"So, you nervous?"

Will gave him a shaky smile, and gave him a shrug.

"Only if she doesn't come back down."

CHAPTER SEVEN - THIS IS CRAZY

Several hours earlier…

Mrs. Jareau paced near the hydrangea bushes on Agent Rossi's property, waiting for her daughter to come back down. What was taking the two of them so long?

Feeling herself start to panic, she stopped her pacing and took several deep breaths, realizing that pacing and worrying would not make things go any faster. She needed to simply be patient and wait for them to come down…so her daughter could be married.

It was a strange feeling…Jennifer was about to be married!

She liked Will. He was a sweet boy and a nice match for Jennifer, as well as a good father.

Speaking of…

She glanced over to where he stood and gave him a quick once over. He was nervous. He was pacing like a caged tiger…well, he was more like basset hound puppy. Mrs. Jareau was slightly surprised that her daughter had taken up with a southern gentleman cop. His charm was nice, as well as his accent, and he was well-mannered, but…

Quickly she stopped that train of thought.

He was a good man, and he loved her daughter and her grandson, and that was what mattered most.

However, at that thought, she realized that she'd neglected to keep her daughter's feelings in mind…but of course Jennifer was in love with Will, otherwise she wouldn't have said yes to him when he proposed.

Feeling nervous, she glanced at her watch again, and then noticed one of the teammates, Morgan, disappearing into the house.

A few minutes later he'd reappeared, and she watched as he spoke in low tones to Agent Rossi, and then headed over to her.

"Mrs. Jareau?"

She could hear the tentative tone in his voice, and she immediately knew that something was wrong. Then she saw that he had a slip of paper in his hand…and it had her daughter's handwriting on it. Had her daughter walked out on her very own wedding?

"Agent Morgan, where's Jennifer…?"

His face fell slightly and he placed a steadying hand on her shoulder as he said, "Here…this is for you."

He handed her the piece of paper and, with shaking hands, she took it and started to read it, and could barely believe what she read, a look of shock forming on her features.

"Mom,

I know that this is going to be hard for you to hear, but I can't marry Will. He's a wonderful man, and I know that he loves Henry and he loves me, but I can't love him in the same way. I love you, Mom, and I want you to know that, because I know that this is not how you expected the day of your daughter's wedding to turn out. Hotch is giving me some time to help me sort out my feelings, so, please, don't put any blame on him. He's a close friend and I trust his judgment more than anyone else's…

At reading this, she was able to read into her daughter's phrasing. Close friend, yes, but only a close friend and unable to ever be anything else? No. There was something there.

She finished reading the letter.

…I think I need to find out what I want. Not just for me, but for Henry as well. I love you, and hope you understand. Love, Jennifer."

Mrs. Jareau took a shaky breath and noticed her hands were trembling slightly, causing the paper in her hands to shake.

She tightened her fingers, briefly, and then carefully folded the note and slid it into her purse. She then realized that Agent Morgan was still standing next to her and she quickly reached up and used her thumb to brush away the single tear that had managed to escape.

She then looked at Agent Morgan and gave him a small smile.

"I'm okay."

He gave her a concerned look, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Are you sure, Mrs. Jareau?"

She nodded and used her hand to adjust her purse on her shoulder, her mind quickly putting things in order and rearranging them as they needed to. If her daughter needed this time to sort things out, then she wasn't going to hold it against her.

She looked over at Agent Morgan again and gave him a half smile.

"She needs to take some time…and I can understand it." She then nodded her head slightly and then let out a soft sigh. "She's a Jareau."

And with that, she found herself with some peace. Though still worried about Jennifer, she was much more reassured in the fact that her daughter was going to be okay. She was a strong young woman and she knew how to take care of herself.

And, hopefully, she would see what was right in front of her.

Though Mrs. Jareau thought that Will would be good for her, she knew that her daughter had a soft spot for the unit chief, something that she'd mistaken for fatherly affection, but now, after seeing what had happened, she found that her perspective had changed.

For the better.

Part 7/?