If we were to lose you /Criminal Minds\

derek, he's dead

"You should talk to her, you two can't keep on avoiding each other especialy after what happened" JJ stated, looking at Derek.

"I think she made herself very clear at the funeral" Derek replied.

"It wasn't your fault, you couldn't know" Jeniffer said, smiling sadly.

"Well, I promised I was going to bring him back" Derek said, looking down "alive and well, you know, I promised her."

JJ didn't know what to say to that, so she simply put her hand over Derek's in sort of reasuring gesture.

"Alright, we'll be there soon, JJ and Morgan can go check the Clifford case for your own peace Jeniffer" Hotch said, the two nodding.

"Why would you send them there?" David asked.

"It's close and I just want to know why they canceled the case, I know David, I know. But just for everyone's knowledge" Hotch explained himself.

..

And so the two drove off together to Clifford, not speaking a word.

"Hello, where could we find sheriff?" JJ asked politely one officer, who just pointed to office on the other side of the building.

"Thank you" JJ said, turning to Morgan, who was looking somewhere as if zoning out.

"Derek?" Jeniffer questioned, he looked at her as if going back to reality.

"I think I just saw Reid" he said, looking back towards where he was looking before, but not seeing the same anymore, so he figured it must have been his imagination, it happens sometimes, he knows.

"You just imagined it, it's not possible" JJ mummbled and the two walked towards the sheriff's office.

JJ knocked, entering after "Come in" from the inside, the two walked in.

"You need something? I ain't never seen you here before." the sheriff asked.

"We're from the FBI, you cancelled a case you asked for help with" JJ explained.

"Oh, yeah. We caught the killer, so we didn't need your help anymore" the sheriff explained.

"And what helped with catching him?" Derek questioned.

"Actually it was a woman" the sheriff corrected him "and well, we got lucky, a new guy started working here and had the idea of it being a woman." he explained.

"Oh, alright. We just wanted to make sure everything is fine. Sorry to bother, have a nice day" Jeniffer said, pushing her collegue out the door already.

When the two were outside, Morgan turned to JJ. "What?" she questioned.

"Listen, I know this may sound crazy but I really saw Reid, and the new guy, what if it was him, JJ I kno-" he started but Jeniffer cut him off.

"Derek, he's dead" JJ said, and it was for the first time someone said it out loud, and JJ would never thought it was going to be her to say it first.

"We just have to learn to live with it, I'm sorry. I want him to be here with us as well, but I don't need fake hope, so please stop this, it hurts okay" she said, nearly tearing up.

"Okay, sorry" Morgan said, getting in the car, JJ following. Silence filled the car again, maybe he should just admit the fact that Reid is forever gone and he will never see him again.