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

Saturday morning, JJ's phone chirped at the ungodly hour of 4:00 a.m. She mumbled her way through a phone call with Emily, then rolled out of bed and began to get ready for work. Will and the boys were gone camping for the weekend, so JJ had the house to herself. She planned to be gone by Sunday afternoon, and had already booked a reservation at the two-star motel down the road.

When asked how long she intended to stay, JJ's answer had been vague and embarrassing: "For the foreseeable future." Long enough for her and Will to work out the details of their divorce, who would get the house ... JJ couldn't bear to even think about it.

Of course, if she'd been honest with Garcia and Reid, they both would have offered to let her stay with them however long she needed. But JJ couldn't stomach the thought of invading their routines and potentially jeopardizing Garcia's intimacy with Alvez. And staying with Reid after what she'd done to Will was not an option.

When she'd told Reid what had happened, she could hear the guilt in his voice as he professed his sympathies to her over the phone. And as much as she longed for her trusty shoulder to cry on, JJ knew a little time apart was exactly what she needed to get her head in the right place.

At least, that had been the plan. But when JJ showed up at work Saturday morning, groggy and lacking her usual bounce in her step, the sight of Reid's empty chair in the break room nearly broke her resolve.

JJ floated through the briefing, barely conscious of the words coming out of her teammates' mouths. She couldn't stop picturing Will's twisted up face in her mind, the anger seeping out of his cool gray eyes.

As she slung her bag over her shoulder and prepared to board the jet, a trilling sound stopped her in her tracks. JJ swiped her finger across the screen to accept the incoming call.

"Spence?" she said, her heart in her throat. "Everything okay?"

Deep breathing and soft sniffles emanated from her phone. Emily stood beside JJ outside the plane, cocking an eyebrow.

"I think this is it, JJ," Reid exhaled with a burst of emotion. "They have a tube breathing for her. The infection in her lungs caused her body to go into septic shock. They ... they said I should prepare to say my goodbyes, but I don't think I can."

JJ could tell by the look on her boss's face that Emily had heard enough of the conversation to understand what was going on. "Go," she said, and JJ nodded her head.

"I'll be right there," JJ spoke into Reid's ear.

~

Spencer Reid was lingering in the doorway when JJ rounded the corner. Spotting her, he crumbled into a crouch and burst into tears at her feet.

JJ knelt beside him, holding him upright. She could feel Reid's whole body shaking. JJ wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could, knowing that however long or fast she held him, it would never be enough to take his pain away.

"I'm so sorry, Spence," she said, tears filling her own eyes. "I'm so sorry."

Reid didn't speak. JJ shuffled until she located his hand.

"We should go inside and be with her. I'll be right here if you need me."

A sob escaped Reid's lips, making JJ weak with sadness. She guided him into an upright position, brushing the hair out of his eyes.

"You can do this," she spoke to him, hands on his shoulders. "Come on."

Reid allowed JJ to pull him into the room. He crept toward his mother's bed, flinching at the urgent shrieks of the monitor. Diana's heart rate was way up, her chest heaving and falling, her eyes wide with alarm.

They approached her bedside together. Reid ran a hand over his eyes, then reached out to brush his mother's hair away from her forehead.

"It's okay," he said, suddenly calm and composed. "You don't have to keep fighting, Mom. I don't want you to be in pain anymore."

JJ rubbed his back, proud of how strong he was being in this incredibly difficult moment.

"I love you so much," Reid said, his voice thick with emotion. "I love you so much, Mom."

Diana stared back at him, her eyes growing less bloodshot. She reached out a quaking hand to touch his arm. Then, she turned her attention to JJ. A small smile crept onto her face. JJ felt she knew what Diana was trying to express, even though no words were spoken.

"He'll be okay," she said, ignoring the tear that trailed down her nose. "I'll take good care of him. I promise."

Reid knelt, giving his mom a gentle embrace. JJ let out the air she'd been holding in. She didn't want to intrude on their moment, but when Reid stepped back, he absentmindedly grabbed her hand.

JJ gave Reid's hand a squeeze, and didn't let go. Not when the monitor quickened its pace, not when the nurses crowded into the room. Reid didn't take his eyes off his mom, but every so often his hand would wrap tighter around hers.

