Home II, a criminal minds fanfic

Home II

Prompt: Home-Daughtry

I'm staring out into the night.
Trying to hide the pain.
I'm going to the place where love and feeling good don't ever cost a thing.
And the pain you feel is a different kind of pain.

One year. One year since a tragedy occurred. One year since a team discovered the past of one of their own. One year since a family lost a member. One year since seven people's lives were changed forever. One year since a member of that family went into hiding.

One year since Emily Prentiss' 'death.'

xxxxxx

Hotch told the team that each of them would be asked if they wanted to stay with the unit. Changes were being made and it needed to be done.

Seaver chose to leave. She said the job wasn't for her and it brought back too many memories of her past.

JJ soon returned after Rossi called her. She considered for a month before finally choosing to return.

xxxxxx

Hotch walked up to his office, but stopped when he heard JJ whispering. He knew he shouldn't eavesdrop, but he wanted to know who she was talking to.

"So, he's dead? It's over?" JJ whispered, shocked. "So, you're coming back. Em, I'm so happy. We've all missed you so much. I can't wait to see you." JJ whispered.

Hotch was shocked. Emily was coming home. Doyle was dead and she was safe.

I'm going home.
Back to the place where I belong.
Where your love has always been enough for me.
I'm not running from, no,
I think you've got me all wrong.
I don't regret this life chose for me,
But these places and these faces are getting old.
So, I'm going home.

xxxxxx

The team was sitting in the conference room, except for Hotch and JJ. It had been a week since Hotch overheard JJ's phone conversation. Emily had just returned to DC and couldn't wait to see the rest of the team.

"Hotch, do we have a case?" Morgan asked, confused to why they were gathered together.

"No. Do you all remember when I said changes were being made?"

"Yea." They all said in unison.

"Is someone going to be leaving?" Garcia asked, looking around. "Where's JJ?" Garcia asked, suddenly worried.

"Calm down. It's nothing like that." Hotch stated, calmly. "JJ!" He shouted toward the door.

JJ entered the room and everyone gasped.

The miles are getting longer it seems,
The closer I get to you.
I've not always been the best man or friend for you.
But your love remains true.
And I don't know why you always seem to give me another try.

"Emily?" Morgan asked, a tinge of anger evident in his voice.

"Hi, everyone. I-I'm back. And I'll never leave again." Emily said, before everyone ran up to hug her.

Emily decided to sit down with everyone alone. Reid was up first.

"Hey, Reid. I've missed you so much." Emily said, but Reid sat silently, looking down.

"I heard that you basically solved the case and saved me. I'm so proud of you. I also was told that you were really upset that you didn't get to say goodbye. Reid, I'm so sorry."

Reid finally looked up. "Why did you leave?"

"I had to. I had to protect you guys. Doyle kills families and he would have gone after everyone of you and then killed me. He couldn't know that I was still alive. I had to go into hiding."

"Emily, I'm sorry you had to go through all that. I missed you." He said, standing up and hugging her.

xxxxxx

Garcia walked into the room Emily was in and ran over to hug her. They stayed like that for a while.

"Oh my God, Em. I can't believe you're alive."

"I know. Me too. I got your voice mail. I stayed alive."

"I know you did."

"I'm so happy to be back."

"Are you going to stay with the BAU?"

"Of course. I can;t leave my family again."

xxxxxx

Emily met with Rossi next. She was glad to see him. He was like a father to her.

"Dave, I missed you."

"I missed you, too. Don't ever do that again. You scared me." Rossi said with a smile.

"I definitely won't put anyone through that again. It was horrible. I lived everyday, in fear, wondering if Doyle caught onto where I was. I was nervous and scared and I didn't know who I could and couldn't trust. I just stayed in my hotel room, alert and prepared for everything that might happen."

"I'm proud of you. You went through all of this alone. Although, if you had-"

"Dave, please don't tell me what I should have done. I know. Everyday I thought about how things could have been different if I just told someone."

