A/N: This story may contain spoilers for season 7 (I've been reading on the interwebs what's supposed to happen - but one never knows how trust worthy the interwebs are) so consider yourself forwarned! Otherwise everything is pretty much cannon.

CHAPTER 1

JJ stood in the doorway to Garcia's "lair." She stood in silence for a moment unsure of how to tell her friend the one conversation she'd been dreading ever since she'd made a choice 8 months and 10 long days ago.

"Oh my God, JJ!" Garcia squealed in delight bringing the DoD Agent out of her thoughts and back into the real world. "What are you doing here?" She asked happy to see her friend.

"I uh," the seasoned Agent stumbled on her words, which was Garcia's first indication that something was amiss. "I have to talk to you about something. And the others when they return I guess." She paused.

"Jay? What is it, your scaring me. What's wrong?"

"Ian Doyle is dead." She blurted out.

"Well that's great news!" The excitement in her voice was obvious. "Well I mean not great."

"Pen?" JJ tried to get her attention.

"Because you know I don't condone violence of any sort."

"Pen?"

"I know he took our Princess away from us so he probably deserved what he got but…"

"PENELOPE!" JJ shouted at her friend. It was at this point that Garcia took notice of her friend's demeanour and remembered the way she was acting when she'd first arrived in her office. And then as if were the most natural thing in the world JJ said; "Emily's alive."

"Wh-What?"

"Emily's…" JJ started again but was abruptly cut off.

"No I heard what you said." Anger began to creep into Garcia's voice. There was a pause and then; "How?"

It was a simple question with an answer her friend deserved to hear. So for the next few minutes JJ calmly explained how after Emily was taken to the hospital she'd arranged for her to go into protective custody with the help of Interpol and some of her new friends at the Department of Defence. After she had explained that Emily had been living in Paris for the last 8 months, JJ stood in silence waiting for a Garcia to say something.

"Penelope?" JJ asked concerned that this was too much for her friend to take in.

"How could you?" Garcia all but spat at her friend. Anger was no longer a strong enough word to use to describe how Garcia felt.

"I…" JJ started when Garcia's hand met the side of her cheek with a loud slap. JJ's hand flew up to her reddened cheek but her eyes remained down cast as Garcia stormed out.

"Are you ok?" she heard the familiar voice from behind her.

"Yeah." She replied with tears in her eyes. "I was expecting…" she let out a small laugh, "I don't know what I was expecting but I wasn't expecting that."

"Doyle's dead?" Hotch asked from the doorway.

"Doyle's dead." She confirmed with a slight nod.

"Emily's coming back?"

"Yes." She paused. "Is the team here?"

"They're in the bullpen. But I don't think you should…"

"Hey Hotch, do you know what's going on with Penelope, I just saw her and she…" Morgan started as he entered the room but stopped when he noticed his former colleague with teary eyes. "JJ?" He questioned.

"I need a minute." JJ stated and then walked out of the room and down the hall.

"Hotch?" Morgan asked concerned for his friend. "Is everything alright?"

"I don't know." He answered with a heavy sigh as he began making his way out of the room. "Have everyone meet in the conference room in 10." And with that he left after the petit blonde.

"JJ?" Hotch asked in a concerned tone as he found his friend standing in the lobby near the elevators.

"I'm fine Hotch."

"I know you are. Let's talk in my office." She nodded and followed him through the bullpen to his office. "Have a seat." Hotch motioned to the small sofa in the corner.

"Hotch listen." JJ started. "They need to know and the sooner the better."

"I know, let me tell them."

"No."

"Why?"

"The team needs to trust their leader if they found out you knew, I don't know if they could come back from that." JJ trailed off sure that Hotch was following her train of thought.

The two sat in silence for a moment before JJ continued. "Let me do this." She almost pleaded as the two sat across from one another eyes locked. "Please." And with that final uncharacteristic plea Hotch reluctantly gave her a slight nod.

"I had Morgan gather the team in the conference room." Hoping he'd made the right decision he followed her out.