Criminal Minds 1. Crash

**Chapter 1: Crash**

"I'll be home soon honey," JJ spoke on the phone to her young son, her heart clutching as she heard a trace of sadness in his voice as he told her how much he missed her. The profilers were returning from a particularly grueling case in Oregon that had kept them away for over a week. The unsub had been a man living in the wild choosing to be isolated from society, except for one small problem, if anyone encroached onto his territory he took it upon himself to murder them and leave their bodies on display to serve as a warning to others. A few missing hikers had first drawn the attention of the authorities to the case however it was when a family of five, including three young children, were found in a gruesome display that the FBI was called in. It had been a gut wrenching case as well as physically exhausting as they and local law enforcement had hiked through miles of forest to catch their prey. Luckily for him Rossi had taken a few days off to catch up on book signings to finally appease his publicist, so was spared the strain the others had experienced.

"Yes, put Jack on the phone," JJ said in closing as she handed her phone to Hotch who was in the seat next to her, waiting his turn to talk to his son as both boys were now staying with his former sister in law when the team left on a case.

It had been only a few short months ago that Will had left suddenly, tiring of his role as an FBI spouse and deciding to return to his life in Louisiana. While feeling almost relieved in terms of their relationship, JJ had been left in the lurch on childcare. She had not had time to find a suitable sitter for Henry before the BAU had been called on another case. Her mother was on a cruise and she wasn't sure where to turn before she had to reluctantly present her dilemma to her boss as she requested to stay back from a case. It was then that he had presented the solution that Jessica was looking for some extra income and would likely be willing to take both boys, calling Jessica while she was still in his office after obtaining her agreement.

Though Hotch began telling her of Jessica's qualifications, JJ didn't need further endorsement beyond knowing that he trusted her with Jack. Over the past few months it had indeed worked well for all involved, Jessica was appreciative of the extra income and the two boys seemed to enjoy having the other to play with, bonding over the fact that they were both left while their parents were off fighting the bad guys.

"See you soon buddy," Hotch said in farewell as he handed the phone back to JJ, sharing in the brief mood lift that both received in hearing the bright voices of the children, the needed distraction helping for just a few moments to overcome the horrific images still lingering in their minds as the jet continued on its path back towards Quantico.

"We sure are close to the mountains," Reid observed, looking out the window of the jet in the evening twilight.

"They're beautiful," Blake agreed from her seat across from him, sharing the view of the majestic pines and general forest below them that according to the map was a protected wildlife reserve.

"I wish the pilot could fly a little higher," Derek voiced his opinion as he too looked out the window, feeling as if they went much lower they would have the tops of the trees brushing against the bottom of the plane, but just as he anticipated hearing this sound the view opened as the plane went over the mountain and suddenly there was the view of a valley and stream which caused him to gradually exhale in relief.

"City boy," Blake teased, feeling at ease with the changing scenery and putting her trust in the pilots who had often delivered them safely to a variety of locations.

Turning their attention back from the gathering darkness the team began to settle into various positions to nap before their landing at the airport which would get them home close to midnight. They had gotten even less sleep than usual on the last case in their rush to find the unsub before another family fell victim so sleep came quickly.

"_Haley, no don't go with him, run!" Hotch yelled as he ran behind his ex-wife and son, his attempts to reach them futile as he tried to stop them from getting in the car with George Foyett. Even in the dream he knew he was in the clutches of a familiar nightmare, though was as unable to stop it this time as he had been several times before, always waking up in a cold sweat at the moment he was opening the chest to find Jack, his heart pounding as he knew he was going to find his son cold and still as he had done in every nightmare before. In his nightmares Foyett had found Jack and as a final cruel joke had killed the boy and left him lying in the box for his father to find. _

As the dream continued and Hotch maintained the hopeless pursuit against the murderer he could tell something was different but wasn't sure what as he felt as if this time he was lurching as he ran towards the house to yet again live out the horror of the dream but this time it was interrupted with a loud and unfamiliar CRASH. At the unfamiliar course of events he struggled to free himself from the darkness that had now replaced the dream, his senses detecting a burning smell as he struggled to open his eyes, finding it harder than usual to bring himself awake.

"Hotch, wake up man, wake up!" Morgan's frantic voice in his ear and the feel of his body being shaken helping rouse him as he finally opened his eyes, looking stupefied at his surroundings as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing, suddenly feeling a jolt of adrenaline as he realized that he was wide awake and that what he was seeing was not their usual comfortable jet cabin, but twisted metal and a gaping hole in the side of the jet.


	2. Getting Out

**AN: Chapter 2 reposted! My humble apologies to readers who were confused by the original Ch 2 I posted earlier today. I was getting very confused about the number of review questions I was receiving about who died after I clearly remember writing that part. I finally went back to read and noticed that somehow a couple of important chunks of the story had disappeared, from the middle of the document no less. They were pretty critical points so I'm sure I confused more than one reader. Anyway now fixed up and reloaded, hopefully it will make more sense this time around. Initially I thought I must have bumped something on copy/paste but even after fixing it it continued to cut out a major chunk of story, but at least it uploaded the full version as document form. And note to self: Don't EVER forget to preview.**

**Chapter 2: Getting out**

Hotch shook his head again, trying to gain his bearings as he looked at the tree limb protruding into the cabin, hearing Morgan's shouts as he called to other team members over the slowly crackling frames.

The unit chief could feel the stickiness of blood on the side of his face but ignored it as he fought his way to his feet to help the others. Since his seat was closest to the cockpit he first made his way to check on the pilots as he saw Morgan working on the exit.

He barely had to glance into the cockpit to realize that the trees and branches that had broken through the windshield had likely killed both pilots instantly.

Making his way back to the cabin he scanned the interior of the dimly lit interior for the rest of his team. He wanted to call out but was having difficulty finding his voice as he saw that Morgan had finally succeeded in opening the emergency exit and was looking down, indicating that they were still not fully on the ground. He felt a wave of relief when he noticed it was JJ working to help Morgan as they retrieved the emergency ladder and began fastening it to the exit.

As he forced himself to keep his balance and made his way towards Morgan and JJ he then noticed Reid standing unsteadily near where Blake had been seated. Only able to see her legs as Reid blocked the rest of his view he started in their direction to see if help was needed to free their remaining team member. Getting closer he realized the young man was clearly in a daze, looking disoriented as he stared at Blake's body, it was obvious she was gone as a large piece of metal had gone through the chair and now the bloody tip of it protruded from her chest. Her head was still resting against the window as if she were asleep, Hotch felt his gut twist and could only hope that she had never woken up, by the looks of things her death would have been instantaneous. "Come on Reid, there's nothing we can do for her now," he finally said gently, taking the young doctors elbow and helping lead him over the wreckage of the interior and towards the exit.

