Disclaimer: *See Chapter 1*


Despite how easily she'd fallen asleep, Emily struggled to pry her eyes open at the first sight of the sun. Since her run in with Steve, seven days wove into one another more swiftly than she would have liked. Only three days after her unexpected breakdown, Derek found her a second storefront where the manager was supposedly less intimidating. Even though her body was rigid with hesitation, she managed to make it to each of her shifts, the hours coming and going before she had very much time to put significant thought into it. With the idea of yet another one of Derek's connections imposing on her limited privacy, she quietly welcomed the distraction. With something to do, she had very little if any time to consider just how much JJ was going to ask of her when the day finally showed itself. The fact that now she shot upright, her heart hammering in her chest, the easy blend of seven was currently taking significant pause.

Not until she pressed a sweaty palm to her chest in a lame attempt to slow its rhythm did she remember how they had fallen asleep. In the presence of anyone else, the smile she found wouldn't be as genuine and smooth as the one that crawled across her mouth now. Next to her, the officer was still fast asleep, the arm outstretched behind her likely numb with the weight of her body. For only a moment she felt guilty at the idea. Easing a soft kiss to his lips, she quietly walked around to his side of the bed picking up one of many discarded shirts. How long it had been laying there untouched she didn't know. All that mattered was that it was still bathed in his natural perfume and long enough to cover parts of her that only he had ever seen.

Quietly slipping out of the room she met Clooney at the foot of the stairs, lightly rolling her eyes when he nipped at her heel with a soft grunt. With so many changes, at least she could rely on one or two consistencies. After filling the retriever's bowl, she set to work on her next task; making breakfast for the two of them. It was really the least she could do after everything she'd put him through in the last few days. Taking in the muffled sound of the shower just above her, her body hummed with new found anticipation. Finally she could give herself brief moments of an exercised imagination, though what she now pictured was something she'd seen with her own two eyes. Minutes later Derek's familiar step came in closer, turning her attention to a muscled officer dressed in nothing more than a towel.

"Morning," he mumbled, his natural scent wrapping around her like the blanket she didn't think she needed until he pressed a routine kiss to her forehead. Though she hadn't meant to, Emily found herself stepping in closer, soaking in every bit of reassurance he had to offer.

"Hi..." she whispered, more confidently than she had in past exchanges. After a moment, she shuffled back, the strong smell of coffee reminding her why she forced herself out of bed that morning.

"Something smells good," he mumbled brushing a thumb lightly along her lower lip. The combination of comment and touch brought a light blush to her cheeks, even while being absolutely certain he wasn't referring to her at all. At least, she hoped he wasn't. Not right now anyway. Derek had a tendency to leave her thoroughly distracted and she had to rein in as many coherent thoughts as possible. Noticing the flush out of the corner of his eye, Morgan smirked tugging at a ringlet of her hair before stepping around her.

"I…I hope you don't mind. I kind of…did some digging around the kitchen to…"

"You didn't have to make me breakfast, Prentiss." The young woman bit her lip nervously, dreading the thought of him absolutely hating it.

"I…I made you pancakes too. The strawberry ones, with extra whip cream. I…I know you like them best." Derek smiled plating a short stack and finding a place at the kitchen table.

"Thank you," he grinned, a little bit surprised that she seemed so nervous. They had both been floating around this kitchen for weeks. Today, it was like she could barely set foot in it without looking over her shoulder. "You wanna have a seat?" he mumbled pointing a fork at the chair next to him. Emily quietly complied, watching his every expression out of the corner of her eye. Catching her gaze, he frowned. "What is it?" Hoping to keep any concerns to herself, her lips began to form words without warning.

"What if she finds out that something is wrong?" she muttered, stretching her hands in an attempt to keep them occupied. With a fork hovering at his mouth, he looked up, trying to process her question while providing a sufficient answer.

"She just wants to talk to you," he affirmed. Even while she nodded, meeting Garcia gave her enough indication that things like this usually meant a lot more than that.

"But what if there's something wrong?" she repeated. "What if I don't come back after?" Derek sighed, keeping to himself that pulling out her mask was somewhat of an ideal situation. Squeezing her hand across the table, he wove his fingers in silently.

"I'll still be here," he mumbled. No matter how many times she'd heard those exact words, something about hearing them now seemed to settle frazzled nerves she didn't think she had until he spoke them.

