Chapter 6: Emily
Emily Prentiss's POV

When I climbed into the plane, Morgan and JJ were already sitting comfortably, looking tired and ready to get home. That was nothing new, of course; all of us were running on fumes. As I sat down in a free seat, I looked over the rest of our team. Seeing the haggard look on Rossi's face, I wondered if he was questioning ever coming back to the BAU. Then I remembered the peace that had been there for a split second when we'd found the last missing boy, Seth. I realized that as much as this job could drain us, Rossi was probably just as happy to be here as I was.

I tried to close my eyes and drift away as the plane rose into the sky and leveled off, but every time my eyes shut, the horrific images of the dead little boys popped up on the backs of my eyelids. I sighed and opened them, staring off in the distance at nothing of importance while willing my brain to slow down. I tried thinking of my plans for the upcoming weekend. My boyfriend and I were planning on simply hanging out at home, relaxing, and enjoying the time off together. Boyfriend? What am I, fifteen again? Boyfriend sounded so juvenile, but lover simply sounded awkward. Whatever, I thought.

John had come back into my life months ago when an old friend of ours had been found dead after an exorcism gone wrong. Just thinking back to that case made my blood boil. The only good to come out of it was the peace I'd made with my past and that it had brought John back into my life. He was sober now; coming to terms with the ghosts from his past had brought many changes to his life, including bringing the two of us together. We both still went regularly to therapy, not only for our past demons, but for our lives in general. Still, I was happier now than I'd been in a long time, and I had John to thank for a lot of that.

I was pulled out of my rambling thoughts by Morgan's phone ringing. Seconds later, phones all over the plane began going off. Belatedly, I realized that my own was ringing loudly at my hip. I pulled it out of my pocket and smiled when I recognized John's number.

"Hey," I said quietly, not wanting to disturb all the conversations around me. "What's up? Everything okay?"

"Hey. Everything's fine. Penelope called and mentioned you guys were on your way home and that the case had been really bad. She thought you might need someone to talk to. I figured you probably wouldn't be able to sleep, so I wanted to help if I could. You okay?"

Smiling, I said, "I am now. I can't wait to get home, John. It's been a damn long week."

"I know, babe. I got the texts you sent each night, updating me on how it was going. I was really glad to hear you got the last little boy home with his parents. That's a big thing, right?"

"Oh, yeah, definitely. But I still see the images of the others every time I close my eyes."

He sighed, and I knew he could tell how tired and frustrated I was feeling. "Do me a favor, Em. Close your eyes while we're talking. Just listen to my voice for a minute." He waited quietly for me to answer.

"Okay, they're closed," I said, feeling the week-long tension that had settled in my shoulders and neck beginning to ease slightly.

"Good. Now, picture the little boy you saved. He's at home, lying on the couch between his parents, who are holding him and each other, simply grateful that he's alive and well. They know that he's there because of you and your team, Em. He'll get up tomorrow and be able to breathe because you saved him. That's the only thought you need to have in your head when you close your eyes to sleep. You made an undeniable difference in that family's life, babe. They'll never be able to forget that, and neither should you." John's voice was so strong and so soothing that I felt tears prickling at my eyelids before softly falling down my cheeks.

I sniffed and brushed the back of my hand across my face, wiping away the evidence of my cry-fest. "Thanks. I needed that," I told him honestly.

"Glad I could help. It's all true, you know. I didn't just say it to blow smoke up your ass," he teased. After I'd given a soft chuckle, he asked, "You okay now?"

I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. With my eyes still closed, I answered, "I am. I think I'll be able to sleep now. See you when I get home?" I knew he'd be waiting at my apartment. He usually was when I returned home from a particularly hard case, somehow knowing without me saying that his presence would help keep the nightmares at bay.

"Of course, Em. Always. I love you," he said softly.

"Love you, too," I whispered, closing my phone and setting it on the seat beside me.

I hadn't opened my eyes after he'd asked me to close them. Smiling slightly, I drifted off, the picture of Seth Harris with his parents the last thing I remembered before succumbing to sleep.