A/N: Tears ahead. You've been warned.

Eventually, JJ's psych hold was up, and she had been sent home with strict orders to see her therapist as soon as was physically possible. Her mom tried her best to keep her motivated and alert, but all JJ wanted to do was curl up in a ball at the bottom of her bed.

The day after she came home, she was woken from an exhaustion fuelled nap by the sound of rustling coming from across the hall. She knew her mom was downstairs, so it could only be Will making the noise.

Pulling herself out of her bed, she grimaced as her body ached with each movement. Stretching out a crick in her neck, she made her way out of her room, following the sounds until she was standing outside the ajar door of Jason's old bedroom.

Apprehensively, JJ peered around the corner, the curious part of her wanting to find out where the rustling noises were coming from. What she found was Will shoving all of his clothes into his duffel bag.

"Where are you going?" she asked, her voice so timid that she was a little ashamed of herself. This was Will. Her best friend, partner, lover of how many years?

He stopped, looking up at her as his hands froze over the bag. For a moment, all he could do was stare. And then his expression changed, ever so slightly, reflecting the sadness the two of them had felt for so long. "Back to New Orleans," he said softly.

"For a visit?"

He dropped his gaze, shaking his head. "No… no, I… I'm going to stay there. With my family"

JJ's stomach dropped. "You're leaving?"

Will took a deep breath, swallowing hard. "I can't do this anymore JJ. I can't. It's just… I don't want to say it's too hard, because I don't want to be weak and just give up, but… it is. It's just too hard for me to deal with and I'm exhausted"

"How do you think I feel?" JJ said tearfully, coming into the room.

"I know," Will said softly. "I'm sorry… I just can't. I need… space"

"So much space that you're going to run off to Louisiana?"

Will avoided her gaze, zipping up his bag and slinging the strap over his shoulder. "I can't do it JJ. There's too much. We're done"

Tears spilled down her cheeks as he moved towards her. He brought his hand to cup her chin, gently lifting her face up towards him. For a moment, JJ thought he might kiss her, but instead, all she noted was the sadness in his eyes. "Someone is going to love you to the end of the earth and back again… I just… don't think it can be me anymore"

"What could I say that would make you stay?" JJ asked tearfully. Will shook his head.

"I'm sorry, JJ"

And with that he pulled away, starting down the stairs. JJ followed, her eyes blurred with tears. Her chest seemed to heave with sobs as she watched him open the front door, walk across the yard, and throw his bag in his truck.

Minutes later, his truck was pulling into the street, and she was watching him drive away. Her heart felt like it was going to crack in two as she realised that she had probably just seen Will for the last time in her life.

Her body began to heave with sobs, and before she knew what was happening, her legs had collapsed beneath her. The sounds coming from her mouth were hardly human, anguished gasping cries as her mom came rushing in from the other room. There were no words, and even as Sandy wrapped her up in her arms, there was nothing that could be done.

It was simply time to let the pain run its course.

Laying alone in the darkness of the room she had once shared with Michael, Sandy felt like the pain and sadness was pressing in on her from all sides. Here she was, in a house that had once been full of life, a house that now seemed to dig up an ache in her heart no matter where she turned.

She felt so alone. Sure, she had JJ… but JJ might as well have been on another planet.

Swallowing back the lump in her throat, she turned onto her side. The blue digital numbers of the clock gazed back at her, reading 4:02. The colon between the numbers ticked away steadily, whiling away the time.

She hadn't slept at all. She couldn't. Not when JJ was so fragile. She would never have believed just two years ago that her strong, successful, talented girl would end up in such a low place. But of course, that was when everything had been fine. Michael was alive… happy and healthy. JJ and Will were in love. Everything was ok.

A tear escaped as she thought of what would happen if JJ took another attempt at her own life. With just the two of them in the house, it was nearly impossible for Sandy to keep tabs on her. JJ was nearly 23, she was an adult… Sandy couldn't follow her to and from the gym. She couldn't force her to keep the bathroom door open whenever she was in there.

She was terrified. Now that JJ and Will were officially over, JJ was in an extremely precarious state. And she was terrified that it would result in her losing her youngest child. She still had two more days before Jason and Katie would arrive, and she knew they were going to be the longest and hardest two days yet.

"Mom?"

Turning, Sandy lifted her head, looking back over her shoulder towards the door. In the near darkness, she could just make out JJ standing in the doorway. "Hey," she said softly. "Can't sleep either?"

JJ shook her head, slowly entering the room and walking to the unoccupied side of the bed. Sandy turned over so she was facing JJ, pulling the blankets back so JJ could climb in. Eventually, she was beneath the covers, laying on her side facing her mom as Sandy gently ran her fingers up and down her arm. They lay there for some time, listening as the world slept on outside the window.

"You doing ok?" Sandy asked quietly after a little while. JJ didn't reply, casting her eyes down and away from her mom's face. "You know it's ok to not be ok," Sandy continued gently. "You just ended an almost 5 year relationship. Everything you're feeling right now is perfectly valid"

JJ sniffed, one of her hands coming to her face to cover her tears. Feeling the lump coming back in her throat, Sandy pulled JJ closer to her, until her daughter's face was tucked into the crook of her neck.

"I just can't stop thinking about him," JJ sobbed quietly. "I can't believe that's it. He's just gone, and I don't know if I'll ever see him again"

Sandy clutched her close, remaining silent as she let JJ cry it out in her arms. Tears swelled in her eyes as she listened to her daughter's heartbreak, but she let them come. The thing about pain was that no matter how hard you tried to push it away, it was always going to be there, demanding to be felt.

"I don't think anyone will ever love me like he did"

Squeezing her eyes shut, Sandy brought her lips closer to JJ's ear. "I don't think there's anyone out there that couldn't love you like that, my girl. You have an amazing heart… there is someone out there who thinks you hung the stars… and they'll come along when you most need them to be in your life. But right now… you can't let this pain consume you. If not only because of what it'll do to you, but because… I'm terrified of losing you," she said tearfully, her voice cracking as she spoke. "There isn't a lot I wouldn't do right now if it just meant that I could guarantee that I'll always have you, JJ. I've lost a lot in my life… I'm not going to add you to the list"

JJ let out a sob, pulling back and turning away from her mother. Sandy never hesitated, moving up behind JJ and wrapping a comforting arm over her side.

"You'll be ok," Sandy said softly as more silent tears fell to her pillow. "If I know anything about you, it's that you're going to be ok"

"I'm just so tired," JJ whispered, hiccupping as her sobs died down.

"Then get some rest," Sandy breathed. "I'll be right here, I promise"

JJ fell silent, her good hand coming to lightly grip the bandage around the still healing wound on her wrist. Her shoulders twitched with yet more tears as she curled up into a ball. "I wanted to hurt myself," she admitted in a whisper. "That's why I came in here"

Sandy's heart seemed to tear in two at JJ's words, but she didn't falter, instead, just clutching her baby even closer.

"I wanted to but I was afraid. Of what would happen… of hurting you… and I couldn't do it. But I just… needed to know I wasn't alone"

"You're never alone," Sandy breathed, her eyes wet with tears. "Not as long as I'm around"

Silence fell between them again, permeated by nothing but the sound of the breeze outside.

"I'm glad you came in here," Sandy said gently after a few minutes. "I don't care what time of day it is, or where we are in the world… if you're struggling… if you need me… you talk to me"

"Promise," JJ breathed through the last of her tears, prompting Sandy to lift her head momentarily to kiss JJ's temple.

"Try and get some sleep," she said softly, keeping her arms around JJ to try and offer the distraught young woman some sort of comfort. "I'm right here. I promise"