Hey! Here's new chapter. But first, I want to add that this story is as if Haley, Jack, Kevin Lynch, Will and Henry never existed. Some may make appearances, but right now, they aren't here. Happy reading!
The rest of the day was spent saying goodbyes, gathering schoolbooks, planning and such. Packing wasn't an issue because Isabella was already packed. When Derek watched her pull out the multiple already-full suitcases from her closet, he shot her a knowing look. Of course she would pack ahead of time. He thought. Before she knew it, Isabella was at the airport, saying her final, teary goodbyes about to board a private jet (A PRIVATE JET!) and fly off to her new start. She gave her aunts and grandma a fleeting look before ascending up the stairs to the plane, Derek following closely behind.
Soon, the two of them were flying 16,000 feet above the ground and Isabella felt like she was going to spontaneously combust from pure elation. This was really happening! That is, until she heard Derek call her name in his serious voice.
"Yes?" She answered, looking away from the window.
"Okay, time to get serious, missy. I have to explain to you how this whole ordeal is going to work." He said. She nodded eagerly. "Here's the deal. Starting next Monday, you will start at Summit Academy. Yes, you have a uniform. Class starts at nine and ends at three-thirty. You have a protected car that will drop you off in the mornings and drive you to the BAU after school. You will hang out there until I finish for the day. Be respectful and careful with everyone and everything. If I am staying late, your driver will take you home and he will stay there with you until I return. When I have to leave the state to go on cases, you will stay with Garcia. She has a room set up for you at her house. I also gave her permission to set up a room for you inside my house, too. I can only imagine what it will contain. She said it would be prepared once we're home. I'm not sure how she can do that so fast, but hey, it's Garcia. Once you get home, you can unpack and make yourself at home. I will try to be home on weekends. I want you to keep up all A's. If I see a drop in grades, then I assume you are getting too distracted and you will go straight home after class. Being at the BAU is a privilege. Understand?" He said, sounding like a guardian for once.
"A protected car? And I don't get to go on cases? Awe, why not? I…" She trailed off once she saw his expression. "I mean, yes sir!"
He smirked, "Oh, and one more thing, Bella?"
"Yes?" She asked.
"Have fun. I'm glad to have you." He responded, poking her in the nose.
-:-
After hours of anticipation, they began their descent. Isabella was shaking with anxiety. Derek just chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. They climbed out of the jet, expecting to see an empty gate but instead, there stood JJ, Emily Prentiss, Spencer Reid, Penelope Garcia, David Rossi, Aaron Hotchner, who was holding flowers, and a tall blonde kid who Derek didn't recognize.
"Hey!" Isabella exclaimed, running over and wrapping her arms around Garcia, who laughed and hugged her back, telling her all about the fun they were going to have. Isabella then moved over to JJ, David and Emily, who hugged her, asking how she was.
She then walked over to Aaron who handed her the flowers and whispered "Welcome, Bella." In his quiet voice. Isabella giggled and hugged him.
Hotch walked over to Derek who stood off to the side, watching.
"You guys didn't have to do all of this." He said. "You guys will spoil her."
"We figured she could use a little welcoming. A child without a parents could always use some extra love." Hotch explained.
"Hey, Hotch?" Derek asked, furrowing his brow. "Who's the kid?"
"Oh, that's a child of one of Reid's mothers friends. Andrew. His mother was in the asylum with Spencer's mother. He had a break down and tried to kill herself. She overdosed on her pills. Thankfully, they saved her before she died, but she's in a coma. Spencer took pity and the kid is with him for a while. He's a good kid. Hangs around the BAU a lot. Kind of…uh…ahead of his years. Like Reid." Hotch explained.
"Ahead of his years? So he's a genius?" Derek questioned.
"No, not nearly as smart as Reid. He is just…" Hotch began, at a loss of words.
"Overly smart?" Derek tried, smiled. Hotch nodded. "Looks like we got two new kiddos to deal with, hope the BAU isn't turning into some sort of teen hangout spot…"
Hotch laughed. "Hardly. I'm just trying to make it easier for them." He clarified.
