Chapter 2 – Walking Away

Their two days off after their last case seemed to pass within moments. Emily brushed her teeth and used some water to rinse out her mouth. She glanced at the time, it was early but she knew that Carina would be up by now. Walking from the bathroom she turned left to see Carina sitting on her bed, reading a book. "Hey," Emily greeted leaning against the doorframe.

"Hey," Carina replied.

"I have to go back to work, JJ called us in."

"Okay," Carina sighed as Emily started to walk down the hallway. "Emily," Carina called jumping out of bed and standing at the door of her room as Emily turned to face her. "I... when we were having lunch with Garcia," Carina began. "The waiter introduced himself by saying 'hi'," she paused, Emily waiting for her to finally talk about something that happened. "That's how Zack introduced himself. It brought back a memory. I'm sorry if I seemed shut out or rude I... I just don't know how to deal with this." Emily stepped toward Carina as the tears that had been welling while she talked began to fall. Holding her in her arms Emily let Carina let out the pain that she had felt. She was progressing, the first step in the right direction. "Look," Emily replied. "You don't need to know how to deal with it, that's what I am here for. You can talk to me about anything. I have to go to work now, if you have any problems then give me a call okay?" Carina nodded as she smiled. The first sincere smile Emily had seen over the entire two day break. "Thank you."

"That's okay, I better go. Foods in the fridge, TV and everything else are ready for you. How is the head today?"

"A lot better thank you,"

"Good," Emily smiled. "I'll see you when I get home. I'll call if we're delayed."

"Okay, see you then." Carina smiled as Emily walked down the hallway to the stairs, down them and into the kitchen before she took her car keys and left for the BAU headquarters.

Garcia typed and typed. She was searching the local internet to see if she could find anything that would help Emily to connect with Carina. Hopefully she would find something that she could to help the teenager get over her trauma and move back into the world. It was taking a while but so far she couldn't see one particular way to help the two. A knock on the door distracted her from her work and she turned to see Morgan leaning with his arms crossed against the door frame. "Morning Baby Girl,"

"Morning."

"What's wrong?" Morgan replied.

"What?" Garcia asked as she turned to look at him instead of her computer monitors.

"Every morning, without fail, you say something snappier than 'morning'," Morgan smiled walking into the office and beginning to massage her shoulders. "So what's going on?"

"I'm just busy, trying to find something for Emily to use to help Carina."

"It doesn't always work like that," Morgan replied. "You can't just Google a solution to healing after trauma. It works different ways for different people."

"I just want to try my best to help, we went out on Wednesday and the poor thing was broken. She freaked out when the waiter said 'hi' I just want to try and help her through it."

"I know," Morgan sighed. "But she'll be okay. Besides, she has Prentiss as her guardian, I couldn't imagine anyone else knowing how to deal with it."

Emily waited as the elevator doors opened and she entered the bullpen again. For some strange reason though, Emily didn't feel at home. She had entered the bullpen on countless occasions, helped to solve cases that others were clueless about. Had worked with people that she called her family. Yet, when she entered the bullpen this time, her heart wasn't with her. Stepping straight to the coffee machine located to the far right of the elevators she turned and made her way there. Passing Reid who was going over his files and finishing his paper work as Rossi read the paper at his desk. Taking the coffeepot from the maker she took a mug and poured it straight. Adding her favourite life ingredient, splendour, into the cup she stirred and then sipped the substance. "Em," JJ began making Emily turn to face her friend. "Yeah?"

"Strauss wants to see you; she's in Hotch's office." JJ explained. Emily took another longer sip of the coffee, hoping that it would give her strength to talk to her. "Okay," Emily sighed handing JJ her cup before she strutted through the centre of the bullpen, Reid, Rossi and an approaching Morgan all watching her ascend the stairs.

Emily knocked on the door as Garcia walked to the coffee pot to see JJ and the others all staring upwards. "What's going on?" She asked JJ as the door was opened for Emily to step through and the blinds were closed. "Nothing good," JJ sighed.

"Agent Prentiss please take a seat," Strauss began, sitting behind Hotch's desk as he stood next to her. "Why did you want to see me?" Emily asked, concerned about the purpose.

"The reason I called for you is to assess your recent conduct during the case in Seattle." Strauss explained. "From what Agent Hotchner has told me, and the reports that you and the other team members filed, you chose to risk the lives of you and that of agents Jennifer Jereau and Spencer Reid."

"I didn't put anyone into harms-way." Emily explained, trying to be calm. "The only person who was in danger was the victim."

"Yes let's talk about Carina Lloyd," Strauss began flipping through the files. "Seventeen year old studying English at the University of Literature, who lost her parents three weeks before the events of Zackary Evans attack on university students." She paused. "I was told that you have adopted Miss Lloyd into your house."

"Yes I did," Emily replied, her eyes glancing toward Hotch who was looking to Strauss, watching everything she said. "But I don't see how that is something that will affect..."

