22 years prior to "The Truth"…

David Rossi looked at the young woman in front of him. Well, she was a little younger than he, but still. She was here as part of a surveillance group. "Miss"

"O'Hara. Rose O'Hara." The young woman smiled shyly.

"Miss O'Hara. Pleasure. My name is David Rossi. I'm in charge of a new group here at the FBI. We're profilers. I understand you have a talent in lip reading as well as body language."

"Yes." She had a slight southern accent. She was very beautiful. It was almost completely distracting to him.

"Good. We can use you. Welcome aboard." With that he shook her hand, not knowing that this would be the beginning of something that would last long past that night.

Weeks went by, and Dave and Rose spent a fair amount of time together. Soon it was going well past watching surveillance and getting her interpretations. They soon were going to dinner and Broadway plays. Why not? It was New York, and they were young. And they were falling in love.

Two Months later…

"Dave." Rose said from the bathroom.

"What is it, my love?"

"I'm nervous."

"Why?"

"Because, you're the first man I've ever loved. And, I've never done this before." She stepped out of his bathroom, wearing only a cream sheer negligee and silk stockings.

"Rose. You're beautiful." He got off the bed and walked to her.

Her face flushed with color. She had never been naked in front of a man before. And she had never seen a man naked before. Though even now, David Rossi only stood in front of her in his dress pants. His chest was hard muscle. She ran her hands down his chest. "I'm so shy."

"Don't be. You're a beautiful bride. I'm so happy that you're Mrs. Rose O'Hara Rossi now." He kissed his new bride. He pulled her into his arms. Her body fitted just perfectly into the shape. "I love you Rose. I won't hurt you.

"I trust you." She kissed him, tentatively at first, then she become more impassioned. "I love you."

Dave lay her on the bed and made love to her. Gently, since she was still pure. Dave had to admire her for waiting, but now, they were together, unified before God. They made love til the morning light broke through the hotel window, when they both feel into a blissful and peaceful sleep, wrapped in each other's arms.

The Bureau had no problem with their marriage, as long as it didn't interfere with their work. This wasn't a problem until Ruby Ridge. Dave had become distracted and innocent lives were lost. As a punishment, the Bureau sent Dave deep under cover, resulting in his "death". This resulted in Rose being a wreck. Dave's friends, Jason Gideon and Max Ryan had been their witnesses and the ones to tell her, her husband was 'dead.' That was when she dropped a bombshell on them. She was 8 weeks pregnant, with Dave's child. This would be the secret that both men would be sworn to keep, for the sake of the BAU and the FBI. Ryan and Gideon despised the idea, but it was that, or they too would disappear but in their case it would be more permanently. With that, the rules of no fraternization came in. It would reek havoc on future members of the FBI, and David Rossi had no control over it.

Rose, now a widow, changed her name back, and moved back to Montana, taking on a librarian position. She was reunited with Ben Montgomery, whom she had known during her time in Georgia. He was now a rancher in Montana, and he was in love with her. He promised to raise her child as his own, since he was in capable of siring children of his own. Shortly before Rose gave birth, Ben proposed and the two were quickly married. A few weeks later, Nicola Lacey Montgomery came into the world. Two birth certificates were made for her safety. One, the one she and the rest of the world would know about showed that Ben Montgomery was her father. The other one, the one that was taken by Jason Gideon at the command of the Director, it had no father on it. And this was for a damned good reason. Nicola soon became Nikki. And one day, a strange man came to visit. Her mama cried. She never understood why, and one day she would come to realize the truth.

She was 16 now. Stubborn as hell, just like her father. She was curious, and had a mind that her mother knew was also her father's. Her smile, her eyes, they too were those of David Rossi. She had inherited her mother's cream-colored complexion that tanned so easily in the summer months, as well as her mother's blue-green eyes. Her hair was a combination, black, with distinctive highlights. She kept it in a pixie cut, as to help Ben in the pasture. She said long hair was a hazard. Rose just laughed. Her daughter was unique, and she felt guilty that she couldn't tell her the truth. That her father was a world-renowned profiler, a man who wrote the books that she read and studied each night. Nikki was like her father, it drove Ben and his sister nuts, because it meant that she might leave them, and try something foolish. One night, she begged to be allowed to go to the night of what would be like her 'sophomore prom'. Rose was unsure, but it was her daughter, and she wouldn't quit until she got her way. Determination, another gift from David Rossi. Ben permitted it, if they drove her there and back. She agreed. They went and bought her a new dress, and she went off like Cinderella to the ball. When the time came to go get her, Ben and Rose got into their 4x4 and headed out. Lights in their lane didn't come soon enough. A 'CRASH' echoed through the hills. Their truck went down the steep ditch. Ben was dead, crushed on impact. Rose was barely alive. Paramedics flooded the area. Police made an arrest, high and drunk a teen that had been kicked out of the dance was responsible. Two officers headed to the dance to go and tell a girl she would be soon an orphan.

