A/N: A new story! (These are always fun!) While I am not ready to take on another long story when I have Jake's Series to complete, this was only meant to be a quicky like The Name Game. However, after writing little by little, this has grown into something fairly bigger than anticipated. I've decided (for now) that this will be posted in two parts. And, as always, reviews are VERY MUCH appreciated and respected. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

Wreck – Part One

Hotch heard raindrops on the pavement. Thousands upon thousands of drops hit the ground in sheets and created an unwavering hiss. The sound was constant and unforgiving, assaulting his ears as efficiently as nails being dragged down a chalkboard. He winced at the noise that slowly lured him back into consciousness.

He opened his eyes and gasped, unprepared for the brightness that met them. Hotch immediately shut them closed again to try and regain his bearings. He needed to adjust to the sound of the raindrops on the windshield before he could tackle the light.

Windshield!

Hotch felt himself frown as his memory slowly reclaimed him.

Rain. SUV. Driving the SUV in the rain.

Slowly, he reopened his eyes. Pain throbbed in his head in rhythm to the blinking lights on the SUV's dashboard. He went to bring his left arm to his temple but it was broken and unmoving.

He gingerly turned his head towards the driver's side window in an effort to take in his surroundings. His gaze was met with a grassy slope caked with mud and rocks. His eyes traveled upwards, expecting to see a road, but his view was blocked by the car frame's twisted metal. Hotch allowed himself to fall back into his seat, breathing deeply from his exertion.

It was obvious to him that he was in a car wreck but now he needed to remember it.

Suddenly a soft moan sounded to his right which made Hotch's breath hitch.

Rain. SUV. Driving the SUV in the rain. With JJ.

The revelation hit Hotch like a punch to his stomach. Dread washed over him as he attempted to turn towards the passenger's side of the crashed vehicle. He tried to move to his right but the seatbelt had jammed, keeping him strapped tightly to his seat which left his view obstructed.

Frustration began to bubble up in his chest.

"JJ?" he whispered.

He reached with his right arm over to unbuckle his seatbelt. Unexpected, hot pain ricocheted up and down left side and made him groan out. Forcing himself to stay focused, his fingers finally reached the buckle's release but it was stuck.

"Dammit!" he growled out. His energy spent, Hotch once again collapsed back into his seat, panting.

"Aa-Aaron?"

At her voice Hotch found and latched onto a much needed adrenaline rush.

"Hang on, JJ," he said a little louder. Hotch bit his tongue to prevent another groan that threatened to escape him. He squeezed his eyes shut and fought with the seatbelt release but it remained unyielding to his frantic pushes.

Anger now fueled the unit chief. He needed to get to JJ.

He strained against the safety belt pinning him with newfound determination. Hotch eventually found a small tear in the belt so he grabbed and yanked on it. The hot pain continued to shoot along his side but he ignored it, remaining solely focused on getting free and getting to JJ.

The seatbelt suddenly snapped back, signaling his freedom. He began to feel lightheaded from the effort he'd just used but Aaron forced himself to focus on the woman next to him.

Finally able to see her, he wished he had prepared himself. A tree branch penetrated the windshield and laid on the armrest in between them. At impact the branch had clipped JJ's abdomen and tore up her left side. Hotch closed his eyes, unable to keep looking at her injury.

"Aaron?"

Hotch came to attention at JJ's scared plea. Her shaking hands were held out in front of her and were covered in blood. Her blood.

"Yes, JJ. I'm here."

Aaron reached his right arm over to her, his pain forgotten, and rested it on her neck just under her ear. He lightly caressed her cheek with his thumb to reassure her of his presence. However, her eyes wouldn't leave her bloodied hands.

"It's okay. It's okay, JJ. I'm calling for help," Hotch assured her. He frantically looked for one of their radios but the interior of the SUV was in disarray. Glass from the shattered side windows littered every surface and deflated airbags hung or laid on parts of the broken interior.

Looking around, Hotch saw nothing that would help him contact the team, or anyone else for that matter. He subconsciously moved his thumb across JJ's cheek again, comforting both them.

There had to be something!

Suddenly he stopped in realization. "Earpiece." Hotch whispered to himself.

Just as he reached for it, he heard the static the device was emitting into his ear. The sound eerily matched that of the rain still pounding on the windshield and pavement around them. Hotch angrily pulled the apparatus from his ear and searched desperately for something—anything—that would help him and JJ out of their situation.

He glanced over to the distressed blonde next to him and saw that her shaking had become worse. She was taking rapid, deep breaths and her eyes remained unfocused. It was clear to Aaron she was going into shock.

