As always, thank you guys so much for your reviews, alerts, favorites, etc. It's such great motivation! And JJ- your review made me smile because it's like you're in my head or something ;) keep reading- I think you will be happy with events to follow in future chapters!
Disclaimer: I do not own CM
-kbrewster.
The next morning, after what Emily called persuasion but Hotch insisted was more like verbal abuse, she was cleared to talk to the police. She told them everything she remembered about the events that took place. She spoke quickly, and the longer she spoke the more strained her voice became, but she finished, she had to. The police man she had given all the details t immediately relayed the information to the others working the case.
Once he left, Emily sighed.
"I want to help," she said impatiently.
"You did help," Hotch told her.
"Not really. How is what I just told him going to make them find her? He could be anywhere by now!"
"They'll find her," he promised.
"Don't you want to do something?"
"Of course I do, that's our child missing, Em. But right now there's nothing we can do, besides, with you still in the hospital there's not much we can do anyway,"
"I thought I was leaving today," Emily whined, sounding years younger than she actually was.
"This afternoon," he reminded her.
She crossed her arms. "This is stupid. I'm fine. There's no sense in keeping me here anymore. I want to leave. I want to go back to the house and see what I can find,"
"We'll go home as soon as we can, okay?" Hotch said.
"Whatever," Emily replied, turning the other way.
A few hours later, Emily was told she could be discharged. Happily, she nearly jumped out of the bed and onto her feet, but not before being met with a wheelchair.
"Hospital policy," Hotch smirked.
"Are you kidding me? I can walk," she said. She had never been a fan of hospitals, doctor's offices, and definitely not wheelchairs.
"Just get in and let me push you out to the car,"
"Ugh," Emily groaned, sitting down in the very uncomfortable chair. "You'd think they'd at least make the damn things comfortable if they force you to ride in them unwillingly," she muttered.
Seconds after Hotch parked the car outside of his house, Emily threw the door open and moved as quickly as she could, which wasn't as fast as she would have liked due to the dull ache that coursed through her body.
Nothing had been moved since Doyle had been there. Jack had been staying with Jessica because the police needed everything the way it was. Emily stopped once she got to the door, still lying on the ground. She hesitantly stepped inside, but was met by a police officer.
"Ma'am, you can't come inside yet, the scene is still being searched," he said.
"Let me help," Emily begged. "I used to be FBI. I know my daughter better than any of those people, maybe she left a clue or something. Please," she continued.
She felt Hotch walk up and stand next to her. He wrapped am arm around her waist protectively.
"We were both FBI," Hotch said. "Let us help,"
The man at the door looked skeptical, but stepped back to allow Hotch and Emily into the house.
"Thank you," Emily said sincerely. She tensed when she saw the bloodstains on the floor by the stairs. Her bloodstains. Hotch held onto her tightly.
"Where did you say Gabby was while you and Doyle were going at it?"
"On the stairs. She saw everything," Emily said, feeling her body begin to shake.
"Before that she was in her room?"
Emily nodded her hear and bit back her tears. "Yeah. I told her to wait for me to come get her, but I guess she heard us fighting..."
"Let's check up there, see if there's any clues they missed. You were right, you know her better than anybody,"
Emily nodded again and took hold of Hotch's hand, as they cautiously walked up the stairs and crept into Gabby's room.
Everything was just as it had been left. A few items of clothing strewn about the room, something Emily would have ordinarily scolded her for. Emily picked up the fuzzy, green blanket Garcia had brought by on one of her visits. Gabby had loved it, and had slept with it over her every night since. She carefully ran her hands over it.
Neither Hotch nor Emily said anything for a few minutes, but before long Emily broke the silence.
"Where are those drawings she did the day after the Aquarium?" Emily asked, never looking up from the piece of fabric she still gripped in her hands.
"Let me look," Hotch said, looking around the room in various places for the pieces of paper. Emily sat on Gabby's bed.
"Here they are," Hotch said, handing them over to Emily.
"Thanks," she said, taking them and intently looking at each one. "She never said who this was," Emily noted, pointing to a second man in the picture she had drawn, but never identified.
"Do you think he was with Doyle?" Hotch asked.
"I don't know..." Emily said, her eyebrows forrowing as she became lost in thought. "He was important enough for Gabby to feel like she needed to draw, though. Let's take this downstairs. We should also call the Aquarium and ask if we can look at their footage," Emily suggested.
"Good idea," Hotch agreed, helping Emily stand from her sitting position on the bed. No matter how strong she wanted to appear on the outside, Hotch knew she was far from. He could feel her body shaking under his touch. "If we can figure out who he is, we'll be one step closer to bringing her home," Hotch added for encouragement.
