Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the TV series, Criminal Minds.

Feast

By
N. J. Borba

Emily frowned as she glanced at the picture of Derek on her cell phone.

"Where are you?" she answered the call. Emily stood in the hall, one shoulder propped against the wall as she checked on the kids in the living room. Their guest of honor, Kate, was seated on the sofa with Sergio curled up close to her. Zach was on her other side showing her the newest book he was reading. And little Carly was hunkered in one corner watching the older children with guarded curiosity. "Dinner is almost ready. You said you'd be here."

"Sorry, Em," he sighed. "I just left Quantico, I'll be there soon."

"If you just left it'll be a good forty-five minutes to an hour before you get here in rush hour traffic," she huffed.

"You know I can't always control my work schedule," Derek's tone was abrupt.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "I know, but we arranged for Kate to have a family meal with us and it's not much of a family with you missing. This girl lives with a dozen other kids and a rotating house mother. She doesn't have any kind of stable home life and I wanted to show her a bit of that tonight."

He sighed again. "I'll do my best to be there soon," Derek concluded before ending the call.

Zach turned his head and eyed Emily. "He's not coming home tonight?"

"No," Emily replied. "I mean, yes, he'll be here in a little while," she slipped the phone onto a nearby table and joined the kids in the living room. "Dinner will be done in about five minutes so we'll all start and Derek can join us when he gets home."

"Maybe we could wait for him," Kate suggested, aiming her green eyes toward Emily. "I think that would be nice of us. And the food will stay warm in the oven, right? I'd really like to wait to meet Derek first before we eat."

"Yeah, can we wait?" Zach joined in.

Emily shrugged. "Aren't you hungry now?"

"A little, but I'll wait if Kate wants to wait," Zach agreed.

"And what about you, Carly?" Emily sunk down in a chair close to where the blue-eyed girl sat looking at the piece of paper she had clutched in her hand, one of her recent drawings with an abstract rendition of her favorite thing in the world; the tree swing. "Do you want to wait for Derek to get home before we eat?"

Carly nodded her head.

"Then I guess it's unanimous," Emily declared. "But maybe we should do something more active than looking at books," she said.

"It's the middle of July," Zach replied. "It's way too hot outside to do anything more active than sit and read."

"Or watch TV," Kate added. "Could we, maybe, watch TV?" she asked. "The older girls at my group home always control the stuff we watch on TV and they usually watch dumb things like that pregnant teenager show and Desperate Housewives. I like the Disney channel. I guess those shows are kind of dumb, too, but better dumb."

"Go for it," Emily didn't really care, still focused on being rather miffed at Derek for being late.

Zach jumped up and grabbed the remote. He handed it off to Kate. "Here you go."

She flipped through the channels for a while, skipping over news programs, sporting events, cooking shows and several home shopping channels until she found the more kid friendly section of the lineup. Kate touched briefly on a few cartoons and was about to change the channel again when a tiny voice spoke from the corner of the room.

"Come on vamonos, everybody lets go…"

Three sets of eyes turned to stare at Carly, mesmerized by the long string of words she'd spoken.

"What did you just say, mouse?" Emily asked the girl.

Her blue eyes dipped, clearly feeling embarrassed to be looked at.

"Wait a second," Kate spoke up. "I think I know what she was singing." The girl refocused on the remote in her hand and backed up to the previous channel. A colorful scene filled the TV; rivers, trees and mountains designed with a cartoon flare. And on the screen a cartoon girl with dark brown hair and brown eyes was singing the exact same tune Carly had just been singing. "Come on vamonos, everybody lets go…"

Carly joined in again, springing to life. She moved closer to the TV as she sang and stared at the screen. "Come on let's get to it, I know that we can do it. Where are we going? Tall mountain! Where are we going? Tall mountain!"

"Whoa, she's not a mouse she's a couch potato," Zach laughed.

"Zach, that's not nice to say," Emily gave the boy a tiny look of reproach. "Do you know this program?" she asked Kate.

"Dora the Explorer," the girl replied. "You don't know about Dora?"

Emily chuckled. "No, but I'm guessing I'm about to get very familiar with it." She watched as Carly continued to light up while watching the program. The girl would call out the names of the characters as they appeared, a monkey named Boots and something called a Swipper. Emily wasn't sure what it all meant, other than the fact that Carly was singing and dancing and had said more words than Emily even realized she knew. "So this is how you know Spanish, mouse."