"There should be a brief drop at the end, but not too far. The ladder should hold if we go one at a time." Morgan coached the others after his initial test of the ladders security, now glad they had all at one time been made to attend the training on the jet safety features and learned how to utilize the emergency exits. At the time they had joked about having to learn where all the emergency equipment was but no one was laughing now as he grabbed a flashlight to help get an idea of what awaited them on the ground.

In action mode and realizing that every minute was precious there was no discussion as they quickly began to exit, choosing in unspoken agreement that JJ should go first, followed by Reid, then Morgan and finally Hotch.

Morgan had briefly looked like he might want to argue and go last himself but one look at Hotch's determined face was all he needed to tell him the senior agent did not intend to leave the plane until the rest of the team was safe. The smell of fumes was becoming stronger as Hotch began to cough before he finally made his way onto the ladder, his knee protesting with a jolt of pain as his feet hit the leafy forest floor before he looked up to see the smoking wreckage wedged tightly in the majestic pines.

After they safely reached the ground the four survivors stood in stunned silence as they continued to view the wreckage. They watched silently as the flames grew brighter and the smell of the fumes continued to spread, instinctively taking a step backwards as they could see the blaze suddenly intensify, taking cover behind the trees as the jet suddenly exploded into a fireball, lighting up the darkness that still blanketed the forest as they could feel the heat on their faces.

"It's a good thing it's been raining and the forest is wet, or we'd have a forest fire to deal with," Reid's voice broke the silence of the group following the initial sound of the explosion as they tried not to think of the bodies on the plane now being charred by the fire.

"Hopefully we're close enough to civilization that rescue crews will be here soon. It's probably only a few hours until daylight," Hotch said, hoping his voice sounded strong despite the tremor he felt as he surveyed the remaining team members, trying to see how injured they were but struggling in the darkness.

They looked around for shelter but could see nothing in the dense forest. Finally taking shelter under a tall pine tree they huddled closely together as they began to feel the cold air seeping into their bodies. As the adrenaline rush began to fade Hotch could feel the pain starting to grow as his head and ribs began to ache, he could only imagine how much they would all be hurting in the next 48 hours.

Taking his eyes from the plane he looked across the faces of the team, taking in Reid's pale face and Morgan's intense gaze still viewing the plane, it was then he realized JJ was nestled next to him and looking down at her face he was met by the sight of frightened blue eyes returning his gaze as he wondered what his expression might be saying, hoping that it was one of calm reassurance even if that was far from what he felt as he wondered just where they had crashed. With their flight over so much mountain and woodland he knew finding them without the use of the plane's now destroyed tracking system would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.


	3. Alarm

**Chapter 3: Alarm**

"Sir, we have a problem," Garcia announced breathlessly as she opened the door and dashed into Rossi's office, ignoring his look of consternation at her unwelcome intrusion. Strauss looked even more incensed at the lack of protocol but didn't even get a word out before Garcia gave a rushed "Ma'am" by way of acknowledgement, ignoring both glares as she launched into what was causing her panic.

"The team isn't back, the jet was supposed to land four hours ago but no one has heard from the pilots or Hotch or anyone. I called everyone's cellphones and tried to connect to their tablets and laptops but haven't gotten anything, I can't find a GPS signal on the jet, it's like they've vanished into thin air. Her words came out in a rush, her alarm clearly showing as she fought the urge to cry, her instinct telling her something was terribly wrong. While maintaining a controlled demeanor in front of the distraught agent, Strauss's expression as she and Rossi locked gazes clearly conveyed their own feelings of dread before they mobilized themselves into action.

"I'll go inform the director immediately, we'll put search and rescue on standby to mobilize as soon as we know what area to target," Strauss said as she rose stiffly, "keep me informed," she admonished as she left, knowing Rossi would follow up with the trembling tech analyst.

"Walk me through where you've looked so far," he said as he followed her to the office full of supercomputers that typically could find the proverbial needle in a haystack at a moment's notice. Instinctively he knew she would not have rushed into his office if she had not already done all she could but hoped that by having someone with a cool head helping her go through the steps they could find a clue as to what had happened to the obviously missing BAU team.

As her fingers flew over the keyboards in a blur she showed the lack of response from the plane as well as the lack of signals from the mobile devices. Even with his limited technical savvy Rossi could feel the growing sense of fear for their safety as he tried to avoid thinking the worst; "Do we have anything to go on as far as where they might be now?"

"The last known tower signal we have is right here," Garcia indicated what little they did know as she pointed at a signal on the map, "I've calculated that there's roughly 200 miles of forest they would have traveled over before the next signal," she said indicating the mountainous terrain between the two towers.

"That's a lot of land to cover, is there any way we can narrow it down?" Strauss spoke from behind, surprising them as neither had noticed her walk in to watch their progress.

"Not that I know of ma'am," the tears started to threaten again as Garcia looked at the two senior agents helplessly. "But I'll keep trying." She stiffened with sudden resolve as she turned back to her computers.

"Keep looking Garcia, the director has already called out search and rescue. We'll give them those coordinates to start their search with, and Garcia, we will find them." Strauss said assuredly even as she tried to convince herself as this was not a situation she had ever faced before.

**AN: I did a little research but honestly I have no idea how many miles of wooded area and mountains there are between the northwest and VA, or how far apart towers are. So if I'm way off, chalk it up to creative license. Thanks for the reviews as always, they provide a wonderful incentive to keep going. **


	4. Walking Wounded

**Chapter 4: Walking Wounded**

As daylight broke the fire had gone out and the wreckage was now a blackened mass of metal in the early morning light. No one had to say it aloud for everyone to realize that with the plane burning brightly in the night sky with no signs of rescue that they were clearly not near civilization. JJ could hear the grunts of pain from the men that she was sure echoed her own as she finally rose stiffly, feeling as if she had been hit by a truck as she struggled to gain her balance. In the daylight the injuries were becoming more obvious and it was clear they had all been more than a little banged and bruised from the impact now that the endorphins had faded away. Remembering her mission she started moving slowly towards the still smoldering plane, the ladder now hanging uselessly from the burnt metal.

"JJ, there's nothing more we can do," Morgan called after his friend, thinking she must be confused if she was trying to return to the plane. JJ wanted to roll her eyes at the comment and call back that she knew what she was doing but chose to keep all her energy focused on the task at hand. Hotch watched silently to see what the agent was up to as she began to shuffle among the leaves near the bottom of the ladder, obviously looking for something. He briefly thought of going to help her but his legs protested at the thought of moving, his silent battle with his body quickly resolved as he saw her bend to pick up a blue bag with a cross on it, denoting the planes first aid kit before stooping over once again to retrieve a smaller device before walking back towards the group.

