Brontide

A Criminal Minds Story

She didn't feel the pain at first. It was as though she was simply waking up, nothing more, nothing less. Voices, voices were what drove her to open her eyes. Familiar voices, giggling and whispering. Her first thought was that it was her husband and son, trying to be quiet as they prepared for a surprise assault on her blessed sleep.

Then it hit her, the pain.

It spread like a wild fire from the tips of her toes to her head, where it exploded. Praying for the return of dreams, she squeezed her eyes shut. When they didn't come, she tried to open her eyes. They were heavy and swollen, but they opened.

There was a tube shoved down her throat and it scared her slightly. She should see it through the bottom of her eyes, and she swore she felt it. Her cracked, dry lips lightly surrounded the breathing apparatus as she continued to breathe in and out.

"JJ," The voice, she now identified as Garcia's called out, "Hi Jayje."

Wincing, she looked at her best friend. JJ's eyes widened, her eyes going straight for the large amount of white gauze that completely surrounded her friends nose. It looked like a white clown's nose, being held together with an equally white bandage. Towels were draped across her head, covering most of her hair.

And for a moment, JJ forgot about the pain.

"JJ, you're in the hospital," She turned her head to see Emily, who was watching her warily. The brunette, was wearing her favorite brown jacket, with an oversized hospital gown spilling out of her pants. Various abrasions and cuts dotted her face along with a fairly large bruise growing across the side of her head.

"What are you two doing in here..," A bellowing Derek Morgan burst through the door, "JJ?"

And suddenly JJ felt the need to laugh, at the sight of it all, and she did. Sort of. Short puffs of air shot through her breathing tube, and she started to choke. Spluttering and muttering, her many machines screamed and screamed. Nurses and doctors sprinted through the doors passing a distraught Morgan and the shocked Emily and Garcia.

"Just breathe, Jennifer. Just breathe. We're going to pull this out now, it'll be slightly uncomfortable," JJ didn't care for comfort as her throat flared up and the pain returned. The slimy tube, slid out of her throat kind of like a stray hair that was nearly swallowed. Gagging horrendously the tube was finally gone and her throat was free.

A cup of water appeared in front of her, and she sucked it down hungrily. Her eyes caught Garcia's, her head towels had fallen to her shoulders her eyes wide and scared. JJ downed another cup of water. The nurses blocked any sight of Emily and Derek, so she just kept her gaze to Garcia.

"Well Ms. Jareau, I am very glad to see you awake. You've given us a few scares. Now tell me, what are you feeling?" JJ stared at her presumed doctor and raised her eyebrows. Her throat was burning, her chest felt tight, she could barely breathe, her head pounded, but of course she wouldn't tell him that. Her fingers touched the familiar fabric beneath her, and she looked to see her royal blue blanket, and she smiled.

At least she hoped she did.

"Well Doctor," Her voice croaked and cracked, "I've never been so grateful that I can breathe."

Nobody laughed as she started to cough uncontrollably. Morgan battled his way to her side rubbing her back while she lunged forward trying to rid her throat of whatever held it hostage. Her head flamed up, burning through her senses while her abdomen shook with agony. Blue eyes bulged finally inhaling a deep quick breath, and she started to calm.

JJ cried out, scared and heaving. Her pale hand clutched her blanket; it's softness squishing through her fingers. The doctors and nurses forcefully pressed her down, fearing for her stitches and her now aggravated injuries.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," JJ rasped, more to herself than anyone else,"I'm okay."

It took twenty minutes for the doctor to finally leave, with fifteen of those minutes spent debating on whether or not Emily and Garcia could stay. They were fugitives, outlaws that needed to be sent back to their hospital cell.

"They need their rest as does Ms. Jareau," The doctor had said, his cheeks red and beads of sweat dripped from his chin, "I simply cannot allow it."

"You will not take me from my girl," Garcia had swung one of her many towels menacingly, "You will not." But it had only taken one quiet plea from JJ to allow them ten minutes with each other.

Five minutes later, Morgan still looked like a sad puppy dog, with his big worried eyes and his scrunched eyebrows. Emily sat in the chair leaning as far back as she could, her hand clutching her side tightly. Garcia shifted from one agent to the other, huffing with frustration every time just to reach up and hold her nose gingerly.

They didn't speak at all for the remaining five minutes, but that was okay with JJ. She was just happy that they were there. Eventually three nurses piled in, their hair pulled back in matching buns. They looked tired and happy at the same time as they were at the end of their shift. One had a wheelchair in hand meant for Emily while another gripped Garcia's chair.

"Time to go back Ladies," one chirped in a sweet, but demanding tone. Garcia wished JJ a sweet goodbye with the promise of return. Emily simply squeezed JJ's hand, not looking her in the eye. Morgan stood up to walk with them telling JJ that he would be right back. She watched them leave with her two reluctant escapees and an overwhelmed Derek.

Then she was alone, all alone. A nurse turned out her light and it was dark, very dark. And JJ cried. Just a few tears as the memory of the past few hours crept back at her slowly like the rising tide until it swallowed her whole. Shivering at the simple thought of snow, wincing at the imaginary sound of a fired bullet and choking at the crunching of two colliding cars, JJ pulled her blanket closer and closed her eyes. Assaulted by images, images of distorting snow and a figure with a gun. A figure called Emily…

Emily had shot her.

Emily.

Another tear squeezed out slowly falling from her cheek to her neck dampening the pillow beneath her. It hurt, it hurt more than the wounds she had been inflicted and all she wanted to do was forgive. After all, JJ was sure she would have done the same thing. As there is no doubt that Emily had presumed her to be the unsub.

