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I do not own Criminal Minds

JJ walked into English the next day and saw Emily. They had been instructed to immediately sit by their partners and start discussing their projects. She looked at Emily and felt that same feeling in her heart, but suddenly the feeling changed when Emily turned around. JJ's heart dropped when she saw her expression. Her eyes had dark circles under them- worse than usual- and she just looked plain worn out.

"Are you okay Emily?" JJ asked as she sat down next to her.

"I'm fine," She said and looked down at her desk.

She was obviously not fine, but JJ didn't push it. "I got the part of physical abuse done. Did you start working on your part?"

Emily shook her head. "I'm sorry. I had something... I needed... to do."

JJ locked her eyes on Emily. "Are you sure there isn't anything you want to talk about?"

Emily turned around and looked at JJ. "I said I was fine." The words came out harsher than she had intended them to.

"Okay!" Ms. Young stood in front of the group. "I hope you had a chance to discuss your project with your partner. Now we're going to go down to the computer lab and do more research."

All of the kids jumped up and walked to the computer lab hoping to sit by their friends. Emily and JJ were the last to leave the room and silence hung over them.

"I'm sorry JJ; I didn't mean anything by what I said. I'm just really tired, that's all." Emily finally said.

"Don't worry about it." JJ smiled.

The pair entered the computer lab and sat down in the only two empty seats. JJ immediately started to Google domestic violence, and Emily soon followed her. Many of the groups in the class were wasting time by chatting and going to various unrelated websites, but JJ and Emily were working.

JJ read some statistics about domestic abuse, and was astonished by the numbers. She had always taken her parents for granted. After her sister's death they had started being more distant, but they had never once hurt her, or even thought about it.

Emily clicked on the third website that came up when she googled abuse. It was a page for a helpline. She scrolled down the website. It talked about how most victims believed it was their fault, but it wasn't. There was a number for victims to call. Emily could feel her eyes mist over.

"Emily?" JJ asked with concern filling her voice.

Emily stood up, "I need to go," She said and quickly got up from her seat and left the room.

JJ watched her as she left and was dumbfounded.

"JJ, where did Emily go?" Ms. Young approached her.

JJ shook her head slowly. "I don't know."

XXX

Emily found herself pacing back and forth in the girls bathroom. She held her cell phone in one hand and couldn't keep her eyes off it.

She sat down and dialed the numbers she had seen on the screen and it rang twice before someone picked it up.

"This is Rachel from the abuse hot line. What can I help you with?" A high voice asked.

"Uh..." Emily tapped her foot. "I uh..."

"You can talk about anything you want here. This is an anonymous phone line."

"Okay-" Emily got cut off by the bathroom door opening. She quickly clicked end and set her phone back to her side. Emily was just about to get up when she saw who walked into the bathroom. It was JJ.

"Emily? Ms. Young wanted me to check on you." JJ walked closer to her.

"I don't need to be checked on," Emily mumbled.

"I know." JJ said and sat next to Emily on the ground. She looked over to her new friend.

Emily fumbled her phone in her hand and looked down.

"You can talk to me," JJ added softly. She could feel her heart pounding harder when she was around Emily.

She continued to look down. Emily just couldn't find herself to look at JJ. No matter what that website had said, it was her fault. Everything had always been her fault.

JJ stood up and put her hand out. "Come on, 2nd hours almost over. Let's skip. I've got a car and the people in the office love me."

Emily stared at her hand and reluctantly took it. It was as if her blood pressure rose just with her skin being in contact with JJ's.

XXX

Emily and JJ sat next to each other at Starbucks. They had both gotten drinks, and had found a pair of unoccupied chairs. A comfortable silence surrounded them, and they each took sips from their drinks. Finally JJ broke it.

"Tell me about yourself Emily. I don't know that much." JJ said.

"You mean you don't know much, other than the rumors that are spread around school about me?" Emily mocked.

JJ shrugged. "I want to know the truth, and I know what I hear isn't."

Emily sighed. She seemed genuine. "Well as you probably already know, my mother is a diplomat, and my father is a business man. I moved around a lot as a child, and before you say something, no, it wasn't fun. I hated it. My mother is rarely home and when my father is..." Emily trailed off and then started again. "I don't have any siblings, but I have a housekeeper. I live in a big house, but I hate every last inch of it. I've tried to run away before and would again in a heartbeat."

"What stops you?" JJ asked curious.

This time it was Emily's turn to shrug. "There's nowhere else for me to go. Chances are if I left the same thing would happen just by some man I don't know."

Immediately she knew she had said too much.

"What?" JJ's mouth stayed partially open.

"Nothing," Emily quickly mumbled.

"That wasn't nothing. What did you mean?" JJ asked more intensely this time.

"I meant nothing."

"I don't believe you."

"Well I don't give a damn whether or not you believe me." Emily stood up from her seat. She turned around and on the way out of the store she said over her shoulder. "Please JJ, just leave me alone."

XXX

But JJ couldn't forget about her. She couldn't forget about the way Emily made her feel; it was something she had never felt before. And she couldn't forget her amazing eyes, or her beautiful smile, when she dared show it. JJ tossed and turned all night thinking about their conversation. What was 'the same thing' that would happen? By some other man...

But deep down JJ knew something was wrong, but she was too afraid to admit it. Finally she decided she would just have to talk to her at school tomorrow.

XXX

After he left her bedroom that night Emily was tired. She was tired of keeping this secret for eight years, and she was tired of feeling responsible for everything he did to her. He was supposed to love her, and this sure as hell wasn't love. He was her dad... he was supposed to be there for her.

But most of all she was sick of living. She felt like dirt, and that's what she was.

Emily crouched in the corner of her room and pulled her knees to her chest. She held a bottle of pills in one hand and her cell phone in the other. The real question was which she would turn to.

I hope you enjoyed :)