AN: So here is a much longer chapter because of how long it took me to update. Enjoy!

Tomorrow came and went and I still haven't told JJ how I feel about her. Between finally finding Reid and JJ's recovery the timing just hasn't been right. But now that everything has calmed down I'm out of excuses.

Truth be told the only thing holding me back is fear. I've been rejected countless times before, by my parents, friends, and people who I trusted; it seems to be a common theme in my life. But I think JJ rejecting me would be unbearable. Even if she doesn't like me romantically I couldn't handle losing her as a friend.

She's my best friend. She's the only person who I can really open up to. I trust the whole team with my life but there's something more between JJ and I. She's my person.

It helps that JJ already knows I'm gay so at least I don't have to worry about her freaking out over that. During one of our many drunken movie nights with Garcia it slipped out. I'm thoroughly shocked that the tech analyst hasn't blabbed to the whole team but I'm glad she hasn't. I am proud of who I am but I'm incredibly guarded and sensitive too.

Most people look at me and assume that I'm so tough, that I've got it all figured out, but really I'm just lost most of the time.

Wrapping my arms around myself and taking a deep breath, I whisper really quickly. "Jennifer Jareau, I am madly in love with you." My heart seizes in my chest and my palms get all sweaty. "See Sergio, that wasn't so hard…"

The cat gives me that look, like he's silently judging me, and jumps off my lap just as my work phone rings. "Agent Prentiss."

"We have a case." Hotch says gruffly. "I know it's everyone's day off but this one can't wait."

"I'll be right there." After hanging up I quickly get out of my lazy day pajamas and into work clothes. I grab my go bag and head out the door.

xxxxxxx

Seven victims over 19 days with extreme escalation between each but they all have the same MO. This unsub is spiraling out of control fast. Local media is calling him the Grim Reaper because of the sickle like slash marks on the victims' abdomens. He's targeting young adult women who were recently released from psychiatric hospitalization for suicide attempts."

"Where is he dumping the bodies?" Derek asks before leaning back in his chair and taking a swig of coffee. I notice him cringing away from the images on the screen. Even after so long in the field they don't get any less disturbing.

"Each body has been found in various public parks within a fifty mile radius of where they were abducted. This unsub has a large geological hunting ground that crossed jurisdictions, which is why it took so long for them to be connected."

"Any witnesses?"

"None yet but Boston PD is still canvasing. Wheels up in thirty."

With a nod to the team Hotch leaves the room and the rest of the team disperses as well. I stay at the conference table flipping through the files. They look like me. All the victims look like me; with almost ink black hair, dark eyes, decent height, and a slender build they could pass as my siblings or at least cousins. We all have similar back stories too…

"You okay?" JJ slides a cup of coffee over to me and offers a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah." I say, shaking my head to clear the images away. "Yeah I'm good. Thanks for the coffee. Now I'll only need about 100 more cups to get through this case." I chuckle but Jennifer only watches me carefully.

"Ya know you don't have to do that all the time. You don't have to use sarcasm and humor to build up walls around yourself; not with me Emily."

I don't know how to react. Where is this coming from? My instincts are telling me to run, that if I tell her everything I'll only get hurt, but this is JJ and I know she'd never intentionally hurt me.

All I can manage is a soft, genuine "Thank you."

JJ squeezes my head before standing up. "I'll see you on the plane then."

Nodding, I smile back and watch her exit the conference room. What was that about? Was my face really that easy to read? Damn, I'm gonna have to step up my compartmentalizing game for this one.

xxxxxxx

It's not too long before we're taking over Boston's PD office and delivering the profile. This guy is smart, there's no DNA and no witnesses. But somehow he's sloppy too. The increasing violence is going to lead to a mistake and we'll be there when that happens. I just wish we could catch this guy without another victim.

These girls were broken enough as it is. Most of the came from abusive families, foster care, or substance abuse recovery centers. They all ended up in the city's primary youth psychiatric centers within the last three months.

At first we thought the unsub might be trying to end the victims suffering in a sense, but then we saw the bodies. They were tortured for days before he finally killed them. Those girls lived with tortured minds, they didn't deserve it to happen to their bodies too.

I should know. I was just like them once.

My phone buzzes just in time to save me from a painful trip down tragic flashback lane. "Tell me you've got something good Garcia. You're on speaker phone."

"I do sunshine, and you guys are gonna love it. All the victims visited Dr. Malcom Satish at some point over the last few months. But wait, hold your applause to the end cause there's more! Two men who fit the profile had appointments either before or after every girl. Shane Fitzsimons and Gary Parker. I'm sending you their addresses now."

"Thanks baby girl." Derek says with a huge grin.

"Anytime chocolate thunder. PG over and out."

With a click the conversation is over and we're all back in game mode. This is a major break! Hotch barks out order. "There's no time to figure out for sure which guy is our unsub, a girl's life is on the line. Rossi you go with JJ and Emily to Fitzsimons and Derek and Reid you'll come with me to Parker's. Lets catch this guy."

In unison the team breaks and we run to our respective cars. Rossi turns the sirens on and JJ plugs the address into the gps.

"Ready ladies?" JJ and I only nod.

The drive goes by in the blink of an eye. I try to prepare myself for what we might find but before I know it we've arrived at his little hovel. It's a run-down shack with broken windows and a tarp over part of the roof. There's a tiny tool shed out back.

"This is definitely secluded enough to keep a victim."

"JJ and I will go around back, Emily you clear the shed." My supervisor instructs and we follow effortlessly.

As silently as possible I open the door to the shed. Gun drawn, I'm ready to shoot, but the room is empty. I hear Rossi and JJ yell 'Clear!' from the house. Where is this guy? Just as I'm turning to leave I trip on the corner of a rug. Catching myself on the work bench I glance down at the floor. A trap door!

"Jennifer! Rossi! Over here!" So much for the element of surprise.

With minimal struggling I manage to lift the trap door. The smell that greets my nose is anything but pleasant; it wreaks of rot and decay. Holding my breath and aiming my gun in front of me, I carefully walk down the stairs into a much larger dimly lit room.

A girl no older than 21 is chained up to the wall across from me. Blood gushes from a wound across her stomach yet somehow she's conscious. Her eyes are wild with fear and she tries to scream around the gag in her mouth.

Bile rises in my throat as I rush over to help her. Wrong move. From behind the door a tall man with greasy hair steps out of the shadows. Before I can get a shot out he nails me in the face with a 2x4.

Pain explodes inside my skull and I fumble for the gun I just dropped. Another deafening blow lands over my back, bringing me to my knees.

"Why are you trying to help her! They deserve to die! So do you!" The steel toe of his boot collides with my stomach over and over again.

"JJ!" I yell desperately. "Help!"

A gun is fired and then there is nothing but red. My ears ring and my vision is blurry and I don't know which way is up. "I'm here Emily. I've got you. It's going to be okay." JJ's hands wrap around my cold body and I register her fingers moving across my cheek. I don't know why, but I believe her.