AN
Guys, I'm so excited about the next 5 chapters I have already drafted out, oh these characters have so much they need to tell us, and do, and Emily's return is actually planned, written and rewritten...but well some things need to happen first.
Note if you haven't read this since 2016... 2019-2020 updates start at Chapter 25 I have no excuses.
Chapter 29
Hotches Pov
The clock on the microwave reads 3:47am, as Maddie stands gathering the tea glasses and taking them to the sink to clean.
"Would you like to go back to sleep, or make cinnamon rolls?" Maddie has taken a shine to baking, actually cooking in general. Lessons with Dave have helped her develop a much healthier, all though somewhat elaborate relationship with food. She is particularly fond of playing with bread recipes right now.
"Can I add the blueberries from the fridge to the recipe?" She is already plotting out a new culinary adventure as she moves the cups to the drying rack, and rinses her hands.
"That sounds delicious do you need any help?" Occasionally her recipes involved some ambitious stirring and timing and she would give me very specific instructions. In those moments I can see the remnants of the confidence from her mother, that had been crushed to gravel in a basement.
It's an unspoken rule amongst the team that if there is even the potential to nurture those moments, you drop everything you are doing and let her instruct and guide you.
It's another balance between giving her charge, and putting pressure on her.
"Thanks, I got it."She's already moving to take out her ingredients, so I will be working in my study while she cooks.
I leave her pondering a jar of almond butter. This task would likely occupy her for 3 hours as she tends to really dig into these cooking projects and she already has her flavor pairing book Rossi had gifted her out.
"Madda!" Jack joined Madlien in the kitchen just in time to be taught how to ice the rolls she made. Her instructions, and their conspirtational murmurs carried into my study. It appeared it would be a mystery as to which additional flavor would be in my frosting, per Jacks request.
My email pings in the same moment my phone rings. This could only mean a case, that can't be put off. "Gather the team, I'll be there in an hour." I replied as I scanned the email a small town in southern California urgently needs our help.
Hanging up with Garcia, I call Hayely. . " Do you want Jack back this weekend, or want him to stay with Maddie, and Garcia?" It's my weekend, but Hayley and I had promised not to get bitter, or be petty over custody. We'd loved each other for over a decade, and we have been able to claw through the resentment, and hurt to treat each other fairly when it comes to Jack.
"I'll take him Aaron, my parents would love to have him they've been hinting all week. Madlien is welcome to join him." Hayley offers. She herself has no responsibility toward Emily's daughter, however, Jack has firmly established a sibling bond with the older girl, and Hayley respects that.
Emily had helped me see her capacity to care and respect again through the pain of the divorce. Emily was my voice of reason. She helped me finally understand that Hayley wasn't throwing away our family out of spite. Our marriage came crashing down around us because we had compromised, and compromised for each other until reaching a point where our love had started demanding too many sacrifices to hold strong. These sacrifices were the things neither of us were willing to give.
The things Emily had asked for, were things that it didn't feel so hard to give. We are cut from the same cloth her and I, but where wear and tear had made me scratchy, and abrasive, she had been soft, and dependable.
Hayley a caring, gentle woman, she'd never been bitter toward the girl who swooped in and put me back together. She'd never expressed jealousy or anything other than gratitude toward Emily Prentiss.
Hayley must have known before I did, how I felt for Emily.
I should have known faster, maybe if I'd just pulled my head from the sand long enough I could have given Emily a reason, something that more worth sticking with me, instead of going rogue on that night.
It doesn't matter now, now I have her daughter, and my caring ex-wife, and my focus needs to be on avoiding hurting either of them. "Thank you Hayley, I'll make the offer but I think Maddie will choose to stay with Penelope." I won't apologize for my pause in conversation, they happen all too often now.
Maddie's face falls when I walk into the kitchen with my phone in hand still, but she quickly turns her attention back to Jack, and plating the cinnamon rolls. She hands me one, Oh those smell good. Emily, Haley, or I myself never cared to do fresh baking, but what a treat it is.
"Hey bud you'll be heading back to your mom early, I think a fun visit to Grandma, and Grandpa is also in order." Hayleys parents love to dote on him, it wasn't too hard to put a positive spin on this turn of events for my youngest.
"We'll eat these delicious smelling rolls, and then grab our go bags, okay?" Now the elder of the two, there was no spin I could put on this that would negate the fact that most of her family is flying away.
Maddie just nodds, as she chews her food. The only betrayal that her mood had switched at all is that she doesn't offer up her usual explanations as to how she had tweaked the recipe during this meal.
She keeps a thin smile on her face, and defelcts Jacks attention from her mood by prompting long stories from him, about his grandparents, and their dog, and the garden he gets to help plant and pick.
She listens attentively her eyes lighting up along side Jacks, and this kind soul doesn't become bitter ever as it becomes obvious that like me, she would never know the childhood that Hayley and Jack know.
She's cut from the same cloth as us, and by god I wish I could change that.
