Title: Life's a Journey (Part 1 of 40)
Author: trista groulx (dustytiger)
Rating: T (same as the show to be safe)
Disclaimer: I am still a poor barista, please don't sue me. I know that CM is owned by lotsa ppl who are not me, including the network, creator, writers, actors and actresses that bring the show to life weekly.
Summary: After the events of the Doyle storyline Prentiss and Reid's lives change. Will they come together again?
Notes: Wow it's finally here. A new longfic! With Prentiss and Reid as the stars... er.. kinda. This isn't my usual happy-go-lucky fluff fic, but I promise it has a happy ending. There is drama and sweet moments but it's romance light lol... I'll let you figure out where I'm going... enjoy!
"One more big push should do it, Nicole," the doctor encouraged in French.
Emily Prentiss, who was still hiding in France using the name Nicole Roy, was exhausted. She had been in labour for fifteen hours, and hard labour for three now. She was glad she wasn't alone but was still shocked that Jennifer Jareau had been able to fly across the Atlantic to be by her side. She had told everyone at home it was unexpected business trip. Prentiss was glad she didn't have to this alone. She pushed again, and then heard her baby make its first sound. She was relieved to hear the healthy screams of life.
"Do you want to hold her?" asked the nurse, who was also speaking in French.
"No," Prentiss whispered, shaking her head, tears forming.
The nurse turned around and began to clean the baby carefully. Prentiss watched, worried that the abrasive French nurse might do something wrong. She was so much more gentle now than she was moments before. Prentiss watched as the nurse put a tiny diaper on the baby, and then swaddled her in a pink blanket. The women made eye contact, and Prentiss looked away, letting a small sob escape. As much as she wanted to spend time with her daughter, she knew that she would only have to let her go. She felt her friend squeeze her hand which helped to ground her a little.
"Em- Nicole," JJ whispered. "You have a healthy, beautiful, daughter. Don't you want to tell her happy birthday?"
"I – I can't I'm afraid if I hold her for too long I won't be able to let her go. This isn't a life for a child I knew that when I decided to keep her but now she's here and you're here to bring her…" she trailed off waiting for the doctor and nurse to be out of earshot.
JJ watched the door close, and was glad she no longer had to pretend she was someone she wasn't. "Home, to her father, where you will eventually join them."
"Are you sure he'll get her?"
"Positive, I have it all set up. He's going to see this little lady, fall in love with her and I'll be sure he gets to keep her."
"W- what if he doesn't?" asked Prentiss. "What if she grows up thinking her mother didn't want her?"
"She won't grow up like that. You'll get to come back into her life I know he'll want to keep her once he holds her. If he doesn't get her, then I promise she'll come back here, but we both know right now she's safer with him."
"I know you will. But is he really ready for this? If we were doing this together I would be encouraging him, but it's hard to be a single parent."
"I know it is, but I know he's smart and he'll do what it takes. He doesn't like cats, and I'm pretty sure Sergio hates him and he still took in your cat for you. He's doing better with kids lately, you know that, you've seen it."
"I know, but how are you so sure this is going to work?"
"We both know when someone comes to surrender this baby and he gets her in his arms he'll want to keep her."
"I don't want to give her up. I know I have to but, JJ this is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I feel like I'll never see her again."
"I don't want this to go the way it's going either, but it's temporary, I promise. I'll keep you updated so you'll know everything you need to when it's time for you to come home."
"All right, but I still don't think I can hold her and then give her back."
"As long as you're sure Emily, this is a moment you can't get back."
Prentiss nodded, tears falling down her cheeks. "I'm sure. I know the safest place for her is not with me, as much as it hurts. If I hold her and start to bond with her I'm going to change my mind. That isn't safe right now. I hope she'll understand one day that I did all of this for her."
"She will, you'll make her see."
JJ hugged her friend, who finally let herself really cry over what was happening. As much as she knew that being in the US was what was safest for her daughter it didn't make it easier to give her up. Prentiss had waited a long time to be a mother. The fetus should not have survived the stabbing and somehow did, now she was letting her child go. Even though it was for a better life, a chance at a real childhood, it didn't make her feel better. She didn't want to miss any part of the tiny person's life, and at that moment she didn't know how much of it she was going to have to miss because of Ian Doyle. She watched as the doctors and nurses brought her back, still declining to hold the newborn. As much as she wanted the fleeting moment with her daughter she knew it was best for them both if she let her go.
Prentiss fell asleep her mind filled with thoughts about what she had to do. She dreamed about being keeping the baby, but the dream soon turned to a nightmare when Ian Doyle came and stole the baby away from her. She woke up, startled then looked in the corner. The newborn was in the room, swaddled in her bassinette. She stood up slowly and walked over to the sleeping baby. She looked down at her, glad to have a few minutes alone with her daughter. She still didn't pick the baby up knowing she would never let go once she did.
"I love you, angel," she whispered. "More than you'll ever know. I promised when I found out about you that I would keep you safe. Aunt JJ is going to take you to meet your father, and I promise one day I'll be able to be your mom."
The baby's eyes popped open, and Prentiss ran her hand along the newborn's tiny cheek. She knew she had made the right choice, even if it wasn't easy. Tears started to fall down her cheeks because she knew the soon her daughter would be in another country, safe with her father, but still too far away for her to touch. She had no idea when she would next get to see the baby, and that was what hurt the most. She took the time to cherish the small moment they could share. She wanted to remember everything about her daughter.
End Part 1
Notes: See what I mean. I'm sure you know what this means a certain someone is a single papa, how will he do? You'll see! Oh and that's right this is forty parts! That's over a solid month of daily updates! YAY!