Author's Note: This story was inspired by CW's drama Life Unexpected. I just loved it so much that I thought about writing one about my favorite Criminal Minds character using the story as an inspiration. I've always loved the idea of Prentiss being a mother, so I thought why not write one.I've also decided to make some changes on Prentiss' original story line. Like she wasn't pregnant at fifteen and also she didn't abort the baby. You'll find more about the changes on the story.
All rights belong to CBS' Criminal Minds and CW's Life Unexpected. I only claim rights to the characters I've originally created for this fiction.
This is not a cross-over between shows. Life Unexpected was only an inspiration.
Thank you and I hope you enjoy reading my story. Reviews will be highly appreciated.
CHAPTER I
Everyone was exhausted from the last case they've handled that made them fly across the country to Helena, Montana. It was a very long abduction and murder case that they had to stay there for over a week. It was just yesterday morning when they were able to fly back to Virginia, but nonetheless everyone was already back at the BAU working on their papers.
"Agent Prentiss" a voice interrupted Emily from her gaze on the papers laid out in front of her. She looked up and saw a man in uniform standing in front of her desk, she recognized him as one of the officers stationed at the lobby.
"Yes?"
"There's someone who would like to speak with you" the man informed her.
Emily creased her eyebrows, "I'm not expecting anyone" she said.
"Come on Prentiss, you never expect anyone" Morgan told her smirking at her.
"Haha" she said dryly to Morgan before turning back to the man, "so where is he/she?" she doesn't even know if her visitor's a male or a female.
"She's out there in the hall" the man pointed to the glass doors separating the BAU from the other departments.
Emily sighed, she doesn't like being interrupted during office hours but nevertheless she decided to stand from her paper works and see this person that came for her.
Once she got a full view of the hallway there weren't much people everyone all have FBI I.D's except for one who has a visitor's I.D, a dark haired young girl with her head bowed down her focus on her hands holding an envelope.
"Hey kid, Agent Prentiss is here" the man told the young girl whose head immediately shot up surprised by the man's voice.
"Oh, thanks" the girl told the man. After the man left she turned her gaze to the woman she came in for.
"Hi" the girl shyly acknowledged Emily.
"Hi" Emily replied offering the girl a smile.
"So you're Agent Emily Prentiss?" the girl asked quietly.
"Yes" Emily answered.
"Oh okay... Uhmmm...uhmmm... look almost 15 years ago you gave up a kid for adoption. Right?" the girl asked.
Emily was taken aback and looked at the girl in confusion and then slowly nodded.
"Well that kid was me. I'm the kid you gave up" the girl tried to explain obviously unsure how.
Emily seemed to be lost of words because she barely got out the next words that came out of her mouth, "W-what's your name?"
"Alexynn, with 'y' and double 'n' but I usually go by Lexie" the girl immediately answered.
"Lexie" Emily repeated smiling at the girl in front of her and the girl smiled back.
"H-how—" Emily started but was interrupted by Lexie. "Look I know it was a closed adoption, your identity shouldn't have been revealed especially to me. But I really just needed to know who you are so that I can find you" Lexie said.
Emily was about to speak again but Lexie beat her to it, "I needed to find you because I need your signature for my emancipation"
"emancipation?" Emily asked surprised by Lexie's purpose.
"Yeah, I'm getting emancipated but I was told that I need to have the signatures of my birth parents. I found out that my biological father was actually dead, so now I just need yours" Lexie explained.
"Aren't your adoptive parents needed to be the one to sign these?" Emily asked confused.
Lexie shook her head, "No" then smiled, "I was never adopted. I'm trying to get emancipated from the system – the foster system."
"Oh" Emily's face fell with shock, sadness and guilt.
"Can I get your signature now?" Lexie asked politely breaking Emily from her thoughts.
"Uhmm... yeah?" Emily answered unsure.
Lexie grinned, "Great, here" she said handing Emily the papers and a pen.
"Thanks" Lexie said, when Emily handed her the now signed emancipation papers and the pen. "Thank you so much really"
Emily just nodded still unsure of what's happening, while Lexie was putting the papers back to the envelope that's when she decided to speak up, "So where're you heading after this?" Emily asked.
"I'll drop these by to the social services, then back to my foster home" Lexie answered.
"I can take you" Emily immediately offered.
"Huh?"
"I can drive you to the social services"
"Thanks, but that's like on the other side of the town" Lexie said.
"Yeah I can take you there" Emily insists.
"But don't you have work?" Lexie asked pointing at the direction of the bullpen. "I can take the cab from here. I actually took one when I went here"
"But if I drive you, you can be there faster. And don't worry about my work. They're just paper works no big deal" Emily tried again.