He placed his hand on her knee. "JJ I'm here. Hang on."

Hotch rested against his seat one last time in an effort to get every ounce of energy left in him. He mentally prepared himself for what he needed to do next for he knew it would be painful. With swift caution, Aaron lifted his left arm with his right hand, nearly screaming in pain, and placed it across his stomach.

Once he was confident his arm wouldn't slip, he moved closer to JJ. Hotch lifted his right hand and strung his fingers through her hair, moving it behind her ear.

"JJ? JJ look at me. Come on JJ," Hotch softly said. Finally she moved her teary eyes to his. Aaron nodded when he had her attention. "That's it. Good. You need to calm down, JJ, can you do that? You're going to be fine, just focus on me. I need you to stay focused, JJ." He looked into her eyes and begged her to listen to him. Eventually her body relaxed a little and she became calmer. Hotch tilted her head towards him and held her eyes with his.

"We were in a wreck. We're in a bank off the road," he explained to her.

JJ's face melted into one of fear. Panic began to set in and she began to lose control of her breathing again.

"JJ, you need to take deep breaths. Come on. Deep breaths." Hotch rubbed his thumb against her cheek once again in order to make sure he still held her attention.

Once he saw she was doing as he said, he dropped his head to hide his grimace of pain. He was determined to cover his discomfort from JJ so she wouldn't become more upset.

He debated on what to do as the reality of the situation sank in.

No one knew where they were.

"Garcia."

Aaron lifted his head to her, puzzled.

"On phone with…with Garcia," she told him.

Rain. SUV. Driving the SUV in the rain. Talking on the hands-free with Garcia.

He smiled at JJ in relief. "You're right, JJ. Garcia will send help. So you stay with me JJ, okay?"

At her pained look he felt helpless and hated it. He wanted to take all JJ's hurt and fear from her and make it his own burden; like the pavement took the pounding rain.

"JJ, you were hurt. I have to look at the wound." He left a comforting hand on JJ and looked at her injury more closely. He willed himself to remain calm and controlled as he saw the severity of the wound.

Aaron hadn't prayed in a while, but he hoped to God help would arrive soon.

"JJ I need you to think about Henry. Think about him, okay? I need to put pressure on it," he warned her. JJ pursed her lips and quickly nodded her assent. "Okay," Aaron muttered. He wished he could leave a comforting hand on her shoulder and cursed the uselessness of his left arm. In a swift motion he placed his fingers over the gash in her side. At JJ's moan he winced. "I'm sorry. I have to do this."

"I'm scared, Aaron," JJ whispered. Her voice was so soft, Hotch was surprised he was able to hear her over the rain.

"I know. I know but you're doing great." He inched as close to her as he could, awkwardly positioning himself over the tree branch lying in the middle of the SUV.

"You're here," she said. She had the left side of her head against her headrest and was staring directly into his eyes.

"I am," he answered her. "So stay with me."

JJ fought to keep her heavy eyelids open and gave him a light smile. "I will."

"Good. So keep your eyes open," Hotch said. His voice cracked and he was thankful for the loud rain that masked it. "That's it. Tell me about Henry, JJ." He was desperate to keep her talking for both of their sakes. The pain radiating up and down his body was unbearable and threatened to knock him out.

"He…he wants to invite you and Jack to his birthday party," she told him.

"Yeah? Well Jack and I will be there and you can tell him so," Aaron assured her. He glanced down at the blood he could feel seeping through his fingers.

He was afraid.

"What does he want for his birthday, JJ?"

JJ squinted as she tried to remember. "I don't remember," she gasped. It scared her that she couldn't recall what her own son wanted for his birthday. Tears pooled in her eyes.

"I don't think any…anyone's coming to help," she forced out. Her face was in a constant grimace of pain.

Tears began to fall down her cheeks which Aaron desperately wanted to wipe away.

"Of course they are." He clung to the fact Garcia was talking to them when he lost control of the SUV and had known what to do.

"It's not fair," JJ insisted as she squeezed her eyes shut.

He shook his head. "No, no it isn't." Aaron looked at her and could feel his eyes welling up with his own tears. "I haven't even…" he let his sentence drift.

She wasn't going to die, she was a fighter. He'd be damned if he started to voice his regrets as if it was the end. He ducked his head closer to hers and gave her a fierce look. "God JJ, you need to stay strong, please don't give up. There's…" He took a deep breath to stave off his tears. "There's so much I'd change."

Her big, blue eyes studied him with newfound clarity. "Me too," she admitted softly. Neither of them broke eye contact until her eyelids forced themselves closed. Before Hotch could protest she opened them again. She moved her eyes over to his limp arm and back to him in question.

