You can ship JJ with whoever you want but I will not accept Will LaMontagne slander. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, he was a perfect husband all throughout his and JJ’s marriage.
He moved from New Orleans where his family’s legacy lay to be with JJ in D.C. He accepted all of the late nights with grace and he never once held it against JJ when she had to leave all of a sudden to go on a case. He bandaged her up and comforted her when she got back and supported the fact that she wanted to carry on working at the BAU despite the danger it posed to her.
He also accepted JJ’s work family as part of his own family. He sat with Rossi in the hospital after the car crash with Mr Scratch. He let Reid be the godfather to both of his sons. He looked after Jack when Hotch got arrested, even staying at Quantico for the entire day to take care of Jack whilst the team were out. He showed up to all of the BAU events and got along with everyone. He was even willing to have his wedding in the back garden of JJ’s colleague, only surrounded by JJ’s other colleagues and no one else.
Marriage is about sacrifices and he was always willing to make them, that man existed for JJ and their sons. You can ship JJ with someone else without lying and saying that he was a bad husband because I would normally never praise a man for simply being a good spouse but he was perfect.
Lesbian Jennifer Jareau who always felt different. Lesbian Jennifer Jareau who would go to Roslyn’s grave to vent because she knew her dead sister was the only one who’s understand. Lesbian JJ who went to prom with a guy and even made out with him, but felt gross for the next week. Lesbian JJ who would stare at the floor in the showers and locker room’s while she was in the soccer team. Lesbian JJ who was seen as driven and focused on her studies instead of dating, but it was only because she was too scared of the truth. Lesbian JJ who went to a lesbian/gay bar for the first time somewhere in college, made out with a girl and realised that not all make out sessions are gross and it’s just the men. Lesbian JJ who suppressed that experience and focused back on her studies as she figured out she wanted to join the BAU. Lesbian JJ who fell for Elle but knew it wasn’t reciprocated. Lesbian JJ who fell for Emily and didn’t know what to do with those feelings. Lesbian JJ who brought Garcia to her date with Reid because she wanted to see the game but was afraid he’d kiss her. Lesbian JJ who only kissed Will because Emily said he was cute and told her to do it. Lesbian JJ who truly did love Will, but never the way she loved a woman. Lesbian JJ.
Thinking about how Penelope's eulogy at Will's funeral was there to emphasize Will's kindness and how good of a partner he was, not just because he loved JJ but because he loved her friends too.
Jump to episode 19x01 and we're reminded of that story by JJ and Penelope when they talk about "protecting precious things".
Jump again to 19x03, and here's Luke helping JJ bring her bags over to Penelope's and helping protect JJ's precious things (her kids) by providing them with happy memories.
I would normally say something like this was just a happy accident from the writers, but given that they go out of their way to remind us of Penelope's speech in the first episode of the season, it does feel more intentional. Luke is a parallel for Will. I don't mean that in the sense that they're setting him up with JJ, but rather they are going out of their way to highlight his kindness and the care he has for his friends which are the things that Penelope loved most about Will.
Content warnings: +18 MDI sex, blowjob, creampie, coworkers having sex for the first time, orgasm (f and m), drinking, nipple piercings, porn without much plot, just pure smut
Word count: 3.5k
Summary: Spencer Reid and Y/N had been working together for years now, but on a drinking night they may become more than just coworkers... (I suck at writing summaries)
a/n: this is the first fic i write in a while cause i was in the situationship trenches, now i feel like myself again tho. hope yall enjoy reading it just as much as I enjoyed writing it. Btw, its also on ao3, as always. love you guys. If you enjoy it pls like and repost
You didn't know exactly how you ended up in this situation. Drunk out of your mind with your coworker Spencer Reid - who you had a little (okay, maybe not little at all) crush on ever since you joined the BAU - on your couch talking about dating experiences. Or non-experiences, on his case. Maybe it was because now all the other coworkers had families (or cats, on Penelope’s case) to come home to after a case and you two weren’t so ready to let go of the drinking after closing a case ritual, even if not at a bar. Call it a superstition, if you will. All you knew was that you were enjoying having Spencer all to yourself, especially when he was dangerously close to you on your couch. That’s why you felt the courage to ask him a simple question that you had been dying to ask for years:
“Do you date women? Or in general?” You had never seen him with anyone, it was an innocent question.
He took a small sip of his beer before setting it down at the side table next to the couch, a smirk appearing on his face as he answered your question. “Yes, I date. Women, if we wanna be specific.”
Wow, sober Spencer would have blushed until his cheeks burned and then his whole body was on fire. You liked drunk Spencer.
“I do too. Men, I date men.” He hadn’t asked, but you felt by the look on his eyes that he was curious too, because as much as Spencer was secretive about his love life, so were you. JJ had tried to hide her relationship with Will for nearly a year, but the team knew. But you and Spencer? You were the most discrete ones on the team.
