Hello everyone! I have been off doing other projects, and this happened to be one of them. I wrote this story because I got inspired by the Cleveland Abduction movie.

Please Note: there are mentions and descriptions of abuse and rape. If you are triggered by any of these, please prepare for this sensitive content.

"The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned."

— Maya Angelou

Aaron Hotchner couldn't decide whether to focus on the road or his wife, who was sitting beside him, quietly looking out the window. He couldn't decide on whether to let her enjoy the silence, or break it.

He chose the latter option, primarily because he couldn't stand the silence and the occasional hum of a passing car. He really just wanted to hear her voice. It had been a long day, mostly due to the fact they had gotten less than a few hours of sleep the night before.

"You know, with 5 kids, we should really be using this alone time to our advantage," he said, looking to his right, then back to the road.

He glanced sideways as his wife shifted slightly in her seat.

"Jen," he said, this time keeping his eyes on the road. "Would you just talk to me?"

Jennifer removed her hand from under her chin and looked over at him, as if to gesture him to continue talking, except it was her turn.

"Look, I'm really tired–" she began, before getting cut off by her husband.

"We'll be home in half an hour," Aaron said. "Why don't we put on music and sing?" He proceeded to turn the radio on.

Jennifer shook her head and leaned back in her seat, not taking her eyes off of the scenic view as they drove through the forest-y area of Washington D.C.

"…or we could just talk?" He suggested softly, turning the radio off.

The man's latter suggestion seemed to gain Jennifer's attention. She turned her body a little, telling him that she was interested in engaging with him.

"What about?" She asked, her voice rather quiet.

Aaron gave a small shrug. "Maybe why you've been so…off lately?"

"I'm just thinking," she said, turning back to the window.

"About?" He asked. She turned her head back to him and gave him a look that nearly told him to stop speaking immediately. "…alright, fine. I'm sorry for asking."

Jennifer sighed. "Earlier, I…I nearly called Rosaline to 'catch up'–"

"Oh."

"Yeah…," she said softly, "I guess it never really…uh, registered in my mind that she was gone….you know? It never really kicked in."

Aaron kept his left hand on the wheel and put his right hand on Jennifer's thigh for comfort. "You don't have to feel ashamed, JJ," he said.

"Really?" JJ scoffed. "She's been dead for 25 years…I…I should've let her go 25 years ago. I'm in the stage of denial, the same stage I was at when I was 11."

"It's not a bad thing," Aaron said, looking back and forth between his wife and the road.

JJ put her left hand over her husband's that was resting on her thigh. "But it's not just that," she said. "Last week, I was watching the Redskins play, and they got a goal…and…and I yelled, 'dad!' but then I remembered he's gone, too."

"You should've told me."

"It's pathetic," JJ said, waving his suggestion off with her hand.

Glancing over at his wife, Aaron tried forming words to say. He wasn't sure whether to tell her it's okay to feel this way, or to move onto another topic.

"Are we okay?" He asked softly, not sure if his wife was open to any more conversation.

JJ nodded, looking absently out the window. "Yeah," she said, skeptically. "I mean….why wouldn't we be?" She gave a small, nervous laugh as she turned back to her husband.

Keeping both of his hands steady on the wheel, Aaron said, "one child puts a strain on a marriage, we had three. Our family went from four to seven in less than a year. You can't tell me that's not tiring you out."

"Well I'm not going to lie," JJ said, annoyedly. "But I can't complain, it's not like we can change anything. Ben, Tyler, and Grace all lead very happy lives, and Jack and Henry are just the same. We can't sit around and complain or they'll grow up."

"They're going to grow up even if we don't complain, Jen," Aaron said. "Do you want more leave? More time off?"

"Don't…ask that to a workaholic," JJ mumbled, resting her chin on her hand again. "Work gets me through these things."

Aaron rolled his eyes. "What do you mean by 'these things'?"

"Grace's diabetes….the fact she was in a coma no less than two months ago…I don't even know if we should be leaving her."

"She got cleared by doctors," Aaron offered, not very sure his words would be of use to his wife.

JJ gave a rather irritated sigh. "You don't even know what day it is, do you?" She asked.

Aaron thought for a moment as he continued to keep both eyes fixed on the road. He shook his head. "No."

"Charlotte," Was all JJ had to say.

"Oh…right."

"It's okay," JJ said quietly, fiddling with her fingers. "I didn't expect you to remember."

Hotchner bit his lip. He really should've remembered the day his wife had to give birth to her deceased daughter.

"But I should've," he said firmly.

"You didn't have to, it's okay," she said, "really."

That didn't do it for Aaron. He was pissed off. No, he was furious. Was this the reason for her behaviour?

He glanced at her from time to time, trying to think of the right words to say. He didn't want to upset her even more than she already was, but he also didn't want to tell her that it was okay. It wasn't.

