AN: As always, thanks for the reviews. I apologize in advance for this chapter, I had a massive asthma attack and am still trying to recover from that.

JJ shook as a nightmare took over her body; another nightmare. They cam constantly and made sleeping difficult; but tonight, she had given in. Her nightmare revolved around the same theme; pain and torture and fear and hell. It never varied far from those themes and tonight's focused on something not quite tangible, but there nonetheless.

Her mind replayed fractured memories and tonight consisted some of those memories, slowly becoming whole. And it sure as hell didn't make it any easier as the pieces came together. JJ couldn't shake this one particular nightmare that now filtered into her nearly hourly flashbacks. It remained in that odd place, between what really occurred and what transpired in her nightmares; and she was struggling to figure that out.

But now, those details were flooding back. A man and a woman, both touching her softly, whispering to her, although she couldn't make out the words; she felt the presence of others in the room but as she looked around, they were all faceless, genderless, just blobs floating around her. Doing things to her; the woman was talking and JJ couldn't make out the words and then suddenly, she heard crying, a lot of crying. And the woman was smiling, and then there was more crying, but JJ couldn't figure out who was crying. She didn't know but there was crying, and celebrating.

And the confusion about the crying and the felt urgency to help… someone caused JJ to flail in her sleep until she felt a soft but firm hand take hers in their own.

"JJ? I am right here, c'mon beautiful, I am right here. I won't hurt you," the voice was comforting, loving, caring and familiar. She knew that voice; even in the middle of a nightmare, she knew that voice. And she felt herself clinging to it, desperately trying to get back to safety… to that voice.

'I'm coming' she said in her nightmare, she pleaded to the disembodied voice; searching for him. She was in the middle of the ocean, sharks circling her as she began to bleed and the sharks began circling faster. The voice became louder and calmer, promising her safety if she could get to him; but as she treaded water and the ocean became deeper and the sharks swam closer and faster; JJ found herself panicking. She couldn't find him, couldn't get to safety; she needed help, needed something… anything. A row boat, a jet ski..

'JJ, I am here, you are safe, just come back to me," the voice commanded

'I'm trying, please, I'm trying…" she felt tears begin to fall, no matter what she did, no matter how hard she tried, she always ended up back in the water, bleeding with the sharks circling. And then the sharks started crying and JJ couldn't take it anymore, she closed her eyes and hoped the sharks would come for her. Her only plea was that they make it fast and painless. And she looked down one more time to see an enormous amount of blood pouring from her now and then a loud crashing sound and the gigantic shark lunged at her; grabbing her arm in its mouth.

JJ shot up in bed, and immediately turned her head, vomiting all over the floor and her blankets. She gasped as the sheer violence of it sent waves of pain though her body.

"Jay, I am right here." She felt someone rubbing her back, holding her hair back for her as her stomach now only emptied bile. "You are right safe, you are loved, you are not going anywhere." And JJ recognized the voice that had been calling to her in her dream and she turned around and saw her husband, her Will, holding her hair back and smiling at her. "You're okay."

JJ nodded and swallowed, before looking back up at him. "You're here?"

Will smiled as he pulled his wife into him. "I am right here." He held her there, held her against him, against his chest. He cringed as he felt the numerous medical wires protruding from her body but smiled at the fact she was here. She was in his arms. "I'm going to get the nurse to clean you up.." he tried to let go but stopped when JJ began shaking and clung to him.

"No. Please don't leave me, Will. Please." She begged him and Will knew she was finally letting that infamous wall down. She was crying into him, sobbing as he held her, allowing herself to be vulnerable. And he knew she would only do this in front of him. While she trusted her team immensely, she wouldn't let them see her like this, it was only him that she would cry to. And he was here to let her do that. For as long as she needed.

