12

The doorbell rang and Penelope quickly made her way over to the door. Opening it, she saw Hotch and smiled.

"Hey Boss man. Come on in."

"Hi Penelope. How are you?"

Hotch made his way into the entryway taking off his jacket before looking back at Penelope.

"Well, I'm good. But today in general… not a particularly fantastic day."

"Hey Hotch!" the pair heard from the living room.

Walking around the corner he saw Emily standing up, and made his way over to give her a gentle hug.

"You seem better Emily. Much cheerier than the last time that I saw you."

"Thanks. I'm feeling better. Physio is going good, and I am loving being able to do things on my own again. I mean, not everything. But the little things that you take for granted are so nice to be able to do when you have spent time not being able to do them, - if you get what I mean?"

"I do Emily. So I just heard from Garcia that today hasn't been a very good day?"

"In general? No. Not for any of us. The sad thing is that it started off so promising. But then it went and took a downward turn."

"JJ had a doctor's appointment today correct?"

"She sure did. That is where it all went wrong."

"I see. How so?"

"Well…"

…

A few hours earlier

"JJ? JJ honey, look at me."

"What?!" she snapped back irritably.

"JJ, I know that that wasn't the news that you wanted to hear, but at least it is a start right? Maybe we can go for a swim tomorrow or something? That would be nice."

She fisted her clothes, turning them in her fingers trying to bite her tongue. But then she couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Are you kidding me Derek? Are you damn well kidding me? What, go swimming where I would rely on someone to 'support' me? It is just another thing that I can't do that reminds me of just how damn incompetent I am. So no Derek. No. It doesn't bloody well sound like it would be 'nice.'"

Derek turned back around and started the car to head home. He looked in the rear view mirror and saw JJ with her eyes closed, head leaning against the window.

Morgan decided to keep quiet and let her process what she had just heard.

Walking in the front door, Morgan with a seething JJ in his arms was met by an ecstatic Penelope and a wary Emily.

"JJ! You're back. How was it? What did the doctor say? Bad ass JJ ready for action?"

JJ felt the emotions tearing her apart inside. She didn't want to hurt her friends. But she couldn't stand to be around them. It would possibly kill her.

"Room. Now." Were the only two words she muttered. Her voice was blunt and cold. She even refused eye contact, or any gesture of comfort from the two woman before her.

Morgan tilted his head and shook it, signalling he would tell them later. Instead the two, slightly shocked women moved into the lounge, allowing Morgan to walk past them, taking JJ to her room.

Carefully and quietly he put her on her bed and walked away, giving her more time to be alone.

In the lounge he was met with two pairs of wide questioning eyes.

"What was that about?"

"Hmm. Let's say she didn't hear what she was expecting or hoping."

"Oh gosh. What do you mean?" Emily asked, already fearing the answer.

"She still can't walk around while she is at home. He said that she is healing well, but to continue as normal at home and wait for the guidance that she will get when she properly starts physio."

"That explains the foul mood."

"Pretty much. Though the doctor did agree to swimming. He thought that it would be good for her. But the fact that she needs a support person in the water with her threw a spanner in the works almost straight away. I don't know we'll just have to wait and see how it g-"

But Derek was cut off by a loud sound, and something shattering. Following by another loud noise and several thuds.

"Crap. Oh JJ. What are you doing?"

Morgan was off faster than a lightning bolt. Charging down the hall he made it into JJ's room just in time to catch a photo frame that had been hurled in his general direction.

He saw JJ awkwardly supporting herself from her new spot on the floor, surrounded by the mess that she had created. Glass covered the floor at the far side of the room from what was once a vase. The flowers from which were mingled amongst the chaos. Bed linen and pillows were scattered. Pretty much anything that JJ had been able to reach had been hurled across the room.

She had something else in her hand ready to throw but stopped as Derek's loud voice commanded her to.

"JJ what are you doing? Stop. You need to stop this."

"Stop. You need to stop this." JJ mimicked nastily.

"Go away Derek. Leave me the hell alone."

He raised his brows. "JJ…"

"No. Seriously. Leave me alone. Go away. I don't want you here. I don't want any of you here."

Morgan took a deep calming breath.

"Fine JJ. Fine. If that is what you want." He made his way over to her. Taking the breakable item out of her hand, he then continued to take everything in his hands that was easily broken or simply shouldn't be thrown, and walked out of her bedroom.

Turning around, he shut the door, leaving her lying amongst the mess that she created.

In the lounge he placed all of the things on the coffee table, explaining their current predicament and the way that he had chosen to handle it. He knew that Hotch was coming by later, and hoped that he could talk JJ down.

…

"And so that is pretty much what happened, and why half of JJ's bedroom is out here. It is also where you come in. We are hoping that a different face, and someone in a more authoritative position will be of some use."

