As promised it was Sophie who returned at visiting time, she popped her head around and smiled when she saw JJ was in fact awake.

"Hay, nice to see you're a little more awake." She smiled taking a seat beside the bed.

"Hi, I umm hope you don't mind that I asked you to come I know you have the school and…" JJ trailed of nervously.

"Now I have you I am never loosing touch again." She offered a soft smile

"Yeah… sorry about that" JJ chuckled "Umm" she fiddled with her own fingers nervously "I was just wondering if we could still have that chat?"

"Of course" the older women nodded "Take your time" she offered a family, comforting smile.

JJ took a deep breath as she started to talk "Before I left I didn't… well I didn't feel like JJ I guess I felt like Shelby and then what I did to Morgan…" she sniffled and wiped her eyes "God I cant believe I threw myself at him like that and I don't want him to be mad at me."

"Derek is not mad you." She spoke softly

"I know I should not have done what I did but I wasn't really thinking I just wanted to keep everyone safe and then in the basement… i… I didn't recognize myself. All I could think was don't fight or react… he l-likes that." She frowned looking down at her hands "I felt like that scared kid again and im not that… that's not me." She became more angry now. "I am an FBI agent I have interviewed serial killers for god sake and I couldn't… I couldn't stand up to him."

"JJ…" Sophie spoke over the young agents rambling "Jennifer" she said a little more harshly to catch her attention. "Let me ask you something… your team mentioned something before, what is it you tell potential victims about stalkers?"

JJ frowned in thought "W… we would say that it is better to go along with the fantasy of the unsub its safer because… oh." She looked up at Sophie finally as it clicked what the other women was getting at.

"You did what you had to do in order to survive. Shelby knew how to deal him. The dissociation you had with agent Morgan and again in the basement was completely normal. JJ it is normal and it is likely to happen again… now I don't say that to worry you or frighten you but we have been here before, we helped you through him before and we will do it again."

JJ wiped her eyes again quickly, as if she didn't want Sophie to see the tears. "What if I cant this time?"

"You can… you know how I know?" She waited till JJ looked at her "Because you're not a child anymore, you have an amazing team… a family that love you so much, you have me and Peter back and you are not alone. You will never be alone again."

She nodded and sat quietly for a moment "He drugged me… I worked so hard to get sober and he… he took that from me."

"No. No he didn't." She leaned closer "He drugged you against your will that is not the same thing as you taking drugs by choice."

"Well yeah but-"

"JJ… no buts, you did not take those drugs by choice. Do you want them now?" She raised her brow knowing she was never able to lie to her.

"Umm i… yeah" she mumbled "I mean… the craving is there but I really don't want to. I told the dr no pain meds."

"See that there is the difference… but you know pain medication is different. There is no shame in you accepting pain killers especially here, it is controlled, precise and there is drs all around."

"I dunno I… its scary" she sniffled back tears and shrugged

"I know" she reached forward and placed her hand on top of JJ's "But I am so proud of you for admitting that and I mean it, you're not alone. You have a team that clearly loves you and me and Peter are not going anywhere."

JJ finally looked up at the older women "I really… really missed you guys."

"We missed you too… so much…" she stood up and pulled her into a soft but protective hug "And when you're better I am going to yell at you for vanishing on us all these years" she kissed the top of her head.

The young women in her arms chuckled softly "You don't yell Soph… you did have the whole not mad just disappointed vibe going on though."

"You just enjoyed pushing my buttons" she scoffed and sat back down "Now… tell me about Emily." She gave her a knowing look.

"You know I suddenly feel really tired…"

"Nice try. Talk"

JJ rolled her eyes but smile softly "fine… Emily Prentiss is… everything" she blushed softly "she believes in me even when I don't, shes protective and she always has Cheetos on her… even though she hates them" she chuckled "Oh she speaks like 7 languages shes so smart, she swears in Russian normally which I think is funny… but shes clumsy trips over her own feet all the time its… really cute actually."

Sophie smiled brightly, listening to JJ talk "She is something else… your boss threatened to hand cuff her to the bed post if she didn't try and get some sleep."

"I told her I loved her. Kinda…"

"The letter?" She asked, continuing when JJ's eyes widened "Don't worry… she wouldn't let anyone read it but she wouldn't put it down either. You should talk to her about it"

"But what if she doesn't feel the same?"

"I am telling you… talk to her." She gave her friend a knowing smile.

The two women talked, caught up properly and JJ was starting to feel like herself again. Sophie stayed for a few hours before leaving to her nap, she managed a couple of hours and when she woke she found Emily watching her.

"That's creepy" she teased.

"Sorry" Emily chuckled. "Guess what?"

"Umm?" JJ turned on her side to face her friend.

"Doc said you can go home tomorrow… well no flying yet."

"Urg finally" she groaned.

Emily nodded then took JJ's hand "Jennifer… when we go home would you like to go on a date with me?"

JJ smiled brightly and nodded "I would love that Emily." She shifted on the bed patting the space between them "Will you hold me"

"What if I hu-"

"Please?" She repeated batting her eyelids then smiling brightly as Emily removed her jacket and climbed onto the bed wrapping her arm around JJ

They lay in a comfortable silence for a while with Emily playing with soft blonde hair "Jayj?" She whispered in case the young women was asleep, when she got a mumbled reply she smiled "I love you too."