"And you'll hold me? No matter what?" A second nod pulled a sigh of relieve from her plumped lip. "Please don't leave me alone with her," she mumbled. "Even when she asks you to?"

"She won't," he mumbled. After a few encounters there was a good chance of that but today wasn't supposed to be about digging too deeply into her past. If it happened, it happened. If it didn't, there were always other opportunities. Derek had lost count of the various ways he offered the same reassurances. Considering how much she kept hidden, it wasn't all that suprirsing either. He would be labeled a hypocrite if he didn't understand the same secrecy about his own demons.

"You keep saying that but…Garcia was supposed to just be your friend…Now she comes over all the time, just to make sure I haven't stabbed myself," she mumbled. The officer rolled his eyes, remembering all too well the impromptu shopping trip both women forced him to attend just the other day. The time to hold Garcia's secondary role against him had come and gone a long time ago.

"You two were pretty cool over the weekend. If I remember right, you worked together to max out my credit card." Mention of their spree made Emily blush, the sheer amount spent on various articles of clothing making her feel tremendously guilty.

"Sorry…." she whispered, her voice equally small. "I…It's not like me." Derek just smiled squeezing her hand gently.

"I never said I had a problem with it." Money was tight in general lately but seeing as Prentiss was just starting to experience life, he figured it was a small price to pay. Just the fact that she'd been able to smile more readily was all the indication he needed that this was the better alternative.

"Derek….I'm not supposed to do things like that," she mumbled, each one of her proxy family members flashing right before her as some kind of warning. "It…It's not fair. I get to live in a castle while they...I'm lucky to see them at all most of the time. He nodded slowly, his heart throbbing as she spoke of her Chicago family.

"Emily, you're allowed to treat yourself…" The short excursion offered Garcia the chance to observe without any real pressure, an added plus he made a point not to mention. Thankfully she noted that Prentiss was making "good progress". She hadn't exactly gone onto explain it too much but he took the assessment gladly.

"They're my family, Derek. All they've done is take care of me. And the first thing I do is jump at the chance to leave them behind. They're right to call me a selfish bitch. Because I am." Crossing his silverware on an empty plate, he folded his hands, trying to find the proper words.

"Survival isn't selfish," he whispered. "Every last one of you deserve that." Emily shook her head. This wasn't about making it out alive. This was about the chance to sleep in a bed. She now got three meals a day. Just months before, it took three of them to find just one source of food. "Look at this way, Garcia needed new shoes. Do I look like the kind of person who has a believable opinion on that kind of thing?" Trying her hardest to hide a smile at the mental image he'd put in her head, she shook it slowly. "There you go. You just saved me a bunch of whining."

"You two are pretty close, huh?" Morgan nodded slowly, unable to recall a time in his life when the blonde wasn't somehow by his side.

"In case you're wondering, I have guy friends too," he said, making a point to say something about it before the follow up question left her mouth. "And no, Garcia and I have never dated. She's like a sister to me." Prentiss bobbed her head slowly, silently relieved to be given the reminder. "Both the best and worst thing to happen to me," he laughed. "Always finds a way to make almost anybody smile. That kind of thing is hard to find."

"Is…Is she coming over too?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I think it'll depend on what she needs for your assessment. Would it be terrible if she did?" Emily thought about that for a moment, still not quite

"I…She's going to ask really personal questions. Maybe not today but later." Derek nodded slowly, already mentally preparing for the slow unravelling.

"I know," he said remembering all too well how personal his own counsellor often was. "But she does that to help you." Without meaning to, she let her gaze drop, mentally stumbling over her words hoping they wouldn't just pour out of her mouth.

"You said that sometimes you can't be there," she whispered. Again Morgan nodded, the uneasiness more than clear in the way she spoke. Even though every part of her wished he could be, she couldn't be so damn dependent on him. She was almost certain that if he didn't care about her as much as he did, her neediness would give him reason to snap by now. "Would it be okay if I….When you can't be there…" she stopped, clearing her dry throat, once more working diligently to avoid his eyes.

"All you have to do is ask." Even though she hadn't yet, Derek already knew that someone like Garcia would jump at the opportunity. She had a tendency to stick her nose in almost everything. When it came to someone needing her help? Well, that just made her more determined to do something. "I'm sure she'd love to. It might even be easier for you to have her there instead of me."

"She doesn't understand like you though."

"You'd be surprised," he mumbled. Emily raise d a curious brow, silently wondering if she had unintentionally pulled at a thread she shouldn't have. "Penelope doesn't get it but she knows better than almost anyone how to make you feel safe. I know you don't want to but I promise you, you can tell that woman just about anything."

