"Okay my lovelies, your guy is a one Frankie Gallagher. He was a very well known tapper as a kid, danced in a bunch of theaters and concert halls. He kind of fell out if the dance scene in his late teens, and got into a little bit of trouble with the law. A couple of breaking and entering charges – mostly in houses that had yet to be sold – his mother was a realtor. He also got caught setting a couple of fires when he was around thirteen, but he seems to have lost his urge to set things aflame as there are no hints of anything since than. He was also charged with assault of a sixteen year old girl, Tammy Walters when he was seventeen. He's bounced around a lot of odd jobs over the years, fired a couple of times, quit suddenly etc."
"What about the girl? Does he have a daughter?" Emily asked. She and the team were sitting around a table in the police station. Emily shared a look with JJ, who was sitting on top of the table next to her.
"See there's the thing...I don't have any record of him being a father, I checked within six years and his name was never listed on any birth certificates."
"So he doesn't have a daughter?" JJ asked.
"Now I didn't say that my lovely blue eyed girl, I said there isn't much of a record of it. However, since I am awesome, I dug around a bit."
"And?" JJ asked with a smile.
"And, Frankie is definitely a papa. A young girl, Rachel Gallagher has been living with him for three years. Now, this poor beautiful little girl has had an awful life crammed into her short seven years. Her mother, Clara, was severely depressed; and by that I mean was on so many depression meds she was practically popping one every minute. I've got a couple of accounts of social services popping in on them. It seems she had some issues taking care of Rachel with her depression. The girl was left alone a lot, social services was going to remove her from the home when she was a little over one, but apparently, Clara got some new meds and was doing a lot better."
"So why isn't she with the mom now?" Reid asked.
"Well, this is where it gets sad, the meds didn't work I guess, Clara killed herself when Rachel was four. The neighbor next door said that she would feed Rachel more than Clara did, and Rachel came over to her house and said her mom was, and I quote, 'covered in red and wouldn't get up off the bathroom floor."
"She found her?" Emily asked, horrified.
"Yeah, from the state of the body when the police arrived, she killed herself early in the morning and they found her around nine that night. Rachel sat with her on the floor waiting for her to wake up for hours."
"Oh god." Morgan said, dropping his head in his hands in frustration.
"I'm not done." Garcia said solemnly. "According to the mother's suicide note, Frankie Gallagher is Rachel's father. The neighbor volunteered to take her to Frankie and she's been with him since. They've moved around a lot, Rachel doesn't seem to be enrolled in school and she dances with him a lot. There are a couple of videos on youtube, I sent one or two to your phones, there aren't any other pictures of her I could find that were recent."
"Thanks Garcia."
"Also, I'm sending a picture of Clara to you right now, she bears a striking resemblance to our twelve victims."
"We need to talk to Frankie. Garcia do you have a current address?" Hotch asked.
"See that's the thing, no, he's not listed anywhere for the last couple of years, but he crops up everywhere mostly in motels and such. He doesn't seem to pay with credit card very often, the man likes cash, but his last charge was at a hotel down in Harlem. The address is being sent to your phones as we speak."
"Thanks Garcia." Morgan said, hanging up the phone.
"Alright, lets go." Hotch told the team. They donned their vests and split up between two SUVs. Hotch, Emily and JJ in one, Morgan, Rossi and Reid in another, with local NYPD following behind. As the pulled into the hotel Hotch informed the front desk what they were doing. The woman told him that Frankie was staying in room 204 and the team headed out. Emily was right on Hotch's tail, gun drawn, JJ right beside her. Hotch knocked on the door. "Frankie Gallagher, FBI, open up!" The team waited a moment, hearing shuffling behind the door. "FBI OPEN UP!" Hotch yelled again. After a moment, he nodded to Morgan, who kicked in the door. Emily heard a small squeal and she turned toward it. There appeared to be no one in the room.
"Clear." Morgan said, checking the bathroom.
"Here too." Hotch announced.
"Wait!" JJ said, crouching down beside one of the beds. "Hi sweetie, my name's Agent Jareau, can you come on out?" Emily quickly holstered her gun and went over by JJ. The tiny girl was cowering under the bed, refusing to come out.
"We're the police sweetie, we're here to help you." Emily said warmly, crouching next to JJ. The girl looked back and forth between them, tears welled up in her eyes. JJ held her hands out and the girl tentatively crawled into them. JJ held her tightly and easily picked the small girl up. Emily followed her out of the hotel, while the rest of the team searched the room. JJ opened one of the backseat doors and tried to set the girl down but she clung to JJ frantically.
"Okay, okay." JJ said. She shifted the girl and sat down herself, setting Rachel in her lap. Emily stood by, leaning on the car to make herself look less threatening. "Your name is Rachel right?" JJ asked softly. The girl nodded, not looking either woman in the eye.