"It's fine," he disregarded.

"Hmm," she moaned. JJ had no energy to answer him. She shut her eyes again and Hotch felt her shallow breaths on his face grow fewer.

"NO!" he snapped. He pressed harder onto her wound and silently willed her to wake. He was met with a gasp from JJ and her eyes snapped open. Aaron almost succumbed to his desire and reached for her hair, her face, her shoulder. Instead, he kept pressure on the hole in her side. "Think of Henry, JJ," he commanded her with a harsh voice.

At the name of her son a small spark ignited in her eyes.

"He's waiting for you at home. He needs you," Aaron reminded her. "We all need you. Even Jack needs his Aunt JJ."

For what felt like the hundredth time, Aaron desperately looked around in search for something that would help them but came up empty. Once again he turned his head back towards the driver's side window and craned his neck downwards to try and catch a glimpse of the road above. Again, he couldn't see it.

Aaron turned back to JJ and saw her eyes closing. "JJ!"

He had to keep her alive. She needed to stay awake. He would do anything.

With renewed strength he lifted himself by his elbow, releasing some of the pressure on her wound, and hastily claimed her lips with his. There was nothing romantic about the kiss. Instead it was full of desperation and passion. Aaron imagined breathing strength into her as he conveyed as much affection into the kiss as he could. He kept her lips captive with his own until he felt her weakly move hers in response, though he could have easily imagined it.

Hope was powerful and it made people believe in almost anything.

Physically spent, Aaron collapsed backwards. "JJ, please," he begged as black spots began to cloud his vision.

When he received no response he allowed himself to weep, his cries muffled by the rain.

/XXX/

When Penelope Garcia wanted to do something, very few people could stop her. One exception was the boss-man, and he was in a hospital bed so she did what she damn well pleased without any restraints. The moment the authorities had told her they'd found Hotch and JJ she left her computer sanctuary in Quantico and booked it to the airport.

Approximately two hours later she was riding in a fed-issued SUV in southeastern Pennsylvania. The tech analyst anxiously picked at her nails as she watched the scenery flow by in a blur. All she knew from her texts with Morgan was that Hotch was stable and JJ was in surgery. She knew nothing more. And it was killing her.

Minutes later the SUV pulled up to the Smythe-Sinai hospital and she was out before it came to a complete stop. Her heels clicked and clacked as she ran all the way to the front desk where she flashed her rarely-used credentials.

"Aaron Hotchner and Jennifer Jareau?" she asked, trying to keep the frantic urgency out of her voice.

The receptionist looked from her ID back to Garcia uncertainly. "You're FBI?"

"Yes! And I need to know where agents Hotchner and Jareau are in this building, now!" Garcia's voice rose with every word.

"Penelope!"

Derek Morgan's voice caught her attention as he rushed up to her. He paused long enough to grab her hand and then to pull her in the direction where he'd come from.

"Derek? Is JJ—?" At her chocolate god's expression a new wave of worry consumed her.

He shook his head. "No word." They reached the elevators and he jammed the up button.

"But it's been almost two and a half hours!" Garcia protested. The tears that she'd managed to keep from falling in the car were now pouring down her face.

Morgan stilled and looked at his friend. He grabbed her into a hug as they waited for the elevator. "I know. I know." He rubbed her back and shushed her soothingly. "Come on, Baby Girl, you need to keep it together."

At his words Garcia pushed away from him. "No. No I don't! You have no idea what it was like to hear my beloved boss-man and best friend hit…something…with brakes squealing and bangs thudding and—"

"Okay, okay!" Morgan interrupted with raised hands. "Okay. I'm sorry, you're right, I don't know what it was like." Once he saw Penelope relax a little he grabbed her upper arms. He lowered his head so his face was level with hers. "Take a breath, let's go see the others, okay?"

Garcia, still getting over her brief loss of control nodded. "Yes. Yes let's do that."

The elevator doors opened and the two of them hurried inside where Derek pushed button 3. They waited in silence and watched the floor numbers ascend.

"Do they know what happened?"

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "They spun out. The rain was coming down harder than it is now. They found them both unconscious, but found them nonetheless, thanks to you, Baby Girl." Derek looked at her with admiration and sincerity but Garcia missed it, she was too preoccupied.

Morgan eyed her but didn't bother to continue his praises; he knew she wasn't hearing them. The car dinged and its doors opened. He escorted her to the right, down a pristine, brightly lit hallway. "Waiting room's just down here," he explained.

