A/N: I'm sorry that this chapter isn't as long as the others but it just felt right to finish it here. On another note, today is my 3 year fanfiction anniversary and I'm gobsmacked, I just want to thank every one of you for reading, it really is what keeps me writing.
Please note that I have also upped the rating to T for language, this may be upped again, depending on how I proceed. Anyway, enjoy!
When Emily woke to screaming for the second night in a row she calmed herself quicker. She didn't reach for her gun but for her robe. This time when she stumbled across the landing she hit the light switch so that when she opened Carrie's bedroom door the light spilled into the room. Seeing the teen trashing in the bed for the second time didn't lessen the pain in her heart, if anything it made it worse. This sweet, beautiful, smart, young girl did not deserve any of what was happening to her.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Emily pushed the brunette hair off the young girl's face and placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to shake her awake. "Carrie, wake up, you're safe here, nobody is going to hurt you. It's just a dream. Carrie it's Emily, wake up."
After several minutes of trying to wake the girl from her nightmare, Carrie's eyes flew open and much like the night before, her eyes began searching the room for threats. When her eyes landed on Emily sitting on her bed, she shrank away from the older woman, pulling her knees up to her chest, sobs escaping from her chest.
Emily tried to move to comfort the teen but as she got closer Carrie started shaking and muttering the words "No, stop, please don't come near me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Carrie I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to try help you. I'm here for you, for whatever you need." Emily continued moving slowly towards the teen and attempted to wrap her arms around the shaking body in front of her. As soon as Emily's hand rested on Carrie's back she felt two strong hands push at her chest, almost knocking her off balance.
Emily pulled back and could hear the teen muttering softly to herself. "What have I done? I've ruined someone elses life. She was probably happy until I came here. You're so damn stupid. What have I done?"
The older brunette knew she had to comfort Carrie in some way but she had no idea how. The teen apparently didn't want her there. But Emily knew that wasn't true, as a teenager herself she had pushed and rebelled against her Mother, told her to leave when really, the opposite was all she wanted. JJ's words from Denver ran through her head. "She needs someone who will care about her, give her space to grieve but talk to her when that's what she needs." Carrie needed her now and she'd be damned if she let her push her away because of her pride or a teenage need to rebel.
Again attempting to get close to Carrie she was met with resistance but, expecting it this time, was able to get her arms around the teen and pull her close. At first Carrie tried to get out of the embrace, thrashing and shouting but Emily held on and eventually the teen started to relax, once again breaking down in sobs.
Carrie didn't know why she was letting the older woman so close to her, she didn't know why the woman wanted to be close to her at all. She was surprised she hadn't been kicked back to Denver at this stage to live in a home with other orphaned kids like her who woke up screaming in the middle of the night. She was a damaged child who was disrupting this classy womans expensive lifestyle. She was sure Emily would be perfectly happy without her there, she could have JJ over whenever she wanted and they could do whatever it was that they did without her being in the way. She was just a mess who came crashing into this woman's life who didn't need to deal with her shit.
Emily slowly began to rock the girl in her arms and stroke her hair, trying to comfort her. She could feel Carrie crying, the sobs racking through her petite body. Whispering words of comfort and safety in her ear she eventually felt the teen begin to calm. "You're okay, you're safe here, I promise I'm not going to let anyone hurt you okay? I just want to help you. I'm here if you need to talk. You're safe. It's okay, let it all out."
Half an hour later she felt the teen's breathing even out, Carrie drifting back to sleep. Holding the now sleeping girl in her arms, Emily felt her heart break just a little bit thinking about what Carrie was going through. She did know one thing though, that she was going to be here for her, for whatever she needed. She managed to place the teen back on the bed and pull the covers over her without waking her and eventually slipped out of the room, leaving the landing light on as she returned to her own bed.
The following morning Carrie was even more reserved, something Emily thought impossible after the events of the previous day. Breakfast was almost painfully silent, Carrie refusing to look up from her french toast. Deciding that they couldn't continue to live like this Emily decided to confront her when she returned from getting dressed for their planned day out.
"Carrie you know you can talk to me right? About anything." Emily said, testing the waters.
"I know." You didn't need to be a profiler to tell that the short reply and the fact that she was refusing to make eye contact meant that she was lying.
"I'm here for you, I want you to know that. I want you to be here, okay? I wouldn't have offered to take you if I didn't. I know you think I have a plush bachelorette lifestyle and I have everything but I've been thinking about having children for a long time. This wasn't spur of the moment. I want you here and I just want you to know that." She explained before turning and walking up the stairs, giving the teen a chance to process without having to reply.
By the time the two got into the car Carrie had realised how much she had been pushing the older woman away. "Emily, I-I'm sorry okay? I know I've been acting badly and pushing you away but it's just a lot to deal with right now. There's a lot of changes and it's hard. I'm sorry, I'll try harder."
Emily reached across the console to put a comforting hand on her shoulder "Carrie listen to me okay? I can't even begin to understand what you've been through in the past week alone. I just want to be here for you in any way I can. I know this must be awful but you can talk to me, do you understand?"
"I understand, thank you." Carrie replied with tears in her eyes as Emily reached forward to start the car, the two feeling just a little bit closer and more trusting of the other.