Who Knew, Huh?

Chapter Fifty Three (53): The Slave of Duty

Spencer had just finished adjusting his tie, when he felt someone tugging on his dress pants, causing him to look down. There stood Cassandra Jennifer Reid, in her black dress, looking at her father. He smiled softly, before kneeling on his good knee and asked her what was wrong, due to the fact that her facial expression was sad.

"Don't go daddy!" she cried as she clung to her father.

"What are you talking about, sweetie? Cassie, it's okay" he told his daughter, after he sat on the edge of the tub.

"Daddy no go like Miss Hayley" hearing made Spencer's chest contract in a painful way. Today was Hayley's funeral and both he and Emily had to explain to Cassie and Ale about why they had to go and how Hayley was in a better place.

"Cassie, I'm not going anywhere… alright? I'm right here and when I tell you that I'll be home, I always come home right?"

"Yes" she answered in a whimpering tone.

"Then believe me when I tell you that, right now, I'm not going anywhere" he pulled Cassandra into a tight hug, as he fought to keep any tears from leaving his eyes.

"Okay… daddy, you hug tight!"

"I'm sorry sweetie, I just love you so much, you have no idea" he smiled softly at her. His attention adverted to the bathroom doorway. There stood Emily, who had Archer in her arms and Alessandro sat on their bed, waiting patiently.

"You ready to go?" she asked him.

"Yeah, let's get going. I'll check on the triplets" Spencer told his wife as he walked out of the room.

"Spencer, my mother is able to watch Aria, Archer, Matthew and William for a little while" She told him.

"I trust her Emily, it's just I don't understand why we can't take them with us" he argued.

"Really? You can't see why we shouldn't take four babies to a funeral?" she countered.

"Alright… good point"

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Emily watched Morgan as he patted the coffin gently. Everyone knew that he blamed himself for getting to her in time. But she knew that he was really putting the whole burden and blame on himself, when he shouldn't. They all failed Hotch. They all failed Hayley, but it wasn't necessary to dwell on the past. No one had invented a way to go back in time and stop Foyet sooner. No one could think like, not even Hotch could go that deep into Foyet's mind.

While Hotch gave his eulogy, Reid held Cassie, who was already in his arms, closer to him, while trying to not put any strain on his bad knee. Emily held Alessandro's hand, and he was currently holding onto a white rose. Both parents looked at one another and immediately tears sprung to their eyes.

'I love you' he mouthed to her, which she mouthed back, with tears going down her face.

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They parked the van in its usual spot in the driveway, before Spencer turned off the engine. Cassie was quiet, but her facial expression was sad. While Ale was fast asleep and his facial expression looked peaceful. Emily got out and went to help her daughter out of her seat, while her husband carried Ale into their home.

"Cassie, sweetie you want to talk?" she asked her daughter.

"I no wanna die" tears not only filled Cassie's eyes, but her mother's as well.

"Honey, Shhh, it's okay" she immediately engulfed her daughter in her arms and carried her to the front porch stairs. She sat Cassie on her knees and just held her crying daughter, "Cassie, if you want to stay with Grandma, that's okay you know. You don't have to go with us if you don't want to"

"I stay with Nana"

"Okay… but don't let her hear you say that. You know how she doesn't like that word"

"Why?"

"She says it makes her sound old" she answered honestly.

"But… she is" this caused Emily to burst out laughing, "I love you, you know that right, Cassie?"

"I know Mommy, I love you too" the little girl wrapped her small arms around her mother's neck and hugged her.

"Now, let's get you out of this dress and into your PJ's alright?"

"YAY!" just like that her daughter's worries vanished, which made her smile.

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"I understand that all of our thoughts are with Hotch, but we need to focus on this case" Morgan said to them, before he sat down again to re-read the case file.

It was almost impossible for Reid to not think about Emily when he saw how much the Victimology fits his wife at the moment.

'Please don't let Morgan pull a undercover mission with Emily as the bait' he prayed in his head.

After the Jet landed in Nashville, the team grabbed their room keys and got some rest before arriving at the station in the morning.

Emily and JJ were sharing a room, while Morgan and Rossi shared another room and Reid had a room to himself. Emily went on the balcony and called home on her cell phone and waited patiently for her mother to answer.

