Spencer spent the long ride to the hospital listening to his mom describing JJ's brain using the fascinating metaphor of a filing cabinet.

"Our brains are like filing cabinets," she explained as she concentrated on driving. "In JJ's brain, it's as if the car accident jarred the files loose and they're all scattered. Some of them are getting back in the right place. But some of them will be put in upside down, or wrinkled or torn. And unfortunately, some of her files might be gone for good."

"Does her neurosurgeon know which files are lost?" Spencer asked, curious.

"That's not something anyone knows right now. It's going to take time and a lot of rehabilitation, and work on JJ's part. Now, I need you to listen to me very carefully. JJ isn't going to be the same as you remember. Her hair has been shaved. She has scars on her head and lots of tubes attached to her. She's awake, but she might be confused a lot of the time." She eyed Spencer for an extra beat. "She might say some things that make you angry. She might have a hard time remembering your name. You absolutely, under no circumstances, are allowed to lose your temper with her."

"I wouldn't," he maintained. "It's a hospital. There are rules."

"There are rules in the house, too, Spencer. And you broke a big one today by hitting your brother. You absolutely will not raise a hand to anyone else in this family, especially not JJ-"

"Mom, I know!"

"I'm not finished. You are officially on restriction. Your laptop is going to be locked down except for schoolwork. You're going to get back on track. That means, getting up in the morning, making your bed, taking a shower, and getting dressed. That means doing your chores. All those things and your schoolwork come before any kind of optional activity. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand. I'm not going to hurt JJ and I'll do better," Spencer sighed, even though he was not happy about any of these newest developments. If he got a tone with her, he knew he would lose out of even more privileges.

"Okay. Do you have any questions about the hospital?" his mom asked.

"I'm just wondering about JJ…but I don't know what to ask…" Spencer admitted. "If JJ isn't the same, then how will I know what to say to her?"

"Well, my advice would be, stay calm. You can say hello, tell her you love her. If she asks questions, you can answer them, but keep your answers short and to the point. She's been asking about her sister, Janet, though. If she does again, I want you to let me handle that." His mom paused. "How are you doing? Is this overwhelming for you?"

"No, I'm just listening," Spencer responded. Actually, he was eager to have another challenge to embrace. Curious about what was to come.

"I think, if you're willing, you could actually really help her. She's trying to regain the basics. Speaking in a full sentence. Identifying what's around her."

"I can definitely help," Spencer insisted, his face brightening. This would be great. Thinking about what he could do for someone else, instead of always focusing on all the ways he wished his own life were different.

JJ was exhausted and her head ached constantly. It took concentration just to keep a single thought in her head, and sometimes, when she went to say it out loud, something else entirely would take its place, which frustrated the hell out of her. She liked having Derek there, especially when other people she didn't know kept coming in and trying to have her do things. It was the worst feeling in the world to try, and realize that she couldn't do something anymore.

They said she was in an accident, but JJ didn't remember anything about it. The last thing she remembered was her mom wanting to talk to her, and Spencer wanting to come somewhere with her, but she told him no. Where had she been going? What had been so important? She couldn't remember. She missed her family. She wanted to see Janet but no one would let her.

She tossed and turned in bed, angry that she couldn't find a comfortable position. She had to get used to going to different therapies every day. She worked on speech and physical and occupational stuff. It would have been humiliating, but JJ was too tired to care. She needed to get rest while she could, because more therapy was probably right around the corner.

Derek was there, and he kept a hold of her hand, because she wouldn't let him go. Without him, she felt completely lost in this weird place. But it was like he said, as long as she had family, she'd be okay.

Family, now, was so confusing, though. It made her nervous for reasons she couldn't name. She dreamed of strange things. Of faces. Of old pain. When she was awake, it was hard to stop kicking. A mental picture of her dad came to mind. Her dad, pissed off at her, and taking off his belt. JJ kicked, and whimpered, feeling small.