"Well, you're back now and that's all that matters."

"Yeah. It is good to be back."

xxxxxx

JJ ran and hugged Emily shortly after entering the room. Morgan was supposed to be next, but he said he needed time to think.

"JJ, I was so scared. I was so lonely."

"Emily, it's okay. It's all over now. Doyle is dead and so are his men. You came back and you can be Emily Prentiss again. No more pretending."

"I know. I'm so happy."

"I'm glad you're back. I've missed you. And... there's an empty spot in the team, now."

"I know. I'm coming back. I'm rejoining the team. I've already spoken to Strauss and Hotch about it."

"Em, I'm so happy." JJ said, hugging her again.

xxxxxx

Hotch walked in and smiled when he saw Emily. She hadn't changed much over the year. The only thing he noticed was that she was more aware of her surroundings.

Hotch sat down and said, "Emily, it's good to have you back. It was terrifying when JJ said you died. I was even more scared when she said you went into hiding. We had no way to contact you. I thought I was going to lose one of my best agents."

Emily smiled at that. "How- how did the team react?"

"Garcia was extremely upset, Reid began to question the job, Rossi was upset."

"W-what about Morgan?"

"He didn't handle it well. He was upset, angry, and confused. He questioned everything. He wondered what he could have done differently."

"That's why he wants more time to think before he talks to me." She thought out-loud.

"Yeah. It's good to have you back, Emily."

"It's really good to be back. I missed my family."

xxxxxx

Morgan finally decided to visit Emily. He walked in the room silently with his head down.

Emily saw him and noticed how sad he looked. "Morgan..." she began, but trailed off. She didn't know what to say to him. Sorry wouldn't make everything change.

"Emily. I-" He looked up and quickly walked toward her her and hugged her. "I've missed you so much. I thought you were gone. I didn't know what to do. I still don't believe it's real."

"Derek. It's real. I'm real. I'm alive. I missed you, too. You were the one to help me. You held my hand, talked me through the pain. You kept me alive."

"If I had gotten there sooner, you wouldn't have had to fake your death. We wouldn't have had to wait a year to find out you were still alive. We wouldn't have had to wait for Doyle to be dead. I wouldn't have to wait a year to tell you that-" Morgan stopped after realizing what he was about to say.

"You wouldn't have to wait to tell me what?" Emily asked, wanting to know what he was about to say.

"Emily, before he left, I realized that- that I. I noticed I was having different emot-. I was having different feelings toward you. I realized that I might've loved you, more than a friend. When I held your hand, I wished for anything that that wouldn't be the last time I'd see you. When JJ said you died in surgery, I didn't know what to feel. I was lost, confused, angry. I thought I had lost you. I thought I lost the one person I loved the most. But when you walked through that door this morning, alive and breathing, I was bursting inside. I've never been so happy in my life. Emily, I love you."

"Derek-" Emily choked out, trying not to cry. "I-I don't know. This is too much right now. I missed you the most, but this is too much to deal with right now. I'm so sorry."

Morgan stood up and pulled Emily onto her feet. He hugged her tight and she was comfortable in his embrace. When he pulled out of their embrace, he could see the tears falling down her cheeks.

Morgan wiped away her tears and said, "It's okay, Emily. I know this is a lot to deal with right now, but just think about it. Please, just-" Morgan stopped when he noticed she was staring at him.

She stood on her toes and kissed him. It didn't take him long to react. He dreamed about kissing her for a long time. he pulled back when he felt tears rolling down her face.

"Em, why are you crying?" Morgan asked, worried.

"I don't know. It's just an over-load right now. And I realized I love you, too. While I was gone, I thought about you. I knew that when I got back I had to tell you how I felt, no matter what you said."

"Em, that's why I love you. You don't care what people say. You speak what's on your mind."

Morgan pulled her in for another kiss and they both smiled.