AN: Please read and review.

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds nor do I own Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Day 6:

I woke up with a gasp; my body tense and ready to flee. For a moment, I was back in that cabin in the woods and I felt like I couldn't breathe. The soft snoring coming from Penelope and Emily, and Jen's hand wrapped around mine, calmed me down a little bit. But being surrounded with people was not what I needed. I needed space. Space to think, space to be by myself, space to calm myself down properly. I slowly climbed out of bed, it was difficult to do without waking anyone else up; a king sized bed is so not meant to fit four adults.

Once I reached the bathroom, I shut the door, locked it and slid down said door to sit on the floor. When I was calmer, I got up and looked at myself in the mirror. The swelling had gone down from last night but bruising on the left side of my face was still a spectacular mix of blues and purples. I debated taking another shower and eventually gave into my incessant need to be clean. Emily and Penelope were gone from the bedroom when I finally emerged from the steamy bathroom, wearing a hotel bathrobe. Jen was waiting for me, sitting on the bed. Our go bags were packed and sitting on the desk. I took a quick peek at the doors and noticed they were closed with the curtains drawn. I swallowed and took a quick step sideways, away from my sister towards the doors. I couldn't even look at her.

Jen moved towards me as one would approach a wounded or scared animal, hands open and in view. Unfortunately I wasn't really paying attention to her; my eyes were glued on a spot on the carpet, halfway between the door and myself trying to regulate my breathing. I so did not want to have the imminent conversation. Jen's hand on my shoulder made me flinch and my stomach roll, but I clenched my jaw shut and willed myself not to throw up, not that there was anything left in my stomach. Jen removed her hand after I flinched and waited, not saying anything until I looked at her. She looked so sad. I was upset with myself for causing her pain. I flinched again, as Jen walked past me into the bathroom. I turned halfway so that she would still be in view, her shoulders were hunched and I heard her let out an almost inaudible sigh.

Jen pulled out the medical kit from the top shelf in the bathroom where she had placed it last night. Way too high up for me to reach. She started taking out supplies, cream, gauze, tape and a wrap for my ribs. She looked pointedly at me and then at the chair still sitting next to the vanity. I frowned and she raised one eyebrow at me. I grimaced then sighed and shuffled my way over to the chair. I sat backwards on it, with my arms across the backrest, concentrating on keeping my breathing slow and steady. I wanted nothing more than to run out of the room and hide. Jen waited patiently while I got up and repositioned the chair so that I could see her in the mirror. I loosened the robe so that she could reach my back easily.

My big sister is used to patching me up, and in no time at all, she'd covered my back in the prescription cream from the doctor; the gauze then covered the wounds and the tape kept everything in place. Next Jen wrapped my ribs up tightly, making sure that the ribs, which had been dislocated and replaced, were not likely to come out again. I thought that I could escape when she was finished with my ribs, pulled up the robe and took a step towards the door.

"Catherine," came my sister's voice, the warning in it clear. "Come back here."

I sighed and mumbled, "Yes mom."

I know that she rolled her eyes because Jen hates it when I call her mom, I just can't help it when she uses her mom voice.

Jen handed me some clean clothes, a button up purple t-shirt and a pair of black jeans. She picked up all the medical supplies and looked pointedly at me, "Get dressed and then come back to the bedroom, and I'll clean up your arms."

I nodded at her but didn't reply. I should have known better than to think my sister wouldn't have noticed all the scratch marks. After all, she was at the hospital with me.

When Jen was finished bandaging my arms, she helped me put on my sweater. Then we had bagels and tea and coffee with the rest of the team in the living room. It was crowded and took most of my concentration to not panic. When everyone was ready to leave, Jen helped me put on my coat, but I refused the offer of help putting on my boots with a glare. She laughed at me.

Emily carried my go bag for me and I thanked her with a smile. I still hadn't spoken to the rest of my family; I just couldn't find the words. We took two SUV's back to the jet, Dave, Aaron, Morgan and Penelope in one and Spencer, Emily, Jen and myself in the other.

Emily whispered to me, as we were getting into the SUV, that Aaron had refused the assistance of two officers who had wanted to drive us to the airport. I breathed a quiet sigh of relief. No one I didn't know would be anywhere near me. It was a nice calming thought to get me through a not so calm car ride. Emily drove, Spencer sat shotgun and Jen sat in the back with me. I wanted to sit with both Spencer and Jen but I couldn't get the words out of my mouth.

On the plane ride back home, I curled up on the couch with my face glued to the window again. Spencer sat down next to me and I immediately froze. I was so embarrassed once I realized that on some level I was scared of him. I ducked my head.

"It's okay Kitty Cat, I can move," he said and started to rise.

I grabbed his hand and said, "Spence, please don't go."

He sat down and gave me a big smile. Jen came to sit down with us and I fell asleep curled up between the two of them.

Epilogue:

It turned out that Strauss did know something and Aaron ripped her a new one for using me as bait. In the end, I didn't need to say anything for the new file because everything had been video taped. I don't want to go to work with my family anymore, but it's okay because I know that Charles Dodgson will never again pursue me. He was extradited to Virginia and received the needle yesterday. I didn't go to watch. The team and I stayed home and watched movies.

"Tut, tut, child!" said the Duchess. "Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it."

- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 9

AN2: Thank you for reading :)

AN3: Edited on June 5th, 2012.