At a young age, Athena is known as smart and very talented at her age. This impressed her mother, especially since she began to talk at such a young age. And her words were clear as day. But as she grew older, the people surrounding her taught her what she needed to know.
Things like knowing where to hide when something's not right. And not to come out until someone she knows comes and gets her. She was also taught to know not mix up Emily Prentiss and Camila Hart, being her mother's other identity.
That also goes with the identity of her aunt and other "mom", Elle Greenaway or in this case, Samantha Carter.
Stephen Walker back at Interpol knew that he had to make Camila Hart and Samantha Carter real people. With the resources, he made it come true.
"Camila Hart and Samantha Carter are best friends. Camila is Athena's mom. And I'm assuming Samantha Carter is your god-mother, right Sweetie?" Garcia asks.
Athena nods as she sits in the round table room, along with the team. "I call her Mommy too."
"Where's Reid?" Hotch whispers to Morgan.
"He should be coming back any time soon," he says.
Footsteps approach the door. "I'm here..."
"Reid, this is Athena," JJ introduces. "Her mother's missing and we're getting the details."
Athena tries to contain her excitement from seeing Spencer Reid, one of her favorite people. Emily taught her that she needs to act like she doesn't know him. She wasn't supposed to know about him until Spencer started coming to their house on his days off, not getting enough of his goddaughter.
"Hi, do you think you can come with me? We can go get some candy and you can tell me about what happened," Reid whispers.
She takes her hand and walks off. He waves to the team.
JJ chuckles. "He'd make a great dad."
Morgan nods.
Back at the vending machine, Spencer gives Athena candy, something her mother wouldn't usually allow as she is only 3. "Athena, what happened?"
"I heard a noise and I did what you and Uncle Luke told me to do, I hid in the closet," she shakes her head. "I don't know how long I was in there. Until Auntie Elle found me. They brought me here. And I followed."
Spencer hugs her and gives her a kiss on the head. "It's okay. We'll find Mommy soon."
Walking to the elevator, Athena trudges behind trying to fit one last M&M into her mouth. Spencer eventually picks her up so she wouldn't get left behind.
Still carrying Athena, Spencer walks to Strauss's office. "Agent Reid? Is there something you need to tell me?"
"This is Emily Prentiss's daughter, Athena. Emily's missing but the team only knows her as Camila Hart," Spencer says. He sets her down.
She looks around, finding the right chair to sit in. Athena settles with Strauss's office chair behind her desk. "I'll call Stephen Walker. Anything you find out, you come directly to me."
He nods. "Can she stay in here? I need to call the agents who were assigned to the house."
Strauss agrees and he walks out. He calls Elle, she picks up.
"What the hell? You left Athena here?" He shouts into the phone.
"By the way, Tara and Luke are here with me," Elle says. "She knew what to do Spence. We also knew she'd be safe with you. With what the BAU can do, they'll protect her."
He sighs. "The team's gonna find out it's Emily Prentiss soon. And that Athena is her daughter."
"Well, we know it has to be the unsub we've been looking for. Who would take Emily in the first place?"
Spencer knew Elle was right. It had to be Beth. "So if they know, they can't do anything about it."
"Mhm," Elle says.
Luke begins to talk. "And Reid. Can we talk to Athena?"
He walks back in and motions for Athena to talk to the phone. "Hello?"
"Hi Athena, it's Uncle Luke. I'm so proud of you for being a big girl!" he says. "Auntie Elle and Auntie Tara are proud of you too."
She giggles. "Have you found Mommy yet?"
Elle talks. "Not yet sweetie, but you stay there with Uncle Spencer. He's your favorite right?"
"Yes, but I love you all," Athena says.
"We love you too," Luke says. Never did Elle think he would have a soft spot for Athena. "Reid?"
He takes the phone off of speaker phone. "Yeah?"
"Introduce her to Kate. If you're out with the team, have her stay with Kate," Luke says. "They're gonna find out soon, so we'll be there in a bit."
Spencer agrees and hangs up. "Let's go Athena, I need to introduce you to someone."
Strauss looks at him. "Let me know. I'm on the phone with Stephen Walker."
He nods and leaves, heading back to the round table room. "She told me that she heard a crash but hid in the closet because her mom told her too."
"But how'd she know to come here?" Rossi asks.
Looking down at Athena, he knew he had to do it. "Give me a minute. Kate, can you come with me?"
