Not as bad as it looks, really.

Their flight home had been delayed a couple of hours when JJ couldn't talk Hotch out of making her go to the ER. Reid's running commentary about CAT scans and fractured ribs didn't help; the scan had been clear but he'd been right about the rib, not that there was much that could be done about it. The flight home, at least, had been uneventful; she'd taken the sofa at Emily's insistence and had slept for half the trip.

Henry was with Will for another day and a half. With Hotch insisting that reports could wait until tomorrow she had the option of going home to her empty apartment or calling Dave. She only hesitated for a minute; she could avoid him until the swelling went down but he'd talk to someone else on the team before then and there was no way she was getting out of this without him knowing. She picked up her phone and sent off a text.

Guess who's back in town.

Barry Manilow?

Ha, ha. Have any plans for tonight?

Ones that involve my favorite blond, I hope.

Well if those fall through, let me know.

Need me to pick up anything on my way over?

Only thing I need you to bring is yourself, bella. It's been a long five days not seeing you.

Be there in an hour. XO

The ice pack she'd kept on her face had reduced the spelling a little, but her eye was a nice purple and the worst of the cuts was closed by a butterfly bandage. She debated on the drive over whether she should give Dave a heads up. Finally she decided to call him from her car parked in front of his house.

"Hey."