"I think she's watched this show a lot," Zach said after one episode ended and another began with Carly singing along to the opening theme.

"It makes sense," Emily spoke to the older kids. "We know she was probably never let out of that apartment where she lived with her step-father. I imagine TV became an outlet for her, a way to escape. Something she could rely on," it saddened her in some ways, but Emily was also thankful that Carly had some sort of coping mechanism in her abused life.

Morgan walked in twenty minutes later to find his family crowded around the TV rather than eating.

He stashed his gun in the safe in the hall closet before approaching the group. "What is this?" he asked, placing a hand against Emily's shoulder as she sat on the sofa beside a young girl who he assumed was their guest. But his focus instantly fell to Carly who was standing between the sofa and the TV. He was awestruck by the girl's dancing and singing.

Not wanting to interrupt Carly's outlet, Emily got up and pulled Derek off to the side. She explained everything that had led up to what they were now witnessing. "This is promising, don't you think?" her eyes shimmered with a mixture of tears and elation. "Singing, music, learning… this is something we can definitely build upon."

"We?" he let go a breath, thankful to be home. "I thought you were upset with me for being late?"

She smiled and kissed him briefly on the lips. "You're lucky Carly's breakthrough interrupted my brooding. And dinner is waiting in the oven."

"Think we can drag this gang away from the TV?" Derek wondered as he moved back in to the living room. Thankfully program credits were already rolling. "Come on little mouse, we need to eat before its bedtime," he said to Carly before turning the TV off.

Carly stepped closer to Emily but shyly eyed Derek.

"Isn't saying little mouse kind of redundant?" Kate piped up from her seat on the sofa.

Derek's brows rose as he moved toward the girl. "The word redundant is kind of a big term for such a pretty little lady," he extended his hand in introduction. "I'm Derek."

"Kate," she shook his hand with a friendly smile. "I kind of already guessed you were Derek. I saw some pictures of you and your family around the house. Zach gave me a full tour of the place when I got here. It's a lovely home you have. Emily said you restored a lot of stuff. You did a nice job," she complimented him.

"Thank you, butterfly," he grinned.

The girl's eyes sparkled with intrigue. "Why'd you call me that? Butterfly?"

He shrugged. "I guess because you're beautiful and delicate, just like a butterfly."

Kate turned to Emily. "I like him, he's a keeper."

"Yeah, he's a sweet talker for sure," Emily had to agree. "And as long as he's not late for dinner again I guess we can keep him around."

"Okay, let's move this gathering to the dining table," Morgan made a shooing motion with his hands. When the kids were out of sight he grabbed Emily's waist from behind and kissed her neck, keeping her stalled in the living room. "You guess you'll keep me around? How are you going to pay for these kids and the food without me?"

She chuckled and turned around in his embrace to face him. "I like keeping you around for more than just bill paying," Emily initiated a real kiss that caused hands to roam.

Zach pulled the chicken and rice dishes from the oven and placed them on the table before he realized the adults were still lingering in the living room. He found Kate in the hallway watching them. "Are they always like that?" she asked. "Playful and loving?"

"Pretty much, it's gross," the boy declared.

"I don't think so," Kate replied. "I think it's romantic."

"Whatever," the boy rolled his eyes and went to the fridge to grab the salad.

Morgan caught Kate watching them and broke off the kiss. He took Emily's hand and guided her toward the dining table. "So, I thought I heard you had a wheelchair, Kate," he struck up conversation with their guest. "I don't see it around here."

"I only have to use it sometimes when I get short of breath or am too tired to walk," the girl responded as Emily showed her a seat to take. "Mostly at the animal shelter because it's a big space. But in a small house like this I probably won't get too tired out," she declared, placing a napkin neatly in her lap. Kate looked over her shoulder to where Carly was sitting on the bottom step of the staircase. "Um, doesn't she eat with you guys at the table?"

Emily cringed, embarrassed by the scene. "We're still working on that," she revealed.

"Pretty sure it's me she's scared of being so close to," Derek added.

Without another word, Kate got up and went over to where Carly was seated. The smaller girl didn't flinch or try to flee. She stared up at Kate with keen interest. "Come on, Carly. Let's go eat with everyone else," Kate offered her hand to the girl. "You can sit between me and Emily. No icky boy germs will get you," she promised.

