Emily walked into her and JJs room trying her best not to wake JJ, Emily quickly realized JJ was not in her bed, but the bathroom light was on.

She walked up to the bathroom door to see if she could hear JJ, she heard heavy breathing and a steady stream of water coming from the sink. "JJ you ok" she said knocking lightly on the door

"I'm fine, I'll be out in a minute"

Just a moment later JJ came out "just cleaning my hand" she explained

Emily believed her, she had no reason not to, but was obviously still concerned. "Do you need anything, I can get you more ice" Emily offered

"I'm fine really, I might be a little sore tomorrow, but this is not the worst I've been hurt" JJ said climbing back into her bed sitting against the headboard "weird question, do you know if church services are still happening tomorrow"

Emily wasn't sure why JJ wanted to know she wasn't going even if they were happening "um no, but the children's memorial is on Monday"

JJ nodded and pulled her phone off her nightstand, shooting a quick text to Luke telling him church was canceled, she figured he would want to know.

Emily sat down on the edge of her bed. "You know we have to talk about what happened"

"No we don't" JJ was suddenly defensive

"Yes we do, we both know thats not normal,"

"No it's fine, I'm fine"

"Jennifer, you were just beat by your father in the middle of a police station, somethings clearly bothering you, you been acting different since we got here"

"Not tonight please" JJ sounded desperate as her voice broke

Emily walked over to JJs bed and motioned for JJ to lay down, she did, and Emily pulled the blankets up to JJs shoulders "you don't have to talk about it now, but I can tell your hurting, and I don't like my friends hurting so we are going to talk about it" she said lightly stroking JJ hair. There was a brief moment where the mask dropped and Emily saw pure dread and grief in JJs eyes, but it left as quick as it came. JJ closed her eyes with Emily's hand still stroking her hair and aloud herself to physically relax.

As JJ closed her eyes Emily felt a intense need to protect her, like there was something around every corner waiting to jump out. Emily heard JJs breathing slow and her body relax, and knew she was asleep. She got ready for bed before falling asleep herself

……………….………

When Emily woke up the next morning to find JJ wasn't in her bed, the bathroom light wasn't on either so she couldn't be in there Emily pulled herself out of bed and headed out of the room in search for JJ, she noticed that it was a little past 10 she normally never slept that late but apparently she had.

She walked down the stairs expecting to find JJ sitting on a couch, but when she wasn't there Emily started to get worried, then she realized JJ might be with Luke, so she headed up a different set of stairs up to Luke's room. She heard voices and knocked on the door.

"Come in" she heard a voice shout she didn't know whose voice it was. She opened the door and saw that Luke's room had one king bed instead of two queen beds. Luke was sitting on the edge of the bed eyes glued to the tv playing some video game, while JJ was sitting up against the headboard watching him.

After a night of sleep JJs bruises showed even more, she had a solid black eye, as well as a hand shaped bruise on her neck. Emily didn't even want to imagine what her stomach looked like.

"Oh hey em, sorry if I woke you; I tried not to. I came in here I little while ago," JJs voice sounded steady but slightly quieter then before.

"No I just woke up, you good? Do you need any painkillers" Emily asked sitting on the edge beside Luke.

"Yes she does" Luke said not looking away from the tv

"No I don't, I'm good, I tried to get hotch to let me go to work" JJ said glaring at Luke

"Spoiler alert it didn't work" Luke added with a slight chuckle

"Oh shut up" JJ said glaring even more "I was about to doordash breakfast what do y'all want?"

"You know what I want" Luke said finally finishing his game, or if we are being completely honest dying in his game.

"Em?"

"Oh yeah, I'll just have whatever"

JJ grabbed her phone and typed for a moment "alright food should be here in half a hour"

……………………….

A hour later they had eaten and now all three of them were playing Mario cart, if your wondering JJ was In first, Emily was in third, and Luke was in 7th.

