AN: This is the longest chapter I have ever written for any story. Please review and I hope you enjoy.

Hotch watched as JJ cringed in pain, he watched as Will held her hand as the physical therapists encouraged her to keep pressing forward. And Hotch smiled when he knew JJ would keep doing just that; she never stopped pressing forward.

He knocked on the door and stepped in, ignoring the look JJ shot him.

"I need my gun, Hotch." JJ growled, her body shaking in pain as the therapist laughed.

"Almost there, JJ." The therapist said, keeping an eye on her watch. "And please don't give her her weapon, she has already told me what she plans on doing to me with it."

Hotch couldn't help but smile at that; having JJ's sarcasm back was more than welcomed. "I have you gun, JJ." Hotch winked at her and then looked over to the therapist. "She isn't getting it."

The therapist laughed again, "Good because my understanding is she is one hell of a shot. I have no doubt she wouldn't miss."

JJ glared at her, "I don't miss. Ever."

Hotch's eyes went wide, "I can attest to that; JJ, I cannot recall a time when you didn't miss."

"That's because there hasn't been one, boss."

"Okay, JJ. That is my cue to leave you alone," the therapist interrupted. "How about I help you get settled again?" She didn't wait for an answer and together, the therapist and her coworker helped JJ lay back and against the slightly inclined bed. "You did really well today, JJ." The therapist said, tucking the blanket around her.

JJ shook her head, "I want to try again, I just need to rest for a bit."

The therapist raised her eyebrows in mock concern. "Um, in case you forgot, ma'am. You just threatened to assassinate me and make it look like I did it myself… not five minutes ago. And you think I am going to believe that you are ready to try again?" JJ nodded and the therapist shook her head. "And you think that rushing through this will make you heal faster?" JJ smiled and nodded again, "Yeah, sorry to bust your bubble, Agent Jareau. But it doesn't work like that."

"How much longer?" JJ asked, growing inpatient. She wanted out of the hospital.

"Until what?"

"Until I can be done with physical therapy?"

The therapist nodded and lowered her voice. "JJ, it will be permanent. A physical therapist will most likely always be involved because of your paralysis." JJ looked away, hating hearing the news but also appreciating how blunt the therapist was. Everyone else had tiptoed around it; this one just came out and said it, no sugar coating. "So, what we are doing now is regaining the strength in your upper body so that you can sit up on your own, and you are getting there!"

JJ nodded, taking in a deep breath and squinting at the pain she felt in her chest.

"JJ, look at me." The therapist directed. "I know you are frustrated, I see it. But I also see the determination and while I cannot give you a time frame, I can see you sitting on your own very soon. I can see you starting to transfer to your chair on your own very soon, you will get there. But you have to give it time. Your body went through hell and don't forget, you just had a major surgery a week ago. When you put that in perspective, I would say you are where I would expect you to be at a month post-transplant. Don't forget all the things you have accomplished and that list will only keep growing." She reassured and JJ smiled. "Now, did I use my less then optimal therapy skills to get myself off the end of your gun?"

JJ laughed at that and Hotch stepped forward smiling at the two of them. "I believe the hostage rescue team is looking for another member," Hotch said to the therapist. "You did negotiate with JJ."

"Uh, no. I plead for my life and offered a truce."

Hotch arched his eyebrow, wondering what that was. "And?"

"I promised to go get her a bag of Cheetos."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Hotch sat with JJ, talking with her as he saw the pain slowly dissipate from her features. The energy she had expended sitting up for two minutes had drained her.

"Sorry, Hotch." She said softly, looking up at him.

"For what?" He asked, confused. He stood up to grab one of the pillows that had fallen from the floor.

"For threating to shoot her."

"I don't blame you; I could tell you might have done so if you had your gun.

JJ smiled, "you know I would never…"

"Of course I do, JJ. I've never seen you harm someone who didn't deserve it. And I have seen you annihilate those who truly do deserve it." It was the perfect transition and he couldn't be more thankful for Emily's timing as she stepped through the door.

