Disclaimer – I don't own Criminal Minds or any of the characters.

Author Note – Although it begins from when Emily first arrives in London I have ignored Morgan and Penelope's trip from the start of season eight. There are time jumps in the story, so please bear with it. The reviews for the first two instalments were fantastic, I hope enjoy this one. I must admit I found it harder to write this than the first two. Let me know what you think.

Second chances – chapter one

"A hard beginning maketh a good ending."

JOHN HEYWOOD

June 2012

She didn't expect to be unpacking boxes at three in the morning, but Emily was still on DC time. Emily had arrived in London a week before her official start at Interpol to settle into the apartment that had been arranged for her. Although she planned to unpack throughout the week, the clutter was getting to her. Emily had started going through the boxes one by one just after breakfast.

Tearing the tape off the last box, Emily found her good bye gifts from the team. On top was the fluffy turquoise blanket Penelope had given her; the guide to London that Spencer gave her; a bottle of her favourite wine from Rossi; the picture that Jack had drawn at JJ's wedding; the four picture photo frame that JJ had given her. Taking the frame from the box, Emily looked at the photos. The first was of herself, JJ and Garcia; the second was of Jack and Henry stuffing their mouths full of cake; the third was of the entire team, with JJ in the centre; the last was of Emily and Derek both holding onto one another as they danced, laughing at the camera.

Sadness washed over Emily as she looked at her family. She missed them all. They had all wanted to see her off at the airport, but she refused saying she wanted them to remember her smiling rather than crying.

Derek had insisted on accompanying her to the airport, tears or not. Emily had held her breath as he pulled out a small jewellery box, hoping he wasn't going to ask her something neither of them was ready for. It was his parting gift to her; a silver necklace with a tear drop pendant. As Morgan had put it on her, his hands lingered on her shoulders. She had gripped his shirt and looked into his eyes, tears threatening to spill over. Emily pulled him down to her and their lips met. She could taste her own tears as the kiss deepened. When the kiss ended, their foreheads met and they still kept their hold on one another.

"I'm going to miss you," she told him.

"I suppose if I asked, you wouldn't stay, would you?"

"Please don't ask me," Emily begged him.

"Then call me when you get there."

"I will." They both lifted their heads as her flight was called on the overhead speaker. Gently pulling herself out of his embrace, she gestured towards the departure gate. "That's my cue, I have to go."

Morgan grasped her hand and pulled Emily back to him for one last kiss. At her questioning gaze he explained. "Just in case we don't get a chance to do that again."

Emily realised she was crying as a tear dropped onto the glass. Brushing it off with her thumb, she couldn't help the thoughts of doubt. Had she made a mistake? She could have found a job stateside and would have still been with her family. She could've been exploring the new dimension to her relationship with Morgan.

Standing, she made her way to the window seat and placed the photo frame on the small table there. Emily pulled Penelope's blanket around her as she sat and let the tears fall freely. Leaning back against the seat she looked out of the window. Through the tears that clung to her lashes, the street lights blurred and reminded her of the stars her Grandfather had shown her when she was a child.

Looking out over London, the tears dried up and she watched as the city began to wake up. As the first strands of the pink rising sun started creep over the horizon, Emily finally felt the pain in her heart begin to ease.

'Every ending is also a new beginning; you just don't know it at the time.'

Glancing at the photos on the table, she sighed. They could, and would visit. It wasn't like last time; they didn't put an empty coffin in the ground for her, they'd thrown a farewell party for her instead. They were still in her life. This was the new start she was supposed to have; she just had to embrace it.