"While Morgan was getting the ladder I threw out the first aid kit and my phone in case we were able to get service." She explained, catching her breath as she returned to the small group with her precious cargo.

"Good idea," Hotch said approvingly as he looked around to take in their surroundings, thinking about what their next move should be, but it was Reid who spoke decisively before he even raised the question.

"We need to move, see if we can find water." He said, looking at the team to see if there was any argument.

"Shouldn't we stay with the plane?" Morgan instantly countered, "when they come looking for us the plane will probably be easiest to spot."

"We'll only live a couple of days without water." Reid said matter of factly, already surveying the sky and surrounding fauna to try and gauge the best route to take.

"Search and rescue should have dogs, one of us can leave an article of clothing here, they should be able to track us." Hotch said decisively as he removed his torn suit jacket, hanging it on a nearby tree limb and hearing a gasp from behind as he did so.

"You're bleeding." JJ said, for the first time seeing a large red stain on the side of his blue dress shirt.

Looking down Hotch saw the ugly stain for the first time, now realizing why he had probably felt a little lightheaded after escaping the jet.

"I think it's through bleeding now, doesn't seem to be spreading." He said touching the slightly damp fabric, able to feel that the flow seemed to have stopped. "Let's see if we can find some water and get ourselves bandaged up." He suggested to redirect them from gaping at the bloody patch to the mission at hand.

He could see the uncertainty mirrored on both JJ and Morgan's faces even as Reid began taking halting steps towards the west, continuing to study the forest. "I think we should go that way," Reid finally spoke as he pointed towards the west, I see several birds over in those trees, they usually gather near water.

Not having any better ideas no one minded letting him take the lead as they followed Reid, each moving stiffly as they became accustomed to walking through the forest in whatever remained of their business attire.

"I'm seeing more green vegetation, this is a good sign." Reid spoke encouragingly as he drew upon what survival skills he had learned in past training, grateful that he had read a few basic outdoor survival books and committed them to memory, having never dreamed he would need them.

"I hear water," JJ said triumphantly, feeling a small surge of energy in her tired body as the trickling sound reached her ears before they reached an opening in the forest to see a small stream with a few large rocks next to it that served as a convenient resting place as they began taking seats, feeling as if they had walked ten miles instead of the barely one they had probably covered.

"It's not much," Morgan looked disappointed as they reached the clearing.

"It's better than nothing." Reid said optimistically as he moved towards an area with a few large rocks and began to open the first aid packet that JJ had handed him as she opened the cell phone.

"No signal," JJ quickly announced as she turned on the phone before turning it off again in an effort to save the battery. Though no one was surprised it was yet another blow to their hopes for a quick rescue as the group realized that for now they needed to continue to rely on their own survival skills.

Finally at a settling place the agents began to take stock of their injuries and decide what was superficial and what required treatment. Reid looked nervously at the supplies and his teammates as he tried to recall all the information he had learned from the medical books he had read before, wishing he had read more about treating live patients than understanding wound patterns on dead ones.

"Here, let me do that," JJ offered as she approached the rock holding the first aid kit, shifting easily into a maternal role as she surveyed the three injured men. She could feel pain radiating through her body also but followed her natural instincts to take care of the others first. "You first," she commanded Reid as he sat down obediently on the edge of the rock, gratefully taking the package of ibuprofen from her hand along with a cup of water from the stream, hoping there was no deadly bacteria present as he gulped the fresh water. From the looks of the vegetation around the stream it appeared clean, pristine even, but it was still disturbing to him to be drinking the water straight from it.

There was only the one small collapsible plastic cup in the kit but it was better than nothing JJ thought as she used it to help gather water and passed out more of the ibuprofen tablets to the others as they all took turns gulping the two small tablets, hoping the medicine would alleviate some of the discomfort. Returning to Reid she took the one cloth towel to soak in the water, temporarily dirtying the stream as she did so before returning to help clean the abrasions and cuts, most of which were located on his right side along with a nasty looking bruise across his chest from the seatbelt. As he hissed slightly in pain at having the wounds touched, he was glad to see most of them appeared superficial. Everyone was silent, watching as she opened up the antiseptic wipes, tube of antibiotic cream and assortment of bandaids and bandages to lay on the rock within easy reach as she tried to dress the worst of the scrapes to prevent infection. Each man silently marveling at her proficiency as well as bracing themselves for their own turn.

"Does it hurt anywhere else," she asked gently after finishing with the cuts.

"Just here," he said raising his wrist for her to see the swollen joint. He held it gingerly while she reached for one of the ace bandages to help stabilize it. "I don't think it's broken, just sprained" Reid tried to sound cheerful even as he moved to allow Derek to come take his seat.

"I do this all the time with Henry," she said lightly, trying to put her newest patient at ease, "though admittedly not to this extent," she said as Morgan assisted her in removing his shirt. She could feel his muscles tense under her touch as she applied the hydrogen peroxide to one of the deeper gashes on his shoulder blade. She focused on the task at hand, trying to keep her mind off who was next as she let her hands expertly glide over the smooth caramel skin and tend to the few burns on his lower back, wondering in vain how they had happened but knowing in the shock of the crash and focus on survival they would probably never know exactly how they had incurred the variety of wounds witnessed so far. Taking the small pair of scissors she cut his pant leg up to the knee where she had seen him limping and wrapped it in one of the remaining ace bandages. While Morgan admitted his knee was a little sore, considering his usual tough attitude she knew that if he was verbalizing it, there was more than just a little soreness going on.

"Thanks JJ," I do feel a little better, he said with a grimace as he moved towards the rock where Reid was sitting to make room for their leader, glad his turn was over as he tried to let the medication take effect.

Despite her earlier calm and focus JJ suddenly felt a tremor in her hands as Hotch took the seat Morgan had vacated, removing his shirt to expose the open gash under the right side of his ribcage. She tried her best not to gawk as she again rinsed the cloth and began to gingerly dab at the drying blood around the wound. While she had talked more lightheartedly with Morgan she couldn't find the words this time as she tried to remain focused on her task, hearing the occasional sudden intakes of breath and seeing the muscles in his abdomen periodically clench as the only indications that he was in pain. "This could use stitches if we were at a hospital." She observed as she patted at the wound again with the towel, it looked like it would need only minimal provocation to start bleeding again and she just hoped the bandage would be sufficient.