She nods and Athena takes Spencer's hand. Walking into the hallways, Kate closes the door. "Athena, this is Mommy's friend from her work in London. Remember? Mommy told you stories about London?"
Athena smiles but holds onto Spencer. "Uncle Luke wants me to introduce you to her so if I'm away, then she can watch you. He trusts her."
Kate smiles back. "Hi Athena, I'm Kate. Me and your mommy were pregnant together but she gave birth to your first but I have a son around your age too."
She puts her hand out, Spencer sees Athena hesitate but takes it anyways. "You look like your mommy."
Athena walks back into the room so Kate and Spencer can talk. "If we're trying to find Emily, we need to tell them about her true self. I'm waiting for Strauss."
"Athena doesn't know who her dad is?" Kate asks.
He shakes his head. "And I think Emily would want to keep it that way."
Kate raises her eyebrows. "His daughter is in that room with him and he has no idea."
"Well now that I think of it, he's about to find out now," Spencer says.
They both walk in and they see Strauss already in the room. She must've come from the other entrance.
"Athena can you come here?" Spencer asks. She follows and he whispers something into her ear. She begins to smile and hugs Spencer's leg.
"Spence? Is this your daughter?" JJ chuckles.
Shaking his head, he picks up Athena who's holding her stuffed panda. "This is Athena. Athena Prentiss."
Athena waves and ruffles Spencer's hair, her favorite thing to do. She then lays her head on his shoulder.
"Wait, are you saying this is Emily's daughter?" Morgan asks. "But that means —."
Strauss interferes. "Yes Agent Morgan. That means Emily Prentiss is Camila Hart."
Spencer sits Athena in the seat as eyes are on her. "You see, I only found about Athena when I mistakenly found Elle Greenaway in the hospital, days after Gideon's death. I followed her and Emily's in a hospital bed. I then get notified that she had surgery and that she had a baby. But it would've been the last time I saw her because she needed to fake her death."
"The Chief at Interpol and I have been in communication. The person they're looking for are the person we're looking for. The one who killed Gideon," Strauss explains. "Their Interpol team came here, trying to get more information but then got side tracked due to Agent Prentiss's situation."
Kate butts in. "This is where I come in. I worked with Emily Prentiss in London. The idea came up for me to move here to locate the unsub, knowing that it was one of your top cases. Along with my family, one of my colleagues back at Interpol, Luke Alvez stayed with Emily and Athena."
Everyone's confused until 3 people walk in. "Meet Elle Greenaway, Luke Alvez, and Tara Lewis."
Athena sees Elle and runs towards her. She gives her a hug and gives Luke and Tara one too.
"Elle?" Morgan asks.
She smiles. "Derek."
Elle then explains her situation. How she "knows" the unsub. How she got to Interpol and met Emily. And life after that.
After a couple rounds of explaining and drawing on the board, almost everyone has questions and they were answered.
Except for Agent Aaron Hotchner.
Emily's alive? Why didn't she say anything at Gideon's funeral? Why hide her pregnancy?
He walks out. Spencer follows behind him and closes the door as they enter his office. Taking in a deep breath, he musters what he needs to say.
"Is Athena my daughter?"
"She is," Reid states.
Hotch sighs. "Why didn't you tell me? And how long have they been here?"
"The unsub is after you Hotch, I found out she's after Emily. This is personal. To protect Athena, both their deaths were faked," he explains. "They've been here since the week of Gideon's funeral."
"Reid. You kept my daughter from me for more than 3 years. You had no right from keeping that from me," Hotch raises his voice.
Reid snaps back. "Your right left when you pushed Emily away to go to Interpol. I forgave you the minute I saw her in the hospital."
He's right. He did push her away. But right now they needed to do one thing.
"Let's go find Emily."
–
Back in the round table room, Athena is in Elle's arms. As smart as she is, she's still a baby to her family.
"What do we know?" Morgan asks.
Spencer explains. "We have reason to believe that the unsub is Beth Davis, although she's nowhere to be found. She got close to Hotch but once he pushed her away, something triggered her."
"But what does Emily have to do with this?" Luke adds.
Silence occurs. "What if... she knew that Emily and Hotch were a thing?"
"She knows that. That's why I broke things off," Hotch explains.
"No. Actually yes. I meant before that. What if she stalked you?" JJ proposed. "Seeing as she is a national mastermind and criminal, she could be scouting the news to track the FBI."
Spencer looks at the board. "We can assume she might be delusional. Maybe she thinks we're following her everywhere we go when cases happen. And she thinks that Hotch is the one obsessed with her."
