Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or Higher Ground… sadly

Authors Note: A big thanks to the reviewers of the previous chapter. Again, if you enjoy a chapter/just want to comment, it's really nice to see your responses! Thanks, and enjoy the chapter!

Authors Note: I realize that this is a very fast update… but I feel it would be unusually cruel for me not to put this up as soon as possible… ENJOY!

The team had arrived at the hospital. Prentiss was in the lead as the jumped out of the SUV and sprinted into the hospitals doors. They split up and searched through the long corridors that weaved their way through the building.

Agent Prentiss was the first one to spot them.

"Shelby!" She yelled.

Walt stood up from his position next to her just as Morgan, Rossi, Hotch and Reid appeared from around the corner. He turned around and bolted towards the staircase, the team, sans Reid and Morgan chasing after him.

"Shelby, Shelby can you hear me." Morgan held her face in his hands.

"Reid call an ambulance, I'll try to stop the bleeding." He said as he held her wrists tightly in each hand.

Reid flipped his phone out of his pocket and dialed 911.

"This is Agent Reid of the BAU, I need an ambulance, the abandoned hospital on Millbrook Road. Yes. As soon as possible." He closed his phone, and took off his sweater, using it to tie up the wounds on Shelby's wrists.

"You're gonna be ok Shelby." He said.

Rossi, Prentiss and Hotchner were running up the stairs after Walt. He had made it to the roof.

"Freeze!" Hotch yelled.

"Put your hands up."

Walt smiled and turned around, just inches away from the edge.

"Walt, don't do this. I know what your thinking, but don't." Rossi tried to reason with him.

"My Shelby is gone now, I have nothing left here... I really do care about her. I just want to be with her again."

Rossi was disgusted by this man, but he knew he had to try and keep him alive. "If you care about her, at all, you will come off of that ledge, and do the only good thing you will ever do for her."

"Fine." He whispered. "You Win."

Walt took a step backwards and let himself fall off the roof.

"Dammit!" Prentiss cursed, as she put her gun away.

Rossi stepped forward and peered over the edge. Walt's body could be seen. He was quite clearly dead.

They heard sirens in the distance. Then, remembering Shelby they raced back downstairs.

"What happened?" Rossi asked.

"She's losing a lot of blood. An ambulance is on its way." Reid replied, not diverting his attention from Shelby's wrists.

"Come on baby girl, stay with me." Morgan breathed.

The sirens stopped, and voices could be heard from down the hall.

"Over here!" Hotch yelled. "Quickly!"

Shelby was carefully lifted onto a stretcher, where they applied proper coverage to her wrists, before racing off back to the ambulance.


At the Hospital:

Shelby awoke to find herself lying in a comfortable hospital bed. She blinked a couple times, and allowed her eyes to adjust to the light. Rolling over on her side, she saw JJ fiddling with her hands.

JJ looked up. "Shelby!"

She stood up and moved her chair closer to the bed. "It's ok. Your safe now."

"I'm sorry…" Shelby whispered.

"Shh sweetie, you don't have anything to apologies for."

"I guess you know everything now." She turned her head to the ceiling.

"Yeah. I do." JJ smiled at Shelby and gently held her hand.

"What about… Walt. What happened?" Shelby asked.

"He's dead Shelby. He killed himself."

Shelby closed her eyes. She felt a wave of security brush over her.

"I didn't want to lie to you."

"I know."

"It's just, I couldn't tell you! I was so embarrassed, and ashamed of myself. I'm disgusting." She said as she clenched one of her fists.

"Don't so this to yourself Shelby! You are not disgusting. You have nothing to be ashamed about either. He did this to you. He is the disgusting one. But he is gone now, you have nothing to be afraid of." JJ looked at Shelby's hand.

"I can't believe it's all over. He has been there for as long as I can remember." Shelby's eyes started to water.

JJ leaned in closer and grasped Shelby's hands in hers. "Thing's are going to be different now. You don't have to be afraid anymore."

Shelby smiled as she sat up in her bed, and hugged JJ. She was at first surprised by the gesture, but then, beaming hugged her back even tighter.

Suddenly JJ's phone rang. "You'd better get that." Shelby said, wiping a tear from under her eye.

JJ stood up, and briefly walked into the hallway. "Jareau. Hey Garcia. No, I haven't told her yet. Yeah, I thought it would be better to tell her when she got out of the hospital. Are almost here? Great! I'll see you soon."

She snapped her phone shut, and glided back to Shelby's side.

"Who was that?"

"That was Agent Garcia, you met her the other day."

"I remember her."

"She is coming with the rest of the team to see you. They should be here pretty soon." JJ said.

Shelby smiled at the thought of people caring about her, and wanting to visit her. Maybe things were finally starting to look up.

The team arrived shortly thereafter, and everyone gathered around the bed to wish her well. No one mentioned her wrists, or the horrifying evidence that was discovered in one of the examination rooms. Nor did they bring up the subject of where she would be staying. This was time for her to recover, and to simply feel happy.


Thanks again to my reviewers. I know this chapter was a little short, but I wanted to update as soon as I felt it was decent enough.

Until next time,

-PoWriter