But she couldn't forget, at least… not right now.

"JJ?"

She looked up and smiled, he was shadowed by the small lamp that barely lit the room, but she knew who he was. His presence alone, she had never failed to recognize. He stepped in further, and she could see that he'd recently been outside. His usually impeccable tie was coming apart, his white shirt damp and wrinkled, the suit jacket sparkled with the still melting specks of snow.

"Hotch," Her voices still struggled to get through, but he understood her anyway, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he told her still standing by the doorway. She hoped he couldn't see her tears, "We got him. DeMott and Cameron too."

JJ's eyes widened for a moment before she nodded a hint of a smile graced her lips and a small pain seemed to be lifted away. Hotch watched her bring a shaky hand up to her cheek quickly wiping away a tear.

She looked back at him, "Will and Henry, do they know?"

Hotch shook his head, "We couldn't get ahold of them."

"Don't tell them, okay?" She begged him, she didn't want them to know. Hotch nodded, slightly worried. He didn't miss her relief or the yawn and the drooping eyes that followed quickly after.

"I heard you had a few unexpected visitors today," JJ coughed loudly, but the laugh etched within was unmistakable.

"Those two… quite a pair," clearing her throat, her eyes started to close.

"It's the three of you that will be the death of me," Hotch quite seriously replied as he finally sat down beside the exhausted mother. With the rolling glare of her eyes she reached out her hand towards him.

"Will you stay here, just for a little while. Morgan said he'd be back and I don't want to be alone," she had whispered it while he took her hand.

"I'll stay."

"Can I go home?" she asked behind closed eyes, "Hotch, can I?"

"Tomorrow," And with that she fell asleep. Hotch held her hand softly, his gaze brought back out to the door where Rossi and Reid stood quietly. Ready to wait out the night, excited for the promise that tomorrow held.

Tomorrow took much too long, but finally they were on the jet. JJ occupied the couch, curled up tightly and completely smothered in her blue… royal blue blanket. Emily took the other end of the couch, her head rested on her hand as her elbow took to the arm. Her hair covered most of her still prominent bruise, while her other arm held tightly to her side. She and JJ had yet to talk. Garcia was in the chair across from them, now only sporting a few layers of white gauze to her still swollen and slightly discolored nose. Her head rested on Morgan's shoulder, who blasted music through his headphones. Hotch, Rossi, and Reid were immersed in a game of cards, but they were hardly paying attention.

"Will they be alright?" Reid asked, looking back at the slumbering women.

"I'm not sure yet," Hotch answered truthfully as he shuffled the deck. They could tell that they were each hiding something from that night. A secret, Hotch knew they were determined to keep buried deep in the blood painted snow. And he would let them have their secret because he felt like he didn't need to know.

"Those three, they're going to be the death of me," Rossi added and Hotch snorted. He totally agreed.

"Tell me about it." Reid simply stared at them slightly confused, taking it as a inside joke he picked up his stack of cards and smiled. Both Rossi and Hotch frowned.

Three hours into their flight, they were nearing home when JJ looked up at Emily and then Garcia. Careful not to wake up Morgan, the duck slipper wearing Garcia quacked her way to the couch sitting between the two women.

"You two need to talk…." Emily looked at JJ and JJ to Emily. They both smiled, their eyes shining with the friendship and love they felt for the other. Then they turned and gave the same look to Garcia. Who had to smile back. It was a look you gave your best friends or someone you will love forever and ever no matter what. It screamed love and forgiveness and light.

"I'm sorry," Emily told her and JJ reached out her hand.

"So am I," A mutual understanding passed between the both of them and they forgave. And JJ knew she wouldn't forget that night for a long time, but she definitely didn't care about what happened anymore. She was just happy that she was alive and going home… that they all were.

"I'm thinking spa weekend? Anyone with me?" Garcia squealed.

"Yes please," JJ chirped, wincing slightly.

"I'm so in." Emily added.

"Well my fellow concussed, crime-fighting, beautiful ladies TO THE SPA," Garcia bellowed the last part pulling her favorite girls in for a tight hug.

"Oh Garcia the ribs, please."

"Penelope!"

They giggled happily, short of breath and clutching their stomachs. Ignoring the curious one-eyed stares they received from the recently woken men. They smiled some more, feeling loved and feeling happy. Any feeling of dread that had devoured them before was gone leaving only peace, peace and another promise for a tomorrow.

"You know I still can't believe you fooled Morgan," JJ wondered her eyes shining.

"We couldn't either," Emily told her, "I mean how could you miss that amount of gauze?"

Garcia glared at Emily, who shrugged politely while JJ used her blanket like a pillow giving a small smile. Morgan took off his headphones and turned to the three women. He had caught the end of the conversation.

"I knew it was you," Morgan defended, "I just knew you wanted to see JJ, that's all."

"Sure you did," Derek opened to reply, but Garcia held up a hand, 'It's alright. I still love you."

And they laughed some more, leaving a grumbling Morgan to turn the volume up higher on his headphones.

"Girls," He shook his head, but had to smile as he turned to look out his window.

He was just happy that they were all okay.

The End.

Thank you all so much for sticking with this story. It turned out to be one of those stories, where you have an idea for the beginning and the end, but the middle seems to take a turn for something new. But I've enjoyed writing it and sharing it. Thank you for the reviews and comments and for simply reading. It is so appreciated.

Until next time,

Thanks!

-HCB