Zach, Emily and Derek all watched in amazement as Carly took Kate's hand and followed her to the table. Kate wasn't much bigger, but Carly clearly showed respect for her. Emily did her best not to make a big deal of it; she simply brought another chair over for Carly to sit. Then she sat a plate in front of Carly and cut up the chicken into smaller pieces. Carly sat on her feet because the chair wasn't high enough for her. But she didn't let that stop her from digging in with her left hand.

"No fork?" Kate asked as she began to eat her food.

"Getting her to eat at the table was probably a big enough accomplishment for one night," Emily smiled, not eating for a while as she watched Carly.

Kate ate slowly, taking small bites. She savored every morsel of her meal. "Real grilled chicken, brown rice and salad that's crisp and fresh," the girl swooned with delight. "This is a feast compared to what they feed us at the group home. Not that they starve us or anything, it's just that all of the food looks rather creamy even when it shouldn't be. Thank you so much for this," Kate said before continuing her meal.

"You've very welcome," Emily smiled. She noticed the way the girl used her napkin, kept one hand in her lap at all times. Her elbows never touched the table and she said please and thank you every time someone passed her something. "You have impeccable table manners, Kate," Emily felt it worth commending.

"Thanks," the girl grinned. "When I was about Carly's age I decided I would be as perfect as possible, learning all the proper manners a kid should know. I figured it would help me get adopted by a good family. I didn't realize how sick I was back then. I didn't know nobody would take me in because of my illness. But at least the manners stuck."

A long silence befell the table as they all ate and digested Kate's sad story. Derek was the one to finally break through. "What sorts of things do you like to do, butterfly?" he asked.

She swallowed before answering. "I love my time with the animals at the shelter, but what I really want to be when I grow up is a pilot. I read lots of books about the history of flight and famous pilots. But I have several other daydreams that keep me busy. Things I want to do before I die, like learn how to sew something, maybe a quilt. And the biggy, I want to have a family of my own someday. Not like kids of my own, because I probably won't live that long. But to have parents and maybe siblings if my adoptive family has other kids."

"Why sewing?" Zach asked.

"Not sure," Kate shrugged. "It just seems like some special skill a mother would pass along to her daughter."

"Maybe in the 1950's," the boy laughed.

Emily smiled at the interaction between the kids, so much like siblings. "My mother once tried to teach me to sew," she revealed to the group. Emily watched Derek's brows shoot up his forehead. "She'd had this near death experience in Romania on a diplomatic mission so she suddenly felt the need to impart some of her motherly wisdom upon me. Apparently my grandmother was an excellent seamstress and my mom figured it should be a skill passed down through the generations."

"Yeah, so did you learn?" Kate was genuinely interested.

"I learned that I have thick skin," Emily revealed. "After a while I didn't even bleed when I stuck myself with the needle."

Everyone laughed at that.

"Who's you favorite pilot, Kate?" Morgan kept the conversation moving along.

"Amelia Earhart, of course," there was no hesitation in the girl's tone.

"Of course," Derek shared a smile with Emily. They were both honestly delighted by the child's refreshing presence.

"And Charles Lindberg, who I named the puppy Charlie after," Kate continued. "The Wright brothers and Chesley Sullenberger."

Zach's nose wrinkled. "Who's Chelsea whatshername?"

"Chesley is a man," Kate corrected. "He was a fighter pilot, but most importantly he landed a US Airways flight in the Hudson River and saved all 150 passengers. He's a hero."

"Derek and Emily are heroes, too," Zach said.

Kate nodded and smiled, as if she already knew that to be a true statement. "All good parents are heroes," she declared.

xxx

"Kind of a lonely shower without…" Derek paused as he stood in the doorway between their bathroom and bedroom. He noticed that Emily was already curled up on her side of the bed with the lamp off. "You asleep?" he whispered. He watched her shift and turn to face him with a weak smile. Morgan grinned to see her sleepy eyes greet him. He flicked off the bathroom light, crossed the bedroom to the dresser, dropped his towel and pulled on a clean pair of boxer briefs. "The kids tucked in?" he asked.

She stifled a yawn before replying. "It only took one book to put Carly down. Zach was still reading when I checked on him. I told him lights out by ten at the latest."

He sat down on his side of the bed and leaned toward her to steal a quick kiss. "You look tired."

"And you're a flipping genius of observation," Emily quipped.

Derek got up and pulled back the sheets on his side. He discovered something hidden there, a piece of paper folded up into a small square. "You leaving me love notes?"