"What's another scar?" Hotch said trying to sound lighthearted but his tone sounding more morbid as he glanced down to where she was affixing a bandage over it. The pain in his ribs telling him at least one was probably cracked, but with the ace bandages dwindling fast he was more concerned about his knee which seemed to be throbbing more with every step. As JJ cut his pants leg to expose the swollen purple area of his knee, he felt a little unnerved as she cut higher, inadvertently exposing the edge of his boxer shorts. If she took any notice of the green plaid contrasting with his dress slacks she gave no mention as she put some antiseptic on the abrasion that covered his knee, before she took the last ace bandage to wrap around it, wishing she could advise him to stay off of it for a couple of days.

"A little privacy gentleman," JJ finally asked as Hotch stood and weakly moved to join the others as he worked on refastening his shirt buttons. With the added exertion she had been under, she could feel her own wounds stinging and was eager to get them cleaned and covered in ointment.

"I'll help," Morgan impulsively volunteered, determined to return the same treatment that she had bestowed on them.

"I think I can get it, but I'll let you know if I need help," she said gamely, knowing from the stinging that at least a couple of the wounds were near areas she wasn't keen on exposing to the men of the team, no matter how close they might be there were still some boundaries she wanted to keep.

Respecting her wishes they turned to discuss options for food and shelter as she worked to clean and dress her wounds. When she finally indicated they could turn around the only sign that anything had changed was the glimpse of blood on the towel before she immersed it in the stream. She had noted most of her abrasions were in the seatbelt area across her hips and while the raw nerve endings stung it was not life threatening. Her entire midsection hurt, radiating into her back, but she supposed this wasn't unusual given the force with which the plane had hit and the restraint of her seatbelt.

"It could have been worse," she said brightly as she turned to face her colleagues, feeling better after having the seatbelt wounds finally cleaned and dressed, along with a few small burns she had acquired on her arm.

"How did you check your back?" It was Reid's voice that caused her to feel the urge to blush as she looked at the three men.

"I didn't, but it feels ok." She responded quickly, guessing that it was the front of her body that had absorbed the impact and that was where the injuries would be.

"You'd better let one of us look," Morgan persisted, "we can't risk you getting an infection," he asserted, unable to bear the thought of losing another team member as he tried to erase the image of what had happened to Blake from his own mind.

JJ sighed in resignation as she sat back down and leaned forward, amused at how the three men approached her as if this was a group project they had to tackle together. She almost cried out as she felt her shirt attempting to stick followed by the sting of cool air when Morgan finally got it raised. She could almost feel the exchanged looks behind her as she realized from pain now radiating from her back that something was wrong.

"It's a burn, probably from the material on your seat," Reid informed her as he recalled seeing the melted vinyl where she had been sitting. "Looks like it's only a first degree burn," he tried to tell her what they were seeing as she continued to lean slightly forward waiting for them to tend to the wound. "This would have been easier if we could have gotten to it sooner, but it will probably hurt a little more now."

"We need to try and soak it with cold water," Morgan read aloud from the small guidebook included in the kit. The cool towel applied to her back felt good as she noted it was Morgan holding it in place as Reid being the only other member without an injured leg took charge of carrying the painfully small cup back and forth from the stream to pour over the towel and burn to be sure and cleanse it as best they could.

It felt awkward yet found it strangely comforting as she let the two men help in cleaning and soaking the wound, the water helping take some of the edge off the burn. When she looked up she could see Hotch looking determined as he held the tube of burn ointment, gauze and tape having claimed his own role in the helping process.

"That should be good for now, we'll need to change the bandage in about 24 hours if we aren't rescued by then." Reid advised as he stepped back, knowing it was important to keep the burn clean and free of infection. Hotch had a grim look on his face as he stepped forward and it wasn't long before JJ realized why he had taken on this part of the job.

Even though his touch was light, the slightest pressure on the sensitive skin caused tears to spring to her eyes even as she felt the burn ointment applied. She bit her lip, forcing herself not to cry as she tried to wait for the gel to take effect on the dry skin.

"They should have had spray in there," Reid observed, seeing the pain she was experiencing and feeling helpless as he watched her attempts to remain stoic as Hotch moved as gently yet efficiently as he could to make sure the burned area was covered liberally in the gel before he finally turned his attention to the large nonstick gauze square, getting Morgan to help hold it in place as he made sure to only affix the tape to healthy skin before they stepped back in satisfaction at their joint ability to care for their female team member.

"I'm sorry, I know that hurt," Hotch gave a rare apology as they began to step away, noticing the remnants of pain still on her face.

"It's ok, it had to be done," she said bravely, finally feeling some of the pain begin to ebb as the soothing gel began to work. "So now what," she finally asked, wanting to shift the concerned looks still focused on her towards the next survival step.

"It's only about a mile back to the plane, we could go back there and wait." Morgan suggested, still thinking of the rescue that he felt must be imminent.

"Do we want to be that far away from the water though?" JJ reasoned as she looked again at the stream that had been their salvation thus far.

"We don't want to stay too close to the water," Reid countered, "animals will likely be coming here to drink during the night. Probably mostly raccoons and small wildlife but we don't know for sure."

As the decision was made to move back towards the plane and find a point halfway between the water and the plane they gathered the now almost empty first aid kit and began hobbling towards the east. Even though they were moving slowly, after an hour had passed it soon became clear they were lost under the forest canopy, having walked more than a mile with no sign of the plane coming into view. Changing their goal to finding shelter before they collapsed from exhaustion they were relieved when Reid excitedly pointed to a large fallen oak tree as he denoted it the perfect place for the night.

"A fallen tree?" Morgan's tone was skeptical as he studied it as if waiting for something magical to appear.

"We can build a shelter here, I remember seeing the diagram in a book," Reid began talking excitedly even as he began walking around the wooded area and picking up some supplies with his good arm. "We need smaller branches, some rocks and finally some leaves," he began instructing his teammates as they worked to gather the items named and assisted in assembling them as described. Hotch felt nauseas from the effort by the time they finished but had to admit the shelter they had fashioned against the large base of the tree looked adequate for short term protection against the elements and hopefully camouflaged enough to protect them from whatever wild animals might appear during the night.

"I just hope we're rescued before we have to sleep in that," Derek's tone was dubious as he surveyed the makeshift shelter, imagining the insects they would be sleeping with if they were still there when night fell. "I can't believe they haven't found us yet, I know babygirl has got to be all over this by now." Morgan spoke aloud, honestly thinking he could feel the vibes of Garcia and her powerful computers searching for them, wondering how long it would take for her web to reach into the dense forest.

