworkers to JJ, they were home and to be without them would be to find herself loss and alone in the wilderness. Will seemed fine with her not having to give up her job, saying he could be a cop anywhere as long as he had her and their child. Now neither her nor Henry seemed to be enough for Will and that hurt JJ more than she could admit. Even worst, in the darkest deepest parts of her mind, she questioned if her and Henry would be enough for Derek.
"Jay? Baby? Where do you keep going?" Derek's low voice broke her from her musings as the elevator continued to ascend to their floor. She blinked her eyes owlishly as she pushed away her dark thoughts. She turned to face Morgan to tell him that everything was fine when she saw the warmth and love in his eyes. Here it is she got the Derek Morgan to admit to love and not only that but to commit to a long term relationship and she still couldn't allow herself to completely let go with him. Every step of the way Derek accepted her push and pull with patience and even now he still remained by her side. She punished Morgan in the beginning of this when she was the one that invited him inside, when she was the one that kissed him first. She began this and yet so far in reality Morgan suffered only because of her selfishness. If they were going to really make this work she was going to have to put in more of an effort. A relationship couldn't stand on one leg.
JJ sighed before replying, "I can't help thinking that everything is just blowing up around me. All of this is overwhelming and I just need a moment." She replied as honestly as she could.
Derek frowned as he listened her before asking, "A moment from what? This?" He couldn't exactly keep the fear out of his voice as he asked JJ for clarity.
JJ shook her head before responding, "No, God no. Not this. Right now this is the only thing that feels right, the only thing that feels stable and I don't know what I would do if it were to be taken away from me." She reached out to grab his hand. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze before letting go again, knowing that the doors could open at any time. "I mean Will and even Henry to a bit. Not that I want space from him," She quickly clarified, "I just wish there wasn't all this drama coming with everything that's happening. I'm going to be honest Derek, since we started it hasn't been smooth sailing and while I don't regret us for a second, I could have done without all the mess that came with it."
Derek nodded his head in understanding was about to respond when the doors to the elevator opened to their floor. He sighed before asking, "Continue this later?" JJ nodded her head before leading him off the elevator into the bullpen. The rest of the team was already gathered filling out paperwork and talking about random things. JJ made her way over to lean on Spence's desk as she picked up his conversation with Elle and Emily about statistics on the differences between men and women picking up someone of the opposite sex.
Spencer shook his head, "No Elle, it is statistically proven."
Elle snorted, "Really Dr. Reid, it's statistically proven that it is more likely that a hook up will happen between a man and woman if the woman picks up the guy?" Pen turned to face Reid fascinated by his response. She had a running bet with Morgan running that for every conversation that they have that wasn't case related if Reid brought up a statistical fact, Morgan would pay her 20 bucks. He recently bought her sweet new Chanel purse and she had her eye a new pair of shoes. Mama needs her kitten heels.
Spencer nodded, "I read actually that there is a…"
JJ couldn't help but intervene at this point, "Honestly, you even know the stats on men and women picking each other up. My dear Reid, you need new hobbies." She chuckled as Reid blushed and ruffled his shaggy hair. Emily was right; he needed a haircut soon.
Spence flushed with embarrassment was quick to respond, "There is nothing wrong with knowing statistical facts about these things JJ. I find they are rather revealing about how the human populace conducts oneself and makes it easier to read and dictate people." Spence said defensively and arrogantly. He grinned when he saw JJ's deadpan face and was about to continue when Pen interrupted.
"Pay up!" Pen said excitedly as she looked to Morgan. Everyone froze in shock as the watched Penelope leap up in excitement and point at Morgan in triumph. Confusion settled over most of their faces as they tried to figure out what bet Garcia and Morgan could have had that the rest of them was not privy to. JJ frowned as she focused her stare onto Morgan as he continued to stare at Penelope in shock.
Morgan's mouth dropped open in shock before shaking his head in laughter and responding, "Nuh uh sugah mama, the bet was for every conversation he states a statistical fact in, and unfortunately for you, JJ stopped him before he could say it. My 20 is staying right where it belongs in my wallet for a little while longer. I honestly don't understand how I agreed to this bet considering it's Reid and actually, does anything more need to be said that. It's pretty self-explanatory."
Penn huffed snottily before turning back to JJ, "Thanks a lot JJ, alas, the cyber goddess that is I, must wait longer for her new kitten heels." She sighed dramatically making the team laugh.
