Her first reaction was to grab her phone and call Hotch. And she almost had, but last second she started to hesitate, again feeling reluctant to inform anyone. Her hands shook when she put her phone away. She was a FBI agent! She had encountered many dangerous situations in which she'd stayed calm and steady. So why did this threat get to her so much? Because this one is personal... she answered her own question. Then she realized, her mom!
What if he meant that the bread crumbs let to her mom?
She rushed home, only feeling panic. For a second she thought about the time Foyet had gotten to Haley and how Hotch had rushed, trying to save her ... did he feel the same is she felt now?

She ran to the front door, her hands were shaken so much that it seemed like forever before she was able to put the key in the lock.

"Mom!" she yelled, storming in the house.

No response, the house was dark and quiet.

"Mom!" she yelled again, drawing her gun.

Suddenly a light went on, blinding JJ. She pointed her gun at the end of the hallway.

"JJ!" her mom was looking at her with big, frightened eyes, automatically throwing both hands in the air. The international sign for 'don't shoot me'.

JJ immediately lowered her gun. She felt how the panic slowly left her body.

"Mom, are .. are you alright?" she stuttered.

Her mother relaxed as well, she walked toward JJ, carefully taking her in her arms.

"I think I should ask you that question" she said gently.

JJ looked her in the eyes. She wanted to break down, cry and stay in her moms arms forever. But she couldn't and her natural instincts took over. She pulled herself together, straightened up.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, I just saw all the lights off and I got this gut feeling that something was off" she said, her mother looked worried.

"I'm sorry" she repeated "I guess it's the job.. Over alertness has become a second nature.." JJ smiled.

Her mother still looked worried, didn't go along with her fake smile.

"Maybe you should take some time off.. get everything out of your head" she suggested.

"Yes, maybe I should.. after this investigation" she said tiredly.

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Sandy flat out hated the job of her daughter. She never fully understood why her daughter had ambitioned a career as FBI-agent. She didn't know how it had impacted her as a mother. She wanted to call her daughter every day to make sure she was okay. It took a lot of effort to keep herself at an appropriate distance to give her daughter the space she needed to live her life and pursue her own goals.

But now she was more worried than before. Walking around ready to pinpoint a gun was just dangerous. But it was the look in her eyes that had really scared her, a bewildered, panic look. This wasn't normal. She could tell that her job had taken his toll. She would talk about it tomorrow, when they both had some good night sleep.

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JJ couldn't sleep, she was just staring at the ceiling.

Her mom was probably thinking that she had a burn-out.. she was surprised if she didn't think that.

She looked at her phone, she started to hate the thing. She almost jumped out of bed when it suddenly rang. JJ quietly cursed at herself and brought up the courage to look at it... Will.. she could breathe again..

"Hey honey" she heard him say.

"Hey Will" was her more distant reaction. She could hear how it made him insecure.

"I just wanted to call.. you know.. to hear you voice.. hear if you're okay" Will said.

"I'm fine" JJ said irritated. She hated herself for being so grumpy toward Will, she knew he was trying to make amends. "How is everything with the little man?" she added with a more softer voice.

"He's fine, he made you a nice artwork at school" that made her smile. "JJ... how are we doing?"

She took a deep breath, she didn't know. She felt very angry toward him, but underneath very sad.. He broke her trust and she couldn't tell whether that trust could be restored.

"Will I just... I can't deal with us right now you understand? I don't have any room in my head to think about us now.."

There was a silent moment. She knew that he was disappointed to hear this, but it was the truth.

"Okay" he said "well uhm.. just take your time and I'll speak to you soon."

"Yes, give Henry a big kiss."

"I will, goodnight" he hung up.

She rubbed her face. She knew that she could forget about sleep. She opened the boxes she took from Smitty and spread the information on the floor. Girls and woman were staring at her. There was only one thing they had in common namely the woods as dumping place. But all other aspects differ. From age to the way they were murdered. And since there were many woods in the area, she feared that woods alone wasn't a good reason to suspect a the work serial killer. Still JJ had an eerie feeling that there was something she missed.

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Sandy was making breakfast when her daughter entered the room. Sandy stiffened when she saw JJ. She looked even more tired than yesterday.

"JJ, did you sleep at all?" Sandy didn't hide her concern.

"A little bit" JJ looked away.

"Whatever was going on it needs to stop! You can't go on like this. It's unhealthy" her mother said in desperation.

"Mom, please don't worry about me.."

"Don't worry? Of course I worry, I'm your mother. I'll always worry. Tell me what's going on?"

"Nothing.. I'm just caught up in an investigation.." JJ couldn't finish her sentence.

"Don't give me that! If it's your job than put it on hold."

"Mom, I just can't drop everything" JJ started to get desperate as well.

"Yes you can! Your job isn't the most important thing. Your health is and Henry is. And if you want to be there for Henry you have to look after yourself!" desperation has taken place for anger.

JJ snapped. She was sooo tired.. she couldn't have this bullshit now.
"You don't understand, you don't carry the responsibility! You don't see the girls, boys, woman that are abducted and murdered! You don't see their families.. How powerless they feel.. YOU live in your perfect little bubble, that I'm trying REALLY hard to keep perfect by catching those bastards!"

"That is exactly why you need to take a break! You can't keep on seeing this horror ever day! It will destroy you.. It will make you carry a weapon into your home and point it randomly!"

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do!" her mother just wouldn't back of.

"I am still you mother! And it's my job to look out for you and if you're so stubborn to ignore what's good for you, than that's your case, but I am also a grandmother! And I WILL protect Henry!"

That was it, bringing up Henry was the final straw.

"Don't walk away now!" her mother yelled.

JJ was so angry that she needed to get out. She almost reached the door when she froze. Her phone...

One hand automatically reached for her gun when she heard her ringtone.

Sandy saw how her daughter had a gun in one hand and her phone in the other. She was stunned for a moment. It was the second time she saw her daughter grab her gun.

"JJ.. please give me the gun."

JJ looked up from her phone to her mother. Then she walked out the door.

Sandy put one hand on her chest. She felt her heart beat like crazy. As a mother she had to make decision.

Sandy stood up and searched for a list of phone numbers that her daughter once gave her and dialled a number.

"Yes hello, am I speaking to agent Hotchner?"