"I'm not going anywhere, not going anywhere," he reassured, hugging her closer and rocking side to side. He held her as her tears soaked his shirt, held her even as his own tears formed in his eyes, held her as her body shook with sobs as she gagged and vomited again. And he held her, he held her to his heart, hoping the regular beat would help slowly regulate her and slowly, he watched as his wife began to relax. He was holding her tight when they heard the door open and he cringed when he felt JJ jump. "I've got it baby, I won't let anyone hurt you," he reassured and turned to the nurse. "Is it urgent?" He asked, knowing JJ was in the ICU and that the staff was keeping a close eye on her.

The nurse shook her head and sent a sympathetic look at the scene in front of her, "we monitor her over at the nurses station and saw her heart rate begin to increase, we just wanted to check on her."

Will smiled and nodded, "She's okay but can we get some clean sheets and a new gown?" He reached over and felt his wife's hair, "and this might be out of the question, but a bath? I will take care of her, I promise you."

The nurse smiled at him, "absolutely, just let me go and grab everything."

Will nodded his thanks and turned back to JJ; her face was red from crying. "How about a nice bath and then I will lay down with you?" He kissed her top of the head and she began to shake again and he knew she didn't want to lay down; he knew his wife. "Well, there is a recliner over there, how about I hold you and you sit with me?"

And JJ stopped shaking and she slowly nodded her head. The idea of being safe in her husband's arms was wonderful. She knew he wouldn't hurt her, wouldn't let anyone hurt her and maybe, just maybe if he was holding her, the nightmares would go away.

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Hotch walked into the small ICU room hours later, debating on how to tell JJ the newest information. He didn't want to tell her, but he couldn't keep it from her. JJ would be the key to finding Talia.

"Will?" Hotch whispered, seeing the scene in front of him. Will was on the large recliner; he was holding JJ in his arms who had her head resting back against his shoulder.

"Hotch," Will nodded at him, nodding for him to come over. "She's been asleep for about four hours. I tried to place her back in the bed thinking she would be more comfortable but she woke up and began screaming. As soon as I held her again, it was like she snapped back. She didn't want to be in that bed."

"I will see about getting you a more comfortable chair," Hotch replied, seeing how uncomfortable Will looked. "I will actually have one delivered today; as long as the nurses allow it."

Will smiled, "I appreciate that!"

Hotch nodded and then sat down across from Will. "I cannot thank you enough for coming; she needs you right now."

"I was glad to get the call from you that I could come. To be honest, I was going to come anyway," he explained, looking down at his wife. "I spoke with Dr. Duncan," Will lowered his voice, "she said JJ refused the transplant."

Hotch looked away, "yes, she did."

Will bit his lip, "I am going to try and talk to her today about it; you know she can be stubborn once she has made up her mind."

"You got to her in the cabin though," Hotch pointed out.

"I will try and use the same technique this time; but I am not going to threaten or force her into it. She has gone through hell too many times; I will honor and respect whatever choice she makes," he paused, "even if its not the one I want."

Hotch looked away for the briefest of moments. "Will, I need to let you know something else."

Will's eyes shot up at Hotch and back down to JJ, "she's okay," Hotch explained quickly. "We haven't told her yet but will soon. Will, Talia Cruz escaped the other day. We have everyone looking but…"

Will's expression flashed to anger, "she escaped? How the hell did she escape?"

"We are reviewing the footage now but it looks like someone dressed as a guard released a sedative that took out the entire unit. He was able to get Talia out; we have not identified who he was yet but Garcia is on it."

Will didn't say anything, instead he looked down at JJ. How was this fair to her? "How are you trying to find her?"

"She's now at the top of the FBI most wanted list; a large reward is being offered for her location; national news will be carrying her information tonight. Her passport has been revoked so she cannot fly out of the country on a commercial flight."

"How are you protecting JJ?" Will asked, "she's already gotten back to her once; we know she will do it again if given the chance. Not just her, that entire project!"

Hotch shook his head, he didn't have an answer for that one. And both men remained silent for a long moment before Will reached over and brushed JJ's hair out of her face.

"You know Hotch," Will took in a deep breath, "after all she has been through, I don't blame her for saying no to the transplant. I don't blame her for asking for hospice instead."