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Emily tries to keep her hands from shaking while they drive to the location where they believe JJ to be. She’s scared of what they will find. In the drivers seat next to her, Hotch also seems tense.
They arrive at the location and get in a shooting with a bunch of guards. Somehow, she and Hotch can remove themselves from it and proceed to search for JJ und Cruz. They work like a well-oiled machine as they make their way through the warehouse downstairs. As they turn a corner they see a lonely door at the end of the hall. It feels right. So, they open it.
Emily can’t take in the scene in front of her eyes immediately. For a few seconds she feels frozen as she sees JJ and Cruz both lying on the floor. Hotch doesn’t hesitate. He shoots Askari who stands over JJ with a knife.
Naked. JJ is completely naked.
Without exchanging any words Hotch turns to Cruz to help him. Under him there is a pool of blood.
Emily holsters her weapon and makes her way over to JJ. She kneels down next to her and scans her body. She is covered in bruises. Something that looks like electrical burns all over her stomach. Her hair is dripping wet.
And the worst part. They came too late. JJ had definitely been raped. There was what looked like semen dripping out of her. Mixed with blood.
Helplessly Emily looked over to Hotch. He was busy helping Cruz up. He looks like he wanted to come over and check on Emily, so did Cruz, but Emily shakes her head. It is not a good idea right now to surround JJ with a bunch of people. Hotch understands and he grabs Cruz and takes him out of the room.
Now Emily is alone with JJ. She needs to help her and lifts her hands. But then she hesitates.
“JJ, can I touch you?”
JJ doesn’t respond. She simply fixates her eyes on Emily. Her eyes. They seem so empty. A tear escapes her eye. Emily can feel her heart break right there.
“JJ I’m going to need you to say something. Please.”
It feels like eternity until JJ answers.
“He raped me.”
A simple statement. No emotion. Just a fact. If Emily thought her heart was broken before it is nothing against what she feels right now.
“I know. I know JJ. Do you want me to help you?”
JJ nods. Emily searches for JJ’s clothes. She wants to cover her up. It is icy down here. Her eyes find JJ jeans and shirt. They are cut. So, Emily takes off her jacket and covers JJ as good as she can with it. It is not enough.
Emily knows the next step is going to be to call the medics. Hopefully it won’t be too hurtful for JJ. While they are waiting Emily can’t bring herself to talk. She simply sits there not knowing what to do.
She knows how to help rape victims. God knows she dealt with enough of them in her life. But none of them were JJ. She feels lost.
Suddenly Emily realizes JJ is still handcuffed. So she opens them and frees JJ’s hands and legs.
JJ lies on the floor without moving an inch. Emily just watches her. She won’t let her out of her sight ever again.
When the paramedics get there and lift JJ on the gurney she lets out a whimper. Emily nearly flinches.
“I know JJ, I’m sorry but they need to help you okay?”
As soon as JJ lies on the gurney she passes out. Emily is somewhat of relieved because now JJ won’t have to live through all the eyes on her when they leave.
“Please guys, can you cover her up?”, Emily asks the paramedics.
They take a blanket and drape it over JJ. As they leave the room Emily throws a glance back into the room. Until now she was only focused on JJ but now she can take it their surroundings.
There are two chairs. And chains. But there is also a bucket of water with sponges hooked to a car battery. A wet cloth. Waterboarding. Emily knew everything that was happening to JJ but seeing it here… it feels different.
She quickly follows the paramedics out of this room of horrors.
As the paramedics bring JJ to an ambulance, Emily sees the rest of their team stand in the foyer of the building. They all watch as JJ is brought past them.
“Emily. What did…” Reid is the first who asks.
“Where is Hotch?”, Emily simply answers.
Morgan points outside, a second ambulance is there, Hotch probably brought Cruz there.
“I’m riding to the hospital with JJ. Meet me there and I can explain, okay?” Emily says to her team before she makes her way towards Hotch.
“Hotch, I’m riding with JJ, alright?” she informs more than she asks.
“Of course. We’ll meet you there.”
Emily follows JJ in the ambulance. She has never felt so helpless. There is literally nothing she can do right now.
…
They had arrived at the hospital and JJ was immediately taken to a room for some tests and to fix her up. Emily has to stay outside. The rest of the team hasn’t arrived yet. So she takes the chance to call Will.
He picks up after one ring.
“Emily. Have you found JJ?”
“Yes.”
It’s all she can bring herself to say. How much should she say?
“Is she alright?”
“She’s… she was hurt. She’s going to live but. She was hurt Will.”
“Oh my… can I come see her? Are you at the hospital?"
Will sounds panicked.
