***Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds (although it would be really cool if I did!)

When JJ woke, she was momentarily disoriented by the bright fluorescent lights and white walls of the hospital waiting room. Then, as the memory sunk in, she felt a tickling sensation on her chin. She breathed in the scent of banana and cinnamon, and lifted her head. Reid, undisturbed, nuzzled deeper into her neck.

JJ blinked up at the clock on the wall. 5:30 a.m. She couldn't believe they had slept! And on this uncomfortable hospital futon, no less.

As she reached a hand up to scratch her nose, her nail caught on a white cotton blanket that someone had gingerly placed over the two of them. Probably a nurse.

As if on cue, a woman in blue scrubs appeared from behind the curtain that JJ knew enclosed Diana's room. She lifted her now free hand, signaling for the nurse.

"Thought you two might be cold," the woman said, her voice a mere whisper. "Good to see he's getting some rest."

"How is she?"

The nurse frowned. "She's stable, but it isn't looking good. We're prepping to relocate her to a room in the ICU. Best guess, she won't last the week."

JJ felt a pang of despair pierce her heart. She risked a glance at Spence who, thankfully, was still sleeping peacefully.

"Thank you," JJ said, forcing a sad smile.

~

"Mommy!" Henry chirped as JJ walked into the living room later that morning.

JJ knelt down to give her sons a huge hug and kiss. Will materialized from the kitchen, holding out a cup of coffee for her.

"Thanks," she smiled meekly, taking it. "Rough night."

"Is Uncle Spencer okay?" This was from JJ's youngest.

She sighed, fluffing her son's hair. "Yeah, Spence is okay."

"We drew him a picture!" Henry said, running across the room and grabbing a piece of paper stuck to the fridge with magnets. "To make him feel better."

JJ looked down at the drawing in her son's hands and felt tears stinging her eyes. The picture was of both boys holding Reid's hands, while JJ stood in the background of what appeared to be a swing set. Cartoon JJ held her arms out wide, preparing to push Reid higher toward the sky.

"You two are so sweet!" she gushed, kissing them both on the top of the head. "I'm sure Uncle Spencer will be so happy you were thinking of him."

"Can we give it to him?" Henry asked, jumping up and down. "When can we see him?"

JJ blanched, glancing up at her husband. "Well, Uncle Spencer has some things to do with his mommy today, but I'll make sure you see him real soon."

As the boys cheered and ran off toward their room to play, JJ closed the distance between her and Will. She wrapped her arms around her husband's neck.

"I'm so sorry," she said, looking up at him.

"Nah," Will replied, "I'm sorry I was such a grump."

"You had every right."

"Yeah?" Will said, leaning in to give his wife a kiss. "Well, in that case, I demand you make it up to me by having dinner with me tonight."

JJ grinned. "It would be my pleasure."

But then, to no one's surprise, her phone rang.

Will bristled, frowning as his wife glanced at her phone screen. JJ heaved a sigh, drawing her eyebrows together.

"We have a case."

~

JJ entered the briefing room feeling groggy and disoriented. Although she'd gotten a few hours of sleep in the hospital, it felt like she'd been going since yesterday morning. The days mashed together in a long, exhausting whirlwind of emotions.

"JJ," Emily whispered as the boss strolled in. "How's Reid?"

JJ bit her lip. "He's managing. You know Spence."

Emily laid a hand on the back of JJ's chair, leaning over her. "Keep me posted, would you? When I called him about the case, he didn't sound like himself. I told him to sit this one out."

"Probably for the best," JJ said, nodding to Alvez as he sat down beside her, steaming mug of coffee in hand.

"Looks like someone had a late night," he grinned at her, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

JJ rolled her eyes. Were the bags underneath them really that noticeable?

As Emily informed them about the latest case, JJ steepled her hands and tried not to think about Spence. By the time she'd dropped him off earlier that morning, he'd heard the bad news from not one but several nurses and doctors. People kept asking him if his mother's arrangements were in order. If her will had been finalized. The discussion was excruciating, but Spence handled every question with somber, polite grace.

She knew he'd been preparing for this day a long time now, but that still didn't make it any easier when it finally arrived. And here she was, about to get caught up in another investigation, with her best friend suffering all alone miles away.

"JJ?"

She shook her head, blinking her eyes open. "Sorry, what?"

"You and Matt, go to the widow's house and see if she can tell us anything more about who might've been out to get her husband."

