Baby Market

Old Life New Life

As always I do not own any part of ABC, CBS, or Criminal Minds. For entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance to person's living, dead or fictional is purely coincidental.

Chapter 3

The flight to Wyoming was uneventful, quiet really. Normally they spent this time discussing the case but this time they were silent. No one wanted to bring up the last time they were in Wyoming or the Rapist/Killer they never caught. Each of the Agents independently kept up with that case, but it weighed heavily on Emily's conscious. She couldn't forgive herself for the role she played in it. Blaming herself completely for the failure.

JJ looked at Emily. She knew what was going through her mind. Elijah Talpert. JJ wanted to tell Emily again that it wasn't her fault, Elijah had pulled a gun and she had to shoot him. Talpert was hell bent on killing someone and wouldn't have thought twice about taking out a Federal Agent. Ok so he wasn't guilty of the rapes and murders but he was far from innocent. Elijah Talpert had dreams, hopes, and big plans; unfortunately those hopes and dreams were not ones you wished he would have. Moving from Marshal County Alabama, a place often referred to as Meth Mountain, due to the high amounts of Methamphetamine use, Elijah had hoped to recreate the same atmosphere in Wyoming. He was increasingly paranoid and dangerous. JJ understood that the shooting of Talpert had silenced the investigation of their unsub, but his complete silence made JJ think other factors were involved. All she could do was guess, maybe he was in jail, maybe he died, maybe he was at work somewhere else, but either way the case had gone cold and they had moved on, mostly.

***

"You always do that." Tanner said to her.

"Do what?" Faith asked.

"You rub your stomach."

"Oh I didn't realize I was doing that." She moved her hand away.

"No don't stop, looks good, you care about the baby. Remember don't agree right away you need to get to know them first."

"Tanner I know! We went over this so many times before, I'm ready."

An hour later she sat in an outdoor café in a sundress and flip flops. It was getting a little chilly so she wrapped a tan sweater around her. She couldn't button it, her belly got in the way. Her contact The Leslie's should be here in ten minutes. She finished her ice tea and ordered another. She was hungry but she couldn't order food, she had just enough money to pay for the ice tea in case they didn't show up. Her fears were put to rest a few moments later. The Leslie's came to her table and shook her hand.

"Don't get up" Natalie Leslie said.

"Oh I have to; I need to go to the bathroom."

"You're not going to leave, are you?" Natalie was nervous.

"No, I just really have to pee." she touched her belly and smiled. "Order me a chef salad, with French dressing on the side."

Natalie looked at her, tilting her head to the right.

"I have money, to pay for it."

"Oh no, that is not what I was thinking. I was going to ask if that is all you want. I…. we are going to pay for lunch."

"I can't let you do that."

"Yes you can, we insist." Geoffrey Leslie said. First thing he said since arriving. Faith wondered about that.

When she returned from the bathroom the look of relief on Natalie's face was obvious. They were desperate and she liked that. They would pay and pay a lot.

"When are you due?" Geoffrey asked.

"Two months" He nodded.

We talked for another half hour, Ate our lunch and then, Natalie said, "I hope you consider us. You can come see our home, meet our family but please think about it. We would love your baby, forever."

"I have to… I have to think about it!"

"But Tanner said you wanted to give the baby up." Mrs. Leslie was getting scared; her voice rose and her husband put his hand on her arm.

"I have to go." Faith ran from the table and they sat in stunned silence until Natalie began to cry.

.

Back at their tiny apartment Faith kicked her flip flops off and removed her sweater. She went to the kitchen and opened the cabinet. She got a bottle of pills out and popped two in her mouth. Her back hurt and she hoped the aspirin would help. She went to their bed room and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She slipped out of the sundress and then out of the fake baby bump. She put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt waiting for Tanner to come home. She looked at her flat stomach, bastards were bargaining for a baby, but they had no idea what they really bargained for.