I do not own Criminal Minds or any of the characters represented in this entirely fictional story.

Chapter Twelve

The team went back to Reno PD to collect their things before flying home. The atmosphere was subdued. Finn hadn't said a word on the drive back and now she was sat at the table as the rest of the team packed up around her. Every now and then someone would reach down and squeeze her shoulder or offer to get her a cup of coffee. Each time she smiled politely and shook her head. Eventually she stood and walked over to Hotch.

"Hotch, I just wanted to apologise for my behaviour earlier. It was unprofessional and could have put the team at risk."

"Finn, I understand what you needed to do but I needed you to follow my orders. But I thank you for apologising. We'll discuss it further when we get back to the BAU."

"About that. There's something I'd like to do first if that's ok?"

"Of course. We'll meet you at the plane."

Finn walked into the city morgue and flashed her ID to the assistant on duty. He looked slightly taken aback to be getting a visit from the FBI.

"Ma'am, how can I help you?"

"A body was brought in earlier today, John Chambers. I'd like to see the body please."

"Yes certainly ma'am." Said the assistant as he flicked through a book in front of him. "If you'd like to follow me."

Finn followed the morgue assistant down a dimly lit corridor into a sterile white room. The walls were lined with what looked like lockers. Finn knew what would be in each of them and it made her shudder. The assistant pulled the table out and started to pull back the sheet covering the body.

"It's ok, I can take it from here." Finn said, rather more forcefully than she intended. She ended her sentence with a smile, hoping to make up for the stern-ness of her words.

"Of course ma'am." The assistant more or less backed out of the room bowing to her.

Finn waited until she heard the door thud shut before she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Steeling herself for whatever reaction she was going to have she pulled back the cover and stared at the face of her torturer.

Finn didn't know what she would feel but she didn't expect it to be nothing absolutely nothing. There was no disgust, no revulsion, no fear, no sadness and no elation that he was dead. Since the investigation had started she had silently formulated questions she wanted answering. No not wanted; needed. She was sure that she'd need answers to gain the closure she needed. She needed to know why he picked her; what had she done to appeal to him because it was her he had picked, not Dan. Dan had been an unfortunate casualty of one man's psychosis. More than anything, Finn wanted to know that there was nothing she could have done to save Dan: she wanted her absolution. And Rossi had taken that away when he shot him.

Finn knew that she was being unrealistic and unfair when she blamed Rossi but it was the only raw emotion she could hold on to. Right now she needed someone to blame. From all accounts Rossi had no choice. John Chambers had obviously decided on suicide by cop and aimed his gun directly at Rossi. Rossi had done the exact same thing Finn would have if she'd been in his position.

Finn heard the door open behind her and she knew at once that it wasn't the morgue assistant. Rossi said nothing as he stood next to Finn. Neither of them spoke for a while.

"You shot him." It wasn't a question for Rossi; it was a statement of fact.

"I had no choice Finn. " Rossi said quietly. The sight of Finn crumpled on the floor I his arms would haunt him for a long time to come.

"I needed to check that he was really dead. I had to be sure. I expected to feel…to feel something."

"And what do you feel?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I don't know if it's shock or something. I don't know if it'll hit me later but right now, I feel absolutely nothing."

Finn covered the body with the sheet again and turned to face Rossi. He took both of her hands in his and pulled them towards his chest. He half expected her to resist; to show him that the old, feisty Finn was still there but she made no attempt to stop him.

"Finn I want you to promise me that when the time comes and you need someone to talk to about this, you'll call me. I don't care whether it's tonight or six months from now. I just want you to promise me that you'll pick up the phone and call me."

"Feeling guilty?" retorted Finn then immediately looked ashamed. "I'm sorry Rossi. That was uncalled for. I didn't mean it."

"You're right you know. I do feel guilty. I've put you through so much in the past couple of days and I do feel guilty about it. But you're a strong, feisty, independent woman Finn. You will get through this and I'll help you every step of the way."

"I guess I'd better put you on speed dial then." Finn smiled at Rossi.

"See, there's my smiling bella."

Finn snaked her arms around Rossi's neck and pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you Rossi. You gave me closure no one else could."

Rossi opened Finn's front door and held it for her. She walked into the hallway and turned to face him.

"Thanks for the ride Rossi. I'm ok from here."

"Yeah right." He snorted as he pushed past her.

Finn closed the door and followed Rossi down the hall into her kitchen. He already had the fridge door open.

"Do you have any milk?"

"Milk? I don't know. Probably not."

"Ok, I'll add it to the list."

"List? What list Rossi?" Finn slammed her hands down on the work surface. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Well, I was going to make you some hot chocolate to take to be with you but apparently you don't have any milk."

"Ok, there are three things we need to sort out." Rossi turned to face Finn and crossed his arms over his chest. He raised an eyebrow as Finn continued. "First of all I don't like hot chocolate. Second, you need to leave. You're not staying here."

"And what is the third?"

"I don't need you to look after me. I don't need anyone to look after me."

Rossi crossed the kitchen and stood in front of Finn. He put his hands on her shoulders and spoke softly to her.

"OK, bella, here's how it's going to be. Your house is my house; at least for the next few days. I am going to wait on you hand and foot until I am happy that you are doing ok. Until then you are going to accept my help with good grace and lots of smiles. Now bella, you need some sleep, albeit minus the hot chocolate. I will be here when you wake up."

"Rossi, you are not moving in with me whether it's for the next few days of the next few hours. I am a grown woman. I will be absolutely fine on my own."

"Finn, you can say all you want; you can moan all you want but I am staying here until I deem it time for me to leave. So, I suggest you take your scowl to bed and when you wake back up hopefully you'll be in a better mood."

Finn didn't say another word. She could see there was no point. Once Rossi had made his mind up it took a lot to change it. She talked off in the direction of her bedroom and slammed the door.

Rossi made himself comfortable on the sofa and flicked on the TV. He made his way through all the channels once before turning it off and picking up his phone.

"Garcia, have you managed to get everything I asked for?"

"Of course my liege. When do you want it?"

"As soon as you can. She should be asleep by now. I want to get everything sorted by the time she wakes up."

"Understood my Italian stallion. I am on my way."

Rossi threw his phone onto the coffee table and sat back in the chair. He'd just grab 40 winks before Garcia arrived. Unfortunately the 40 winks turned into full on snoring she he awoke with a start when the doorbell rang. He sprang out of the chair and ran to the door, trying not to slip on the wooden floor in his sock covered feet.

"Garcia, jeez couldn't you have rung or something? I don't want to wake her up."

"I'm not sure she's the one I've just woken up."

Rossi's head snapped to the speaker's face and was surprised to find that it was Morgan."

"Wow Garcia you've really let yourself go."

"Funny man, funny. My baby girl needs some rest too you know." Said Morgan as he pushed past Rossi and stomped his way to the kitchen.

"Make a little more noise will you?" muttered Rossi under his breath.

"So you're going to take care of her now are you Rossi?" Morgan leant against the worktop with his arms crossed over his huge chest. If he wanted to use his vast size to intimidate Rossi it was starting to work.

"Look Morgan, if there's one thing I've learnt over the past couple of weeks it's that Finn is a very special woman. To go through all that and turn out as well and as rounded as she has, well it says a lot about her. She deserves everything she wants in life. Hell, she deserves a lot more than me."

"But?"

"But if she'll have me I'm willing to make her as happy as I can do."

"Just so you know the whole team will hunt you down if you do anything to hurt her."

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

"I'll be watching you Rossi."