As From Discretion Comes Isolation
Chapter 15

A/N - As promised as quick as possible, here is the penultimate chapter, the last one is coming soon! Thank you all for staying loyal readers.

"Derek!?" Penelope shrieked into the phone, causing the sleeping little girl to stir momentarily in her arms. Her heart was beating at a hundred miles an hour, her hands shaking with fear; it was like New York all over again, why did he do that? Why does he always have to play the hero? Because he is a hero, he's her hero. He's her best friend in the whole world and he is constantly putting himself in life threatening positions, she hated this waiting, why wouldn't someone speak to her?

More silence.

'Oh God, he really is dead' she thought, her heart breaking, 'no, it's too soon, there is so much that we haven't done, so much that hasn't been said, please no-'

"Baby Girl? We really have to stop doing this" Morgan's smooth voice sang down the phone at her.

Garcia took a short intake of breath, she couldn't formulate words, she let his fluid, beautiful words flow through her. She couldn't imagine never hearing his voice again, "you mad at me again?" he asked at the lack of response from his best friend.

Her heart skipped with joy, he was alive! Morgan was alive! Still she was angry, he had risked his life again! "Yes" she said simply, pursing her lips.

He chuckled softly, "I wouldn't have it any other way sweetness, I'll see you soon"

"Huh yeah, if you don't try to kill yourself again!" she scoffed and immediately put down the phone.

Brushing gravel and debris from his clothes, Morgan turned to see the burning building before he was ambushed by his friends and was soon accompanying Jack and James on the trip in the ambulance to the hospital.

Rossi put his hand on Reid's shoulder as he watched Hotch climb into the back of the ambulance with Morgan, "we got the bad guy"

"How many times does one of us have to get hurt or worse before that just isn't enough to justify it anymore?" he sighed and walked away to be on his own.

J.J. watched him as she stood beside Rossi, "is he ok?"

Her friend and mentor looked at her and nodded, "he will be, as Hotch said this is just too reminiscent of Maeve for him. What's the update?"

"Basically everyone but us has gone to the hospital, Hotch went with Morgan, Nikki went with Jack and Leo went with James"

He nodded and looked at Reid staring into the remainder of the building, "we'll give him five minutes and then we can see Emily and tell her that we got him"

J.J. glanced at her watch, it was almost nine, "Rossi where are the boys? They can't still be at the Lyell Centre, it's past Henry's bedtime it's hard enough to get him into a pattern with jet lag as it is!"

Rossi held up his hands to silence her, "don't panic, Garcia picked them up on her way to check on Bella, I'm sure he's sleeping in the back of the car, it's been a long day for all of us"

Relaxing slightly she nodded and her eyes were drawn to Reid, he looked so lost and sad. He was one of her best friends and she couldn't bear to see him like that. Slowly she walked up and placed her hand on his shoulder, "Spence" she started softly, he turned towards her and as he met her eyes she could see the redness and puffiness as if he had been crying, "oh Spence" she sighed putting her arms around his neck pulling him into a warm embrace, "it's going to be ok, we're going to let Emily know everything is alright now" she said into his shoulder before they broke apart. He simply nodded and began walking silently back through the chaos towards the car.

Emily hadn't realised that she had fallen asleep until she was awoke by the sound of beeping coming from outside her room. She had had a dreamless sleep but reality hit her as soon as she opened her eyes. She had tried so desperately to stay awake and wait for their return but tiredness overcame her. She was helpless, her entire family was in danger because of her and there was nothing she could do. She couldn't even reach her phone to see if they're all safe, all she could do was lie there connected to all sorts of tubes and machines that were nursing her back to health and wait. Always waiting. Closing her eyes she slumped back against the soft pillows that were propping her upwards and sighed. She thought about her baby girl, she had been born a month premature, she was so tiny ,she shouldn't have had to spend so long away from her family. Emily wanted to hold her in her arms, smell the sweet baby scent of talcum powder and lotion, feel her soft skin and stroke her little tuft of dark brown her, look into her bright blue eyes and let her tiny, stubby fingers clasp around her own. She had only been a mother for such a small amount of time, but it had already had such an impact on her life and her priorities.

Hearing a quiet knock at the door her thoughts were interrupted and reality set in. She opened her eyes to see Rossi, J.J. and Reid entering the room.

"What's happened?" she asked frantically trying to sit up.

Rossi put a hand on her shoulder, "lie down, you're not strong enough to be getting this worked up. Calm down or you'll be in here a lot longer than necessary!"

Emily looked between her three friends demanding answers, "is everyone ok? James? Bella?" she asked with shaking hands covering her mouth, her friends faces impossible to read.

J.J. smiled reassuringly at her, "Bella is fine, she was where she was meant to be, we're all fine except Morgan was a little too close when the bomb went off in the warehouse, he's somewhere in the hospital with Hotch and Jack was shot in the leg so Nikki's with him around here as well"

She widened her eyes in panic, "bomb!?" she cried as she knew it was her fault that her friend's had risked their lives once more, even more so as they were on foreign soil and were disadvantaged as they didn't have the protection and the shield of their gun, "and James?" she asked quietly noting that his condition had not been mentioned.

