Wheels Up

It's Time

Late the next day, after Spencer had been transferred to a hospital in Virginia and then discharged home, a terrified JJ finally made her way home.

Quietly, she opened the door and walked into the house, closing it gently behind her.

"JENNY!"

She jumped, and turned round.

Gary stumbled into the hallway, beer bottle clutched in his hand. He threw it, and she ducked as it shattered against the wall behind her. Glass rained down upon her, and she straightened back up just to be slammed back into the wall.

"I. Told. You. No. HOSPITALS!" He shouted into her face.

"I...I promise i..it was just for Spence!" She choked out.

"LIAR!" He smashed his fist into her face as he released the choke hold.

She slumped back, but barely had time to draw a breath before receiving a sharp kick in the stomach. She gasped, struggling, feeling the glass she had fallen upon digging into her skin and slicing it open.

One of her eyes swelling shut already, she turned her head to see out of the other, just in time to see his booted foot flying towards her once more. It struck her in the head, and in a flash of agony the world went dark.

————————

"Oh. My. God. You're joking, right?"

"No joke, no exaggeration." Derek said with a smirk.

"Unbelievable." Aisha chuckled.

His phone buzzed on the table. "I'm so sorry, it's work. Excuse me for a second."

"Morgan, there's a meeting. We need you." Hotch said.

"Seriously? Hotch this was supposed to be my night off. I had uh... plans." Derek said.

"I'm sorry, but you have to be here."

"Okay, I'm on my way." Derek said, and ended the call. He turned back to his date.

"I'm so sorry... that was work. I have to go in."

"Oh... okay." She replied.

"Not a great three month anniversary when I have to dash off halfway through now is it." He chuckled dryly.

"I'm sure you'll be able to make it up to me." She said with a grin.

"Oh don't you worry about that darling, I will." He winked, and walked out, leaving her smiling and shaking her head.

"I'm here, I'm here!" He declared, walking into the BAU. "Where's JJ?"

"Sit down, Derek." Hotch said.

"What's going on? Is she alright?" He asked, looking round at the others. They stared back at him blankly, shrugging.

"JJ has decided... to leave the BAU."

"What?!" Emily shouted.

"No way. She wouldn't just leave." Derek said.

"Not... not without saying goodbye." Penelope said.

"Hotch... we've given her space to come to us, but she's only pushing further away. I think it's time." Rossi said, him and Hotch having a conversation across the room with their eyes.

"Time for what?"

"Spence!" Garcia said, running to hug him.

"Hey Garcia." He said with a smile.

"Reid? You weren't meant to be back at work for another few weeks." Hotch said. "You had a surgery."

"I know. I'm not back back, but I heard something was going on." Spencer said. Emily pulled out a chair and he sat down beside her. "So, time for what?"

"Time for us to go to JJ's." Hotch said. "And figure out what on Earth is going on."

"Yes, finally!" Emily said, pushing her chair back and standing up.

"Prentiss, slow down." Derek said.

"Slow down? What if something bad is happening right now?" Emily said desperately.

"We need a plan." Derek said.

"We don't know what's happening to her, we can't come up with a plan! We don't have time for a plan!" Emily said, and ran out the room.

"Garcia, Reid, wait here. We'll keep you updated." Hotch said, as the rest of them bundled out the room after her.

"Come on come on come on!" Emily said, hitting the button repeatedly.

Derek placed a hand on her shoulder. "Emily. Breathe."

And she tried, she really did. But then the doors finally opened and all the breath was sucked out of her chest.

"Oh my god."

There, before them, was none other than JJ herself, being held up by a woman they didn't recognise. There was blood, so much blood, running down the side of her head, her mouth her nose, not to mention all her blood soaked clothes. The back of her shirt was drenched in it. One of her eyes was swollen shut and had quickly turned black, and a series of other cuts and bruises were visible where her clothes weren't covering.

Hotch and Rossi ran in and took her weight round their shoulders, as Derek wrapped his arm around Emily while trying to process what he was seeing himself.

"Aisha?" He finally stammered out.

Her eyes were wide, in shock, and she was covered in JJ's blood.

"I-I was coming to see you... and then... sh-she got in the lift and I just... didn't know w-what to do." She whispered.

Emily had turned and gone after the others, so Derek walked forward and enveloped Aisha.

"Shhh, shh it's okay. It's all gonna be okay." He murmured into her ear.

"W-who is that? What happened to her?" Aisha asked.

"That's JJ." Derek said. "And I don't know, but if I had to guess I'd say it's to do with her boyfriend."

Emily opened the door of the conference room, and Garcia and Reid looked up, just in time to see Hotch and Rossi walk JJ in.

Garcia gasped, and her eyes immediately welled with tears. Spencer stared at her, his face showing the hundred of emotions flying through him in the space of a few seconds.

"She needs a hospital." Hotch said.

JJ finally dragged her eyes up from the floor. "No... hospitals." She murmured weakly. "He gets... angry about... hospitals."

Hotch and Rossi lowered her down onto the sofa as Emily knelt down in front of her.

"JJ, look at me sweetheart." Emily said softly. "You really need to go the hospital. I promise, he's not going to hurt you anymore, okay?"

JJ looked up, eyes full of tears, and staring deep into
Emily's eyes, whispered one word. "Okay."

Hotch offered her a hand up, and gently they eased her to her feet.

"I'm okay." She said quietly, offering a small smile to both Reid and Garcia.

She took a few shaky steps, but then the world span out of control, and the last thing she remembered seeing was Emily's concerned face as she faded away.

Chapter 4-Before You Go:
With her life hanging in the balance, JJ drifts in and out of reality. Meanwhile, the whole team is shaken and struggling to cope.

And that's 3 done woohoo, poor JJ tho