Garcia runs Beth's face through ViCap. "Got it. Name is Beth Clemmons. Suffered a concussion after a major car accident. Maybe what started the delusions. She has an apartment but hasn't paid in the last month."
"Any abandoned buildings nearby?" Rossi asks.
Penelope types and stares at her computer. "Abandoned warehouse just a couple miles down. Address is sent to your phone."
"Let's go," Hotch says.
Luke and Tara tag along. "We're coming with."
Elle stays behind. "Mommy's almost home."
–
She was in pain.
This type of pain hasn't occurred since her surgery.
She opens her eyes and it's dark. She's blindfolded.
"Welcome Emily. Fancy meeting you here. Or should I call you Camila Hart?"
Who is that? A woman?
"You don't deserve to see my face but I've seen yours. Took me 3 years to make a plan, and to find you. Wasn't easy but we're here right?"
"And that's right. You're THE Emily Prentiss who left the BAU because your boyfriend broke your heart?"
How the hell does she know that?
"Oh and your daughter? What's her name....Athena right?"
Emily moves around trying to get lose, until a pair of hold her down. "I swear if you touch my daughter, I'll kill you myself."
The woman laughs. "I won't do that. But maybe my assistants will."
"My team will come and find you," Emily yells.
"The team that you left because your feelings got hurt by your boss? Or did you leave because you thought you were better than everyone else? Or the team that lied to you, the one that your best friend works for, how she lied to you about me?"
"Beth Clemmons," a voice says.
A gun presses against Emily's head. "Hello Agent Hotchner. Good to see you again."
Aaron's here?
"Put the gun down," Hotch says.
"No you," Beth teases back.
He does and puts his hands up. "Why are you doing this?"
"BECAUSE you were in love with me but she got in the way. And you loved her," Beth explains. "I saw the way you looked at me though. Through the TV. You were staring right at me. And every state I was in, you were in too."
Spencer speaks out. "It was just a coincidence."
"SHUT UP!" Beth yells. "Aaron and I were meant to be."
"Me for her," Hotch states. "Me for her."
"WHY?! YOU WOULD DO THAT FOR THE WOMAN WHO LEFT YOU?" Beth exclaims, ripping off the blindfold off of Emily.
Her eyesight is blurry but she realizes that she's smack right in the middle of a big room. A couple feet away from her is the BAU team. Along with Luke Alvez and Tara Lewis.
Shocked faces fly over them. They all know.
In the middle was Aaron Hotchner.
"I would do it because she's the mother of my child," he explains. "And I know for a fact that if I were to die right here, she would take in my son. One of the very few people I love today."
Beth laughs. "YOU DIDN'T LET ME MEET YOUR SON."
"I'm glad I didn't."
Not noticing the eye contact between Spencer and Emily, Emily pushes Beth with her back, all force going towards her. Beth stumbles and Emily runs towards the team. Beth's gun is raised up at her but multiple shots go off.
Looking back, everyone shot at least once.
Morgan feels for a pulse. None is found.
First person to come up to Emily was Spencer, who begins to untie her."I'm so glad you're okay."
JJ looks at Hotch. "Don't you think that was a little too easy? She just let us shoot her."
He looks around and sees large containers full of wood. He looks inside and sees C4. "EVERYONE RUN NOW! WE HAVE 30 SECONDS!"
Within those 30 seconds, everything goes by fast. Running into the SUV's, driving away.
The ground rumbles. Looking back, fires explode.
"That was her end game," Kate says.
–
Heading back to the BAU, all Emily wanted to see was her daughter. Not even wanting to clean up her cuts and bruises. She dashes through the doors of the BAU and looks up at the window. Entering the room, she sees Penelope Garcia, Elle Greenaway, and her daughter, Athena.
She enters the room. Elle gasps and Athena turns around. "Mommy!"
Emily embraces her and begins to sob. "I knew you'd do the right thing."
Elle walks over to her and hugs her, already in tears. The rest of the BAU team file in. "I'm guessing I owe you a lot."
"First of all, the things leading up to my leave over 4 years ago. I regret it but at the same time I don't. At the time, I was in pain. And if you were in my position, you would want to leave. I'm guessing Strauss did give you my letters," Emily starts off.
Heads nod as she picks up Athena. "I'm going to be completely honest. I knew that I was pregnant the night I left. My family became the team at Interpol. And I wouldn't change it for the world. They supported me as I thought I would be a single mother."
