JJ hated cases that involved children. When she had first started with the BAU, it had been cases where the victims looked like her – young, blonde, single. But then, Henry had come along, and it was all she could do now to not focus on the potential outcome of cases like this. Hotch seemed to notice her discomfort, as they had been drawn to each other throughout the entire case, and she welcomed the attention from him.

"Have you called home to see how Henry is doing?"

She looked up at her boss and shook her head. "I keep pulling out my phone and trying to call, but then I think about all the parents who aren't able to do that right now, and I stop myself. It's not fair that I get that opportunity, you know?"

Hotch nodded, giving her that small, sad, smile that told her he understood perfectly. "I'm finding myself with the same problem. I know that Jessica will take the best possible care of him while I'm away, and that everything will be okay when we go home, and I'm not certain how many of those parents will have that same situation."

"I know." She felt her lower lip tremble, and she didn't want to start crying in front of Hotch. Looking skyward, she took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself, and finding that no matter how much she thought of the good times with her son and her husband, she couldn't stop the tears that started to slip down her cheeks. "I suppose if Erin cried in the field once, it's perfectly okay for me to do so as well. Right?"

Hotch's hand came to rest on her shoulder, giving it a tender squeeze. The touch was enough for her to look down into his eyes, and it was then that she noticed the sheen of unshed tears in his eyes. "I would say that this case is the perfect one to release a little emotion on."

"Good." And then, she stepped forward and hugged him tightly, needing to ground herself and make certain that everything was still okay. "All right, I'm going to go get a quick snack, and then refocus on finding these children. Do you think that Kevin and Penelope have gotten any closer?"

"Knowing those two, they probably are leap years ahead of us in terms of data, and yet they'll still need us to filter it a little."

She nodded and let go of him, heading over to the break room and picking up the first container of Chinese food that she laid her hands on. Digging in, she tried to regain her focus, staring unseeing at the whiteboard.

"It's a bit baffling, isn't it, Jen?"

She looked up at Rossi, giving him a small nod. "I don't get cases like this. It seems like there's just one small detail missing, that it's just out of reach, and if I could find it, then we would be done with everything and heading home. I know that you are probably missing Erin."

He nodded as he took a seat. "I am. And her kids. That's why this case is driving me crazy, even though I know that they're safe."

JJ hadn't realized that the pair were quite that close, and she nodded a little as she fought to find words to ask him what it was like to be a part of her family. Before she could ask, though, her phone went off, and she frowned a little as she pulled it out of her pocket. "It's Will, I suppose that I have to take it," she said as she pressed the accept call line. "Hey, what's up?"

"Not much, I just thought you might like to hear a friendly voice at the moment. I know that cases with kids are hard for you to deal with, since you've already lost one." She shuddered a little as she pursed her lips together and tried not to think about her miscarriage. Her hand fluttered down to her flat stomach and the promise of life that was gone from her body caused her to tear up a little.

She must not have masked her reaction quickly enough, as Rossi reached out, letting his hand come to rest on her shoulder as he offered her a silk handkerchief. Taking it, she dabbed at her eyes before worrying the delicate fabric between her fingers. "I don't like to think about that when I'm out in the field, and you know that, Will. I need to keep all my focus on the cases, otherwise I could end up making another mistake."

JJ didn't like the look that Rossi was giving her, so she turned away from him to concentrate on the board, staring unseeing at the faces of the students that were still missing. The hope that shone in their eyes was more painful than she thought she could bear, and so she lowered her head and closed her eyes, waiting for Will to speak once more. "Well, I wouldn't have to keep bringing it up if you talked about it. It's like you're ashamed to admit that you lost a pregnancy. It happens to a lot of women, cher."

"Yes, well, I don't want to be one of those women. You know that I hate failure."

"Failure is a part of life, and you need to accept that. Now, I'm taking Henry to the park, and when you get home, we'll go for a walk around the block. That might help to clear your mind of all the negativity that you're holding on to. Love you."

"I love you, too," she rotely replied before pressing the end call button and slipping her phone back into her pocket. Still, she stared, unseeing, at the floor, losing herself in her mind. When Rossi's hand once more touched her shoulder, she jumped and whirled around, nearly punching him before realizing who it was.

"Remind me to always announce my presence around you, Jen," he tried to joke, but she could hear in his voice that he was worried about her reaction. "Now, before we go back into work mode, I want you to tell me what is on your mind. That did not sound like a very happy I love you."

She started to shrug, wanting to blow the older man off, when she realized that he was not about to let that happen. "We're facing some issues in our marriage. But every relationship goes through that. We'll make it work, though. I'm certain of that."

He stared into her eyes, and JJ squirmed a little at the scrutiny, certain that he could read her face like an open book by this point in their working relationship. "I know that you're lying to me, Jen. And I want you to know that whenever you feel the need to talk to someone about whatever is eating at you, either Erin or myself will be more than happy to listen to you. I know how hard it can be to find someone that you trust in this world of ours."

The tender gesture caused her to tear up once more, and she gave him a small nod before clearing her throat and trying to get some semblance of equilibrium back. "That really does mean a lot to me, Dave. Erin has been so kind to me, even though I didn't deserve it. I really wish that I could get Blake to thaw to her, just a tiny bit, as a way to show my gratitude."

"And if you could do that, I would name you a miracle worker, Jen." He winked at her, and she smiled, her first true smile since her conversation with Will, feeling like she could finally focus on the case and move forward.