Thanks for being patient with me again. Africa was fantastic, as always, but staying with my family has been a bit harder than I anticipated. However, it has given me a lot of time to write and I've even begun a new CM story for all of you that I'll be posting soon! I hope you enjoy the chapter and I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

Chapter 18

She came awake slowly, accidentally rolling onto her right shoulder. Gasping at the sudden rush of pain, Leila pressed her hand to the injury and felt the blood that continued to seep from it. She kept her eyes shut, not wanting to open them to the nightmare she was sure she was in…again.

"Are you ok?" the feminine voice startled the girl, causing her to jump and open her eyes. Leila took in the woman before her. Tattered clothes and dirtied face suggested that she had been there for quite some time. The woman was tall and sported almost platinum blonde hair with dark blue eyes. Although she didn't resemble her sister in the slightest, she could see why Jeremy had chosen her- she was one of the most beautiful women Leila had ever laid eyes on. The two stared at each other, studying, until Leila found her voice.

"I'm fine." She swallowed. Her shoulder continued to throb but other than that, she was unharmed. That was more than she could say for the woman who sat across from her. "Who are you?"

"My name is Robyn." She raised her hands, showing Leila the chains that tethered her to the wall. "I'd shake your hand but…"

"It's fine." Leila struggled to back into the wall, propping herself up against it as she took a cautious glance at her shoulder. It wasn't as unsightly as she had presumed but the rod had pierced her straight through. It would require stitches at best. Blood continued to flow in a seemingly endless river despite the pressure Leila maintained on it. "I'm Leila."

"I wish I could say it's nice to meet you." Robyn offered her a thin smile. Leila found herself surprised at the woman's resilience. She had been here for God knows how long, chained to wall and forced to endure unimaginable horrors, her body bearing the marks to prove it, but still managed to smile. Leila found herself admiring her almost immediately. She didn't feel like she could ever smile again.

"Robyn," Leila sighed heavily, wondering where she could possibly begin, "do you know who has us?"

"His name is Jeremy." The woman tucked her knees closer to her chest at the name. "He…he's kind of obsessed with a woman named 'Jennifer' but she-"

"Died, I know." Leila swallowed hard as she took in the woman's confused look. "Jennifer was my sister."

"I-I'm so sorry." Robyn clearly wanted to ask more but waited for the younger woman to continue.

"He wants you to be her. That's why he took you. And you're not the first either." The news came as a surprise to Robyn and Leila quickly explained what Jeremy had spent the past year doing. By the end, she wished she hadn't. Robyn was staring, wide-eyed and frozen in fear, as Leila told her the fate of those who had come before her.

"Bu-But why take us now that she's dead?" Robyn stuttered, struggling to understand the mind of the psychopath that held them. "If he loved her then-"

"He never loved her." Leila's tone left no room for interpretation. "He's insane, Robyn. That's why."

"So we're screwed." It was more of a question than a statement as Robyn's eyes started to fill with tears. Leila was quick to disagree. She stood on somewhat shaky legs and made her way over to the woman. Wary of touching her, Leila eased herself down and focused her gaze on the woman's deep gaze. Despite their obvious differences, it was easy for the teen to feel a semblance of her sister within the weary woman. Leila resisted the urge to take her hands as she spoke.

"My sister worked for one of the best units in the FBI." She explained. "They're my friends- my family. They won't stop looking for us, ok? Ever."

"You," Robyn sniffled, "you seem like you've done this kind of thing before." Leila almost laughed out loud.

"Let's just say that this isn't the first time Jeremy and I have spent excessive amounts of time together." As Leila finished her sentence, the two women heard heavy footfalls coming from right above their heads. They froze, holding their breaths, as the sound increased in volume. Jeremy was coming. Robyn curled herself into a small ball, shutting her eyes tightly and Leila couldn't help but take the woman's hand. Aside from the small flinch, Robyn latched onto the younger woman's hand immediately, squeezing it with all of her strength. Leila found herself squeezing back as the door swung open. Jeremy stood in the doorway, a smile plastered on his face as he watched the two shrink back at his presence. He approached them slowly, relishing in the fear that increased in their eyes, before finally squatting down in front of them.

"Finally up." He breathed, his rancid breath causing Leila to lean slightly back. "I see you've met our new friend. Have the two of you had time to get acquainted yet?"

