A/N Hey! I would like to Thank Carla-Leigh and Mablereid for the reviews and those who put me on their alrets. The time line is a little messed up I made it ten years since Shelby (JJ) left Mount Horizon. I hope this explains a little more for those who have not seen Higher Ground.

Chapter 2

JJ was glad that the flight ended shortly after her urgent trip to the bathroom. Even though no one said anything she could see the concern on her friends faces. Hotch ordered that she stay home on Monday even though she had the weekend to recover from whatever she had, she was not happy about that.

It was late when they got to their house, they had been married for a year and it still felt weird to say 'their' house. Reid hadn't said much to her since they got off the plane. They went washed up then crawled into bed together. JJ really didn't want go back to sleep the nightmare was still fresh in her mind. She was afraid if she closed her eyes she would see that horrific sight again. It surprised her when Reid put his arm around her and pulled her close. He never wanted to snuggle, expect maybe after they made love. He knew she needed comfort right now and this was helping more than words ever could. She snuggled deeper into his arms and closed her eyes as one of his long fingers rubbed soothing circles on her arm. She soon fell into a dreamless sleep.

Reid laid there holding JJ hoping that he was giving her some comfort. He knew she hadn't been sleeping well the last few nights. He knew that they both had secrets but he hoped that she would share what was bothering her soon. He soon fell asleep listening to her even breathing.

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Monday Morning

Mount Horizon

Peter stretched before putting on his pack and smiled at his wife as he watched her get her things together. They were in the cabin in the woods getting packed up to take their Cliff Hanger group back to the school.

"I think you were right about taking the kids on their solos I know that it has done me good to get away for three days." Sophie said

"It's been a hard week, hell a hard year, plus I think the kids were ready this especially Parker man that kid has come far. I didn't want to see him go back into his shell with what happened" said Peter said running his hand though his graying hair

"Ok so you get Adam, Michel, and Parker. I will get Beth, Angel, Hattie, Devin and we will meet you back here" said Sophie pointing to the cabin

"Sounds like a plan. Be careful" he said as he gave her a kiss and headed in the opposite direction as her

"You too" he heard her call

The first campsite he came to was Michel Anders. Michel "Mikey" Anders is sixteen, six feet four inches tall, African American, and sturdy as a tree. Mikey had been sent to Horizon because he was kicked out of school for selling drugs to his classmates. That was only the last straw for his father to send him there he also started skipping and failing classes , got kicked off the basket ball team for abusing pain meds , and had major anger issues.

Since Mikey had been at Horizon Peter found out that most of Mikey's anger had been because his father and step mom were pushing him to be perfect. The perfect son and athletic Mikey couldn't take the pressure so he turned to drugs and when he got hurt at practice he turned to pain meds so his father would not find out. It did not help his situation that his father died the first week he started at Horizon. Now four months later he had found out at Horizon that he did not have to be perfect there were others like him. So he began to talk and mellow out some. He had become best friends with two kids from his group a girl Hattie Larkson and a boy Parker Jones, who had also lost their fathers.

The boy sat staring at the extinguished fire tossing a ball back and forth between his hands. He jumped up when he heard Peter coming.

"Hey you ready to go?" asked Peter

"I've been ready the past three days" Michel answered gruffly grabbing his pack

Peter smiled that was what all the kids say even though he knew that the solos taught and helped the kids.

"Ok well let's go get Parker and Adam" Peter said

They headed down the trail until they came to another campsite, Parker Jones. Parker "Parks" Jones is fifteen, five feet eight inches, skinny, with blonde hair and green eyes. He had been sent to Horizon because he beat a boy so bad he put him in the hospital. After his father died Parker became angry at everyone. Even though he was small he was strong and people when people would pick on his size he would beat them up. When he came to Horizon he went into a shell and did not talk for weeks. Until he met Mikey and Hattie he watched them talk about how hard it was to lose their dads so he began to talk and open up. He had been at the school for three months and was learning how to control his angry.

They were surprise to see the tent still up and fire going.

"Parker" Peter called from the path so not to scare him in case he was still asleep.

"Hey Parks you still asleep?" Mikey asked as he opened the tent only to see it empty

"Where can he be? Do you think he's ok?" asked Mikey

"I think he's fine he may have tried to get back to the cabin and lost his way. He's still not very good at reading maps yet. You can look on this trail here while I go get Adam then I will head back to the cabin for the girls and we will look for him. Just stay on the path" Peter said as he handed Mikey a map and then headed toward Adam's campsite.

Ten minutes later Peter and the rest were on the path Peter had sent Mikey down. Peter stopped when he saw Mikey standing in the middle of the path. He could tell by the way he was standing something was wrong.

"Mikey. Mike. Michel!" Peter said as he walked up to him

Peter saw what Mikey was looking at and quickly turned around to stop the others.

