A/N Sorry again for the wait. I think I was too focused on my Emily smut. If you haven't checked it out, please do so:) But thank you all for your reviews! I love hearing what you think!
I've also started a forum where you can put your stories up for adoption. Maybe some of you know you won't finish a story, then you can put it up for adoption in that forum and maybe someone will finish it for you! That way all readers will be happy with finished stories:D
Now please enjoy;)
Chapter 12
Strauss took them off the case, though no one was surprised by it. None of them would be able to think straight after losing their friend, or best friend to many. They still couldn't understand why this had happened. How this happened.
No matter how much they wanted to figure out who the Unsub was; to delve into the life of anyone who might have been been targeted. Just looking at the crime-scene they were quick to decide that Emily needed extra police protection and surprisingly enough she hadn't argued about it. Even though both Derek and Emily were two highly trained FBI agent this Unsub had still managed to get into their house more than once.
Emily dropped her bag just inside the door, the kids and Morgan walking in behind her. The couple was surprised by their youngest daughter. Esther, they knew was good at not showing her feelings, just like Emily's always been. Grace however had been abnormally quiet and emotionless. She had always been very fond of Garcia, sometimes rather spending time with her than with her parents. Garcia was her cool aunt so the fact that she wouldn't shed a tear was strange. Emily couldn't help to wonder if the little girl had witnessed something and that's why she didn't talk or cry, the fear taking control of her body.
Emily made a note to ask her as soon as they were alone and Grace wouldn't feel pressured into talking.
She watched as Grace silently went to sit on the couch, staring blankly ahead to the shut off TV. Emily smiled at her daughter as she turned the TV on to PBS kids and sat down next to her daughter. Esther went straight up to her room, probably to paint, and Morgan watched Emily and Grace from the kitchen. He also knew something was wrong. Never had his daughter acted this way, not once.
"Gracie?" Emily tried to approach the youngest member of their family. "Sweetie?"
Grace didn't look at her mother. Instead she stared on the TV where Word Girl was just beginning. She wasn't sure if she was actually watching, but the way her eyes glazed over and the blank stare told Emily she wasn't.
"Please talk to me, sweetie," Emily tried again, but she got nothing.
Carefully, she pulled Grace into her lap and hugged her tightly. She placed a soft kiss on the top of her hair.
"It's okay, you don't have to talk. Just know that you're safe here, okay?" Emily whispered and she could have sworn she felt Grace shake her head.
No. Emily tightened her hold of her daughter. She didn't feel safe. Whatever she saw made her feel unsafe and scared in her own house
Emily exhaled a shaky breath and looked into the kitchen where Morgan was watching her with a questioning expression. Slowly, Emily put the girl back and gave her her favorite doll which she immediately clutched tightly to her body.
"What did she say?" Morgan asked as soon as Emily entered the kitchen.
Emily sat down on a chair and put her head in her hands. "She doesn't feel safe here." Emily looked up at her husband. "She saw Garcia getting killed and now she's too afraid to talk. I'm sure of it."
"Then we have to try to get her to talk. You already made progress with her now," Morgan said and put his arms around Emily. He placed a kiss on her lips and wiped away a single tear with his thumb.
"I think we should go somewhere. I know we shouldn't run, but I don't want her to get sick."
"Hey," he said and tilted her head towards him. "She won't get sick. She's strong just like her mother. She just needs a little help."
"I hope to God you are right," Emily sighed and glanced into the living room where Grace was still holding her doll in a tight grip.
Morgan had to be right. Seeing Grace like this was heartbreaking.
Esther first made herself shown again when Morgan called her down for dinner. To a beginning she had stood on the top of the stairs and listened, eavesdropped some might call it, to her adoptive parents conversation. Grace wouldn't tell them, she was sure of it. During the funeral she had scared the little girl even more into not saying anything. She had to suppress a smile as she walked downstairs and saw Grace sitting quietly with Emily trying to make her eat. Grace wouldn't touch the food.