"I'm not weak," she nearly blurted.

"Nobody said anything about you being weak, Emily."

"She has to know that…She has to know that I fought. I'm alive because I fought…"

"Yes you did. Now, you think you're ready to try? JJ's going to be here in a few minutes." Prentiss sighed. This wasn't exactly her idea of a Saturday. She was supposed to feel calm and relaxed. Currently she was ready to claw at her own face as she swam in anxiety.

"I won't like her," she grumbled. Jennifer might be his friend but he couldn't help but agree at least a little bit. He wasn't best friends with his therapist either.

"Tell you what. If you're still up for it after, we'll head to the park." Emily swallowed hard, remembering all too well what happened to her the last time they had gone. "We'll find a nice quiet spot and just…"

"No," she shot back much too quickly. "I told you before that I wasn't going ot go back," she added on the edge of panic, her chest already filling ot the brim with unease.

"We don't have to talk to anyone. We don't even have to look at anyone. If we go we can just…"

"They're going to see…"

"I'll make sure they don't." Emily couldn't help but think that an impossible task. The park was public property. Anyone could come and go as they pleased, draw their attention to anything that caught their eye. "Will you at least think about it?" Prentiss hesitated. She didn't have to say yes. But she could tell by the look on his face that he hoped she would. Still unsure of a solid answer, she nodded. Yes, she would think about it. She just hoped he wouldn't hate her if the answer was still no.


Both had taken their place on the couch almost an hour earlier, Emily's body blaring with uncertainty. She had taken his hands on instinct, quietly begging him to wrap his arms around her as tightly as he possibly could.. This time, the request was not so much about her unborn child as the hope that having them there would keep her from throwing up in their living room. When the doorbell sounded, Emily almost jumped clear out of her skin, a soft cry falling out of her mouth.

"You'll be okay," he murmured. Hearing the soft click of an opening door, she let her eyes dart in every other given direction. She had been reassured that JJ was absolutely no threat to her but as true as that was, the woman was about to be given access to everything that scared her to death. Daring to bring back her unsure gaze, she smiled only a little at the sight of familiar shoes much too strappy and bright for a doctor.

"Hey baby girl." The gentle greeting gave Emily yet another glimpse into just how important this relationship was to him. Already her presence took an enormously heavy weight off his chest. The realization that she was the one who probably put it there made her feel guilty all over again. Slowly, she slipped off his lap, watching the two embrace brought unexpected tears to the young woman's eyes. She could only hope that she filled an equally big void in Derek's life.

"Hello my loves," she chirped lightly squeezing Emily's shoulder soon after. Her ears perked at the unmistakable pluralization of the word leaving her to wonder once again why Penelope Garcia cared so damn much about a woman she barely knew. Because you're important to him she rationalized. Derek would say that it was a lot more than that but for the time being, her own conclusion had to be the most logical. For that reason, she forced herself to relax when the woman touched her, offering a hint of a smile in response.

"Hi Garcia…" For a minute she was almost sure she hadn't been heard but when expressive eyes turned her way, the blonde's smile only seemed to grow.

"You look good," she whispered. Even if it was meant to be a compli ment, she wasn't quite sure she believed it. If any bit of that was referring to the fact that she felt better than the last time they'd seen each other, then yeah, maybe she did look good. "I hope you don't mind that I tagged along." Only a small part of her did mind but she wasn't about to say that. Penelope wouldn't be making a big deal of the fact that she would be curled up tightly in his lap. In fact, she seemed to encourage it sometimes. "JJ says she has some ideas and. I'd just like to…know how I might help you more." Prentiss nodded uneasily. Wanting to "help her" was only part of the reason for her being there and on some level everyone in the room knew that.

After sitting in silence for what felt like forever, the sound of the doorbell made Emily jump, her nails digging harshly into Derek's wrist on impulse.

"Shh..." The soft kiss he pressed to the base of her neck drew a heavy sigh. Half expecting to be knocked off her safe perch, several other nerves fell silent when Penelope rose to let her in. Looking up as the woman stepped into the room, the officer gave a soft smile, though his eyes were not nearly as expressive as they had been moments before. If she dared to think about it, he almost looked…protective. Given the circumstance, she wasn't quite sure if it was for her benefit or his own. "Hey JJ, thanks for coming to us." The soft click of her heels brought Emily's focus back to the couch that sat across from them, her natural tendency to size up the occupant coming over her without warning.

