Prentiss

Another week had passed and every time I decided to go house hunting, I would wake up in the worst mood, tears and all. The team was back at work now after they had all had a session with the Bureau's therapist and they were approved to go back. I hadn't talked to anyone except for Rossi since last week, and I didn't even give Rossi much. The man was offering me his home, love and support and I never gave him more than a few words.

I had an appointment with a therapist today under Hotch's request but I really didn't want to go. Anderson was instructed to pick me up and take me there but I already cancelled the appointment. I got my phone and called Anderson.

"Anderson." He answered.

"Hey, it's Prentiss. You were picking me up today, right?"

"Yeah, and dropping you back at Rossi's." He said.

"Yeah, thanks but I don't need the lift anymore. Change of plans. Please don't tell Hotch or anyone else, just cover me and say I went? If they ask how I reacted afterwards, just say I seemed normal, okay?"

"…Yeah, sure."

"Thanks Anderson; you're a life saver."

"No problem. See you."

"Bye." I hung up and put the phone back down on the coffee table. I was reading a book with Sergio sprawled across my lap. This was how I spent my days. In this spot or in bed, reading with Sergio or staring at the roof or a wall with Sergio. At least he was always keeping me company.

Rossi called me after an hour or so, "Hey." My voice was flatter and quieter than I tried to have it.

"How are you feeling? Did I wake you?"

"I was already up. I'm fine, thanks."

"Anderson will come pick you up in about a half hour."

"I'll be waiting." I lied.

"Are you sure you're okay? You seem off."

"I'm fine, Rossi. Is this all you called for?"

"Ah…we have a case…"

"Where?" I asked curiously.

"Nevada."

"Good luck. Call me if you need my limited skills that everyone else already has."

"Do you want me to stay here with you?" He asked.

"No, of course not. Go and catch that serial killer."

"This is the most you've spoken to me at once all week…"

"No it's not." I tried to sound casual.

"…Okay, well we'll try to solve it fast. We're leaving soon but call if you need anything and Anderson is on standby if you need to get anywhere."

"Or I could take a cab…considering that isn't what Anderson is paid for…"

"Just call him if you need to get somewhere, please?" He sounded tired. Was that because of me? Probably.

"Yeah, okay. Bye."

"Bye." He hung up and I put my phone down again. I looked around. I had several days alone in Rossi's house and I had no idea what I would do. Probably watch movies and stay in bed. Maybe I'd push my way into the precinct and get some paperwork that I wasn't allowed to have and complete it. I know Rossi had some in his office; maybe I'd do that for him.


I spent the next 3 days watching movies and playing with Sergio who was constantly by my side.

I was laying on the couch in as much darkness as the room would provide this evening. Sergio was on the other couch and I was staring at the roof for hours. I heard the door unlock and Rossi walked in with the team following behind him. "Hey." He smiled.

"Hi." I said quietly.

"I have something to call you out on." He said as he switched the light on and the team walked in. I groaned as the light stung my unexpecting eyes and I put a pillow over my face to block it out.

"You're in trouble." I heard the smirk in Garcia's voice.

"Why did you make Anderson lie for you and why didn't you go to your appointment?" He asked, pulling the pillow from my face.

"Why do you know everything?"

"I asked Anderson how you were afterwards and he panicked. I forced the truth out of him and you are a liar. You promised me you'd go."

"No, I promised you I'd make the appointment. I never promised to go to the appointment."

"Why do you have to be so difficult?"

"Why do you have to keep getting involved in things that don't concern you?"

"They do concern me! You're living under my roof."

"You wouldn't let me leave!" My alarm sounded then and I turned it off quickly.

"What's the alarm for?" JJ asked curiously.

"It's time for my run." I said as I threw the blanket off me and stood up.

"Your run?" Morgan smiled.

I nodded, "I'm gaining weight while I'm off the job."

"You are not gaining weight." Rossi shook his head. I wasn't gaining weight, I was losing it. I wasn't eating as much as I did before my kidnapping and I was running to try and lose more.

"I'm sorry, do you weigh me every day or do I weigh me every day?"

"Every day? Oh, that's just not healthy, Emily. You're going down a dangerous road." JJ said.

I rolled my eyes, "Bye." I picked my phone up from the table and walked to the door. I walked out before any further argument could be made.