JJ's lips pulled into a straight line. "Got it."

~

Fortunately, the case was over and done with in about seven hours—what the BAU liked to call a "quickie." Quickies were rare, only made possible by significant leads early on and mistakes on the part of the Unsub. But when they did occur, the team always celebrated afterward, as if thanking some invisible God for going easy on them once every two-to-three years.

"Alright, everyone. Dinner, my place!" Rossi called out, eliciting a cheer from the team. JJ was sandwiched between Tara and Alvez in the elevator, and accepted their high-fives with reluctance.

What about Will?

"I'm not sure I can make it tonight," she began, but Rossi clucked at her and wagged a finger in her face.

"Don't even think about it. It's BAU tradition."

"To tradition!" Tara cheered, raising an empty hand that, in her mind, probably already held a glass of bubbly champagne. Tara was the party animal of the bunch.

JJ kept her mouth shut as the elevator door scrawled open, but she couldn't fight back the smile that crept onto her face at the sight of Reid waiting for them in the lobby.

"Spence," she breathed, heading straight for him and wrapping her arms around him. It was instinct to her now.

Reid's hands gripped her tightly, warming the skin between her shoulder blades. Emily took her turn next, while the rest of the team patted Reid on the shoulder or slapped him on the back.

"Seven hours, huh?" Reid spoke. "I guess you guys don't need me much after all."

"Don't be silly," JJ replied, tousling his hair. "We'll always need you."

Spence's eyes met hers with a quiet understanding. He smiled at her shyly. JJ was so focused on analyzing Reid, his current state of well-being, that she missed the joke Rossi uttered. Everyone on the team laughed except Reid, who clearly had missed it too.

"You coming, kiddo?" Rossi said to Reid, bringing the young genius back into the fold.

"Party at Rossi's!" Tara announced loudly, as if to alert the custodians and security guards remaining on the building's other floors.

"Oh, right, the party," Reid said, his face betraying his attempt at excitement. "I'm not sure."

"Come on!" Alvez growled. "It'll cheer you up!"

Reid pondered this for a moment, his eyes contemplating. When they met JJ's, she felt a pang of guilt in her chest.

"Alright," she sighed, earning a squeal from Tara. "I'll go if Spence goes."

Reid cocked an eyebrow at her. But before he could ask her why she hadn't been planning on going, Tara grabbed JJ by the elbow and began do-si-do-ing with her.

"Okay, I'm in," Reid said, as Alvez slapped him on the back. Reid winced from the blow, marveling yet again at why men thought this was a nice gesture. He watched JJ as she separated herself from Tara and pulled out her phone.

"Let me just call Will."

~

"So, a quickie, huh?"

Will's voice was gravelly over the line, as if he'd just woken up from a nap.

"Yeah," JJ said, pinching the middle of her forehead. "Doesn't happen often."

"Looks like we might be able to keep our date night after all."

Will's words struck JJ hard. Did he truly not remember the BAU's longtime tradition? Or was he playing games with her, seeing if she'd fess up?

"Well, actually, Rossi's having the whole team over for dinner and drinks," she began, her voice an octave higher than usual. "You should come! I think Alvez is bringing Garcia."

Will sighed, his breath heavy over the phone. "JJ."

"I know," she said, backpedaling, "I promised. Maybe I can find a way to get out of it."

"If you really wanted to keep our date night, you wouldn't have called." The chill in his voice caught her off guard. "I can't keep doing this, JJ."

"You're right, I'll come home," she said, her eyes beginning to water.

He cleared his throat. "No, you should go. Give the team my regards."

JJ gripped her purse tightly, as if everything would be alright if she just refused to let go. "You're not coming?"

"I don't feel up to a party tonight. You kids have fun."

And with that, Will hung up the phone. JJ stared at the white screen, her vision clouding from the tears threatening to rush forth. She'd screwed up, obviously. But Will had never hung up on her before.

This was bad.

She should go home, try to work things out. Maybe she could salvage what was left of their date night.

But the thought of walking through that door and facing Will, knowing that she had let both him and Reid down tonight, was too much. At least if she went to the party, her colleagues would be pleased with her. Reid would have fun, and if anyone deserved a little fun right now, it was him.

She would deal with her marriage in the morning.

***Author Note: If you enjoy this fanfiction, please check out my self-published book series on Amazon (see link in my profile). For some Jeid videos I've created, check out my YouTube channel (also linked in my profile). Thanks so much for all the support!