"Well Rachel I'm Agent Jareau, but you can call me JJ, and this is Agent Prentiss."
"But you can call me Emily." Emily said with a smile. "How old are you Rachel?" She asked. Rachel held up seven fingers.
"Rachel, did your dad say when he was coming back?" JJ asked.
"No, he never does." Rachel whispered, looking down at her hands. Emily and JJ caught each other's eye and both frowned. Hearing the team behind her, Emily turned around and nodded to Hotch. Clearly, they're wasn't much worth seeing in the hotel room.
"Hey Rachel, we're gonna take a little drive down to the police station okay?" JJ asked the small girl in her lap. "We can get you some food and ask you a couple of questions is that alright?"
"He'll be mad. I'm supposed to stay here." Rachel said quickly. Emily and JJ noticed it sounded very rehearsed.
"Its okay Rachel, you're helping us, he won't be mad." Emily said, sliding into the backseat next to JJ.
"No he will." Rachel insisted.
"We won't let him hurt you Rachel." JJ said firmly. Rachel looked up at her and stared into JJ's eyes. It made her feel very vulnerable, but she didn't look away. After a second, Rachel nodded and slid down onto the seat between Emily and JJ. As they drove, Rachel didn't look at anyone, just kept her gaze fixed down at her hands.
When they arrived at the station, Emily helped Rachel out of the car and took her hand, leading her inside. They took her into one of the interview rooms for families.
"Why don't you two talk to her, she seems to trust you. Bring her some food." Hotch said to Emily and JJ. Emily nodded and took the sandwich and cookies from Hotch. Looking to JJ, Emily took a deep breath and walked into the room. The cases involving children made her stomach turn. Rachel was sitting exactly as they left her; at the table, looking down at the floor. She didn't even flinch as Emily and JJ sat down. JJ sat next to Rachel with Emily across from her, so she didn't feel closed in. Emily saw the little girl eyeing the sandwich and pushed it forward with a smile.
"We've got some cookies too. Do you like chocolate chip?"
"I dunno, I've never had them."
"You've never had chocolate chip cookies?" JJ asked, baffled. Rachel shook her head. The two women let her eat for a few minutes, she practically inhaled it, clearly starving. "Rachel, I heard you are a pretty fantastic dancer." JJ said to her with a small smile. Rachel bit her upper lip and shrugged.
"Do you dance with your dad?" Emily asked. Rachel nodded and continued eating. Emily shared a look with JJ, they wouldn't get anywhere if Rachel wouldn't talk to them. "Rachel, does your dad leave you alone a lot?"
"Yeah. I make him mad."
"Does he say that?" JJ asked.
"Yeah." Rachel finished her sandwich and eyed the cookies, but made no attempts to take one. JJ smirked at Emily and took one of the cookies. Emily mimicked her, and they both made exaggerated comments at how good the cookies were. Rachel watched them with great interest.
"Want one?" Emily asked.
"Can I?" Rachel whispered shyly.
"Of course." Emily handed her one and the little girl began nibbling on it. Her smile grew as she ate the cookie and Emily grinned at JJ.
"So Rachel, you and your dad move a lot huh?"
"Yeah, everywhere we go to dance, he doesn't like living in one place."
"Has he been acting any differently lately?" Emily asked.
"He's madder." Rachel said with a shrug. "He comes home with blood more than he used too."
Emily and JJ looked at each other, horrified. "What?" JJ asked. "What do you mean?"
Rachel shrugged. "I know what blood is. I saw it on my mom, if it comes out of you, you die." Rachel said matter of fact. Emily swallowed and bit her lip. "Does my daddy kill people?" Rachel asked, finally looking up at them. JJ looked at Emily, in shock and horrified. Emily didn't quite know how to respond to that question.
"Umm, why do you ask that Rachel?"
"He hurts me, and I've seen him hurt other people." Rachel whispered. "Its my fault."
"No, Rachel, nothing he does is your fault." JJ insisted. She tried to reach out and rub Rachel's arm to comfort her, but Rachel flinched and moved away quickly. A little hurt, JJ collected herself. "Rachel. None of this is your fault." She repeated.
"Rachel, when you said he hurts you, what did you mean?" Emily asked softly. Rachel just shrugged and tucked her knees up to her chest. Emily noticed scabs all over them. "Like that?" She asked pointing. Rachel nodded into her knees and kept her gaze down.
"Do I have to go back with him?" Rachel whispered.
"No." JJ said firmly. "We'll make sure that doesn't happen. Okay?" Rachel rolled her head over on her knees and looked JJ in the eye for the second time that day. It made her feel just as vulnerable as it had the first time, but again, she held the little girl's gaze. Rachel nodded, seeming to believe JJ. "Rachel, we do need your help though, you said you've seen him hurt other people, can you tell us about that?"
"He hurt a lady. It was my fault." Rachel said as she began to cry.