"Oh come on Luke that's pathetic," JJ said starting her 2nd lap

"No jay, 8th and below is pathetic, you know this" Luke deadpanned, which quickly turned into a groan as he was hit with a shell and slipped into 9th

"Pathetic" both Emily and JJ said at the same time

JJ and Luke played a lot of Mario cart together, and always joked that whoever was losing was pathetic, so they ultimately came to the decision that 8th place and below was pathetic, of course that didn't stop them from making fun of each other.

While of course Emily was having fun, she still needed to talk to JJ about what happened, In order to do that she needed to get JJ away from Luke, she figured it would be easier that way. JJ and Luke seemed inseparable but Emily guessed that Luke and JJs pasts were similar and it would be simpler to only make one of them talk about it.

……………………….

Many games later it was only noon, but JJ seemed to be running out of steam.

"I'm sorry jay but imma go down to the hut, if we don't show up they will get worried" Luke said turning off the tv

"Tell them I said hi, and if you see little Jim tell him I'm still regaining darts champion"

"Will do" he grabbed his bag and left.

JJ stood up and started walking back to her and Emily's room, Emily right behind her, Emily noticed JJs posture changed, she slumped and walked slower taking deep breath's. As soon as they got back to their room JJ sat down in her bed, she knew what was coming.

"Emily I don't want to talk about it," she said slowly

"I know you don't," Emily sat down beside her "but you need too, I think this goes deeper then what happened yesterday"

JJ took a steadying breath but said nothing.

"Alright let's start with you not being back here for 11 years, that would make you what, 16 why did you leave at 16 and where did you go"

"Um, well, I left at 16 to get away from things, I left with Luke, and we went to DC, and swore to never come back"

"And why is that"

"I can't tell you"

"JJ" Emily pried

"No! No! I can't tell you!" JJ suddenly became frantic, and jumped up and started pacing back and forth.

Emily stood up not sure what to do to, JJ had started banging her hand against her head, and muttering something Emily couldn't make out.

"JJ? JJ sweetie talk to me, your safe here"

"No no NO!" She shouted hitting her head even harder "go away!"

Emily couldn't take it any longer, she stepped in front of JJ and grabbed both her wrists effectively stopping her from hitting herself choosing to ignore the major flinch when she did. "JJ can you hear me, I can't leave you alone, your hurting yourself" Emily spoke softly hoping it wouldn't make the situation worse.

Something in JJ seemed to snap and she crumpled to the ground sobbing leaning against the bed, Emily sat down beside shocked that only asking what happened got this reaction out of JJ.

JJ rocked back and forth curled into a ball Emily was at a loss for what to do, she honestly and truly had no ideas.

……………………….

Flashback

……………………….

"Luke we have to get out" JJ whispered sitting across from him at a lunch room table.

"I know we do I just don't know how" he said

"I have a plan" JJ paused as a man walked past their table "we'll talk more tonight"

A hour later they were back in each of their rooms, JJ looked up at the camera in the corner and walked into the one corner it couldn't see, she pulled out a laptop she stashed behind the ac window unit. And pulled up of camera feed of the building. It was pretty easy to get to and she set up a loop for the all the cameras in kids room to make it look like they were sleeping.

Now that the cameras were taken care of she flipped over her mattress and pulled out some clothes she had hidden and changed into them leaving the navy blue sweatsuit on her bed, she pulled in her issued boots.

At exactly 8:06pm JJ opened her door and about 1/3the other doors in the hall did too, she looked over at Luke who nodded, and they started waking down the hall completely silently followed by about 12 other kids mostly between ages 9-18.

They paused at every corner looking making sure no one was there, shift change was at 8:05 and no one was normally back until 8:12 (yes 8:12 exactly)

As they made their way through the halls they came to the back unused stairwell, and started quietly walking up them, they passed the 4th floor and heard screams, that wasn't new, it would happen to the it just simply wasn't their night.

Their were two groups that did what they were doing, they alternated night they were needed for "other activities" in nights they stayed.

