Searching For Answers (We Can Make This Work sequel)

Chapter 7

** Reid's P.O.V ** 

We watched as Marie hurled herself at the still water of the lake. Hotch and JJ ran to pull her out of the water but we were too late. I walked towards Bradly, untied him and helped him up from the ground. 

"Thank you" he gasped as he tried to overcome the trauma of everything that had just happened 

"There are medics on the way, you need to get to a hospital to clear any toxins from your system, her antidote might not last too long" I replied softly as I brought him towards our car to sit 

The medics arrived followed shortly by the coroner to remove Marie. Detective Sanders thanked us and we left the scene to grab our things and head back to Virginia. 

"Hey guys, uh JJ and I are going to drive back to Quantico" I mentioned quietly in the car as we headed from our hotel to the jet 

I saw JJ's face in the rear-view mirror mouthing the words 'what are you talking about?' 

"Reid that's a 9 hour drive" Prentiss said 

"I know, don't worry we've got to make a stop in Atlanta, I got a call from a Detective there, he wants us to clear up and old cold case so we'll stay there over night to break up the journey" I lied as best I could  

"Okay, but get back as quick as you can, we've got a lot more cases waiting for us!" Morgan said 

I drove the team to their jet and left with JJ as soon as they took off 

***  

The drive to Atlanta was slow and extremely quiet. I could tell JJ was curious as to what I was doing but also super pissed off at me, the latter overcoming her curiosity which meant she didn't speak a word to me the entire journey. 

After 4 hours of driving in pure silence I finally decided to pull up at a motel, it was getting dark and I needed to clear things with JJ before we drove any further in silence. 

I checked us both in to separate rooms in the motel and grabbed our bags from the car. JJ followed behind, still not saying anything 

We walked up to our rooms in silence and left her alone for a few minutes before I came knocking on her door. She opened it reluctantly and let me in. 

"Spencer Reid if you do not tell me what the hell is going on in the next 5 minutes I'm getting up and I'm getting on the next flight out of here, with or without you!" she said in a low dangerous tone 

"JJ what's going on?" I finally huffed out what was on my mind 

"What do you mean what's going on?" she questioned incredulously  

"What's going on with you? You've been avoiding me for the last two weeks and you're constantly pissed off with me!" I said raising my voice 

"You drove me all the way out here, pointlessly I might add, just to ask me some dumb question that you could've asked me at home, Jesus Spencer sometimes I question do you really have an IQ of 187" she said exasperatedly in a high pitched tone 

"Because JJ, I can see you're stressed and it's not work, you need to take a night off" I said in concern 

"A night off?" she yelled "How can I fucking take a night off when I'm being dragged half way across the country with you throwing ridiculous questions at me?"  

"If it's so ridiculous why can't you just answer me then!" I said raising my voice in return 

JJ went quiet as she turned her back to me 

"Answer the question Jennifer" I said in a low tone 

She turned to face me and I could see her lip quivering  

"You want to know the stupid fucking answer?" she screamed 

"My bastard of a husband is an alcoholic who beats me, my son doesn't even call anymore and my best friend, well she left me 20 years ago and I have no one Spencer! I've never been so alone!" she yelled as tears cascaded down her cheeks and crumbled to her knees 

"JJ" I whispered as I knelt to the floor to comfort her "JJ, I, I" I stuttered as I wrapped my arms around her but she brushed me off and picked herself back up 

"You're sorry, you didn't know, you want to help! God Reid can't you see! There's nothing you can do, this is something I suck up and get on with, just like everything else in life!" she said harshly 

"JJ, I want to make things better" I whispered 

"Well you can't" she mumbled 

"Will hits you?" I asked after a moment of silence as JJ walked away and stood at the balcony window with her back to me 

"Only when he's drunk" she whispered trying to defend him 

"Jennifer why are you still with him? He's tearing you apart!" I questioned  

"Because I'm not strong enough to be without him" she whispered as she turned to face me 

"Please leave Spencer" she sighed wiping the tears from her eyes 

"But JJ" I started 

"Leave" she growled 

I turned my back to her and hung my head as I opened the door and left her room. Just as I shut it her phone began to ring. I stood outside listening to who it might be 

"Hey" JJ said in a shaky voice "You need to come back, I need you" she whispered but I caught exactly what she said 

Who was she talking to? Is she lying to me? Is she seeing someone?