Chapter 23

The silence fell around them, JJ could only give a soft smile as she spoke although she couldn't help the slight sigh. "We've got a case" JJ said through a sigh.

Emily looked at her slightly puzzled for a moment, her eyes went slightly wide as she realised that she would be alone. JJ watched as Emily swallowed, she could see the fear starting to form behind her eyes. Since they had been back in DC they hadn't had any pressing cases. Their days had mostly been filled with paperwork, consults and quite a bit of time teasing Reid. Emily nodded her head slightly as the fear seemed to subside. Frozen, that was a better word. The fear she felt hadn't subsided it had reached up wrapped its ugly little head around her neck and now was just frozen against her skin.

"Emily" JJ said softly as she took in the look of terror on Emily's face. "Em?" JJ tried again. "Garcia will be calling in, and you know you can ring me anytime. Doesn't matter what time okay." JJ said softly.

She watched Emily for a moment, in all the time she had known Emily she had never seen her look so scared, so frightened, she could only give a soft kind smile as she waited for Emily to reply, although the look on Emily's face told the story which her voice failed to say.

"You'll be okay." JJ said with a slight firmness behind each word. "And once we get back I will come straight here okay?" JJ half asked.

Yet all Emily could do was stare at her, the fear she felt was pressing against her throat making it hard to speak, hard to focus. Emily swallowed hard as her eyes were glued to JJ's form. Fear had taken over, her eyes watered slightly causing them to glisten against the light. Although no tears ran down her face. They welled deep inside her, just waiting to erupt. She couldn't, she wouldn't allow anyone to see that. Stood in front of her was her best friend, the one person that she trusted right now. The only person she felt comfortable being around. Her eyes stayed glued to her form. Unable to voice the fear that had now taken over like poison.

"I'll be okay" JJ whispered as she looked into fear filled eyes. The slight shake of Emily's head told JJ everything. "I will stay in touch with you, I promise" JJ said sincerely.

"What if" Emily half mumbled out. Trust that's what it was. Trust. The backbone of anything laid with and began with trust. Had she truly lost trust in the team?

"I promise you Emily, I will stay in touch. Also you will be able to get hold of me" JJ gave her a sad smile. "Day or night." JJ paused slightly. "Did you hear me?" she asked.

Emily seemed to focus on a spot just behind her head, not looking into her bright blue eyes. Although these days they weren't as bright as they once were. In truth JJ looked tired. Not the tired from working on a case for 18 hours of the day. This was a different type of tired. Emotionally drained and physically drained. Emily wanted to kick herself. She had done this, she had brought this to her friend. Guilt over took as her eyes locked with JJ's. They locked together for a few moments before Emily averted her eyes. She gave a slight nod, her voice failed her. She had never been one to become speechless, but right now she was.

"Garcia will come every day." JJ said softly.

Emily shook her head. "I'll be fine" JJ only just about heard what Emily had said.

She sighed. JJ knew how stubborn Emily could be. Hell the whole team was stubborn. But this, this wasn't stubbornness, this was something completely different. "Still, she will call." JJ said firmly.

Emily shook her head. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked straight at JJ. Carefully JJ cupped her check giving her a gentle smile. "She is only going to check in, just in case you need anything." JJ said softly as she brushed the stray tear off her check. Emily closed her eyes as she nodded against her hand.

JJ had made her way to the air-strip, Morgan waited at the bottom of the steps for her. "She going to be okay?" JJ gave a slight smile even though she could hear the amount of concern in his voice.

"Honestly" JJ gave a slight sigh. "I don't know. I have told her I will keep in touch."

Morgan nodded "Does she know Garcia is going to be calling in on her?"

JJ closed her eyes "She knows, but she also doesn't want her there" JJ said softly as they made their way onto the jet.

"Seriously?" he asked slightly taken back. JJ raised her eyebrow as she nodded.

Taking a seat in behind Hotch so she was able to sit alone and work on a press release once they had talked about the case.

"Doctor Scott was badly beaten on Monday." Hotch said as he passed the file around.

"That's more than a beating" Morgan mumbled as he looked at the photos. "He survived?"

"He never made it to the hospital" Hotch said as he passed more pictures around.

"That's more than a beating" JJ said softly as she took in the show impression on his face. "His brother saw this?"

Rossi nodded, "Apparently he asked Doctor Scott for money. When he informed the perpetrator he had none. Well you can see the result"

"And his brother just stood there and watched?" Reid asked.

"I wouldn't say he watched kid, shock and surprise can render you motionless" Morgan said softly.

Reid frowned slightly "You wouldn't just stand by and watch someone do this to your brother. Or anyone for that matter"

"Self-preservation can play a factor, we have seen what can happen if another person gets involved, tries to be that Good Samaritan. Although reading the full report he did give chase" Rossi offered.

"The perpetrator is thought to belong to the same gang that are responsible for this" Hotch said as he handed another case file around.

"Well that's overkill" Morgan mumbled as he looked at the photos.

"Officer Jefferies, was beaten to death two days after Doctor Scott."

"Lead on Doctor Scott's murder?" JJ questioned slightly.

"Yes," Hotch paused.

"Dirty?" Morgan asked

"It looks that way but if he was dirty he could have been helping clear the gang." Hotch continued.

"You don't kill someone if their helping you" Rossi said firmly.

"Precisely" Hotch smiled "Although if you're a scared kid just joining a gang"

"You get rid of the threat" JJ ran her fingers through her hair.

"We need to take the media away from the gangs for now."

"Why would you want to do that?" Reid asked

"We need to keep the heat away from the gangs, until we can pinpoint which gang is involved, we don't want to start a gang war. Each claiming responsibility for killing a cop" Rossi said calmly. JJ nodded

"Won't they do that anyway?" JJ asked as she jotted notes down.

"They will, and they will do it more if the heat is taken completely away from them"

"What about the locals? Aren't they going to be after blood?" Reid asked as she flicked through the files.

"As long as we don't point fingers, we can try and calm them, but past experience is to leave them alone" Morgan said through a shrug.

Once they had all settled down Hotch made his way to the back of the jet, pouring two cups of coffee out before making his way back, Rossi gratefully took hold of the offered cup as they watched JJ head to the back of the jet her phone pressed against her ear. Although no one could hear what was being said. But Hotch knew that expression all too well.