That made his smirk only grow more.
“Yeah? Is that right?” He raised his eyebrows. He took a moment to look you up and down again, his gaze lingering on you slightly longer this time.
“Yeah, I mean there was this one time in college.” You joke as you tilt your head to the side, resting it on the couch as you fully face him now, taking a sip from your beer.
He noticed you tilt your head and couldn't help but find it cute. “One time?” He smirked as he looked at you, his gaze stuck on your pretty face and slightly swaying body. He was feeling the alcohol in his system, but he still felt sober enough to know what’s what and make rational decisions. Well, mostly rational, at least. “Tell me about it.” He had an idea where this was going, but still wanted to hear you say it.
“Oh, nothing much, just a crazy party that ended up with me and a sorority girl hooking up in front of everyone. I was hammered as shit, though, so I barely remember it, just what people said for the next weeks.” You laugh as you relive those times in your mind.
His smirk quickly became a surprised, but amused smile. He widened his eyes as he looked at you, his head slightly turning to the side to match yours, his hand moving to rest on your knee. “You did what?”
“I mean, not like sex, just a kiss and funny hands.” You say, still kind of laughing a little bit at the memories.
“Oh, so just an innocent, little kiss, huh?” He chuckled and raised his eyebrows, letting his hand rest on your knee as his thumb absent-mindedly started moving in a circular motion.
“Oh, the kiss wasn't innocent at all.” You say as you settle your beer on the table before taking up the courage to do something you had been dying to do for ages. “It was something like this." You finally grab his face and don’t wait another second to start a passionate kiss. The unexpected move caught him off guard at first, but soon enough he fell into the kiss. His hand moved up to rest on your hip, holding you there as he deepened the kiss. He closed his eyes, letting himself enjoy the feeling he had also craved for so long.
You get on top of him, resting each one of your thighs on each side of his closed legs. He let out a soft groan into the kiss as he felt you on top of him, his hands reaching to hold your waist. His grip was tight, trying to hold you there as his kiss got more intense.
Something in your mind tells you to stop it, so you do. “Is this ok with you?” You ask, really hoping the answer is yes. His chest is rising and falling a bit faster than before as he looks at you, his hands still planted firmly on your waist, as if he’s afraid you’ll change your mind and leave. His head felt a bit too fuzzy and light because of the alcohol, but he was still somewhat clear-headed.
“Yeah, this is more than okay with me.” He managed to say, his grip on your waist went down a little until he reached and squeezed your ass, trying to show you how okay he was with this.
You breath in relieve, glad you didn’t fuck up your friendship with him. “Okay, good, just checking” You say with a smirk before pulling him in for another kiss and this time it was more firm, more sure. His hands got back to your waist as you pulled him in, another groan leaving his mouth and getting lost in the kiss. He tugged at your waist, wanting as much contact as he could get between your bodies as your tongues clashed together.
You start grind on his lap as you take one hand to the back of his head, gripping onto his hair as if your life depended on it, and at that moment, you felt like it did, like you couldn’t live without having him.
He moaned into the kiss as he felt you grind down on him, his hands that were on your waist were now helping you move. And you could feel the temperature in the room raise as the heat built between you.
You gently take one of his hands to your boob, where you need it. He let his hand be guided by yours, feeling one breast under his hand and the piercing that was on it. He let out a low moan at the feeling, his fingers giving your nipple a small pinch as his chest rose and fell rapidly, starting to get overheated.
“Damn… A piercing, huh? ”He murmured into the kiss as he pulled away for a moment to get a quick breath of air.
“Take my shirt off so you can see it.” You say with a smirk.
His eyes widened and locked with yours for a moment, not expecting you to tell him what to do. But still his fingers gripped the edge of your shirt for a second before he started to pull it up. “Yeah? You sure you want that off?” His voice was low, and his hazel eyes never left yours as he pulled up your shirt.
“Don't tease me.” You answer with a husky voice.
He chuckled as he finally pulled your shirt entirely off over your head and tossed it somewhere on the floor, his hands immediately going to your bare abdomen, appreciating the view of your nippled piercings way more than he ever thought he want. Piercings weren’t his thing, or so he thought. He ran his hands up your stomach until they reached your chest. His fingers brushed over your piercings again, and the smirk was back on his face.
"You look perfect." He murmured huskily as he ran his hands down your torso, his fingers grazing your heated skin. He leaned back in for another kiss, a hand coming up to tangle in the base of your neck, tilting your head down as he deepened the kiss until you pull away and straighten your back so that your chest is on his face, slightly brushing your boobs on his lips.
His mouth opened almost automatically when your chest was right in front of his face, his lips meeting your left nipple immediately. He suckled on it, his mouth putting pressure as he did. He moaned out at the feeling.
“Oh, shit.” You moan when you feel the heat of his mouth along with the vibration of his moan on your sensitive spot.
