A/N: Here's the next chapter. I hope you all like it!

Special thanks to jenny crum, Christiangirl and K8e1!

I don't own criminal minds!

Chapter 8: The intruder

It was the end of another day of work when JJ gathered her belongings and was about to walk out of the office when the shrilling sound of her phone caught her off guard. She sat back down in her chair and picked up the phone.

''Jennifer Allen. How can I help you?'' she said professionally. She leaned back in the chair, hoping there wasn't another big problem she had to fix. But as soon as she heard the voice on the other side of the line, her heart skipped a beat.

''Hi, JJ!'' Hotch spoke softly as he was seated behind his desk in the empty bullpen. He hated to cancel on her, but the promotion was the chance of a lifetime and he couldn't let it pass. ''How are you?''

''I am good. Thank you!'' she said happily. ''How are you? You sound really happy.''

''Well, I have some good news and bad news.'' he started. ''I won't be able to make it tonight because I got promoted to Unit Chief, which is the good news.'' he went on. ''I'm really sorry, Jennifer.''

JJ smiled widely. He was apologizing. For what? ''Please don't apologize.'' she said immediately. ''Congratulations. That's amazing, Aaron.''

The panic in his body subsided and the sound of her calming voice. She wasn't mad. She understood. Why? Well, he didn't understand. But it was enough for him. ''Thanks. I'll text you tonight.''

''I'm looking forward to it.'' she whispered with a blush on her face. ''Bye.''

JJ held the phone against her chest as she wondered how she could be so happy all at once. One man made her day by one stupid phone call. He made her happy by being in her life for less than a week. It was a miracle, but it was one she wasn't willing to let go of. She would be an idiot if she did.

She rose from the chair again and grabbed her things on the way out of the office. She walked through the hallways when she walked past an unfamiliar face. There usually weren't any strangers in the building around that time. The building was only to be accessed by employees after office hours. JJ turned around to take in the stranger, burning his built and looks into her brain in case something was really going on. But when he turned towards Warren's office, she knew this wasn't a regular visitor. Something was going on. So JJ walked to the end of the hall and slipped into the restroom and locked it behind her. She didn't have orders to take action. She was inactive after all, so she hurried and took her phone out and started typing away at the buttons on her blackberry.

Owen was seated behind the screens as he looked for anything suspicious. It was his first day on the job, but he knew since the beginning it was going to be like a very long stakeout. He had enough experience with surveillance so it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. But knowledge of a certain blonde upstairs made his job bearable. He missed working with JJ ever since they split up as partners. There was no way he could go back, but in his mind he did.

It was the ringing of his cellphone that awoke him from his daze. He grabbed it from the desk and opened the text.

JJ: Suspicious male is heading towards Warren's office. I can't do anything!

He put the phone in pocket and jumped from the chair, surprising his colleague. ''Stay here!'' he ordered. ''I have something to do.''

Owen ran as soon as the door closed behind him. He hadn't seen anyone walk onto JJ's floor on the monitors, so it was definitely suspicious. He ran across the lobby and towards the elevators. He pushed the buttons and soon enough realized they elevators weren't working when there was no indication of movement. He opened the door at the corner because the stairs were now his only option. He ran up and kept running until he reached the fifth floor of the immense building. He had no idea where JJ was so he took out his phone and dialed the number. He silently moved across the floor to get to the other side where the offices were located. He cursed softly when there was no answer.

He had one hand on the gun at his hip while he opened the door with his ID. He let the door fall shut behind him when he finally heard a soft but clear noise coming from ahead of him. He took his gun, knowing he wasn't allowed to do anything by the CIA rules, but he knew like no one else that he had to take the risk.

He kept his back against the wall and peaked around the corner of the wall, and he immediately noticed someone seated behind Warren's desk. He moved away from the wall and took his gun and pointed it in front of him as he slowly and quietly moved to the office. He threw open the door and the stranger jumped from the chair in an instant.

''Move away from the computer!'' he ordered calmly. ''Come on!'' Owen repeated, but he stayed glued to the same spot. The man had a muscular built and looked like a trained professional. He was calm and collected, just like Owen himself. ''What do you want?''

''Security, huh?'' he questioned.

Yeah of course! Really, do I look like security to you? He thought to himself as he moved around the desk to approach the tall man. ''I am the one with the gun here!'' Owen warned and before he knew it the man leaped forward. He dropped the gun and prepared himself for the fight that was about to start. He stepped backwards and formed his fist. He moved forward and charged at the man, punching him in the face once. But he quickly recovered and avoided his next punch by taking his arms and putting it behind him. Owen felt the muscles in his arm stretch with a painful ache. He felt several punches to his back as he was unable to get out of the man's grip. So he kicked backwards by kicking him in the right knee. He turned around and kicked the man into the wall with full force. He took his gun one more time and pointed it again. ''Stay down!''