She looks at the BAU team. "As I got the memo that Gideon died, we came here for Elle. And at the time, my pregnancy was fragile, so stress wasn't allowed until the night I bled out. I was stressed out and I bled out in the diner. Went into surgery and Athena was born very premature."
"I —I thought I lost her. She was the only person I stayed alive for, and to this day, I will forever fight to see her," Emily tears up. "Our Chief back at Interpol decided to fake our deaths due to believing that someone was out to get me. Elle went off the grid. And we couldn't risk losing Athena."
Hotch lays her eyes on her. "Athena, Elle, and I have stayed outside of the state for over 3 years. Strauss kept close tabs and we were doing well until today. Thank you for finding me."
"And if you haven't noticed, I forgive you both, JJ and Penelope. You helped me start a new beginning in London," Emily chuckles.
Everything Emily said was true. But the team (except for Spencer) couldn't believe it. Emily passes Athena to Spencer.
"What I wanna know is why Spencer was able to know. Did you not trust me?" Morgan asks.
Emily sighs. "He knew accidentally. Following Elle in the hospital. Turns out he begged Strauss for our whereabouts."
Penelope rushes to Emily and gives her a big hug. "I've missed you so much. I'm so glad you're not dead. We need to catch up soon."
Rossi walks up to Emily and gives her two kisses on her cheeks. "Glad to see you. She's beautiful."
JJ waits for her turn and hugs Emily. "Missed you Em. And I'm so sorry for everything."
Emily nods and she gets to Morgan. "I'm sorry for not explaining anything. You would be someone I would go to, if I could."
"Emily. So good to see you. Athena's the most perfect baby girl," Kate shrieks. "She and my baby boy need to meet soon."
"Yes they do!" Emily says.
Eyes turn to Aaron Hotchner. He hasn't said anything. Looking at the team, he walks out to his office. "I'll go after him."
Emily runs after him and closes the door. "Aaron. You don't have anything to say."
He glares at her. "Damn it Emily. I have so much to say. But what angers me is that you kept my child from me. FOR 3 DAMN YEARS!"
"You don't get to yell at me for keeping my child from you," Emily snaps back. "My love for you left once you said what you said. Why would I want to keep my child near you if you didn't want to be with me? My child deserves 2 parent figures. And she got 5."
Hotch sighs and Emily walks off in anger. "Emily."
He grabs her hand, causing her to look back. "We should talk about Athena, properly. She is my daughter."
Emily yanks her hand away. "She doesn't know that you're her father."
She walks back into the round table room. She introduces Athena to the rest of the people she doesn't know. Athena's the shy type but as she warms up, she's very energetic.
"I think it's time to go home, this little one's getting tired," Emily says. "And we've had a long day."
Derek looks at her. "What's your plan now Prentiss? You heading back to London?"
"I'm not sure. Apparently our Chief is on his way here but we'll see what the future holds," she says.
Athena opens her eyes groggily. "Mommy?"
Emily gives her a kiss. "I know."
"So...I guess I'll see you guys another time," Emily mumbles awkwardly. This situation was awkward but couldn't be discussed due to a child being in the room.
They all nod. Luke, Tara, and Elle wave but Elle walks up to Derek and gives him a hug.
"Nice to know that you're bald now," Elle chuckles.
He scoffs and waves.
Athena and Emily walk out last, before Spencer gives them both a kiss on the head. "I'll come by soon."
In the car, Athena gets settled in and immediately falls asleep.
Luke drives off. "So... how does it feel seeing your ex?"
"Luke shut up. It's been a long day," Elle snaps.
"Okay...okay," Luke shuts up.
Emily looks out the window. "He's changed. But I don't know what to do. He knows about her."
"But he had to. So we could find you," Tara includes. "Athena can't lose her mom."
Elle holds Emily's hand. "You can't be mad. If you were there for any longer, we wouldn't lost you."
"What do I now? He wants to talk about Athena. She has all of us as her parents," Emily continues. "You all taught her so many things. And I'm forever grateful."
Luke looks in the mirror. "Em, I know he broke your heart. But Athena is his daughter. At least talk to him."
Athena fusses around in her car seat. "Are we almost home?"
She looks over and brushes her thumb on her cheek. "Yes sweetie, we're almost home."
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Author's Note:
hiiii! to be completely honest, im not sure if this is gonna be ending soon. i definitely don't want to make it too long. but if i do end it soon, i'll try to make a new story!