“Do you wanna fuck me on this couch?” You say before you get the chance to think of a more subtle way to ask this. Your hand is now traveling down his body and working on his belt. You can’t wait, you need his dick somewhere in you.
He lets out a scoff at your direct question, his hands gripping your waist again almost immediately. “Yes, I do wanna fuck you on your couch, Y/N.” He was trying hard to keep his eyes open as your hands unbuckle his belt.
“Good, I need to feel you.” You say as you throw his belt on the floor somewhere to be found later. He lifts his hips to help you pull down his pants and boxers, leaving them on his knees, releasing his cock from the fabric. You didn’t expect this. You knew he was big, I mean he had big feet and you can always tell by the feet, but, shit, you had no idea how big he was. He probably had a good 9 inches there.
Now you have your hands trying to unbutton his shirt as fast as you can and his eyelids fluttered shut for a moment as he tried to hold himself back to not get over-excited and ruin this as he helps you to take off his shirt, tossing it away next to you. “You have no idea how badly I need to feel you.” He moaned out, letting go of your waist and moving his hands to the zipper of your pants.
“Get up.” He asks. When you do it, he pulls down your pants and helps you take it off your feet, leaving you only on a black lacy thong.
“Thanks.” You say, as he's left butt naked on the couch and the only thing keeping your flesh away from his legs and his dick is your thong, which he soon pulls to the side so he can see your pussy. His gaze went again to your bare body as you straddled his lap, this time completely naked and exposed. He took his time admiring you before finally speaking. “God, you look incredible.”
His hand moved up to take your chin in his hands, his thumb running over your bottom lip. You take his thumb into your mouth and suck on it, slightly moaning, looking into his eyes. That made his grip on your chin tighten as his eyes kept locked on yours.
“That’s the hottest thing I’ve seen a woman do, you know that?” He murmured, his voice a lot huskier this time. He was unable to keep his thoughts inside his head.
You let go of his thumb with a pop and say “Just wait until it's your dick in my mouth.”
His gaze darkened and he bit his lip as he imagined that, another moan escaping his mouth at the thought. “Yeah? That can be arranged.” He smirked at you.
“Way ahead of you.” You say in a whisper before you kneel in front of his now open legs and take his dick in one hand and start teasingly licking the pink tip.
His hand went to the back of your head, grabbing your hair so it was out of the way his eyes shut, his head thrown back. He had to grip the couch with one hand to try and keep himself from completely losing himself in this moment. Your tongue against his tip felt heavenly.
“Oh, fuck, Y/N.” He murmured, breathing through his mouth.
You put the tip in your mouth and keep looking over at him. His grip on your hair only grew firmer, his head still leaned back on the couch as he tried to keep his eyes open and locked on yours as he watched you take his tip in your mouth. He let out a long and low moan at the feeling. And at that cue you finally slip the whole length into your mouth, you weren’t even sure it was going to fit, but with a little help from a hand to jerk him off as you went, it did.
His mouth was slightly agape from the feeling, his eyes shutting again and his grip on your hair so tight it almost hurt.
After a few minutes, you take the dick off your mouth as you lick all the way up and say “Now I have to feel you inside of me, I can’t wait anymore.” His hand moved from your hair to your hand, trying to guide you onto his lap.
“Get up here.” He practically demanded, his breath coming out harsh and quick.
“Is that how you’re going to talk to me? Do you know I’m the one in charge here?” you tease, liking the taste of power, and the taste of his cock mixed with precum, of course.
He leaned down to try and capture your lips again, but you escaped his touch on purpose, just to tease him, so he was missing his mark a couple of times and accidentally leaving open-mouthed kisses on your neck and jaw. He continued trying to get you on his lap again, groans escaping his mouth between each missed kiss. Then he finally gives in and asks politely. “Please…” He murmured in between kissing your neck.
“Please what?” You smirk, enjoying the game of power.
He groaned against your neck again. “Please get on my lap.” He repeated again, his head finally coming to look at you, his eyes darkening at the sight of your smug smirk. He watched as you got in his lap. He moaned against your neck again as he felt you right where he wanted you, his hips immediately bucking up to get some friction.
“You're making me lose my mind, Y/N.” His hands held on to your waist as he continued to move his hips up to grind against your wet pussy.
And now you’re the one moaning as his dick brushes against your clit. His hips continued bucking up, trying desperately to create more friction, his head falling to rest on your shoulder as he whispered “So perfect.” His hands moved around your back, trying to pull you.
“Just dry humping, huh? Afraid I can't take all of you?” You pant, trying to keep teasing him, but barely okay enough to breathe.
His hands immediately moved back to your hip when you said that and he moaned out as you moved against him, his hips still bucking up with each movement. “Don’t tempt me.” He murmured as he tried to regain control of his hips.
“I don't need to.” You say as you grab his dick, keeping it straight and up aligned with your pussy as you slowly start getting down on it.
