CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

10x09 Fate

"I won't be gone for very long. Plus, I've heard Callahan is an excellent agent," Emily insisted as she threw more clothes into her small suitcase. JJ was across the room, leaning casually against the bathroom door frame.

"I'm sure she is," JJ said slowly. She pushed herself off the wall and walked over to Emily. Her arms wrapped around Emily's waist from behind. "But it's not really your profiling skills I'll miss the most."

Emily felt heat rise in her cheeks. She turned around in her arms. JJ grinned at her wife's shy smile. "Two weeks… tops. I'll probably be back sooner."

"Fine," JJ replied with half-hearted frustration. Emily laughed and kissed her quickly. She turned to continue packing. "What am I supposed to do while you're gone?" The question was half a joke - JJ knew that 'too much free-time' was never an issue at the BAU.

"What do you usually do when I'm gone?" Emily asked, absentmindedly.

She understood JJ's apprehension. She too felt it. They were finally getting back to a good place, and she worried about JJ being alone. She would probably have at least one nightmare while Emily was gone, and the thought of her waking up to a dark, empty room was heartbreaking. The last time they'd been apart for this amount of time was when Emily was in Paris.

"I don't know… wait for you to come back…?" JJ answered absentmindedly. She said it casually but the vulnerable honesty in her words gave Emily pause. She smiled earnestly, her back still to JJ.

"I seem to remember you pushing me to assist with this case," Emily said pointedly. She finished zipping up the suitcase then turned back to face JJ again.

"I did," JJ started, wrapping her arms around Emily's waist, "That doesn't mean I won't miss you…" She kissed her gently. Emily felt it everywhere. "You better get this son of a bitch," JJ added fiercely.

"Yes, dear."

She walked with Spencer into the BAU. He seemed to be in his usual good mood. She was thankful for his friendship. Spencer lunged forward and caught the elevator door with his bag. There was a woman already there. They boarded it together.

"Which floor?" The woman asked politely.

JJ glanced at the switchboard, "Uh, six - hmm, you too."

Spencer narrowed his eyes, "Karaoke at the Benjamin." Both women turned to Spencer with a confused look.

"Excuse me?"

"You were singing Karaoke at the Benjamin the night it closed."

The woman looked shocked and a little dubious. "I was. Good memory. Billy Joel might have died a little that night."

"Sadly, he was not the only one. He got us started, but we went on to do a 6-song set." Spencer turned to JJ who smiled, remembering that night.

"The eighties took a fatal hit, if I remember correctly," JJ added.

"Have you seen the pace that took over? It's like techno and twerking."

"It's not really my crowd," Spencer said slowly.

"What? You don't twerk?" The woman made eye contact with JJ and they both laughed. Spencer looked at them confused. "I was - I was kidding. I don't twerk."

The two got off the elevator before JJ. She watched them closely. She had a hunch of who this new person was. It must be Kate Callahan. She'd never put the name to the face, but she'd seen her around.

"Agent Hotchner's office is right up there," JJ pointed out.

"Thanks," she smiled politely and walked off.

"So that's lucky number ten…" Rossi said, walking up to them.

"Hotch interviewed ten people?" JJ asked.

"Well, Emily isn't easy to replace," Morgan added, as he and Penelope walked up. JJ smiled at Derek's words.

"Replace? Emily? Impossible!" Garcia said quickly.

"Not replacing, filling in," JJ said. "She'll be back in two weeks."

"Where is she, anyway?"

JJ opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted by Spencer -

"London! Interpol called her to assist on an ongoing case that I've been studying for over a year. It's pretty high profile." Spencer smiled excitedly.

"Yeah, what he said," JJ said, laughing at Spencer's enthusiasm.

Derek looked to JJ, concerned. "What, are they trying to lure her away again?"

"It's just one case, Derek," JJ answered quietly. She put her bag down and turned away from him, sitting at her desk. It wasn't like the thought hadn't occurred to her. It was actually the first thing she thought of when Emily told her. But it would be selfish of her to ask Emily to stay if she could help stop a murderer.

Derek seemed to be studying her reaction. It was an unspoken rule that they refrained from profiling each other - but Derek seemed to be breaking it. Everyone else cleared away but Derek took a seat next to JJ. She sighed. She could feel his eyes on her - she could practically hear his thoughts.

"I'm a big girl, Derek, I can take care of myself."

"I know you can."

JJ turned to meet his eyes. He had his eyebrows raised as if to say he deserved a little more credit than that. That he was only trying to help. Her frustration softened. She gave him a contrite smile.