Title: Love, Friends and Understanding
Author:
digitaldesignerBeta:
hazel_eyes_86Word Count: 1121
Prompt: ice cream
Rating: PG
Spoilers: JJ
Pairing: Will/JJ, JJ/Garcia/Emily friendship
Summary: JJ was miserable.
Disclaimer: If you recognize them, they belong to Jeff Davis. Otherwise, they're mine.
JJ sat on her couch wrapped up in blanket, eating a bowl of her ice cream and saying very little. If it weren't for the tears, Will would have thought she looked relaxed. Even the fact that it was her favorite--peppermint, didn't stop the tears from falling. But he knew better. She was miserable. He sighed and went to make a phone call. He couldn't change what had happened, but he could make her feel a little better.
JJ had finished her ice cream and was simply staring off into space when the doorbell rang twenty minutes later. She was so lost in thought that Will didn't even think she heard it. He shook his head and went to answer it. "Hi, ladies, come on in," he told the two young women standing in front of him.
"How's she doing?" Emily asked softly.
"Not so good," he admitted. "Like I told you both on the phone, she's just staring into space."
"Is this the first time she's been like this since they transferred her?" Garcia asked.
Will shook his head. "No. She's been depressed a lot. And that's just not JJ." He paused, thinking. "She misses you."
"Where is she?" Emily asked.
"This way. Follow me."
Will led them into the darkened living room and switched on the overhead light. The look on JJ's face as Emily and Garcia entered the room both broke his heart and made him smile at the same time. It was as if he'd reminded her why she was so miserable and given her what she wanted most all at the same time.
"Emily, Garcia! What are you doing here?" she asked, springing from her seat to embrace her friends.
"Oh, you know. We were in the neighborhood and thought we'd stop by," Garcia smiled as she pulled back from the tight hug JJ gave her.
"Garcia, the only way you would be in the neighborhood is if you were coming to see me," JJ laughed. "Come on, sit down, both of you."
Will quietly left the room to check on Henry. Seeing the smile on JJ's face put a little extra bounce in his step as he did so.
"Will called you, didn't he?" JJ asked after Will was gone.
"Yes. He said you were feeling a little depressed. He said you needed your friends."
JJ sighed. "He's right. I never expected this to be so hard. I never realized how much I've gotten used to seeing everyone everyday until I didn't get to," she told them, looking down at her hands. When she looked back up, there were tears glistening in her eyes. "I miss you."
"Oh honey, we miss you, too," Garcia told her, wrapping an arm around her friend.
"It's just not the same without you," Emily agreed.
"It's Saturday night. How about a little fun?" Garcia suggested.
"What did you have in mind?" JJ asked.
"You'll just have to trust me," Garcia smiled, a mischievous look in her eyes.
"Now that's dangerous," JJ laughed, wiping her tears away. "If there's one thing Penelope Garcia knows how to do, it's to have fun."
"Couldn't have said it better myself," Emily laughed. "Should we trust her to not get us in any trouble?"
JJ shook her head. "No," she laughed. "Look what happened last time."
"The nightclub," Emily remembered. "Exactly how many margaritas did we have that night?"
"I have no idea. All I remember is her telling us to have 'one more'. The next morning I woke up with the worst hangover of my life."
"Oh, you loved it," Garcia laughed. "Go get dressed and tell Will, JJ. Fun awaits."
JJ laughed and nodded, hurrying out of the room. She found Will in Henry's room. He was reading Daddy Cuddles to their son. She smiled at the image from the doorway. Will looked up, returning her smile. "I haven't seen that in awhile," he told her softly.
"What?"
"Your smile."
"I'm sorry. I know I haven't been myself lately."
"Nothing to be sorry for, darlin'. I just want you to be happy. Are you guys going out?"
"You don't mind, do you?"
Will smiled that smile she loved so much, the one that had made her fall in love with him in the first place. "That's what I called them here for. Go on, get out of here. Have fun. Henry and I are going to have guy time."
"Guy time, huh?" she asked, around a smirk.
He nodded. "Yup. Guy things. Things like Sunday afternoon football, nice cars and most of all, the importance of making Mommy happy."
She smiled and kissed him softly. "I love you, Will."
"I love you, too, darlin'. Now go on. Go have fun with your friends."
Returning to Emily and Garcia, who were talking quietly. "I'm ready," she told them. "And Garcia, you better not get us into any trouble."
"The only promise I make is that it will be a night you won't forget," Garcia told her with a laugh.
"Uh oh, that sounds like trouble," Emily whispered as they got into Garcia's car.
"I heard that."
"You were meant to," Emily told her as she pulled out of the driveway, eliciting a giggle from JJ. Her friends smiled inwardly.
***
The way they'd spent the night had actually been pretty mundane compared to other times, but it was exactly what JJ needed. First, they'd went to a movie they'd all been dying to see. After that, Garcia declared they all deserved a little retail therapy. They'd spent more money than they should have, but it was exactly what JJ needed. They'd spent most of the night laughing and catching up on each other's lives.
When they dropped JJ off later that night, they promised to do a better job of staying in touch. They made plans for another night out in two weeks. JJ went inside feeling the best she'd felt in weeks.
It was almost two in the morning when she crawled into bed next to Will. "Have a good time?" he asked in the dark.
"I did. I invited them over for dinner next week."
"We should have your whole team over soon," he suggested. "A barbecue next month would be fun."
Her breath caught in her throat at the mention of the whole team. The fact that he still thought of them as hers meant more than she could ever express. "That sounds perfect," she told him. "I'll stop by the BAU and invite them this week."
"Good."
He kissed her as she settled her head onto his chest. "I love you, JJ."
"I love you, too," she whispered around a yawn, closing her eyes. She was asleep within minutes.