"Nice to meet you, Ms. Jareau. You can call me Lisa if you wish, it's less formal than Dr. Anderson. I want you to feel as comfortable as possible. Please take a seat." the affable woman said to JJ.

JJ stood there nervously, not exactly sure what to do. She knew she needed to talk to someone to help get better, but it didn't make it any easier for her. Deciding to do this for herself, to get better and get on with her life, she'd made this appointment, and hoped that it would go well. She finally took the seat indicated by the doctor, and proceeded to play with her hands.

"How would you like me to address you? As Ms. Jareau, JJ, whatever you wish." Lisa continued.

"JJ is fine, doctor. I'm okay with that." JJ replied quietly.

"So, why did you come to see me, JJ?" Lisa began.

JJ hesitated, hardly knowing where to begin. She'd never pictured herself as needing to come to a therapist, but she also knew she needed to get herself better. So, she finally began. "So many things. I had an incident happen to me, that has really messed up my life. I don't have the nerve I did before. I don't trust the man I love, even though he did nothing but try and help me through all this. Even work isn't the same. And I just want my life back, where I don't feel anxious all the time."

"You take as much time as you need, JJ. I'm here to listen to you, and I'll help you in whatever way I can." Lisa said, while taking notes.

"I guess it started about 5 months ago. I was having dreams, and they made me realize I wasn't happy with my life. They helped me to make the decision to break up with my boyfriend, the father of my son. And while I was happy, and I moved on, he didn't. He didn't want to break up, and he found it hard to let go." JJ feathered the hem of her jacket, her anxiety shining through.

"Did you ever tell him that you'd moved on?" Lisa looked at JJ, looking at the distraught, young blonde.

"Yes, I did. And I told him he needed to also. But he was very angry with me. We shared custody of our son, and a couple of times when picking my son up, he tried to get violent with me. Luckily some friends were there to help, and I really thought he knew that it wasn't right. But I was wrong." JJ gnawed on her lip at that, remembering everything with crystal clarity.

"Did this lead to this incident?" Lisa prodded her gently.

"Apparently. He became obsessed with me. He wouldn't let go. And one night, he kidnapped me. He left our son all alone when he kidnapped me." JJ said angrily.

"How does that make you feel?" asking the one question that she hoped would get a reaction.

"How do you think I feel? I'm angry, so angry with him that he didn't think enough of our child. That he left him alone and unprotected in some sick attempt to make me his again. If he hadn't died, I think I would have killed him myself! God, I loathe him!" JJ's emotions poured out.

"Was your son okay?" Lisa asked, able to conceal anything she may have felt.

"He was okay, my boyfriend finally found him, crying and alone, almost 12 hours later. You don't do that to your child, for no reason whatsover!" JJ fairly spit out.

"JJ, you said he kidnapped you. I'm taking that you are dealing with the traumatic after events of that?"

"I don't want to talk about what happened there. I hate myself, I should have fought harder." JJ whispered.

"You do realize it's not your fault, don't you? Did you fight back at all?" the doctor said in sympathetic tones.

"Not too much. I tried, and he beat me. Plus, he wouldn't tell me what he had done with our son. I thought I had to cooperate with him to find out what he had done to My son." JJ played with her hands, ringing them together.

"Then why do you hate yourself? He had you captured, you thought your son was in danger. Why would you ever hate yourself over that?"

"Because! I should have fought him. I didn't. He made me say I loved him still. He questioned whether my son was even his. He did things to me that I don't ever want to remember."

"Take a deep breath, JJ. Relax, let it out. Why do you think he went so far?"

"Because I dumped him. He still loved me and I fell out of love with him. He found out I was involved with someone else, and this is how it ended up." That's the way JJ seen it. She'd left him, and he made her pay for her decision, exhibiting a side to himself that JJ would never have guessed was there.

"How does your present boyfriend fit into all this? What does he do to make you think he would ever hurt you in the same way your ex did?"

JJ looked at her, shocked. She would never think that Dave would hurt her like Will did. Never.

"He wouldn't hurt me. He loves me. He's not Will."

"Exactly, JJ. He's not Will. No two men are the same. Just because Will hurt you, does not mean Dave would. Eventually you are going to realize that."

JJ sat there, and realized, even having let her emotions out to Dave, she still distrusted him around her. And that was unfair, highly unfair to Dave. He'd been nothing but supportive since all this happened, he'd not abandoned her, he stood by watching helplessly well JJ struggled daily.

"I know he's not Will." JJ stated bleakly.

"Then maybe you need to rethink how you are dealing with him. If he's not Will, don't punish him for Will's deeds. I'm not being judgmental, but you need to realize he's not the same man Will is. Can you describe this Dave for me?" Lisa asked, taking notes speedily, watching JJ to gauge the emotions emanating from her.

JJ sat and thought, the best way to describe the man she loved. Finally she started "He's one of the most caring men I've ever known. I chased after him til I caught him. The man was a damn gentleman for so long, I barely got a kiss out of him. He's sweet, and passionate. He's good with my son. He loves me."

"So, if he loves you, is that what you are equating with him someday being able to hurt you, like Will did?"

JJ started at that, stopping short. "Dave could never hurt me like Will did. He loves me."

The therapist smiled at her, then said "So stop treating him like Will."

"Aren't you suppose to be helping me here? I didn't ask for a lecture."

"It's not a lecture, JJ, it's the truth. Dave is not Will. It's a simple fact. Quit thinking he's going to do the same thing as Will did. You need to get past that if you ever intend to go forward with him."

"And how do you propose I do that? I love him, but him touching me scares me. After what was attempted on me, I'm not sure I ever want to be touched again. I only now have gotten used to him giving me a simple hug. I want him again, but I don't know how to get back to what we had." JJ said sadly.

"Take it a step at a time. You said hugging is starting to work, then start there. Hug for longer periods of time, til you trust him. Then you can head for the next step. No one is expecting you to jump into bed with him immediately. You take your own pace. But I'm here to help you get back to that point, and you will get there."

"Lisa, I've never been more angry in my life. I hate everything Will stole from me. I feel like my whole life is just wrong, that nothing will ever be the same. I didn't ask for this. I love Dave, he's the one I was meant to be with. And I was punished for that. I don't want to lose him, I don't."

"I know I sound like a broken record, JJ, but it's one step at a time. You walk out of here today, try holding his hand when you see him. Something simple, non-threatening to you. I guarantee, both of you will feel so much better with one simple gesture. Do you want to end it here for today? I know how wiped you must be feeling. First sessions tend to take a lot out of people."

JJ was relieved that the session was ending. Pent up emotions were being released, and she had discovered that as much as she loved Dave, she was punishing him for Will's actions. Dave had already said as much, but the facts were slammed home this day. She stood up, and shook the doctor's hand.

"Make an appointment with my secretary, for your convenience. We're just at the beginning here. I'm here to help you, JJ, and we'll do all we can to help you get your life back." Lisa said to her.

"I think I'm already starting that, Lisa. Thanks so much." JJ eager to escape said.

"Good, JJ, good. See you at the next appointment."

And with that, JJ's first therapy session was over, leaving JJ drained and anxious to see Dave actually. All she wanted to do was hold his hand more than ever, to tell her he would be there for her, while she worked through this. Because now that she'd had the dream with him, she didn't want it to turn to a nightmare like it had with Will. And she knew it wouldn't, because as the therapist said, Dave wasn't Will. Nothing like him at all.