Rossi looked sideways at J.J., "he was in a pretty bad way but Leo went with him and he said he's in surgery right now"

"Oh" Emily's heart ached as she thought of her James being tortured by that man, she couldn't bare it, "what happened? Tell me the full story"

She listened attentively to every detail of what happened at the warehouse, again she felt stupidly helpless as all her friends were risking their lives to save her family while she did nothing. As they concluded their tale there was another knock at the door, Morgan entered followed by Hotch, he had his arm in a sling from where he had sprained it jumping away from the blast and a couple of stitches above his eye.

"It's not as bad as it looks" he said giving them a half smile, "I'm all fine, how're you?" he said turning his attention to Emily.

She shrugged. She had given up on knowing how she felt, she was still lost without her family with her.

Morgan gave her a knowing smile as a nurse walked in to check on her, she frowned at the group, "it's getting late Emily, your friends will have to leave shortly, we've bent the rules as it is letting them all in here"

"Five more minutes" she said looking up hopefully.

The nurse sighed, "fine, I'll be back then" and she turned on her heel and left.

"Well she seemed pretty grumpy didn't she?" came a voice from the door.

Emily's eyes lit up as she saw Garcia stood in the doorway holding a bright eyed little bundle in her arms while two little tired boys ran to their parents.

Penelope beamed as she walked towards the bed, "I think you're Mommy has been waiting for you" she whispered giving her a kiss on the forehead before placing her in her mother's arms.

Emily's eyes sparkled with tears as Bella stretched her tiny arm upwards to grab a piece of her thick, dark hair. She laughed quietly and kissed her nose, "hey beautiful, where have you been? Have you missed me? I've missed you so much, Mommy's not going to let you out of her sight ever again, I'll make up for having to leave you I promise" she whispered cuddling her close as only a mother could.

The others watched with smiles on their own faces as Emily was reunited with her daughter. Morgan had placed his good arm around Garcia's shoulder, "you still mad Momma?"

She looked up at his injured yet beautiful face and placed her hand on his chest, "I think you've earned my forgiveness Hot Stuff"

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head as the door opened once more. They expected it to be the nurse again but instead the slender figure of Nikki walked through the door, her blonde curls pulled back away from her face in an intricate braid.

"Emily! Are you alright?" she asked as she walked up to the bed.

She smiled at her friend and then to her daughter, "I am now"

"I've got something to show you" she said pulling out her phone, which Jack's face filled the screen.

"Hi Emily and gang" his voice crackled through the speaker, "I have just managed to limp across the hospital using these magnificent crutches to see a very good friend of mine, you might know him"

Jack's face soon disappeared and it was replaced by that of her boyfriend who's face was badly bruised and cut.

"James!" she breathed excitedly

He smiled weakly, "hey baby, I needed to see you, speak to you"

She frowned slightly, "you need to rest"

He shook his head, "so do you, but I'm talking to you first, is my Bella there?"

Nikki pulled the phone back slightly so Emily could hold up their baby in front of the camera, "look it's Daddy, you going to wave for Daddy" she smiled taking her daughter's little hand and began moving it.

"There's my girls" he smiled, "Emily I need to ask you something and I'm glad all your family can hear this, I wanted to ask you before all this began but I know that wasn't possible but now this is over... Will you do me the honour of being my wife?"

She laughed excitedly, "of course I will!"

He sighed, "great! I'll see you soon, they're going to kick Jack and Leo out now, I love you"

"I love you too" she said handing the phone back to Nikki.

Penelope beamed at her, "Em! You're getting married!" she squealed. Emily laughed and rolled her eyes at her friend.

Before she could reply the nurse returned and began shooing her friends out of the room, "we'll be back tomorrow" J.J. smiled as they left quietly.

Emily was reluctant to have to be separated from her baby again but she knew she needed to be back in her own crib in her own nursery, "Nikki, would you be able to take Bella back to ours and stay there for a little while, I don't want her being away from home any longer"

She nodded, "of course, I'll go home and get some things and your spare keys and then go to yours, we'll be fine"

She looked down at her little one who had stopped wriggling and had closed her eyes to sleep, she kissed her forehead before handing her over, "Garcia will have her things that she took away with her but you know where everything else is"

Nikki nodded again as she made for the door, "we'll see first thing tomorrow, bye bye Mummy"

Happy and content that her life could finally continue in peace, Emily closed her eyes and drifted into her first deep sleep in a long time.

As Nikki carried Bella out of the door she saw the BAU team waiting in the corridor.

"I know what you're thinking Dave but we leave in five days, we don't even know if they'll be out of hospital by then" Hotch said folding his arms and shaking his head at his friend.

Rossi simply smiled, "I've done it once I can do it again"

"That was at home, at your own house, that makes organisation a bit easier" Morgan added his arm still lazily placed around Garcia's shoulder.

Rossi turned to J.J., "did you have a good wedding?"

J.J. smiled, "yes, it was beautiful, you know it was" she replied.

He held his hands out, "I rest my case, this girl deserves some happiness after the year of hell she's had. And we're all going to celebrate this wonderful occasion together, as a family."