_AN: Sorry for delay, thanks to everyone who reviewed. Again I request creative license in terms of the medical issues and treatment, I did some basic research on the web but I'm not a medical person so took the liberty of filling in a few gaps. Thanks for your patience._


	5. Helplessness

**Chapter 5: Helplessness**

"Come on Derek, guys, where are you?" Garcia sighed in exhaustion as she continued running scenarios and every lead she could think of through her supercomputers, hoping against hope that she would find some small clue that could lead everyone directly to the now officially missing agents.

The bureau was abuzz with the news as having an entire team disappear was virtually unheard of. She tried not to pay attention to the whispered rumors and assumptions, the sympathetic looks as it was obvious many of the other agents assumed that a disappearing jet meant a crash and that in a crash there would be no survivors. Theoretically she knew a crash was the most likely explanation for the disappearance but that was as far as she was willing to go.

Mentally she had already decided they were all still alive, unwilling to accept any alternative explanations until presented with undeniable proof to the contrary. She knew the search and rescue teams were organizing and would soon be starting to follow the jet path from the last known tower signal received. To help counterbalance her feelings of frustration over the seemingly fruitless search she occasionally took breaks to view some candid photos she had of her friends, looking at their smiling faces and reassuring herself that they couldn't all be gone just like that before resuming her search.

It had been only an hour earlier that with the director's permission Strauss and Rossi both had boarded a chopper to go join the search and rescue team while leaving her behind to continue combing for answers with promises to stay in touch and her to let them know if anything new came to her attention. It was times like this she hated being a tech analyst and sitting in her small office. Her troll dolls providing little comfort as she wished she too could be out physically searching for her friends, even though she knew there would be enough manpower it felt like she should be doing more she thought with a sigh as she began running numbers and parameters through her databases yet again, even searching satellite images of the forested area as she hoped for a clue.

Garcia had to admit it surprised her to see that Strauss seemed as worried about the team as everyone else did and with the determination she displayed when she informed Rossi she would accompany him, Garcia doubted the director would really have much say in the decision . Cynically she wanted to attribute the behavior to the not so secret affair Strauss was having with Rossi, but despite the attempts at composure and display of leadership, she had seen the look of worry in Strauss's eyes that told her that beneath the stone exterior Erin Strauss cared as much about the missing agents as she did.

CMCMCMCMCM

"I don't know why they had to wait until tomorrow to start the search," Erin Strauss said angrily to her traveling companion as the chopper noisily made its way through the air towards the base that would be used by the rescue team as it worked towards mobilizing a search in the dense forest.

"They have to develop their grid and coordinate manpower, they've got a large area to cover." Rossi tried to assure her as he took the opportunity to hold her hand as he tried to silently offer comfort. He had known for some time that a more sensitive woman than anyone would ever guess lay beneath the harsh exterior she often conveyed. He didn't try to change this though as he knew she had to keep in place to deal with the demands of her position in the bureau that often required her to be able to play hardball in what was still traditionally a male dominated field.

"What if they're gone?" She tried to keep her voice steady as she voiced her deepest fear to the one person she knew she could show that vulnerability to, clutching the hand that still held hers tightly.

"Then we'll find a way to go forward, but I'm not ready to count them out." Rossi forced himself to focus on the positive, unable to consider the possibility that his colleagues were all dead.

"I'm worried about them also," he slowly admitted, validating her feelings. "How many survived? What condition are they in? Do they have food and water? There are many thoughts that can take over if I let them, but for now I have to believe they're all alive and staying put waiting for us to show up and rescue them."

"You're right, until we know differently we have to hope for the best." She responded with a weak smile, as she tried to push the negative thoughts away. "Just hang on a little longer, we're on our way." She voiced to no one in particular, the sentiment making her feel better if nothing else.

_AN: Thanks as always to those who read and review, glad people are enjoying the story so far. _


	6. First Night

**Chapter 6: First Night**

"It was only a few months ago that it took the Air Force thirty hours to find one of their planes when it crashed." Reid tried to think of the most useful statistics he could but realized from the pained looks he received in response that his stories were not proving to be encouraging. He had spent the last hour educating the group on everything he knew about airplane tracking devices and towers, which ultimately amounted to a large number of variables that could impact how long it might take for them to be found.

"At least we're together and have water and shelter, so now we just have to wait." JJ attempted to sound optimistic as she watched the shadows begin to lengthen signifying night was falling. Her stomach growled, reminding her how long it had been since the last meal they had all shared in Oregon as she wished for probably the hundredth time that she had not turned down dessert when it had been offered. As her stomach cramped again she tried to push thoughts of food away from her mind, she knew the others were likely as hungry as she was but that talking about it would just serve to make the all more miserable. She tried to hold onto the hope for rescue before they would have to resort to eating leaves or bugs and whatever else Reid might identify as edible.

It was Morgan pulling the thin survival blanket from the almost depleted first aid kit that brought home the reality that they were about to have to huddle beneath their makeshift shelter for the night. Looking into the darkness of the structure there was a definite group pause as they all seemed to be waiting to see who would enter it first. The small shelter was longer than it was wide and no one objected when Morgan armed with the flashlight went in first, suggesting that he and Hotch should take the outside positions and put JJ and Reid in the middle.

With Morgan going in first it was Reid who followed and then JJ. Despite the overall situation Hotch was secretly relieved that for protection JJ would be between him and Reid for the night. While he trusted Derek with his life and the life of any team member, he had already pledged to himself to do everything he could to make sure the lone female agent made it back home to her son. He tried to tell himself he was being noble as he pushed back the purely male instinct that seemed to be more interested in what it would be like sleeping next to the attractive blonde.

"We need to take turns keeping watch," Morgan said tiredly, hoping someone else would volunteer as he felt his body calling out to him for rest to try to recover from its injuries.

"What will we do if a bear or mountain lion wanders in? We can't put up much of a fight." JJ questioned tentatively.

"At least we still have our backups," Morgan mentioned as he reached down to reassure himself that his gun was still on his ankle. "If that doesn't work then let's hope they're not hungry after they finish off me or Hotch." He added in an attempt at lightness which failed as the mood remained somber.

"I wish I had my purse," JJ thought enviously of how each of the men had their backup weapons strapped to their ankle, suddenly feeling an absurd sense of loss over something as simple as a purse considering the fact that lives had been lost in the plane. She felt stupid even as she felt tears starting to threaten over something as meaningless as her purse and was grateful when the topic abruptly shifted again.

"I'll keep first watch," Hotch finally volunteered, still clinging to his role as unit chief and protector of their small group. Morgan looked for a minute like he might want to argue but before he could speak to everyone's surprise it was Reid who challenged the decision.