His head shot up from your shoulder and his mouth opened in a silent moan as he felt you take him into you, his grip on your waist tightening as he shoot his head back down to watch you taking him in your pussy as a louder moan left his mouth once again. “Oh, fuuuck…”
“I intend to.” You moan when it's all in.
His head fell back again, his head hitting the back of the couch, his fingers biting into flesh as he held your by the waist. His eyes shut again as he bit his bottom lip, his hips still slightly moving against yours. “God damn, so tight…” He moaned out. He was not even sure if he was making sense at this point.
You start riding him in a nice rhythm, his hands were helping you more. His head was still leaned back as he continued to just let you move over him. “You feel so good.” He moaned out, still trying hard to hold himself back, but it had been so long he had been with a woman that he wasn’t sure how long he was capable of lasting, especially given how tight your pussy felt around him.
And the sight of your pierced boobs bouncing up and down right on his face wasn’t helping him keep it together. He had to hold himself back, still trying desperately to get some control so that he doesn't start doing anything stupid. Even in his half-drunk state, he knew that he was probably gripping your waist too tightly and was probably leaving a mark. Not that he was really thinking about that right now.
“God damn it, Y/N.” He whimpered again.
“Slap my ass.” You pant, riding him slower now, trying to keep yourself from coming.
His hand left your waist, moving to one of your ass cheeks. He wasted no time slapping it, still holding onto the other while keeping you in place on top of him. “You're enjoying this, aren't you?” He asked as he slapped your ass again, this time stronger. It’ll probably leave red marks and maybe even a bruise by tomorrow, but he could care less at the moment.
He was letting you keep moving and control whatever you wanted to do. His grip on your one cheek got a little tighter again as he felt you move around him now in a circular motion. But he still keeping you pressed down against him.
“You know I do, that's why you'll be coming whenever I tell you to, now suck my tits.” You say and moan as his dick hits a good spot.
His head rose again, his eyes still closed as he nodded, still unable to form a coherent sentence and at this point just responding to whatever you said. “Yesss.” He was trying to move his hips in pace with you. He tried to lean down, taking your right nipple into his mouth.
“Where do you want to cum?” You ask.
He moaned around your nipple, his brain trying to think of an answer for your question. But at the moment, it was quite difficult to form any words. He finally managed to say “Inside…” His mouth was still on it as he tried to keep the pace. He could feel himself getting close, and that seemed to be the answer he could come up with, and it was quite the honest one.
His hand let go of your hip, moving down to your clit, his fingers finding that little bud as he started to rub it with his thumb. “You're going to make me come soon.” He said between kisses and nibs on your boobs.
“Spence.” You practically scream as he starts moving his finger against your clit.
His fingers moved against your clit faster, his name moaned out like that making him buck up in an unconscious response. “Cum right after me.” He murmured, trying to keep it together.
“Uhum.” You manage to say, as you ride him ever faster now, seeking your edge.
His fingers continued to rub at your clit, trying to keep up with you as he felt himself getting closer with each second that passed. “You close, baby?” He moaned out, his mind shutting off as he felt himself about to hit the edge.
“Uhum.” You moan. “Fuck, fuck, fuck” You moan loud, not even afraid your neighbors are probably listening.
His head fell back again as he groaned, feeling you clenching around him, his fingers now only focusing on just trying to rub your clit a little faster. He moaned louder when you moaned.
“Fill me up, baby.” You manage to say as you let out a big moan followed by his name.
His whole body tensed and he threw his head back again as you moaned out, feeling himself come to his edge. His finger tried to get a little more fast to help you get there, his hips bucking up a little to ride out his orgasm.
“Come for me.” He managed to say, still desperately trying to give your clit the pressure you needed. Your clenching around him sent him over the edge. He moaned out loudly as he started to come, his hips riding it out as he moaned out your name again and again. His fingers tried to keep that quickening pace while he tried to stay in control. “Oh god, you feel so good when you come.” He moaned out, still trying to catch his breath. His hands slid to your back until he was holding you by the waist, his grip a little less painful now.
You try to catch your breath as you say “You were perfect.”
He let out a soft, exhausted little laugh, trying to catch his own breath. “Me? You were perfect.” He murmured, still trying to get his breathing back under control as he still kept you up against him, not really wanting to move just yet.
“Yeah, I was, wasn’t I?” You say as you lean into his chest and let out a deeps breath. “I’ve been wanting to do this for so long.”
“So have I, Y/N, so have I…” He says as he holds you in his arms.
warnings/tags: non, fluff, total fluff, fem reader, prince charming spencer reid
word count: 1226
a/n: this is so not me I can run in heels so have fun with this one.
You were used to wearing boots, booted heels, platforms, and trainers. Never in your life had you thought you'd wear stiletto heels. It was fine, you could walk perfectly fine if you were on a flat surface, the pain wasn't even that bad.
Stairs?