I ran for a while before a wave of dizziness hit me all in one go. I had to stop and crouch to the ground. A headache hit me and I clenched my eyes shut to try and stop it all. I didn't know what to do so I grabbed my phone and called JJ.

"Em?" She picked up on the third ring. I heard laughter in the background.

"I think I'm going to pass out…" I said quietly, "I didn't know what to do."

"Where are you?" She asked anxiously. I heard her move and Garcia ask her what was going on.

"Uh…I don't really know. I'm in the middle of a bunch of trees? You don't need to come, I just called to let you know that I might be a little later than anyone would expect."

"In the middle of a bunch of trees? Oh, how helpful. We're coming now. Don't move, sit down and take deep breaths." She instructed. I hung up and sat cross legged on the leaves, breathing and massaging my temple.

Morgan found me before too long and jogged to my side. "Hey, you okay? Over here!" He yelled out over his shoulder.

I started to nod my head but I changed it to a truthful shake, "No."

He crouched and lifted my head slightly with his finger underneath my chin, "You're hollowed out, Em. You have huge bags, you look exhausted." The others were walking over now. "When was the last time you ate something nourishing?"

"A few hours ago." I lied.

He shook his head, "It's been days, hasn't it?"

"What's been days?" Garcia asked.

"Since she ate something nourishing to keep herself alive."

"Are…are you developing an eating disorder?" Reid asked with intense sadness in his voice.

"No." I shook my head and it brought the dizziness back. I dropped my head into my hands again, trying to stop it.

"Morgan, can you carry her back please?" Hotch asked.

"Yeah." Morgan sighed. He was disappointed in me; Reid and Hotch were disappointed in me. They were all disappointed in me. Rossi was speechless. He didn't know what to do or say or how he would even approach this situation at all.

Morgan went to lift me up but I pushed him away, "I can walk." I stood up and almost fell, the dizziness not fading at all.

"Yeah, no you can't." He scooped me up and carried me back to Rossi's against my will. I hadn't run far at all. I was disappointed in myself, now.


"How many days, exactly?" Morgan asked me. I looked at him in confusion, "Since you ate something nourishing." He expanded.

I sighed and decided that lies were not going to get me anywhere, "5 days, maybe. Nothing at all in 3…" I was sitting on the couch again, my feet up and a blanket wrapped tightly to my frame. I was shivering. I wondered if any of them had notice the few pounds I had dropped. I was 128 before I was kidnapped and now I was 124. It wasn't much but I could see it. I had gradually been eating less and less since the first day with JJ and my body wasn't used to the reduce nutrients.

"Emily, you do not need to lose any weight." JJ shook her head, "You're perfect."

"I really don't want to talk about this." I said quietly.

"You just really want to go to bed, don't you?" Rossi asked. I gave him a guilty smile and he sighed, "Go."

"Rossi…" Garcia said once I thanked him and stood up. I walked out of the room and stopped behind the wall to listen.

"What?" He asked her.

"You're not going to make her talk to us?"

"It's not something people normally want everyone to know, Penelope. Hotch and I will talk to her when she's more comfortable and feeling a bit better."

"Her head is messed up." JJ said. That hit me hard. "She needs help. Professional help and we need to take her to the appointments or she isn't going to go. We should consider mental institutions too."

"Jesus JJ, calm down. I don't think it's at that point yet." Morgan said.

"She has a history of mental illness." Hotch pointed out, "It will only get worse as she refuses treatment but I don't want to send her away. She'll feel like we don't care."

"If she needs to feel like we don't care to get better then maybe it's something we should consider. If she feels that the only way for us to find her is important is for her to get better than we could pretend not to care." JJ said. My stomach was churning.

"Or she could kill herself if we did that, considering she's already suicidal and hates herself enough, but sure JJ, be as cruel as you want." Reid said the last part sarcastically, "That's just heartless."

"Well what do you propose we do?" JJ asked, attitude in her voice.

"Not that! We show her our support and we make sure she goes to her appointments and we don't let her close herself off anymore."

Silence fell over them momentarily. "I'm scared…" Garcia broke it.

"Yeah me too, Pen." JJ agreed. I shook my head and wiped the tears on my cheeks. I walked upstairs silently and closed my door slowly so they wouldn't hear it.