Thank you so much everyone who review and/or favorite/followed this story. Thanks to Lenika08, paullyn6, 123a456e, LenaF, leahloahla, jhplug, TVHollywoodDiva, anlemi, Barbra4317, RealMe07, Guest, and Guest, especially those of you who have just joined this week. I'm so thrilled that you like this story and hope that it continues to be pleasurable for you. Please let me know if you have any ideas, wishes, concerns or just plainly what you would enjoy to read.

As of the comments, Avery and Em are for sure getting close, but that's the whole point of inventing Avery in the first place. Having Derek in the accident is mainly so he can change his mind on one important topic and you will see what that is when reading the chapter. Mama Morgan is definitely putting some thoughts into their heads, but if they follow her ideas, well you'll see.

My lovely lovelover, I'm glad you are still putting up with me, although I was more writing on the missing moments this week than on my story, but it was my honor. I added some new sentences, I'll leave it to you to find them. :D

Criminal Minds is not mine (or they would be married by now), but Avery is!

"His girls"

"What is family? They were the people who claimed you. In good, in bad, in parts or in whole, they were the ones who showed up, who stayed in there, regardless. It wasn't just about blood relations or shared chromosomes, but something wider, bigger. We had many families over time. Our family of origin, the family we created, and the groups you moved through while all of this was happening: friends, lovers, sometimes even strangers. None of them perfect, and we couldn't expect them to be. You can't make any one person your world. The trick was to take what each could give you and build your world from it."
― Sarah Dessen, Lock and Key

Derek had been released from the hospital a week after his accident. It was now three weeks later and his injuries were healing up well and with the help of his mother and Emily, he had no chance of making any step he wasn't supposed to. When Fran had arrived, she had asked her son's partner to stay with her and her granddaughter in order to have at least one person around the little girl was used to seeing. By now, Avery had her grandma wrapped around her little finger and Emily's help was barely needed, but still requested. Fran's watching eyes hadn't missed how attached the toddler was to the brunette.

The injured agent had kept, or rather insisted on, his promise on making dinner for his partner whenever she wanted it or sometimes even when he just decided that she needed to eat with them. When asked he assured everyone that it was merely for Avery's sake, who loved and adored the other agent, but he couldn't deny that he enjoyed a glass of wine with her either.

As his knee was good enough to carefully walk on again, he had decided to surprise "his girls" with a picnic in the park. The day before he had convinced his mother that she could fly back to Chicago; he loved spending time with her, but at some point a grown man needed his own life back. Since she would leave the next day he wanted to thank her for the help and as he was on thanking, he invited Emily along as well.

Everything was set up at a small picnic table in the park close to the playground; all he had to do was unpack the food. When he reached the table, he was only able to get out one bowl, before his mother's hands appeared next to him.

"Would you leave that alone?" His hand gently slapped against hers, much like she had done to him as a little boy, who had been trying to steal a piece of cake.

"I was only going to help."

"Mama, this is from me for you and I'm healthy enough to set up a table. So you go and play with that granddaughter your ordered."

Fran glanced at her son. A smile came to her lips as he continued spreading the food on the table. She finally turned to see that Emily had already freed the little girl from the straps of the stroller. Avery had set her eyes on the playground but her shy side came through once again and she refused to make even one step in that direction.

For the shortest moment, the older woman's eyes went from her granddaughter to the woman, whom she had only known as an agent investigating her son's murder case. Of course, she had already figured through phone calls that Derek and his partner had grown quite close, but seeing them interact put a whole new angle on it. Emily quietly talked to Avery assuring her that the slide would be a lot of fun. While the dream of having grandchildren had always involved a kind wife for Derek in her mind, she now decided that a plan B was needed. If he didn't see the love offered towards his daughter she would just have to make him see it.

"Avery, how about you come with Grandma to the swings?" She earned herself big eyes, but finally the little girl accepted the hand she had held out for her and the pair slowly walked towards the playground.

The female agent smiled before moving over to the table to help her friend. Her hand made it only halfway to the basket, before she got the same slap on the wrist like his mother minutes before.

"What was that for?" she asked with slight irritation.

"The two of you have been fiddling around me for the past three weeks and now, for once, I want to prepare a meal, so sit down and relax."

He pulled a bowl full of strawberries out of the basket, before putting it underneath the table. At first, she watched him while he started in the process of making sandwiches, but then her eyes wandered over to where Fran and Avery were on a swing. The older woman had the girl safely on her lap and both seemed to enjoy the experience.

"What do you want on your sandwich?"

"Huh?" Emily glanced back at her partner and then down at the piece of bread in his hand.

"The sandwich, do you want ham or turkey?"

"You don't have to…" She didn't get further, before she noticed his raised eyebrow. She sighed: "Ham."