"Rachel, I told you..." JJ began, but Rachel cut her off.
"No this was my fault! She was nice and I thought maybe I could live with her instead, so I followed her home. He found me and he knocked me to the ground, she said she was gonna call the cops but he had a knife. He...he cut her all up and she was crying and then she stopped. And then he..." Rachel trailed off and hugged her knees tighter. "It was my fault."
JJ was shaking with fury. "He beat her Hotch, she's got huge scabs on her knees and her skin is burned. He holds her in a scalding hot bath, he's killed in front of her."
"We'll contact DCFS." Hotch told her. "She'll be alright."
"How?" JJ asked with an angry shrug. Hotch looked at Emily. "Don't do that!" JJ yelled.
"Do what?" Emily asked her wife.
"That stupid wordless conversation thing you two do about me. I am right here." JJ spat at them furiously. Emily bit her lip as JJ stalked off angrily.
"I'll talk to her Hotch." Emily said.
"No, its fine, this case is getting to all of us. Was Rachel helpful? Does she have any idea where to find him?"
"She said he always comes back. We should get back to the hotel and wait."
"Okay, tell everyone to get their gear."
Emily nodded and walked over to the team, relaying the information. She kept an eye on JJ as they put on their vests. Her wife was staring at the room Rachel was sitting in with a female police officer. Emily followed her gaze and sighed at the dejected look on the small girl's face. She couldn't understand how anyone could hurt that sweet little girl. Sometimes, Emily hated her job. The drive back to the hotel was quiet, everyone full of anticipation and adrenaline. Hotch stationed Morgan, Emily and Rossi inside to wait, while he Reid and JJ stayed out of sight outside, waiting for Frankie Gallagher to arrive. Emily was quiet as she sat on one of the beds, her gun in her hands, ready to be drawn at a moments notice.
"Prentiss, you okay?" Morgan asked.
"Huh?" Emily looked up. "Oh, yeah fine. Just,.. I can't wait for this case to be over."
"You and me both."
"Its just...that poor kid." Emily said, noticing a teddy bear on the floor. She picked it up and grimaced at the torn cloth. There was tears and blood on the stuffed toy. Angrily, Emily threw it back to the ground.
"People are sick." Rossi said angrily. "Social services will get her a good family. She's still young, she could be okay."
Emily nodded, but somehow she didn't believe him. Hearing a noise, she stood up quickly and drew her gun, Morgan and Rossi mimicking her. The agents could hear the key turning in the latch and waited. Frankie turned on the light and yelled at the sight of them.
"FBI! Mr. Gallagher, put your hands where we can see them." Morgan yelled out. Frankie took one look at the three of them and turned around to run.
"I wouldn't try it if I were you." Hotch said, coming up behind him and pointing his gun at Frankie's head. "You've pissed off one of my agents a great deal, and she's our best shot. I wouldn't give her the excuse, trust me she'll take it, and I'll let her." Hotch practically growled, nodding to a very angry looking JJ. Frankie glared at her but put his hands behind his head. Morgan and Rossi moved in to cuff him and shoved him into the car. "Come on everyone, its late, lets all get some sleep, we'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."
JJ was silent as she walked back to her room with her wife. She couldn't get the image of the social service worker talking to Rachel out of her head. Rachel had looked terrified. When she glanced up and saw Emily and JJ she only seemed sadder. Sighing, JJ quickly changed and climbed into bed, Emily right behind her.
"Hey, talk to me. We got him Jayje." Emily whispered.
"I know, but...her mother killed herself and her father is a killer, its just not fair."
"No, no its not."
"I hate this."
"Me too."
"I mean what's going to happen to her?"
"They'll find her a family."
JJ stared at the ceiling. As the idea popped into her head, she knew it was a little bit crazy, it also excited her to no end. "We could take her." She whispered so softly that Emily had to strain to hear her.
"What?" Emily whispered back, shocked.
JJ rolled over and looked at her wife. "We've been talking about kids for a little while, why not? We could love her. And I think we're uniquely qualified to understand a bit of what she's been going through."
Emily sat up a little. "Jen, are you serious?"
"Yeah."
"Seriously? Because I've been the one talking about kids, you've been avoiding the subject or saying you're not ready every time I bring it up. What about not thinking you can be a good mother?"
"You don't think we could do it?" JJ asked, worriedly.
Emily grinned. "No, I've been saying all along you'll be an amazing mother. I just...I'm just surprised is all."
"But you want to?" JJ asked excitedly, sitting up to meet Emily. Emily bit her lip and thought about it. Truthfully, she could picture it, it made her smile to think about the little girl with JJ and herself. She wanted it. It was something she had always wanted, and she wanted it with JJ. She was realizing, she might want it with Rachel. Maybe this was the time.
Emily smiled. "Yeah. Yeah I do." JJ squealed and pulled Emily close and kissed her full on the mouth.