And finally the Epilogue...I hope you liked the story

Thank you very much to everyone who took the time to read the story and to who so kindly reviewed it! I so appreciate it!

:)


On second chances and surprises

They kicked down the door and entered the house silently splitting in different directions. Living room, clear. Kitchen, clear. Master bedroom and bathrooms all clear. Then a second room with some furniture a table, two chairs a sofa and a piano, clear. They looked at each other, discomfort arising, where the hell was she?
Then they heard a whispering male voice from behind a wall, Rossi and Morgan looked at each other and suddenly headed in the direction of the noise. Only then they noticed the traces on the carpet suggesting that the sofa had been moved against a previously unnoticed door painted with the same color of the wall. They moved the sofa silently, and then burst into the room, McAdams was standing beside a table, cleaver in his hands and a body tied to the table. Derek prayed it was not too late.

He heard the noise of feet running through the house and soon after the door slamming. He closed his eyes and saw again that smiled he had sacrificed everything for, inhaled deeply, and hit the cleaver toward the body one more time "To you my Rose".

Emily closed her eyes as soon as the cleaver went down on her. She blamed herself for turning down happiness for such a long time, then she blamed the bad timing of good things in her life, now that she had stopped fighting her feelings it was to late for her. For a moment she had the impression of hearing that husky voice whispering something to her. She wondered why the pain took so much time to kick in, after all a killer was butchering her.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. The shots lit the room and went all to the target. McAdams fell down without a sigh. Rossi checked his pulse while Reid called for the paramedics. Derek and Hotch hurried to check Emily and started untying her.

"Prentiss, you're ok?" Morgan went on asking a few times, god knows how he could keep professional avoiding to hold her in his arms.

She finally opened her eyes and realized the situation, after a few seconds she found the strength to nod, and mumble few words "Rose Lawson".

"We know, she is gone but we are looking for her. Now we'll take you to the hospital. Keep strong" Rossi calmed her down.

Before the paramedics arrived she managed to get Derek closer and whisper him few words "I told her you were different"

He squeezed her hand and whispered back "We got you, you're safe. You'll be fine"


"I am curious" he teased her smiling and delicately kissing her shoulder.

"I am sleeping and it's Sunday. Keep it for later okay?" Emily shrugged, making herself closer in his warm embrace and grinning as she felt his smile.

Few silent seconds. "Did she really call me Prince Charming?" he couldn't resist too long.

"Derek Morgan, you and your ego. Could you please let me sleep a bit more?"

He just answered pulling her closer and gently brushing her hair.

Emily shivered unwillingly thinking back at those hours, at her conversation with Rose "She told me I didn't have to trust you, because you would leave me again" she turned serious.

"And what did you answered?" his body sudden got tense remembering what they had been through and how close he got to lose her.

"Rose thought the only way to keep people close was to corrupt and seduce them, I believe that real power is being aware that you can hurt me and choosing not to do that."

He looked at her dubious.

"Derek, I know that you could hurt me a lot, and you I know you know it as well. But I also trust you with my life and I know you will actually never let me down"

Several weeks had passed since her abduction and no traces of Rose had been found. She vanished. Eddie and the families of the victims finally had at least the relief which came with the truth, but deep inside Emily knew she would have never felt closure until she had found her.

"Emily we can't take back what we've done to ourselves and to each other, I would like to go back and do things differently, but I can't. I have been given a second chance though and there's no day I don't think back at the moment we found you on that table, I swore I would have faced hell to get you back to me safe. And I still would and I.."

She turned to look him in the eyes and gave him with a long, delicate kiss "I love you Derek Morgan"

He took several second to process her words "Again?"

"But let's not make a big deal out of it, okay?" she cradled in his arms tracing few kisses on his collarbone.

"What do you mean let's not make a big deal out of it? Prentiss.."

"Sunday morning. 7:30. Sleep." She smiled smugly determined in not waking up completely and letting him cook a little bit more while processing her words, until the doorbell finally crashed her plans and got her out of the bed, leaving alone a speechless and incredulous Derek Morgan.

When she opened the door nobody was in the aisle, there was just a white box resting on her door mat.

Derek found her standing in the living room staring at the present, he froze when he saw the gift, a red rose.

He got closer "We'll found her, I promise" he whispered holding her tight, as if he understood where her thought was going.

"Or she will find me before" she stated quietly resting her face on his chest, "but until then she's not going to have any power on me" she took his hand and guided him back to the bedroom.


THE END…?