Virginia, 2014

Will knew something wasn't right. JJ had her crazy schedules and, sometimes, she would tell him she wouldn't be picking up Henry only fifteen minutes before the agreed time. It drove Will insane most of the times, but, in a way, he understood why it happened. JJ was a FBI agent, she was part of the most renowned team at the bureau, she saved lives for a living and sometimes Will did feel selfish about expecting her to be more present, but he knew better than to ask her to try and stay in D.C. more often. She would refuse it - he learned that the wrong way. She'd say that was her job and that was what she loved to do and that was what she needed to be doing. And, as much as he understood, as much as he admired her for that and for the fact that she was still the most doting and caring mother he could have ever asked for their son, it still drove him insane.

He hated when she cancelled her plans with Henry because of work because the six-years-old was always so excited to see mommy, but, that day, that wasn't what was happening. That day, something else was going on and Will didn't like it at all. Because, yes, JJ often cancelled her plans with Henry, but she never - never - did it without letting Will know first. He would always get a message when it happened. They were usually short and quick, just to let him know. Child abduction in Ohio, sorry, send Henry my love or Bodies found in L.A., have to go. Give Henry a kiss for me but this time... This time there was nothing.

"Daddy?"

His son's voice snapped Will from his own thoughts and he turned around to see his boy standing in front of him on the couch. In spite of his worries, Will smiled. He always did whenever he looked at Henry. He had his mother's blonde hair and bright blue eyes, but he resembled Will a little too - everyone used to say they had the exact same nose and, with each passing year, Will could honestly say now that he agreed. His son reminded him of JJ more often than not, but Will didn't care. He loved his boy. He loved his boy with all his heart and, whether he was with his mom or not, he would love him forever. So, as Henry stood there with his small backpack and his long fringe that he refused to cut falling over his eyes, Will smiled at him.

"Yeah, buddy?" He asked, and, as much as he knew what Henry was about to ask, he let the boy vocalize his thoughts anyway.

"Where's mommy?"

Will sighed then. Because, damn if he didn't wish he knew the answer to that. It was already 9:15. JJ was supposed to be there to pick Henry up fifteen minutes ago. But she wasn't. And JJ was never late to pick up Henry. In fact, she was usually a little earlier which had resulted in a few awkward encounters between her and Will as Henry rushed around the house to pick up everything he wanted to take with him to his mom's house for the weekend. But, that day, she wasn't there. She was late. And she wasn't answering her phone. He had called her five times already and sent her close to twenty texts, but he had received nothing in response. JJ was never late to pick up Henry and she never let Will unanswered. Even when they were in the rockiest phase of their relationship, if he asked her where she was, she would answer. Because she knew the nature of her job and she would never want Will - or Henry - worrying for her when they didn't need to.

So she always answered. And she was never late.

"If anything ever happens to me, you go and talk to Hotch, okay?" JJ had told Will once, almost six years before when they first started getting serious about their relationship. "Don't wait too long, just go and talk to Hotch."

He waited fifteen minutes already - well, sixteen now - so Will thought this was enough already. Shooting JJ one last hopeful text, Will stood up from the couch and picked up Henry in his arms.

"Mommy is running a little late today, buddy." He said, noticing the way Henry's face fell a little. JJ had promised to take him to his favorite ice cream place that day after lunch. Henry wouldn't stop talking about that at all, ever since JJ said it three days before, so Will knew the boy was disappointed. "But you and I are gonna go out a little, okay?"

"Where are we going?" Henry asked and Will picked up his phone from his pocket with his hand that wasn't supporting Henry.

He bit back his worry when there wasn't a response from his ex-girlfriend - the last thing he needed now was for Henry to pick up on his emotions and worry too. So, shoving his phone back into his pocket, Will reached for his car keys as he bounced Henry in his arms a little to get the boy to giggle.

"We are going to visit mommy's job."

***

Will and Henry were let inside the building as visitors after Will said he had urgent matters to treat with Agent Hotchner. As soon as Hotch was informed that William La Montagne was coming up to the BAU, the Unit Chief all but rushed out of his office to meet him just outside the elevators. It was JJ's off day, Hotch knew. She had been all excited about it, making up plans and more plans for her and Henry, but if Will was there with no sign of JJ, that could only mean trouble.

So, to say Hotch was on edge as soon as the elevator doors opened and he saw a very worried-looking Will carrying his son in his arms would be the definition of understatement.

"Will." Hotch greeted with a curt nod of his head that was quickly reciprocated as the man walked closer to Hotch.

"Hotch." He said, in the same tone, his voice a little strained, possibly due to all the thoughts going through his mind at the moment. "I'm sorry I just showed up, but I... I have to talk to you."

"Of course." Hotch nodded, pointing at the corridor ahead of them so the two of them could start making their way inside the unit. "What's the matter?"

"I think JJ is in trouble." Will said, clearly not wanting to say much else with Henry still in his arms.

"How so?" Hotch asked, his own cell phone already in hands as he communicated with the rest of the team. If Will was right and JJ was really in trouble, they needed to act fast. They needed to act now.

"She was meant to come and pick up Henry for the day, but she was late." Will explained. "I tried texting and calling and nothing. I checked again when I parked outside, but JJ's cell still hasn't shown up. I'm telling you, Hotch, she's in trouble."

"Garcia's tracking her car now." Hotch said, his eyes lifting up at the sound of high heels in their direction and he called out for the woman walking toward them. "Agent Sharp, will you take agent Jareau's son to my office? It's an emergency."

"Yes, sir."