"Jeremy," Leila took in a trembling breath, "you don't need her. It's me you've wanted all this time. Just let her go." His loud belly laugh caused the two woman to flinch back.

"Of course I need her." He stated, placing a palm on the wall beside Robyn's head and leaning forward. Her grip on Leila's hand tightened immensely as the man brought his face closer and inhaled the scent of her hair. The woman trembled noticeable but, to her credit, didn't move.

"Hurting her won't bring JJ back." Leila's upfront statement caused the man to freeze, his eyes opening as he struggled to control his reaction. "It won't take back what you did." Leila felt stupid for not anticipating his reaction as a hand quickly wound back and slapped her hard across the face. She cried out briefly, placing her free hand to her cheek, before returning her gaze to the man in question.

"She is JJ." Every word was punctuated as Jeremy shifted his stare from Robyn to Leila. Grabbing the teen by the collar, he lifted her slowly. Robyn's hand however, did not let go of hers. "Can't you see it?"

"She's nothing like her and you know it." Leila baited the man, watching the internal struggle that began behind his eyes. Jeremy, refusing to let up, grabbed her face in one hand and forced her to look down at Robyn.

"Look at her!" he shouted in Leila's ear. Robyn jumped at the sound, her gaze latching onto Leila's in a desperate cry for help. "How can you not see it?!"

"Because it's not there, Jeremy." Leila's voice was calm and soft, as if she pitied the man. His grip on her chin loosened and she brought her stare- JJ's stare- to face him. "I know you regret what happened. I know you…you didn't want to kill her." Leila fought hard to swallow the sob that threatened to escape. "But you did and you can't change that- no matter how much we both wish you could."

"No, no," Jeremy whispered, shaking his head as his grip on Leila's collar tightened, "you're wrong. I can change it. I can."

"No, Jeremy." Leila insisted. She knew how fragile his mental state was and, after many conversations with Emily, knew which buttons to push. "This is Robyn, not Jennifer. You know that. You know that they're not the same. Come on, say it with me." Jeremy's mouth moved to form the syllables of Robyn's name was Leila spoke it aloud. She nodded slowly. "That's it, Jeremy. You're smart. You know that I'm telling the truth."

"The truth." Jeremy repeated to himself. "But you-you don't know the truth, do you?" Leila faltered at his question, unsure as to what he meant.

"Jeremy, we both know the truth." Leila tried again. "JJ's gone. This isn't her. This is Robyn and she's innocent."

"Fine, fine." He conceded. "This is Robyn. But I'm not talking about that truth." Leila frowned, the growing smile on his lips unnerving her.

"What truth?" She almost regretted asking as Jeremy's grin widened and he brought his lips close to her ear.

"JJ's still alive." The murmur was more than enough to make Leila's heart skip several beats. The girl stood there, her eyes fixed on her kidnapper's, as she fought to process the information.

"No," she breathed, "no, you killed her in a parking lot outside of a grocery store."

"No, I stabbed her in a parking lot outside of a grocery store." He corrected, his yellow teeth peaking out from his smile. "But she didn't die." Leila inhaled a trembling breath as she tried to see the lie. "I brought her back."

"Jeremy, you're sick." She tried to explain. "She's dead- I buried her myself." Jeremy shook her slightly, as if trying to get her to see reason.

"Did you see her?" he questioned. "Did you see her body?" Leila scanned her memory quickly, sure that she had to have seen her sister before the funeral. As she remained silent, Jeremy let out a brief chuckle. "I did. And I can assure you, it was just as alive as ever."

"You're lying." Leila practically begged, unable to form a clear image. Her head spun and she wasn't sure if it was solely because of the blood loss. She tried and failed to force the question out of her mind before it formed- what if he isn't? Was it possible? Could JJ really be alive? And if she was, why did everyone she love lie to her about it?

"I think you know I'm not." The man reveled in the inner turmoil he had caused as Leila frowned, tears already streaming down her face at the mere thought of JJ. "Look." He removed a photo from his pocket and showed it to her. It was taken from afar but there was no mistake, that was JJ. Her hair was short and dark and she looked thinner than ever but Leila could tell that it was her. Despite the proof, the teen shook her head quickly.