"Where's Hotch's room?" she asked.

Morgan shook his head. "Doesn't matter, he's not in it. He's in the waiting room with the rest of us. Wouldn't take no for an answer."

Garcia slowed, surprised at his words. "But…he's injured!"

Derek stopped and rested his hands on his hips. "Would you want to be anywhere else?"

She opened her mouth but nothing came out so she shut it again. "Come on," Derek said.

/XXX/

Emily stared straight ahead with one mission on her mind: not to cry. There was no sense in shedding tears since they didn't know anything yet. She ignored Garcia's random sniffles and Reid's fidgeting. She forced herself to be impassive and disconnected from the others in the room. Morgan's defeated posture and Rossi's tense shoulders drew no emotion from her since she was determined to remain in control.

She allowed herself to glance over to her unit chief and see how he was fairing with his injuries. The sight of his red rimmed eyes caused her breath to hitch in her throat. It was clear he'd been crying, perhaps before he'd joined them in the waiting room, which meant his stoic manner betrayed and deserted him. If Hotch's defenses failed him, hers were vulnerable to failing too. Afraid she'd lose her fight to remain indifferent, Emily quickly stood up.

"Reid," she said to the man seated next to her, "let's go get some coffee."

The young doctor looked at her with sad eyes and nodded.

The two of them walked out of the lounge and towards the elevators. Prentiss slowed as they approached and rubbed her sweaty palms on her slacks. "Let's uh, let's take the stairs," she suggested, eager to keep moving. Reid, seemingly in a daze, didn't protest and followed her to the stairwell further down the hall.

Once they were down in the cafeteria preparing their coffees, Reid finally spoke.

"Hotch is taking this hard."

Emily reached for a sugar packet and sighed. "Do you blame him? He was driving."

"Do you blame him?"

"No of course not," Emily said. "We're all taking this hard. It's JJ."

"I know. But Hotch seems…more distressed than the rest of us," Reid observed. He grabbed a stirrer so he could mix the creamer into his coffee.

Prentiss furrowed her eyebrows. "Well, he practically refused treatment so he could be in the waiting room the second there was news," Emily conceded. She tried not to think of their boss' tired eyes and his being dressed in hospital scrubs while waiting anxiously in the visitors' lounge.

Reid set his stirrer down on a napkin and rested his hand on the Formica countertop. "What do we do if she doesn't make it?"

Emily stared at the coffee she held in her hands and decided she didn't have an answer for him.

/XXX/

The BAU team had never known relief to feel so sweet.

Twenty minutes prior the doctor had informed them that while she lost a lot of blood, they were able to repair all the damage and promised JJ would make a full recovery. Smiles, tears and hugs had gone all around, everyone grateful for the positive diagnosis.

Hotch had been the first to stand and approach the doctor when the man first entered the visitors' lounge. He had stood before the man with his arms hung loosely at his sides, appearing utterly helpless. Aaron had silently pleaded with the doctor for good news with his bloodshot, desperate eyes. Finally, the doctor had offered him a reassuring smile and nod to which Aaron breathed out a deep sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Doctor," he'd said as he began to feel the prickling of fresh tears beneath his eyes. He had not wanted to show any further emotion to his team having had already broken down once. So, rather than join the hugs and exclamations of happiness, Hotch had drifted his way back to the chair he had stubbornly occupied for the prior three plus hours. He'd pinched his nose, closed his eyes and did his best to block out the chatter that had surrounded him.

She was alive. She was alive.

Eighteen minutes later Aaron was still repeating the mantra in his head, trying to keep his emotional turmoil at bay. He felt numb from the effort as he stared into space, talking to no one. He had almost lost the most important woman in his life. Again.

At the label he'd just used for JJ, Aaron roughly dragged a hand through his hair. He really needed to get a grip. The two of them, along with the rest of the team, had faced many life threatening situations before with the unsubs they dealt with. A car accident should not be any different, so there was no reason to be so emotional.

"You haven't moved from this spot in a while."

Aaron shifted his gaze from the floor to Dave, who stood before him with his hands in his pockets. He decided not to answer and resumed to stare at the rundown carpet. There was a reason he was sitting in the empty waiting room alone; he needed to think.

Rossi sighed and took a seat next to his friend. "Don't you want to see her?" he asked gently.

The rest of the team had long since gone to visit JJ, Rossi included, even though she was still asleep. After a few minutes of seeing for himself JJ was okay, he'd realized their unit chief was missing. Worried, Dave had ventured back to the waiting room only to find his friend hunched over in a chair, deep in thought.

Hotch pursed his lips. "Of course," he quietly said.

