The bird's opening - Criminal Minds - JJ

Thinking about you

Virginia, 2014

The last time something like this had happened, it had been after the convoy attack. JJ had passed out due to the explosion and she had stayed out for hours after that. Dani hadn't left her side since and this wouldn't be the time she would do that either.

After making their way out of the roof, JJ had hugged each and every member of her team, all of them taking turns as they gently squeezed her in her arms and reassured her that she didn't need to thank them for anything, especially Emily, saying it had been no trouble for her at all to come to D.C. all the way from London. After that, she went to the ambulance that was taking Cruz away. The two of them talked for a minute or so, but, soon enough, she had to leave him, since they had to take Cruz to the hospital. As soon as she was out of that ambulance, Dani was by her side again, keeping her steady as her eyes came in and out of focus.

"JJ." Dani called gently. "JJ?"

"Dani..." JJ mumbled weakly. "D-Dani, I... I..."

And that had been the moment she passed out. Dani held her up, stumbling a little under the sudden weight. She waved Hotchner over and the man quickly rushed toward them, calling over some of the EMTs to come and help JJ.

Dani had ridden the ambulance with JJ. The woman had been in and out of consciousness as they drove to the hospital, but when she was awake, all she ever did was squeeze Dani's hand before letting her fingers fall limply beside her when she blacked out again. Dani couldn't seem to take her eyes off of JJ. She had so many bruises in her face and across her body, but, in the few occasions Dani had seen her eyes after her abduction - every single one except that one fleeting moment after pulling her from the edge of the roof -, all she had seen in them was fear and pain and torture. So she knew. JJ would heal from her wounds eventually - she would heal from them fast if she knew the woman as well as she thought she did - but those internal scars... Those were another matter entirely.

Of course, Dani hadn't been allowed in with JJ as they checked on her, but, as soon as she was cleared, the doctors called her in so they could give her a run-down of JJ's check-up.

"Overall, agent Jareau seems to be alright." One of the doctors said, as Dani nodded at her words, with her arms crossed over her chest, as she tried to absorb as much information as she could on JJ's state while her mind just kept wandering to the time she would be allowed to see her again. "Apart from a few bruises, that is. She has a broken rib, though, so we had to immobilize her torso."

"Okay." Dani nodded.

"Agent Jareau was in a lot of pain, however, so we gave her some morphine."

"Is she out?" Dani asked, as the doctor nodded.

"Yes." She said. "She's resting now. And she should be for a while."

"Of course."

"But you can see her, if you want, agent Moreno." The doctor smiled a little when Dani lifted her eyes up to meet hers.

"Can I?"

"Yes." She nodded. "You can stay with her until she wakes up. Is that something you'd like to do?"

"Yes." Dani answered, without missing a beat. "Yes, I'd like that."

The doctor had guided Dani through the hospital then and straight to JJ's room. Ever since, Dani hadn't left. It had been only a few hours, she knew, but as she watched JJ sleeping in her bed, it had seemed to be so much longer than that. While she rested, Dani had sat off to the side as member after member of JJ's team walked in to check on her, whispering sweet words of encouragement to her and smiling at Dani before leaving.