A few minutes later, she had a sandwich placed in front of her and he also took a large bite of his own.

"So I need your opinion."

"On what?" She managed to ask between swallowing bites.

"Well when I was in the hospital I came to realize that I did everything to keep myself out of the range of shooting maniacs and then some poor guy lost control over his car and I ended up in the hospital anyway."

He took another bite, giving her time to work through what he was saying, but even more trying to read her reaction.

"So I was thinking I might as well go back into active duty as soon as my knee is cleared."

Emily's eyes grew wide. She slowly put down her sandwich while swallowing the last bite she had taken. After the accident she had expected a lot, but certainly not this. Maybe an even more worried Morgan who didn't want to leave his daughters side anymore, but not this.

"Well it's not only the shooting maniacs; you will also be gone a lot."

"I talked to Sophie, she would be willing to have a full day position. I can clean up one of my other spare rooms with a bed and closet for her."

"You are really going to do this?"

He saw the doubt written all over her face as he studied her closely.

"I was hoping you would be a little bit more excited about getting your partner back."

Her eyes widened and he smirked as he watched her trying to find the right words to prove him wrong on her missing excitement.

"I'm just surprised, that's all. I thought you were okay with the desk job, since the payout was time with Avery."

"And I think it will look like I'm a horrible dad, but I can stay behind for important things, just as long as my life doesn't consist of paperwork anymore."

She nodded slowly before taking a last bite and finishing her sandwich. This whole issue left her so torn. Part of her was just happy to have her partner back and now she could stop feeling like the fifth wheel in the team, but the other part was worried for Avery and her relationship to her dad. She remembered too well how it felt to have parents who worked full time and she didn't want this adorable girl to feel left behind like she always had.

"Dada, Emi." They both looked up, as the little girl came flying over the grass. Fran was only few steps behind her, but still wasn't able to stop her from stumbling over a rock and falling. A short look on hand and feet told Fran that she was okay, but the big tears still started to roll over the cheeks.

"It's okay sweetheart."

But Avery didn't want to hear that from her grandma. Her eyes flew over to where her dad had stood up from his seat. Right behind him she found what she wanted. Although surprised by the girls choice Emily didn't hesitate a second on catching the girl in her arms. Big tears were still streaming down her cheeks and heavy sobs came from the little chest.

Derek was too worried about his daughter to pay attention to the smile his mother had on her lips. Fran stood back up and watched from a few feet away. The brunette was quietly talking to the toddler assuring her that everything was fine. Slowly the sobs became less and Emily seemed to have found something else to focus Avery's attention on. With the baby still safe in the woman's arms, they walked off to the small lake some distance away.

Fran smiled and finally sank onto the bench next to her son.

"There is something special between those two. Emily had her figured out when I was still trying to keep her from being hysterical." Derek shook his head in amazement.

"Mother's instinct."

"There should be something like that for fathers." He replied totally missing her hint on a possible mother for his little girl and a wife for him.

"Maybe that just means you have to find yourself a stable relationship."

Their glances crossed as he shot her a glare only to notice that her eyes were fixed on him.

"You know now that I have my grandbaby, I would like a daughter-in-law too."

"Mama, I really have other problems right now. I don't have time for dating."

"Maybe you just need to open your eyes and you will find that it's already there."

He turned to take his mother fully in. His eyebrows were arched showing the slight irritation in his face.

"What are you talking about?"

"You'll figure it out." That unsatisfying answer earned her another glare. "Would you make me a sandwich now, since I'm not allowed to touch anything?"

He didn't like it but he gave in. When Emily and Avery returned half an hour later, the little girl was tightly hugging a stuffed duck from the souvenir shop. Only reluctantly did she allow her father and grandmother a short glance at the new toy, before pressing it back on her chest.

"We saw ducks on the lake and she wanted to take one home. I figured you would prefer the stuffed version, although I'm sure I could find someone who would sell me a real one and we could have her live in your bath tub." She hurriedly explained her purchase, as she already saw his protest on the new present coming.

"She has a point." Fran smirked to her son. She put the last bowl back in the basket and they made their way back. By the time they reached the car, Avery had fallen asleep in her stroller, still hugging the duck tightly.

Back at Derek's house, Emily was ready to leave the three Morgans, but he wouldn't let her. Fran only shook her head at the scene and carefully carried her granddaughter to the house where she could continue her nap.

"You can have dinner with us and maybe watch a movie later on?"

"I think you should spend some time with your mom. We can watch movies some other night." The brown-haired woman would have loved to spend more time, but while Derek seemed oblivious, she had not missed the hopeful look on Fran's face whenever she was interacting with her son. The bad thing was that Emily caught herself way to often with the same hopeful thought and there was simply no way of that happening.