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

Full Circle
Part 14

By N. J. Borba

Morgan had managed to forget his worries long enough to sleep for twelve hours straight that night. He woke at noon and had a little something to eat along with several cups of coffee and a few pain killers. Then he'd had a long phone conversation with his mother, telling her everything about Beth and Emily and the past week. It had actually gone much better than he'd been anticipating, though she hadn't hesitated to tell him exactly how she felt about everything. Which was to say, not terribly pleased with him, but forgiving. By three o'clock that afternoon he was finally starting to feel Human again. That was about the time a swift knock rattled his door. When he answered, a stocky and gray-haired man stared back at him with a pleasant smile.

"Larry, how are you?" Morgan welcomed the superintendent of the apartment complex.

"Good, good. I'm always glad to see you back from a case, safe and sound," Larry greeted. He was in his late-sixties and lived with his wife, Anna, in one of the units on site. He and Derek had grown chummy a few years back after talking about old house remodeling. The man noticed the bandage on Derek's forehead. "Looks like it was a real bad one this time."

"Yeah, it was... difficult. But there was a mostly happy ending," Morgan relayed, though he didn't go into detail about Emily being kidnapped. He'd told the older man a little about her in the past, but nothing specific. "So, what have you got for me?" he asked, looking past Larry's shoulder and seeing one rather large box and a few smaller packages propped on a hand-cart.

"Well, Anna signed for these while you were gone, because you know we always do that for you," Larry explained, good naturedly. "But, uh, we weren't so sure about a few of these. Looks like they're from some baby supply warehouse, or something like that?" he asked with a knitted brow. "You got a kid we don't know about?"

Derek chuckled nervously, having forgotten about his other internet purchases late Monday night as he'd waited up hoping for a call from Emily. "Right, it's... they're for me. Well, not me exactly. It's okay, Larry. I ordered them."

The man nodded, not questioning the matter any further. "Okay then," he rolled the cart inside and helped Derek maneuvered them off the wheeled device. It didn't take long to move them, but Derek's shoulder was throbbing after they'd finished. He saw Larry out and then examined the packages.

A padded envelope sat atop the largest box. It displayed a store logo that was not at all related to the kid's place he'd ordered from. Morgan sighed as he opened it, glanced at the item and then immediately tucked it away in one of his desk drawers. He wasn't sure if that impulsive purchase would ever see the light of day again. It brought up memories of the previous night, and his team's insistence that he talk to Emily sooner rather than later. But he was standing firm on his belief that giving Emily a few days to rest was the right way to go about things. And Hotch had ordered him not to set a single foot in the BAU until Monday, so he tore into the large box, pulled out the pieces and started putting the object together.

It was just after five in the evening when he finished the project. Derek even put the finishing touches on it and stood back to look at his handy work. He shook his head, wondering what had gotten into him by making such a purchase. It seemed rather silly, but it also gave him hope that it might be used some day. Morgan was about to inspect one of the other smaller boxes when there was another knock at his door. Two visitors in one day was rare, but he imagined it was probably Larry back again, having forgotten some small package from before. He opened the door and was about to tease the older man about being curious about his deliveries. But he stopped short when he saw Emily standing there with Beth on one hip and a diaper bag slung over her shoulder.

"Hi," Emily said.

"Hey," Derek replied.

She watched him stand there for a long time, just staring at her. "Can we come in?" Emily finally asked.

Morgan quickly blinked out of his trance and stepped back, waving them in. "Of course. Sorry, I just wasn't expecting to see you for a few days." He closed the door and the three of them stood huddled just inside the apartment. "I thought you'd be resting."

"Well, resting with a two-year-old only lasts so long," Emily chuckled. "She's been attached at the hip most of the day, even slept with me last night."

He smiled, but then frowned when he noticed something on Beth's forehead. Derek reached out to touch the colorful bandage. "What happened, sweetheart?"

Beth ducked her head a little, seeming bashful all of a sudden. "Nothing," Emily answered as she touched the drab bandage on her head. "She just wanted to have the same thing mama has. And look, Bethy," she pointed to Derek's forehead. "Daddy has one too." The girl still didn't look up, snuggling against Emily some more. "Why are you being so shy now? What have you been asking me to do all day?" Emily tried to coax the child.

"S-w-i-n-g?" Derek asked.

Emily shook her head. "Nope, not that. My mother and father have one of those in the yard, and my dad has been all too pleased to push her for hours on end. I swear, seeing them as grandparents is so odd some days. They were never that abiding with me as a child." She dropped the bag onto the floor and then addressed her daughter again. "Who did you tell me you wanted to see today, Beth?"

