Shattered. [Aaron Hotchner + Emily Prentiss]

Chapter 14.

"Don't you ever miss it?"

"I do, New York was my home for the entirety of my life, but change is good. You, of all people, should know that. You've travelled everywhere."

"Not without struggle."

Cheryl, Leila and Isabelle were stepping onto the crowded subway platform, eager to head to Manhattan. Although Downtown Manhattan was considered one of the safest places within New York due to constant cop patrol and high alert by-passers, but for Belle - a runway - she felt it to be the worst place to live, and yet she has for two years. Continuously, police officers would search the streets for her and some even asked her if she had seen 'Belle Keys', but she always managed to get away with no notice. She was sneaky, and she liked the thrill.

"I'm sorry for shouting at you. You didn't deserve that." Leila apologised, wanting to make amends for whatever was holding Belle back from trusting the younger girl.

"Don't apologise. You were hurt."

"Girls. Come on. We have a busy day." Cheryl said, stepping onto the cramped carriage, following closely behind were the two mini brunettes. Standing side by side, they looked like twins, but the girls were extremely different personality wise. Street smart and book smart. Travelling the country and staying in one state. It wasn't hard to realise why they were polar opposites once you understood their individual stories. "We are going to Manhattan to collect Isabelle's things, then we have to go to East New York-"

"No." The girl's said, longing out their 'o'.

"I know you guys hate it, but we have to, and then we fly back."

"Not gonna be a fun day, is it?" Leila whispered to her sister.

"Nope."

Shortly after, the muffled intercom rang through everyone's ears. Some understood, other's looked baffled at the conductor's words, but before anyone could get a word in the train hurriedly started and they were on the move. Counting the multiple passing stops, watching people get on and off and hearing people worry if they were on the right train or not was Leila and Belle's favourite game, although they felt bad when people missed the doors by just a millisecond and were stuck waiting for another 5 minutes for the next train to pass.

When they got to Belle's residence, Leila realised how lucky she had been for most of her life to live in at least a real house or building, for Belle lived in the loft of a vacant apartment, in which she had to climb through a hole in the wall to get in and let in her sibling and social worker. Her minimal things collecting dust, and the bat she said she named 'Perry' were the only things in the room. No bed, not even a mattress. She had 1 box full to the brim of poorly printed photos, a blanket, a teddy and a trash bag of clothes. Was this life better for her than being in abusive homes? Leila thought.

"I tried to make her go to a shelter at least-" Cheryl began.

"But I said no. They would have stolen everything. No one wanted the apartment that multiple people were murdered in, so I took it. They just don't know. Plus, I would have moved out if someone did buy it. I'm not that rude." Belle interrupted sternly, packing the rest of her things into the tearing bag.

Leila began to help, starting with the 'bed'. It was a teddy bear as a pillow and a ragged, dirty and clearly stolen blanket, on the floor. It didn't take long to pack up everything. Belle said her goodbyes to Perry, and they left, waiting on the curb for one of the many cabs to pass to whisk them away. As Cheryl hailed one, the girls picked up the bag and box and hoped in, all squeezing in the back. Going across to East New York was one of the girl's mutually most hated things. Crime rates were higher than the rest of the city, and even though they grew up around constant criminal activity, they felt most unsafe here - for this is where they were both born. It was also the home to Cheryl, and no matter how much they would refuse, they knew they had to go there.