"Hello?"

"Mother, it's me"

"Hello dear, aren't you on a case right now?"

"Not until morning. I wanted to know if the kids were up or not. I just want to check on them"

"Well Archer and the triplets are fast asleep. So is Ale, by the way. But Cassandra refuses to go to sleep"

"Can you-"

"Already on my way to her room dear… Cassandra sweetie, your mother is on the phone"

"Cassie?"

"Mommy!" her daughter sounded happy, which made Emily smile. What she didn't know was that JJ was already out of the washroom and listening in on the conversation.

"How are you sweet pea?"

"Okay… where daddy?"

"He's fast asleep, you know how, sleepy he gets after a long flight right"

"Yeah!" she giggled, "He's silly, when he's sleepy"

"Yes he is silly when he's sleepy… Now I want you to go get some sleep alright? I'll call you tomorrow when I can"

"Pwomise?"

"Promise"

"Night mommy, love you"

"Night Cassie… I love you too" she then disconnected the line. The brunette turned around, only to jump back a couple of feet, when she saw JJ standing there smiling, "What are you doing?"

"Listening to you talking to my goddaughter" JJ answered smugly.

"Well… she hasn't been taking Hayley death very well… she told me after the funeral that she didn't want to die… I didn't know what to tell her, except try to comfort her. I was just glad that her child mind made her forget about it as soon as I mentioned her about changing into her PJ's"

"Yeah, you have to love those small favours… Do you think she's going to be okay?" the media liaison asked.

"… I think she's going to make sure that we're actually coming home more often now"

"It's going to be okay Em, I know it is" she then hugged her friend and both soon went to their own beds and slept.

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"… Well after the initial assault downstairs… fine I'm scared but I'm still looking for another chance to escape. Dinner, wine, dishes… I'm not in any immediate danger, so I can take my time…" What Emily didn't know was that Morgan was currently looking at her, "Wait for the right moment. I do what he says because I don't want him to hurt me again" she noticed that he was looking at her, and immediately looked at another part of the washroom before continuing, "but once he gets me in here, I am at my most vulnerable"

"So fear takes over and she fights back" he said out loud, while keeping his eyes on her, but soon adverted them onto the blood stained carpet, "because if she doesn't…"

"Home is where you're suppose to feel safe, nobody deserves to have that taken away" Emily spoke with sadness in her voice. This automatically got Morgan to look up to her.

"Prentiss… can you handle this case?"

"What?"

"I need to know that you can handle this case, without turning it personal, especially with wh-"

"Listen I don't care if you become our permanent Unit chief, but if you stick yourself in my personal business again, I'll use my Glock" she then walked out of the washroom and soon out of the house. She felt her phone vibrate and decided to look at who sent her a text message.

~ Hey, you and Morgan done at the crime scene yet? SR~

~ I don't know about Morgan, but I'm done ER~

~ What's going on? SR~

~ He stated that with my past, maybe I shouldn't be on this case ER~

~ I'll talk to him tonight SR~

Emily then got in the back of the SUV and avoided all eye contact and conversations with Morgan.

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After Morgan told the team to go back to his or her hotel rooms to get some shuteye, everyone but Reid left. For a reason Derek just knew why Spencer Reid was still in the room, instead of being with his wife.

"Reid before you bite my head off, just hear me out" he told his friend.

"Alright… talk"

"Prentiss's been down and back there at the house, she sounded too emotional for this case. That's why-"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but we've already been through this! You need to back off and learn when not to stick your nose into other's personal lives. You don't like it, when others do this, then please don't do it to your friends" was all he said as Spencer walked out of the room.

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When JJ walked out of the washroom, she wasn't surprised to not see Emily in the room that they were currently sharing. She knew exactly where her brunette friend was; with her husband, Spencer Reid. The media liaison didn't blame her for going to be close to her life partner. Especially after what happened with Hayley and Foyet. She was the same way with Will and so she took the opportunity to go out onto the balcony and dialled home.

Meanwhile, in Reid's room. Both he and Emily were fast asleep under the covers. They did not have any physical intimacy, but just kept hold of each other close instead. That is… until Emily bolted up and out of the bed and into the washroom. The brunette emptied her stomach content, due from the stress of the nightmare she had just awoken from.

