1 | Undeniable Chemistry [S. Reid]

xx. calcium

AS SOON AS THE CAR STOPS, Willow gets out and runs towards the house. The door opens, to reveal Ellie, who in turn runs towards her. Halfway, they meet and Willow pulls the little girl into her arms. Ellie bursts into tears, as they both drop to the floor.

"It's okay, Ellie. It's okay, you're okay." Willow assures her, as they sit on the grass. Ellie holds on tightly to her shirt, as she cries in her shoulder. "Everything is going to be fine. He won't hurt you again."

"I can't... I can't get him out of my mind." Ellie whimpers, making Willow close her eyes, as he heart breaks at her words. "I feel like I'm never going to be the same."

"Hey listen to me. Look at me." Willow pulls away slightly, and holds her face between her hands to make her look at her. "I won't lie to you, this is going to be hard. But don't let it destroy you, but rather make you stronger. It won't be easy to do it, but I want you to hold your head high and let the past shape you. Because I know you're going to become a beautiful woman, live an amazing life."

"Am I really?" She ask easily weakly, tears still rolling down her cheeks, making Willow nod.

"Really. It won't be easy, I know. You'll always have this pain in you and it's okay, it's normal. Don't push it away, don't ignore it." Willow says softly, making her nod. The brunette pulls her back into her arms, letting her cry on her shoulder. The two sit in silence to together, and after a while Ellie breaks the silence.

"Can I ask you a question?" Ellie asks softly, making Willow hum in response. "Was... was it because what happened to him, that he become a killer?"

"No, it was different for him. He went through it differently. But don't worry about it okay? Because you're not like him." She assures the girl, who nods in understanding. Another moment of silence settles between them, as she continues to cry on her shoulder. A few minutes later, footsteps approach them, making Ellie pull away and look up. Willow turns to see Derek.

The girl stands up and walks up to him, as Willow stands up as well. She walks away from the two, giving them space to themselves and she walks towards the rest of the team. Emily and JJ, walk up to Willow and each give her a comforting hug. They pull away, looking over at Derek and Ellie, to see them hug, as he explains to her what's going on.

Willow glances over Emily's shoulder to see Spencer looking at her from the side with Rossi and Hotch. She gives him smile, which he returns. He nodded reassuringly, as if he understood her every emotion and that he accepted them all. And she knew he did, after all he was a Profiler, but it was also more than just a best friend intuition, that she knew he was there with her no matter what. She looks back at Ellie, who is being lead away by Detective Kursbard, while Derek walks back to them. He walks up to the three women and smiles.

"In all of this, I didn't take a moment to make sure you're okay." Derek says to Willow, who shakes her head.

"I think we can agree that what mattered the most in that moment was making sure Ellie was going to be okay." She points out, making him hum in agreement, just as Hotch, Rossi and Spencer join them.

"But, you're still part of the team. You're part of the family." Derek states firmly, making JJ give her a side hug. "Your safety matters just as much."

"So, anyone up for some well deserved dinner?" Rossi asks as they all start walking towards the cars.

"Definitely." Emily chuckles. Willow moves towards Spencer and walks beside him, making him look down at her with a warm smile.

"For the record. I'll always be there for you too." She says, as she takes his hand, making his smile widen. She pushes herself on her toes and kisses his cheek, making a blush rise to his cheeks.

"Come on, love geniuses. We don't have all day." Derek calls out, making the two laugh, not letting go as they catch up with the others.