"Are you sure?" Lexie asked again.
"Yes I am. Just wait here I'll tell my boss and get my things then I'll drive you" Emily said.
"Okay?" Lexie finally gave in though a little hesitant.
Emily smiled then sprinted inside.
"So you wanted to get emancipated because you found an apartment with the view of the pentagon" Emily asked amused. They have been driving for more than ten minutes already.
"Yeah" Lexie nodded enthusiastically. "Well that and so that I can leave my foster parents who do drugs—" Lexie unintentionally blurted due to her excitement, "prescriptions, they do drug prescriptions" she immediately added as a cover up. But Emily got it and looked apologetic.
The two fell silent for a little while after Lexie slipped up. It was Emily who broke the short silence first.
"Look, Lexie I'm so sorry that you had to live like this." For the first time since they met Emily apologized.
"It's okay. You didn't know" Lexie told her.
"It's just when I gave you to the social worker she promised me you were gonna have a good family, a good life she even told me that you're already in this list. I'm really sorry. You were supposed to be adopted and have a good life with a good family. That's what they promised me when they took you." Emily apologized again.
Lexie looked at Emily "I don't know if you know this but I have this heart thing, you know like a hole when I was a baby." Emily was shocked to hear this, definitely she didn't know.
"I had to undergo surgeries, so I wasn't really viable for adoption because obviously a baby on an OR table isn't a selling point on perspective parents. I only got better when I turned three well not exactly better like really healthy because they found out that I have asthma. At that time everyone wants to adopt babies, not toddlers who always need to have inhalers with them. Adoption is like purchasing something, you don't choose the defective ones." Lexie told Emily.
"I'm so sorry, if only I had—"
"If only you had what? Known?" Lexie's voice got a little louder. "Easy for you to say now, cause you know it'll never happen."
Emily bit her lip, if earlier she never traced any bitterness or anger in Lexie, now it's the opposite.
The rest of the ride was silent, and Lexie decided to just look on her side of the window clearly avoiding Emily. When they arrived at the destination, Emily pulled up her car on the side of the building. Lexie immediately unbuckled her seat belt. "Thanks for the ride. You don't have to wait for me here. I can walk from here to my foster home" Lexie said not even looking at Emily.
"Lexie" Emily called out gently placing a hand to Lexie's arm. Lexie turned at her with a blank expression. "It's done Emily. I came to see you because I needed your signature not to ask for your apologies or whatever. Thank you for the ride." Lexie said and went out of the car without even waiting for Emily's response.
Emily reluctantly drove away after Lexie got in the building. She knows Lexie was mad and pushing her won't do any good. She went back to the BAU and decided to tell the entire story with her team mates after all they're the closest to a family she has and sooner or later they're going to figure it all out.
"You have a daughter?" everyone was shocked except for Rossi who seem to have known about it years ago when they were solving the case involving Prentiss' childhood friends.
"Yeah, I got pregnant while I was in the CIA. It was unexpected, I couldn't keep her and honestly I wasn't ready" Emily tried to explain.
"Who's the father" Hotch asked.
Emily sighed before speaking, "He was a one-night stand. I was in a bar, I was drunk. He was an Asian and he already died 7 years ago"
Silence filled the conference room for a few moments before Emily spoke again, "I won't be mad or offended if you judge, I mean with all these things that I told you I would definitely understand if—"
"Hey, we're not gonna judge you. We were just surprised that's all but we don't judge" Morgan told her while the others gave her a nod of assurance.
"So what's her name?" JJ asked excitedly shifting the vibe in the room.
Emily's smile grew wider thinking of her daughter's name, "Alexynn, but she goes by Lexie"
"Wow, I can't believe there's a little Prentiss out there. Now I'll get to spoil a female kid in this family" Penelope said.
Emily's face fell remembering the reason Lexie went to see her, "She's trying to get emancipated. She asked me to sign her emancipation papers that's why she looked for me"
"Oh"
"Isn't she just 14?" Rossi spoke up.
"Technically the right age for seeking emancipation is 16 but the court can grant emancipation with the exception of this rule if it is deemed better for the child even if the child is younger than 16, if the child can get their birth parents to sign off the emancipation papers. Which in Lexie's case she did—" Reid rambled.
"Reid" JJ stopped Reid's rambling which obviously isn't helping.
"It'll still be up for evaluation by the judge though" Reid added hoping it would make Emily feel better.
"Hotch can I have the morning off on Monday? I just want to be there on Lexie's emancipation hearing" Emily asked.
"Of course" Hotch approved.
"Thank you"