"It's fake, you're lying." She repeated, her eyes falling on the timestamp on the bottom right of the photo. It was taken less than a week ago. Leila knew how difficult it was to forge those but still, she couldn't accept it. "JJ wouldn't lie to me- she wouldn't just leave me."

"Except she did." Jeremy bit his lower lip and tilted his head in mock pity as Leila continued to stare at the photo, tears now blocking her vision. "They all did." Leila trembled in his grip, her head lowered to hide her face and the tears that stained it. It didn't stop Jeremy from laughing at her expense. The flood of emotions rushing through her was overwhelming and Leila could feel bile rising in her throat. JJ was alive. All this time, JJ had been just fine and the team knew about it. Will knew about it. All this time, she had tortured herself thinking that her actions led to the death of the person she loved most in the world for no reason. Leila let out a sob, the blood rushing past her ears making it nearly impossible to hear Jeremy's laughter over it. She even forgot about Robyn who was sitting on the floor not a two feet away, listening to the entire episode. She didn't care. The tears wouldn't, no- couldn't- stop even if she wanted them to. Before long, Jeremy grew tired of holding her upright and released his grip on her shirt. Leila crumpled to the ground unceremoniously, feeling Robyn's warm hands cushioning her fall. She practically slapped them away, crawling several feet away and vomiting what little there was in her stomach. She could hear Jeremy stop laughing in order to watch and Robyn trying to approach her but being pulled back by the chains around her wrists. Leila was almost thankful that the woman couldn't reach her, unsure if she was able to handle any physical contact at the moment. As she emptied the contents of her stomach, Leila rocked back on her knees and wiped at her mouth. Her vision was bleary as she looked up at the wall in front of her. She swayed slightly, hearing Robyn's cry of 'she's going to pass out!', as she fell onto her injured shoulder. However, there was no pain as she blinked slowly, trying to comprehend the events of the past half hour. She was still bleeding. JJ was alive. Jeremy had her again. JJ was still alive. Robyn was probably going to die. JJ was still alive. It was the last thing she thought before her eyes closed and her vision blackened once more.

JJ couldn't help but voice the thought as soon as it entered her mind.

"She's going to hate me." It was the first thing uttered between the woman since they had begun their work, their desire to get Leila back taking precedent over catching up. Emily stopped typing immediately, a deep sigh passing her lips as she heard the self-hatred in her best friend's voice.

"She'll understand why you had no choice." Emily corrected her but JJ would have none of it. The former blonde stood, picking at the skin by her nails enough to draw blood. Emily was up in seconds, taking the woman's hands in hers in an attempt to stop her.

"But I did have a choice." JJ's voice was low. "I could've told her, Em. I could've refused to go along with it unless she knew. I didn't have to subject her to months of blaming herself for my-"

"Do you remember how I felt when you met me in Paris?" Emily interrupted the smaller woman, her hold on her hands tightening slightly. "How I told you that I hated myself for hurting them- for lying to them about something so important?" JJ nodded slowly, her azure gaze searching for anything but Emily's eyes to land on. "What did you tell me then?"

"I-I said that their momentary pain was necessary to keep your death from becoming a reality." JJ shook her head, her eyes finally meeting her friends. Emily wanted to cry at the pain she saw in them as a single tear rolled down an alabaster cheek. "But this is different. It's-"

"It's exactly the same, Jennifer." The use of her full name seemed to sober the woman, having rarely heard it from Emily's lips. "The more people knew, the more danger you would've been in. It's a fact. Leila is smart. She'll be upset at first but she'll understand that everything we did, we did to keep both of you safe."

"But she's not safe, Em!" JJ jerked her hands out of Emily's and turned her back to the older woman. She resumed picking at her cuticles and barely even felt it when she accidentally ripped open an old cut. "He's going to kill her." Emily took hold of the woman's shoulders and turned her around.

"He is not going to kill her." She promised. "Leila is strong- arguably stronger than any of us. She's going to be fine." Logic and reason couldn't seem to penetrate the thick fog of fear and anxiety that shrouded JJ's mind.

"You've seen what he does." JJ's voice quivered as scenarios played through her head, each worse than the last. "God, what if he…what if he ra…" She swallowed hard, unable to say the thought that had formed out loud. Emily understood what she was trying to say and squashed the thought immediately.

