A/N: So due to some events that have recently occurred in my life, I've decided to write this one shot in hopes that it would make me feel better and it would get rid of the pain that I'm feeling right now. I know it's probably nowhere near what would really happen but who knows… I just needed an outlet. This story is totally AU. Will isn't in the picture anymore, but Henry is here. Please read and review.
Love you all.
Nicole
It was two weeks before Christmas and JJ was just collecting her things to go to the BAU's annual Christmas party. Pen was already over. They had gotten ready together, and they were going to be cabbing it over there since both had plans of drinking. JJ's boyfriend, Bryan would be meeting them there after he got off work. Luckily for JJ, Dave's Mama was going to be babysitting Henry, along with Jack for the night, so that everyone had fun without worrying about their little ones.
"You ready sugarplum?" Pen asked.
JJ took one last look in the mirror and then turned to her best friend. "I think so."
"You look amazing JJ!"
"Thanks Pen, I think there's a certain tall, dark and handsome agent that's going to fall on his butt when he sees you tonight!" JJ smiled. This was all going to be perfect.
She looked around her home to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. She was so excited for Bryan to meet her family here. It was just going to be perfect. Everyone knew how happy she was with him, especially after everything that had happened with Will last year. She had Henry now, and Bryan was great with him. She just felt something about him. She hadn't told anyone but she was sure he was 'the one'. He was just everything that Will wasn't. She grabbed her keys just as Pen told her the cab had arrived. She locked up and they ran giggling to the cab to head out to the hall where the party was being held.
They got to the hall in no time. It seemed there wasn't anyone on the streets tonight. JJ and Penelope hung up their coats and went into the hall. This year's theme was a casino night. So everyone was dressed to the nines. Emily was in a vibrant red gown, and she was close to the bar with Aaron who could have passed as James Bond's twin. Reid was performing Physics Magic in the corner of the room for some of the other members of the BAU and their spouses. Morgan and Rossi weren't there yet. JJ looked around but couldn't spot Bryan anywhere either. He had told her he might be a little late, as it would depend on when he could get out of work. They went and got a drink and grabbed a table for everyone to sit at. Soon there after, Morgan, and Rossi arrived. Pen was almost drooling over how dashing Derek looked in his black tux. JJ couldn't help but notice how handsome Rossi looked. He wasn't in a traditional tux. He had a tie and no cummerbund. If she weren't already in this serious relationship with Bryan, she might consider pursuing a relationship with the famed Italian profiler. The Director was just about to announce that dinner was served as Penelope poked JJ's arm.
"What?" JJ asked.
Penelope pointed behind JJ. "I think your date arrived. He's the only one that seems a little lost in this whole group."
JJ turned and saw that Pen was right. There stood Bryan. He wasn't in a tux, but he wasn't in jeans either. He stood there in a nice blue dress shirt and black sports jacket. She waved him over, and to her surprise, he almost hesitated. But he eventually joined them. She stood up and put her arm through his. "Everyone, this is Bryan. Bryan this is my other family."
He nodded. She then introduced them all. "That's Penelope, with her is Derek, next to him is Spencer. Across from Spencer are Emily and Aaron. And finally that is Dave."
He shook all of their hands and then whispered to JJ that he was going to get a beer and that he'd be right back. JJ nodded, and then watched him go to the bar. He returned shortly and then they went to serve themselves for their buffet styled meal. They sat and talked. The team wanted to get to know the man that seemed to make JJ glow like she had been for the past few months. He was very quiet and reserved. This struck them as odd, especially as profilers, but they didn't want to upset JJ. Not tonight. So they enjoyed the meal, and tolerated Bryan's coldness towards them. After supper and dessert, they headed to the other part of the hall where the "Fun Casino" was set up.
"The poker tables are over there." JJ pointed towards the back of the hall.
"So?" Bryan asked.
"Well, you've been talking about how you wanted to play poker tonight."
"Yea. Well maybe I don't wanna play it anymore."
JJ looked at him in shock. "Ok. Well, Pen and Emily and I are headed to the Black Jack table." She started off to go join her friends when he grabbed her arm. "Bryan! What the heck!"
"I want a beer."
"Then go get one."
"I want you to come with me, then we'll go play Black Jack." He smiled as Aaron and Dave walked by them on the way to the Roulette wheel.
"I thought you wanted to play poker?"
"I changed my mind."
This shocked JJ because he had been so adamant about poker, but she wasn't about to cause a scene now. "Okay, but I'm going now to get a start on it. Last year I didn't do so good. So, go get your beer and I'll see you in a few minutes." With that she walked away, shaken by what had just occurred.
Bryan stared off at her, then went to the bar, got his beer and found the Black Jack table where she was with her closest friends. He bought in and soon they were so involved in the game that JJ had more or less forgotten the earlier incident. After a couple hours of playing the tables, the Director announced that it would be the last hand and then they were to cash out for the auction.
Bryan ended bidding on and winning a night out. That included a limo ride to and from the theatre, dinner and two tickets to the theatre. JJ joked that that could be their date night the next weekend. Bryan just looked at her as if she was insane. This struck the rest of the team as very, very odd. Especially considering that he claimed he loved her. If he did, he would know that JJ loved the theatre.
"Maybe." Was all he said.