"Not a problem, Morgan. A lot of the time, house calls are easier." Emily's gaze shifted once more, hoping her face looked steady when she finally chanced a look at the unfamiliar guest. "Hi Emily, I'm Jennifer. You can call me JJ. It's nice to meet you." Despite the small greeting sitting on the edge of her tongue, Emily remained silent, glancing between the only two familiar figures in the room.

"Okay."

"So…How do you two know each other?" Prentiss had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. That was not only a stupid as fuck question but an answer she already had." To that, she chose to shrug.

"Usually outside the7-11," she said honestly. "Sometimes I'm at the grocery store. Guess it depends on the day." Even though she knew that wasn't even close to the truth, she wasn't about to say anything about restaurant dumpsters and their occasional meeting outside of Planned Parenthood. The answer seemed sufficient enough as nobody chose to correct her.

"How long have you known Derek for?"

"A while," she mumbled.

"Would you say that you two are friends?" Over the last few days they had taken "friend" to an entirely different level but she figured that wasn't even close to an appropriate answer.

"I guess," she shrugged. "I mean, he's the only one who actually comes to get me anymore."

"Where does he usually come to get you?" Where else? she thought I was a rat. Sometimes I still am.

"Outside the store," she repeated dryly. "He has to because it's his job."

"Where does he take you after?" He puts me in a box. A really small box.

"He puts me in jail." Behind her Derek frowned, trying hard as hell to ignore the fact that she spoke about it so presently. He had to remind himself that she had to if they were going to help her.

"What does he put you in jail for?" she asked, noticing Penelope stiffen beside her.

"Because I take stuff."

"What kind of stuff do you take?"

"Food and water."

"Is that all?" Emily nodded silently leaving out the part of her answer that made it no more than a white lie.

"Yeah." These were questions everyone in the room knew the answers to. For that reason she found herself answering them as simply and quickly as possible. She also knew that asking them was all part of the woman's job. It'll make him happy she thought. Given the week from Hell she'd dealt him, she couldn't stand the thought of disappointing him more than she already had.

"Would you say that you like it there?" At that Emily stiffened, the words she was ready to spill doused with fire.

"What the fuck kind of question is that? You'd have to be a freaking lunatic to like it in there. We go there because we have to. It's not exactly Disney World." Granted, she only knew how "happy" a place it was based on the commercials she saw on TV. It was one of the last things she saw before her dad set it on fire. Only later would she learn that he was drunk off his ass when he was her in front of it. She still wasn't sure what set him off that day, though an even bigger part of her didn't really care. She could be walking around in socks and the man would go off on her.

"That's true. But you've been in there quite a bit over the last few years."

"I'm not crazy," she shot back quickly, ready to debunk that part of the argument the woman held.

"I'm sure you're not. Is there another reason you kept finding yourself in there?" Prentiss swallowed hard, looking to Derek for some form of reassurance. In that moment she hoped he could provide her with a decent enough answer. Anything she said would make her look like a pathetic loser.

"I don't know," she mumbled. "He was stupid enough to come get me." Derek rolled his lip, hearing the blame she didn't have to put into words.

"So it's officer Morgan's fault you ended up in jail."

"I guess."

"Did you ever think to stop?" Prentiss opened her eyes wide, hearing the accusation JJ intelligently kept in her mouth.

"That's a stupid fucking question," she said stiffly.

"Why is it stupid?" Emily sighed, every part of her mouth coated with frustration.

"Because it is," she grumbled. "That's like me asking you why you go to work everyday. I did what I did because doing what I did kept me alive. I didn't steal for drugs, I never took a single thing of alcohol. I stole to stay alive. You would too…." The second part she added with a touch of hesitation, dropping her gazed to Derek's hands, choosing to play with them in an attempt to avoid the stare she knew to be on the woman's face. She wasn't the first one to judge her. She wouldn't be the last one either.

"Chicago has a lot of kitchens and shelters. Did you ever go there?" Slowly, she nodded, her eyes still drawn to the fine lines of Derek's huge hands. "And what happened when you did?"

"There was no food. Everyone already took it all. When I needed a bed, they were all full." Hearing this, Garcia frowned, her heart slowly chipping away while she dared to imagine the girl struggling to meet her most basic needs. "The ones in jail are really hard. They hurt my back. But there's food there. And Derek takes care of me…"

"How does Derek take care of you?" The question made Emily squirm uncomfortably in his lap, her hands unconsciously tightening the hold on her he already had.

