A/N: Here's next chapter. I hope you all like it. Also, I wanted to let you guys know that this story is going to be pretty long. Right now, it's just really the beginning. So I hope you all will stick around for this one because your support means everything to me.

Special thanks to K8e1, jenny crum, Christiangirl, BAUMember, Jareau37, guest and snuggleUP!

I don't own criminal minds!

Chapter 20: New reality

Another two days later, JJ was once again sitting in Collins' office with Owen by her side. She hadn't talked to him since their encounter at the gala. Mainly because she hadn't felt like it, but also because she felt like she didn't owe him anything anymore. Their responsibilities to each other were now only work related and they had to find a way to make it work because they were assigned the same case after all.

JJ shifted in her chair uncomfortably when Collins finally walked inside to join them. He sat down behind his desk as he looked down at the file in his hands. But his face was what concerned her more than anything else in that moment. It was the look of terror that was written all across his face. It was something she had been before, and it always happened when something bad was about to transpire.

''You're both activated from this point forward.'' Collins announced, leaving both the agents across from him in shock. He had been adamant about them being sleeper agents that neither of them ever expected to be activated that soon. ''The files Owen retrieved from Chemicaltech the night of the gala have caused major concern in our division.'' he went on. ''The classified files from Chemicaltech revealed that Howard Schmidt was the only scientist who had been working on enriching uranium. Records also revealed that about fifty kilos of enriched uranium disappeared from the company.''

''Fifty kilos of enriched uranium?'' JJ repeated, the fear present in her voice. ''But that's enough raw material for a nuclear bomb.''

''Yes, it is.'' Collins agreed. ''This changes everything. I have talked to the Director and he has expressed the same concerns. He wants our division to run point on this and he asked me to put my best agents on this. And you two are one of the best.''

''What do you want us to do next?'' Owen asked.

''These new findings suggest that someone at Chemicaltech knew about the vanishing of the enriched urnanium, so I'm going to put the analysts to work again.'' Collins explained. ''Owen, I want you to stay close to Tyler Warren. Follow him, retrieve any kind of intell you can get.'' he went on. ''And JJ, I want you to keep looking into Howard Schmidt. Investigate his disappearance, question his family and friends.''

''I've already made contact with Interpol, NSA and MI-6. They're all getting involved. If there's any uranium being sold on the black market we will hear about it.'' Collins added.

JJ rose from her chair and looked out the window into the bullpen, watching her fellow colleagues work. This case was really bad, and she didn't know if they could ever find the missing uranium. ''There's just one problem,'' JJ was about say, but before she could say another word she was interrupted by Owen.

''What problem?'' he asked.

''There are at least fourteen known countries in the world that operate enrichment facilities, which means that finding the enriched uranium from Chemicaltech is nearly impossible.'' she explained in despair. ''If this case becomes known to more agencies, terror and fear will spread.''

''That's why it's only known to four agencies. I've only shared this information with people I can trust.'' Collins reassured. ''We'll figure this out. We have to or…''

''…else innocent people will die.'' Owen finished, rising from his chair as the panic also spread across his face. They had dealt with security threats before. They had eliminated dangerous people and they had dug up viable intelligence for the agency. But this was different. This could cost people's lives, and that thought didn't make it any easier on anyone in their division.

JJ was still seated while Owen was ready to leave the office. So he turned around and looked at her, waiting until she'd come with him. ''Sir, can I talk to you in private for a moment?'' she asked, hinting for Owen to leave Collins and her alone, but he didn't walk away.

''Owen, give us a moment!'' Collins stated simply. He waited for Owen to leave the office until he turned his attention back to JJ. ''Is everything alright, JJ?''

''Yes,'' she replied with hesitance. She didn't know how she could possibly tell her boss about her relationship, but she had to do it or else Owen eventually would. She knew that if that were to happen it would blow up in her face. ''There's something I have to tell you…'' she said, but she stopped for a moment to catch her breath. ''I'm dating someone.'' she stated bravely.

Collins leaned back in his chair, his hands folded together as he stared back at JJ. ''Is he a threat to our case?''

''No, I don't think so.'' she replied in surprise. She had expected him to be angry, livid even, but he was calm and stoic as usual. ''He's a FBI agent, so he doesn't pose as a threat to us. I can promise that!''

