Father?
She nodded. This wasn't going to be easy. She knew if he was interviewing her he'd ask about their father. She still wanted him to know that he was the father but how would he take it. It had been eight years. It hadn't been easy to find the contact information of an FBI agent without hacking their system without anyone to help and absolutely no-one was willing to help.
He led her to a questioning room and she sat the opposite side of the table to him. She tried looking into his eyes but all she could see was her son. She didn't know what she'd do if she never saw Anais and Leon again. They were her reason for living. They were the only family she had apart from her father thank god. Her parents had divorced when she was a teenager and he'd been very supportive of his grandchildren but hadn't a clue how to find Agent Hotchner's contact information.
"So what happened?" he asked.
"We were out at the local play park when i heard a woman calling for her daughter. I went to help her and next thing I know Anais and Leon are gone. I didn't even see them go," she answered putting her head in her hands feeling so guilty. Oh god, if only she'd never taken her eyes off them they'd never have been taken. It was all her fault.
"What about the father? Is he in the picture?"
"I haven't seen him in nine years..." Oh here it went she had to tell him. He needed to know. Was it the right time? If she told him now would it affect the case?
"What were they last wearing?" she described what the twins had been wearing. "May we have a photo to encourage witnesses to come forward?" she looked hesitant and nervous. If she gave the photo it would show instantly who their father was but she had to save them.
"Agent Hotchner, when I said I hadn't seen my children's father in nine years it was because I couldn't tell him till now..." He looked confused. "He worked for my mother security detailing her staff. We had one night together. I found out I was pregnant while at university and I didn't have any of his contact information..." Hotch sat back down realising that she was talking about him. He looked up at her and saw the guilt and sadness in her eyes. "I turned to my mother for her help in finding him but she refused to help and cut her ties to us. It's not easy finding an FBI agent's contact information without hacking into the database and I wasn't going to do that."
He nodded in understanding and disbelief. He had eight year old twins he'd known nothing about but had now been taken by their UnSub. Dear God he hoped he'd get to know them.
"Do you have a picture?" he asked.
She handed it over to him. "This is Anais and Leon Prentiss."
"Nice names."
"I would rather they were Hotchner."
"When we find them we'll talk about it and we will find them, Emily," he said taking her hand while trying to swallow the lump in his throat. He couldn't believe it. He'd spent more than just the last year a dad and he hadn't been able to know because of her mother. He was positive Emily had tried everything to find him. Why did it have to be a case to finally reunite him?
He looked down at the picture of his twins. They were beautiful he thought as he looked down to see them smiling. Leon did look a lot like him at that age and he guessed Anais did her mother. To fit the pattern they had dark hair.
"They're beautiful," he said.
"I know," she answered through the tears. "Please bring them home."
"Emily, we will," he assured her. "Do you want to stay here?"
"I haven't really got anyone to turn to. It's just been them and me though dad tries to help."
"No longer...I'm going to be there for all three of you."
She nodded and he took her to his team. He sat her down while everyone looked at her confused. Who was she and why had he brought her in here if she was the mother of the latest victims?