"Whe-When I went to jail, he brought me food…" It wasn't anything extravagant but it was something. Something she didn't have to almost die to get a hold of. "At bedtime he brought me extra blankets…Because he knew."

"Because he knew what?"

"He knew that I was cold."

"That was really nice of him." Emily softly shook her head.

"He did it because he was supposed to…" Morgan blinked, the tone he'd already grown so familiar with slowly beginning to show itself.

"Stay with me…." he whispered. Hearing the warning, she quickly tightened her already firm grip, hoping that doing so would keep her in her own damn head, just this once. When she made an effort to stand a couple inches taller, the air shifted once more.

"You and Derek live together, right?" She nodded. "Do you feel safe here?" Another nod. "What does he do to make you feel safe?" Again the young woman shrugged, ignoring the fact that she had already asked the question earlier.

"It's warm…"

"What's warm?" His lap…His breath…His arms…His bed. She had to make a conscious effort to keep the real answer to herself.

"Derek doesn't make me sleep outside so I guess that's good."

"It is good. It's very good. Do you like it here, Emily?" Even though she allowed it for the sake of earlier pleasantries, only one person was ever allowed to call her that.

"Don't call me that," she grumbled, her voice laced with warning she hoped the woman wasn't stupid enough to ignore.

"She prefers Prentiss," she heard Garcia offer quietly

"I'm sorry." When she rephrased the question more appropriately Emily only managed another shrug. "What don't you like about it?" As much as she wanted to retract her earlier statement, deep down she knew she wasn't allowed to like it so much. Soon enough she would have to give it up, no matter hwo often Derek made a point to tell her otherwise.

"I don't know." How could she lie without lying? Deciding to keep it at that, she hoped JJ wouldn't press the issue. When the room suddenly fell silent, Emily unconsciously pressed her weight into his chest. Was she done? Could they go to the park now? After scribbling on in her notes for what Emiily figured was the hundredth time, the unfamiliar blonde slowly rose. As much as JJ was ready to point out the sudden shift in posture, she made a note of it for a later time. She had promised Derek that they would stay away from anything too personal for at least the first meeting.

"Prentiss….would it be okay if I came back later? I was hoping visit a little bit more." Just the thought of it made small hairs stand at the back of her neck. No. Once is enough. If she came back again, she would ask her real questions. Questions that made her want to hide. After so much fight to come back out she wasn't about to let this lady send her back. Especially in front of Penelope, who she was sure had a lot of things to write in her own file about how "good" she looked. Instead, she chose to shrug, offering a sense of indifference. "If you don't want me to, you're allowed to say that." No I'm not. She wasn't about to tell the woman how she felt in general. Just because she knew her name and a few details left in every single file across Chciago didn't mean she was suddenly allowed inside her head.

"If you want…"

"I'd like that. Thank you." She couldn't help but wonder if the entire team would be present at every one of her "meetings". At least for now, there was a certain comfort in the thought of it. Not only was Derek ready to step up for her but this proved that Penelope was as well. She hadn't exactly provided anything extra but knowing she was still in the room was…comforting. She was now beginning to see why Derek took such a liking to her. Garcia had a calm about her that nobody intentionally asked for. For only a moment she considered asking the woman to stay for dinner. Hearing the front door click, she turned expectant eyes over to Derek.

"Can we go now?" The inquiry came through in nothing more than a whisper. It would have been missed entirely if Derek wasn't already so well-versed. Watching her friend nod, Garcia finally gave into her slight curiosity.

"Where are you guys off to?" Letting her eyes shift for only a moment, she slowly found her words.

"The park. Y-you can…You can come if you want." She kept to herself just how much she wanted the woman there. Garcia would bring her nerve back down just by being there. It wasn't Derek but it was just as good. As much as he had always done for her, her guard was nonexistent when they were alone. Unless she made a conscious effort, everything she had done in the past few days would revert back to nothing.

"I would love to," she smiled."

"C-can Molly come too?" She had only met the small pug a few times but she was nice eough. She certainly had a way of bringing Garcia down a few notches. She was no Clooney but a dog's company was almost as effective as their human counterparts.

"I don't have a problem with it," Derek shrugged. When Garcia nodded enthusiastically, Emily let out a sigh of sudden relief. Three times the protection.

"Just in case…."


A/N: There we go! :)