No. Stairs were your biggest enemy in them. Up or down, you were like a new born deer.
"Are you sure you don't want to just wear another pair of shoes?" Spencer asked as he watched you wobble down the stairs of your apartment building.
You gave him a stink eye.
"Fine, but don't ask for my shoes later on." He gave you a look, and you smiled, taking his arm.
"Wouldn't dream of it, Doc." You giggled as you walked to the car.
Both of you were dressed formally, Spencer in his nicest black tux and you in a black satin dress that fell to your midcalf. The FBI had a dinner every couple of years just to celebrate. Spencer and you both knew it was just an excuse for an open bar.
The drive there was easy enough. It was not far, the two steps into the hotel, you held Spencer's arm for dear life.
"Just up the stairs."
Your heart dropped at the sentence that came out of the receptionist's mouth. You looked towards the grand staircase that was heading up, in that moment, you were sure you'd end up falling down them. Spencer was clearly enjoying your sense of dread, its as if he was waiting to say 'I told you so.'
"Come on." Spencer tugged you along, and you tried not to trip over your feet.
You started delicately taking steps up the stairs, again holding Spencer's arm. He looked amused at your struggles, but when they got to the 10th step, he sighed. It had taken you 3 minuets to climb them.
You let out a shout as he scooped you into his arms, carrying you up the stairs bridal style. Your arms automatically wrapped around his neck as you went red.
"I couldn't watch you struggle any longer, it was hurting me deeply." He spoke. You tried to hide your smile in his suit. "You definitely are liking this."
You smacked his chest with one of your hands. "Shut up."
You did enjoy every moment of it. He gave you another cheeky smile as you hit the top of the stairs. Delicately, setting you down. You brushed off your dress and gave him a bright smile.
"Thank you." You whispered, already feeling eyes on you both. You fiddled with his tie for a moment.
"Anything for you." He kissed the side of your head before allowing you to take his arm again.
The night went usually. Greeting people you knew, moments where you were on the small room for dancing. Spencer had wandered off somewhere with Derek while you stood with JJ and Will. "How are the shoes?" JJ asked, staring down at her feet. She was the one who'd gifted you them.
"They're nice, but I think most of the time I'm trying not to fall to my death." You let out a chuckle.
JJ gave you a sympathetic look. "You get used to it, I promise."
A tap on your shoulder made you turn around. Spencer stood with his arms behind his back and a cheeky smile on his face. You narrowed your eyes, wondering what he was up to.
He held out his hand dramatically, bowing slightly. "May I have this dance, my lady?"
Your cheeks heated, and you grinned. "Why, of course." You mock curtsied at him as he pulled you onto the makeshift dance floor, where a few people were swaying together.
JJ and Will were joined by the rest of the team, and they all watched them dance together with soft expressions. You giggling at his dramatic flairs to the dance. Him making sure you were only focused on him, it wasn't hard, he was the only one for you. His hair was pushed back slightly, his face had its usual light stubble, he looked like rugged prince charming.
"Another side to him comes out with her." Derek spoke, a chuckle coming out as he sipped his drink.
Your squeal was audible when he twirled you out quickly, pulling you back in and dipping you low. "You're going to make me fall." You shook your head amused.
"I'd never let you fall." He smiled back, kissing the side of your mouth. "If I did, I'd always be there to catch you."
"You're so cheesy." You giggled in his arms.
"I'm lactose intolerance." He quipped back, you snorted and pressed your head to his shoulder.
Will smiled at the pair and their antics. "I'll be surprised if they're not married by the end of the year." He spoke out loud.
"It's November." JJ reminded.
Will shrugged. "Like they'd ever have a traditional wedding, they'd probably get married by an Elvis impersonator, with ring pops." JJ laughed leaning back into Will.
"You look wonderful." Spencer whispered as you swayed together.
"And you look magical." You whispered back, he hummed leaning his head on yours.
The night dwindled down, You and Spencer didn't let go of each others hands for the rest of the evening. You said your goodbyes to everyone, making sure to remind the rest of the team about your Christmas party.
As soon as you started making your way out. Spencer scooped you into his arms again, everyone's eyes turned to the pair of you as he rushed out with you in his arms.
Will nudged JJ to look at what Spencer was doing. JJ raised her eyebrows. "Okay, maybe you'll be right." She muttered.
"You like doing this more than me." You laughed as he made his way down the stairs. One arm under your knees, the other under your arms.
"I admit nothing." He replied, kissing your cheek. You hid your face in his neck as he continued.
As soon as they hit the last step. You were sure he'd let you down, instead he kept walking towards the door. "What are you doing?"
"Taking you home, my lady." He replied, giving you another cheeky smile. His eyes were bright staring at you with love in his eyes.
The doorman opened the door with a smile on his face. You wiggled to be let down and he let you down softly laughing at your scowl. You shivered at the cold. He took of his blazer, quickly wrapping you up.