''Okay, good.'' he said. ''Just be careful, JJ. And don't get too attached. Once this case is over you'll be assigned a new mission and it can take you anywhere. So prepare yourself for that please.''

The words coming from her boss hit her like a truck. He was right. She needed to be prepared to never see Hotch again, to end their relationship after it had barely even started. But she couldn't end it now. The thought of never seeing him again was already breaking her heart. She couldn't lose him. So she pushed his words to the back of her head and she rose from the chair. ''Thank you, sir!''

JJ walked into the bullpen as Owen approached her at the same time. She stopped and turned around to face him, noticing that the emotions of two days earlier were still present in his eyes. She didn't want him to be in pain, but he had been the cause of their break-up, and she wasn't about to take responsibility for his pain. She deserved better, and if Owen was a real man, he would realize that instead of acting like a child whose heart got broken. She had been the one to see him in bed with another woman. And now that she was finally moving on he dared to tell her he loved her. It wasn't fair and she wasn't about to get stuck again. All she wanted was to move forward with Hotch and to leave her past behind. If only it was that easy.

''What was that about?'' Owen asked absentmindedly as he stared down at JJ. He let his eyes wander across her body, remembering their shared pasts. He still couldn't believe she was dating someone, or anyone for that matter. It wasn't like her to risk everything. Especially her cover.

''I informed Collins about my relationship.'' she said bluntly. ''I thought he needed to know, so I told him.''

''Good for you.'' Owen remarked as he walked past her. Once he was a few feet away from her, and with his back towards her, he stopped again, never turning around. ''It'll never work out, JJ.''

She stepped around him and ignored their colleagues that surrounded them. His attitude was far worse than she ever imagined. She never believed he'd turn into someone so cold and awful. ''We agreed to put our jobs ahead of our personal issues!''

''Really?'' he asked.

''Go to hell, Owen!'' she snapped. She whirled around and walked out of the bullpen, slamming the door shut behind her. She couldn't care less about the people in the room. She was enraged with his behavior towards her. He had absolutely no right to question her about anything. And his actions only made JJ realize that she made the best decision to cut Owen out of her life a year prior, and once the case was over she would do the same again.

Charlotte, North Carolina…

The wind swept up the leaves in front of his feet. The cold wind cut across his face as he put one foot in front of the other. The scene was crawling with officers and FBI. It was one of those scenes that no agent or officer would ever get out of their mind. The bloodied, mutilated bodies would forever haunt the people who had faced them.

Even for Hotch, this scene was different. This particular case was different from any other he had seen before. Maybe it was because of the blue eyes. Maybe because of the blonde hair the victims had in common. Or maybe it was simply because he saw a piece of JJ in every single one of them. He had never felt so powerless as he was in that moment, standing at the graveside of three young women, and all he could think about was the blonde woman who was in DC waiting for him to call. He couldn't even think about JJ being in the woods, like the victims. He didn't want to face those thoughts. He couldn't.

He managed to hold his expressions and posture together, but on the inside he felt himself fall apart as he kept looking down. All those emotions. The worry, the anger, the panic. It all meant that his feelings for JJ were so much more than he had even admitted to himself. Not once in his life did he freeze at a crime scene because the victims reminded him of someone he loved, or at least cared for.

He watched his team look around the crime scene with detailed eyes, like they always did. Neither of them seemed to be having as much trouble as him, so he retreated backwards, stepping away from the bodies. He quickly turned around and pushed his way through the officers and agents until he reached his SUV. He opened the door and jumped inside, quickly closing the door again.

He looked down at his hands before pulling his phone from his pocket. He unlocked it and immediately scrolled through his contacts. He opened JJ's information and was faced with a picture of her. She had sent it to him after he had left the gala with the joke that, that way he could remember what she looked because he had been called away on another case. This case. The one case that reminded him of her.

So he looked down at the picture, and it left his heart racing as he gazed at the big blue eyes, and her beautifully compassionate face. He already loved so much about her that it started to scare him a little. But instead of worrying about his heart, he dialed the number.

He waited with anticipation but her voicemail came up after a few rings so he breathed in deeply and decided to leave her a message.

''Hi, JJ…'' he began with a shaky voice. ''I'm still in Charlotte on the case.'' he continued. ''I was just wondering how you are, and what you've been up to. Call me back!''