Ok so this is my take on what happened after ''Lauren''(such a sad episode). It is NOT one of the spinoffs, but I use the same characters. Sorry for writing so many Emily/Mick stories, I just love them. Mick goes to Paris after he finds out Emily is alive. I don't own anything, if I did, Emily wouldn't be in Paris in the first place. Please tell me what you think.
A New Life
Her funeral was the hardest. Having to stand by her coffin, as he said goodbye for the last time took everything out of him. It was the hardest thing he ever had to do. At least he didn't have to wait at the hospital. He was on a case, and when he arrived, she was gone. Just like that. He blinked and she was gone. Just like that.
All her team were distraught when he arrived. He could just tell by their faces that she was gone, and there was nothing he could do. He broke down as soon as he saw their expressions, expressions of pain, sadness, loss. He ended up on the floor, racked with sobs. JJ, who he had seen a few times since she was forced to go to The Pentagon, held him, while the rest of her team looked on, trying to hide their own grief but failing miserably.
He wasn't even allowed see her. JJ told him he didn't want to see her, it must be pretty bad then. He couldn't help but imagine her perfect, beuatiful, pale face, covered in ugly scars and marks, and the look it had when she breathed her last. The image of her face contorted in pain would haunt him forever.
All he had to remember her was the faint smile she gave him when she left his apartment. She had been acting strangely in the last few weeks, and out of the blue turned up at his place with a bag and her cat Sergio. He asked her if anything was wrong, but being her she just smiled faintly and said it was her time of the month. She was so stubborn, if she had just told someone, then all of this could have been prevented. Curse her stubbornness. But he couldn't dwell on that, he just wanted to remember her good traits.
She had spent as little time as possible as well at the apartment, as if she didn't want to be seen there. They didn't go out a lot together either. He understood why now, she wanted to protect him. But if she had just said something, then maybe it would be different, maybe she would still be here, next to him, alive. But he couldn't dwell on what could have been either. She was gone.
It had been nearly two months since Emily's passing. He thought about her everyday, every hour. She had been his life and when she died, a part of him died too.
It had affected his performance at work, this wasn't just a thing he could compartmentalise out. Huh, compartmentalise. Funny how everything reminded him of Emily. She had always said she was great at compartmentalising.
It had disrupted his life at work so much that he was on three weeks forced vacation time. He didn't even enjoy it. Although she hadn't been there long, she completley brightened the place up, and brought a badly-needed woman's touch to it. It felt so empty and dreary without her. It felt too big for just him and Serio. He had to keep Sergio, she would have wanted him to be safe, and he had grown fond of the adorable kitten. But even though he was a small light of happiness in an otherwise miserable, cruel world, he was Emily's, and a painful connection to the past.
He had left the apartment and gone for a walk to clear his head. He didn't know how long he'd been wandering, this happened a lot, he would just wander, lost in painful thoughts, for hours, and when he would come back to reality he would walk home, not really remembering how he got to where he was. He was close to a coffeeshop Emily went to every morning for a coffee and went to cross the road to avoid it when something, no someone, caught his eye inside. A familiar blonde head was bent over a cup of coffee and what looked to be a file. The blonde flicked her hair behind her ear, and in that quick, swift movement Mick found what he had expected. A tired blue eye underneath the blonde hair, skimming through a file. It was so JJ.
He entered without hesitating, he didn't know why, he just did. Maybe seeing JJ was like having a part of Emily back. He walked over to where she was sitting, engrossed in the file. She didn't even notice when he pulled out a chair and sat down across from her. She only noticed when she went to take a sip of her coffee and found someone sitting across from her. She looked up slowly and saw Mick. He looked like he hadn't shaven in a while. She knew Emily liked the rugged look but this was taking it to extremes. And it didn't look like he had showered, there was a slight smell off him. He looked pale and tired too, like he hadn't been eating. She knew this had hit him hard, but surely he could take care of himself?
''Mick,'' she stammered, looking up completely from the file. She felt really guilty looking at him, seeing all the pain he was going through and knowing she could end it. But that would be going against her wishes. That's why she had avoided the rest of the team too. She felt guilty. Her Tuesday breakfasts with Garcia had ended.
''JJ, I haven't seen you in a while. How's everything going?'' he asked, trying to keep the mood light.
''Mick have you been eating?'' she replied.
''That noticeable? No, not really, I don't have an appetite. Everything is different since...since..well you know.''
''I know. But Mick you have to eat. Here,'' she said and handed him a muffin she bought at the counter.
''JJ I'm not going to take your food.''
''Mick when was the last time you ate?''
''I don't know. A week maybe?''
''Eat it,'' she said shoving it towards him. He reluctantly took a bite. ''You must be starving.''
''I'm actually not. I feel no need to eat. Although this is nice,'' he chewed, taking another bite.
''This place has the best muffins.''