They both stood there as they watched Spencer, who absolutely loved Isabella, give her a bone-crushing hug. He then turned to Andrew and introduced him. The two shook hands smiling. Isabella chatted along with them cheerily, laughing and finally feeling like she was where she belonged. Derek smiled. His mother was right; maybe this wasn't such a bad idea.
-:-
Dave claimed to need his "beauty rest", but the other 8 split up into two black SUV's and headed to Derek's house. Derek drove Spencer's car, which contained Isabella, Andrew, Spencer and Garcia, while Hotch drove a car with all the others. The minute Derek started the car, Isabella launched into questioning about…well, everything. She asked about everything from whether Garcia had finally gotten Prince William's phone number or not to everyone's favorite colors. Everyone immediately became engaged in the conversation. Bella's ability to charm people never ceased to amaze him. She asked Andrew about himself, discovering he went to the school she would soon attend. Morgan smiled, glad to see she had already made friends with a kid her age.
"So what classes are you taking?" Morgan heard Isabella ask.
"Um, I'm Physics, English III, Pre-Cal and…" Andrew began, struggling to remember.
"Wait, how old are you?" Isabella asked, exasperated.
"Fifteen?" Andrew answered, confused.
"Those are 11th grade classes!" She practically yelled.
"I know." Andrew responded flatly.
Bella stared at him for a second, then giggled.
"What?" Andrew demanded, still lost.
"Oh…nothing." Bella teased, looking out the window. "It's just…your kind of a nerd."
"I am not!" Andrew shot back.
"Yeah, you are. 11th grade classes as a freshman? That's almost as nerdy as Spencer here." Isabella said, smirking.
"Hey!" Spencer yelled. The whole team laughed and Andrew pouted.
"I am not a nerd." He huffed, looking out the window.
Or maybe they won't be friends... Derek thought, pulling into his driveway.
"We're here!" Derek announced, shutting off the car. Isabella quickly unbuckled her belt and leaped out of the car. She walked around to the back of the car and began unloading all of her suitcases.
"Whoa there, little girl. How bout Reid and I take care if your bags and you head upstairs with the others and let Garcia show you your new room?" Derek said, pulling the suitcases from her grip.
"Really?" She asked, her eyes glowing. He nodded.
"We'll meet you up there." He replied, smiling.
"Yes! Come on, sweetheart! Come check out what Aunt Penelope made for you!" Garcia said, grabbing Isabella's arm and yanking her up to the door.
When they got to the door, Penelope took a key out of her pocket and let them in, navigating her way to the guest room like a pro with Bella, Emily, Hotch, JJ and Andrew tagging along behind her.
"Now, before I let you in, I must warn you. It's awesome. And I did it all by myself." Penelope announced, grinning proudly.
"Hey, not true! Jayje and I contributed!" Emily countered.
"And Andrew and Spence tried to carry the furniture. Though, they weren't much help…" JJ added, smiling a bit at the end.
"And I helped with the colors!" Hotch exclaimed, earning a collective questioning look from the team, except Garcia. "What? I have a great eye for colors…" He added quietly.
"Okay, maybe I got some help from those guys, but it was mostly me." Penelope said, winking.
"Just show her the room already." Andrew yelled.
"Quiet, dorkypoo." Penelope teased. "This deserves some built-up!"
"I'm not a dork!" Andrew exclaimed, pouting again.
"Andrew's right. He isn't a dork. A dork is actually a name for a type of Australian fish or slang for the word penis. So, no, you aren't a dork. However, you are a little smart for your age. Therefore, you're a nerd. You've got to accept it. When you accept your flaws, it makes it less enjoyable to tease you. People won't stop, but they will tease you less frequently and harshly when they do. I learned this the hard way." Rambled a strained voice behind them.
The glanced behind them to see that the voice belonged to Reid, who was struggling to carry three of Isabella's suitcases down the hall. Morgan followed him, carrying the other four suitcases with ease. They set down the suitcases with a thud.