Nikki was paged to the office. Her friends followed her but couldn't go in. Two officers were there. Within minutes she was collapsed into one of their arms, hitting them and screaming "LIAR!" Once she was calmer, they escorted her to their patrol car, where they took her to the hospital… where she would be able to say good-bye to at least one of her parents. She rushed into the trauma room. Her mother's ragged body lay before her. She had tubes and wires everywhere. "Mommy?" Nikki slowly went to the bed.

"I'm here baby." Rose whispered softly. Her throat hurt.

Nikki saw her mother and soon tears were flowing. "Mommy, no."

"Shh." Rose tried to touch her daughter's face, to calm her. "I'll be alright."

"Mommy, the doctor…"

"I know Nicola… I'll be with God and Ben…I'll be alright."

"Mommy…" Nikki continued to sob. "Please don't leave me, I don't want to be an orphan."

The doctors came in, asking Nikki to leave to take Rose for a CT. Nikki went and sat in the cafeteria. A nurse sat with her. She tried to comfort her, knowing that it was only a matter of time. They had called her aunt and uncle to come be with her, but it was more or less determined that she would be going back to Georgia with them. The next day was hell, Nikki wasn't allowed to see her mother, but that night, the doctors knew it was that time. They allowed her back into the room. She tried to maintain her calm.

"Come her baby girl." Rose said. "I need to tell you something." Coughs racked her body. "You won't be an orphan. When you can… find your father."

"But he's…."

"Ben Montgomery, isn't your father… I was pregnant with you before he and I got married… I met your father in New York… his…." Blood began to comes from her mouth as she coughed. Monitors went haywire.

Beeps and screams filled the room. Doctors flooded the room. Nikki screamed for them to save her, and for 45 minutes they tried. The heart monitor showed asystole. She was gone. The time of death was noted, and Nikki sat on the floor, still in the dress her parents had bought her, weeping. She may not be an orphan, but she didn't know her father was.

Three days later…

Her aunt and uncle were helping her pack her room. The next day was the funeral, and then she was off to Georgia. She'd finish her schooling there and when she was 21, she'd get her inheritance, including the Montana spread. It was the last will and testament of Rose and Ben Montgomery that had declared that, much to his sister's disappointment. They would finish raising her, but they didn't want her, she wasn't even a Montgomery.

5 years later…

"Nicola." Her criminlistics professor called her name before she could leave the class.

She walked over, no matter what she said, these people never would call her Nikki.

"Yes sir?" she asked as she approached the desk.

"There's someone here to see you." He opened the door.

A man Nikki recognized stepped through the door.

"Agent Rossi!" She exclaimed unable to control herself.

"Pleasure to meet you." He extended his hand. "Nicola."

She blushed. He knew her name. He was her hero.

"Sir, it's an honor to meet you. I've read every book you've written, started when I was 16." She rambled. She was reminding him of Reid back in D.C. "Uh… what are you doing here sir?"

"A special request of the Director of the FBI. Seems you're the prodigy here at GSU in criminology and other things like that. He's asked me to come recruit you."

"Me?" She was confused. She was 21, and yeah she was the top of her class, but that wasn't enough to get legendary profiler, David Rossi out here her to come recruit her.

"Yes you. He wants you at the BAU. Working with my team." He smiled.

"Oh, my God! I would be honored… but my aunt and uncle…"

"Already taken care of. Now, if you want, we can get your stuff, and we'll head out tonight?" He offered his hand.

She shook his hand. He told her all about the team, and how she would be back to graduate, but the rest of her credits would be covered through her work. She packed the few belongings she had and they were off to D.C.