JJ snorted, feeling lighter than she had all morning. This is what her life should feel like. Fun and exciting with her family and the man that she loved. She stared lovingly into Derek's eyes before turning back to Penelope. "Pen, don't ever change." She said admiringly.
Pen tilted her head primly before replying, "As if such a thing were possible." Making everyone laugh once more before Emily brought the conversation back to Spencer's last point.
"You think knowing these stats makes it easier for you to read people and control them?" She asked challengingly.
"Well I wouldn't put it that way but yea. It works that way, take you for instance…"
At that Emily's eyebrow's shot up in question. "Excuse me? Take me for instance? What do you mean by that?" Emily asked haughtily and Spence knew he was walking into dangerous territory. He gulped as he could feel the stares of all his female teammates bare down on him before looking to Morgan for help. As his eyes met Morgan though, he knew he would be no help as Morgan's hands raised in surrender letting Reid know what he was about to say next would not be in his favor.
"Hey, don't look at me. I don't know about any stats except that when it comes to me picking up, I have an 100% success rate. So I would say that the scale is a little skewed when it comes to me." He said arrogantly before feeling JJ's heated gaze turn to him. While he realized he wasn't necessarily siding with Reid, he still basically walked himself into the doghouse by opening his big mouth. "Not that I'm trying to hook up with anyone or that I do it that often." He tried to downplay knowing that it would do nothing at this point. Derek's old days of being a player were well known at the bureau and reminding the love of his life of that past while displaying a certain amount of pride in that past was not smartest move.
One of JJ's eyebrow's quirked up before she agreed drily, "Right…"
She didn't get to say anything else when Hotch, Rossi, and Gideon entered the bullpen, "What's going on?"
Reid felt the need to explain; glad the spotlight was now off of him, "Oh, Morgan was just telling us about his 100% success rate at bedding woman." He chuckled good-naturedly when Morgan turned a heated glare in his direction.
Hotch laughed and was about needle Derek himself when Will strutted angrily into the bullpen. Everyone looked at him in surprised as his shoulders huffed from his heated breaths. JJ frowned and looked on at Will in fear over what he could have possibly came her to do, their last encounter flashing in her mind. A part of her wants to believe that what happened was a freak accident. That Will was angry and lost control and that it wasn't really the man that Will turned out to be because it made JJ call every decision she ever made into question. To think that she could have been so wrong about someone to the point where she allowed him into her home and into her bed.
She rose from Spence's desk and approached him slowly before asking, "Will? What are you doing?" She was barely able to keep the tremor out of her voice as she watched his eyes quickly shift back and forth between her and Morgan. The same dread that plagued JJ earlier this morning returned to resettle in her stomach as Will seemed to still all of sudden before focusing on her. She could feel a hint of smirk cross his face and that's when JJ knew her world was about to be lit on fire. Out of the corner of her eye JJ could see Strauss and the assistant director of the FBI along with a couple of their other supervisors walking on the p-way over the bullpen and JJ couldn't say she could truly have ever prepared herself for what happened next even if she had all the time in the world beforehand.
JJ watched as Will raised his hand and pointed at Morgan before shouting, "Can somebody tell me why this bastard is fucking my wife?"
For a second everything was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. To JJ that second felt like an eternity before she closed her eyes as all hell broke loose. JJ became numb to everything and her mind couldn't process anything that unfolded after Will destroyed her entire professional career and mostly likely her and Derek.
Derek saw red as Will had the audacity to show his face here of all places after what he tried to do to JJ and to say that of all things so that everyone could hear. Derek promised JJ he wouldn't do anything when it came to Will especially because of the nature of their relationship but that was pretty much blown to shit now that Will outed them in front of everyone. In a way, Derek had to give the man credit for his balls but what Derek couldn't accept was how Will disrespected JJ, more importantly in her place of work, in front of her peers. He destroyed her career and didn't in such a disgusting manner and in that second, the rage that Derek felt when he saw the bruises on JJ's body from when Will attacked rushed through his like a match set to gasoline.
One moment Morgan was standing coiled like snake, the next he was lunging across the bullpen tackling Will to the ground in a blind rage. Derek only saw red as Will was unable to defend himself from the punishing blows Morgan rained down on him. He tried to push Morgan off him as Derek straddled his waist, his weight keeping him pinned. Will cried out in agony as he felt the crunch of his nose breaking from one of Derek's hits. Blood spurted from his nose and he almost choked as it ran back into his throat.
