how could a heart like yours, ever love a heart like mine?

come close my dear, you don't have to fear

It tore him up.

"Kie?", he said into the door.

A gasp for air.

"JJ?", a strained voice responded.

"Yeah! I'm gonna get you out of here okay?"

"Oh thank god."

More gasping.

More crying.

The sound made his head cloud and his chest tighten, but it filled him with a determination like no other, and he made fast work of the lock.

Finally, he heard it click and he pushed the door open.

Kie let out a relieved yet frantic sob as he came through and even tried to move towards him, despite her circumstances.

She was sitting on the floor, with her back against a pole. Her hands had been tied behind her, and around the pole.

JJ moved over to her immediately and started work on the knots.

She still didn't stop crying.

As he worked, he figured she must have been struggling with the rope because the skin around it was red. The ropes fell off, revealing even darker red skin underneath, but he didn't get a long look at it because the second the she was free, Kiara scrambled around the pole and threw her arms around JJ's neck, practically sitting in his lap, and sobbing into his shoulder. She just kept pushing against him, trying to get closer.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her and tried to support her shaking form. As much as Kiara had begun to get more physical with him, this sudden and extreme amount of contact took him by surprised.

She was trying to say something but JJ couldn't make anything out. Suddenly, something clicked in his mind like his tools in the lock.

"This was like your nightmares."

Kiara sobbed even harder. JJ was pretty sure he felt his heart crack. A wave of guilt washed over him and he squeezed her even tighter and buried his face in her neck.

"I am so sorry Kie. You should have gone with Pope. I should have been in here, not you. I'm so sorry."

He just kept saying it and holding on to her securely.

Eventually her sobbing calmed but she was definitely still crying.

JJ sighed.

"We have to get out of here Kie."

She nodded, not meeting his eyes.

"Okay let's go."

The five friends all made it out of the warehouse. Sarah and Pope took one cab, John B another, and then Kie and JJ.

She didn't let go of his hand once they left that room, and when they were in the cab, she wound her arms around his torso and put her cheek against his chest.

She didn't say anything and she shed silent tears the whole time.

When they got home, the other three were waiting for them.

They all sat up for a bit. Kiara said very little but she put on a brave face.

It was quite late so they all finally decided to go to bed.

It had been a few nights since JJ had slept in Kiara's bed but he walked her to her room anyways, mainly because she still hadn't left his side since they left the warehouse. She looked positively terrified when he got up to go to the bathroom.

When they reached her door, she turned around and lent against the doorframe while he lent against the wall.

"You gonna be okay?"

"Hm? Yeah," Kie responded distractedly.

"You sure?"

Kiara moved forward and wrapped her arms around JJ's waist. He hugged her back.

"Are you sure?", he asked again.

"No."

"Okay, I'm staying."

"JJ you don't have to I-"

"I'm staying. You get in bed. I'm gonna go change," JJ interrupted before she could make excuses.

She let him go nodding and turning into her room.

JJ went back to his and Pope's room to change his jeans for pyjama pants. Kie had bought both him and Pope a pair about a week into them sleeping at The Wreck because she was sick of seeing them in their underwear.

"I'm staying with Kie tonight. She's pretty shaken up."

"Alright," Pope grunted out while rolling from his side of the bed into a starfish position in the middle.

JJ chuckled a little on his way back down the hall.

Kie was sitting on the side of the bed with her back to the door.

JJ crawled into his side and laid down.

Kiara still didn't move.

"Kie?", he questioned, reaching out to touch the back of her arm.

She put her hand over his, where it rested.

"Hey," he said sitting up and moving over to her, "you should get some sleep."

Even from just the back of her head, JJ could tell that she was afraid.

"I've got ya alright, just lie down."

He tried to make it sound casual but the hand rubbing up and down her arm probably gave him away.

She glanced over her shoulder but conceded and laid down but she didn't let go of his hand, causing him to drape it over her.

They were lying in the middle of the bed, her back pressed against him. They stayed like that for a while until Kie turned over and snuggled into his chest. JJ was once again taken aback by this sudden influx of physical affection but he rolled with it.

"Thanks JJ."

"You don't have to thank me Kie."

"I know, I just- I felt it necessary."

JJ chuckled.

"Alright."

He pulled her closer and he could smell the peaches and coconut that seemed to be constantly emanating off of her.

Kiara was one of the strongest people he knew. She never let anyone know how she was really feeling. When JJ, Pope, and Kie had thought that John B and Sarah were gone forever, she didn't talk about how it affected her. She spent all her time looking after the boys. JJ was glad that she was finally leaning on him, even if it was only temporary.

He barely slept at all that night, waking at every sound she made, but she never stirred more than a sigh, sleeping comfortably in his presence.