"You don't have to do that." You replied, about to start taking the blazer off. Instead, he just scooped you up again, not caring about the looks he was getting. "Spencer!" You laughed smacking his chest.
"Just enjoy it, I am." He grinned down at you. You rolled your eyes leaning into his shoulder.
Will was right. Three weeks later. Spencer and you announced you two were married at your Christmas party.
Pictures of you with a Elvis impersonator, two red ring pop rings on your left hands. There was pictures of you kissing while dipped. Him holding you bridal style with a bright red lipstick stain on his cheek, and a bright smile on both of your faces. One where you were holding Spencer bridal style, your face red and Spencer trying to hide his face with one hand. Then another where you both had your foreheads together just cheesing at each other.
Summary: JJ's daughter has always been strong, smart, and a little stubborn, but nothing prepares the family and team for the quiet unraveling that comes with a diagnosis that changes everything.
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*JJ’s POV*
Five months… Five months of meds and nausea. Of chemo appointments, midnight fevers, and hand sanitizer on every surface. Five months of her wigs and scalp rubs, of counting every calorie Y/N could keep down. Five months of being brave.
And today… today was the night before her big check-up. The one where they would see how the treatment was going. The one where, for the first time since this nightmare began, the doctors might have answers. Might say if it was working. Or might not be…
I just finished cleaning up the dinner plates, Will was upstairs helping Michael into pajamas while Henry played with Legos on the rug, when I saw Y/N hovering by the archway that separated the kitchen from the living room. She had that look again, the quiet one. The one she used to wear when she was little and trying not to cry before school. Now it was the one she wore when the nausea was coming on or the anxiety was starting to bubble.
I dried my hands quickly and nodded her over. “What’s on your mind, sweetheart?”
She sat on one of the stools at the kitchen island, legs swinging in fuzzy socks, her favorite hoodie, which Morgan gave her, swallowing her small frame.
“I don’t want to go tomorrow…” She mumbled, voice barely above a whisper.
I didn’t say anything right away. Just moved closer and rested a hand on her back, tracing light circles.
“Because you’re nervous?” I asked softly.
She nodded. “I still feel sick. I’m still tired. I know they said it takes time but… what if it’s not working? What if I’m doing all this and it doesn’t matter?”
God, my heart… It broke and broke and somehow kept breaking in new ways every day.
“We’re going to find out.” I said, brushing some of the shorter strands of her wig out of her eyes. “And no matter what they say tomorrow, it does matter. You’re fighting. That always matters.”
Y/N blinked quickly, trying to hold it in. “Can we see if Uncle Spencer can come tomorrow? Please? He probably knows stuff better than the doctors.. And if he’s there, I’ll feel better…”
I smiled gently, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I’ll ask, okay?”
She nodded and pushed off the stool, rubbing her eyes like she was still pretending not to be scared. “I’m gonna go lie down. My stomach’s weird.”
“Do you want me to come up?”
“No,” She said softly. “Just tell me if he says yes?”
“I will, baby.”
She climbed the stairs slowly, hoodie sleeves tucked into her palms. I watched until she disappeared, then pulled my phone from my back pocket. I tapped out the text quickly.
“Hey, Spence. Y/N has her check-up tomorrow and she’s really nervous. She asekd if you could come with us. She says it would make her feel better… totally understand if you can’t. Just let me know.”
I hit send, waited, then blinked in horror when I realized… I sent it to the BAU group chat.
I groaned. “Oh no…” Looking for the unsend button, but it was too late. The dots started popping up almost instantly.
Derek: “Wait. Our girl’s got her big check-up tomorrow?”
Penelope: “💔😭 I will drop everything! Tell me what time. I’ll bring glitter and snacks and distractions.
David: “Count me in. What time do you want us there?”
Emily: We’re all coming. You don’t even have to ask.
Aaron: “If you’re bringing the boys, I’ll bring Jack. He’d love to see them again.
Derek: “JJ, c’mon now. If our girl is nervous, of course we’re gonna be there. That’s what family does.”
Spence: Of course I’ll come.
I stared at the screen, overwhelmed for a second. Tears filled my eyes, happy ones, grateful ones, relieved ones. Will walked in behind me, saw my face, and immediately dropped the towel he was holding.
“What’s wrong?”
I just held out the phone.
He read through the messages, lips quirking into a soft smile. “They’re coming, huh?”
“All of them.” I said, voice thick. “They all just… jumped in. No hesitation, I didn’t even mean to ask.”
Will wrapped his arms around me from behind, kissing the side of my head. “That’s because they love her like their own.”
I typed back. “You guys don’t have to. It’s your day off, you probably have plans…”
The responses came immediately.
Penelope: “Plans SCHMANS! Your kid trumps everything.
Derek: “JJ. Seriously? You really think we’re gonna be sipping lattes while our baby girl’s scared in a hospital gown? We ride together.”
