The night stretches long and quiet as you sit in the dimly lit surveillance van alongside JJ. The remote area you're watching feels like a world away from civilization, with only the faint hum of crickets and the occasional rustle of the trees to keep you company. The coffee thermos between you has already been drained, and the glow of the monitors casts eerie shadows on the walls.

"You ever think about how we ended up here?" JJ asks suddenly, her voice soft but cutting through the silence.

You glance at her, raising an eyebrow. "Here, as in... a van in the middle of nowhere? Or here, as in this job?"

She smirks, shifting in her seat. "Both, I guess. I mean, there’s a whole world out there, and we’re... watching an empty road at 3 a.m."

You chuckle, leaning back in your chair. "Yeah, not exactly how I imagined spending my night either. But hey, it's not all bad. At least we’re in it together."

JJ smiles, a genuine one that softens her features. "True. Could be worse -I could’ve been stuck with Reid explaining the history of stakeouts."

You laugh, picturing Reid’s animated monologue. "Yeah, or Morgan trying to turn it into a workout session. Imagine him doing push-ups between surveillance shifts."

JJ grins, shaking her head. "I can actually see that. What about you? What would you be doing if you weren’t here?"

Before you can respond, a sudden noise crackles over the radio—a garbled voice, urgent and panicked. The monitors light up with movement: a dark figure darting through the underbrush near the target location.

JJ sits up straight, her hand instinctively moving to her sidearm. "Looks like we’ve got company," she says, her tone sharp and focused.

You nod, adrenaline kicking in as you grab the flashlight and your own weapon. "Let’s move. Quietly."