Agent Sharp nodded her head, gracefully turning to Will as the man smiled at little at his son before passing him over to the woman, grateful for the fact that Henry had always been a chilled boy and didn't even complain about the change. In fact, as soon as he was in the arms of so-called agent Sharp, he smiled at the woman, who practically melted at the sight.

"Thank you." Will told her, knowing Henry would be safe with her, at the bureau, in Hotch's office. "You go with her, love."

Will watched as agent Sharp took Henry away, but was quick to follow Hotch when he rushed toward the conference room. As soon as they stepped inside, Will saw Garcia already working there, talking on her phone.

"I found it. It's on the south side of the street." She was saying, nodding at the two men when she noticed their presence in the room. "They're here. Ok. Yeah. I'll let you know."

Garcia turned off the phone then, turning to look at Will and Hotch next.

"JJ's car's parked on Constitution. Morgan and Reid are on their way." She said.

"Find Matt Cruz." Will said, as everyone in the room turned to look at him, confused for a moment. "He'll know what's going on."

"Section Chief Matt Cruz?" Garcia asked, as Will nodded.

She wasted no time then, trying to get in contact with the man as Hotch turned to look at Will, trying to piece together what was going on.

"Grant, it's Garcia." The technical analyst announced on the phone. "I need to speak to Matt Cruz."

"That's why I couldn't tell you earlier." Will said. "JJ made me promise."

"Yeah, I know what time it is." Garcia complained on the phone. "Get him now."

"Well, she was afraid someone was listening, but what does Cruz have to do with JJ's disappearance?" Hotch asked.

"They worked together at the State department." Will said.

"Neither one has mentioned that."

"They couldn't." Will said. "Their assignment was classified."

"No, past tense." Garcia said. "JJ worked at the State department years ago."

"I thought that, too, until Cruz was assigned here and the secret calls and texts started again." Will said, as Hotch frowned at him. "Look, all I know is, is JJ said if anything ever happened to her that Cruz would know what to do."

"Sir, there's a problem." Agent Anderson said, as he walked into the conference room. "Chief Cruz isn't answering and GPS on his mobile isn't transmitting."

"That's the same thing as JJ." Garcia said.

"Garcia, have Rossi and Blake check out Cruz's house, and, Anderson, put agent Jareau's family in protective custody." Hotch said, as Garcia nodded and did as she was told. As soon as everyone was already moving, Hotch picked up his phone. "This is SSA Hotchner with the BAU. I need to speak to the Director."

***

"The Director's behind closed doors with the undersecretary of arms control and international security affairs." Morgan said, as he walked with Reid toward the conference room where the two of them would be meeting with the rest of the team to try and figure out what to do next. "Hotch is on his way to the State department to get some answers."

"We found JJ's cell phone, but there wasn't any sign of her." Reid announced, as soon as Rossi and Blake joined them on their way to the conference room.

"Cruz is missing, too." Rossi said. "His car is still in his garage, but mail and newspapers suggest that he's been gone at least 24 hours."

The four of them walked into the conference room then, their eyes falling on Garcia as she tried, with all the techniques she knew, to try and find something from JJ's phone that could help them all with the investigation.

Up until that point, there had been nothing and it was driving her insane.

"I'm trying." She said, to no one in particular. "I'm trying... I'm trying to pull data off of JJ's phone, but it's like level 9 security. It would make Snowden weep."

"What about cell phone records?" Blake suggested, but Garcia shook her head. She had tried that too, already.

"Encrypted." She said. "JJ's and Cruz's."

"That's not surprising if they work for the State department." Rossi said.

"But if that assignment was a backstop, then JJ's transfer as D.O.D. Liaison was her cover." Morgan said.

"So what was she really doing that year?" Reid asked.

"That's the first question Hotch is gonna ask." Morgan said. "Strauss was pressured by the Executive branch to push JJ's transfer through in 2010, so she would have known the reason why."

"Any assignment Strauss authorized would be archived in the SCIF." Reid suggested.

"That facility is code word classified." Garcia said.

"Ok, but Anderson can get you in." Morgan said. "He archives those reports."

Garcia nodded then. At least she had something to work on now. Morgan sighed then, looking at the rest of the team as he tried to decide what to do next to help JJ.

"Blake, Rossi, JJ couldn't have used the SCIF without drawing attention. She probably has it foxholed right here in the BAU." He said, as the two of them nodded. "We just need to find it."

"And what are you not telling us?" Blake asked, her eyes analyzing Morgan up and down when she noticed his weird behavior.

Morgan sighed. He had hoped his worries would go unnoticed, but he worked with a group of highly skilled profilers so, really, how could he possibly hide anything at all?

"Whoever took Cruz and JJ is highly trained and highly organized." He explained then, knowing he wouldn't be able to avoid the subject anymore. "Justice, Defense, and State... They wouldn't be on edge like this if this was a simple matter of two missing agents."

"Is Hotch worried that the recovery won't be made a priority?" Rossi asked, as Morgan nodded.

Garcia frowned. She knew what that meant: the State wouldn't be looking at JJ's and Cruz's disappearance as important. Maybe they wouldn't even look for them at all. And that, she couldn't have.

"It's our job to find the leverage that assures it is." Morgan said, as everyone nodded. "Let's get it done."

And as all of the team started to get to work, Garcia sighed, being left alone in the conference room with her computer and bytes. She contacted Anderson to get access to SCIF. Maybe the State didn't care for JJ's disappearance, but Garcia did. And she knew, from the bottom of her heart, that she would not stop until her friend was back and safe in their arms. And neither would the rest of their team - the rest of their family.

"We're coming for you, JJ..." Garcia found herself whispering, trying to calm her beating heart a little so she could focus on her job instead. "Just hang tight, honey, we're coming for you."