As promised I'm finishing this story!

I had intended to wrap the story up in maybe a chapter or two but then I got to thinking then I started writing and this idea took shape.

I hope you all like it and thank you all for sticking with me on all my stories…no worries there are more to come when I am done with this one!

Enjoy

oooooo

As the one year anniversary of their abduction approached everyone around them started to notice subtle changes in them. Nothing big at first maybe they'd show up few minutes late to work which could easily be explained away as something as simple as them hitting traffic and it never happened two days in a row. Then came the dark circles under JJ's eyes and Morgan's obvious inability to focus for more than a few minutes at a time and before they all knew the two were spending more time locked away in JJ's office isolating themselves from the team, from the rest of the world. They even stopped talking to Garcia.

Finally by the third straight week of this behavior Hotch had been forced to say something. The correlation between his agent's behavior and the approaching date on the calendar was not lost to him. Anniversaries are always a big deal and they are usually happy events but some like the one JJ and Morgan shared are one of those anniversaries people wish would never come.

He'd decided to wait until the end of the day to call them into his office that way there were less people around to witness them being called into the principles' office. Far too many times had he been profiled through his office window and the trek up the steps which led to his door was seen as a walk of shame. The two of them didn't need or deserve that extra added attention. As it was they still received the occasional side way glance or whispers around the water cooler by those who didn't know them very well. Although those who admired and respected them for not only surviving but still having the constitution to want to continue to help people and not allow themselves to be victims far outweighed those who considered them fodder for office gossip.

As Hotch watched them sit down the respective chairs across his desk his heart couldn't help but sink. While could see the two still had fight left in them it was waning and they seemed to almost be resigning themselves to being stuck in that no matter how hard they tried to move on or how much progress they made it would never be enough to escape the inevitability of a date that would always come around. That would always remind them of the hell they'd endured.

What little fight Hotch could still see in them was no doubt related to the one shining star that had come out of their abduction and torture- their relationship. It seemed to be the one thing currently holding them afloat. He also saw recognition- a knowing of why he'd called them into his office.

"We need to discuss…"

"Hotch wait" Morgan said cutting Hotch off. He and JJ knew what was happening to them, they'd seen the signs of what was coming for a while but they'd either been in denial or too scared to acknowledge it. "We know why you called us in here. That we've been distant and cut off but it's not what everyone thinks it is"

JJ reached out and took Morgan's hand in her own before taking over the explanation.

"We've hit a wall so to speak as our therapist puts it and in our last session she suggested given the one year anniversary is coming that well that neither of us is sure it's a good idea"

Hotch could see the tension in both of them. As much as the therapist's suggestion seemed to rattle them it appeared having to tell someone about it to made them even more uncomfortable.

"What was her suggestion?"

JJ inhaled a deep shaky breath before beginning

"Before telling you what the suggestion was let me explain what led up to it"

Hotch nodded

"Everyone knows the one year anniversary is coming and whether or not we wanted to admit it it's shaken our footing. At first we thought it was just because of the date itself but when we started explaining what our dreams well nightmares really and the anxiety we were experiencing our therapist realized what was really bothering us was that we didn't have closure. Not from the experience but from Watkins himself"

"He's dead"

"Exactly" said Morgan "There was never a chance for us to confront him whether it had been through a confession or a trial we never got a chance to have any type of closure where he was concerned."

Hotch had a feeling he knew where this conversation was headed

"So it was suggested to us that we travel to Denver on the anniversary and walk through the steps of our abduction all the way up to Watkins grave"

When she finished Hotch could see JJ physically tighten her grip on Morgan's hand and him squeeze back. In fact she looked like she'd just eaten something that didn't agree with her and she was going to be sick. He'd seen firsthand both of them have physical reactions to flashbacks or situations they were in. One such instance had been the rattle of a tow truck's chain as it lifted a victim's car onto its bed. The sound of the clanking metal caused Morgan's body to literally shake and before anyone knew it he was bent over heaving up what he had eaten for breakfast that morning. Having seen those reactions he couldn't understand why anyone especially a therapist of all people would suggest they put themselves through such torment.

"So your behavior lately is related to your trying to decide whether or not to go to Denver?"

Morgan nodded as did JJ

"Yeah and it's brought up a lot of the issues we've worked very hard to get past but…. It's just too much at once"

"And your decision not to talk to Garcia about this?"

JJ turned to Morgan to answer

"We needed to be the ones to make this decision and as great as Garcia has been we didn't think she would be able to remain objective or understand our decision about it. She'd influence it even if not intentionally"

"We were..are worried what everyone will think. I mean the stares and whispers are bad enough as it is the last thing we need is everyone thinking we're extra crazy for considering it"

"Point is this is a decision that we needed to come to on our own"

"And have you decided what you're going to do?"

JJ and Morgan exchange a reassuring glance with each other before turning their attention back to Hotch

"We have and actually if you hadn't called us in we were going to ask to meet with you"

"We've decided to go to Denver"

The two watched and waited for what Hotch's reaction would be. They didn't need his blessing or permission amazingly even with being 'gone' both had leave coming to them but they wanted Hotch in their corner especially when it came time to tell the team. He didn't have to understand it none of them did just accept it. No one could unless they'd gone through something similar be able to truly understand what it was the two of them were going through.

"I'll be honest because you both deserve that- I can't say completely understand or even agree with your decision but I do understand the need for closure and if you think this trip is the best way for the two of you to get that then by all means go"

He watched their shoulders sag indicating both let out the deep apprehensive breaths they'd been holding in

"When were you planning on leaving?"

"Two days" answered JJ

"How long do you think you'll be gone?"

"About a week if it's going to be longer we'll contact you"

"Do you want me to tell the others or…"

And the tension level went right back up again as the two stared at each other

"No we'll tell them"

"Do you want me to have them gather in the round table room?" Hotch asked picking up the receiver on the phone indicating he'd contact them all now- even with it being as late as it was they were all still there but Morgan quickly motioned for him to stop

"Actually we wanted to wait until the morning if that's ok with you. It's late and we really aren't sure how to explain…."

"We only literally just decided to do this about an hour ago and it took us that long to figure out we were going to explain it to you but we still wanted to tell you straight away"

"Ok I'll inform everyone to meet in the round table room first thing tomorrow morning"

"Thank you Hotch"

Morgan said as he and JJ rose from their seats and started towards the door. Morgan had just reached for the door handle when Hotch called out to them.

He considered his next words carefully but it needed to be asked

"Have either of you thought about what will happen if this doesn't work?"

"We have but we at least have to try"

Without going into details on what that plan might be the two quietly shuffled out of his office. Hotch watched them make their way through the bullpen being sure to avoid passing by Prentiss and Reid's desks. They were undoubtedly headed back to the solitude of JJ's office and while he couldn't understand what they were going through he hoped the journey the two were about to embark on, the walk into the belly of the beast would be worth it. None of them himself included could stand to go through losing them again.

oooooo

As I said I had intended for one maybe two chapters to close this out but it's definitely going to be more than one or two!

Please be sure to review and let me know what you think.