"Hey, it's okay…" Derek said from next to her. "Just relax, all right?" he encouraged.

"My dad…" JJ managed, wincing.

"Your dad's not here. You're with me. You're safe. Open your eyes, and see," he coaxed.

So, JJ squinted at him. Just Derek. Not her dad. Thank God. She didn't think she could deal with her dad. Or his belt. "Derek… Will you…stay…"

"Of course. You can't get rid of me that easy," he smiled. His eyes moved from her face to her legs under the blankets. Still moving. "What's with all the kicking? We should get a soccer ball in here or something, huh?" He smiled again and JJ didn't know why. What was funny about a soccer ball?

"Stop…" JJ whined, tears springing to her eyes. She shoved his hand away.

"What's the matter?" Derek wondered. "What did I do?"

"Teasing. Don't tease… You asshole…"

"Whoa. Okay. I didn't mean to tease you. I'm sorry. But don't let mom hear you talkin' like that…" he warned.

"Don't care," JJ said moodily.

She hated this. She hated being here when she didn't even know what happened in the first place. Her head was killing her, she couldn't stop moving her damn legs and now her stupid brother was making fun of her? It sucked. It sucked even more when Derek rested his arms against her legs, and she relaxed. She didn't want to relax, but she couldn't help it.

"Just try to sleep, all right? Everything's okay," he said, and she wished his voice didn't make her feel so calm when she wanted to be pissed off.

Because nothing in her life made sense. One minute, she was leaving to go somewhere, and the next, she was another person.

She didn't feel like JJ anymore.

When Emily arrived again that evening with Spencer in tow, Derek was clearly relieved to see them. JJ couldn't be bothered to look up from the stack of get-well cards in front of her, but Emily couldn't help asking the same question she'd asked every day since JJ had first started communicating.

"Hey, JJ. Remember me?" Emily asked, trying to keep her tone light.

"Yes," JJ said, distracted.

"Who am I?" Emily quizzed.

"Mom…" she said, plain as day, and then amended, "Mom Prentiss."

Emily couldn't help it. She beamed. Most mothers would be devastated to hear their nineteen-year-olds regressed to this point, but Emily knew it was a victory. "That's right. Look who else is here," she prompted, keeping an arm around Spencer's shoulders.

JJ glanced up, a smile splitting her face. "Spence!" she exclaimed, opening her arms and Spencer checked with Emily to make sure it was okay, before approaching JJ and giving her the gentlest of hugs. Emily watched, in awe, as JJ held Spencer and kept looking at him, saying, "You're okay. You're okay."

"Wish she was that happy to see me earlier," Derek joked softly.

"Why? What happened?" Emily asked, immediately concerned.

"Thought I was making fun of her and cursed me out," he said matter-of-factly.

Emily bit her lip to keep from smiling. "That actually sounds a lot like our JJ." She sat down in one of the empty chairs across the small room and motioned Derek into the other one.

"Yeah, I know. I even told her you wouldn't want her sayin' that, and she told me she didn't care." Derek smiled.

"Ah. Well, it's nice to know some things don't change, isn't it?" Emily asked ruefully. "How are you doing? How's your knee?" she asked, changing the subject since JJ and Spencer seemed to be getting along fine.

"It's all right. No big deal. Shouldn't even talk about it, considering," he said, glancing over his shoulder at JJ. Spencer had carefully climbed into the bed beside JJ, at her insistence and they were talking with their heads bent close together. "Where's Aaron? Decided not to come?" Derek asked.

"Well, if I were him, I don't know if I'd want to come either considering what I found when I walked in the door."

Wariness crept into Derek's gaze. "What? Were they fighting?"

"I took care of it. Aaron stayed home with Dave. I haven't heard from Penelope lately. Have you?" she asked.

"Yeah, she sent me some pictures for JJ to see. Of family. Us and Janet," I ran to the closest place with photo equipment and printed them for her. Seems to like lookin' at 'em."

"Who's this?" Spencer quizzed, pointing to a picture of their cat, Sergio.