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Gabby had decided she actually liked Sarah. The older woman was always nice, and always made sure she had something for Gabby to do. As pretty as the villa was, it could get quite boring for a young child. So far, Sarah had let Gabby help her cook, and let Gabby help her plant flowers outside. She even went and picked up books for Gabby later in the day after the girl had mentioned her interest in reading.
Gabby was still incredibly determined to find out what Ian was hiding in his study. Every time she passed the door, he was inside with the door closed it seemed.
However, as Gabby was eating her dinner with Sarah, Ian had come down the stairs. Gabby made sure to not make any eye contact with the man, she looked everywhere except for in his direction.
"I have to leave for a few days," he stated. "Sarah, I'm trusting you to watch the girl," he said, not a hint of emotion in his voice.
Sarah nodded in return. "I'll take good care of her, sir. Might I ask where you're going?" she questioned, handing him his own plate of food.
He accepted it and sat it down in front of him, seating himself at the table with them, but he didn't make a move to eat any of it.
"Just have to go out of the country for a bit," he commented.
Without thinking, Gabby asked "Are you going to America?"
Ian just stared at her for a moment, Gabby couldn't exactly tell if he was angry with her or not, but she really didn't like the way he was looking at her.
"Yes," he answered flatly.
"Are you going to find my mom?" Gabby asked timidly.
"No," Ian said quickly. "I have other things to take care of," he told her.
"Oh," Gabby said sadly. "Why can't you take me?"
"Why would I take you? This doesn't concern you," he told her. Although technically, it had everything to do with her. He had to get Paul out of the States before he blew Ian's cover.
"Okay," Gabby said quietly, looking down at her shoes.
"I have to leave in an hour," Ian said. "I'm trusting you," he said to Sarah. "And you," he said looking right at Gabby. "Stay out of the study,"
Gabby just nodded, unable to speak up. Then, Ian was gone.
"He's got a bit of a temper, doesn't he?" Sarah said, clearing the plates away from the table. "Sorry, dear. But it looks like it's just going to be us for a few days," she said happily.
"Can I go to my room?" Gabby asked softly.
"Of course," Sarah responded.
Gabby hopped down from the chair she had been sitting in and made her way quickly up the stairs and to her room. It was much bigger than any room Gabby had ever had before, but it wasn't really hers. Not to Gabby, anyway. None of the things in it were hers. The bed was comfortable, but she still found herself unable to sleep. Gabby missed her family, she missed her real home, back with the people she loved.
That's when Gabby got an idea. If she could just find a phone, she could call Hotch's house and tell them where she was. Gabby wondered why she hadn't thought of that idea earlier.
Deciding to wait for the right time, she went ahead and got herself ready for bed. She lay there, listening to the villa to get silent. When she heard the front door open, signifying Ian had left for his trip, and the sounds of Sarah retiring to her own room, Gabby put her plan into action.
Slowly and soundlessly, Gabby threw the covers off her and got down from the bed. She crept to the door, opening it cautiously to prevent any squeaking. She tiptoed down the hall, looking in all the rooms she could for a phone.
She looked through all the upstairs, and downstairs rooms. There had to be a phone here somewhere, didn't there?
Then, it hit her. The phone was probably in the study. Gabby went back up the stairs, slower than ever, and stood in front of the door that lead to the study she was forbidden from entering.
She took a breath before reaching up to get the knob, finding it was locked. She sighed. Of course, that was just her luck. Her next mission was to find the key that unlocked the room- her only hope to getting back home.
She quickly turned on her heels, but before she could take another step, she gasped and froze instantly. Standing before her was a very angry looking Ian Doyle.
"I told you to stay out of there," he said lowly, probably so as to not wake Sarah.
"I didn't- I thought you had left already," Gabby whispered, shuffling her feet.
"Looks like you thought wrong," Ian said going over to her and grabbing her by the hand. He led her back to her room, not saying a word the whole time. The angered look never left his face.
"Can I trust you to listen to Sarah while I'm gone, or am I going to have to have someone else watch you? Someone not as nice as her, I assure you,"
Gabby shook her head. "I won't do it again," she told him. "I'm sorry,"
"That's what I thought," he said. "The key to that room is coming with me," he informed her. "Now don't cause anymore trouble," and then he was gone again.
Gabby ran to the bed and jumped up on it, throwing the covers over her head. Her only plan to get back home had been ruined, and now she had absolutely no idea what to do to get back.