They went past the 3rd and 2nd floor before they reached the ground floor. Luke who was in the front, pushed open a trapdoor on the ceiling and climbed out, slowly every kid made their way out of the trap door.

JJ pulled the last kid up and put in the code for the alarm, she had figured it out years ago, and opened the back door of the large building and the children filed our standing out in the cold. Once the last one was out JJ set the alarm and got out before it could detect her.

Each kid paired up with other, except there was one extra so JJ picked up a little 6 year old girl and put her on her hip, and they all started walking all watching out for each other.

They walked for a few minutes before coming to a old broken street light, Luke went first climbing up the pole and jumping and swinging on a big branch landing on the other side of a fence. Each kid made it over the same was, the fence was high enough there was no way to hop it without the pole, so some of the younger kids had to be helped and caught by older kids. JJ and the little girl she was holding were last to go over.

The girl couldn't get over by herself so she held onto JJs back for dear life while JJ climbed and jumped all with a kid on her back. As soon as she landed Luke pulled the kid off JJs back and put her on the ground. There was a sigh of relief, if they were over the fence they had made it.

"Roll call" JJ said, they still had to be quiet. Each child said there name from oldest to youngest. When it got to the last and youngest one if was the little girl JJ was carrying, there was a small "Arizona"

"Alright y'all ready" Luke asked. There was a resounding yes.

JJ pick up a little Arizona again and Arizona rested her head on JJs shoulder.

They made their way through the woods jumping over fallen branches and a creek, nearly 25 minutes later they came to a opening in the field, Off in the distance was a small old rundown building, there was nothing else around it except the parking lot and a busy road. But the parking lot was full and they could hear music from where they were.

"So close" one of the kids said

They made their way towards the building and when they got there went around the back and in the back door, standing there waiting on them as a middle aged redheaded women.

"Hey aunt may" JJ whispered since Arizona has now fallen asleep on her.

"Hey kids" aunt may said and gave each of them a hug, then started giving each kid a job, "JJ and Luke, you'll be working at the bar, but put zo down first upstairs, your aunt Becca is up there"

They all nodded and went to their designated places, and JJ went upstairs where aunt Becca was sitting on the couch

"hey gerbil," she greeted JJ softly "and sunflower I see" she said gesturing to Arizona.

JJ smiled slightly at the nicknames, and walked over and set Arizona on the couch, before sitting down herself.

"Aunt Becca can I talk to you" JJ said she she started fidgeting with her hands.

"I have a friend named John who can pick you and Luke up day after tomorrow" Rebecca said plainly

"Wait what? How did you know" JJ asked confused

"It was just a matter of time before you and Luke wanted out, just here's what needs to happen. Day after tomorrow you and Luke come out, John will pick you up and take you to Washington DC, and help you finish high school and get you into college, he can help you as long as you need"

"Are you sure" JJ asked voice cracking

"Yes. It won't be easy but we will change your last names until your 18, or forever if you'd like, they will look for you, but everything will be fine if you can get to be 18."

"I love you" JJ said voice breaking "thank you, you and aunt may are the best thing that's ever happened to me"

"Oh I love you to gerbil, and before you ask I'm sorry but you can't take Arizona with you it's way to risky"

"But she's only 6"

"We will get her out as soon as possible" a new voice said JJ turned and saw aunt may standing there "just promise us you will say goodbye before leaving"

"I promise" JJ stood up and hugged them both before running back down the stairs and through the kitchen behind the bar. Between making drinks she told Luke everything aunt Becca and may had said. JJ and Luke were elated. They would be safe.

……………………….

End flashback

……………………….

Emily watched as JJ cried, she did the only thing she could think of and pulled JJ fully into her lap, wrapping her arms around her, JJ melted into her touch and wrapped her arms around Emily's neck sobbing.

"She was only six"

……………………….

A/N: I said this chapter was important did i not, anyways as per usual

Reviews are appreciated but not required ;)