Emily sat in her apartment, Sergio on her lap as she flicked through channels, nothing catching her attention.
Her phone rang out through the apartment, and Sergio jumped off her lap as she went to answer the ringing device.
Her immediate thought that it was the BAU but Hotch or JJ normally called her cell. A fear shot through her as she read the words 'unknown caller' across the small scene. She just stared at the phone for a moment before she quickly grabbed the phone hitting the talk button.
"Hello?" She said, pressing the phone against her ear. She released the breath she didn't remember holding as a familiar voice rang out a greeting. She then asked herself why this particular person would be calling.
"What's going on?" She asked, tensing as she ran through the things that could be wrong, some rather horrific.
"Nothing bad, Emily." He laughed at her immediate worry. "It's Declan," What about Declan? She questioned as she waited for him to continue. "He wants to see you."
She wasn't ready to see him. They didn't get a chance to talk at all last time they met and she knew that every time she saw those blue eyes of his... She didn't know if she could get it together to see the boy that she still loved, although who knows if he remembered her? She knew him for a little less than a year and he was four, did he remember her? The question was nagging her now and before she knew it she was agreeing.
"Great, I'll drop him off at your place later today."
"Okay." She said, hanging up the phone. What had she just done?
Something then occurred to her and she was reaching for the phone again punching in a number she had memorized.
"Hotchner." He answered.
"Hey, it's Emily."
"Oh, hi. Is something wrong?" He asked and she realized he had been asking if she how she was a lot lately and she let a smile curl her lips at the fact.
"I was wondering if I could have the day off today, sir." She asked, using the sweetest voice she could muster.
"Are you sick?" He asked, sounding concerned.
"No, it's just," Pause. "I told Declan I would spend some time with him." She finished, biting her lip.
"Declan Doyle?" Was all he said, sounding confused, curiosity also creeping in.
"Yes." Was all she replied.
"I don't see a problem with you taking the day off today, Prentiss. I'll see you Monday?" He said and she let out a sigh of relief.
"Yes, sir." She said, smiling now.
"Okay, goodbye, Emily. Have a good time." The use of her first name coming from him was a rare occurrence and she wondered why he used it. He usually saved it for when they talked about personal things or when he was concerned for her health or well being.
"Goodbye, Hotch." She said, as she never dared to use his first name. Only Dave seemed to be allowed the privilege.
She put the receiver back on the charger and then started to panic.
Declan Doyle was spending the day with her.
The fact had sunk in and she plopped down on her bed, burying her face with her hands. She took a few deep breaths.
Before she knew it she had picked up the phone again.
"Hotchner."
"Hotch, I need your help. What am I going to do with a 12 year old boy for the day? I just don't know what to do." She rambled to her superior, half expecting him to hang up. Instead, the most unexpected sound filled her ear. Hotch was laughing. She frowned at the fact that he was laughing at her misfortune but the sound was possibly one of the greatest things she'd ever heard.
"I don't see what's so funny." She told him and it was like an instant shut off of his laughter, sadly.
"I know, Emily." He said, still having a laughing quality to his voice. "And I'm not quite sure what to tell you but food, video games, and action movies are pretty universal for boys." He told her. She didn't have any sort of gaming system but she could cook something for lunch and she did have a collection of action movies in her closet.
"Thank you, Hotch. Really." She said, beginning to breath again, calming herself down.
"No problem, good luck."
"Thanks." She said before she put the phone back down. She then headed to her closet, pulling out her Indiana Jones and Die Hard boxsets. She put them on her coffee table before moving into the kitchen to look through what food she had. She had seriously calmed down after her talk with the Hotch and after only finding macaroni and cheese and frozen dinners she decided she would ask Declan when he got here. After that she sat down on her couch and curled up with a book, absent mindedly petting the black cat that continued to stray into arms length.
She jumped when the doorbell rang. She ran a hand through her hair as she walked slowly towards to door. She took a deep breath and opened the door. And there he was, Declan. Standing there, those blue eyes the only thing she could concentrate on. She let him in, noticing he was alone.
"Hey, do you want something to drink?" She asked, walking into her kitchen.
"Chocolate milk?" he said and she smiled.
"Some things never change..." She mumbled as she poured the beverage putting the glass down on the island that Declan sat across from on one of her new stools. He thanked her and sipped and she realized she was just staring at the boy.
"Can I ask you something?" She asked as his blue eyes glanced up from his drink, he nodded. She stopped for a minute not sure if she wanted to know,
"Do you only know me as Emily, one of the FBI agents who... stopped your father." She nearly choked on her words. "Or..." She couldn't say the rest as she was biting on her lip, enough to draw blood she realized as the metallic taste filled her mouth. Declan stopped drinking, looking up at her. Those blue eyes still the same as they were when his blond hair was in wispy curls atop his head. She was silent as a statue, awaiting his reply. Of course he didn't remember her, she thought to herself.
"Do you think I don't remember you?" He asked her quietly. She released her lip from her teeth and slowly, nodded. And then, he smiled at her. The dimples were the same too.
"I still look pretty good for a dead kid, Lauren." He was smiling at her still and she knew from that smile that he genuinely remembered her.
And he remembered that day that she watched him and Louise board that plane.
He had told her those exact words and then he hugged her tight like she always did and she had let a few tears fall into his curls as she held him to her. She knew that this would probably be the last time they'd ever see each other. But, she knew she was leaving him in capable hands as she glanced up at Louise. She pulled away from the boy, tears on her face as she put her hands in his shoulders gently, looking into his big blue eyes. He was crying as well.
"Now you listen to me, sweetie." She told him, pushing a curl out of his face. "You're gonna live a good life with Louise. You're gonna be safe, baby. And remember that I love you, okay?" And with that she kissed the boy on his forehead and Louise took his hand as she lead him towards the plane. She was still on her knees as he turned back and waved right before he was on the plane and out of her sight. She wiped her eyes, lifting herself from the carpeted floor slowly as she too, just like Declan, was going to live a new life.
She had thought she'd blocked that day completed out of her head, put it securely in the back of her head, never to be opened or thought about again. Until today that is. When those memories resurfaced it was like reliving that day all over again. She was so engrossed, so captivated by her recall of the memory she swore she blocked out of her head that she had not even noticed that there were a pair of arms around her. And she returned the hug as soon as she snapped back into reality, tears still spilling involuntarily from her eyes. She pulled away from the now 12 year old boy, smiling at him.
"Do you remember the fort we built that one rainy day?" And to her absolute joy, he nodded his head. She couldn't believe that this was true, that the same little boy that cried about a rainy day was in her living room as they constructed and replicated the fort that they made that one rainy day so many years ago.
After thy were finished they laid down in the down comforter they had used for floor and just talked, about everything and nothing, about important things and silly things and she smiled and laughed like she hadn't for a long time. And the one thing she realized that day was that it didn't matter that Declan wasn't her son by blood, he was still a son to her. He was the only piece of Ian Doyle that was left in her life, and the only piece she needed of that life, of that love.