retribution.

Chapter Two

Monday, one week since funeral

JJ's POV
The BAU headquarters was quieter then normal, but at the same time just as loud. Strauss had told Hotch that he needed to find a replacement for Spence immediately, so there were agents lined up in the hallway waiting to be interviewed. There were mostly young men, which reminded me of Spence way too much.

My head was resting in the palms of my hands, leaning against my desk in the busy bullpen. It was early, so really the only people who were here were Hotch, Rossi, and the new agents, and yet it was still as loud as normal. I was surprised Collins wasn't in yet. She was what you could call a workaholic. That was why her and Hotch got along so well. She was always willing to do extra work, and was always in the office at exactly 7 am each day. Suddenly I heard a ding on my phone. I picked it up, and a text popped up on my screen.

Erin Strauss: Tell Emily to see me as soon as she gets to the office. She isn't responding to my text.

No wonder she's not picking up her phone, its Strauss.

Me: Okay, I'll let her know ASAP

I shut off my phona and glanced at my desk clock in time to watch the time tick from 7:11 to 7:12. Letting out a tired groan, I caved and left my desk to grab coffee from the kitchen. Rossi had brought in doughnuts today, so maybe that would cheer up the damp mood. My heels clicked repeatedly against the dark wood as I passed a few new agents chatting excitedly. I had no idea who let them into the bullpen, but I was too tired to tell them to leave. Besides, one of them will be working with me, so I had to give a good impression. And Hotch wouldn't be happy with me if I snapped at the new agents because of what happened with Reid.

I entered the kitchen to find Rossi leaning against the counter, seeming to be lost in thought. He was slowly spinning a coffee mixer around the edges of his cup, filled with steaming coffee. It looked to be to hot to drink, freshly poured only moments before I had entered the room. I tried not to startle him as I opened a cabinet and reached for my coffee mug which was kept beside the rest of the teams mugs which they kept at the BAU. If we all had our own mugs, it prevented unnecessary waste. At least that's what Spence had said when he requested we bring a mug of our choice to the office to keep here.

I sighed as I stood on my toes to reach the mug which Morgan probably 'accidentally' placed on the highest shelf. My fingertips managed to wrap around the handle of the mug, but I must have not held it tightly enough. The mug toppled over, out of my hand, and onto the floor where it broke into a million pieces. Rossi jumped from where he was leaning against the counter beside me, startled at the sudden noise. The other agents in the bullpen were looking toward the kitchen, trying to figure out if everyone was okay.

"Oh god... oh I'm sorry." I said, and for some reason tears began to form in the corners of my eyes. Normally I wouldn't cry about something as small as breaking a glass, but here I was, tearing up about that exact thing. Rossi looked at me sympathetically, placing his still intact mug on the counter before pulling me into a gentle hug. Tears began to stream more rapidly down my cheeks. I hugged him back, arms wrapping around his shoulders and burying my head in his blazer. His soft hands ran up and down my back comfortingly. Rossi was great like that. He gave hugs that nobody could beat.

Nobody except...

I pulled away, chuckling sadly and wiping my eyes. "Sorry about that." I said as I regained composure.

"It's okay, we're all in a kind of funk today." Rossi kindly responded as he grabbed a mug from the cabinet. I sat in the closest chair which was by the table.

"Collins is late. And she's never late. I've known her for twelve years and she hasn't been late to work once." I muttered while Rossi poured coffee in the new cup. He stepped around the broken glass carefully, placing the new coffee on the table beside me.