(Im)Perfection

Chapter 10

The loud voices had stopped but there was still so much light. "Hey Sweetheart. I'm gonna turn the lights off, okay? I'm still right here and I'm not gonna leave you here." The words didn't fully register in her brain, but she just let it happen.
It got a lot darker only a little light trickling in from somewhere to her left. The hand she had felt earlier was placed on her arm again. She flinched for a second before the words came. "Hey Flo. It's me Emmy. I'm gonna stay right here okay? Everything's gonna be fine."
The hand traced up and down her arm and small patterns on her hand. She started to focus on the feeling of the calloused skin against her soft skin. It was a weird feeling but slowly it helped her gain the feeling in her arms.
Emily's touch was slowly guiding the younger one back to reality. She just focused on Emily and how safe the touch felt. It took almost fifteen minutes of Emily gently touching her before the words also started to register in her brain. Her older sister was gently encouraging her to calm down and come back to her.
"Hey Flo. Just take a few deep breaths. Everything will be fine. I'm here now and I'm never leaving you with them again."
Emily noticed the shift in her sister as she slowly came back to herself. Her eyes started to focus again and she seemed to register her surroundings.
"Hey Flo. How are you feeling?" The younger one slowly turned her head towards her older sister. "I...I don't know Emmy. Everything just feels to much." The older one moved closer and looked down at her. "Hm do you want me to close the blinds?" The younger one shook her head very slowly.
"Okay. How about we just stay like this for a bit mhm? And maybe in a bit I'll get you some water." They did just did, even though Emily moved a bit closer so she could wrap one arm around her sister while the other continued to draw on Florences arm.
There was a soft knock on the door and JJ stepped in followed by Morgan. "Everything okay? Your parents seemed angry." JJ asked while stepping closer to the bed. Now that she could see the two sisters so close to one another she recognized so many of Emily's features in her sister. But she could also see the mental toll the school and the last few days had taken on the younger one.
Morgan had sat down on one of the chairs. "She's right. They went down to the cafeteria but I never thought I'd see them so enraged." He smiled a little. Emily knew her friends well enough to know that they still believed they were mad at the people who did this.
"It's my fault." Florence than croaked out. Her voice was raspy. JJ immediately moved towards the small setup if glasses and water bottles to get the kid something to drink.
"I'll tell them everything okay Flo? They're like my family and I know that together we'll come up with a plan to get you far away from all of this." Florence just shrugged, as she started to open the water bottle. She took a few big gulps before she nodded.
Both of her sisters friends were sitting close and keeping their eyes on them. Not in a creepy way, but in the same way Emily always watched her when she was a kid. Just to make sure she was really here and okay.
"As you know my parents don't really agree with my career choices and apparently this runs so deep that they see me as failed in society." Emily took a deep breath. It had hurt to hear those words, but this wasn't about her. She could figure her own things out later. Now she needed to protect her sister.
"They didn't want both their daughters to be 'failures' so they forced Florence to sign a marriage contract which is invalid if she isn't a virgin." Both of them stared at the sisters for a few seconds before Morgan opened his mouth.
"How old is he? Like is he your age and was also forced? And how did your parents meet him?" Florence sighed and looked down for a second. "His names Harold. Our parents have been in the same circles for a while. They originally planned for him and Emily to get married, but she went off to college before they could force her and according to his mother she wasn't valuable anymore. So they chose me. I meet Harold on my seventh birthday, he had just started College, law I think. We signed the contract that night."
JJ had tears in her eyes thinking about how scared the little girl must've been and how horrible Emily must feel now, after not knowing for years. All she wanted to do was comfort her and Emily. Morgan on the other hand was furious. He knew he couldn't do anything irrational, but he swore that he'd do everything in his power to get Emily parental rights and to protect this kid from now on. He'd make sure that she'd be happy and healthy from now on.
"This contract what do you mean by that? You were seven no contract would be legal." JJ asked as she reached out to squeeze Emily's hand.
