Wow, I am so sorry for being the shittiest upload-er ever. I was away for 2 months without a laptop and just generally suck at life :) I hope you enjoy the update and I can pretty much guarantee a much shorter waiting period for the next one!

Chapter 24

Some time later

"The spongy old boards of the porch bow and weep beneath Lila's shoes. A powerful spring breeze shakes the field of oxtail that used to be her own front yard, and the noise is a beautiful roar." JJ read softly. It had been three months since Ava was transferred to St. Francis', the leading hospital in the D.C metro area. This place had treated countless federal agents before, as well as several presidents and First Ladies. The only reason Ava was able to be moved there in the first place was because Emily pulled some strings and called in no small amount of favors. Now, as JJ read her copy of Stephen King's Sleeping Beauties to her friend, she couldn't help but wonder if it had been worth the effort. She had been visiting Ava every day since her transfer and continued to see no signs of change. The doctors assured her that this was normal- that comatose victims rarely show signs until seconds before they awaken- but it was disheartening nonetheless. The rest of the team visited often as well. Unfortunately, so did Ava's ex-fiancée. Katherine McGrath was nothing if not persistent but still, the BAU refused to leave the woman alone with their friend. She never stayed long- just long enough to say that she had visited and go on with her day. Small blessings, JJ couldn't help but think. Opening and closing the book in her lap, JJ shook her head at the irony of the title.

"Come on now, Sleeping Beauty," she told the brunette affectionately, "haven't you slept enough?" The only response came from the machines that seemed to have become a part of Ava since their rescue. A lot had happened in the three months since their return. JJ's wounds had mostly healed. She now only occasionally winced as a sudden movement tugged at her ribs. Strauss and the other higher-ups had all but demanded an audience with her, ordering her to describe, in detail, what had happened. One of them even had the audacity to say that Volkov's death was "regrettable" since she had been "such a valuable asset". JJ had never been more furious, her face turning an angry shade of red within seconds. The man regretted voicing his opinion soon after. While she remained at work, Hotch hadn't allowed her in the field until this past week. She knew she wasn't, necessarily, physically ready but her mind begged for something to do. There were only so many papers she could look at before becoming cross-eyed. As for Ava, she remained fairly unchanged. While she had lost weight, partially due to their incarceration, she no longer looked the part of starving vampire. Instead, some color had managed to return to her cheeks and the bruises had, thankfully, healed. JJ couldn't bear to look at them for long, her therapy sessions doing little to ease her guilt.

"Hey." Emily's smooth voice drew her out of her thoughts. JJ turned and acknowledged the woman with a simple nod. "Go home, JJ. It's late."

"I can stay a little longer." The blonde mumbled, knowing full well that she was exhausted and would end up spending the night if she remained any longer.

"Go tuck your son in." Emily took her by the shoulders and lifted her out of the chair. "I won't let her run away when she wakes up."

"If she wakes up." JJ corrected under her breath. It was no secret that the former media liaison was slowly but surely giving up hope. Emily would, as usual, have none of it.

"You're tired." She excused her as she led the blonde to the door. "You don't know what you're saying."

"Whatever you say, Em." JJ relented as she always did.

"That's right." Emily gave her friend a comical pat on the backside. "Off you go."

"Night." JJ's voice was flat, carrying no emotion, let alone amusement at Emily's attempt to make her grin. Sighing to herself, Emily watched JJ shuffle towards the exit. Her concern for her friend was obvious, as was the entire team's and Will's. She wasn't sure JJ would be able to handle Ava not waking up. Plopping down on the seat JJ had recently occupied, she picked up the King book and looked it over.

"Another horror book, huh?" She asked Ava. "I don't know how she reads this stuff with everything we see. You know, if you woke up, you'd be able to read whatever you wanted. Maybe some Brontë or Dickins?" Emily paused as if expected a response. "Well, either way, you wouldn't be subjected to this anymore. Just saying."

A handful of hours passed as Emily talked to the younger woman about her day, the case they were working on, and whatever else she could think of. Before long, she realized that her eyes were beginning to close of their own volition. As she debated whether or not to spend the night again, something new happened. Ava took a deep, unobstructed breath. Emily froze as she heard a sigh pass the woman's lips shortly after. To her knowledge, Ava hadn't been breathing on her own. She had most certainly never made a sound before. Standing abruptly, Emily knocked the chair she was in over as she called for a nurse.