''Emily liked muffins. One time she stayed over at mine she had disappeared when I woke up. I began panicking, but then she arrived in with breakfast and coffee. One of the things she brought was muffins,'' he reminisced, losing his appetite and putting the muffin back on the table.
''Mick, I'm really sorry,'' she said, brushin her hand off his on top of the table.
''I know, but if I had a dollar for everybody who said that-''
''They mean it. I mean it, I really do. I miss Emily. That's why I come here, not because of the muffins, but because Emily came here. It's like having her back in D.C.''
''What do you mean back in D.C?'' Shit. She had blown it. ''You know what I mean. It's like having her back.''
''But you said having her back in D.C. JJ, what's going on?'' He had noticed JJ acting strangely but he had put that down to grief. But now, there was something wrong.
JJ sighed. She had well and truely fucked up. She wasn't supposed to tell anyone. Only her, Hotch and Emily knew. And Hotch didn't actually know where she was. That left her and Emily in on the secret. ''Mick, I can't.''
''JJ, what's wrong? Don't lie. What do you know?''
''Mick-''
''JJ tell me!'' he almost shouted though gritted teeth.
''Don't hate me. It was all her idea, I was just doing what she wanted-''
''JJ.''
''Emily's not dead.''
''Wa..what? But we buried her, she..she's..gone.''
''Did you ever find it strange that you weren't allowed see her body? She wasn't dead, she was alive. We faked her death to protect her, to protect the team, to protect you. Doyle's still out there, and if he thinks Emily's dead he won't go after her. Don't be mad at her. She did this for you.'' Mick didn't answer her. His head was spinning from it all. It was such a shock, she was alive after all. He felt so many emotions, relief, joy, confusion, anger and hunger. He picked up the muffin and went outside mumbling something about needing some air. JJ packed up her stuff and followed him outside. ''Mick,'' she said catching up with him.
He was leaning up against a wall down an alley, breathless and holding his head. He had finished the muffin, the wrapper was discarded on the ground nearby. The poor man must be starving. JJ approached him cautiously. ''Mick, you ok?''
''Am I ok? Do I look ok JJ? I've just found out my dead girlfriend is actually alive, I haven't eaten in a week andthe hunger is only coming in now, my head is a mess, and I feel awful. No, I'm not bloody well ok!'' he shouted, immediatly regretting it. ''I'm sorry JJ, it's just that everything's so-''
''I know. And I'm sorry for lying to you. But don't hate her.''
''If she was trying to protect me, why did she leave? If she knew or cared for me at all she would have known that leaving would kill me.''
''Mick don't. She said leaving you was be the hardest thing. She felt awful about leaving you, she loves you.''
''Where is she?''
''What?''
''Where is she? I'm guessing it's not America, maybe Europe.''
''Paris. The last time I heard from her she was in Paris.''
''When was this?''
''Six days ago.''
''Do you know where in Paris?''
''Mick I can't let you do this.''
''JJ I don't care if she wanted you to keep quiet! I need to see her! I can't just pretend she's not there! Please tell me!'' he pleaded with her. She felt her conscience saying no, but she couldn't hurt him anymore. Thing is, she genuinely didn't know where she was living. She just had a rough area. ''She said she was living in something called Le Marais.''
''Le Marais. Le Marais. It's a chic, slightly posh residential area north of the Seine. Oh I should have known, so very Emily. There's a museum and a library, very her.'' JJ looked at him strangley. It was like he'd picked up stuff from Reid. ''I spent a lot of time in Paris ok? I know it well.''
''That's the best I can give you. She didn't want to give out her full address.''
''I'm going to see her.''
''Mick you can't.''
''I don't care if I can't. I thought she was dead, and now I know she's not, I need to see her. And I know she's probably missing me.''
''She is. She always talks about you.''
''Well that's settled then. I'm going to Paris.''
He had been in Paris a few days. He had booked a hotel room and spent all day wandering the streets of Le Marais. He knew it was a long shot, about 2,190,000 people lived in the actual city of Paris, never mind the entire Paris region, and who knows how many of those people lived in Le Marais.
He visited places he thought Emily might go, coffee shops, librarys, bookshops, museums, but he couldn't find her. He wasn't really expecting to find her. It was a real long shot. He didn't have to profile her, he knew her so well he could tell what she'd like. There was one particular coffee shop he knew she would like, and he passed by a few times a day, sometimes stopping to get a better look. Then one day as he was drinking his coffee, a woman with short brown hair sat down and something inside him jumped. He didn't know what it was, but it was telling him to move closer. He switched seats so he could try to get a better look at her face but the woman had sunglasses on. But then she took them off, and revealed her eyes and Mick knew in that very second it was her. He just stared at her for a while, making sure it was her, because if it wasn't and he went over it would have been very awkward. But he was sure it was her, the eyes, the way she bit her lip, the way she looked around like she was trying to profile everyone just told him it was her. He listened in on her coffee order, it was the exact same. He made up his mind. It was his Emily.
