Helping Hands

By: Aelia O'Hession

Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. I am merely borrowing the genius of another for my own sordid needs. Therefore, I own nothing dealing with Criminal Minds.

Note: This is slightly AU from the current season because the female agents are Elle and JJ. Having things this way suits my needs, so please don't be upset with me.

Chapter 1: Please

I had absolutely no idea of what had just happened to me.

Instead of looking up at the bight blue cloudless sky, I was staring at the grimy pavement of an alley. My entire body ached – what I could see of myself was covered in purpling bruises and blood. The sight of the blood made my stomach churn.

From behind me came the dull sound of boots on the pavement and coarse laughter. "Pathetic," the male voice muttered. With a wince of pain, I turned my head, trying to get a look at my company. All I saw was a retreating figure, clothed in dark colors, calmly making his way out of the alley.

Blackness began to creep into the edges of my vision. I was tempted to succumb to the darkness because it promised freedom from my pain. The desire for the pain to go away was great. But greater was the determination that swept through me like a tidal wave, keeping the treacherous darkness away. Carefully I began to rise, desperately trying to ignore the pain that was in every move I made. My body protested movement greatly, sending waves of pain rolling though me at the slightest movement. A few times, I stumbled and fell back to the ground, ready to concede defeat, but my mind would not allow me to do such a thing.

On stubbornness alone, I managed to rise to my feet and begin walking, however slow and painful it was. Anything was better than lying in that alley, drenched in a pool of my own blood. Passersby on their way to work, as I should have been, gave me a mixture of glances ranging from astonishment, worry, embarrassment and even contempt.

Hanging my head so that my hair, however matted with blood it was, concealed my face. I allowed my feet to take me whichever way they pleased, at a pace that caused me as little pain as possible.

I seemed to exist outside of time, for I could not tell how long I wandered the streets. There came a point in the day where there seemed to be no one on the streets. Those whom I did pass barely spared me a look. A sob escaped my lips; there was no one with even a scrap of compassion with which to help me.

Then there was a man.

He stood idly on the sidewalk with a careworn leather briefcase slung casually over his shoulder.

My pride collapsed in my desperation for help. With a few stumbling steps, I reached the man. I was nearly beside him, yet my vision was so blurred that I could not make out his features clearly. As the last of my strength gave out, I reached out and grabbed his elbow.

"Please……help me."

Then my world went dark.