Sandy made it through the rain and all the way to the emergency room entrance at the main hospital on her side of town in one place and without hitting any hydroplanes on the rain-slicked roads. She ended up at the hospital on her family's side of town because it was the first safe place that she encountered on her drive back, and she knew that at the very least, Emily, Spencer, and Annalynn would have ended up here because of the night's events.
From the time she escaped, she'd been escaped she'd been expecting to have an adrenaline crash or an asthma attack, but not both. Just as she entered the hospital, her body gave out and she collapsed into a chair, wheezing heavily.
Two nurses at the main desk noticed her and hurried over with an emergency inhaler, oxygen tank, and nasal oxygen mask.
It wasn't until her breathing was back to normal, with help from the inhaler and a few minutes with the oxygen, that the first nurse recognized their patient.
"You're Sandy Jareau." she stated in surprise. "We received an alert that you'd been kidnapped."
"I escaped, and I-I just want to see my family because I think some of them are here. I also need to get in touch with Captain Hanna Ryder at the station house."
"Alright." the second nurse told her. "We'll help you find them, but first, can you tell me where all that blood came from?"
"Blood?" Sandy asked blankly.
The nurse pointed to Sandy's right knee and pant leg. Both were covered in almost-dry blood.
Oscar Lee's.
"It isn't mineāit belongs to the man who took me, and he is dead, but I didn't kill him!" she explained as she broke down into tears. "Please just let me see my family!"
"Missus Jareau?"
Startled at the sound of an unfamiliar voice calling her name, Sandy turned to see a tall, bald clean-shaven dark-skinned man dressed in jeans, a t-shirt, sneakers, and a leather jacket. She'd never met him in person, but she recognized him from a photo that JJ had shown her once.
"Agent Morgan?"
Derek nodded as he approached. "Almost the whole team is here, and we're not going anywhere until the rain lets up. How did you escape?"
"I drove." she said honestly. "Oscar Lee is dead, and I didn't kill him, but I drove DeLilah's car. It's parked just outside."
"That's good to know." Derek told her kindly.
Really feeling the exhaustion, Sandy asked, "Are Emily, Spencer, and Annalynn here? I need to see them."
"They're here, and JJ is, too, but as a patient."
"Oh, dear." Sandy said softly. "How is she? Her precious cargo?"
"Everyone is fine, and I'll take you to see JJ, I promise." Derek turned to the nurses. "Is it okay for Missus Jareau to leave this area?"
Nodding, the nurses both got to their feet, and the second one, a young woman by the name of April, motioned for them to follow her.
"Come this way," she said mostly to Sandy. "And I'll get you some clean things to wear."
Derek had come down to the emergency room upon orders from Hotch in a text because he wanted him to see if there were any updates on the whereabouts of JJ's mother, DeLilah's car, and Oscar Lee. It was just as well, though, because a nurse brought Emily to see JJ, pushing her in a wheelchair.
She left after giving Emily instructions to not leave the room without a medical expert, and then Derek left just after that, closing the door behind him to give the couple some private time. Annalynn stayed behind, fast asleep in JJ's arms and content.
"Hello, beautiful." Emily put the brakes on her wheelchair and sat on the bed with JJ.
"Hey." JJ said softly and then let out a soft sigh as Emily gave her a smoldering kiss; it was the first time they'd seen each other since going to bed earlier in the evening.
"How are you doing?"
"I'm on bedrest until the morning, and I'm not allowed any fieldwork for the rest of the case. I'm also sad, scared, worried, and upset."
"When you say 'upset,' does that mean with me or Spencer?"
JJ shook her head. "Not at all, babe. I forgive both of you."
Emily breathed a sigh of relief and nodded towards their itty-bitty companion. "Speaking of a different kind of babe, why is Annalynn here?"
"She just wanted to sleep, and she actually fell asleep with me because I'm stationary."
"Are we looking after her for the time being?"
"Something like that, yeah."
JJ smiled as Emily bent down and kissed Annalynn's cheek. Both agents laughed as the baby let out a huge yawn and then burrow closer to JJ, grinning as she slept. It was like a little glimpse into the future, for when they would be able to hold all of their babies.
JJ broke the moment first, looking at Emily. "How are you?"
"Not allowed any sleep before noon tomorrow because I have a moderate concussion, and they still want to keep me monitored overnight. I'm also not allowed any fieldwork for the rest of the case."
"Well, it looks like you and I are going to be spending a lot of time at the hotel or Foxworth Hall after this." Emily arched her back and rubbed her middle as she felt her baby squirm inside her. "Only a few more weeks until we find out what we're having."
"And only a few more until I get my cast off, thank the Lord."
Emily said something in response to that, but JJ seemed vacant, so she changed tracks. "Are you thinking about your mom?"
"Yeah. She can take care of herself because she's been in this kind of situation before."
"What? When?"
"Before my siblings and I were born." JJ sighed. "She's also escaped from kidnapping, but this is the first time its happened since she's been a mother. She also has bad asthma."
"So you can't help but get concerned."
JJ nodded and shifted slightly in her bed as she felt her own offspring wiggle around just as her stomach rumbled audibly. "I can't remember the last time I ate anything, but I've lost my appetite. DeLilah is also on my mind because she can't even get here until the rain stops. When it rains out of nowhere in the south, especially in the winter, it isn't safe at all to be on the roads until they are completely cleared."
Emily got off the bed and pulled a chair up to it, sitting down on it. "Then we'll sit here together and talk until your worry quells or your appetite returns, whichever comes first."
"That works for me."
Emily leaned over and kissed her girlfriend. "And Jennifer?"
"Yes?"
"I love you, no matter what. Through the good and all the bad. Forever."
JJ felt her heart turn to goo. "And I love you just the same."
Later, just as JJ was beginning to contemplate actually eating again, there was a knock on the door, and when Emily opened it, she was both delighted and surprised when she saw who was on the other side.
"Sandy? You're alright?"
The older woman looked a little worse for wear, but she was also dressed in clean scrubs, shoes, and a hoodie for warmth. She was extremely relieved to see Emily.
"Yes," she said as she gave Emily a big hug. "And I'll explain what happened later, but right now, I just want to be with you, Jenny, and Annalynn right now because all of you are my family."
Emily was deeply touched to hear Sandy refer her as part of her family and gave her another hug before letting her go.
"Mom?" JJ's eyes filled with tears when she saw her. "You're safe! I was very worried!"
Sandy tore her gaze away from Annalynn after watching her sleep for a moment and pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead.
"I was worried, too, but all you need to know for now is that it's over."
And it was.