"What's wrong did you find Parker? Is he hurt?" Angel, Parker's girlfriend asked

"Sophie I want you to take them back to the cabin and radio Curtis tell him where I am then take them back to the school" Peter said low and sternly meaning business

The others grumbled but followed Sophie.

Peter walked to Mikey and placed a hand on his shoulder

"Mikey we need to go back to the cabin" he said softly

Peter wasn't surprise when the boy collapsed in his arms.

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FBI Headquarters

Tuesday

JJ rubbed her head she could feel a headache coming on. She continued to look though each file case. She saw so much pain everyday in the cases she was really starting to become overwhelmed, which wasn't like her at all. She wished that she had made her doctor's appointment earlier than next week. She was trying to think of ways to tell Reid about the appointment without making him worry about her when the phone rang.

"Jenifer Jareau"

"Hi my name is Sheriff Curtis Wayfeild and I'm from…"

JJ stopped listening she knew exactly who he was and where he was from except back then he was dependable, caring, good natured, Deputy Curtis.

"Ma'ma" she heard him say

"You need to fax me all the information you have on the case then I will call you back after I talk to my boss and his team" she said trying to keep her voice professional sounding

Shortly after she hung up she started getting the faxed information.

"No not there anywhere but there" she thought as she flipped though the photos and information before going to Hotch

In the conference room

"Fifteen year old Harry Links was found outside the boys dorm with his throat cut at the first of the school year. Since he was new student police thought it was a suicide" JJ said as she put a picture of a curly red head boy with his throat gashed open and dead brown eyes stared at them from the screen, he was sitting up against a tree.

"Why would they think it was a suicide?" Rossi asked

"Mount Horizon High School Located 25 miles from the nearest town. The school is a facility that offers a sanctuary for troubled teenagers suffering from various kinds of abuse or disorders. Sometimes the kid can't handle being left by their parents or sometimes the juvenile system places them there and the kid commits suicide" JJ said as she began to pass out the files as she explained

"How often does that happen?" asked Morgan

"Not very often about one or two every three to five years" JJ said

"So what made them change their minds?" asked Reid

"Last week Jerry Carson was found the same way by the wood shed and yesterday Parker Jones was found on a camping trail by another student" she said as she put of the pictures of a heavy set black boy and a boy with blonde hair and green eyes both with throats cut and sitting up against a tree.

"They don't think these were suicides?" asked Emily

"For them to be sitting up that straight someone would have had to propped the bodies like that" said Reid studying the pictures

"Was a weapon found?" asked Rossi

"Harry Links was found with a knife but no prints were found other than his and they didn't find weapons for the other two" said JJ

"They can't cut themselves and then hide the weapon" said Rossi

"The UnSub is killing these kids where they can be found right away so he is confident that he is not going to be caught." Hotch said frowning

"But the last vic was found on a camping trail that is not easy to spot" said Morgan

"The trail was being used to head back to the school that morning from a three day camping trip" said JJ

"So our UnSub knows what is going on at the school and knows the territory so it could be a teacher or a student" said Emily

"The daily schedule of Mt. Horizon's students includes regular classes, preparing food for others, various sport activities, such as climbing, football or rafting, which are mainly focused on mutual collaboration. The students are taught lifelong lessons and that they can be like everyone else so why would they do something like that" said JJ defensible

They all took notice of how personally JJ took Emily's statement but they choose to let it slide for now.

"Garcia I need you see if you can find anything connecting these kids together from their pasts" said Hotch to the blonde that had not said a word

"Sure thing chief" Garcia said

"Ok wheels up in thirty minutes" said Hotch as he got up to leave followed by the others

JJ's Office

"This can't be happening I can't go back there. I will have to answer to many questions. Bring up way to many bad memories. I can't let them, I won't let them find out what I was. Spence would be heartbroken. Maybe one day but not now" she thought but was interrupted when her door opened.

Reid walked in JJ's office and saw her sitting at her desk deep in thought he knew this because her forehead was wrinkled in concentration. She looked up when he closed the door behind him

"Hey baby" JJ greeted with a smile then walked over and wrapped her arms around him.

"Hey are you ok?" he asked

"I'm fine" she said shortly

"I know you don't like the woods but it is going to be ok" He said softly

"I know I didn't mean to be short with Emily in the meeting but you remember when I told you that I got help for my drug addiction when I was a teenager?" she asked

He nodded his head.

"Well I was sort of in a group like school that, we became close and I couldn't picture anybody doing that to their group" she said squirming with her eyes lowered making her look sleepy

"You look so tired baby maybe you should sit this one out" he said stroking her face

"I'm fine, come on we are going to miss the jet" she said stubbornly and grabbed her bag then his hand and pulled him out the door.