"I'm wide awake, my mind isn't going to turn off anytime soon and you know I don't like the dark. I'll take first watch and wake you when I start feeling sleepy," he suggested the brightness in his voice convincing Hotch to accept the offer as he felt the exhaustion threatening to overtake him

"I'll stay up too," JJ volunteered quickly, "I don't like the woods so probably can't sleep anyway," she said hastily as she saw Hotch's frown in the glare of the flashlight "Besides it feels better if I'm able to sit up and lean forward a bit," she indicated how she was keeping her back free from contacting the fallen tree behind them.

"The energy of youth," Hotch finally relented as he mumbled under his breath and gingerly laid down, grateful for the chance to rest as true to his word the young genius seemed to be full of energy.

As Hotch began to settle down on the bed of pine needles and leaves he realized that being on his back seemed to be the most comfortable position for him. The cushioning of the forest floor was surprisingly more comfortable than he would have imagined when he had first seen it being arranged. Taking one last look at his team he allowed his eyes to begin drifting shut, listening as Reid continued to share his seemingly endless knowledge of survival stories interspersed with JJ's soft voice. Hotch could feel himself beginning to drift into sleep again for the first time since they were on the plane, briefly hoping the nightmares would not find him again tonight.

As the night began to wear on the two youngest agents were eventually sitting in silence, having eventually tired of talking, doing nothing more than looking at the few streams of moonlight that served to provide a dim light in their enclosure since the flashlight had been turned off long ago. "I'm still not sleepy. I can entertain myself if you want to try for some sleep." Reid offered to JJ as he noticed her looking enviously at Hotch and Morgan both sleeping soundly and the weariness that was now more pronounced on her attractive features.

"Are you sure?" JJ asked, feeling guilty about leaving him alone but feeling increasingly envious of the other agents temporary escape from the discomfort of their situation.

"Yes I'm sure, go ahead, get some sleep, I'll stay up and wake Morgan or Hotch if I get sleepy." He assured with a smile as he helped hold up the blanket for her to move under.

JJ didn't need much encouragement as she began shifting downward, trying to turn on her less injured right side to avoid laying on her back. As she shifted around on the forest floor she realized that between the burn on her back and gash on her left side that sleep was going to be a challenge. Biting her lip she considered her options and found herself looking at her sleeping boss, an idea forming as she realized that if she could lay in a slanted position that it would keep the pressure off the most injured areas of her body. "Not to mention you'll get to be close to him again, you won't get many opportunities like this." The small voice inside goaded her slightly as she considered the possibility, remembering the security and warmth she had felt from him as they had huddled together for those first few hours after the crash. She had always told herself that the feelings of attraction she had felt were no more than a schoolgirl crush as she had tried to push them behind her and enjoy what moments of friendship they were able to share. But now in the moonlight and thinking of sleeping next to him it was hard to think of it in terms of friendship.

Being careful not to wake him she finally slid gingerly down into a sleeping position, gently placing her head on his arm before gently laying against him. She was glad he didn't stir as she finally settled, already feeling sleep closing in as she indulged herself in the closeness. Now with her nose only inches away from the sleeping unit chief she detected a variety of odors, from sweat to the earthy smell of the forest. She could also detect the antiseptic still lingering in the air but even with all these scents all she could think before sleep finally claimed her was that it was the best place she had been all day as she felt the warmth from his body already beginning to seep into her own.


	7. Searching

**Chapter 7: Searching**

"Choppers and ground crews are ready to go at first light ma'am" An officer in a pressed white flight uniform informed a determined Erin Strauss. From the moment they had arrived she had drawn on every ounce of authority she could muster had from the moment she walked into the hanger that was serving as the base of the search operation. The jet and the agents onboard had now been missing for over 24 hours and pressure was starting to escalate to get a search and rescue operation in motion. As she walked around the base, checking every preparation and doing her best to not hinder the preparations while at the same time wanting to be sure they were placing the same importance on the operation as the FBI was.

With his military background, in addition to the many years of tactical training, David Rossi could tell that the crews were following procedure and were close to mobilizing as he accompanied her on her travels around the large hanger. Though things were moving along as they should he didn't try to stand in her way as he watched her use her position and authority to spur people into action. He often preferred a more congenial route, but in a case like this it was stimulating to watch her in tigress mode and when she was determined she typically knew how to get people to submit to her will. He allowed himself to think for a moment of how he would relish this energy she was displaying as soon as the team was safely found.

"Get your mind out of the gutter David," she commanded sharply as she glanced at him long enough to recognize the direction of his thoughts, more than familiar with the look in his eyes. She knew he liked it when she got dominant in the bedroom but forced the thoughts out of her mind for now. While she could easily follow the same path of thought she also sternly reminded herself that they had a team to bring home before returning to the more pleasurable aspects of their relationship.

"I've got to do something to keep my mind off things," he said smoothly and even a little truthfully as he had already stopped himself on countless occasions from visualizing the thought of his friends being brought back in body bags. He much preferred to imagine them sitting in the forest roasting marshmallows around a campfire, even though logically he knew that wouldn't be the case. If they were alive they would be in survival mode, just trying to hold on until they were found. He tried to push back the images of how many casualties he had seen from Vietnam to the numerous victims they had been unable to save. His heart aching even as his mind tried to tell him to wait until they knew the facts.

"We're riding with Lieutenant Daniels, he's taking lead position, we'll be leaving in an hour," Erin announced as she approached him again, having already figured out who the leader of the team was going to be and chartering a position for them both on his helicopter.

It was barely half an hour later before the five helicopters involved in the mission were in the air, carrying crew members who could assist with a ground search as well as enough supplies and basic medical equipment. Strauss had been assured that several of the members present had also been trained as EMT's and that depending on where they were found any injured team members could be flown to a hospital in less than half an hour.

"Have you contacted the families?" Strauss suddenly thought to ask her companion, jarring him from his thoughts as he had obviously been staring blankly out the window, his mind already drifting back towards his friends.

"Yes, I contacted all their immediate contacts to let them know the plane was delayed in arriving and that we are investigating. I told them we would be back in touch by the end of the day to let them know something for certain, currently they're all trying to be optimistic but I know some are worried."

"Of course you downplayed the fear that they might be dead." Strauss stated more than asked the question as she knew that he would do his best to not alarm anyone until they had more facts. "What about the children, they must be frightened." She said her thoughts aloud as she thought of her own children and how easily children could worry about their parents and pick up on the fears of those around them when things went wrong on a case.

"I did speak to Jessica, she isn't saying anything to Jack and Henry until we know for certain. I have Will's number but felt it would be best until we know for sure about JJ's fate before we contact him. " Rossi assured her with a slight squeeze to her hand, knowing her thoughts were currently with the effect tragedies like this had on children. No matter her role in the FBI and how formidable she may seem there, first and foremost he knew she would always be a mother and times like this obviously brought her maternal side a little more to the surface.