"Actually, no, Reid. It doesn't because, I know you know you're a nerd, yet it is still quiet enjoyable to tell you that if you ever say something remotely close to what you just told us while you're on a date, the girl who your on a date with will flee the resturaunt quicker that you can solve a crossword puzzle. Which is really quick." Morgan mocked, wrapping an arm around Reid's shoulders. "And that's a fact, Pretty Boy."
Reid rolled his eyes as everyone tried to keep their giggles to themselves. They all failed terribly.
"Let's just show Bella her room." Reid said, trying to change the subject.
"Okay, but before we do, remember, I haven't seen this yet." Morgan chuckled, walking over to Bells.
Penelope shot him a fake-glare. "She will love it! C'est magnifique!"
"Open the door!" Bella blurted, excited and impatient. JJ laughed and turned the doorknob, revealing the room.
Bella saw inside and gasped. The walls were painted a deep olive green and were covered of black and white framed photos of her past visits. There was a small dark brown (almost black) desk, covered in tiny trinkets and such. On the wall directly across from them, there was a big bed (the same color as the desk). Above it were the letter I.A.M. (Isabella Ashley Morgan) painted in black cursive. On one wall there was a TV and across the room from it, there was a long dark brown couch, covered in fluffy white pillows. There was a matching fluffy white rug on the dark wood floors. It was perfect.
She turned around and wrapped her arms around Garcia. "Thank you!" She exclaimed, burying her head in her shoulder.
"Your welcome, cupcake." Penelope said smiling.
Bella made her rounds, giving everyone a hug, thanking them for all the hardwork they put into her welcome. When she got to Andrew, he blushed and awkwardly held out a hand for her to shake.
Isabella groaned. "Seriously? I don't have cooties." She said, grabbing his hand and pulling him into a hug. He seemed a bit shocked at first, but after a second he softened and hugged her back.
Derek smiled. That was the Bella he knew and loved. One minute she was innocent and thanking everybody, the next minute she was feisty and playful. He had missed that.
They put Bella's suitcases into her new bedroom and made their way to the kitchen. It was a Friday, so the team decided to stay late and have a sort of welcome party for Bella. Derek ordered a ridiculously large amount of Chinese food for the group. They chatted while they ate, busting out laughing every time Reid or Andrew tried to use chopsticks.
"Wow, you're like a mini-Spencer, Andrew." Emily declared, watching the blonde teenager attempt to pick up a piece of chicken with his fork. He eventually got frustrated and just speared the piece of meat. He then bit it off the stick, smiling contently as he finally chewed his food.
Reid piped up. "Hey now, I didn't influence that! Andrew was already hopelessly lost with chopsticks, even before I met him!" He stated defensively.
"No need to explain, Spence. We understand. Even geniuses have to suck at something. Plus, watching you try to grab food with those sticks it kind of cute." JJ cooed, poking his nose. Spencer went red.
Everyone finished eating and they decided to wrap up the night with a movie.
After much debate, they decided on Mrs. Doubtfire, as it hilarious and enjoyable to everyone. They moved to the living room, settling down while Morgan went to locate the movie and make popcorn. Bella and Andrew immediately claimed the main couch, bickering over who was taking up more room. Garcia plopped onto the tiny couch and everyone knew that Morgan would automatically sit next to her. Emily sat on the floor, her back leaning against the couch. Spencer sat in the armchair and within minutes, JJ was seated beneath him, her head leaning on his legs. Hotch walked in to the room and seeing there was no more seats, the sat down next to Emily on the floor. Morgan walked in with the popcorn and the DVD. He placed the popcorn on the table and put on the show before claiming his usual seat next to Garcia.
At first, the group only half paid attention, preferring to throw popcorn at Spencer and laugh amongst themselves, as usual, but soon the movie had the exhausted team mesmerized and they all began to zone into it. When the credits began to roll, Morgan clicked off the TV and stood up. Everyone slowly untangled themselves, getting up and stretching.
"Well, that was fun." Morgan said, yawning. He looked at the time. 1:03 A.M.
