The Hunting Hour - A Criminal Minds Fiction

Chapter 40: You Are Family

Suddenly Garcia saw Derek still had Isabella's food.
"She didn't eat?" She asked.

"She fell asleep" Derek said putting the food inside the refrigerator. He had walked inside the child's room to find her hugging Duffy, her blanket and also holding Lulu's paw with her hand.

"Why don't we go see her room then?" Garcia said.

"What? No she might wake up" Emily said unsure.

"She won't" Penelope said and they went there. Derek went to sit in the living room.
Penelope walked inside the room quietly and Emily followed her. Bella was passed out on the bed hugging her things.

Emily smiled when she saw Bella.

"That's adorable, isn't it?" Garcia smiled too.

"She really loves this dog" Emily said.

"She does" Penelope said.

Emily's eyes wondered around the room and she was impressed at how different it was from the one in her apartment. Everything was light blue and light pink.

"Somethings never change" she said as she saw a big book shelf with lots of books and Disney plushies next to the bed.

Garcia smiled and suddenly Bella moved a little on the bed.
Both women froze.
Once the girl stopped moving, Emily whispered "we should go" and they walked to the living room and sat on the couch.

"Thank you so much for that" Emily told Garcia. "Thank you for everything you did for her all this time" she added now looking at Morgan. He gave her a nod.

"Derek I'm so sorry" Emily said and he looked away.

"Look Emily" he said staring at her again. "I get that you had to disappear but I don't understand why you didn't tell us. If Hotch and JJ could know we could too. And I just ... I just cannot understand why you didn't take her with you" he said and Emily's eyes filled with tears.

"I didn't have a choice" Emily said.

"Yes you did. It's your life. It's your daughter's life" he said.

"Derek I didn't have a choice. They didn't give me one. I was in a coma. I woke up and JJ was there telling me everybody thought I died, telling me my daughter..." She said and started crying. "Telling me my daughter was living with you and Garcia. And I was in a hospital bed being sedated every time I tried to get out to do anything. So when I say I didn't have a choice I'm telling the truth." She said and Derek just stared.

"You were in a coma?" Penelope suddenly asked with tears in her eyes.

Emily looked at her and wiped her own face. "Yes" she said.

"how long?" Garcia asked.

"A couple days" Emily said.

"And when you got better they sent you to Paris?" Penelope asked.

"Yes" Emily said. "I stayed there for a while and then I started moving around and changing names to make sure I was safe" Emily said.

Derek was just listening still processing what Emily had told him.

Suddenly the door bell rang.

"I'll go" Derek said and walked to the door. He opened it and it was JJ.

"Hi. I just came to give these to Emily" JJ said holding a few folders.

"She's in the living room" Derek said and JJ walked in.

"Hi. Is everything okay?" Emily asked.

"Yes. It's just your papers and house things and stuff like that" JJ said.