A/N two in one day again though this one's a bit shorter than I'd like it, but enjoy nonetheless!

Oh, and I don't own Criminal Minds, if I did there'd be a new episode every day! (For about a week or two before my overworked, grumpy actors and actresses went on strike and demanded vacation days! :P )

-Nightshade

What a Difference a Day Makes

Chapter Nine

Emily's confession on the drive to her place had shocked me into silence. I was speechless; I literally had no way to respond to that. Instead, I reached across to her seat and took her hand, some sort of a wordless plea. Yes I do love you. We got to Emily's apartment, and already I knew that she was going to need my help for a while. After getting about two steps away from the car on her crutches she stopped, panting out of pain and exhaustion. She abandoned one of the crutches in favour of my shoulder, and it took almost five minutes of half limping, half me carrying her, to make the fifteen foot walk to the elevator. We sat in a more comfortable silence on the ride up, Emily leaning heavily on my shoulder as the elevator dinged off floors. The doors opened and we were off again, my phone ringing halfway to her room. I ignored it, waiting for it to go to voicemail as an exhausted Emily fought with her keys. I got her inside and sat her down on her bed. She was shaking and panting heavily and covered in a sheen of sweat. Without her even needing to tell me, I headed to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom, getting her two Advil for the pain and a glass of water, which she graciously accepted.

"Thanks Jayje, but you don't have to hover, I'll be fine." She wheezed, not even remotely convincing.

"You'll need help for a while, and during that while, that couch out there is gonna be my new best friend." I stated indignantly, refusing to let her kick me out. Knowing her and the extent of her injuries, she'd be faced with no other alternative than phoning me up to call me back here. Either that or re-injuring herself from over-exertion, which I was not going to let happen.

"You have a family, Will and Henry, they need our time too, and in fact they're probably the ones who keep calling you." She argued, my phone going off again to prove her point.

"Will's not the one who's injured, he'll understand. Now rest, I have to swing by my house to re-pack my go-bag and get some clean clothes, I'll see you in a bit." I resisted the urge to kiss her forehead like I had done the other night, settling on a reassuring squeeze of her hand.

"Thanks JJ." She murmured as I left the room, "Oh, and unless you're as good at lock-picking as Reid, my spare house key is in the little blue bowl beside the door." I took note of that, pocketing the small shiny piece of metal on my way out the door. I jumped in the car, mentally preparing myself for whatever mood Will's in when I open that door. I unlocked the door to the house, nearly getting bowled over by my son running over to give me a bear hug.

"I missed you mommy! Were you catching bad guys again?" he quirked his eyebrow in a questioning gesture and I couldn't help smiling as I ruffled his long blond hair.

"No sweetie, Aunt Em got sick and I have to stay with her until she feels better." I explained, not really sure how to explain Emily's situation to a toddler. He leaped from my arms and ran into his playroom with the speed and exuberance of a bouncy ball. When I looked up, Will was standing there, arms crossed and scowling. I brushed past him on my way to my room and he followed, standing in the doorway while I picked out clothes.

"So you dropped everything and left because your co-worker's sick? You couldn't bother to at least let me know where you were going?" he sneered angrily.

"She's not sick. I dropped everything and left because that's what you do when your friend is nearly killed in a bombing." I replied matter-of-factly as I dug through the closet.

"But you just decide to move in with her? Spend a couple of nights and hang me out to dry?" I let out an ironic chuckle at his complete oblivion.

"Her one leg is so badly burned she barely has feeling in it, she gets exhausted just standing on her two feet, she can't walk on her own, and she needs my help. We're a family at the BAU, and family helps each other out when they're hurt. And secondly, I hardly hung you out to dry Will, you're an adult, you should be able to handle a few days on your own without me to babysit you!" I snapped, he really was an idiot. "Oh, I get it now, if I'm not here to care for your son and the house, you can't get drunk and sit around! Well if that's true, it's just too frickin' bad Will." I hauled my full go-bag over my shoulder and marched out of the room. I know I was being harsh, but he had no right to chastise me for helping Emily out!

"Oh yeah, just walk away JJ, run back to your Emily. You have a son here; you have responsibilities-" Okay, now that was over the line. I wheeled around, my face inches from his.

"Don't you dare talk to me about responsibilities Will! The only experience you have with responsibilities is drowning them in a bottle of bourbon! And Henry? You want to argue that I'm a poor mother to Henry, that I neglect him? I love him with all my heart, which is why I do the things I do. Have you ever considered that I want him to grow up to be the type of man who will help out a friend at any cost? Who's loyal and caring? It's called teaching by example Will, maybe you should try it sometime." I hissed coldly, walking towards the door and leaving him reeling from my words. As soon as my hand touched the knob, Henry came running again, squealing happily, innocent to the argument his parents were having.

"Mommy, can you give this to Aunt Em'ly? It's a get well card!" he announced proudly, holding out a piece of paper with crooked lettering in crayon. I looked it over, my heart swelling at the sweet gesture from the little boy.

"What's the picture of?" I asked, watching as he pointed to several colourful shapes and scribbles emphatically.

"It's of when she took me to the petting zoo! See, there are the sheeps, and goats, and the baby cow, and the chickens, and the kitty, and the horse! And that's Em'ly and me in the middle!" he showed me proudly, pointing to the two shaky stick figures in the middle holding hands, one short with blond hair, and one with dark brown hair and a smile. I kissed him on the temple before proclaiming,

"I'm sure she'll love it, I think this is just what she needs to get better! I'll make sure to give it to Emily and tell her all about it!" I hugged him again before he bounced off, waiting at the window like he always does when I go out so he can wave goodbye. With a quick smile at my son, and a frosty glance at Will, I was out the door.

A/N Aha, all is not well in Will-ville! And Henry's just like sunshine in a bottle, open him up whenever the story starts to seem grim, and brighten it all up!

-Nightshade