He moved seats so that when she turned her head back, she'd see him. He watched her, and when she eventually turned around, her brilliant brown eyes rested on him, before growing wide with what was either fear or surprise or both. She went to stand up and leave but he caught her arm and sat down next to her. This was the first time in two months that he had touched her, and there was still that same spark. She sat down guiltily and slowly, and was afraid to look at him.
He didn't know what to say. There was two months of emotions pent up inside him, and he just wanted to blurt it all out, and say that he forgives her, and he loves her and that everything is going to be ok. But he went with ''Hi.''
She moved her head up and looked at him with sad eyes. ''What are you doing here?''
''I came to see you.''
''She told you didn't she?''
''If you mean JJ, then yes she did. But don't hate her Em. I kinda forced it out of her.''
''It's not Emily anymore. It's Sophia Fournier,'' she whispered.
''Fournier? Doesn't that mean Man Of The Oven?''
''Ya.'' Mick laughed. ''Look I didn't know that then!''
''Sure. How are you doing Em-I mean Sophia?''
''Mick, don't. You have to leave.''
''I'm not leaving. Em-Sophia I missed you. I thought you were dead. And now to have you back, it's like Christmas,'' he sighed as he took her hand in his. She snatched it away quickly. ''Not here,'' she hissed.
''Fine, then let's go somewhere more private. I assume you have a home?'' Emily reluctantly took him back to her apartment. It was just like he'd been expecting, big, fancy, elegant, and it had a fantastic view. So Emily. ''Right what do you want?'' she asked.
''So many things. First of all, why?''
''To get away from Doyle. And to protect you, because unlike what you think I do actually care for you.''
''I know you do. I know you love me, just as much as I love you.''
''I see the arrogance hasn't disappeared.''
''No it hasn't,'' he smiled. ''Neither has anything I feel for you. I still love you just as much, if not more than before. Losing you made me realise that.''
She sighed and said ''Look Mick, I'm sorry for lying to you, I really am, but you can't be here. It's not safe.''
''I don't care about my own safety Emily.''
''Sophia.''
''I don't care. You'll always be Emily to me, and no-one's here anyway.'' He walked over closer to her and put his arms around her waist. She squirmed at the touch and tried to break free but he was stronger. ''Why are you afraid to be close to me?''
''It's not safe for you. If Doyle comes back, he'll go after you and I can't let that happen.''
''Tell me you don't feel it. Tell me you don't feel that spark, those fireworks when we touch.''
''I can't.''
''No you can't, because you still love me and I still love you. I'd give up my life for you Em, I'm willing to leave everything behind in D.C for you and come over here. JJ could get me another passport I'm sure.''
''Mick I can't let you.''
''Are you happy over here?''
''Not really, no.''
''I can make you happy. Please give me a chance. I can protect you, you have a better chance of being safe with me around.''
''Mick I don't know-''
''Sssh,'' he said as he put a finger on her lips. ''Think about it tomorrow.'' With that he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her just as soft lips. She was taken by surprise and was slow to react, but when she did, she forgot everything and it was just like before, her and him. The kiss started off slow and sweet, but became deeper and more intense, and soon they were making out on her couch. It was electric. They began tearing at each other's clothes, and then Mick carried her into the bedroom, where she didn't have a lot of time to think about her current situation.
She woke up the next morning with her head on his chest. Just like old times. But she was afraid to slip into the past, she wasn't comfortable in the present, and she didn't see a happy future without him in it. She lifted her head up, and the movement woke him. He did that cute little moan he did before he opened his eyes, and looked down at Emily. ''Good morning gorgeous.''
''Morning,'' was her reply.
''Did I tell you I like the hair?'' he said as began playing with it.
''No, really?''
''Ya, it's very elegant, very you. Do you not like it?''
''No, I hate it. I miss my long, dark hair.''
''Why do you hate it?''
''I just do. It's like I'm leaving everything behind, even my hair.''
''You have me,'' he said.
She stayed silent, so to break the awkward silence he said ''Mmm, last night was amazing. I missed you so much,'' he said as he began kissing her neck.
''No stop,'' she said as she pulled away.
''Em I thought we had this sorted.''
''No you said I could think about it tomorrow, and now it's tomorrow.''
''Actually tomorrow is tomorrow. Today is today.''
''Ok stop trying to fool me with this psychology crap! I need to think!''
''Then think. But just know that I am willing to give up everything to move out here and start a new life with you. You're the only thing that matters. And I would give up my life for you in an instant. Say the word and I'm on to JJ.''
''But it's dangerous.''
''It'll be dangerous anywhere. He most likely knows about me so if I have to be anywhere in danger, I want to be in danger with you. I love you Emily.''
''I love you too.''
''Then let me stay. Let us start again. I can't live without you.''
''I can't live without you either.''
''Then say it Em.''
''I want you to stay.''
''That's exactly what I wanted to hear.'' He leaned down and kissed her again, and soon they had picked up where they left off last night.