Author's Note: So it's been almost three years since I've updated this. I am so sorry.

But here is another chapter. I am trying to update all my old stories.
It's been so long that Emily is still a part of the team in this fic.

"JJ."

She turned to see Dr. Spencer Reid behind her as she stepped out into the hall from the bathroom.

"I tried to warn you before he went in," he said softly. "I'm sorry."

"What is going on? He thinks Haley's alive," JJ said her tone dull, and full of disbelief.

"I know." The young profiler stopped himself from going into a detailed explanation of the condition, and tried to simplify it for her. "He's lost years worth of memory."

"We have a child together." JJ felt numb, exhausted.

"I know."

"Is this permanent?" That should have been the first question she asked. But with everything, it was just too much. She was scared to hear the answer.

"There's no way of knowing that. I'm sorry." Reid felt useless. There was little he could do to comfort or help his friend.

"Who's going to tell him?" Without waiting for an answer, she went back into the room, barely aware of Reid calling after her.

"Are you okay?" Hotch asked her as she entered.

She recognized the tone. He did care for her well being, but he wasn't in love with her.

Taking a deep breath, she forced a smile, and sat in the chair beside him. "I'm fine."

"Did you go to find Haley and Jack?" he asked hopefully.

"Hotch," she reached out to grab his hand instinctively, but caught herself in time. Her chest felt tight, and tears formed in her eyes.

"What's wrong? Are they okay? Were they in the car?" His words were coming out so quickly she had a hard time understanding him.

"Jack's okay, but Haley..."

The emotions played out over his face. Relief. His son was okay, and then his face crumbled. He reached up with his hand to cover his mouth. He so desperately wanted to believe that Jennifer Jareau was the type to lie about this sort of thing, but she wasn't. And if she said it was true...

"Hotch. I'm so sor-"

"I need to be alone right now."

The words sounded so lifeless. And though she knew this wasn't about her, it felt like a punch to the gut.

She didn't say anything, she turned to leave, tears spilling down her own cheeks.

*~ Never Forgotten~*

"My husband doesn't know who I am. He's still in love with his dead ex wife who left him, and I..." the words came out in between breaths. Emily didn't say anything, she just held her friend. There was nothing she could say. Not really.

"Why didn't the doctors tell him before I saw him? Why did I think it was a good idea to be the one to tell him?" Of course she knew the answer to the second question. She'd hoped if she was the one to tell him that he'd remember everything. "And he still doesn't know I'm his wife."

Garcia and Emily exchanged a look. This was such a difficult situation, and neither knew exactly what to do. The rest of the team had gone home to get rest, and they'd promised to stay to be there for JJ.

"And Will called, Henry wants to see Aaron. And so do Samantha and Jack, of course. And Haley's sister wants to bring them by." Samantha. How did you tell a kid that their dad didn't know who they were? "Of course I had to tell them he wasn't ready to be seen."

"JJ, just take a few deep breaths," Garcia suggested, rubbing her friends back comfortingly.

"Jennifer?"

She looked up to see one of Hotch's doctors standing in front of them.

"He's asking for you."

Sniffling, she tried to compose herself. She lifted her sleeve to wipe the tears off her face.

"How do I look?" she asked her friends, biting her bottom lip to try and prevent new tears from falling.

"Beautiful," Emily told her reassuringly.

"Absolutely stunning," came Garcia's response.

JJ knew she looked like crap, bags under her bloodshot eyes, pale complexion, but it was still comforting to hear.

As she entered the room, she found herself unable to look at him.

"I'm sorry," he started off, "about earlier."

"You just found out someone you loved died. It's understandable." She finally looked at him, and his eyes mirrored hers. He looked tired, sad, and broken.

"I just spoke to one of the doctors," he started off. "And he filled me in on a few things. So you're... I mean we're..."

"Married," JJ said casually. She wasn't sure why, but she nearly laughed.

"We're married," Hotch said, the shock on his face was heart breaking.

"And me and Haley..."

"Split up," JJ finished, now taking a seat in the chair.

"And now she's..."

JJ didn't finish the sentence this time.

"This is all so surreal," he said quietly. "I don't know what I'm feeling."

"I understand," JJ mumbled.

As saddening as it was for her, she did understand. She couldn't imagine being where he was. And it just made her admire his strength all the more. As defeated as he was, he was still trying to put it all together. He'd found out the love of his life was dead just over two hours ago. And here he was, apologizing to her for needing time alone, and trying to piece his life together.

"Where's Jack?"

"He's with Haley's sister," JJ answered him. "He's with Samantha."

The confusion on his face caused her chin to tremble, and she had to turn her head away. It took her a couple moments to look back at him, and despite all the things he wanted to know, he was patient. "She's our daughter."

"We have a daughter." Hotch shook his head as if it was some dream he could wake up from. But a couple seconds later, he smiled. "I always wanted a girl, too."

"She's seven," JJ told him.

"What about Will?"

"That's a long story probably best left for another time."

Hotch nodded. "You're probably right."

There were so many things she wanted to ask him. Where did they go from here? What did they tell their kids? Obviously not the truth, but... most of all, the question she was scared to hear the answer to. Was he willing to try and make this work between them?