Emily looked around the table. "Will LaMontagne?" she asked incredulously.

"Hotch did ask me to take a look into him," Garcia announced.

"Well, can we blame him? He was crazy about JJ," Morgan sat down.

Emily shook her head. "Yeah, but… to try and murder a federal agent… Will would not be that stupid."

"He would if he though he'd get away with it."

Reid turned to Rossi. "How are they?"

"Hotch is critical… they're keeping him under sedation for a few days… JJ… The sooner he wakes up the better." Reid nodded. "We shouldn't focus on Will. We'll check him out, but if he didn't do this…"

"You're right."

"Alright guys… Tomorrow morning, eight a.m. We're not touching another case until we know who did this."

Everyone agreed and left the room.

Emily rubbed the crick in her neck. "You alright?" She turned and smiled at Reid.

"Yeah… I just didn't sleep very well. Poor them. Will they ever catch a break?"

Reid shrugged. "So, I was wondering… I mean, we'd made plans, and I know stuff has happened but--"

Emily laughed. "I think we can keep those plans as long as they involve you buying dinner."

"Definitely." He handed her her coat and led her out.

Once they were in the elevator, Emily kissed him. "I miss you when I can't hold you."

"I know."

"How come we can't be like this at work? Hotch and JJ get to."

"Hotch and JJ are different. They have a child together."

"Ren…"

"What?"

Emily froze. "Uh, AJ… and Jack. JJ's like a second mom to him."

Reid scrutinised her face. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

Emily laughed. "No! Kiss me, again."

JJ felt the hand on her shoulder and started. She looked up at Haley. She smiled up. "You look terrible."

"He's getting worse… losing colour." JJ shook her head and tried to fight back tears, but couldn't. Haley held her close.

"It's going to be ok."

"What if he doesn't? What do I tell AJ?"

"Don't think about things like that." Haley looked at her ex husband. "JJ, I have to go… will you be ok on your own or can I call someone for you?"

JJ shook her head. "No… I… be ok. Thank you. You're a wonderful friend. "

Haley walked out and sat in the waiting room, crying to herself. The man she had loved for years was lying in a hospital bed and she could do nothing but wish things had been different

Garcia walked her temple when Morgan walked in and crashed next to her. "How you holding up, baby girl?"

"I feel… guilty, somehow."

"Heaven, you are not guilty for this… at all."

"I know that… but I can't help feeling this way." She looked over at him. "How are you coping?"

"Hotch is lying in a coma… Aaron Hotchner… This man is unstoppable… Jesus, and JJ and those poor kids…"

Garcia froze. "Kids?"

"AJ and Jack."

"AJ and Jack, right."

"Yeah, I wonder if anyone called Sean…" He started laughing. "Why am I talking like he's gonna die…?"

"Be prepared, I guess. One things certain, though."

"Yeah?"

She held Morgan's hand in hers. "It puts things into perspective."

Morgan stared at her. "Yeah," he breathed.

There was a knock on the door and Emily walked in. "Ready?"

The team, minus Jordan and Hotch and JJ, of course, assembled in the Conference room.

"Ok… What do we have?" Morgan asked. He didn't like the idea of taking Hotch's place but someone had to.

"Forty-six year old male, federal agent, father of two and husband, stabbed seven times with a kitchen knife from the house. He's caring, tends to be closed off from everyone except his…" Rossi looked around the room, stopping at Morgan. "I don't feel comfortable doing this."

"What?"

"Profiling Aaron and JJ… Their lives."

"I know, but… We have to, to protect them."

Emily leaned forward. "I'm with Rossi… It's too weird.. Why not wait until we talk to JJ?"

"We don't have the time."

"Then we need a list of everyone in their lives, Morgan, everyone they've been in contact with." Reid paced the room slowly. "This person knows their way around the house and where to find knives."

Morgan began writing on the board. "They knew Hotch and JJ were separated…"

Rossi looked out his constantly closed office window and thought about Hotch. His friend. One of his few. He remembered the night before he married JJ, how, after a few drinks, Hotch had made him promise to take care of her and their child.

He looked up as Jordan walked in. "Here's that list you wanted Garcia to get for you. She's still working on different angles." She looked at him. "Are you ok?"

He smiled. "We're all thinking the same thing…deep down: what if he doesn't wake up? I mean, sure, we're keeping up a brave face JJ and the kids, but… Where's AJ?"

"Sleeping in my office. She just got off the phone with JJ." She took another step into the office. "The media are going bizarre with this after…"

"After Foyet…"

"Yeah. And Haley's here… She brought Jack with her to see you. You better get rid of that negativity fast."

As Jordan walked out, Haley and Jack walked in. "He wants to see his dad."

Rossi looked down and the small boy. "Jack, come over here." Jack walked over and Rossi pulled him up on his lap. "Jack… Your dad is hooked up to a lot of machines… It's a pretty scary sight. The only person who's allowed to really see him is JJ." Jack opened his mouth to speak. "And I know that's not fair, but some people don't care about fair… they care about money and looking good."

"Will my dad be ok?"

Rossi looked deep into his eyes. "I don't know."

JJ had been talking to Aaron all day, hoping for a reaction… something. But she got nothing. She felt her eyes getting heavy but she refused to let them close. "And we'll have to get a new cot cause AJ's name is on the old one but…" Her eyes began to close. She rested her head on Aaron's arm and yawned. "And then there're the names… Oh, dear god, the torture of going through that again…" She looked at her hand. He'd squeezed it. "Aaron… Aaron." His eyes began to flutter. She ran to the door. "I need some help," she called.

A nurse walked over to her. "What's the matter?""I think he's waking up."

JJ watched as the nurses and doctor pulled the tube from his mouth. He tried to say something but JJ couldn't hear.

Nurses began ushering her out. She froze. Then she ran to reception and made a phone call.