"Hi JJ," Emiy stepped forward and handed JJ a bag of Cheetos. "I was entrusted by the physical therapist to give these to you? Apparently she is scared to come in here now." Emily winked, knowing it had all been in good fun.

"I know you two are ganging up on me," JJ looked back and forth at them, "what do you want to ask me?"

Emily smiled again and looked at Hotch. "You know how this works. Duncan threatened to skin me alive if I caused you any harm. But you seem like you are doing so much better."

JJ nodded, "I can breathe without the assistance of anything now. It is such a huge difference."

"We need to ask a few more questions, okay?"

"Just a few?" JJ smiled, knowing it would be a long interview.

"Well, more than a few. And yes, Morgan took Will out to lunch. So it is just us."

JJ nodded again, appreciating that Emily and Hotch were consistently the people who interviewed her; it made it easier.

"Okay, what do you need to know?" JJ adjusted herself in bed, steering herself to confidence, ready to answer even the most dehumanizing questions.

"Do you remember the last time we spoke about this, about a man named Bart?" Emily asked and JJ nodded.

"Yes, I remember talking to you about him." JJ paused, "Well identifying him."

Emily smiled and nodded, "Yes, we didn't get any further then that. Are you feeling up to talking about it now?"

JJ stared at her and looked up at her "why do I feel that you are about to drop something on me?" Emily froze for half a second, but it was all JJ needed. "What… what did you find?" Thousands of ideas seem to have flooded her mind, many of which she had never voiced; but they had found something…

"JJ, what can you tell me about Bart?" Emily asked softly.

JJ shook her head, not wanting to talk about him. But knowing she had to do. "I…" her voice seemed to disappear. "Can you just ask closed ended questions?" She couldn't talk, couldn't see through the flashback she knew was about to overtake her. She desperately clung to the bedsheets, feeling the coolness of them; she counted the things she was able to see, hear, feel. She did everything she could to ground herself and slowly, she felt it working.

"Of course, JJ." Emily agreed, not typically agreeing to this manner of interview; but if JJ was asking, of course she would. "Was Bart one of the men who hurt you?"

JJ nodded, "yes."

"Was he there frequently?"

"No."

"Do you remember what he did?" This time, JJ didn't speak, instead she nodded her head. "Can you tell me?"

JJ bit her lip and looked away. "Em, you know what he did. I don't want to discuss it; he is dead. It shouldn't matter anymore."

Emily looked back at Hotch who nodded his go ahead. "Yes, he is dead, JJ. But we found something else and wanted to ask you about that." Emily waited for JJ to nod before continuing, "Lacey told us Bart was sent for a specific purpose; do you know anything about that?"

JJ's eyes shot up as she looked at Emily. "No, he just told me he was there because someone owed him a favor." An involuntary shake swept through her body at the mere thought of it. "He said he won an auction item and the prize was… was me."

Emily nodded, biting her cheek to maintain her composure. "And that was the only time you saw him?" Another nod from JJ. "Do you remember anything while he was with you?"

JJ nodded, "Talia was there, she watched as he.. as he did what he did."

"Lacey told us that there was a OBGYN that examined you."

JJ nodded again and looked away, not wanting to look at them. "Yes. He was there multiple times. I cannot remember exactly how many but he was one of the staff I saw many times a week."

Emily closed her eyes. "Do you remember a fertility doctor?" She would ask more about the OBGYN later, now was not the time. She would need another female agent in the room; she wasn't going to do that with Hotch in the room; she knew JJ… and she knew JJ would give the interview but would feel highly embarrassed. Emily knew that JJ had been with Hotch on hundreds of cases and that he had heard graphic and highly intimate details on the majority of the cases. But this was JJ; and some sense of privacy had to be maintained.

JJ bit her lip and shook her head after a while. "No, but they never told me who was coming in and out. Some I could figure out, others, I never knew." Her stomach was dropping. "Emily, why are you asking me about a fertility doctor?" Her voice cracked, somehow she knew where this was going.