"What is it?" A short, dark-skinned woman burst in, fully aware of Ava's situation.

"She," Emily paused to find the words, "she made a sound. And she took a deep breath all on her own." As Emily explained, the woman looked Ava over.

"She spoke?" The nurse asked without looking at Emily.

"Uh, no. She kind of sighed."

"Sighed?" Emily chose to ignore the skeptical look on the woman's face. "Agent Prentiss, it's not entirely unheard of for someone in a coma to move or sometimes even speak, let alone sigh. I'm sorry but it doesn't seem like she's-"

"Is that normal too, then?" Emily gestured towards the unconscious woman. Ava, fists clenched in the sheets, was frowning. Her breathing continued to accelerate as if she was running a marathon and before long, her eyes began to dance behind closed lids. Without a word, the nurse bolted out in search for the on-call doctor on their floor. Emily slowly approached the bed, wary of frightening its occupant, and took her hand.

"Come on, Ava." She begged. "You can do it. Everything's alright now. You're safe. All you have to do is open your eyes." Before she knew it, Emily was being pulled backwards and out of the way.

"Please, give us some room." A man in a white coat said gently. Emily stepped backwards immediately, her gaze focused on a now gasping Ava. Shaking herself out of her stupor, she fumbled for the phone in her back pocket. Although it was late, somewhere between four and five in the morning, she knew who to call first. JJ answered on the second ring, not an ounce of sleep in her voice, and was out of the house before the fifteen second mark of their phone call. One by one, Emily informed the BAU as she watched doctors and nurses crowd around Ava's bed. Standing on her toes, she tried to get a better look and see what they were doing. Easing closer to them, Emily's heart caught in her throat as she heard the woman speak for the first time.

"Ava." She answered the question she had been asked with a voice barely her own. "Ava Thorne."

"And do you know what year it is, Agent Thorne?" The man asked softly as he shined a light into her eyes. Ava retracted immediately.

"2018?" There was apprehension and fear in her voice. When the doctor confirmed, Ava visibly relaxed. "I need to see my team. Where are they?"

"Where they always are-" the man told her with a grin, "here. You've hardly been alone since you were transferred here." Emily slowly made her way past the sea of scrubs until she stood directly in front of Ava's bed. The woman frowned slightly, surely not expecting one of the CIA's most famous agents to be the first person she saw.

"Ava," Emily broke into a grin, "my name is-"

"Emily Prentiss." The younger agent nodded slowly, clearing her throat. "Everyone knows who you are."

"Right well," Emily waited for the room to clear before approaching, "I helped the BAU find you. I called them. They're all on their way."

"JJ?" Ava perked up suddenly, as if remembering that JJ had been in danger the last time she was conscious.

"Is perfectly fine." Emily stretched the truth a little. "She was just here a few hours ago. Reading to you, actually."

"So she's…" Ava struggled to understand, still unaware of the fact that it had been months since her rescue.

"Alive, yes." Emily confirmed with a nod a she sat beside the woman again. "And almost a hundred percent. You both are."

"What?" Ava frowned, beginning to run a hand over herself. As she grazed her right shoulder- where she distinctly remembered being shot- she froze. Pushing the garment aside, she saw nothing but a small, square bandage. Lifting it, she ran a hand over the scar that had begun to heal. "How long?"

"Three months and sixteen days." Emily recounted perfectly. She watched for a reaction, expecting the worse. However, Ava merely nodded as if she had expected it.

"Could've been worse, I suppose."

"Definitely." Emily shot her another grin which was, as expected, not reciprocated.

"So," Ava licked her lips, "you were there?" She began to remember a tall, dark haired figure arriving with Hotch after killing Volkov.

"Yes, I was." Emily told her. "And I just…I just wanted to thank you for everything you did to keep JJ safe." Ava bit the inside of her cheek over and over again, a telltale sign of agitation. "I know you find it hard to believe but, if it wasn't for you, JJ wouldn't have survived down there."

"You're right." Ava swallowed hard, her gaze narrowing. "I do find it hard to believe." Just as Emily opened her mouth to reply, a stampede of footsteps began to approach signaling the arrival of multiple BAU members. They were, however, stopped at the door and undoubtedly told that Ava shouldn't be crowded. Unsurprisingly, JJ came in first. She stood at the door, tears already steaking down her cheeks, as she took in the sight of Ava awake, sitting upright, and, most importantly, alive. After gathering herself, the blonde rushed forward, fell to her knees beside the bed, and wrapped her arms around Ava's neck. Emily couldn't help but notice the sudden, brief look of panic Ava's eyes.

