A/N: So 6 wanted New Orleans and 4 wanted someplace else, that means New Orleans;)

Enjoy:)

Chapter 41:

"We are headed to New Orleans." As soon as the words left the Unit Chief's mouth, the whole team froze. Morgan and Rossi turned to look at Emily, while Reid and Garcia fixed their gaze on JJ.

New Orleans. Of course it had to be New Orleans. Emily closed her eyes and tok a deep breath. She wanted to open her eyes and be home, in bed with JJ when she opened them. Instead she opened her eyes and found Morgan and Rossi staring at her. She didn't like the idea of going back there, the city held a lot of memories, most of them bad. Emily put on a brave face and lifted her head to look at JJ. She needed to see the other woman's eyes, needed to let the blonde know that no matter what happened, everything would be okay.

JJ watched Emily build up her walls and change into her 'Agent Prentiss' mode. She knew her lover was upset at the fact that they were going to New Orleans, but she didn't want to be looked at as weak. Going back to New Orleans was going to be hard on the whole team, but the fact that she had to travel alone after them, didn't make it easier for the her. She tried to find Emily's eyes, needed to see some of the woman behind the walls, both to make sure her girlfriend was okay, but also to calm herself down. As if Emily could read her mind, she lifted her gaze from the floor to the screen and met JJ's clear blue. Only by looking into her girlfriend's warm brown eyes, JJ felt her self calm down.

"Who's the lead detective?" Reid's voice made Emily shift her gaze from JJ to Hotch.

"It's actually two lead detectives." Hotch shuffled through something in his file before pulling up a sheet. "Detectives Nora Delaney and Nikki Beaumont."

Emily pulled out her iPod and quickly plugged it in before any of her friends could ask her how she was feeling. She needed the quiet time to prepare herself for what would happen in New Orleans. She was looking forward to work with Nikki, but being in New Orleans, working with NOPD again would be hard. And the case was not easier, the way the victims were treated was awful. She closed her eyes and let the music take over. Unknown to her, the blonde had made her a playlist, witch was currently blasting in her ears.

"Cause you can't jump the track,
We're like cars on a cable
And life's like an hourglass,
Glued to the table
No one can find the rewind button, girl.
So cradle your head in your hands

And breathe... just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe"

Emily sighed silently. She shut her eyes tightly and thought about the last month, trying to let her mind fill up with images of JJ, trying to remember that no matter what happened she would return home. Home to the woman she loved and who loved her. She settled back with a small smile on her lips and dozed off a little until they finally landed in New Orleans.

"Thank you so much for coming here, again, Agents!" Detective Nikki Beaumont smiled and shock hands with the team.

"We have the SUVs you asked for and the same conference room you utilized during your last visit is prepared for you." Detective Nora Delaney wasn't quite as forward as Nikki.

"Thank you, detectives! Morgan and Rossi you go to the first crime scene and then visit the first victims family. Reid, you will join me and Detective Delaney at the station, to work on the geographic profile and a press release. Prentiss, you and Detective Beaumont take the second victim and crime scene. When you're done I need you to do the press conference at the station. Okay?"

Everyone nodded, grabbed their bags and went their separate ways.

"How come you always end up with the beautiful women, Prentiss?" Morgan whispered as he walked by her trying to catch up with Rossi. The brunette just rolled her eyes, first at Morgan and then at the grinning detective who was waiting for her. Emily shock her head and climbed into a black SUV, waiting for Nikki to get in.

"So, who's the dark, handsome man?" Nikki grinned after climbing into the car.

"That is SSA Derek Morgan. And last time I saw you I swore you leaned towards the fairer sex?" Emily answered playfully, leaning back in her seat.

"What? I cant appreciate a hot guy when I see him?"

"Do I need to be worried?" Emily asked sarcasticly.

"Nope, Nora would kill me if I actually went over the line!"

"How long have you and Nora been together now?"

"Almost a year." Nikki smiled at the thought and her eyes got a dream, faraway look.

"Good for you, Nik. Now please focus on driving, I would like to get home in one piece!" Emily's comment made Nikki turn around to look at her for a second and sticking out her tung.

"Where is Agent Jareau?" After driving quietly, Nikki broke the silence.

"At Quantico. We tok some time off, and she hasn't been cleared to come back yet. She'll be here as soon as her psych eval is done." Emily smiled sadly, already after at few hours away from the blonde she missed her girlfriend.

"'We tok some time off'? Anything you wanna tell me, honey?"

"JJ, how are you?" Garcia stood in the doorway to JJ's office, holding a cup of coffee. After the team briefing JJ went to her office and had been there for a few hours. Garcia didn't want to push the younger woman to hard, so she'd given her some space. Now she was getting worried and had decided to bring the blonde some coffee. The media liaison looked troubled, Garcia knew she had a hard time being away from Emily and especially now that the team were in New Orleans.

"I'm not sure, Pen." JJ fiddled with some of the papers that floated on her desk. "A part of me want the eval to be done so I can go down there, to see her, but then if I go down there I have to travel alone and then meet up with Will and all of his colleagues and that's going to be tough. Did that make sense at all?"

"Yeah. Look, JJ I know you're scared, but I also know that you are a fighter and you won't go down without a fight. You walk tall, okay Jay? Your eval is going to go smoothly and then before you know it you'll be in New Orleans with Emily and the rest of the team. And Will? Well, he is stupid for treating you the way he did, so he should be sorry."

"Thanks Garcia." JJ smiled weakly and let herself be pulled into Garcia's embrace.

"You should call her. I'm sure she'd like to hear from you." Garcia smiled softly and walked out of the office, closing the door after her.

Returning behind her desk, JJ picked up her phone. She really wanted to call Emily, but she knew they were busy and that Emily needed to be 'Agent Prentiss' now, not her 'Emily'. She closed her eyes for a second. A single tear snuck out and trailed down her cheek. She brushed it away and put down her phone. She went through some of the folders on her desk when she heard her phone buzz.

"Hi baby! How are you holding up? Me and Nikki are on our way to interview the victims family. I promise to call you tonight! But if you need me at any time, just call me! I always have time for you! I love you Jen!

Em x"

A/N 2: The song is Breath (2 AM) - Anna Nalick:)

AddictionHigh - Thank you!:D That means a lot!:)

Thanks for the reviews:) I hope you liked it, even if the case were in New Orleans.