The Hunting Hour - A Criminal Minds Fiction

Chapter 39: The Case Is Over

"Look at me" Garcia said and Bella looked.
"I know you're scared and probably mad but she loves you. She loves you so so much and she's here" Penelope said and Bella looked down. "Wasn't that what you wanted?" Garcia said.
Penelope was upset about not knowing the truth but she loved Emily and how could she be mad about her friend being alive and okay.

"Did you know she was alive?" The girl asked still a bit confused with everything.

"No. No. Only Hotch and JJ knew" Garcia said.

"I just don't understand how they didn't tell us? Because they saw me and they ...they knew and.." She said and started sobbing again.

"They had to make sure she was safe and she would stay safe so she could come back to us. To you" Garcia said.

Bella just kept crying.

"Bella" Derek said and made her sit up straight. "I know you're upset. I know you're angry... But she's here. And I know that she loves you more than anything. And I'm sure that you love her too. Don't you?" He said and she nodded yes.

"I know it's hard. It's hard for me too. I'm angry too and it's okay to be angry. It's okay" he said. "But she's here with us now and he's gone. And I promise you that I'll make sure that she's going to stay here. I swear to you that" he said. "Okay?"

"Okay" she whispered.

He wiped her face and said "it's okay to be upset. We're going to go slow" he said.

"Okay" she said still crying.

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At the conference room they talked to Tom and then the man left with Declan. Emily talked to Hotch and thanked him for the way he handled the entire situation.

"I think you should take your daughter home now" Hotch gave her a small smile glad it was all over. He knew how much she wanted that and how long she waited to have Isabella again.

She gave him a small smile back and walked to Derek's office.

It was 11:20am.

She found Bella on Morgan's lap and Penelope on the couch petting Lulu. She knew damn well that Bella was not about to grab her hand and go home with her.

"Hotch said she can go home" Emily told them trying not to look so sad.
Derek saw that and as much as he was really angry, he knew that there was nothing in the world that Isabella had wished for as much as she wished for Emily.

"Can she come home with us?" Derek whispered in Isabella's ear. Bella nodded yes.

"You can stay at my house till you sort things out" Derek said knowing it would take some time.
Morgan stood up with the girl in his arms. She still had tears streaming down her face.  "Let's go?" He asked Garcia who nodded and grabbed Lulu's leash.

"Thank you" Emily said and they headed to the car. Garcia grabbed Emily's hand and smiled happy to have her back. Emily smiled back and just hoped everything would be alright.
After everything they had been through she needed things to be alright.

They went to the car and Penelope sat on the back with Bella while Derek drove and Emily sat on the front with him. The girl hugged Garcia and didn't look up.
Since it was almost noon Penelope suggested they should stop at a drive-thru so no one would have to cook anything. So Derek drove to McDonald's, got their things and headed home. Bella refused to choose what she wanted so Derek ordered what she usually had.
At home, they walked in and Bella started walking to her bedroom without saying a word. Penelope looked at Derek and Emily knowing that was not good. Penelope took Lulu's leash off and the dog followed Bella to the bedroom. Bella got inside and threw herself on her bed. She grabbed her blanket and held it tight and couldn't help but cry. She just could not believe that was happening to her. She was so confused.
Confused about everything, about what exactly happened to Emily, and about her feelings.

Outside Emily said "let me" and went to the bedroom. After a little while Derek and Penelope heard shouting.

Emily had gotten inside the room to find Bella laying on the bed crying and hugging her blanket and Lulu. She had walked closer to the bed and Isabella started yelling at her to get out.

"What's wrong?" Derek asked running inside.

"She's kicking me out. It's okay" Emily said and walked out.

"Are you okay?" He asked Bella.

"Yes" she said serious as tears rolled down her face. "Shut the door" she said sounding mad.

Derek walked out and shut the door. He knew the child needed to think about everything.

"Is she okay?" Emily asked him looking sorry for the girl's outburst.

"She'll be alright" Derek said and they walked to the kitchen.
They sat to eat and as Penelope and Emily talked, Derek didn't say a word. Once he finished eating he said "I'm gonna take this to her" and went to Isabella's bedroom with her food.

"He's so mad at me, isn't he?" Emily said.

"Don't worry he'll be okay. We're just glad you're back" Penelope said.

"Garcia. Your optimism is not really umm..." Emily said and Penelope turned serious.

"Look Em. We love you. But we were hurt really bad when you died. I mean when you left and we thought you died. And I know that it must have been so hard for you too. All alone in God knows where and... I know it must have been awful but you have no idea how things were here. And of course he's upset. He saw how hard this was on everyone... especially Bella" Penelope said and Emily's eyes filled with tears. She never wanted to hurt them.

"You don't know how many nights she cried because she wanted you and we... we felt powerless. He tried so much to help her feel better and I guess knowing that she possibly could have not gone through all of that pain is upsetting him." Garcia said.

Suddenly Derek walked back in the kitchen.

"Time my friend. Time helps" Garcia said low and Emily nodded.