A/N: Sorry this is later than promised but I've spent quite a lot of time in the last few days on twitter and emailing CBS executives. If you don't know why it's because of this .com/2010/06/cbs-criminal-minds-trims-cast/. I am, like most fans, completely shocked and appalled CBS would do something like this. If you'd like to join in and try prevent this please sign the petition, ., send CBS a complaint, .com/info/user_services/fb_global_, and visit this site for more info on what fans are doing to try get CBS's attention, .com/. Also if you search the hashtag #SaveTheCMLadies on twitter you'll probably find some more information. Anyway, back to the fic.

This chapter has a pretty violent scene. I'm sorry, I didn't plan to write about the details of the attack at all but this chapter didn't work any other way. It's not exactly graphic but if you don't want to read it just skip past all the italics. This chapter was more about J.J than expected. I planned to put more case information into it but the other side of this fic took over so I guess the case will have to wait. I had some writer's block earlier but it seems to have passed now so next chapter should be up soon enough. Hope you like it and as always, even if you hate it, reviews are appreciated.

Chapter 2

She flicked on the light, picking her discarded pyjamas up from the floor. She moved to unbutton her shirt when she realised she had left the curtains open. She was always doing that. She threw the pyjamas on the bed as she walked towards the window. The light went out just after the curtains met. She sighed; the spare light bulbs were downstairs. Then she felt his hands on her waist.

He turned her round, planting a kiss on her unwilling mouth. For a few seconds she was motionless, unsure what to do. Then adrenaline took hold.

She bit down on his lip. Hard. She tasted blood on her tongue and then he pulled back yelling. Before she could think of her next action she felt his hand slamming into the side of her head. She cried out in pain. Then she was falling. No she was thrown. Onto the floor? No the bed. She tried to think but her mind was a mass of pain and confusion. Then his hands went to her shirt and she understood.

She kicked out, connecting with something. She couldn't tell what in the dark. She was rewarded with a grunt of pain and another blow to the face. Her head was swimming but she couldn't give up. This couldn't happen. She swung her hand through the air, managing to rake her nails down the side of his face. He bellowed, not with pain but with anger and frustration. He clearly didn't like her fighting back. He didn't slap her this time, he punched her. Her head spun. Her right eye smarted. Her strength was dwindling as she struggled to stay conscious. She didn't know if she could fight much more. It didn't matter though.

He had given up on her blouse. He was on top of her. He pinned her to the bed with his weight. Grabbed her wrists pulling her arms above her head, restraining her. She began to cry, begging him not to. He adjusted her arms so that he was constraining her wrists with one hand. The other moved down the length of her body, stopping on her thigh. She began to sob. 'Please, please…'

'J.J, J.J!' There was a hand on her shoulder, shaking her gently. The room slowly swam into focus. Emily was standing over her, concern evident in her face.

'Sorry bad dream.' She leant back into the pillows, not remembering sitting up. Emily removed her hand from her shoulder, still looking worried. 'Maybe you shouldn-'

J.J cut across her. 'Where's Reid?' Emily sighed knowing that J.J had purposely interrupted her.

'Gone home. Morgan forced him to leave. He'd been here for over forty hours. He needed rest.'

'Good' J.J mumbled. That's...that's good.' Her friend could tell she wasn't concentrating on what was being said.

'You know if you're not ready you don't have to go home today. The doctor did say if you needed more time to recover-'

'I'm not staying Emily. I'm ready to leave. I'm all bandaged up and the bruises are fading, I'm fine.' Prentiss's face softened. There was pity in her eyes. J.J looked away, she hated that look. It had been following her for three months now.

'It's not just your body, Jayje. You were attacked in your own home. You were…' she paused, no-one had used the word around her yet, 'assaulted. It's okay to need time.' J.J sighed, her friend meant well but she really could not take anymore pity. She forced a weak smile.

'Emily, I'm, fine, honestly. Well not fine but well enough to go home. I would tell you if I wasn't. I've spoken to a counsellor and I have another appointment with her for next week. I just want to get back on track, get back to normal. I know this will take a while but going home is the first step.' Being a Profiler Emily knew that J.J wasn't as 'fine' as she pretended but the certainty and honesty in her last sentence persuaded her to drop it. She really did want to go home. Prentiss knew she shouldn't try to stop her. Knew even if she did that she wouldn't be able.

'Okay. It's still early though, not even light yet, so you have hours before you actually leave. You should go back to sleep, you need plenty of rest. J.J nodded, rolling onto her side and closing her eyes. Prentiss sat back down in the chair beside the bed and waited until J.J's breathing slowed and deepened. She got up as quietly as possible, making sure not to scrape the chair along the floor. Then she crept out of the room, opening and closing the door as silently as she could.

J.J opened her eyes and sighed with relief. She had hoped Emily would give into her exhaustion and leave. There was no way she was letting herself sleep. She couldn't forget her attack, she knew that, but at least if she were awake she didn't have to relive it in such detail.

She picked up a magazine someone had left by her bed and started to read. She couldn't concentrate, didn't even know what she was reading. All the words seemed to jumble in her mind, none of it making sense. Her eyes began to droop. She threw the magazine aside and forced herself to sit up, wincing slightly. There was a clock on the wall. It read quarter past five, she was checking out around midday. She sat and watched the clock. Counting with the second hand. Counting until she was free.

J.J stepped through her front door and went to throw her keys on the phone table. Her hands stopped in midair. It was something she had always done, an unthought-of gesture. Now it carried meaning. Now it reminded her of that night. She pocketed them instead and dropped the small bag that Emily had brought in to the hospital for her on the floor.

She had wanted to come inside with JJ but she hadn't let her. She just said that she wanted some time alone. When she was given a sceptical look she said, 'Go meet the others and work on catching him.' She needn't explain who she meant. 'Don't tell me you're not working on this case unofficially.' Emily smiled in spite of the situation, she may not be a profiler but J.J could still read her friends perfectly. 'I'll drop by later. Ring me if you need anything.'

'Just go. I'm…' she stopped, she had said the word 'fine' too much in the last few days, 'I'm good. It will be better for everyone once we catch this guy.' Reassured by her conviction Prentiss left.

J.J had wanted to be alone. She didn't want to be asked how she was or feel the eyes of someone else on her, analysing her every movement, dissecting her every word. Now that she was alone however she didn't know what to do. She stood in the hallway of her home, hugging herself and not wanting to move. She knew there could be no-one there, she had heard him leave her house, and yet she could not move.

She saw such brutal things everyday, had most of her working life. She had seen dead bodies in the worst circumstances imaginable; mutilated, torn, destroyed. She had seen people lying lifeless, broken, no light behind there eyes. She had seen people survive and wish to be dead. She had witnessed some of the most horrific things possible but she had always had her home to come back to. Her refuge. It had been the one place where nothing could touch her.

Now that illusion was shattered. Her home was just another place where terrible things could take place. She didn't realise she was crying until she felt a tear slide down her face.