"Well basically it states everything they'll pay for, the skills I'm expected to have and other terms. So in my case. I need to play at least one instrument and know 3 languages. College education will be discussed after the wedding. Most importantly I need to be a virgin and not have any diseases that could harm my ability to have a child. In return they pay for my education at the school of their choice and my parents get a pretty money sum every year. Now that I'm not a virgin anymore the contract is invalid and my parents will have to pay them back."
Emily was shocked, her parents hadn't just planned to marry her sister off. No they had sold her to the highest bidder and made her responsible for everything that came with it.
"He's a junior diplomat I think. His parents used to work in an ambassy to that's why our parents know his." The kid mumbled as she cuddled closer into her sister. The day had been long and she needed sleep.
"We'll take care of this." Morgan promised as he got up. "Where are you going?" Emily asked worried he friend might do something stupid.
"I'll call Hotch and update him. Then I'll track your parents down and ask them very nicely to hand over the parental rights to you. There's no way I'll let the kid leave with them." Emily looked at Florence. "Hey Sweetie would it maybe be okay with you if Morgan and I take care of this. JJ will stay with you okay?" Florence looked over at the  blonde who gave her a warm smile. "Mkay. But I'm really tired. Would it be okay if I take a nap?" She was so quiet all of sudden it broke Emily's heart. She had figured that the school had made the girls forget that fulfilling your needs is a good thing. "Of course you can. I'll still be here. Just in case you need something and to make sure you're safe. Okay kiddo?" JJ said as she moved the chair a little closer.
Emily watched as Florence nodded, before she pressed her sister a kiss on the forehead. "I'll be back real soon. I love you." Florence smiled and squeezed her hand, before letting her go. 
Morgan was already on the phone with Hotch as she stepped outside. He was giving him and probably Garcia all the information they had on her sisters 'fiance'. As soon as he saw her he gave her a quick nod. "Hotch I'll call you back in a bit, we'll try to figure out the whole living situation now." She could hear her boss say something but it was to quiet and the hospital corridors were to busy.
"Alright let's go." Together the two of them stepped into the elevator. "How are you feeling about this Prentiss?" "I don't know. First I don't see her for years. Then I find her but she's in a mentally abusive school system and then she's kidnapped to finding out she only got into this school because I failed in my parents eyes and she'd to make up for it." "That's a lot huh?" She just nodded and accepted the hug her partner offered.
"Don't worry. Garcia is trying to figure out who else is involved. Reid, Hotch and Rossi are on their way to the hospital. We'll make sure she's safe and doesn't leave with them." Emily smiled a little at the thought of her team, her little family that she created over the years, just adopted Florence in no questions asked.
"Now let's get this over with. I'll let my phone roll. In case they don't wanna sign anything today, so that  we have proof, should they say something about the marriage." She took a deep breath and together they stepped out into the cafeteria.
Immediately she saw her parents. They just didn't fit into the picture. The two agents made their way over to the table her parents were sitting at.
"Mother, Father. I want to talk about Florence." Her father looked up and huffed. "What about her? She's not of use anymore. We'll send her to one of those therapy schools down in Utah to set her straight. Afterwards back to the school she is in enrolled at the moment. Maybe if we're lucky and she at least keeps her looks, grades and weight perfect she'll at least marry someone with money. Because the moment she's eighteen she's on her own." "What if I take her? You wouldn't have to pay for a thing. Just sign some papers and I'll take care of her." Emily offered.
"Emily you're not really a good role model but then she can't expect a lot from society anymore now that she's tainted." Her mother said. "What would we get in return? The knowledge that we won't sue you for being accomplices in human trafficking and child marriage." Morgan said. The parents exchanged a few glances.
"And you don't have to see her or me again. You could act like we don't exist. Spend the money on yourselves." Emily added.
"Okay we will give over the parental rights. It's not like keeping her is gonna do us any good."
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