Prentiss was saying something through her sobs, but JJ couldn't make it out; the dark-haired girl was almost choking. "It's okay. Just please, calm down. What are you trying to say? I'm here. I can't understand you when…"

After a few minutes, Prentiss pulled away and mumbled something. "What?" JJ asked.

"I want to…be free. I just don't know how I'll work my life out, if I can't hurt myself. Then I have to feel, and they're so strong."

"You're stronger! You can learn, make some changes. And I'll always be here," JJ said, tears starting to form in her own eyes as well.

Prentiss wiped her face, but couldn't stop her own tears. "All right. I'll do it." Her voice was almost a whisper, but the blond heard. Prentiss was still holding her fist with the box of blades in it out over the water.

"Okay. All you have to do is open your hand. Just drop them. Let go. We can count to five, and…" JJ trailed off.

Prentiss nodded mutely, started to count under her breath. But she didn't even wait for five. By the time she looked down at the river, she couldn't see the blades any more. Then she looked at JJ and managed a half-smile.

"Now for the rest of them." There was no hesitation now; she started by simply dropping them down, then flung the last small container that held her enemy towards the horizon with as much force as she could muster. She could always get more, that was true, but in this second, there was no pain. Her chains were undone.

Nothing was certain, though. In the back of her mind, Prentiss realized she still had so far to go. She would likely continue to hurt herself, to have bad days, for a long time yet. But for now, she felt…happy. A line from another of her favorite books popped into her head. Brave new world…O, brave new world that has such people in it. She then thought of JJ. They would make their own world together.

They walked home in silence, but smiling. But later, when they were sitting together at Prentiss's and Garcia's apartment, with Garcia there as well, thinking about what to fix for an, albeit very late, breakfast, Prentiss started to cry again.

JJ was rooting around in the fridge, so she didn't see at first. "Are you okay?" Garcia asked, rubbing her friend's back. "What's up?"

"JJ and I left this morning, and we went down to the river. I…threw out all my razor blades," she said quickly, as if that would make it less unpleasant.

Garcia was so excited she actually squealed. "That's amazing, sweetie! I'm so proud of you, and I know JJ is too."

JJ turned around to look at them and nodded. "For sure. I know it was really hard to do, though. It's okay to…feel upset."

"It's confusing. I'm happy somehow too. Nervous as well, thinking about how I'm going to make it without hurting myself."

"Don't ever get to thinking you're alone here!" Garcia insisted. "JJ and I are here, and so are all our friends. And maybe you can…call your doctor tomorrow, and let her know about this. Then you can sort this out and see this was really a great thing you did."

"You're right. I'm not alone."

That turned out to be the best day Prentiss had had in ages.