This is the beginning of Tess and Emily's relationship. Thanks again for all your beautiful reviews. I appreciate your support , its definately motivated me to update quicker:):):) enjoy

"The most destructive element in the human mind is fear. Fear creates aggressiveness" Dorothy Thompson.

I feel literally ill. The mangled body of Annie McLaine is a disturbing sight. Sixty two hours after her abduction and here she is lying amongst the flowers in the park. It was a stark contrast to petunias and daffodils making up the garden. What a waste. The team was finishing up their analysis of the scene as I walked over to the park bench and sat down. Derek followed me and sat down next to me.

"You okay Em?"

"Yeah. No. It's such a waste , I mean if they didn't go to that stupid party they would've been alive. And they're just so young. Will it ever get better Derek? Will somebody ever just stop?" I was emotionally drained by the case , physically exhausted by the lack of sleep , I felt if it didn't end soon , the case would quite literally end me.

"Hey c'mon , you know how it is. Some cases affect us more than others. There are some things we can take and other things that invade that tiny , dark corner in your mind and cause it to explode. When that happens no matter how hard we try , we get scared , we feel gutted and we question what we believe. The only thing we can do to make it go away is to catch the bastard who is doing this. Then we know it stops , we know it ends in that community and that thing is pushed back into the corner of your mind" Derek gave me a squeeze on the shoulder. I cast him a worn smile and gave him a hug.

"Hey , hey Emily Prentiss , don't go getting all emotional on me"

"Thank you Derek".

Once back at the police station , the atmosphere was subdued . No one was saying much. JJ was trying to handle the media after "another innocent life had been brutally slain" , Reid and Rossi were working tirelessly away at victimology and Hotch had had about fifteen phone calls in an hour . Hotch marched into the room looking harassed.

"What's up , Sir?"

"Well their on my arse back in Quantico because another killing shouldn't of happened within the time frame we've been here. We were organized , we were prepared. We should've been tougher and smarter. He attacks on the nights of the parties when the girls are along. We should've seen it. We didn't with Foyet and look where that got us!" Hotch was beginning to become irate and fanatical. It was a perturbing sight. The thing Hotch despised more than the people who committed these atrocities, was feeling that we had not read their plan of attack. That we had made the mistake and that we were culpable. He buried his face in his hand and took a deep breath.

"Prentiss, I'm going to need you. Annie's sister has regained consciousness in the hospital and we're going to have to talk to her"

"Yes sir" I mumbled. I could feel the pit of dread building in my stomach. I was apprehensive to be around Hotch is such a volatile state. Would the stress contort his face like the monster in my dreams? Would his frustrations consume him to give in to the shadows of the world? KNOCK IT OFF my mind snapped. A girl is dead and one is in hospital and you're worried about Hotch hurting you? Get real Emily. I shrugged the irrational fear off my shoulders and followed Hotch to the car. Hotch was about to get in the drivers seat when he stopped. He rested one hand on the roof of the car and stared at the ground. He slowly lifted his head to meet my puzzle gaze.

"Listen Prentiss , if this is too much for you…"

"I appreciate the gesture Hotch but I need to do this". I held the glance banishing any hint of fear. My plight was to prove my sense of justice , my moral convictions , my compassion and my love was stronger then anything that ever was evil. For me to combat my nightmares and defeat them , I would need Hotch's help. For if he were able to help me banish my demons , perhaps I could help and banish his.

"I can take it Sir". Hotch winced at my words but recovered quickly and nodded as we got in the car.

The smell of antiseptics and soap , amongst the busy array of people who fluttered around the hospital ward gave me a horrid sense of nostalgia. The anxiety hoards in your stomach as you wait apprehensively to see if your cherished one is going live. These were emotions displayed on the faces of Sarah and Timothy McLaine. Distraught over losing one daughter , the couple were petrified their other daughter would become a human shell , void of any feeling.

