Cowboy Like Me: Criminal Minds

Underneath the Surface

The hum of the BAU office was a familiar comfort. After the intensity of the Fredericksburg case, the team had returned to Quantico to catch up on paperwork, debrief, and unwind—at least as much as possible in between cases. Sloane sat at her desk, a stack of files in front of her, though her focus kept drifting to the conversations happening around the bullpen.

Reid, seated a few desks away, was busy scribbling notes into a report, his brow furrowed in concentration. Across the room, Morgan leaned back in his chair, flipping a pen between his fingers. The usual tension of the field seemed to lift as the team eased into the rhythm of the office—a welcome break after the last few days.

JJ sat at her desk nearby, sorting through case files and fielding calls from other departments. Despite the paperwork in front of her, she wore a small, serene smile, clearly enjoying the rare moment of quiet with the team. Sloane glanced over at her, noticing the way JJ balanced the demands of the job with a quiet strength. She admired that.

Needing a break from the endless forms, Sloane stood and made her way over to JJ's desk, leaning against the edge with a grin. "So, JJ, how do you manage all this paperwork without losing your mind?"

JJ looked up with a playful smile, her blue eyes sparkling. "Lots of coffee and selective hearing."

Sloane laughed, folding her arms. "I might need to adopt that strategy. I swear, every time I think I'm done with one report, another pops up."

Reid chimed in from across the room, not lifting his eyes from his file. "The average federal agent spends roughly 30% of their time filling out paperwork. It's a necessary evil."

Morgan, overhearing Reid's comment, grinned. "Yeah, but if anyone actually enjoys it, it's you, genius."

Reid shrugged. "It's systematic. I don't mind it."

JJ laughed softly, shaking her head. "Only you, Reid. I don't think I've ever met anyone who can make paperwork sound like a science."

Sloane exchanged a grin with JJ, enjoying the easy rhythm of the office banter. There was something about these moments—when the weight of the job lifted just enough for them to connect like this—that made her feel more at home in the BAU. The cases were tough, but this? This made it worth it.

"So, what's the latest on the mom front?" Sloane asked JJ, curious about how she balanced everything with her family.

JJ leaned back in her chair, the smile on her face softening. "Henry's getting bigger by the day. He's all about dinosaurs right now. It's amazing how fast he's growing."

Morgan looked up from his own desk, his expression warm. "I don't know how you do it, JJ. Juggling this job and being a mom."

JJ gave a small shrug, her tone light but sincere. "It's not easy, but Will helps a lot. And honestly? Coming here, being with you guys—it makes the hard days easier."

Sloane nodded, feeling a sense of admiration for JJ's ability to balance her work and family life. "You make it look easy."

JJ smiled at her, a quiet understanding in her eyes. "It's not. But it's worth it."

Just then, Garcia burst into the room with her usual energy, holding a tablet in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. "What's this I hear about dinosaurs and paperwork? Please tell me we're not doing either of those right now."

The team chuckled, and Sloane couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth settle over the room. It was these moments—shared jokes, light conversations, and genuine camaraderie—that made the harder days easier to bear.

As Garcia plopped down in the empty chair next to JJ's desk, she looked around at the team, her eyes bright. "So, who's up for lunch in a bit? I feel like we've earned it."