Aaron: “We’re a team, and family. We’ll be there.”
I smiled through the tears and finally typed. “Okay. We’re heading to St. Anthony’s. Appointment’s at 10:30. We’ll be there around 10. Honestly… thank you, everyone. From the bottom of my heart.”
Emily: “See you there. We’ve got her, JJ.
Spence: “I’ll bring a notebook and talk her through the stats and terminology if she wants. Whatever helps. She’s gonna be okay. I promise.”
I locked my phone and looked toward the stairs. My daughter was up there right now, curled in bed with nerves twisting in her belly, thinking she was going to face the hardest day of this journey so far. But she wasn’t going to be alone. Not tomorrow. Because our village was showing up.
*Y/N’s POV*
My stomach twisted before I even opened my eyes. The early morning light seeped through the curtains, but I didn’t want to move. Today wasn’t a normal day. Today was check-up day, the day we find out if the chemotherapy was actually working or not. I could feel the anxiety building in my chest like static, thick, humming, and sharp.
I rolled over slowly, trying not to jostle my already sensitive stomach. The nausea had gotten worse these past couple of weeks, not better. My bones felt like they were filled with water, heavy and unsteady. And no matter how much I slept, it never felt like enough. My hair was already gone. My face didn’t totally look like mine anymore. I still felt sick… so what if that meant the treatment wasn’t doing anything?
A knock came at my door. “Sweetheart?” It was Mom.
“We’re leaving in about thirty. Want me to bring you something light to eat?”
I swallowed hard and sat up. “No, thanks.” My voice came out weak.
There was a pause. “You sure?”
“Yeah. My stomach’s… not great.”
There was another beat before she said. “Okay, just let me know if you change your mind.”
I waited until I heard her footsteps retreat down the hallway before I threw the covers off and ran to the bathroom. I barely made it in time before I was hunched over the toilet, retching even though there was nothing in me to bring up. Cold sweat beaded across my forehead. My arms trembled as I leaned against the bowl, breathing in shallow gasps. I hated this. I hated how weak I felt. I hated that my little brothers were downstairs, probably watching cartoons, and I was in here like I was made of glass.
After I rinsed my mouth and splashed water on my face, I grabbed the light blue head wrap I left on the counter and tied it over my scalp. I didn’t even feel like picking a wig today. What was the point? By the time I made it downstairs, Mom and Dad were in the kitchen. Henry and Michael sat at the table, already dressed, munching on dry cereal out of plastic baggies. Michael waved at me with his sticky fingers.
“Hi, sissy!”
“Hey, bud.” I said with a small smile, sitting at the table just to be near them.
“You okay?” Mom asked, coming over and crouching next to me.
I nodded, even though it wasn’t really true. “Just tired… and nervous.”
Her hand brushed my back. “I know, but you’re not alone today.”
I nodded, leaning into her touch, grateful for the warmth.
Dad got the boys in their shoes and coats while Mom helped me get into mine. Every step took more effort than it should have. The world felt slightly tilted under my feet. She must’ve noticed, because she offered her hand and didn’t let go all the way to the car. The ride was quiet. My heart was pounding in my ears the whole way. Every time we passed a mile marker, my stomach twisted tighter. We pulled into the parking lot of St. Anthony’s, and my breath caught in my chest. He was already here.
Uncle Spencer stood near the front entrance, brown satchel slung over his shoulder, cardigan sleeves pushed to his elbows. When he saw us, he smiled and lifted a hand in a little wave. I unblocked and practically bolted from the car.
“Uncle Spencer!” I called out.
His arms opened as I crashed into him. It wasn’t even graceful, just this desperate lunge into someone who always made me feel safe. I buried my face into his sweater, breathing in the comforting scent of books, mint, and familiarity.
“Hey, hey…” He murmured, arms tight around me. “You okay?”
“Not really.” I mumbled. “Can you tell me the odd? Like, the real one? Of the treatment working?”
He leaned back a little to look at me, his eyes soft and serious. “Okay.” He said.
“Every case is different, but your type of lymphoma has a high success rate with your current treatment plan. Statistically, over 80% of people your age respond well to chemo after five months. That doesn’t mean you’ll feel good right away, or that you won’t have bad days, but it means your odds are good. Really good.”
My shoulders loosened a little. “You promise?”
“I promise I’m telling you the truth, and I wouldn’t lie to you.”
I nodded slowly and gave him another squeeze. “Thanks for coming.”
“Always.”
We walked into the building together. I thought we’d be heading straight to the front desk, maybe take a seat in the quiet waiting area, just the six of us, but when we rounded the corner… I froze.
Six people were waiting there, scattered across the chairs and leaning against the walls of the waiting room. Uncle Derek, Aunt Emily, Aunt Penny, Uncle Dave, Uncle Aaron, and Jack… Everyone.
My eyes widened. “Wait… what- what are you guys doing here?”