"Hi, sweetie," Morgan said as soon as she entered the kitchen. "How are you feeling?"
Esther looked at her father and smiled. "I feel good, thank you."
She sat down opposite Grace and a small smirk grew on her face, but it quickly disappeared when Morgan started filling her plate with chicken. He hadn't noticed the smile and neither had Emily, both to busy with caring for Grace.
Esther didn't care where Emily put her attention, but Morgan was another matter. If Esther could choose she would've gotten rid of Grace and Emily right now, but she knew it was too soon.
"Grace, sweetie, you have to eat," Emily said as she stroke her daughter's hair.
She sighed and put down the fork, meeting Morgan's eyes.
"I can't remember her eating at the funeral either," Morgan sighed. "I don't think we can force her to eat."
Emily shook her head and looked to her daughter who didn't pay them any attention. She wouldn't even know when they were talking about her.
Esther, however, paid a lot of attention to every word they said, but pretended to be busy eating.
"Do you want to go up to your room, sweetie?" Emily asked straight to Grace's face.
Without saying a word she jumped down from her chair and started up the stairs together with her doll. The room got quiet, the only sound coming from utensils touching the plates.
The silence was making Esther slightly mad. Okay, nothing infuriated her just slightly. When she got angry, she got really angry. Her grip on the utensils tightened, turning her knuckles white. Her mouth had turned into a straight line as she took the last bites.
"Would you like some more?" Morgan finally broke the silence and Esther smiled her most innocent and sweetest smile.
"No, thank you, daddy. I'm very full," Esther said and pulled out her chair to leave. Before she did she carried her plate, utensils and glass to the sink.
As soon as she was out of the kitchen she could hear the mumbles starting so she stopped just around the corner to hear what they had to say.
"What's going on in that head of yours?"Morgan asked.
A moment of silent went by before Emily decided to answer. "I'm scared."
"Scared?" Morgan sounded surprised.
"Yes, scared. I know I shouldn't be and that it's not like me at all, but I am. Someone is out there to hurt us and I'm afraid that whoever it is will get to you or the kids next."
Morgan looked at his wife with compassion in his eyes. "It's okay to be scared, Em. If we can get Grace to talk she might be able to tell us who did this." Emily looked up to him. "I suggest we take her to see a therapist."
"A therapist?" she repeated.
"Yes, they might get her to talk. Maybe Grace will feel more comfortable talking when we're not there. Some kids have the belief that if they tell their parents the truth, they'll get mad."
Emily sighed. "You're right. I'll book an appointment so we can go there as soon as possible"
Emily rose from her chair and moved both of their plates to the sink before picking her phone up.
Esther's face had already contorted into anger when hearing their method in trying to make Grace talk. Quietly she made her way up the stairs so they wouldn't know how she had eavesdropped. She passed her own door and continued to Grace's. Esther could make her be even more quiet. She opened the door and saw Grace sitting on the bed, still clutching her doll.
The little girl looked briefly up and when she saw who it was, she backed further back against the headboard of her bed.
"Hello, sister," Esther said as she walked to sit down next to Grace on the bed. "How are you feeling?"
Grace decided not to answer, but Esther didn't mind. A smirk grew on her face.
"Mommy and daddy are taking you to a therapist," Esther told her. "You know what'll happen if you say even one word about what you saw?" Grace nodded. "Mommy and daddy will end up just like aunt Penelope. You don't want that, do you?" She shook her head and Esther smiled. "Good girl."
Esther moved closer to Grace and stroke her hair almost as if she was someone who tried to comfort her younger sister. Grace just sat quietly, looking down to her lap with a tear starting to roll down her cheek.
"You won't tell them anything?" Esther asked and when Grace shook her head she smirked and stood up.
She looked at the frightened girl one last time before straightening her dress and leaving the room, sure that no one would found out about her.
A/N Not a lot of action in this chapter! In the next one someone will get hurt, or worse... DIE!
Thank you for reading and please leave me a review:)