"Oh, Ava." JJ cried into her friend's shoulder. "You're here. You're really here." After several seconds of watching Ava's hands remain at her sides, Emily put a hand on JJ's back. Hopefully she understood that Ava wasn't exactly ready to be touched. "I'm sorry, I just-"

"It's alright." Ava assured her, watching as more tears fell from JJ's eyes at the sound of her voice. "I'm fine."

"Yes, you are." JJ refrained from stroking the woman's cheek. "God, Ava. I'm so sorry for everything. What you did…what you did to save me," she paused as a sob escaped her lips at the thought, "I can never repay you."

"You don't have to." Ava stated simply, taking in the various cuts on JJ's face that were almost healed.

"The others- they're outside." JJ motioned to the door. "Would you like to see them?" Ava nodded at once, needing to see her team's faces- needing to know that no one else was hurt because of her. Emily rose to usher the men of the BAU inside, knowing that JJ would prefer to remain at Ava's side. As the group of four poured in, each found themselves taking a sigh of relief. It was over- really over. Ava was awake and alright. They could handle anything after that. Hotch and Rossi hung back, sharing a look of concern as Ava's face withheld any and all emotion. While Reid and Morgan sat by her side along with JJ, Emily stood aside and hugged herself as she approached the eldest members of the team.

"She doesn't look…" Rossi searched for the correct words, "that bad." Emily shot him a mean glare. "I mean, considering."

"She doesn't seem happy to see you guys." Emily surmised. "Hopefully the others can tell that it's the trauma manifesting. Three months have passed for everyone else but, to her, it feels like yesterday."

"She's going to need help." Hotch added. "I mean aside from the obvious. She didn't want to go back to that apartment before they kidnapped her there. I can't imagine her changing her mind now."

"JJ will offer." Emily told him. "I'm not sure that's the best idea." Hotch and Rossi both shot her a confused glance. It would be the logical decision, seeing as the one person Ava trusted the most was the blonde. However, Emily saw what they couldn't. "When JJ hugged her, Ava didn't think about reciprocating."

"Can you blame her? After what she went through?" Rossi lowered his voice, wanting to make sure no one heard him bring it up.

"That's just it." Emily pointed out what was obvious to her. "JJ may not intentionally cause harm but not only was she the…motivation behind Ava's decision, but we can't ignore the physical similarities between her and Volkov."

"You think seeing JJ everyday will affect her moving passed what happened?" Hotch mulled it over. "I suppose it makes sense but where else can she go?" Emily opened her mouth to say that she would take her but Rossi was faster.

"I have an entire guesthouse I never use." He shrugged. "I wouldn't mind the company and she knows me a little better than she knows you, Em."

"You're right." She agreed. "Hopefully, she'll take it. She'll want to get out of here as soon as possible and I can't say I blame her." As the three finished their conversation, they looked back at the group surrounding the bed. Ava was looking straight through her teammates and directly at the group of three.

It had taken over an hour to convince Ava to, temporarily, move into Rossi's guesthouse. Although she played it off as she didn't want to be a burden, Ava was mainly concerned about one thing. She knew she wasn't healed- not even close. When someone survives trauma like she had, it came with baggage- baggage that festered and affected everyone around her. She didn't want anyone of the team having to wake up to her screams from a nightmare or calm her from a panic attack. She didn't think she could take the embarrassment that would undoubtedly follow. However, Ava also knew just how limited her options were. Rossi convinced her that he would barely be around and she would have the place to herself until she decided to return to work. Privacy was the driving factor in her decision.

Before she could leave the hospital, however, the doctors highly recommended that she stay one more night for observation. Since Ava had no recollection of being in a hospital for the past three months, she accepted. What was one night? As the group dwindled down to Emily and JJ, Ava found herself thankful for the quiet. While she wanted to see her team and was sure they were anxious to see her, there was only so much attention she could handle.

"Do you need anything?" JJ had been fussing over since she'd woken up. Ava allowed it. "Another pillow? Some more water?"

