Chapter 10, with moments you've all been waiting for! Well, I have, anyway. Took me long to get there, though. Anyway, do read and please review! I can never get enough of 'em ;-).

That night, Emily returned to their hotel quite late, having been chasing around north Detroit for a long time. They had found several places where the unsub could have been, but none of them had any physical evidence. Eventually they had found a silver ring at the place where Katie had been murdered, but it had no text on it, nor anything else which would help them identify to whom the ring belonged. Nevertheless, they had brought it back to the station. It was something.

Opening the door to the room she shared with JJ, she found JJ lying on her bed, reading a book. JJ hadn't discovered much new by studying the victimology and had let Reid do most of the work, who didn't really mind that. Her thoughts had drifted off more than they should have, but she couldn't help herself.

It was dangerous. Emily sleeping in the same room with her, Hannah working closely with them – she was closer to exposure than ever. JJ didn't know what exactly Hannah knew, but she suspected it was enough to confirm whatever it was Emily was thinking.

She had seen the look Hannah had given her at the mention of abuse with Katie. She had even seen Emily, seeing that look.

Hannah and Emily were both skilled in finding out people's secrets. Though JJ thought she was safe from Hannah for the moment, she'd probably never be safe from Emily. Emily knew more, Emily had been with her during the nightmare and during the breakdown in the shower, and Emily was smart. She was probably already quite sure of what had happened and only needed to hear confirmation.

JJ wasn't going to give it to her. She couldn't – Emily would look at her differently, everyone would. She would probably do the same, if she heard something like that, how could she not?

But she didn't want their looks, she wanted peace. She wanted to escape from the memories and thoughts that haunted her.

She got up abruptly and headed towards the shower. "I'm just going to take a quick shower," she said in Emily's direction before closing the door.

Emily stayed in the room while JJ was showering, ready if anything happened. But after 15 minutes, JJ walked out again, and apparently nothing was wrong. Emily went into the bathroom after her, deciding to take a hot, much needed shower herself.

JJ hadn't managed to get her hands on any sleeping pills, so she decided to distract herself with the book she had brought until she'd fall asleep. It was a chick flick, exactly the kind of light reading she needed.

When Emily returned from the shower, JJ was reading her book again, and she seemed to be totally into the story. After wishing her goodnight, she went to her own bed, knowing fully well she wouldn't be able to sleep, not soon, anyway.

JJ was reading indeed, but the words didn't reach her mind. Her thoughts kept going to places she didn't want to visit. Hannah, Katie, Jess… They all went through her mind and she couldn't focus on the book anymore.

It was horrible what they had gone through, the pain they must've endured before finally finding some peace… It had been different for her, she had always known how strong she was, she had known she'd live through it…

But Jess, little Jess… her life had been ruined. Her life was probably still ruined, though JJ wouldn't know. She hadn't seen her sister for a long while now. She couldn't. It would mean she would have to face everything again, remember everyone… She wasn't strong enough for that. Talking to Emily would already be horrible, let alone talking to someone who blamed JJ.

Because JJ knew Jess blamed her. And she agreed. If she hadn't left, he never would've done anything to Jess, he'd just have continued with her, and she would've survived long enough to be able to escape and take Jess with her.

But she hadn't… She had left her, she had been selfish and she hadn't thought of her sister, thinking he would keep his promise. How stupid was she? How could she ever have trusted his promise? He was a monster, and monsters didn't keep their promises.

It was her fault, it was all her fault…

Not able to be strong any longer, she finally broke down. Turning her face, she cried, her sobs muffled by the pillow. She couldn't let Emily hear her, see her like this, though she wanted to have someone to confide in. No matter how much she wanted, she never could… It would change everything.

Hannah had made Emily think. What if the unsub targeted people that reminded him of others? It wouldn't be the first time. The victims' differences had prevented her from seeing it before, because usually unsubs targeted only one kind of victim. But the more she thought about it, the more logical it seemed.

Maybe they had reminded him of his old neighbourhood, or his family – people who had turned him down, who had thought he was strange, people who didn't accept him…

But why didn't he kill them, then? Why did he kill people who reminded him of them? That was one part that confused her: why kill the reminders when you could get the real ones?

Except if he couldn't. Emily got excited now: she felt she was getting somewhere.

Just as she was about to elaborate on the thought, she heard sounds coming from JJ's bed. For a moment, she thought JJ was having a nightmare again – but then she listened more closely, and she heard that JJ was crying.

Emily lay still for a moment, contemplating on what to do. But then her empathy took over and she hurried over to JJ's bed, laying a hand on JJ's shaking shoulder.

"JJ…"

JJ shook her head, not wanting to turn, not wanting to show anything else than she already had.

But Emily wasn't going to back off, not this time. She carefully took away the wet pillow from under JJ and, turning her over, pulled her towards her. Enveloping her in a hug she hoped was warm, she gently rocked back and forth, stroking JJ's back.

"It's good, let it all out… I'm here for you," she whispered, not really knowing what to say. She'd never had to deal with crying friends before, what did you say to them?

JJ knew she would have to make up some excuse tomorrow, but she was too tired to do anything now. Emily felt warm and comforting, and she needed that. Like a mother…

This thought caused her to cry a bit harder, because her own mother had never been there for her like Emily was now, even after Walt had been caught, it had never been like this, never…

Peter, Sophie and Hannah, already with so many burdens, had been her parents, had tried to comfort her, even though she'd never let them in.

Her tears were soaking Emily's shirt, but she didn't back off, she continued holding JJ. She was so sweet, hugging her…

She remembered when she had heard Walt had had a heart attack, when she had broken down on Kat's hike… And they hugged her, everybody hugged her and she had thought she hadn't deserved it; she didn't deserve their sympathy, their feelings, because she had done the worst things possible…

And tonight she felt the same, but she let Emily hold her and comfort her, because she knew she needed it. She couldn't stay strong much longer. She just didn't have the energy left.

Emily still rocked her, even though she felt JJ calming down a bit. She couldn't imagine the horror she'd gone through, the pain she must've carried inside for so long… She wanted so desperately to help her, take some of her burdens away. But for now, all she could do was to hold her tightly and to not let her go.

Some side notes:
1. I wanted to have this really cute moment between Emily and JJ, but I think I kind of failed. Maybe it's just my underdeveloped ego talking here (I'm kidding), I don't know, but I get the feeling the emotions don't really come through, if you know what I mean.

2. I've written some of the next chapters, but they're crap. They really are. I'm dealing with some personal issues right now and I'm trying to set them apart to continue this story, but I'm afraid I'm starting to develop a bit of a writer's block...