The older man stared at him, which made Aaron raise his good hand to his forehead and begin to rub it self-consciously.

"So what's the problem?" Dave watched as Hotch lowered his hand and hesitate before speaking. Rather than explain, Aaron began to shut down and ignore Rossi's question. "Aaron?" Dave prodded him.

Hotch's fingers stilled and he dragged his hand over his face eventually settling it on his lap. "When we were in the car, after it wrecked, I said and did some things I shouldn't have," Aaron confessed.

Rossi narrowed his eyes in confusion. Something was eating at the injured man next to him and his cryptic answer was puzzling. "It doesn't sound like you did anything wrong to me. The medics said you played a key role in keeping her alive." Dave ceased talking when Aaron shook his head.

"No. No that's not what I mean." He cast a nervous glance in Dave's direction. "I got emotional and…implied some things. Things I've managed to keep hidden for a long time, I suppose. From both of us." Aaron's quiet tone was methodical and cautious. "Hell, I didn't even know i had them."

Dave stayed silent, sensing the younger man had more to say.

"I told her that she had to hang on because there was 'so much that I would change'." Hotch paused and winced when he thought of his next words. "And I…I kissed her, Dave," he said, turning to look at Rossi. Aaron found he couldn't meet his friend's eyes so he lowered them back to the floor at his feet. "I…I don't think she'll remember it but…I was so desperate to keep her with me."

Rossi absorbed what Aaron just told him. His words surprised him. He had no idea of his friend's feelings towards JJ but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He wasn't sure why it made more sense, just that it simply did.

After a moment he nodded and clasped his hands in his lap. "And what's wrong with that, Aaron? Your desperation, as you call it, was something she held onto. It kept her with us."

Aaron tapped his right foot in thought, slowly growing more frustrated with himself. "What's wrong with it is that I made things complicated," Hotch stopped and considered his feelings as he thought about the kiss. "What's wrong with it is that I want to do it again," he mumbled. He carefully watched Rossi's reaction to his confession and wondered what the man, who had an answer for everything, would say.

"As you said yourself; maybe she won't remember any of it. You'll be in the clear."

Aaron was surprised at the twinge of disappointment he felt in his chest at Dave's words.

"Aaron, you broke your left arm, have a cut on your left leg and are covered in bruises."

Hotch raised his eyebrows and placed an indignant look on his face. "Superficial cut."

"Same difference," Rossi countered. "You strained muscles throughout your right side in order to help JJ in that mangled car, to the point where you passed out. I know you're in pain and exhausted yet you refused to stay in a room two floors up because you insisted on being here with us for when we got news of her condition."

"I'd do that for any of you, Dave."

"Is it really the same, Aaron?" he challenged.

Rossi was met with silence. After a beat Hotch sighed and looked back at him. "Your point?"

"It doesn't matter if you said too much or did too much. It doesn't matter if she doesn't remember and it doesn't matter that it is going to force you to reevaluate things with her; that's part of life. A life that she still has thanks to you. One that you can be a part of."

Hotch scoffed at his friend's implication. "You're getting ahead of yourself, Dave."

"Am I?"

Aaron studied him and thought about what Rossi just insinuated. Under other circumstances, he wouldn't allow himself to go down the road that Dave was paving for him, simply because it spelt disaster. However, Aaron still found that his emotions centered on a blonde who was recovering in a room down the hall, and not necessarily on proper protocol. His mind knew how he should be acting but his heart refused to listen.

"Go see her, Aaron. You can figure everything else later," Rossi encouraged.

Hotch considered his friend and debated on what to do. If he went to JJ's room, it would be against everything he practiced as the BAU's unit chief. When he entered that room, he'd no longer be able to keep Aaron in check. Not when it came to JJ.

Seeing that Aaron was still struggling, Rossi tried a different approach.

"May I be bold?"

Hotch rolled his eyes. "When are you not?"

"Just because you're in love with JJ doesn't mean that you're a bad unit chief, or agent, or friend."

"Dave!"

"What?"

"That's absolutely…that's just…" Aaron drew a blank and he looked at his friend with big eyes. He opened his mouth to protest, but nothing came out, forcing him to close it. After a second Aaron cocked his head to the side.

"Huh," he murmured with a tone of surprise in his voice.

Aaron gave Dave an unsure gaze before he got up. He didn't know if his friend was correct in his assumption, Aaron was far too emotional to think straight, but maybe that was the point.

Rossi looked up at the younger man standing before him and smiled.

And before he could talk himself out of it, Aaron turned away from Dave and headed to JJ's room.

To be continued…