Emily glanced over and shook her head. "It's not from me."

Curiosity won out as he slipped into bed and immediately unfolded the paper. He was greeted by a drawing of blue, green, yellow and brown squiggly lines. Derek held the drawing up for Emily to see. "I'm guessing this is a Carly original."

"Her prized drawing," Emily sleepily replied.

"She must have meant to leave it for you," Derek started to hand it over.

"I doubt it," she stopped him. "Carly was clutching that drawing all day until Dora the Explorer distracted her. She had plenty opportunity to give it to me but she didn't. So I don't think it's any mistake it ended up on your side of the bed. She's a smart kid, and a keen observer. She knows where you sleep. I think she's reaching out to you."

His eyes gazed at the drawing again as he leaned against the wood headboard of their bed. "Yeah, you really think so?"

One hand reached out to pat his forearm. "She'd be foolish not to see what a great guy you are."

A thoughtful smile graced his lips as he kept hold of Carly's swing drawing. "It was pretty wonderful the way she reacted to that show tonight. And sitting at the table to eat dinner with us was an added bonus. I think Kate has a good rapport with her," Derek noted.

"Definitely," Emily agreed. "Kate is closer to her own age and not nearly as threatening to her as us adults."

"So probably the easiest thing would be to get a set of bunk beds," he snuggled up behind Emily, arms wrapped around her waist. But she swiftly shifted to face him and he easily noticed the wrinkle of her brow. "We'll need an extra bed and Carly's room isn't big enough for two beds other than a twin bunk set," he hoped that was enough clarification.

Emily was still confused, though. "Derek, what are you going on about?"

"I know Carly still likes to take comfort in crawling under her bed and hiding out, but we'll probably have to convince her to take the top bunk because Kate will need the bottom bunk, right? She shouldn't be climbing. Of course Carly still has the bed wetting issue, but a rubber sheet should hopefully save Kate from that being a problem."

With a yawn, Emily flipped on the lamp beside her and sat up a little. "Can we back up a second or two? Why would Kate need a bed here? Kate lives at the group home across town."

"Playing coy is not your style, Em…" he paused to actually look at her and noticed the seriousness of her brown eyes. "You really weren't going to bring this up, were you?"

"Kate needing a bed here?" she shook her head. "No, I'm a little lost. Granted I'm worn out tired, but…"

He sighed. "I honestly thought that was where all this was heading for you. Inviting Kate over here for dinner tonight, having me meet her… I figured you were considering having Kate move in with us, fostering her."

"Well…" Emily was suddenly more awake than she wanted to be. "I'd be lying if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind. But I dismissed it because we can't," she continued, "Can we?" her eyes met his. "I love Zach and Carly and I'm certain I could love Kate just as much, and I'd like nothing more than to give her a happy, stable home here…"

"But…" he hoped to prompt her to say what he suspected they were both feeling.

"It's too much, isn't it?" she shrugged. "I mean we already have Zach's depression and anger issues. And then there's Carly's… well, what issues doesn't Carly have?" she shook her head. "She's made great strides lately, but she still has a long road ahead," Emily nervously picked at her fingernails. "And as lovely and sweet as Kate is, she has some very serious medical needs, doctor visits and monitoring and special food and care all the time."

"Which her group home is probably not keeping up with very well," Derek pointed out.

Emily couldn't help but nod. "Mrs. Dayton also told me Kate shouldn't be in a regular school because it's too taxing for her, which means private tutoring or she falls behind. Carly's not going to be ready for school until next year, at the earliest. That means I'd have the two of them home with me full time."

"And I'm rarely home to help you out," Morgan understood that was a large part of her reasoning. He tried to figure out why he was invested in the idea of Kate staying with them, but he couldn't explain it. Just like Emily had brought Zach into their lives and Zach had brought Carly into their family, he felt inexplicably drawn to the girl. "I can't ask that of you, Emily. I won't. But, I can't help feeling like she needs us."

"Then why don't we offer to be good friends to her," Emily suggested. "In fact, I was thinking about arranging a trip to the zoo for Carly. We could invite Kate to join us, and maybe all have a picnic," she added. "Think you could arrange to have a weekday morning off? I figure the crowd will be smaller then, for Carly's sake."

Derek leaned in to kiss her. "You're the best, Em. And I will try my hardest to join you on the zoo excursion," he vowed.

The End