Strauss screamed as she watched the events unfold before her. She watched as one of her agents fiancé out her affair in front of her colleagues and superiors but she also watched her agent's alleged lover fly across the bullpen and tackle Will to the ground. She shouted for someone to help as she continued to watch Morgan wail on Will. If someone didn't intervene soon, Morgan was going to kill Will and there was going to be no way they could ever recover from that. "Someone do something!" Her voice rang out over the uproar of everyone in the bullpen.
Hotch and Reid moved quickly to try and pull Morgan off of Will. Despite both their efforts, Morgan was a powerful man and even with their combined strength they struggled mightily to just pull an enraged Morgan far away enough to just have his punches miss hitting Will as he lied unconscious on the floor. One of Morgan's hits knocking him from unconscious long ago. Unable to defend himself, Morgan was sure to kill him in this moment.
"Morgan, stop! Enough! He's down!" Reid shouted loudly into Morgan's ears as he and Hotch continued to try and pull him off of Will. Morgan was like bloodhound that would not stop until he finished his kill.
"Morgan, if you don't stop you're going to kill and you will lose JJ forever." Hotch tried a different approach to calm him down and sighed in relief as the fight started to drain from Morgan. Reid and Hotch completely pulled Morgan off and away from Will as others rushed to his side. Someone called for an ambulance as Jason reached down to check Will's pulse.
"He's still alive." Gideon declared loudly enough for everyone to hear. He turned back to see the huffing Morgan still being held by Hotch and Reid, his hands bruised and shaking. Sheen covered his face as the short breaths harshly flowed back and forth through his mouth. He looked like a barely tamed beast and Gideon knew in that moment that if Hotch and Reid hadn't pulled Morgan back that he would have killed Will here in front of everyone.
Jason's head spun quickly as Strauss voice came over the cacophony of everyone's voices as she ordered, "Agent Hotchner, Dr. Reid, you will both escort Agent Morgan out of here into one of the holding rooms. We will discuss this as soon as the ambulance arrives for Mr. Montagne." Her voice held no brook for argument and she watched with wary but unwavering eyes as she watched Hotch and Reid pull Morgan out of the bullpen past Will's still body toward one of the holding cells. She sighed as she watched them disappear down the hall. This was a goddamn mess. She swiveled her stare to focus on the frozen agent Jareau as she continued to stand there motionlessly at the back of all the mayhem. Her eyes were glazed over in shock and Strauss knew that she probably checked out a long time ago, unaware of any of the recent past events.
Strauss was about to waste no time getting to the bottom of this and was getting ready to question JJ immediately regardless of her condition when Rossi's voice interrupted. "Emily, Elle, Pen, please take JJ to her office and take care of her. We'll deal with this later."
At this Strauss was about to object but Rossi fixed with her a stare that made Strauss comply for now, but she would not be held at bay forever. She needed to find out why one of her agents nearly beat a man to death and she needed to take action about this now because if Will's accusations proved to be true then there was a problem in the BAU and she couldn't have problems in the BAU. If Derek's display was anything to go by then Will was telling the truth and she was being lied to and someone was going to suffer consequences no matter what.
She watched as Elle, Emily and Pen walked JJ out of the bullpen past Will and like Morgan she also released a sigh of release when the group of agents was out of sight. This was a shit show. She watched as the paramedics rushed into the bullpen and attempted to rouse Will to no success and she prayed to God that the man survived cause while Derek Morgan just assuredly lost his job, he was a good man and Strauss did not want to see him go to jail for murder. She watched as the paramedics gingerly lifted Will onto a stretcher before attaching an IV and a oxygen mask before wheeling him out of the bullpen. Strauss sighed once more before turning to the recently returned Aaron Hotchner and saying, "Agent Hotchner, I think you and I need to have a talk. If you would please." She nodded toward his office before following him gently inside.
Gideon and Rossi watched as the door to Aaron's office close. The soft click creating a feeling in both the men that everything in the BAU was going to change and it wasn't going to be for the better. The old friends turned to look at each other, the concern and worry mirrored in both their eyes before they both turn to stare at the splatter of Will's blood covering the floor symbolizing the end of everything that they had built together.
A/N: Here's the next one! Hope you guys like. Please review, always good to know if you guys love or hate what I'm writing. (only good reviews please) Just kidding. Anyways, the next chapter should be out soon. As you can tell things are going to take quite a bit of turn so bare with me as we go forward. I have some exciting things planned for the coming chapters. Peace!