"I want all our team back alive but especially Aaron and Agent Jareau. Henry needs his mother and It would be too cruel for Jack to lose both his mother and his father." The sectin chief tried to keep the emotion out of her voice as she recalled the last time she had seen the sad eyes of the child at Haley's funeral.

"I agree." Rossi sighed as he sent up a silent prayer that no one would have to inform the children that they had lost a parent.

"We're entering the search area now, everyone keep your eyes open." The commanding voice of Lieutenant Daniels over the airwaves as they entered the dense forest area brought their focus back to the search as they began peering out the sides of the chopper, hoping to find the answers of what had happened to the missing jet and its occupants.

_AN: Sorry for delay, thanks to everyone who has taken the time to review._


	8. Stolen Moments

Chapter 8: Stolen moments

It was a jolt of pain as he felt his leg bumped that roused Hotch from his sleep as woke to see Reid trying to work his way out of the enclosure, likely to answer the call of nature in the early morning light. He had to admit he was somewhat impressed in addition to being grateful that the young man had been able to stay up all night. As he became more aware of his present surroundings he suddenly registered the feel of a hand and slender forearm now draped across his abdomen. Despite the overall discomfort and stiffness he felt he allowed himself to savor the moment, unable to recall just how long it had been since he had someone besides Jack next to him when he woke. Turning his head so he could see JJ's features more closely he found his face just scant inches away from her own, knowing that they were closer than they should be but not caring at the moment as he just watched her sleep. He watched mesmerized as she began to wake, he had seen enough of his team waking and falling asleep on the jet before but here in his arms it was so much easier to pretend at least for the moment that it was something else.

JJ's awakening happened more abruptly than usual as after the first flutter of her eyelids which revealed just whose comfortable embrace she had woken in. Her initial response was one of embarrassment at She had initially felt embarrassed at realizing she was curled up next to her boss, knowing she should probably move but not wanting to stay not only for the security and warmth but not wanting to leave the precarious comfort of the sleeping position she had found. "Hi," she finally managed to say, hoping she didn't sound as shy as she suddenly felt.

"Hi yourself," he returned the greeting, voice still rough from sleep. "So what brings you here?" He asked with a smile as he tried to take away some of the momentary awkwardness.

"A crashed jet," she said with a smile before it quickly faded as her thoughts returned to Blake and the pilots.

Sensing her change in mood Hotch stopped the banter as he watched her think, knowing the same thing was weighing on her mind as he had been dealing with himself as he felt as if he had failed somehow by not bringing the entire team out of this safely.

"I hope Jack and Henry aren't too worried," he finally said, introducing the only thing he could think of that would take both their minds off the mangled jet.

"Hopefully no one has told them anything yet, I don't want them hearing about it until we can see them again." JJ said as she thought of her young son trying to understand his Mommy was missing.

"You're right, I don't think anyone would tell the boys until they know for sure what happened to us. And I'm sure we'll be found soon." Hotch said resolutely, reassuring her as much as himself with his words.

They laid in silence for a few moments, each already thinking ahead to being rescued. As she did so JJ could already feel a glimmer of hope as she imagined how wonderful it would feel to be home holding her son and putting the nightmare she was currently involved in behind them. As she took a moment to brush some hair from her face she could feel the twigs tangled in her dirty hair and couldn't contain the groan.

"Are you hurting? Do I need to move?" Hotch immediately inquired, assuming her groan was one of pain.

"No, nothing like that, I just realized what a mess I am, I hope there's no news crew with the choppers." She said with a wry smile, knowing it seemed vain to be worried about her hair at a time like this.

"Shouldn't be, I'm sure the bureau will be doing the best to keep this off the news until they know the facts and how they want to spin it." He reassured her as he took in her appearance, making her self-conscious as she could see him obviously studying her.

"Quit looking, I'm a mess," She finally said, her cheeks tinged with red as she felt her face flush with embarrassment.

"Don't worry about it, you're still beautiful he finally said with a smile as despite himself he couldn't hold back the compliment given their situation. Though instead of looking pleased all she could do was roll her eyes in disbelief.

"My hair is tangled and full of twigs, my lips are chapped, there's probably dirt on my face and you're saying I'm beautiful, were your eyes damaged in that crash or are you…." Her words were cut off as she felt his lips gently and all too briefly press against her own before it was his turn to pull away with a look of embarrassment on his face.

"Sorry, I uhh… blame it on the head injury," he quickly apologized, uncharacteristically at a loss for words.

"It's alright, I didn't mind," she said softly, still holding his gaze as she wondered what had brought on the unexpected display of affection.

Taking her words as encouragement he decided to continue, despite the awkwardness and the voice shouting in his brain that he should shut up before digging himself in any deeper, but in the still of the morning he chose to disregard it completely in favor of the questioning blue eyes that were searching his for a deeper meaning. "You were just going on about what a mess you are and I thought that was the best way to show you that to me you are still beautiful," his voice was almost halting as he weighed his words, becoming distracted as he felt her hand move to rest just behind his ear, her fingers combing through the short dark hair.

"You're one to talk, you men with your short hair don't have to deal with near as much as we do, you can brush it out and have it looking as good as ever before we even get home, I'm going to need hours." She said, knowing she should stop prattling about hair but not sure how to proceed in emotion of the moment, trying to read between the lines to see if there was more than just a compliment being spoken here, trying not to get her hopes up.

Seeing the uncertainty on her face Hotch took a fortifying breath as he caught her gaze again before moving the scant inches to bestow another chaste kiss, giving her room to pull away yet lingering for a moment to give her a chance to respond. In shock for a moment all JJ could do was absorb the fact that she was being kissed by her boss before her instincts kicked in, her pulse racing as she began to reciprocate despite the awkward angle they were in. She had just started getting very used to the idea when he suddenly pulled away from her. Disappointed she scanned his face, expecting to see regret in his eyes but finding only a soft smile on his face as he looked at her, the nearing rustling of the leaves signaling Reid's return telling her why he had broken it off when he did.

"We'll talk about this later," he said gently as the interior was suddenly shadowed by Reid's appearance at the entrance.

"I'm going to walk nearby just a little more, stretch my legs, see if I find anything that looks edible." The doctor announced upon seeing the two wakened agents, not seeming to think anything out of the ordinary with their proximity, or choosing not to comment if he did.

"He sounds entirely too energetic for someone who had gone without sleep for as long as he had." Hotch mused as the sound of crunching leaves began again and the morning light again began filtering in through the small opening.

