Hello all! I didn't quite get this up before Christmas, but I hope you all had a great time during you holidays. I'd love to hear what you thought about this chapter!

I do not own Criminal Minds

Emily hurt. She hurt everywhere. Where was she? Heaven? She almost laughed at that. More like Hell. She didn't want to open her eyes. Why would she? Eventually she would have to face whatever it was, but why not wait? At least here it was silent and peaceful. Maybe she would just stay like this forever. In the limbo between life and death, where there was nothing. It would be just her and the silence.

But then she smelled it; the brown sugar.

"JJ," She whispered hoarsely, keeping her eyes closed.

"I'm here."

Emily could feel soft fingers rubbing her hand. "I'm sorry," She said.

"Don't be." JJ moved her hands and brushed Emily's dark hair off her face.

Emily finally opened her eyes. She was in a hospital, but that's not what mattered. What mattered was that JJ was there. New tears filled her eyes as she saw the bruises on JJ's neck.

"Why aren't you in the hospital?" Emily asked thoroughly confused.

"I am," JJ laughed softly. "Right across the hall."

Emily nodded. She reached her hand up and gently brushed it against JJ's bruised skin.

"It's not as bad as it looks," JJ said softly taking Emily's hand off her neck and folding it in her own.

"I doubt that."

JJ shrugged. "Why didn't you tell me?" She finally asked.

"Tell you what?"

"About your dad."

Suddenly Emily shot up in bed; her eyes scanned the room frantically. Her heart started to race, but at the same time her body froze.

"It's okay Em." JJ soothed, holding Emily's hands tight.

"He's going to kill us." Emily's skin turned to ice.

"They arrested him."

"What do you think 'business man' means? He knows people JJ, he knows people who kill people, and they all owe him something. They're going to kill us." She tried to move out of the bed.

"There's an officer outside your door Emily. I'm the only person they're letting in. Oh and your mom when she gets home. You're safe, at least for now."

Emily pulled out of JJ's grip and put her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook and JJ gently wrapped her arms around her. She rubbed small circles on her back and waited for her to calm down.

"You know I love you right Em?" JJ had been waiting forever to say those words again, they felt so right.

Emily slowly lifted her face from her hands and nodded. She beckoned for JJ to come closer and when she did Emily placed a light kiss on her lips.

JJ jumped in surprise and Emily pulled back with a look of hurt spread across her face.

"No," JJ whispered. "That was good. I've never kissed anyone before; I just didn't know it would feel this good." Then she leaned over and pressed her lips against Emily's, wrapping her hands around her dark hair.

Emily returned by wrapping her arms around JJ's waist and pulling her in closer, so that she was leaning over the bed. When they tried to pull out of the kiss, an IV was wrapped around JJ's arm. It tugged from Emily's skin when JJ tried to move.

"I guess this is just telling me I'll have to stay like this forever." JJ laughed. She inched closer so that she was sitting on the edge of Emily's bed and turned to face her. She kissed Emily again.

When they pulled out for air JJ whispered into Emily's ear. "You're safe now. I won't ever let anything happen to you."

Emily felt a smile spread across her lips.

"I think that's the biggest I've ever seen you smile." JJ observed.

"That's because now I have something to smile about."

XXX

JJ and Emily stood in front of their English class. Emily couldn't stop herself from fidgeting, and having JJ next to her was the only thing keeping her from fleeing the room.

"Class," Ms. Young announced. "Emily and JJ will now be doing their speech. What is it on again girls?" She looked at the pair.

"It's on how to identify and get help in an abusive situation." JJ said clearly.

Ms. Young nodded. "You can begin whenever you're ready."

Emily took a deep, uneven breath and JJ gave her a reassuring nod.

"Sometime's abuse is hard to see from an outsider looking in and other time's it is even harder for the person on the inside. They feel that there is no way out, and many times they receive threats that are very easy to believe." Emily paused, and could feel her heart beating in her throat.

"You've got this," JJ whispered so that just she could hear it.

"That's how I felt." Emily finally continued. "My dad had been threatening me since I was eight. He was a powerful man as many of you know, and I believed he could get me killed. Because of this I never told anyone that he had been abusing me. I kept it to myself, and all that did was hurt me further." Emily's voice started to shake audibly and JJ took over for her.

"In a situation like this it can seem best to keep it to yourself, but many times something can happen to change the situation from bad to deadly. But I can tell you that it is better to tell someone. It can help save your life. And if you suspect this is happening to someone else, don't sit around and wait for it to get worse." JJ turned and looked at Emily. "I'm sorry I did that."

Emily and JJ finished their speech in front of the class and got a loud clapping in return. Emily could feel her legs shaking now, and she knew soon enough she wouldn't be able to stand at all.

"I am so proud of you girls," Ms. Young said to them. "Emily, I had no idea…"

"It's okay. No one did." Emily then turned to look at JJ. "You have nothing to be sorry about."

JJ quickly squeezed Emily's hands.

"And by the way, you ever think about having a career in the media? You really got this whole thing down. Your professional, you don't shake, and well," Emily lowered her voice, "you're pretty damn cute."

JJ laughed and flashed a smile in her direction. "You're pretty beautiful yourself."

Emily just looked down at the ground and continued to her seat, but JJ stopped her. She moved Emily to the back of the room so that they wouldn't be heard. Softly she took Emily's chin and tilted it so that she was looking at her.

"All joking aside Em, you are beautiful. I don't know what you've heard before, but you are beautiful, and gorgeous, and perfect. And you deserve the best in this world. You don't deserve the past you have, but now that makes you who you are. You're strong, compassionate, and beautiful," JJ said fiercely. "I love you for who you are, and that will never change."

Emily let out a sigh and gripped her hands around JJ's and smiled. She hoped that this was going somewhere, prayed even. But she did know one thing. JJ wasn't going to hurt her. Not like others had in her past. She could tell that JJ wasn't going to use her and leave her out like trash. For once in her life she felt like there was someone she could trust. And she wasn't about to let that someone go.

Once again, you guys have all been great!