The bird's opening - Criminal Minds - JJ

Olive Garden

A/N: So, here it is, the last chapter of this story! I hope you have enjoyed it! As always, let me know your thoughts and I will be posting a small epilogue later!

Virginia, 2014

"Are you sure you're up for this?"

JJ rolled her eyes gently, making sure her blouse looked okay in the mirror before turning around to look at Dani, who was sitting in her bed, watching her as she gave her outfit the finishing touches.

"Dani, I'm fine." JJ smiled. "I've been out in the hospital for a week, already."

"I know." Dani nodded, a small smile replacing her frown of worry for a second. "You're right. You're okay. I'm sorry. It's just... I'm still worried, is all."

"I know." JJ nodded, walking over to Dani and bending down a little so her face was in the same level as Dani's. "And I appreciate you so much, you know that, right?"

And JJ did. She really did appreciate Dani and everything she had done for her in the past seven days. JJ had heard from everyone how Hotch and Dani had gone to Secretary Jackson after figuring out she had something to do with JJ's kidnapping. After that, Dani had always been beside JJ - in the hospital and even after she had been cleared and had gone home, Dani had made sure JJ was never left alone for more than five minutes. Sure, Spencer had come to visit her and Will and Henry too. In those moments, Dani would take a quick trip home, change her clothes and take a bath. At some point, during JJ's seven days leave, JJ had asked Dani to just get some of her stuff and leave there at her apartment - she had been even sleeping over, after all, in the couch, no matter how much JJ insisted she didn't need to sleep there. Dani had taken her advice, though, and now, in spite of the fact that JJ was a lot better and didn't even need to bandage her wounds anymore, Dani still refused to go to back work, taking some of her pent up off-days to make sure JJ was never, ever alone.

And JJ would be lying if she said she hadn't enjoyed having Dani there with her.

"I know." Dani smirked playfully at JJ, who raised a eyebrow at her with a half-smile. "And you should too. I don't take off-days for just about anyone."

"I know." JJ nodded. "I hope your team is doing okay too, because I swear I've seen you taking more calls from them than I've seen Hotch take for us."

"They're fine." Dani shrugged. "I was just a few days. And I'll be back by Monday to fix anything that needs fixing."

"Oh, I bet you will." JJ smiled, patting Dani on the knee as she straightened herself back again to stand up right. "But I don't want to talk about work. Not yet."

"No?" Dani asked, smiling a little when JJ extended a hand out to her. "And what do you want to talk about?"

"I want to talk about what we're having for dinner." JJ smiled, tugging at Dani's hand to get her to stand up from her bed as she laced her fingers through hers as they started to make their way through the apartment. "We're still going out, right?"

"Yes." Dani nodded, tsking quietly and reaching over to JJ when the blonde grabbed her car keys. "But you are not driving."

"What?" JJ frowned, almost offended. "Why not?"

"Because." Dani smirked, knowing full-well those types of answers annoyed JJ to no end - probably because she had a six-year-old son, who took great pleasure on getting under his mom's skin.

"That's not an answer." JJ protested weakly, while reaching for her purse and pulling out the apartment's key from it.

"Yes, it is."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"You sound like Henry." JJ groaned, locking her door after they were out of the apartment while Dani walked over to the elevator to press the button.