"JJ, he is not going rape her." She held onto the smaller woman's shoulders tightly, trying to keep her together. "I know you're struggling right now but you have to pull yourself together. You know, rationally, that he has no desire to do that. You're just thinking of the worst scenario possible because you're afraid and, while I completely understand that, we need you to be rational. Leila needs you to be rational."

"But what if he doesn't have another surrogate?" JJ's voice was high and her speech fast as the nightmares she had been having spilled out in a seemingly endless wave. "What if she reminds him too much of me or he knows how much that would hurt her? Emily, I know she's strong but that'll…that'll break her." The rant was hard to understand over JJ's trembling voice and tears but Emily anticipated the conversation before it began. She thanked her past self for coming up with a train of thought beforehand, unsure as to whether or not she could've accomplished it on the spot with the way JJ was looking at her.

"Listen to me, JJ." The brunette shook her friend slightly before continuing. "We both know that he's not going to touch her. He hates her. The only reason he's so obsessed with her is because he knows you would do anything to get her back."

"I would do anything to get back." JJ mumbled, primarily to herself. Her eyes trailed away from Emily's slowly as she thought out loud. "That's what I'll do. That's how I'll get her back."

"What are you talking about?" Emily tone was cautious, as if she knew what her friend was thinking.

"I'll trade myself for her." JJ continued over the sound of Emily's 'what?!'. "You said it yourself- it's me he wants. He doesn't want Leila. He's just using her to get to me. It's a no-brainer, really."

"A no-brainer? JJ, there is no way in hell that you're going anywhere near that man." Emily growled at the thought. "You know what he'll do to you."

"You think I care about that?!" JJ cried, once again wrenching herself out of Emily's grasp. "She'll be safe and that's all that matters! I don't care what he does to me as long as she's ok."

"Do you even hear yourself?!" Emily threw her hands up in exasperation. "Do you realize what you're saying- what you're proposing?!"

"I know what I'm saying, Emily." JJ's gaze returned to Emily, a fire dancing in it that the older woman had never seen before. "All this of this started because of me. All of these deaths are because he couldn't have me. If…having me is all it takes to make it stop then it's really quite simple, isn't it?"

"There's nothing simple about letting him rape you, Jennifer." Emily's frown deepened, her concern being replaced with pure anger at what JJ was implying. "That's what you're suggesting, isn't it?" She saw the woman swallow hard. "If it's so simple, then why can't you say it? Come on, it's just a word. It can't hurt you. Say it."

"I don't have to say it." JJ lowered her gaze slightly as Emily approached her. The eight-month pregnant woman was more than upset, she was furious, and the last thing JJ wanted was to aggravate her further.

"You have no idea what you're talking about." Emily pointed an accusatory finger at her friend, her voice low and almost threatening. "There's nothing 'simple' about this- about offering yourself up like a piece of meat to a psychopath while your family sits on the sidelines. You say that Leila will be 'safe' and 'ok' after this. Have you not thought of what that would do to her? And what about the rest of us? Don't you think Will would have something to say on the matter?" A few moments of silence passed before Emily continued. "What, no thoughts? No snarky comeback?"

"I just want people to stop getting hurt because of me." The plea almost broke Emily's resolve…almost.

"Don't flatter yourself, none of this is because of you. This is happening because a sick man formed an attachment to you- an attachment that you didn't provoke or initiate. The only way to stop him is to pull yourself together and help us find him." Emily folded her arms across her chest as she took in JJ's defeated expression. She hated making her friend feel worse but she knew that, in the long run, she was better off. "Now come on, we have a lead." Emily opened the door for the woman who seemed to still be processing their conversation and waited. As the two entered the bullpen in search of their team, Emily couldn't help but stare at the back of her friend's head. This wasn't like her. The things she had said in there were so uncharacteristic that Emily was left wondering if there were any remnants of her friend left in there. The thought, as frightening as it was, was forced back down as Emily tried to digest what she had to do next. She had no choice- she had to tell Hotch. JJ wasn't mentally stable and, by definition, unfit to work on any case, let alone this one. The pregnant agent swallowed hard at the dreaded conversation. If JJ ever found out that Emily was the reason she was kicked off the case, she was sure the blonde would never speak to her again. Tears stung at her eyes at the thought of a life without the former media liaison. However, the thought of a life with a dead JJ spurred her forward and towards where she knew their boss was waiting.