JJ stood in the hallway, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, eyes cast downward as she looked at you, the weight of your grief pressing into the silence between you. She could feel your pain, your heartache, and it made her own chest tighten.

"I know this isn’t what you want to hear right now," she began softly, her voice filled with a compassion she didn’t always let others see. "But we’re doing everything we can. We won’t stop until we get the answers you deserve."

You didn’t respond immediately, just nodded, eyes misty but locked on hers. JJ took a deep breath, guilt gnawing at her insides. She had done this before, comforted others through their pain, but this was different. There was something in your eyes that made her heart ache in a way she didn’t know how to handle. She wanted to help, wanted to fix it, but a part of her also wanted something more—something she knew she shouldn’t feel, not now, not when you were hurting so deeply.

"I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but you’re not alone in this," she said, her voice almost cracking as she took a small step closer, instinctively reaching out to offer a comforting touch. "You’ve got me. You’ve got us."

You looked at her, and for a fleeting moment, JJ felt something shift—something she couldn’t ignore, and it filled her with a guilt she wasn’t prepared to face.