This is why I know even as I make the offer when she climbs in after dropping Jack of with Hayely what her answer will be.
"Hayley invited you as well if you would rather spend the next few days with Jack and her you can." She shakes her head indicating No.
"I'm more comfortable with Penelope." Her tone is even, but her gaze is questioning. I ignore the dig in my gut at the evidence that her confidence in her capacity to make her own decisions is still so new. Where she should have a brick wall, she just has a thin layer of cement that hasn't dried yet.
"Okay, do you have new books in your go bag?" She will need to occupy herself while Garcia assists us.
"Yep, plus Reid refilled my drawer in JJ's office , and Penelope promised a new computer skills lesson." She stifles a yawn as she settles back for the familiar drive to the office. A nap would likely be in her future as well.
It's frustrating that she spends so much time at my work, Hayley, and Will both have made it known she is always welcome with them, but she always chooses Penelope. Likely drawn to the light that woman can offer the dark, even if it means spending her time in an office building.
"I should warn you, Reid is on a puzzle box kick right now, Maddie." I gested.
"I like puzzle boxes." She replies, but she isn't successfully hiding the dissapointment at the turn her weekend had taken.
"Hi JJ!" Maddie brightens as she beats me to answering my phone through the car speakers.
"Hey Maddie, Just the person I was calling for! Will wanted me to ask if you'd like to join him, Henry and his cousins on their trip to the cabin this weekend since you seemed to enjoy it so much last time we did a day trip up there." Maddie had come home happy and relaxed, she hadn't had night terrors for several days.
"Tell him thanks, but I'm looking forward to staying with Penelope." Maddie replies cheerfully.
"Will do, see you two in a few then." JJ replies before disconnecting.
"That was really considerate of Will to invite me, when you get back can we have them over for dinner? I can make us some beignets or something." She speaks slowly as she navigates this moment. Advocating for her own comfort is not something that comes naturally to her.
"We can, it sounds like a good idea to me." Trust will likely never come easy to Maddie and it's not something she should feel she must give, even though it would have been nice to send her off for a fun weekend instead of leaving her behind at Quantico.
"Hey, Princess." Morgan greets her with a wave as she goes to visit with the agents in the bullpen, I head to my office to file a few papers before I must call my agents away from their favorite distraction.
JJ finds me on the jet as the coffee finally begin pouring into my cup. "My kid kept me from the coffee this morning too." She commiserates stepping up to make her own.
"Maddie has been having night terrors. We have tea at 3 am together. I don't want to introduce her to coffee when she is running on such little sleep." I finally poured the nectar of the gods down my throat not minding the scorching heat in the slightest.
"Awe, pour kiddo, she still not remembering why she's upset when she wakes up?" JJ takes the more civilized approach and pours creamer into her coffee then stirs.
"Not, specifically, but take your pick she has more than enough cause for bad dreams." Mine are fiction, or imaginary versions of what happened to Emily, hers are real horrors that seeped into the life of a 4 year old child.
"Ah, have you warned Garcia?" JJ asks.
"The first time they happened, she was with Penelope during the Texas case a few weeks ago." My temper flashes for just a moment, anger surges forth, and I want JJ to feel the same helpless frustration at this as I do ...JJ didn't even say anything out of line.
Lowering my voice I turn to her. "I need you to let me know if I'm too grumpy with the team." A task Emily used to do with out request, and from the hurt that flashes through JJ's eyes. She is putting the same pieces together.
"Of course Hotch." Her tone equally as soft. We joined the team to get started on the case children are missing and there is no time to waste.
"That's not good enough, Reid, go through the family's file again, their has to be something we are missing" My gaze trailed over the police department, and What is she doing here?
"Excuse me" I murmur as I walked away from the team and toward the woman who had just strolled in, here an entire team of what appeared to be former military special operations behind her.
She strolls through the department as if she owned the building, and even a room full of law enforcement isn't interested in stopping her from her path toward the conference room we had been loaned.
Well, save for me. I have no problem intercepting this particular bastion of wealth, and power.
"Ambassador Prentiss is everything alright?"
AN
I'm positively giddy about the next few chapters. This was originally like half it's size, but then well these characters they have so much to say and do!
Okay, a back log of long over due review responses.
ItsEmilyFreakingPrentiss yes, this image makes me so sad too, there's alot to Emily and Aarons story in my head, that took place before this and I hope some of it bleeds well into this story.
sweetkid45 OMG, thank you for reading and all the support, It really does motivate me to write more timely.
zhangxinna Yes, it's been awhile...(crickets chirping in the back ground) all I can say to that is life, schooling, getting real job, starting small business, doing alot of apprenticeships all took me out of writing, but man, I've missed it, and now I think I need to polish up my skills because they might just come in handy for said small business. These characters and their story never really left me though.
sia Morgan, hope you enjoy the whole story, it's a bit of beast.
If your still reading to anyone who reviewed pre-2020 I read your review, and I appreciate the heck out of it. Thanks!