The next morning, JJ and Emily woke up around 8 and sat at the table to talk while Maisy slept.
"Did you talk to Will?" Emily asked.
"Yeah. He said we'll talk when I get back" JJ said looking worried and Emily gave her a nod. "He didn't really sound like he wants this"
"He needs time to think, JJ." Emily said and suddenly her phone rang. It was Hotch. He told her that CPS called and they were sending the social worker. He explained everything to Emily and they hung up.
"So?" JJ asked worried.
"Hotch said Lorena will be working on her case still. And that CPS is sending her today" Emily said.
"What? Today?!" JJ said scared. Maisy shifted on the bed and Emily shushed JJ.
"In about an hour. But calm down. He said that he told them about someone on the team wanting to take the girl. So they said that we have to talk to Lorena and she'll tell us exactly what to do" Emily said.
"So they're not taking her away?" JJ asked.
"I don't think so" Emily said.
"You don't think so?" JJ said low but a little angry. "No! They can't just come and take her away!"
Emily shushed her again and when she looked at the bed her heart broke. "Maisy" Emily said feeling bad.
Maisy was awake and she had tears streaming down her face.
"Oh honey" JJ said and walked to the bed. Maisy threw herself in JJ's arms.
"I don't wanna go" Maisy cried. She was so scared.
"Shuu it going to be okay" JJ said.
"Please I don't wanna go! I wanna stay here with you! I wanna stay with you" Maisy kept crying.
"I know, honey. I know" JJ said feeling bad. She rocked Maisy for a while and the girl started to calm down. Once JJ saw she was calmer she decided to explain.
"Maisy, do you remember that lady that took your brother and your sister to the police station?" JJ said and Maisy nodded. "She'll come here today"
"Why? Is she gonna take me back to them?" Maisy asked sounding scared.
"No no, honey." JJ said. "Look" she said and Maisy looked her in the eyes. "They found your mom toda-"
Maisy cut her off "no! Please i don't want mom. Don't. I don't.. I wanna stay here" Maisy cried.
"Shuu! Maisy look at me. Listen to me" JJ said as Emily walked to the bed. Maisy looked at her but the tears kept falling and she looked scared.
"You're never going to live with your mother again. She did a lot of bad things. No one will take you back to her now. Do you understand?" JJ said.
"Not even that lady? Or aunt Kim?" Maisy asked.
"No. they can't take you to her. Not to her and not to your dad. You're safe now" JJ said.
Maisy hid her face on JJ.
Maisy wanted to believe so bad but something deep down kept telling her that they'd find her and they'd get her back.
JJ looked at Emily and she wasn't sure of how to explain their plan. So Emily started...
"Maisy, do you remember how JJ talked to you about them finding you a new mom and Dad? Good ones"
Maisy looked at Emily and said "I just want to stay here."
"I know you do. We know" JJ said.
"But this is a hotel Maisy. It's not a house and you can't live in a hotel" Emily said.
"Can I live in your house?" Maisy innocently asked JJ. "I'll be good. I'll be really good. I promise" she said crying. She was just so scared to leave JJ's side.
"Maisy, as much as I want that, I can't just take you to my house" Jennifer said with tears in her eyes.
"Why not? I'll be good" Maisy cried.
"I know you'll be good, honey. I know" JJ said as she wiped Maisy's cheek. "Look." She said. "I can't just take you home with me right now"
Maisy looked down.
"I want to do that Maisy but it's complicated right now" JJ said. "I have a husband and a son and I need to talk to them first."
The little girl had stopped crying but she was upset and scared.
JJ looked at Emily and raised her eyebrows as a sign for Emily to talk.
"Maisy" Emily said. "How about you come to my house for a while?" She asked and the girl looked at her. "Would you like to do that?"
"You don't have a husband?" Maisy asked.
"No. it's just me" Emily said. "And my cat" she added.
"You have a cat?" The little girl asked shyly.
JJ and Emily smiled.
"I do" Emily said. "Do you want to see a picture?"
Maisy nodded.
Emily got her phone and pulled up a picture of Sergio laying on her couch.
"This is Sergio" Emily said and handed the phone to Maisy. "that day he laid on my couch all afternoon" Emily said and Maisy smiled.
"He's cute huh?" JJ asked and Maisy nodded and handed the phone back to Emily.
"So would you like to come stay with me and Sergio?" Emily asked.
"Till you talk to your husband?" Maisy asked JJ.
"Yeah" Jennifer said.