The girl finally smiled and sat up, peaking over at Derek. "See daddy," she answered.

"Is that right?" Morgan felt immensely proud. He held his hands out to her. "Can I get a hug? I didn't get any hugs last night," he pouted.

"Hug daddy!" Beth lunged for him, getting over her momentary hesitation very quickly.

Derek guessed that it was probably seeing him someplace different that had confused her a little at first. He held her tightly, not carrying about the sting in his left shoulder. She placed a slobbery kiss against his cheek and he returned several kisses to her cheeks and forehead. "I'm very glad you came to visit," he let the girl know. "Maybe we could all have dinner together?" Morgan looked to Emily. "If you don't have other plans."

"Dinner would be nice," she agreed.

"Oh..." he scrunched up his nose as he sat Beth down on her feet. "I don't really have anything to eat. I've been gone for days and haven't shopped yet."

Emily remembered that lifestyle, not too fondly. "We could order a pizza."

"Pizza?" he stared at her a moment. "That's not very healthy is it?" Derek teased.

She shrugged. "It has grain, dairy, veggie... besides, it's a special occasion, right?"

He nodded, not about to argue with her as he went to grab his phone and place an order. They immediately put him on hold, which he should have guessed given it was a Friday night. Morgan watched as Beth explored his small apartment, probably looking for toys, which he didn't have. Eventually she climbed atop the piece of furniture he'd put together earlier. And he could see Emily's brows arch in a questioning manner. "It's a toddler bed," he announced.

"I see that," Emily replied as she regarded the white, wood-framed bed. "Did you buy this for her?"

"No," he shook his head, holding the phone slightly to one side of his ear. "I got it for Reid when he comes to spend the night," Derek joked.

Her laughter filled the space. "Well, I'm sure he'll love the lavender sheets." Emily watched him roll his eyes and then return his attention to the phone call. She couldn't help noticing the other two boxes in his small living room. One had a picture of a swing and the other a potty seat with ducks on it. Beth also noticed the ducks on the box and pointed them out to her mother. Then the girl ran toward the door and fished her duck out of the bag. She sped back and jumped onto the bed, curling up with her stuffed animal. "Are you ready for bed?" Emily asked.

Beth nodded. "Yes!"

Derek watched the whole scene as he finished his order. After hanging up, he crept toward the bed and then pounced on the girl, tickling her tummy. "You're a silly goose."

"Ducky!" Beth countered.

He sat down on the small bed and held Beth upon his lap as he watched Emily take a seat on the sofa. Everything in the room was somewhat cramped with the bed in there, but he had no place else to put it. His apartment didn't even have a proper bedroom, just a loft area where he slept. That got his mind whirling. "You know what," he spoke to Beth. "Daddy is fixing up a house across town that has two bedrooms and a big back yard. I bet this bed would look good in one of those rooms, don't you?"

"Yes!" she agreed, without really understanding what he was saying.

Morgan caught Emily's eye. "I know it'll be a long time before she can hop on a plane to come see me, but maybe if you're visiting your parents she could stay a night with me. At least the bed wouldn't be a total waste of money that way," he shrugged. Without waiting for an answer, he went about tickling Beth again, and they rolled around on the bed, taking turns tickling each other and making as much noise as they possibly could.

Emily watched them play, keeping her distance. She mulled over what he'd said about Beth visiting, and made a final decision about something she'd been debating in her head all day. When the pizza finally arrived they managed to squeeze in around the small round table beside his equal tiny kitchen. Derek had laid out plates and napkins but forgot about drinks. "Would you like a beer?" he asked Emily.

"Um, sure, maybe just a little," she replied. "After nearly two years of gestating and nursing, in which alcohol had no place in my diet, I guess I turned in to a bit of a lightweight." A lot of her old life had drifted away with the advent of becoming a mother. And she really didn't miss much of it, because having Beth in her life was worth it.

He got up from the table and was about to grab the beers when he laid eyes on his daughter. "I don't think I have anything for Beth to drink, other than water or beer. She's probably a bit too young for the water, though," Derek joked.

"That's okay," Emily got up and retrieved her bag. "Ta-da," she triumphantly pulled out a container of apple juice. "There are some things you never leave the house without when traveling with a two-year-old." She went to get a small glass for Beth and shoed him back to the table, promising to get all their drinks.