And so they sat in silence for a while. The occasional light from a lamp illuminated the couple as they made their way home. Every time a car passed, it would hum, breaking the silence for a short second. Nobody said a word.

Until JJ said, "I want to go to Charlotte's grave."

Aaron's head shot to the right. "You–"

"Yes," she expressed, almost desperately. "Every year I go up to her grave and sit and talk with her and tell her….I tell her how sorry I am for letting her down."

"You didn't let anyone down," said Aaron, as he began heading towards the graveyard.

JJ shook her head and hung it down. "I did….oh, I did."

"But–"

"I had a choice," JJ said firmly. "I was 3 months pregnant. For 2 whole months…I…I didn't know. I thought I was stressed. And then I gained weight, and I pieced it together. I wanted that baby. Will wanted that baby. She wasn't an accident. I was so, so careful. I had one mission left. And I had a choice." She gave a small shrug. "I had a choice to protect my child, and I gave it up. What kind of a mother does that make me?"

Hotch felt his body tense up. She was a brilliant mother, and every choice she had made regarding her children was the right one. Even that one.

"I let her down," JJ said again.

Aaron didn't know what to say. He turned onto the road that lead to the graveyard and fought back the urge to stop the car and yell.

"I was pregnant. I was carrying a child. I had every right to get out of the field, and I didn't. I put my life, and my daughter's on the line," JJ said. "And I was the one who lived. Not her. Not my daughter."

When they pulled up to the graveyard, JJ already had her seatbelt undone.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Aaron asked.

JJ softly shook her head. "I'm good."

She got out of the car and slammed the door shut. She knew exactly where she was going. The path was always illuminated with white lamps that guided her to the children's graveyard.

JJ covered her torso with her coat, protecting her from the chilly mid-April air. She could see her breath, a reminder of the smoke that came from her humvee as it burst into flames on the battlefield in Afghanistan. It was another reminder of the fate of her baby girl.

As she approached the grave, Jennifer took a deep breath in. It was like this every single year. She never forgot the feeling.

She bent down in front of Charlotte's grave and sat for a moment. No words, no sound. Just taking the moment in.

"Hi, baby girl," JJ whispered. "It's mommy." She couldn't believe she was crying already. It used to take a good few minutes before any tears started flowing. "I was thinking about you today….everyday, really, but today…today was different. I woke up and I was reminded that it was another year without you."

She sunk down beside her daughter's grave, admiring the copious amount of children's toys and flowers set around it.

"I am so sorry," she wept. "I took your life away. I took your chance away. Nobody deserves that, baby, I'm so, so sorry."

JJ looked up and cleared her eyes. "I should probably stop crying and talk to you, huh?" She said, trying her hardest to smile. "I held you…for 5 minutes, and then they took you away….and a few days after that, we buried you. You shouldn't have left like this."

"It's a beautiful life, Charlotte," she said quietly. "You lived for a few minutes, but you had a beautiful life…and I want everyone to know that."

Feeling the first few drops of rain coming from above, JJ knew it was time to leave.

"Sweet dreams, baby girl," Jennifer said, before placing a kiss on the child's gravestone. She then stood up and wrapped her coat around her torso.

It had gotten colder, something she'd noticed as she began to walk back to the car. Her cheeks were stained red, it was evident that she had been crying.

She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up as she heard the rustle of leaves on the ground. It was April, and the leaves that hadn't been raked before winter were drying up, making the graveyard look like autumn had exploded over it.

JJ looked back quickly and took a deep breath. As she looked forward, however, she was greeted with an unfamiliar face.

"Hey, baby doll," he said quietly, putting his hand on her shoulder. "You look real sad, don't ya?"

"I need to go," JJ excused, as she began to walk away from him.

The man grabbed her wrist, causing her to turn back. "Baby, there's no need to run. It's okay, I'll hug ya and make it okay."

"I'm fine," JJ said through her teeth.

He shushed her and pulled her in close. "You got a small waist," he commented, touching her hair. "Bet your husband loves that."

JJ could feel her heart pounding as her mind slowly pieced the situation together. She knew it was best not to say anything about being in the FBI. People weren't supposed to know. It was a rule.

"Or," he said seductively, moving his hands down her back. "Do you not have a husband?"

Jennifer gulped. "I will call the police," she said firmly.

"Baby doll, there's no need for that," he said, pulling her hood over her head. "It's raining, no service."

"Which is why I need to go," JJ said, trying her best to move away from the man.

The man let out an evil-sounding laugh. "You think you can get away? Why don't you come with me?"

JJ let out a piercing scream. She figured this was her last resort. The man cupped her mouth with one hand and wrapped his other around the front of her body.

She was his best catch yet.

I worked really hard on this chapter, and I am so happy with the outcome! I hope you enjoy it too! Please review!