Alone

JJ held Emily's hand while the team waited for the ambulance to arrive. Emily wouldn't show it purposefully, but her pain was blatant in her eyes. Her face was all black and blue, red with fresh and dried blood. Her right eye was swollen shut and her shoulder was bleeding profusely. Emily sat with her back against the brick wall and every ounce of energy she had was draining away. JJ saw Emily's eyes drifting closed and she shook her gently. Emily's dangerously pale face greeted JJ's worried one.

"Come on, Em. You've gotta stay awake, okay?" JJ squeezed her friend's hand and swallowed back her anger at Tom, the pervert that had caused so much pain and destruction. Emily started to shake uncontrollably against the cold that was seeping through her bones. She tried her hardest to keep still but could find nothing warm to prevent her shivering. JJ pulled off her coat and draped it around Emily in an attempt to keep her warm. It scared JJ that Emily was cold; it was eighty degrees outside. She looked up from her spot by Emily's side to Hotch's eyes. Fearful tension filled the air between their stares and they blinked that away as soon as they saw the ambulance lights fill the alley.

"They're here, Em." Morgan and Hotch met the paramedics and directed them to Emily's almost lifeless, shivering body. Morgan almost screamed when one of the paramedics tried to stop at the dead man's body, but as soon as Hotch informed them that he was long dead, he stopped. The man didn't know that Hotch had saved him from Morgan's wrath. The team gathered around Emily far enough away as to give her room to breathe, but close enough so that they could hear and see everything that was going on. Everyone could see the pain in Emily's usually still, strong eyes. Reid stood next to Morgan and tried not to look at Emily's beaten face.

"I'm fine guys. Just fix me up so I can get back to work." Her voice shook with the cold and the paramedics looked at JJ with wild, crazy looks. They couldn't believe that Emily was talking like this when she could be bleeding to death. The paramedics ignored her and spoke.

"Agent Prentiss, you've lost too much blood. We need to hurry and get you to a hospital for a transfusion before you pass out. Are you feeling light headed?" One of the men tried to keep Emily's attention in vain so he turned to JJ. Emily rolled her eyes and listened to the paramedic, who had decided to ignore her.

"She needs to go now. You can come with her, if that will get her to cooperate. I have a feeling that she doesn't do well with doctors or help of any kind." JJ nodded and smiled a little.

"Yeah. I'd be glad to go. You'll need me." JJ glanced to Emily with a wry smile and patted her head gently.

"So, JJ…how's Henry?" Emily's voice was small as she attempted to keep her mind off of the gaping hole in her shoulder and her ever-swollen face. JJ took Emily's hand and sighed, smiling. They were in the back of the ambulance and every bump that the car hit made Emily's face contort in pain. Every time that happened, JJ winced and squeezed Emily's hand tighter than before.

"He's wonderful…how's your mother?" JJ figured that by keeping Emily talking, it would prevent any outbursts. Emily rolled her eyes.

"Gosh, she's gonna have a heart attack when she hears. Can we…not tell her?" Emily's eyes were fearful. JJ smiled and shook her head. Out of all the things that Emily could be afraid of…it was her mother's reaction to her getting shot by a dangerous, unstable pervert…not the actual pervert. JJ squeezed Emily's hand and chuckled.

"Only you would be worried about that."

"She's not your mother." Emily squeezed her eyes shut in pain for a few seconds and then opened them again as if nothing happened. JJ held her breath, feeling helpless to the pain Emily was feeling. After a few seconds of silence, JJ took a breath.

"Are you okay, Em?"

"Of course I am, JJ. I'm just shutting my eyes because they're tired." JJ stared at Emily and sighed.

"So what does your mother do these days?" Emily looked up at JJ and attempted to sit up. As soon as she did this, she got pushed back down by the paramedic and JJ.

"Well…I'm not too sure. I haven't seen her in so long. I get along better with her when it's like that. I can't fight with her if I don't see her. If she hears about this, it'll be non-stop. You'll be sorry you called her just because you won't be able to stand the petty, stupid arguments." Emily was running out of breath with every word she said and she struggled to keep her voice above a whisper. JJ shook her head.

"I don't know how Hotch is going to be able to keep this from your mother. He is obligated to tell Strauss everything…and I know that she and your mother are good friends. I'm not sure if I can get her to not tell your mom." JJ chuckled a little and looked down into her best friend's red eyes.

"I'll see what I can do…how about that?" JJ pursed her lips playfully and took out her phone, still holding Emily's hand. Emily kept silent and attempted to hear everything.

"Hello, Agent Strauss. This is Agent Jerau… Yes ma'am. I'm with her right now…. You haven't by any chance called her mother yet, have you?...You haven't. Good. Agent Prentiss has asked that I inquire of you that you not tell Ambassador Prentiss of this incident….Yes ma'am. I understand that…but ma'am if you'll let me…she doesn't want her to know…well isn't that her right?" JJ's face was full of changing emotions. From kind, to angry, to annoyed, and back to kind again.

"Yes ma'am." JJ rolled her eyes and put her hand over the speaker of her phone. "She wants to speak with you if you're up to it." Emily nodded and let JJ hold the phone to her ear.

"Hello, Agent Prentiss. I'm wondering why you wouldn't want your mother to know that you've been injured quite severely." Strauss' voice was full of authority.

"She's just going to blow it way out of proportion. I'm NOT injured severely. They're just going to fix me up and then I'm going back on the job. It's just my shoulder that got shot. I will find this man." Emily's voice grew louder and louder until she had to take deep breaths every two words. JJ had a worried look in her eyes and was prepared to take the phone from Emily as soon as she saw that Emily was getting out of control.

"Your mother is a good friend of mine and I don't feel right keeping something like this from her."

"Can't you just tell her that I was roughed up a bit, but that I'm completely fine?" Emily heard Strauss take a deep breath and sigh, defeated.

"Okay, okay. I'm not lying but I'll do this. Agent Prentiss, before I go: please take the time you need to get better before you go back into the field. This is a personal favor. Your mother would kill me if I let you overwork yourself after getting shot. Take care of yourself." With that, she hung up and Emily smiled, content.

I'm sorry for not updating sooner. Please read and review! I love reviews! :D –soccergirlmich-