Chapter 1
The aftermath of her kidnapping and torture was jarring to say the least, however JJ's return to normalcy seemed almost too good to be true. Emily had kept an extremely cautious and close eye on the blonde since she came home from the hospital. While the first few days into JJ's mandatory 4-week sabbatical to gain her strength back and take time to process the traumatic event were inevitably difficult, by the beginning of the second week, she had already urged that Emily return to work. Though somewhat reluctant and nervous to leave JJ alone, Emily had noticed significant improvement in her mood and she was able to get back to an almost normal, nightmare-free sleep.
In the back of her mind, Emily knew there was a lot that JJ was not facing about the event. But she also felt such relief in knowing that at moments, and sometimes for days, JJ felt okay. JJ had already been seeing therapists for years, and had an established therapist she liked and felt very comfortable with. This reassured the brunette, as JJ's sessions had been increased, as requested by Hotch, her therapist and Emily. Emily made sure that she and JJ checked in with each other, usually daily, and she knew that when she was ready, the blonde would be able to open up her about the full extent of what occurred.
But what Emily cared about most was how JJ felt now. JJ feeling good, above a 5/10 meant the world to Emily.