"She hasn't said one word , since she found out about Annie. Not to me , not to her father" sobbed Mrs McLaine mournfully. Mr McLaine had a despondent look on his face , simply answering "yes" and "no" to Hotch's parents. The grieving process had begun and it could take a long time , copious amounts of counseling and excruciatingly painful moments before life would regain a sense of normality.

"Thank you for your time and we're terribly sorry for your loss" said Hotch sincerely letting the parents go for a much deserved break.

"Selective mute. It's not going to get us particularly far. Morgan's interviewing Annie's boyfriend , we thought he could have possibly bee assisting the unsub. Morgan said he almost had a breakdown when he told him what happened to Annie"

"Do you blame him?" I asked soberly.

"No. I hate to think if it were y-Hayley or Jack , what I'd do" Hotch answered a little too quickly. He seemed eager to avoid the subject so I let it be. I had to gather all the courage I could muster for my next request.

"Hotch , I think I can talk to Tess. I'm not going to force anything but I think , I'll be able to break her boundaries" Hotch let out an exasperated sigh.

"Prentiss , I know you like to help these….."

"Please Hotch , please" I implored gently. Hotch studied my face , to analyse for sign of tension or strain. Eventually his expression lightened.

"Okay , I'll give you half an hour. Do not ask demanding questions and force the issue of Annie's death"

"Yes sir".

I knocked on the door to Tess' room. It had already begun to fill with flowers and cards , signs of affection from those who wanted to rehabilitate her broken self into a whole piece again. She slowly lifted her head from the book she was intently reading , to reveal an abrasion on her head and a black eye. She looked significantly skinnier and paler than what I remember. Any glow for her cheeks had truly burnt out.

"Hi Tess , my name is Emily , we met at your school do your remember?"

Tess nodded curtly , as I had expected her to do. "I was wondering if I could please ask you a few questions? You don't have to talk if you don't want to , just nod or shake your head" I said gently sitting in the guest chair.

She nodded again. Communication. That was a good sign.

"Now if it gets too much for you , signal me to stop and we will okay"

Another nod. She kept her eyes glued to me the whole time , inspecting me to see if I might attack her or manipulate her into talking. But I would do none of these things. She would talk when she was ready. She did not need force at the moment.

"Firstly , was the man who approached you tall?" I asked.

Tess nodded quickly. "OK , did you get a look at his face?"

She shook her head. "So you couldn't tell if he was young or old?"

Tess scrunched her face and waved her hand. "In between?"

Tess nodded. OK , it was comforting to know the accuracy of the physical profile.

"Did you know the man Tess?" Her faced paled. She slowly started to breath quicker and shorten her breaths. If Tess had an anxiety attack , Hotch would terminate the interview straight away. I rubbed my hand down her back and pulled her into a hug.

"Oh sweetie , I'm sorry. You did fantastically. You know what , we don't have to do this now , you can let me know when your ready to talk about it" I chided as I smoothed her head. She nodded into my shoulder. Then in a barely audible whisper:

"If I tell you , will you promise not to tell anyone?". I pulled out of the hug and stared into her face. Her eyes were filled with tears and pleading. I couldn't promise her , if it would aid in the investigation , but I could follow it up myself without telling the others.

"Yes".

"I knew his voice. He'd been ringing me for five months. On and off. He kept calling me Genevieve. I told him , I wasn't but her persisted. I should've told someone. I didn't I was so scared. I didn't see the connection and now…." She collapsed in my arms again hysterically sobbing. I held on so tightly to Tess , this poor girl. She would continually blame herself for the rest of her life for not potentially stopping a murderer. I wish human's didn't abide by what we could've done and what we should've done , it ensnares our mind in a web of insanity not releasing it until our body is the only thing that remains whole. I hugged Tess for dear life , for I could understand the feeling of immense shame and guilt. I deal with it every day , I've dealt with it for the past nineteen years and I know what Hotch sees when he stares through the window will be the very scene he felt in Boston last year when Foyet killed a bus of people.

I didn't want to prolong Tess' selective muteness but I can gurantee she'll only talk to Emily:)

Hope you liked it everyone.

Reviews are much appreciated and thanks for reading

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