"JJ…" Emily couldn't force herself to say it, but knew she had to. "We have evidence to suggest that you were pregnant and that Bart was the father. We believe that it was done on purpose and that you did carry full term."

JJ shook her head, tears forming in her eyes, "No."

"JJ…"

"No!" JJ yelled at her, "no…" and she began to sob. Emily grabbed her in her own arms and held her, allowing her friend to cry. She felt JJ's tears drench her own sleeve, rubbed her back as wracking sobs went through JJ's body. Emily held JJ as she finally, finally allowed herself to break down in front of her team. And as she did, Emily had no clue how she was going to tell her about the rest.

She sat there for a while until JJ's sobs were silent, holding her and rubbing her back. "Where is the baby?" JJ asked, her head still against Emily's chest.

Emily shook her head. "JJ… I need you to listen okay? We have found them…

And she felt JJ stiffen in her arms and struggle to sit back up. "Them?" JJ whispered.

Emily nodded, "We know of at least twins; we have them. They are safe."

JJ was silent for a few minutes, trying to take it all in. She shook her head, trying to wrap her mind around it. "Where are they?"

"They were adopted, illegally of course. We will charge Talia with child trafficking once we locate her. But the twins are safe. They are in the care of their adoptive mother."

JJ froze again, "are… are they happy?"

Emily smiled and nodded, "they are. They are perfect, JJ."

"Who is the adoptive mother?"

"It is Bart's wife, Victoria. We interviewed her and believe she truly had no idea about what was really going on. She saw Talia on the wanted list and immediately contacted us. She consented to a DNA test and the results showed that the twins are yours, JJ."

JJ ran a hand over her head, this was not happening. "Does Will know?" Emily shook her head. "I… what do we do now?"

Hotch stepped forward, "the adoption was illegal, JJ. Those girls are yours; Victoria knows and understands that and does not want to keep them from you. Where we go from here is up to you. We can go any path you want on this, on your time and at your pace."

JJ nodded and looked to Emily. "There is something else, I know that look."

Emily swallowed, "We have the twin girls, JJ. But we have reason to believe, but cannot confirm, that there was a third baby. Lacey said there was three, but we have found nothing to collaborate that claim."

"I… I don't remember any of that, of them." She wanted to cry, but held the tears back. "How do I not remember having them?" It was too much, all of it was too much. She didn't know what she wanted to know and what she didn't. Triplets? Girls? Boys? Both? Names? Birthdays? It was overwhelming and JJ knew she had to push it aside for a moment, she had to try and continue to function. Her PTSD was becoming unmanageable and she felt herself spiraling; but she had to maintain control. She had to maintain the illusion and semblance of recovery. At least until Will came back.

"Lacey added that they kept you pretty well sedated throughout the pregnancy. That he believed you had no memory of them.

JJ shook her head, trying to think back. "How old are they?"

"Eighteen months," Hotch replied.

JJ sniffed, "I was at the first compound then. Everything they did was recorded but it was all kept on a server in the second compound. They kept information backed up on a server inside the compound. It could only be accessed with a blood sample." She shivered at the memory of it.

"Who's blood, JJ?" Hotch asked, already knowing the answer.

"Mine. I know where that information is, Hotch."

"Can you give it to me? We can send Reid and…"

But JJ was shaking her head. "No. No, this time I am going with you. I will give you the information but I need to go."

"JJ…" Hotch began.

"Hotch, you promised me I was still part of this team. Prove it."

And Hotch stared at her, his instinct wanting to protect her, not allow her anywhere near that compound again. But she was asking for it, demanding it. And JJ was the key to bringing everything down.

And then it hit Emily and Hotch at the same time. "JJ, you remember where the compounds are?"

JJ nodded again, "Yes, Leaff told me. I think he thought I was unconscious, but he told me a lot. And I remember where the compounds are."