"Has affected," Strauss interrupted. "Don't you think that taking a victim into your home goes beyond our line of duty?"

"No I don't," Emily yelled, she had enough of this. "Jereau and Reid had their guns trained on the unsub. Carina was pushed into the pool with her hands and legs bound, she couldn't swim and she was drowning. So I ran forwards when he was distracted, we fought in the pool and then Morgan apprehended him so I could save her."

"I am aware of the reports."

"Well then you didn't read them properly," Emily yelled standing to her feet. "I helped Carina because she needed it. No other foster family carer or even a psychologist would be willing to help out an intelligent teenage girl who needed a home. She had no family. I have already been checked so there is nothing to worry about."

"You crossed the line!"

"Then curve the line!" Emily snapped. "Everyday we go out of this office, we get shot at, we try our best to save someone and most of the time that doesn't happen. When we save someone that is what makes it worth it. I was not going to let her drown. No human being should stand there when they can help. No one!" she paused. "I am a Federal Officer. I have seen things that even our worst horror movies cannot depict. I have lived through things that no one would have thought possible and I saved a life." Hotch was silent and glad that she responded the way she did. He couldn't have put it better himself. "If saving someone is crossing the line then I want to cross more."

"If you could go back," Strauss began when she was cut off by Emily again.

"I would do it again." Emily replied before she stepped back from the table. "If you want to fire me because I care too much about helping someone then do it," Emily retaliated "but think about it. If you died and your daughter was taken by a serial killer, who tried to drown her, wouldn't you want someone to have the guts to dive in and help her regardless of protocol?" She finished before opening the door and stepped out.

Looking down she saw Morgan, Rossi, Reid, JJ and Garcia all suddenly scatter from around her desk. Walking down the stairs and into the bullpen again she sat down at her desk to see another note from her mother on the computer monitor. Taking it from it she threw it straight into the bin before she placed her head into her hands.

Carina's day had been better than other days. She spent most of the time watching the television, using the internet, watching videos and reading books. It was all going well until there was a knock on the door. Stopping from making her sandwich she slowly moved toward the door and opened it to see a young man, older than her, standing on their front step. "Hi," he introduced. Refusing to let the simple two letter greeting stop her Carina lifted her head a little higher. "Can I help you?" She asked simply. "Uh yes," The man replied, "I just moved in across the road and wanted to ask if you knew where to get a good meal around here?"

"Uh, well," Carina began, worried about whether this man was trustworthy. Instead of trying to look at his faults she thought she would let her guard down for once. "The Chinese restaurant about ten minutes from here is good, there is a another restaurant another fifteen minutes away from there."

"Okay thanks," He replied with a smile. "My name is Zack by the way." Carina didn't reply with her name before she quickly shut the door and locked it as quickly as she could before she ran into the kitchen and took a hold of a knife in her hands. Breathing heavily she stared at the door and waited to see the man walk past the front set of windows before he walked down the street. Tears beginning to cascade down her cheeks Carina leant back against the pantry door and slowly slid to her knees. Taking her phone from her pocket she called Emily on speed-dial.

JJ stood at the front of the round table of her friends and colleagues. She was ready to give the debrief but having Strauss staring at her, waiting for Emily Prentiss to slip up no doubt, made her feel rather uncomfortable. Another ten minutes of delivering the information to the team she saw Emily walk out of the room and answer her phone. "Agent Prentiss," Emily answered when all she heard was the sound of crying in the background. "Em," Carina whimpered. "I need you."

"Okay I'm on my way just wait for me." She hung up the phone before she placed it into her pocket before rushing off to her desk to pick up her jacket. "Em," JJ called, it seemed that she had followed her friend into the bullpen. "What's going on?"

"Carina needs me to get home, she sounded terrible."

"I mean with Strauss?" JJ replied. Emily gathered her jacket into her arms as JJ stepped closer to her friend. "We had a discussion about Carina; she believes that I crossed the line of duty. She will probably have me fired by the end of the day." JJ gasped at the last few words.

"B-But she can't just do that can she?"

"I'm sure she'll try," Emily replied. "Can you talk to Hotch? Tell him something came up, he'll understand."

"But what about Strauss?" JJ asked. Emily looked to the floor for a moment before she lifted her gaze to JJ's blue eyes. "Tell her I am at home with a broken teenager who needs someone to help her heal I'll be taking a week off work." Emily answered before turning and heading towards the elevator.

"Emily," JJ called again. Emily stopped in her tracks. "Are you sure about this? You might be walking away from your job, your career," Emily turned her head to her left so she could see JJ's worried face. "Then so be it," and with that, Emily Prentiss walked out of the bullpen and into the elevator for possibly the last time.

AN: So we all know how much Emily hates politics and I'm pretty sure she would be irritated if that was what stood in her way from saving someone's life. I hope you liked this chapter. The third will be up soon.