A/N: Hello again. Sorry for the break in between updates; got home yesterday and just crashed. But I'm m€uch better today, so here you are, the latest chapter. Thanks for the great response!

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.

Chapter 3:


James Edward Rossi, and Georgia May Rossi, 4 and 3 years old respectively were the other part of his world. His children and Emily were two halves of his entity. Without any of them he couldn't ever be a complete person. It showed how worried he was, how completely devastated he was by this turn of events, that he'd not thought of his own children. What kind of father was he?

"Don't," he heard Hotch say forcefully.

"Don't what?" Rossi replied, looking at him, startled.

"Don't even think that you're a horrible person, a horrible dad," Hotch elaborated. "Because you're not. Right now your wife is fighting for her life. There's only so much worry you can take…"

Hotch was trying to make him feel better. But there was no excuse for forgetting to ensure your own children's safety. No matter what.

"That's why we're here," Morgan was saying.

"Yeah, to worry for you…." Garcia added.

"Still…" Rossi started.

Hotch stood up. "I'll go give JJ a call, see how they're all doing, all right?"

Rossi nodded, relieved to have his friends there for him. Hotch passed by him giving him a comforting pat on the shoulder.

"What about you Penelope?" Rossi wanted to know. "Are you all right being here? I know you've got Liam to think about."

She gave him a kind look, remembering her four month old baby. "Liam's fine. Kevin can take care of him for a couple of hours without me. Right now I need to be here."

"Thank you," Rossi murmured, grateful.

She stood up and took hold of his hand. "How're you holding up? You need anything, coffee… food… anything?"

All he needed was Emily to be better. All he wanted was for her to come out of surgery and tease him about how worried he was. But he could see that that was not the answer Garcia was looking for. And he realized she needed to keep busy for fear of breaking down.

He could feel the beginnings of tears forming at the corners of his eyes. He looked away, blinking them back. He needed to remain strong.

"Ah… coffee would be good," he said, his voice gruff with emotion.

He felt her hand give his a squeeze before letting go. "I'm on it," she said purposely.

She left the room, leaving him all alone with Derek. He glanced at the younger man. Derek wore a tortured look on his face, as he stared off into space. He took the seat next to the man. And after a minute more of silence he finally spoke.

"What happened Derek?" he asked once again, this time calmly, more resigned.

Derek let out a sigh, he leaned forward, elbows on knees, head in hands. "We had him cornered in an abandoned warehouse. Emily was first on scene. Reid and I got there not too long after. But she was so stubborn… she was supposed to wait for back up… but, you know how stubborn she can be…"

Rossi nodded. He definitely did.


8888


"She's my mother Dave!" Emily cried out furiously.

"I know that Emily," he replied, just as tersely. "But that doesn't mean she can just set up a dinner date with you and Derek and I'm going to be happy about it."

She gave him a withering glare. "It's not a date. Derek's my friend, yours too. And my mother's going to be there too, for god's sake."

"Don't care," he replied, realizing he sounded childish.

He'd met the famous ambassador Elizabeth Prentiss many times before. They had always been polite to each other. Until the last time, that is.

After two weeks of dating Emily, she had asked him to spend Christmas Day with her and her mother at one of her parties. He'd agreed. Only to have Elizabeth corner him alone to tell him how she felt about him dating her daughter. Her exact words had been: "My young, beautiful daughter should not be with a washed up agent like you. And she'll realize it soon enough."

Emily had, of course, overhead the entire exchange, and she'd gotten angry. She'd put her mother in her place and Elizabeth had grudgingly apologized. But that didn't mean she didn't try to sabotage their relationship in other more discreet ways. Emily was just being too stubborn, not seeing that this latest ploy with Derek was one of them.

"Dave, I care about you," Emily tried a new tactic. "We can go to your cabin another time. My mom wants me to spend New Years with her. She wants Derek there because he's my best friend, that's all."

He knew Emily saw Derek only as a friend, but he wasn't so sure that Derek's feelings for Emily were so innocent. He sometimes caught the man glancing her way wistfully.

"And I'd like you to be there too," Emily continued. "I can't celebrate the new year without my boyfriend. I love you."

"You love me?" he said in surprise.

She laughed. "Don't look so shocked… of course, I love you."

She leaned forward and gave him a kiss.

"I love you too…" he replied.

She smiled brightly at him, giving him another kiss.

Pulling back, she said, "So you'll come with me to mother's house on new years?"


8888


Yep, she was stubborn. She'd gotten her way in the end. And there first new years together wasn't the magical one he'd pictured. Instead, it was filled with Elizabeth trying to get her daughter alone with Derek at every turn.

"Why aren't you married yet?" Rossi blurted out.

Derek gave him a startled look and he realized he'd abruptly changed topics.

"I mean, you've had two great chances," Rossi elaborated, referring to Morgan's two long-time girlfriends over the past five years. "So why not?"

Morgan continued to look at him with wide eyes and then he looked away. "You know why, Rossi…"

Rossi just nodded. It was good to finally have it confirmed. It was also nice to know that Derek was a true friend, never acting on his feelings.

"All the good women are taken," Derek said, more lightly. "First Penelope, then JJ, and then Emily…" he trailed off sadly. "If… if anything happens to her… I'll… I'll never forgive myself… I didn't have her back… I didn't…"

Rossi wasn't surprised when the younger man's eyes filled up with tears right in front of him. Derek cared about Emily almost as much as he did.

He gave Derek's back a pat.

"Ah… excuse me," Derek said, quickly leaving the small waiting room.

Rossi let out a sigh. Emily, you need to come out of this, he silently prayed, because there's no other option. You'll be killing all of us…


Well that's it for now. I'll be updating tomorrow for sure.

Thanks to everyone who's alerting this story and putting it as a favourite. Also thanks for the reviews: dustytiger; TML; HansonFanGermany; Chrissiemusa; tonnie2001969; hxchick; jessalynnGSR; ilovetvalot; and p9500.

Thanks again!