For on that Rooftop

A Criminal Minds Story

Breathing erratically she clutched tightly to the arms that were keeping her from plummeting to her death as the lower half her body hung over the side of the building. With a quick look she turned her head to the ground to see the body of her captor splattered on the ground and she felt a tiny spark of relief flood through her.

"I've got you," the voice of her best friend and hero gave her a rushed assurance as she started to pull her up. She grunted as she did her best to help despite the flare of pain the burst through her abdomen. Pulling her knee up to the ledge she dug it into the top of the ledge and with one last shove and one last pull the two women fell to the ground in a heap.

They stayed silent for a moment.

Just a moment.

Both shivering in the cool air.

The cold surface pressing against their backs.

Their once rapid breathing calming slowly as they looked at the stars.

While they soaked in the beauty of the night.

And all JJ wanted to do was stay there and enjoy it and bask in her freedom that had been cruelly taken from her. It was just a day. Just twenty four hours, but it had felt so long. She closed her eyes and she could still feel the chains that had bound her wrists and ankles. She could feel the water rushing down her throat limiting her air supply as she choked ferociously. She could feel the sting as he dug into her spine electrocuting her.

She could still feel it all.

And the familiar sting of tears prickled her eyes.

So she sat up, wiping them away.

She couldn't break down now.

"JJ," Emily started hesitantly as she sat up and held out her arms.

JJ inhaled shakily as she crawled over and fell into her friend's embrace and cried.

She cried for her pain and for all that she had just endured. She cried for the relief and knowing that she would be okay. She cried for the moments that led her to this point. She cried for the lives lost in Afghanistan. She cried for Nadia and her lost daughter. She cried for Strauss and for Mat.

As JJ buried herself deeper into her friend's shoulder she cried for her team. Her family. The people who had dropped everything to find her. She cried for Will and for Henry and then thanked God that she would get to spend another day with them.

She cried for all of the victims that they hadn't been able to save over the years. She cried for those that they did. She cried for those that they had yet to.

She cried for her sister.

Her mother.

And just as she thought she had just about cried for everything.

JJ cried for Emily and for all that her friend has had to go through and all that life had harshly thrown her way.

And then and only then did JJ cry for her baby.

The baby that she didn't ever get to meet.

The baby she lost.

The baby that she loved so much,

But didn't understand why.

"I've got you," Emily whispered again as she clutched her shaking friend tightly. Providing a strength that the blond desperately needed.

They stayed for a moment longer before Emily helped JJ stand as they both wiped their eyes and took a deep breath.

Then with one arm around the other they left the rooftop all evidence of tears gone.

But it didn't matter for on that rooftop they had cried.

They had cried for the lives lost, the lives loved, and the lives that would get to live another day.

Okay so this was just an idea that I wanted to share. I still feel like they didn't do enough on the 200 episode. And they should have done more follow up. But that's okay. Anyway, sorry I haven't updated my other story in a while. I will. Anyway let me know what you think. I have another idea that could fit with this one so there might be another chapter. But we'll see. Thank you all! You rock!

-HCB