Then JJ bid and won a jersey and tickets to see the Capitals game, which made her very happy. Then after everyone had gotten prizes, there were a few left and JJ was one of the lucky ones along with Pen and Emily to win the extra prizes. After collecting their prizes and saying good night, Bryan, JJ and Penelope headed to Bryan's car. Bryan was driving Pen home, and Derek would meet her there after helping Rossi and Reid, along with some of the other men clean up the hall. Penelope directed Bryan with ease to her home. JJ got out and hugged her best friend.
"So what are your plans tonight?" Pen asked.
"Well he's supposed to tell me what his family thought of me."
"Oh yeah. You met them earlier this week. You never told me how it went." Pen giggled.
"Well I didn't want to jinx it but I think it went amazingly. His family's really nice."
"Well then sugarplum, I think they probably told him to hurry up already and make you their daughter in law."
"I hope so. He won't tell me anything, but anyhow. Have fun tonight with Derek."
"I will." Pen winked at her, kissed her on the cheek and waved to Bryan. "Thanks again."
"No problem." Was all he said through the window.
Once Penelope was in the door, JJ got back into the car. Bryan put the car into gear and they took off on to JJ's home.
"Bryan, what's wrong?" JJ asked.
"Nothing." He replied simply.
JJ knew he wasn't being honest with her. "You're lying."
"Yeah."
"Yeah what? Yeah nothing's wrong or yeah you're lying."
"Yeah, I'm lying."
JJ turned in her seat and looked at him. "So something is wrong. What is it?"
"My family hated you." He said.
"They what?" JJ was in shock. "I was me. I didn't act differently."
"I know. That's the you they hated."
"Why?"
"Because your pushy."
This was the first time JJ had ever been called pushy outside of work.
"That's not just that either."
"So what else did they say?"
Bryan changed lanes and said. "It's not what they said it's what I'm saying."
"Then what are you saying? Are you saying that this isn't working?" JJ was very confused, and by this point she was also very worried. "What's going on."
"I'm going to drive you home, then I'm going back to my place."
"For good or just for tonight?" JJ was very confused.
"For good Jennifer."
She just looked at him. They were stopped at a light now. He looked over at her.
"I'm saying it's over Jen."
This hit JJ hard. He had said he loved her and that he wanted to be with her and Henry. He said his life would be empty without her in it. "Why? Because your family said I'm pushy?"
"No, not just because of that. Because you're demeaning…"
"I'm what?"
"You're demeaning. You put me down all the time, and tonight was the last straw."
JJ just gaped at him. They were still 20 minutes from her house and she was on the brink of tears. "How am I demeaning?"
"You constantly put me down. You always think you're right. Hell you ordered me around in my own home in front of my family."
"I didn't do any such thing." JJ defended herself. All she had done in that time was ask him if he was coming with her to Pennsylvania for Christmas with her family.
"Plus it's all about you. You're self-righteous. I told you when we started dating I hate self-righteous people."
JJ was getting nauseous again, but Pen was no longer around to give her anti-nauseants. "How am I self-righteous?"
"Everything we ever talked about was you. If it wasn't about you, you changed it to make it about you. It was pissing me off. Has been for like the past 3 weeks, and tonight just pushed me over the edge." He snapped. "I was actually contemplating not even coming tonight… but I decided I didn't want to embarrass you in front of your friends and coworkers."
"You don't think I won't be embarrassed on Monday when I go back? When they ask how I've been?"
"I didn't want to hurt you Jen."
"And this doesn't hurt?" Tears were building up behind her eyes. She wasn't going to let him see her cry.
"I didn't want to hurt you, not anymore that would be normal. I know you'll hate me."
JJ didn't know what to say. In a way she wished her mother had been right a couple months back when she told JJ that she thought Bryan was already married. That wasn't the case. But he was still ripping her heart to shreds.
"I debated trying to push it through Christmas, because I didn't know which would hurt more… before or after the holidays. Buddies at work said to do it this way."
"Well … Thank you. Thank you for saving me the embarrassment from my family and from having to deal with it later." She fought hard against the tears that were threatening to over come her.
"Jen…" He tried to console her.
To JJ's ears it didn't matter. She swore that his excuse was the dumbest she had ever heard. The man was in his 30s and he still listened to his parents when he claimed to love her. NO way. They pulled up to her home and the car wasn't fully stopped yet when JJ opened the door and got out. She slid on some ice and fell to the ground, her gifts flying through the air. Bryan got out of the car to help her.
"NO! Go away!" JJ cried, pushing herself further away on the ice.
"Fine." Bryan got back in his car, spinning his tires, which in turn spat snow at JJ.
She watched as his taillights disappeared into the now swirling snow. She wept. She struggled to get up again, only to fall again. She wept as she felt the skin on her knee rip. "Fuck!" She screamed. She never swore, not since Henry was born. She tried again, and fell again, though this time someone caught her.
When she was finally on her feet, she turned to face her rescuer. "What are you doing here?" She asked.
A/N: Ok so yes it's a cliffy, but I figured I wanted to drag it out a little! Mwahaha... but I still love you... if you throw anything, it can only be snow or ice... *looks at Crys and Katie*... ok so I'll update soon... this helped me feel better so no more bad parts only good.
Merry Christmas!
Nicole