"Guess I still have a lot to learn about this parenting business," Derek noted as he grabbed the smallest slice from the cheese-only half of their pizza and placed it on Beth's plate. He doled out two pieces each of the other half for Emily and himself, then stowed the box on the nearby counter. When he returned to the table, Derek noticed that Beth hadn't touched her food yet. "Aren't you hungry, sweetie?" he asked.

"You have to cut it up for her," Emily told him, returning to the table with three glasses and a small fork she sat beside Beth's plate.

"What?" Derek looked appalled. "You don't eat thin crust pizza with a fork."

She grinned. "When you're two years old, you do."

Morgan shook his head, but he set about cutting her pizza up. "You know what, darling? Some day daddy is going to take you to Chicago and he's going to treat you to some deep dish pizza that will make your eyes roll back in your head. That's about the only time I think it's okay to eat pizza with a fork. And we'll stuff ourselves silly," he kissed the top of her head when he was done cutting her meal.

Beth dove into the food, using her hands rather than the fork. Emily decided not to harp on table manners for one night as she took a bite of her meal. "I heard Pizzeria Uno has bounced back since they had to file bankruptcy a few years ago."

"Yeah," Derek nodded, impressed that she knew that. "I always forget you lived in Chicago for a while. Speaking of which," he took a small sip of his beer. "I finally talked to my mom this morning, told her about Beth and everything else that's been going on."

Emily licked a bit of sauce from the corner of her mouth as she stared down at her half-eaten pizza slice. "Is she really upset?"

"No," Derek replied, sensing her worry. "I mean, she obviously wasn't thrilled about finding out she had a granddaughter several years after the fact, but mostly she just wants to know how soon she can meet Beth."

"Tell her, as soon as she wants. I'll even buy her a ticket to fly out here," Emily offered.

Derek was a little confused. "You mean, to Seattle?"

She shook her head. It seemed the time to tell him about her recently made decision was upon her. "I mean here, I'm moving back. We'll be staying at my parents place for a while until I can sell the house in Seattle and then... well, your mom can visit despite all of that."

"You're going to move back?" he was still stuck on that morsel of news. "But, you built a life for yourself in Seattle. Your home, the PI work."

"No, I ran away to Seattle, Derek," she replied. "And it was home for a while, but only because I had Beth with me. Wherever she is will be home. And the DC-Virginia area has always been more of a home to me than anywhere else. I think being a part of the BAU really cemented that for me. And, even though I'm not a part of the team any more, I'd still like to be close to the friends I made there. Also, mainly... I want Beth to be close to you, so maybe that bed can get some actual use," she nodded toward the object wedged in his living room.

Everything she said took a moment to sink in. He wanted to jump for joy, but also didn't want to scare her off. "It's not too late to be a part of the team again," Morgan found himself on a completely different track. "I think Hotch would consider it. You could ask Silvia to move out here too, watch Beth when we're out in the field. What you did in Seattle... you were amazing, Emily. You're still a profiler, with or without the badge."

The compliment felt good, but she'd all ready thought that part of her life through. "I only fought so hard out there this past week because I had something worth fighting for," Emily reached out and ran her hand over the back of Beth's head. "But I think one of her parents should have a little less risky job. I don't want to return to the BAU, at least not for several years. When Beth is older and in school, maybe then," she shrugged, still not certain she wanted to risk it even then. She honestly didn't know how Hotch and JJ managed, although JJ did have Will.

He didn't press the matter, knowing it had been a long shot. And he admired the fact she had Beth's best interest in mind. "So, PI work in DC?"

"Nah, I don't think so," she wrinkled her nose. "I'm kind of sick of prying into people's private lives."

"But helping people find their pets, that had to feel good," Derek guessed.

"It did, but I'm kind of thinking I might do something a little more mundane for a while. Maybe something to do with photography," she shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. All I know is I want to focus on being a good mom first and foremost right now."

Derek admired that even more. They finished their meal with smaller talk that swung back around to favorite pizza joints in Chicago and the DC area. And somehow led into a discussion of Dora the Explorer bandages and the cartoon, which Derek had never watched. All of which culminated in Beth showing off her Spanish skills that consisted of one word: Hola. Still, Derek didn't think Emily had any reason to worry about the child's language progression. After cleaning up, they spent the rest of the evening reading some kid's books Emily had brought along and playing a game Derek invented, which pretty much just involved the three of them waddling around the small apartment like ducks and seeing who would fall over first.

