"𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿"
-𝗿.𝗵. 𝗦𝗶𝗻

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𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝗺

Valentina cried and cried after reading the goodbye letter, even after James had notified Micheal and Sarah as they came to say goodbye to their son, she just sat there. Holding Noah's cold hand in hers while staring off into space.

"I-I can't breath" Valentina whispered as she felt her chest tighten, it was almost like she was choking. Not even paying a second thought to what Micheal was saying, the Agent ran as quickly as she could to the nearest exit of the hospital.

"Val? Val, you out here?" James asked into the night air when he saw a person, only a few feet away from him, with their head between their knees as their back moved up and down shakily. Moving closer to the person who was crying, he then realised it was Valentina. Jogging over to her before he sat down next to her. It was clear to him that she was having a panic attack.

"Hey Val, it's just me James okay?" The marine said, not wanting to startle her as he started to softly rub her back "You're gonna be all right, I'm right here with you. Valentina, can you look at me?"

She took a shaky breath as she turned her head to the side to look at him and he smiled "There she is. Now, I want you to close your eyes and take a few breaths with me, that sound good?" Val nodded slowly "Okay, here hold my hands and then copy what I do okay?" Her shaky hands entwined with his warm ones that brought her the safety she so desperately needed.

"Breathe in for four, hold for four, and then release for four, come on Val, you can do it" James murmured softly and after a few more breaths she felt her chest un-tighten and her throat start to finally open up.

"You're doing really good, Val. Just keeping breathing and I know it's hard, I know but you're doing really well. Remember, in for four, hold for four and out for four" Valentina nodded as she kept listening to his voice until she had fully calmed down.

She sighed, leaning into James's warm body as he wrapped his arms loosely around her "I-I can't talk about it, Charlie" Val hiccuped, referring to what had caused the panic attack and he nodded even though he already knew what had happened.

"What am I gonna do without him?" She mumbled into his chest while playing with the promise ring on her dog tags "Why. . .why him?!" She sobbed into his chest and James just held her until she had no more tears left to cry. After Valentina had fully calmed down, the two had gone back into the hospital where the rest of the team were waiting.

"Val, hey" Ophelia said, bringing her best friend into a hug "Micheal said you and James went outside to get some air"

Val nodded, wiping away any remaining tears left on her face "Yeah, I just needed five minutes but I'm doing better now. What about you guys?" Everyone could see through her facade but they didn't say anything as she moved to hug Matthew and Owen.

During this time, James had gone to ring Valentina's team to inform them on what's happening, knowing she'd want some support off the people she now sees as family because apart from them, the BAU are the only 'family' she has left since her mother's passing and her father still being MIA.

"I need to call my team" Valentina said, taking her phone out of her pocket in a hurry before Matthew stopped her.

"Don't worry about that, James has already sorted it and they'll be here soon" He assured her and she just nodded in response, not realising that a doctor was walking towards them. A small smile on his face too.

"Sorry to intrude but are you the friends of Corporal Noah Wood?" The male doctor asked and Val nodded "Okay good well, we might have some good news about Mr Wood. As you know we struggled to access the injury the bullet caused but it seems that he's starting to breath on his own so we're going to take him into surgery in the next twenty four hours"

"Wait" Ophelia paused "Your saying he might actually survive this?"

"It is only a possibility but yes Mr Wood could walk away from this alive" The doctor smiled "He is very much a fighter and we'll let you all know if anything changes. So what I suggest right now is go home and get some rest because there's nothing else you can do for him right now"

"Thank you, we really appreciate everything you and your team are doing for him" Matthew said and shook the doctors hand before he walked away as Matt then faced the group "Val, I'll take you and Ophelia home so you guys can freshen up and maybe even take a nap. Like the doctor said, there's nothing more we can do right now"

"I don't care Matt, I'm staying here until I know he's really okay" She stated and sat back down in her chair. Matthew sighed knowing he wasn't going to win the argument so when he saw James walking over to them, he met him halfway so he could tell him the good news.

-----

A couple hours had passed since they had gotten the news about Noah and Valentina was still at the hospital and fast asleep across three chairs with Derek's FBI jacket draped over her as a substitute for a blanket. Micheal and Sarah were still in Noah's room with him, both knocked out while holding each of his hands.

Ophelia, Matt, and Owen had gone home to freshen up and to get some rest. While James was in the canteen waiting for Val's team to arrive so in that time she got some well needed rest since she wouldn't go home and actually sleep in her bed.

When the agents had arrived at the building, Derek was quick to stand in the long cue of people to get some food for Valentina knowing she wouldn't of eaten anything since she had gotten the phone call about Noah.

"I'm gonna take this to her, see if she's hungry" Derek nodded to Hotch as he walked out the canteen with some food in his hands and down the hallway to the waiting room "Val" He whispered, shaking the girls shoulder to wake her up.

"Hmm" The girl groaned and rubbed her eyes as she sat up "Derek?" She frowned.

He smiled softly at the woman in-front of him "Yeah it's me. You alright?" He asked, sitting down next to her.

"Yeah" The girl paused when she felt something on her back "Is this your jacket?"

He nodded "Yeah, I thought it would help keep you warm"

Valentina smiled at how thoughtful this man was "Do you mind if I put it on? It's still quite cold in here"

"How can I say no to you?" Val then put on his jacket and Derek couldn't help but smirk at how oversized it was on her.

"What?"

"Nothing, it suits you" He shrugged "Hey, I brought you some food" Morgan passed her the takeout box and a set of cutlery he got from the canteen.

"Oh, no. I'm fine" Valentina denied, sending him a small smile in return.

"You can't lie to a profiler mama, I know you're hungry and you can't resist mac and cheese so get it down ya"

Valentina chuckled "I do love mac and cheese" She opened the box to start eating when a beeping noise flooded through out the halls of the hospital and it didn't take her long to realise it was coming from Noah's room.

"What's going on?" She asked, jumping to her feet and following after the same doctor who had told them the good news two hours ago "Doctor, what's going on?"

Following him into the room where doctors crowded around Noah's bed. His parents stood in the corner as Sarah put her hand over her mouth in shock.

"He's VF. We need to shock him"

"Noah! Oh, shit" Valentina mumbled as Derek rushed in and quickly escorted Sarah and Micheal out of the room.

"Charging, 200 joules. Everybody clear" The defibrillator sent an electric pulse to the heart so it could restore Noah's normal heartbeat but nothing happened. He just flatlined again "Starting compressions!"

"Noah!" Valentina went to take a step forward but a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist. It was Derek as he started to drag her out of the room "No, no, get off me" She kicked and screamed for him to let go but it was no use as Derek practically dragged her out of the room and down the hall to the waiting room.

"You don't need to see this Val. They've got a job to do but they can't do that with you getting in the way" Valentina started to sob again as she just completely broke down in Derek's arms. The team watching in despair.

"He's gonna die, Derek! I can't lose him twice. . .I can't!" She cried. Morgan pulled her into his chest and Val just melted into his embrace.

"Shh, it's alright. Noah'a gonna be just fine" This was the first time the team, apart from Hotch, had seen Valentina cry or even slouch. It was a rare sight to see but a devastating one at that.