It was that time that JJ burst into the office after having heard the fight. She saw Owen with a gun pointed at the man she had seen earlier. ''What happened?''

''Get security in here and alert Warren!'' he said quickly. He saw that JJ looked at him with absolute concern. ''JJ, I am alright. Call them in, now!''

She took her phone and turned it back on in a hurry. She called security first as she watched Owen carefully. The conversation was over quickly and she immediately dialed the number of her boss, knowing it was likely that he would pick up.

Owen was focused on the sight in front of him as he heard JJ calling her boss calmly. He walked towards the man and kneeled down in front of him as the gun was pointed at his heart. ''Who are you?'' he asked but there was no answer. ''Who do you work for?''

''Are you CIA?'' the stranger shot back. ''The way you fight and control the conversation, it's all classic CIA training.''

''How would you know?'' Owen asked impatiently.

''Because I can do this!'' the man whispered as he jumped up from the ground and acted quicker than Owen by slamming the gun from his hand and delivered a following punch to his face.

JJ dropped her phone to the ground and ran into the office when Owen was faced down on the ground with blood all over his face. ''Get off of him!'' she said angrily as she kicked the man away from Owen. She turned around and watched as he raced towards her again. She threw her hand against his jaw and delivered another sharp punch to his stomach. The blood on her hands didn't scare her off, instead she duck when a hand came her way. She jumped up from the ground, turned around and delivered a roundhouse kick to his abdomen. He staggered back as he clutched his nose, but it didn't stop him. He retaliated and took a hold of JJ's neck after knocking her backwards. He smashed her against the desk, the sound of her back against the desk, making an unbearable thud. The lamp and papers slid of the desk and created shattered glass on the floor. The blood from his battered face dripped along JJ's arms as she fought to free herself from his strong hold. She slammed her elbow in his face, again and again, until he fell backwards. She pushed herself up from the desk and kicked him into the bookcase, causing him to fall to the ground. Books fell to the ground from the heavy impact. She breathed heavily as she steadied herself, stretching her back from the force that had impacted her. She searched the ground for the gun and realized Owen was unconscious on the floor. But her mind was taken back to the fight when he got off the ground and once again charged at her. JJ quickly put her right foot back and lifted her left foot, putting it on her opponent's right thigh. She let herself fall straight to the ground and managed to roll him over onto his back. She got up from the floor and made her way towards Owen when he was still on the ground.

''Owen?'' she whispered, her voice starting to panic. She rolled him onto his back and saw the blood covering his cheeks and nose. She put her hands on his face. ''Owen! Wake up!'' JJ yelled frantically. From a far she also heard the doors open and she realized security was finally on its way. The fight seemed to have lasted hours before she had managed to put him down.

Owen eyes fluttered open when he felt someone touching him. He looked straight into JJ's eyes. He stared to his left for a moment and noticed that the figure on the ground was getting up. Within seconds their attacker kicked JJ to the side and forced her onto the ground as he punched her face at least twice. Owen turned on his side and grabbed the gun with his right hand, pushing himself up from the ground. He sat straight up and fired the gun, killing him instantly. He held the gun as he checked on JJ. She didn't look bothered at all by the blood on her face. She sat up and stared into his eyes bewildered. They were used to it after all, but he didn't expect this to happen so soon. ''Get his ID.'' he whispered to JJ before security stepped into the office.

JJ got up from the ground and hurried to the body. She checked all of his pockets and only found a keycard to a hotel. She put it in her jeans and went back to Owen as security entered the office.

''Sir, are you alright?'' one of their colleagues asked, kneeling down beside the two.

''I am fine.'' he responded while dropping his gun to the floor. ''He was behind Warren's computer when I caught him. He started a fight, and then JJ came in when I was down. He tried to hurt her…us…so I shot him.'' he explained quickly, hoping they would believe it.

As Owen talked to his staff, she leaned with her back against the wall for support. She closed her eyes for a moment to ease her breathing. Her body was aching in pain, but she didn't show any of it. She had to get up and leave. She had to inform her boss at the CIA. She had to investigate. But as she rose from the ground, she fell back down.

Owen hurried to her side. ''Stay down.'' he whispered softly. ''I'll take you to the hospital.''

''No, I am fine!'' she shot back, angry that Owen wanted to help her. ''I'll be fine.''

He stepped back and let JJ get up on her own when she didn't want any more help. He turned to the other security guard and let JJ walk out of the room.

JJ stumbled out of the room with urgency and she moved to her office so she could hide the keycard before any medical professional was able to examine her. The keycard was the only lead they had in that instant and she knew what happened wasn't just an intrusion. The man she fought had training. They just needed to find out who he was and what he wanted.