Beth was completely zonked out just before eight o'clock and Derek offered to call them a cab or drive them. But Emily laid the girl down on the bed he'd bought for her and let him know that she wanted to finally have that talk they'd been putting off. "I guess we can do some formal custody arrangement, but as far as I'm concerned, you can see her whenever you want," Emily insisted. "That's a big part of the reason I want to be out here, because she needs you in her life. And I'd never keep her away from you..." she sighed. "I mean, now that..."

"I know what you mean," Derek kept his voice low as they sat on the sofa facing one another, not wanting to wake Beth who was just a few feet away. As he looked in to Emily's eyes, he was bombarded by the memory of their bodies moving together that night, flesh against flesh. That one perfect, messed up night. The night their daughter had been conceived. He felt a damn give way in his head. "Emily, I'm so sorry for what I said Sunday. That's why I was calling Monday, to apologize. I still can't believe I said those things. I never meant them."

She bit down gently on her lower lip. "I knew you didn't mean those words, Derek. Just like I told you some day Beth will probably tell us she doesn't like us very much. I was just so upset that you actually said those things, but I know I have no one to blame but myself for never telling you the truth. So, here's the truth, Derek." Emily swallowed, laying it all on the line. "I love you. I loved you that night I came to visit you three years ago. I loved you before that. At first it was just a friendly kind of love, because I respected you and I knew you'd always be there to cover my back. Then it morphed into this thing in my head, and this ache in my chest and... shit, I still can't explain it. I just wish I'd been brave enough to tell you back then, because maybe we would have had a chance. But I know what I did is unforgivable, so..."

"Emily, I forgive you." The words were out of his mouth before he could really even think them through.

"You can't," she shook her head, trying to look away.

He reached out and touched her chin, making her face him. "Sure I can, and I just did. Murder, rape, molestation... those things are unforgivable. But this, yeah it will hurt for a while, but then it will dull to a sting and before long it will fade into the past with a lot of other undesirable memories," he paused, then smiled. "You know what my earliest memory is? It's of when my dad took me to see my first baseball game. I remember the smell of grass and hot dogs and my father's aftershave. And it was a great day. I was about five years old at the time. What's your earliest memory?"

Emily was a little thrown by his seemingly off topic question, but she gave it some thought. "My mother and I were walking somewhere in Paris to meet my grandparents for lunch and I tripped, skinned my knee. She was exasperated and crouched down on the street in front of me, trying to teach me how to properly tie my own laces."

Morgan wished it was a happier memory, but that wasn't the point. "How old were you then?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure, four maybe?"

"Exactly," he replied.

"Exactly, what?" Emily was still very lost as to what point he was trying to make.

Derek glanced over at his sleeping daughter. "How many kids remember events that took place when they were two-years-old? With any luck, Beth will never remember a time when I wasn't around. We could even get Penelope to Photoshop some pictures, insert me into those first few years." He was mostly kidding about the last part, but wanted her to know he was serious. "I forgive you, Emily."

"And, it's just that easy all of a sudden?" She remained doubtful.

"No, it's not," he honestly replied. Morgan took her hands in his. "But I don't want to wallow in the pain any more. I want to move on. Start over. One week ago I stood in your doorway and told you that the past didn't matter any more. I was ready to just pick up were we left off. A lot has happened this week, and I was very angry for a while, but I realize right now that I still feel the same way I did last Friday. I just want to pick up right here and go on. Leave the past behind. And..." he remembered what Hotch had told him last night on the plane. "We have the power to make it easy if we want."

"This is crazy," Emily was reluctant to let herself fall again. The first time had hurt too much.

He shrugged, but squeezed her hands a little tighter. "Maybe. But there's something I've been needing to tell you for the last three years. Something I should have told you that night," Derek leaned forward a little more and whispered the words. "I love you, Emily. And there's a lot of forgiveness in love, right?" He reminded her of Garcia's words as he sat back. She was silent, so he pressed on. "That house I told Beth about, I don't want to live there alone and pine away for the weekends and holidays that she'll come visit. I want to be her daddy every day, and your... whatever you'll let me be. I want us to live there as a family. All you have to do is say that you'll stay with me tonight, and tomorrow, and the day after that, and..."

She bit back tears. "You read the note?"

"Yeah, I read the note." Morgan nodded. "And I swear I never would have told you to go, Em." He brought one of her hands to his lips and kissed the tender, warm skin of her palm. With that kiss, he wiped away the last bit of his regret and anger. Wiped the slate clean. "Please, just say you'll stay this time?"

To Be Continued...