A/N: This furry little plot bunny just wouldn't leave me alone! For the sake of this fic, let's say that Hotch doesn't know about Emily faking her death. As for Kate, she's been "dead" for a little less than a month after Emily's "death." As this story progresses, there may be some hinting towards Castle/Beckett and Prentiss/Hotch pairings. Hope you enjoy!
Kate Beckett never thought her life would go the way it was. She had always pictured herself with a good, stable career, and eventually getting married and creating a family of her own. Never, not even in her wildest dreams, had she thought that she would be chased down by a killer, let alone fake her own death.
No, she was not running away by faking her death. Kate Beckett was not one to run away when things got tough. She was merely protecting the lives of those she loved. Captain Montgomery was already dead, Ryan was almost drowned, Esposito was nearly shot in the kneecap, nothing had happened to Lanie yet and Castle… He wasn't even a detective to begin with; he didn't need go through all this. None of them did for that matter.
It was almost like a blessing in disguise when was shot at Captain Montgomery's funeral. It gave her a chance to let her friends live. Kate knew that her friends wouldn't go down without a fight, and whoever was part of the whole conspiracy wouldn't mind going through them to get to her. She wasn't about to take her chances. This was her battle and her battle only.
Kate knew that it wasn't going to be easy. She had to cut off all ties with her friends, move away; begin a new life. She had gone to France because it was a place her mother loved. When she couldn't sleep at night, her mother had told her tales about Paris, about its enchanting beauty. Her mother had promised to take her there one day… A promise that she wasn't able to fulfill in time. By going to Paris, Kate felt as if she was granting one of her mother's wishes.
Even though it was for the greater good, Kate couldn't help but hate herself for putting her friends through hell, through the pain of mourning her loss. It's to keep them safe, she reminded herself. Rather have them mourn than have them dead. She just hoped she was right.
For what seemed like the umpteenth time, Emily Prentiss rolled over in bed and checked the time. 2:13 A.M., the red glowing numbers told her. She groaned, throwing the covers off her body. She wasn't going to get any sleep, once again. It had been nearly four months since Emily had come to Paris, and in those four months, she wasn't able to have a full night of sleep. Whenever she tried, she either she had nightmares, consuming guilt ate away at her, or a combination of both.
Emily got up and grabbed her robe that she had thrown haphazardly on her dresser, wrapped it around herself, and stepped out onto her balcony. The coolness of the early morning reminded her of the harsh reality her life now was.
Emily lowered the newspaper she was reading onto the café table when she saw JJ approaching her. JJ sat down, and opened her purse, giving her a short look as she did so.
"Passports from three different countries and a bank account in each one to keep you comfortable," she told her. Emily didn't miss the sadness in her friend's eyes as she placed the large envelope on the table. She picked the package up and put it in her own purse.
"Thank you," Emily said. They both knew Emily meant for more than the passports and bank accounts.
"Good luck," JJ concluded, sadness still all over her face. Not knowing what else to say, Emily gave her an almost imperceptible nod, and walked off. JJ watched her leave with a heavy heart.
Emily shook her head as she leaned against the railing, staring off into the night. It's the right thing to do, she reminded herself. The BAU were her friends – no, family – and she didn't want her in harm's way. Doyle only wanted her, the BAU just happened to be an unfortunate obstacle. She already had Tsia's blood on her hands; she couldn't bear to have her friends' as well. However, she couldn't help but hear that nagging voice in the back of her head that was chewing her out. Emily saw the sadness in JJ's eyes that night, and she could only imagine how the rest of her friends were dealing. They didn't deserve to go through all this; Hotch had already lost his wife and JJ… She had a bigger load than everyone else did. Not only did she have to keep Emily's survival a secret, but she also had to mourn her. After giving her the passports and bank accounts, JJ couldn't have any more contact with her anymore without it threatening her safety.
Emily thought that it was going to get easier, but with each passing day, it seemed to get harder and harder.
"Listen to me, I know why you did all of this. I know what you did for Declan. I am so proud of you… Do you understand that? I am proud of you because you are my friend and you are my partner…" Derek told her, holding her hand as she clung onto consciousness.
Emily Prentiss knew that despite how amazing the BAU was, despite the fact they had the self-proclaimed Oracle of Quantico with them, they couldn't handle Doyle. No, this was something she knew she had to deal with herself. There was no way she was going to let Doyle get anywhere close to her BAU family.
She moved away from the railing to sit on one of the armchairs. A gust of wind blew past her and she shivered, wrapping her robe tighter around herself. She leaned her head back, and closed her eyes, allowing herself a few moments of peace. She sure as hell wasn't in the best situation, but it was the best considering the options.
Emily just hoped that her friends would eventually find it in their hearts to forgive her.
A/N: Don't worry, there'll be dialogue from here on out. I just wanted to voice Kate and Emily's thoughts. Next chapter will probably have the two of them meeting somehow. Please review, and feel free to give any suggestions!