"Actually, water would be great. Thanks." Ava told her flatly and the blonde was off like a bullet. Several seconds of silence passed between the dark haired agents, neither knowing the other well enough for small talk.

"You don't actually want water, do you?" Emily's ability to read her so effortlessly made Ava uncomfortable. "Do you want us to go?"

"No." Ava was quick to assure her. In fact, she didn't want water. All she wanted was…well, she wasn't sure what she wanted. "I just…I don't want to be alone."

"I understand." The older woman offered her a warm smile. "You just want the noise to stop. I get it." Ava, dark curls tied out of her face, toyed with the now-split ends.

"Yea." Was Ava's only response. The younger agent studied Emily during her time at the Agency. Everyone had. She knew all about Ian Doyle and what happened after Lauren died. Emily was, in Ava's opinion, the only one who could even remotely understand what she was feeling. If she hadn't, her presence would have made Ava far more uncomfortable- uncomfortable enough to ask her to leave considering the fact that they didn't even know each other. However, after hearing how Emily had not only rushed in to help find them, but remained with the team while she recovered, her admiration for the woman grew. That and she apparently had punched Kate in the face. That was important too.

"I know we don't know each other," Emily sighed, "but if you ever want to talk or if you want to just sit in silence with someone…let me know. I'm good at both."

"Talking and being silent?" Ava raised an eyebrow slightly, a bit of the real Ava shining through. Emily chuckled.

"Well not necessarily at the same time but yes." Her tone turned more serious as she anticipated JJ's return. "I mean it though. You sacrificed a lot to save my best friend. Plus, I know a little something about surviving shitty situations. Anything you need. Anytime."

"Thanks." Ava knew she would probably wind up taking the woman up on the offer. "For everything." Emily waved a hand in dismissal as the door reopened. "Did you go to Poland Springs and bottle it yourse-"

"Ava." The voice did not belong to JJ. At seeing the look on Ava's face, Emily stood and spun around, knowing exactly who she would find.

"Here for another nose job?" Emily spat at the woman. "Because if not, I suggest you find the exit." Kate McGrath wrung her hands together, longingly staring at her ex-fiancée while also remaining cautiously by the door.

"They called and told me you were awake." She ignored Emily completely. "I had to come."

"No, Kate. You really didn't." Ava said coldly. "Why'd they call you anyway? We're not engaged anymore. Or did you forget?"

"No, I uhm," the blonde slowly went to stand on the other side of the bed as Emily, "I couldn't forget that. I'm still your emergency contact though."

"A mistake I'll fix first thing in the morning." Ava assured her. "I told you to stay away from me. Did I stutter or are you just incapable of giving a shit?" Even Emily was taken aback by the woman's tone and she didn't even know what Ava was like before. However, far be it for her to stop the roll she was on. Emily simply sat back and tried to keep from grinning at the look on Kate's face.

"I-I just wanted to see if you were alright." Kate defended, reaching down for Ava's hand only to be rejected as the brunette yanked it away.

"Well, I'm great. Goodbye now." Ava knew she was being uncharacteristically harsh but she couldn't stop herself. Maybe it was the trauma. Maybe it was because she had slept for three months but still, remained exhausted. Maybe she had just had enough of Kate's bullshit. Either way, it didn't matter. Ava needed her gone and she was seconds away from asking Emily to forcibly remove the woman.

"Fine." Kate set her jaw and Ava could see the beginning signs of tears. She didn't care. "I'll go but don't you ever come crawling back to me. I never want to see you again." Ava, for the first time since waking up in that basement, laughed. The sound surprised both women in the room.

"Somehow, I'll get over that heartbreak." She told the taller woman. "Now get the fuck out." Kate bit her tongue, her upper lip trembling from either rage or sadness. It didn't matter which. Kate spun on her heel, a golden whip behind her, and paused momentarily at the door. She turned her head and seemed to debate saying what she said next.

"That's not the only reason I came." She admitted. Ava's interest was, admittedly, peaked.

"Get on with it, then." She just wanted to be left alone. Why couldn't this woman understand that?!

"He called me this morning." Kate said over her shoulder. Emily narrowed her gaze at the look in the blonde's eyes. "He knows where you are and what happened. Said he wants to see you."

"'He' who?" Ava's voice was low, dripping with anger as she already knew who Kate was referring to.

"Roan." Emily watched as the name set off unseen alarm bells in Ava's mind. "You remember your husband, don't you?"