Aunt Penelope jumped up with a bag of glitter pens and mini snacks in hand. “Support squad reporting for duty!”
Uncle Derek smirked and crossed his arms. “Your Mom accidentally texted the team group chat instead of just Reid.”
“She what?” I turned to look at Mom, who was blushing slightly but smiling.
“And once we heard our girl was nervous, there was no way we were gonna let you face this without backup.” Derek added.
Tears sprang to my eyes before I could stop them. My throat burned as I tried to blink them away, but a few spilled out anyway.
“Hey, hey.” Dad whispered, pulling me gently into his side. “It’s okay.”
“I didn’t expect this…” My voice cracked.
Aunt Emily stood and came over too, smoothing my headwrap lightly. “Sweetheart, we’d fly across the world if you needed us.”
Aunt Pen nodded, eyes glassy. “This is our fight too. We’re in it with you.”
Jack came up and offered me a small pack of gummy bears. “I saved you the red ones.” He said shyly.
That’s what did it. I laughed and cried at the same time, hugging him and taking the candy with shaking fingers. I didn’t feel strong. I didn’t feel brave. But in that moment, surrounded by the people who watched me grow up, the people who fought monsters and nightmares and came out the other side, I didn’t feel alone either. Mom came over and squeezed my hand, and I squeezed back. It was time to see the doctor. But this time I didn’t feel as scared as I did this morning.
The room smelled like antiseptic and something too clean to feel comforting. I sat on the edge of the exam table, my hands gripping the paper covering like it was a lifeline. Cold metal pressed against my back every time I shifted, the crinkling sound beneath me too loud in the silence.
Mom stood beside me while the nurse prepped the machine, glancing between the IV setup and the blood pressure monitor. Dad was leaning against the wall, while the boys were outside with the team, who were keeping them entertained with fruit snacks and silly games. I was trying so hard not to throw up again.
Uncle Spencer sat in the corner with his notebook open, quietly explaining the different tests as they were done- bloodwork, CT scan, and vitals. Every explanation helped ground me just a little, even though nothing could fully quiet the storm inside me.
“We’ll just need to do one more blood draw, and then the scans will come back in a few hours.” The nurse said with a gentle smile. “You’re doing really well, Y/N.”
I nodded, not trusting my voice. My arm ached from the needle, and my chest felt tight in a way that had nothing to do with the blood pressure cuff.
Eventually, we were done. I climbed off the table, my legs shaky, and let Mom help me back into my hoodie. I felt drained already, and we hadn’t even gotten the results.
Back in the waiting room, the energy was… different. The light buzz of conversation filled the air, soft laughter, murmured jokes, the occasional chime of Penelope’s phone notifications, but it was all undercut with a quiet sort of tension. Everyone was trying to keep the mood up, but I knew they were all waiting just like I was.
The boys were in their own world, sprawled out on the floor with action figures and coloring books. Henry and Michael were explaining the plot of some imaginary superhero mission to Jack, who listened like it was the most important thing in the universe. I smiled a little watching them. Then I sat down between Mom and Uncle Spencer. I could feel Aunt Emily’s eyes on me, the way Uncle Derek kept glancing over between his conversation with Dad. Aunt Penny was crocheting something pink with intense focus, and even Uncle Aaron and Uncle Dave, the ones always the most composed, were watching me with that look I’d seen them wear at crime scenes, the one that meant they were trying to fix something they couldn’t control. I kept fidgeting. My fingers twisted in the hem of my hoodie, tugging and retugging. My leg bounced uncontrollably. I was trying not to, but the nerves were spilling out of me anyway.
I turned to Uncle Spencer, my voice barely above a whisper. “What would happen if it’s not working?”
He blinked, then shut his notebook slowly and looked at me with that same calm he always had, like even the worst facts were just puzzles waiting to be solved.
“Well,” He said gently. “If the treatment isn’t working as well as we hoped, the doctors will try something else. There are second-line treatments, combinations of chemo, targeted therapy, and even immunotherapy. You’re young, and that gives you a really good foundation. They won’t give up on you.”
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. “But… what if nothing works?”
His eyes softened, and he didn’t try to give me fake hope or a cheesy line. He just nodded slowly.
“Then we fight harder. We keep learning. We keep adapting. Medicine has come a long way, Y/N, and so have you. You’re not alone in this; none of us are giving up, not now, not ever. Not until you’re better.”
Mom slipped her hand into mine, and I felt her thumb start tracing slow circles against my knuckles.
“I’m scared.” I whispered.
“I know.” She said, kissing my temple. “Me too, but we’re here. We’ve got you.”
I leaned into her side and rested my head on her shoulder. Uncle Spencer rubbed my back gently, and for a few minutes, I let myself just breathe. The results were coming soon. I didn’t know what they’d say, but I wasn’t alone… And that meant more than any statistic ever could right now.