“Yes. You should come. I think she is unconscious at the moment but… you should come. Just maybe don’t bring Henry right away.”
“I am on my way.”
…
The team arrives fifteen minutes later. Emily is sitting in the waiting room. As soon as they walk in she stands up.
“Guys. Please tell me you have caught that bastard. Hastings?”
Morgan nods. “He is in custody. Rossi and Blake are there with him.”
Emily feels like a stone has been lifted from her chest. She wouldn’t have known what to do if he was free.
“JJ?” Reid asks.
“The doctors are fixing her up. I don’t exactly know the state she’s in. But not great.”
“Emily… were we to late?” Garcia asks quietly.
Emily doesn’t know how to react. JJ probably wished no one would know about it. But Emily also knows that it would be impossible to keep from the team. They will know at some point anyway. So she nods.
Garcia starts crying. Morgan and Reid just stare at the floor. Hotch watches Emily. He already knew. He saw the state JJ was in.
“Did you call Will?” he wants to know.
Emily nods again.
In that moment he stormed through the door into the waiting room.
“Emily. Where is she?” Will asks.
“Uhm, I don’t know. The doctors haven’t come yet. I’m sure they will every second.”
Will nods and runs his hands over his face. They all sit down. Nobody says a word as they wait for the doctors. A few minutes later a doctor comes.
She asks, «Jennifer Jareau?” into the room.
They all jump up. Will takes a few steps towards her.
“I’m her husband.”
“Alright. Mrs. Jareau suffered a few injuries. She has some electrical burns, which we can treat but they will hurt for a few days. She also suffered from two broken ribs. She has hypothermia which is why we want her to stay a few days. She also had some water in her lungs. This suggests that she was waterboarded. We know she is an FBI Agent, is there anything more you can tell us about what happened?”, the doctor starts.
“We don’t know what exactly happened, she was abducted for a few hours, and we know she was tortured” Hotch answers for the group. ¨
The doctor nods. “Lastly, there is some heavy bruising in her face and also around her hips. There were some internal injuries. We had to do a rape exam which did confirm that she was raped.”
Emily watches Will’s face as he progresses this information. He lets himself sink into the nearest chair.
“I’m really sorry. Mrs. Jareau is not yet awake, but as soon as she is I will get you so you can see her.” With those words the doctor leaves.
Everyone stays quiet. Emily lets herself down next to Will.
“I don’t understand this. Why would that happen? Who…?”
“Will, we cannot tell you everything. The men that had JJ and Cruz had something to do with a mission she had had. They wanted information. They needed two security codes, one from Cruz and one from JJ. That’s why they tortured them.”
“She was raped. Why… How do I help her Emily?”
Will sounds as helpless as Emily feels.
Morgan is the one who answers Will. “Just give her time. To heal. Listen to her. She will tell you what she needs.”
Will nods. His head in his hands.
“Did you catch them. The men who hurt her?”
“One of them is dead. The other one is in custody. Rossi texted me, he confessed to… he confessed raping her” Reid answers.
A moment later a nurse comes back. “Family Jareau? You can see her now. She’s awake.”
“Emily, maybe you should see her first. Talk to her. Before anyone else goes in”, Hotch suggests.
Will nods in agreement. “Maybe she doesn’t want to see me right now.”
Emily thinks about protesting but realizes that it probably is a good idea. So she follows the nurse out of the room.
…
JJ is lying in her bed, and she looks so small. Tired. Emily doesn’t want to think it but she can’t stop the thought. Broken.
The nurse repeats to JJ what the doctor told them before and JJ just nods. She doesn’t say anything.
“Is Matt okay?” JJ asks suddenly.
Emily nods. “He is going to be. But he will have to stay a few days. He lost a lot of blood.”
“Did you… Hastings?”
“We caught him trying to flee. He has… confessed. About what he did” Emily answers carefully.
JJ nods again.
“The others are waiting in the waiting room. They would like to see you, but they understand if you are not ready. If you want some time.”
“Yeah. I do. Want time.”
“Of course. Will is also here and waiting” Emily adds.
“Does he know? What happened?”
“I told him you were hurt. The doctors told him about your injuries. Do you want me to tell him anything? Or bring him?”
Emily hopes the answer is yes. Because then maybe that means she isn’t too broken after all. Maybe she’ll be okay.
“I need to see him” JJ answers.
“Of course.”
Emily leaves to get Will
Reaching the waiting room Emily says:” Will. She wants to see you.”
He immediately jumps up and rushes out of the door.
“How is she”, Garcia asks slowly.
“I honestly don’t know. But she won’t be alone.”
Emily looks around in the sad faces of her team. She knows that they all blame themselves for not finding her faster and stopping it.