"Emily?" she heard her husband's voice from the other side of the door, before gently tapping on it; always the gentleman.

"It's okay, Spencer" she hoarsely spoke, before flushing the toilet and leaning to the sink, grabbing the mouthwash, and getting rid of the nasty taste in her mouth.

"You okay? I know, stupid question" he raised his hands in submission; when he received a glare form her.

"I know… sorry. Nightmare" after she spoke those words, she put the mouthwash into her mouth, and he wrapped his arms protectively around her waist.

"I'm sorry, Em" a couple of seconds later, Emily spat out the mouthwash down the sink.

"Just when I think I have them under control again…"

"It's okay, honey. Listen I think it's because of what Morgan told you today. So let's just try to get some sleep, while we can. I'll even stay up and make sure you get some shut eye"

"Spencer, that's not fair. You need sleep just as much" they both got out of the washroom and lay back in his bed. They talked for a little while, before sleep took over and sleep for the rest of the night.

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After getting Anne's address, Emily and Morgan drove as fast as they could to her home, before Joe could kill her or even put her through what he put the others through before killing them.

"We've just arrived at Anne's home, I repeat, we've just arrived at Anne's home. We're going to enter, request paramedic and back up" Morgan called over the radio.

After he, Rossi and Emily got out they made their way to the front door, where Emily saw Joe about to kill his next victim. As always, Morgan kicked the door down and entered first.

"FBI!" he shouted, "Put it down!"

Then before the temporary unit chief could say anything else, Emily quickly went to Joe, kicked him in the gut and kneeled over him, while pointing her Glock right in his face. This worried Derek, but he knew that he had to get Anne out of the house first.

"It's okay, you're going to be okay" Rossi told her, as he guided her out of the house. Emily then grabbed hold of Joe's throat.

"Fantasies over" she told him in a very serious tone, one that you would never want to mess with, "Is that what you did to them? You hit them to shut them up and then force them to play in your sick delusion" she stated, knowing that Morgan was right behind her. But right now she didn't care.

"I love them" was all Joe said to her.

You're finally going to meet your soul mate, Joe, in prison. Only you're not going to be able to push him around like you did with those women. And when he comes for you… in the middle of the night… When you least expecting it, you do me a favour… play along" they both stared each other down.

"Alright, Prentiss that's enough!" Morgan ordered, snapping the brunette out and listened to him and backed away from Joe. Prentiss walked out of the house and remained standing in the driveway with Anne, who was currently being loaded in the ambulance, while Morgan shoved Joe in the back seat of the police cruiser. Rossi signalled Morgan to come back into the house and he did.

"What happened after I took Anne out?" he asked Morgan.

"Prentiss went up in Joe's face and pretty much told him that he was about to become someone's bitch in prison. Oh and to play along, when they come for him" he told the legendary profiler.

"Is they're any reason why she would act this way?" he asked Morgan.

"I believe that she was raped… remember the case with the rapist son decided to follow his father's legacy?"

"Yes. What does that have to do with the case?"

"I questioned her, and she flipped out and I questioned her again"

"You're going to have to learn to ask questions before and after cases"

"Why's that?"

"You're not only doubting one of your own, but you're also bringing up back memories that she doesn't want to remember! If she wants to tell you, she will. If not, then don't try to provoke her"

Both remained silent for almost a whole minute, before walking out of the house again.

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After the whole de-briefing procedure, Morgan had given the team the rest of the day off to rest. The Reids had decided to go to their neighbourhood park and let the kids play, while they knew they had to have to talk privately.

"Morgan told me what happened at Anne's house…"

"Why doesn't that surprise me" she answered sarcastically.

"Emily… what if Joe had suddenly move to you as you kicked him? You could have been hurt, even if you had your vest on"

"I know…"

"What happened?"

"I let it become personal… at the same time I made peace with everything that happened. With both at College and Cyrus"

"So, you're saying that you're not going to let it get to you again?" he asked.

"No… these kind of cases, will always have an effect on me, but at least I'll be able to not let it affect my job"

"That's good to know, because I don't ever want to come home and explain to the kids that you're never coming home again" he told her honestly, before wrapping his arms around her, pulling her to him, as they watched their kids playing, and Archer sleeping in his carriage.