When Diana passed, they could both feel it. The nurses closed her eyelids, whispered an apology to Reid, and left the room.

Alone, Reid turned to JJ, his eyes a vacant glaze. He tried to speak, but no words would come. JJ placed both hands on either side of his face.

"She's not struggling anymore, Spence. She's finally at peace."

Reid nodded, his upper lip quivering. "I don't know what I'm going to do without her."

JJ pulled him close. She didn't know, either, but if life had taught her anything, it was that humans always find a way to carry on. They would face this grief head-on, and they would face it together.

~

Reid was too distraught to drive, so they both piled into JJ's car and headed back to his apartment together. Reid didn't say a word the entire drive, but his hand remained linked with JJ's from the moment she shifted the car into gear to the moment she extracted her fingers to place the car in park.

JJ placed a comforting arm behind him as they entered the silent, eerie apartment. Reid's head hung low, his eyes unfocused, but he didn't protest as JJ pulled his coat off his shoulders and hung it over the rack.

"Can I get you anything?" she said in a quiet voice, her hands tentative on his forearms. "Coffee? Tea? Ice cream?"

Reid smiled weakly at her. "No ... thanks."

JJ bit her lip. What should she do? Spence was clearly in shock.

"I should probably start making the arrangements," he mumbled, looking madly about the room.

"Spence—"

"Who should I call first? The funeral home? I should probably call Emily, let her know I'll need a few days. Is there a pen around here somewhere? I need to get started on her obituary. Shouldn't you be at work?"

JJ pursed her lips. "I don't need to be anywhere else but here."

"Great, maybe you can help me with her notice. Is there some sort of template for these things? Maybe I should call the newspaper and ask them—"

"Spence, take a breath," JJ insisted, catching him by the arm. "Not everything needs to be done today."

Reid ignored her, continuing to scan the room with his eyes. "I should probably head over to the nursing home and start collecting her stuff. They're probably itching to move someone into her room. You don't think they would've gotten rid of her things, do you?"

"No, I don't think so. But Spence—"

"If you're not going to be helpful, can you just go?" Reid blurted out, his eyes brimming with tears. JJ took a step back, surprised. "I'm sorry," he said, realizing his mistake. "I just don't know ..."

JJ nodded, pulling him toward her. Reid's tears fell onto her blouse, his head buried in her shoulder. She rubbed his back slowly.

"I think before we do any of this, you should take a beat. Get some rest. You've been up all night."

Reid didn't respond, but she could feel his head bobbing up and down slightly on her shoulder.

"Come on," she said, extracting herself from him and reaching for his hand.

Reid let her lead him into his bedroom, where JJ gently sat him on the bed. She began to untie his shoes, while Reid rubbed his eyes.

"You don't have to—"

"Shhh," JJ hushed him, finishing up. "You get yourself comfortable. I'm going to grab you some tissues and a glass of water."

As JJ busied herself in the kitchen, she noticed that her hands were shaking. How odd, she thought. It wasn't like she hadn't done this exact routine with Spence before. But something about this time around felt different. More ... intimate.

By the time she returned to Reid's room, he had slid toward the head of the bed, his back against the pillow. He hadn't bothered to change.

"Here," she said, handing him the glass of water. She placed the box of tissues on his bed stand.

Reid immediately reached for one and dabbed at his face. "I'm sorry," he said again, his eyes meeting hers for the first time since they'd arrived at the apartment.

"You have no reason to be," JJ smiled, sitting beside him on the bed. "What are best friends for?"

Reid grinned, his eyes wet and glossy. "I love you, Jennifer."

JJ reached for his hand. "I love you too, Spence."

They sat there, hands linked, staring at each other for several moments before either of them spoke again. Reid was the one to break the silence.

"You don't have to stay, you know."

JJ squeezed his hand. "I know. I want to. Now get some sleep."

Reid took one final look at her, then closed his eyes. Within minutes, he was fast asleep.

JJ felt his hand loosen around hers, but she still didn't let go. Instead, she curled up on her side, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

***Author's 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!