"Must be the adrenaline," JJ replied absentmindedly before they fell silent, taking in the sounds of a waking forest and Morgan's rhythmic deep breathing as he continued to sleep. Feeling bold she moved her hand up to touch the scruff of the growing beard, being gentle as she watched to be sure he was ok with it.

"I'm sorry, that's probably a little uncomfortable," He apologized, remembering how Haley had always insisted he be clean shaven whenever they were getting romantic as she hated having to deal with the inevitable beard burn if he didn't.

"No, you look good in a beard." She complimented, feeling the blush return to her cheeks as she impulsively leaned back in for a lingering kiss as she sought to reclaim the sensations they had been sharing only moments before. JJ almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the situation, she couldn't lie and say she hadn't imagined kissing her boss many times before but out of every scenario that ranged from being in his office to giving in on impulse during a case never would she have dreamed it would be in the middle of nowhere while they were both wounded and as disheveled as they were.

"Morgan is only a few feet away, could wake anytime." Hotch tried to remind himself to hold back even as what had started out as more gentle exploratory kisses began to deepen as he felt her lips parting to welcome him further. "Who cares what Morgan thinks," was his last irrational thought as he kept his fingers buried in the tangled blonde hair and allowed the kiss to deepen.

JJ could tell things were going too far and too fast but didn't have the strength to pull away as she continued to let him lead, feeling a little dazed this time when he pulled away a second time. The broad smile of relief on his face was the first thing she noticed before the sound of chopper blades in the air was heard more clearly.

"We will talk later, I promise," he said with a quick final nip to her now swollen lips before they began to work on sitting up without aggravating the injuries that had begun making themselves more known as soon as movement began but between the stolen kisses and with the sounds of choppers now passing directly overhead the pain was fighting a losing battle in terms of overshadowing the happiness now coursing through the survivors as their dream of rescue started to become a reality.


	9. Rescue

**Chapter 9: Rescue**

"There's the plane," Lieutenant Daniels announced, drawing attention to the wreckage after seeing a glint from the charred metal still resting in the trees. Strauss gripped her lovers hand as apprehension filled the small compartment; soon the fate of their team would be known but from the air the possibility of survivors looked grim.

Rossi attempted to be optimistic as the pilot looked for a clearing for their chopper, it seemed like hours but in truth was less than ten minutes before the rescue choppers had found a place to land and rescue workers were on the ground, working their way back towards the wreckage with the FBI agents keeping pace at the front of the group as they searched for signs of life.

"Thank God," Rossi said as soon as they approached the jet and recognized Hotch's jacket purposefully hanging on a nearby tree limb. As the rescue team plunged deeper into the forest there was a surge of relief when barely a mile into the forest they saw the four agents slowly making their way towards them. Rossi and Strauss broke ahead of the group, feeling a sense of relief mixed with concern when they they finally saw their colleagues and started realizing that while they had survived they had certainly not made it out of the crash unscathed.

The aches and pains of the group had been temporarily forgotten as the sounds of their names being shouted through the dense forest reached their ears as they began moving towards the sounds of their rescuers even as the choppers had begun to land. Reid was the first to spot glimpses of the orange rescue suits through the foliage and he turned to signal JJ and Hotch as they were catching up with him. Despite the impending rescue Hotch's sore knee was not cooperating in helping him move any faster and JJ was not going to leave his side. Morgan was trailing as he struggled with his own injuries, but also catching up fast. Having been the last to awaken and emerge from their temporary shelter it had taken him a moment or two more to get grounded before he realized their rescue was at hand.

"You look like hell Aaron," Rossi said by way of greeting as he charged towards his old friend even as the rest of the rescue team began to swarm with stretchers and aid kits.

"Alex?" Strauss questioned sympathetically as she approached Reid and the others, the look on their faces already telling her the truth even as Morgan tried to be stoic as he simply confirmed that Agent Blake as well as the pilots had not made it out of the plane alive. She let Morgan debrief her on the events of the crash as she saw Hotch speaking with Dave, knowing there would be time for more formal reports later. It was telling, Dave thought, that Reid was the only one who even attempted to decline a trip to the hospital, having been the luckiest one of the group in terms of injury, though he gave in with only minimal encouragement and decided to be checked over provided his friends were given first priority.

Hotch saw the look in his friends eyes as he switched back into profiler mode and tried not to feel self –conscious as he could tell that Rossi was now shrewdly looking over him through the watchful eyes of a profiler as opposed to those of just a friend. With the excitement of the rescue finally starting to wear off the throbbing in his knee was back in full force and he was sure his expression matched the same haggard and pained look the rest of the agents did. He didn't care, he told himself, that Dave was looking them all over carefully, all he could tell was that they had been injured and were fighting the pain as well as grief over the loss of a team me member, not exactly something that was hard to miss and Hotch was satisfied that there was no way in hell the man could tell what he and JJ had been doing scarcely 15 minutes before. As the flight crews began directing them to their planes Hotch groaned inwardly when Dave stayed behind to catch JJ with an obvious mischievous glint in his eye as detained her for a brief moment. Nothing seemed amiss in her body language but her blush was visible when Dave leaned in to speak, his words inaudible to anyone but her, but Hotch knew that somehow the older man had figured out something when he stepped back from JJ and cast a subtle wink back in the Unit Chiefs direction.

"What did he say?" Hotch had to ask as he followed behind Morgan and JJ onto the helicopter that would be taking them to a hospital for further evaluation, lingering in the entryway to speak with her as Morgan claimed a seat near the front and next to Reid who had already boarded.

"He asked how I got swollen lips and beard burn from a plane crash." She responded, her tone dry and her cheeks still slightly pink before she averted her eyes and moved on to claim a seat in the row behind Morgan, glad when he followed to sit beside her while the crew members strapped themselves into the remaining positions. JJ's mind had already been awhirl with confusion and wondering what, if anything, would come from their crossing of professional boundaries. Now she simply felt overwhelmed from the realization that it would not remain between her and Hotch to discuss as Dave was already aware that something had happened and would be worse than a bloodhound in sniffing out the truth, likely with the rest of the team right behind as more details and memories from the crash surfaced and were put into perspective.

While each agent knew their fears were partly irrational, each felt a surge of terror as the chopper blades began to whir and they once again found themselves airborne. JJ didn't care who saw them as she found a small measure of comfort in the larger hand that gripped her own as they endured the first few moments back in the air for the first time since the jet had crashed. It wasn't until they began landing at the hospital that they loosened their grip, breathing another sigh of relief as with shaky legs they were all able to disembark back on solid ground.


End file.