"But what if he says no?" Maisy asked with tears in her eyes.
"Then you"ll stay with me" Emily said.
JJ looked at Emily shocked and Emily just smiled. There was no way she was letting that sweet 4 year-old go to a strangers' house.
Maisy thought for a while and said "Okay then". She was scared but she always wanted a pet so she thought it would be okay with Sergio there.
"Really?" JJ asked with a smile. She was happy the girl understood and wasn't mad at her.
Maisy nodded and then looked at Emily. She looked tense and like she wanted to say something.
Emily kept smiling and said "go on"
Maisy said "can I ask you something?"
"of course" Emily said.
"Are you good like her?" Maisy asked and then looked at JJ.
"Maisy, I promise she's very very good. I would never let you go with someone that was bad" Jennifer said.
"You not gonna hurt me like them, are you?" Maisy said.
"No. I swear I won't" Emily said. She got off the bed and walked closer to where JJ and Maisy were sitting and sat next to them. She took Maisy's hand in hers.
"I promise that I'll take good care of you, okay?" Emily said. "Maisy, what your parents did was very very bad and no child should have to go through that. But I swear that I will never ever hurt you like that. Ever. Okay?"
"Okay" Maisy whispered and hid her face on JJ.
"And JJ is going to visit you and we'll go out. You'll see her all the time" Emily said.
"I will?" Maisy asked looking at JJ.
"Yes." JJ smiled and Maisy smiled back.
There was a moment of silence and then Emily said "so... in about an hour, that lady, uhmm Lorena, will come here and we're going to talk to her and see everything I have to do to take you with me. Okay?"
Maisy nodded.
"So let's get ready for that?" JJ asked and Maisy shook her head no. "You don't want to wear another pretty dress?"
Maisy looked down.
"What's wrong Maisy?" Emily asked.
"I don't wanna take bath" Maisy whispered. Emily looked at JJ.
"You don't need one right now. You can do that tonight before bed" JJ said. "Okay?"
Maisy nodded.
"So let's go change your clothes." JJ said and got off the bed. Maisy followed her and Jennifer helped the girl change right there in the room.
When Maisy was dressed, JJ told her to sit on the bed and watch some tv while she showered. So Maisy did as told.
CMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCM
A while later Jennifer walked in the room to find Maisy sitting in the exact same position watching tv. JJ smiled and grabbed her clothes.
"Em?" JJ said and Emily, who was sitting at the table reading something on her phone, looked up.
"Yes" Emily said.
"Can you get her hair done? Or we're gonna be late" JJ said and walked back in the bathroom.
Maisy looked at Emily and Emily could tell the girl was scared.
"Can I?" Emily asked and Maisy shook her head no. "I'll do it very slowly like JJ" Emily said.
Maisy thought for a while and then walked to Emily. Emily got the hair brush, placed Maisy on the bed and sat behind her. She brushed the girl's hair slowly and carefully.
"Ow" Maisy said when Emily brushed out a knot too quick and pulled her hair.
"I'm sorry" Emily said feeling bad. She paid more attention to it and brushed it all.
"Done" Emily said. "Do you want a pony tail or something like that?" Emily asked and Maisy shook her head no, she had enough of all that hair brushing, she just hated it.
"Alright, then go get your shoes on" Emily said and Maisy went.
As Maisy sat on the floor and put her shoes on she kept tucking hair behind her ears because it was falling on her face. Emily saw, grabbed a hair clip and walked to her.
"Maisy, do you want to put this on to help keep that hair away?"
Maisy nodded and Emily put the hair clip on her.
"Thanks" Maisy whispered.
"You're welcome" Emily smiled and stood up.
"Miss Emily" Maisy said.
"Just Emily is fine, sweetie"
"Emily, can you help me with my shoes? I can't do it" Maisy asked playing with the laces.
"Of course I can" Emily said kneeing down. She tied Maisy's converse.
JJ walked out of the bathroom all dressed and ready. She found Emily helping Maisy and she couldn't help but smile.
She was a little scared before about how Maisy would react to Emily being the one taking her home but now she believed the girl would be okay.
She could see Maisy was trying to really trust Emily too. She just hoped it would be soon.
"All done?" JJ asked.
Maisy smiled when she heard JJ's voice. She got up quickly and walked to Jennifer.
"You look so good" JJ said putting her hand on the girl's cheek.
"Thank you" Maisy smiled and wrapped her arms around JJ's leg. Jennifer scooped the girl up and they headed to the hotel's restaurant.
CMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCM
Emily and JJ walked in the restaurant to find Lorena and Hotch waiting for them. JJ was holding Maisy and the girl hid her face when she saw Hotch and the woman.
They walked to the table and sat. Maisy refused to let go of JJ so she let the girl sit on her lap.
"So I was told that someone was interested in fostering her" Lorena started.
"Yes, I am" Emily said.
"Oh you?" Lorena said surprised. "I thought it was Agent Jareau."
"I'm married. I can't decided something like this on my own. But the plan is for her to come with me later on" JJ said.
"Oh I see" Lorena said.
The woman could see Maisy was attached to Jennifer.
"They want to know what is the next step" Hotch said.
"Well, that is a lot of paperwork." Lorena said. "Agent Prentiss will need to file to be her foster parent and CPS will need to go through all the papers. Once you're approved they'll send the case to the judge to sign."
"And how long does that take?" Emily asked.
"Usually 5 days to two weeks. It really depends. But the faster we get your documents the better" Lorena said.
"Do I send them to you or...?" Emily asked.
"I have the forms you need to fill out here and once you're done you can gather it all with a copy of your documents and send it to my office" Lorena said handing a folder to Emily.
"Alright" Emily said. She opened the folder and there was a lot of papers inside. "Wow" she said.
"Is there any way we can make this go faster?" Hotch asked.
"Paper wise there is nothing I can do. But I can let her stay here with you since she was a witness, instead of taking her to an orphanage or a foster home" Lorena said. "She doesn't have to go through more trauma"
"Thank you" JJ said. Maisy hid her face on JJ the entire time and everyone could see she was scared.
"So what are my chances on this?" Emily asked.
"The state wants what's best for her. And I want that too. She deserves a good home and I'm pretty sure you and Agent Jareau will make sure she has that" Lorena said.
Emily nodded.
"Do you have any other questions?" The woman asked.
"No. I think that's it" Emily said.
"Alright, so send me everything as soon as possible and here's my number if you have any questions" Lorena said handing Emily her card and then standing up.
"Thank you so much" Emily said. She stood up and shook Lorena's hand. Hotch did the same. JJ went to get up but failed, Maisy hugged her tighter so she just sat back and let out a little laugh.
Lorena smiled and said "bye maisy" but the girl kept hiding.
"How about some pancakes now?" JJ asked and Maisy looked at her. "Uhmm I'm pretty sure I can see a little smile in there" JJ said giving Maisy a little tickle and Maisy couldn't hold it and smiled. JJ hugged her and Emily and Hotch smiled at the scene.
They ate breakfast and midway through it the rest of the team got there.
"Good morning my nerds" Rossi said and took a seat next to JJ's.
"Hi Maisy" Spencer said and the little girl smiled. She liked him a lot. "Are those pancakes good?" He asked.
"Yes" Maisy said and took another fork full.
Everyone smiled as they saw how relaxed the girl was.
They ate breakfast and talked about the meeting with the social worker. Once everyone was done, Hotch and Morgan left so JJ asked if Spencer and David could keep Maisy occupied so Emily and her could fill the papers. They said yes, so the rest of the morning was spent at the hotel's restaurant. They order coffee and snacks from time to time.
While Emily and JJ worked on the papers, Rossi and Spencer tried to keep Maisy entertained. The girl did some drawing, Spencer did a bunch of magic tricks and then Rossi bought two puzzles at the hotel's gift shop for them to do.
They headed back to their rooms around 11:20am.
"Say bye" JJ told Maisy.
The little girl smiled and waved at Rossi and Spencer.
"See you later Maisy" Reid said and they left.
"Let's go?" JJ asked Maisy and the girl nodded. She was tired of sitting there.
They got up to leave and Hotch walked in.
"Hi. Are you all done?" He asked surprised.
"Yes. We did it together and Reid checked it all out" Emily said. "So now all we need to do is take this to her office" Emily said.
"What about your documents?" Hotch asked.
"Garcia just sent them and Lorena will print it out" Emily said. She had called Penelope and explained what was going on and of course Garcia was over the moon and wanted to help them.
"Okay. I'll see you when you get back then" Hotch said.
JJ picked Maisy up and they headed to their room. Emily picked up a jacket and a few other things and they headed to the car. Maisy was a little scared so she refused to let go of JJ.
Jennifer sat on the back with Maisy while Emily drove to Lorena's office.