Chapter 34 –

Elizabeth Prentiss walked confidently into the bank, heading straight towards the information desk she waited patiently in the queue until she was waved forward.

"I'd like to view the contents of my security boxes please."

Elizabeth Prentiss opened her bag and pushed across her passport and Ambassadorial credentials, she knew that the two of them were enough for them to grant her access.

"Of course Madam, please follow me."

The young male bank employee gestured with his arm and Elizabeth followed him towards the door that led down to the locked vaults.

"If you wait in here I'll bring the three boxes out to you, you have the use of this room for as long as you need, when you have finished please pick up the phone it is a direct line back to the desk."

"Thank you very much."

Elizabeth nodded as she kept her hands under the table, resting on her knees, she did not want the young man to see the slight shake that had started as she contemplated what she was about to do.

"Keep the change."

Elizabeth passed the €20 note over to the driver and quickly left the cab, keeping a tight hold of her bag she walked into the hotel foyer, ignoring everyone else as she made her way up towards her suite. Placing the key card in the door she pushed it open and walked into the room, suddenly stopping as she saw someone else in her room.

"Good Afternoon Ambassador Prentiss."

Elizabeth Prentiss forced a smile as she watched Erin Strauss sit at the round table in the suite, her leg crossed and with two glasses of white wine sitting on the table.

"How did you? Why are you here?"

"I'm an FBI Agent Ambassador, my credentials can open as many doors as yours, as for why I'm here, I think that you and I need to have another conversation."

JJ stepped out of the elevator and walked along the hospital corridor, dragging her feet slightly as she neared Natasha's room. Placing her hand on hand on the door, she slowly opened it, entering quietly as she soon saw that Natasha was sleeping.

"She's off the ventilator?"

JJ whispered as she sat down next to Emily, who smiled as she let go of her daughter's hand and turned to face her friend.

"Yes, she's doing well, they're keeping her sedated for the moment but things are finally looking better!"

JJ returned the smile as she looked at Emily's tired eyes, she knew that the brunette would not get a good night's sleep until Natasha was safely home.

"So what's up?"

JJ sucked in her bottom lip and bowed her head slightly, she should have guessed that the profiler would pick up on her uneasiness.

"Your mother has gone to Germany."

Emily shrugged her shoulders and waited for JJ to continue, her voice so quiet that Emily had to bend towards her friend to hear.

"The case down in Texas, it appears that your mother pulled some strings and requested us specifically to be sent down there."

"Why? Why would she, she knows what the last case done to us all."

"I don't know Emily, we've tried to find an explanation but."

"You've come up blank."

"I'm afraid so."

"You need my help?"

JJ nodded as she bent down and pulled a file out of her bag, slowly she opened it up and passed two photos over to Emily.

"Do you recognise either of these men?"

Emily held the photos in her hands, putting one on top of the other until she kept one on top, her hands started to shake as she looked at JJ, her voice stuttering as she spoke.

"Tomasz."

Elizabeth Prentiss walked over and sat down on the chair opposite Erin Strauss, watching as the blonde woman pushed the wine glass over to her before she picked it up and took a long sip.

"I can't imagine that the conversation is so urgent that you needed to follow me all the way over here."

Strauss put her glass down as she uncrossed her legs and bent forward across the table.

"Don't think that we are that naive Ambassador, I managed to find out where you were staying."

"Oh come on Erin, it can't have been difficult, you know that I have certain 'standards', surely the Ritz was the only possible choice."

Elizabeth smiled as she took a small sip of wine.

"As that may be. I also know that you went to the PSD Bank and accessed three security boxes."

Strauss paused for a moment, taking in Elizabeth's sharp intake of breath as she unsteadily put the wine glass back down.

"So what exactly is your connection with Chris Petersen? I know that he worked for you here in Berlin and now here you are again. My guess is that he is blackmailing you with something, something that you covered up using your powers as an Ambassador and now he is calling a favour in so that he can progress his own pathetic career. So how close am I?"

Erin stopped and leant back in her chair, her fingers played with the stem of the glass as she intently watched Elizabeth Prentiss and saw a flicker of emotion cross the woman's face as she blinked a solitary tear away.

"Why is this so important for you, why must you delve into something that is of no concern to you?"

"With all due respect Ambassador going above my head, requesting the BAU team for a non-existent case you invited the intrusion. Are you going to tell me or do you want me to keep guessing?"

"You know about Natasha?"

"Of course, I also know that your daughter is keeping a vigil by her bedside in the hospital. As a mother I know that if any member of my family was seriously ill in hospital I would be there, not leaving their side until I knew that they were better."

"Don't judge me Erin, you haven't exactly got high standards yourself. I'm doing this for Emily and Natasha, they are the reason I am here."

Strauss raised her eyebrows and tipped her head slightly, she had wrongly assumed that the blackmail was of monetary value.

"So what is Chris Petersen's relationship with you?"

Elizabeth took a deep breath and sucked her cheeks in.

"He's Natasha's father."

JJ reached across and placed her hands on top of Emily's, clasping tightly as she felt them shaking uncontrollably.

"Tomasz?"

"He, he told me that was his name. It was only one night, I never told him."

JJ nodded as Emily spoke.

"Natasha's father?"

"Yes but how, he and my mother? I don't understand."

"So you don't know him from working at the Berlin Embassy?"

"No, I wasn't around there much, I was at college and well you know if I can avoid my mother I will."

Emily managed a small smile as she passed the photos back to JJ.

"Are you going to be ok?"

"I'll be fine, can you come back?"

Emily didn't try to hide the emotion in her voice as she spoke, she knew that JJ needed to pass the information over to the rest of the team.

"Of course I'll be right back."

Emily reached across and took a hold of Natasha's hand, stroking it softly she started to wonder what on earth her mother had managed to get herself into.