"Give me…a clue…" JJ asked in a wooden voice, with no inflection. Maybe this was what his mom meant when she told Spencer JJ was changed.

"He lives at our house," Spencer tried. There. That had been simple. Direct.

"Will you…tell me…the secret…" she asked lowly, throwing Spencer off. Hadn't they just been talking about Sergio?

"What secret?" he asked, keeping his voice even.

"No one…will say… Where's Janet…" JJ managed. "She won't…come see…me…"

Spencer cast a furtive glance over at their mom and Derek. They were involved in conversation, and he didn't think it would be wise to interrupt. He didn't want to be in more trouble. He thought again about the instructions his mom had given him. She had said to let her handle questions about Janet, but clearly, she hadn't been. So, he guessed he could give it a try.

"Janet isn't alive anymore. So, she's at the cemetery now," he confided matter-of-factly in a whisper.

"Oh…" JJ said, without any of the intense reaction Spencer feared.

"She's not by herself. Because Penelope's mom and dad are there, too," Spencer reassured. "She's fine. But that's why she can't visit you."

"I miss her," JJ confessed, her monotone voice echoing with a hint of regret. "I want…to see…her…"

Spencer reached down and found JJ's hand. "I know. I wish you could see her. But the only way I know of is in your dreams."

"Okay…" she said.

"Do you want to play a game?" Spencer asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah."

"I ask you a question and you answer it, okay?" he challenged.

"Then, I…ask you…"

"Yeah, okay, then you can ask me," he agreed, smiling. "First question. Where are you right now? What's this place called?"

"Hospital," she answered, sounding fairly certain.

Technically, it was a rehabilitation facility, but considering that JJ was currently struggling to string more than two fairly basic words together at a time, asking her to answer this question correctly was probably unfair. He would count it.

"Good. Can you say it in a sentence? What's this place called?" he asked, leaning his head against her shoulder.

"Hospital," she repeated, confident now.

"Say, 'I am in the hospital,'" he prompted.

"Hospital," she repeated.

"We'll work on it," he promised. "I love you, JJ."

"I know," she sighed, and he could hear the smile in her voice.

It had been hours since their mom left with Spencer. Dave hadn't left the house to go back across the street, and Aaron didn't blame him. If he were Dave, he wouldn't want to go back either.

Aaron's face throbbed, but he didn't do anything for it. It was habit. The second his mom left, he got rid of the ice and the towel. He'd be fine. He'd handled worse. But it made him nervous - the thought that the last time he'd called someone out on something, Aaron got pounded on - but he found he couldn't let it go. He had to ask Dave about it.

So, he crept into the living room and sat on the floor beside the easy chair, just like they had months before. "You knew," Aaron said hollowly.

"Knew what?" Dave asked, not even glancing away from the rerun of some show called Mr. Ed long enough for Aaron to meet his gaze.

"You knew about my parents. That they had another kid," Aaron pressed.

"Yeah. I knew."

"Why did they keep him and not me?" Aaron asked, because it was just the two of them, and he could always trust Dave to tell him the truth, even when he couldn't trust anyone else.

"I don't know," Dave answered honestly. "But I'll keep you, all right? You stay here and keep being my grandson, and I'll stay, too. We'll stay for each other, all right?"

"All right," Aaron said softly, but he couldn't help wishing he were somebody's first choice, instead of their last.

A/N: To those of you who wished I'd posted all of what I planned yesterday, here is the rest of it. Nothing goes to waste with this story, trust me! Glad to hear that all of you are enjoying. But please know that if the story ever gets too intense for you, you are welcome to stop reading it. I will completely understand. I know not everyone likes to delve into angst and interpersonal relationships like I do and that is completely fine. For those of you who are with me on the long-haul - especially those who have read from the beginning - thank you so much! I really appreciate your support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter! Feel free to post your thoughts, questions, suggestions, etc, and know that you don't even have to log in!