"I see. Thank you for filling me in. She is still in her room on the floor then?"

"I can only assume so, yes."

"Right, I will go and see her now then. Maybe afterwards we could all do dinner or something. Reid also wanted me to tell you that he would be stopping by in the next few days. He's been spending some time with his Mum. I think everything that happened has gotten to him. So taking a bit of time hopefully has been helping."

"Aw that's good. I've missed the kid. And dinner sounds good. Hopefully JJ will be joining us…?"

"That's the aim Derek. I'll see how I go."

"Okay. Just down the hall. You know where it is. The door is closed so I would knock first."

"Duly noted."

Quickly he knocked on the door, before opening it and entering, seeing JJ huddled on the floor facing away from him.

"I told you to damn well leave me alone. What is it going to take to get it through your thick sk-"

JJ started to berate the man she thought was Derek but quickly stopped when saw that it was her boss.

"Oh… I…"

"No JJ. Please don't stop. Whatever you were going to say, I think that I can handle it."

She lay her head back down, wiping away the tears, continuing to play with the flower in her hand.

"No. I… It- I- Um- sorry…"

"Don't apologise to me. I don't think that you were expecting it to be me that you were saying that to."

"No. You weren't who I was expecting."

Looking at the mess, he moved closer.

"Can I sit?"

She mumbled a 'yes' and he moved around so that he was sitting in front of her, sweeping away the mess on the floor first.

Feeling slightly intimidated by her boss in that moment, she went to turn around but was stopped by a hand that kept her still. "Please don't JJ. I want to talk to you. Not to your back."

"I… I'm sorry Hotch."

"I'm sure that you are. But I don't think that it is me that you should be saying sorry to."

She furrowed then sighed. "I know. I shouldn't have behaved like that. Like this. I am acting like a petulant child. Not like me."

"Yes. You are acting like someone other than the normal JJ. However, these aren't exactly normal circumstances, so I think that if you were acting 'normal' everyone would be even more worried about you."

"Hmm. Probably. I do work with a bunch of pretty good profilers."

"That you do. And you are also living with two of them and one pretty tuned in tech wiz."

JJ half smiled. "I know. Gosh, I couldn't even look at them. I treated Morgan terribly. I am such a bad person."

Taking her hand in his, he sighed this time. "JJ, you are not a bad person. It's simply the choices that are being made are probably being done in the heat of the moment. Because now after thinking and reflecting you are regretting them. You just need to give yourself time alone to calm down so that you can make rash decisions."

Tears began again in a slow trickle. "I know, I know. I just can't control it! I get so frustrated. I'm sorry Hotch! I'm sorry."

He looked on as she tried sitting up, struggling all the while. He allowed the parent in him to take over. Gone was Hotch – Boss Extraordinaire. Here was Aaron – friend and support person. Without asking he stood up and picked her up off the hard floor. Her leg splint had been discarded on the floor beside her.

He knew what she needed. It was what Jack needed after he hurt himself, or found he wasn't yet able to do something his friends could do.

She needed a hug, and the feeling of support that one could only feel with a physical connection. He also knew that she wouldn't ask for it, and would probably struggle to be willing to receive it. Alas, it was something he was going to give.

He picked her up and walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge with her on his lap, facing him. Her arms were around his shoulders, face buried in his neck.

He could feel the pent up tears finally coming out and dampening the collar of his shirt. Though in all honesty, he didn't care. He rubbed his hand up and down her back, all the while muttering calming and soothing things like 'it's okay JJ', 'you're alright', and 'you're safe, it's okay to cry now.'

Hotch couldn't say how long he sat there. Simply holding JJ as she cried. But if he had to guess, he would have said a long while. The tears flowed for some time, matched with sniffling and many utterings of 'I'm sorry.' But after a while it all died down and was replaced with constant, steady breathing that signalled to him that the woman in his arms who he respected and admired as a colleague; and the woman who he considered a dear friend, had felt comfortable enough to stay in his arms as she fell asleep.

The moment was something that he wasn't expecting. Just like he hadn't been expecting Jack's first steps or words, but he was appreciative of them all nonetheless.

Standing up again he moved with the still sleeping blonde in his arms and sat at the head of the bed, allowing his back to have a leaning post. He straightened her leg that ought to have had the splint on it, reminding himself he had to make sure that it was put back on as soon as she woke up.

He wasn't too sure how their talk had gone. It had been rather brief, though he could only hope that the release of some of her pent up emotions would help in the long run.

He looked down at her, seemingly content and only wished that the same contentment would be felt by her upon waking.

Hello! So finally the Hotch chapter. It was a bit different than I had first thought, though I think that it is okay. But please let me know what you think : ) It would be hugely appreciated! (And thank you for the well wishes! : ) )