"Yeah, maybe even a little too fun for some of us." JJ replied, motioning to the couch.
There lay Bella and Andrew, fast asleep. Andrew was sprawled against the right armrest and Bella was lying on his left arm. His hand was around Bella's shoulders.
"When did the "my side-your side" battle turn into that?" Morgan wondered, a bit shocked.
"Awe, they're so cute! Like little puppies…" Penelope cooed adoringly.
"We should probably wake them up…" Spencer said, not really sure how they had gotten like that.
"Yeah." Morgan replied. He poked Andrew's side. "Psst, buddy, wake up."
Andrew groaned and attempted to sit up, realizing that there was something on top of him. The movement caused Bella to stir. Her eyes fluttered and she stared for a second at the "pillow" beneath her. Then she realized.
She shot up. "Get off of me, nerd!" She demanded, pushing him. He fell with a thump to the floor.
"Ugh! Hey!" He said, rubbing his head. "What the heck what that for?"
"You had your creepy arm on me!" She complained, rubbing her shoulder.
"And you made fun of me for the hug thing? I thought it was established that we didn't have cooties!" He replied.
"That was different. That was a gesture of appreciation. I wasn't snuggling up to your arm as you slept!" She yelled, looking down on him.
"Um, no. YOU were laying on ME and that was the only comfortable way to keep my arm!" He countered, standing up.
"No, it's not. That was all you. Right, guys?" She asked, turning to the team, who was watching the scene before them, smirks playing on all their faces.
"Sorry baby girl, but I think Andrew may be right. You were on sleeping on him…" Derek began, rubbing the back of his neck.
Isabella's cheeks turned pink. "Aw, come on! You can't seriously think that…" She trailed off when she realized there was no chance of her winning this battle. "Fine. I'm sorry, Andrew." She said, her head down in embarrassment.
"It's okay." He mumbled, a little embarrassed himself.
The team exchanged glances and tried not to laugh.
Hotch broke the awkward silence. "It's about time I head out. Anyone need a ride?" He asked.
"Oh, I do!" Prentiss said, walking over to where he stood.
"Okay. Anyone else? JJ?" He asked, glancing over at the blonde.
"Oh, I'm covered. Spencer offered me a ride home. Right, Spence?" She said, looking at the genius for confirmation. Their eyes met for a second and JJ smiled.
"Yep!" Spencer replied, a goofy smile playing at his lips. Penelope and Prentiss exchanged a look.
"Okay." Hotch said, suspicion laced in his tone. "We'll be going now, then. Thanks Morgan, Bella. I had a great time."
"Anytime, man." Morgan said. He looked at Bella. She was having a hushed conversation with Andrew. She seemed to be scolding him in a whisper. When she felt Morgan's eyes on her, she lifted her head.
"Oh! Um, Thanks for everything, you guys. It really means a lot." She smiled and walked over to them. "Really. All of you made me feel so welcomed. I appreciate it."
"It was our pleasure, Bella." Emily said. The rest of them team nodded.
Hotch, Emily and Garcia left, leaving only Morgan, JJ, Reid and Andrew. Spencer and JJ thanked Morgan and turned to leave before realizing they were forgetting Andrew. Spencer whipped around, expecting to see Andrew in the living room, but both Bella and Andrew were gone.
"Where'd they go?" Spencer asked.
Derek glanced around. "I don't know…Let me go check her room." He announced, before speeding down the hall to Bella's room.
Derek heard voices inside, so he opened the door. Andrew and Bella were squished onto her desk chair and her laptop was open on the desk.
Bella threw her hands in the air. "HA! I told you so! Pay up, little boy!" Bella cheered, holding out a hand to Andrew.
"Dang!" He cursed, reaching into his wallet and slapping a five-dollar bill into Bella's waiting hand.
"What's going on, kids?" Morgan questioned, walking into the room.
Bella turned around. "Oh, Andrew here said that Fuji apples were from a small country off Australia, but I knew that they are from a city in Japan, so I bet him five bucks he was wrong. I'm now five dollars richer." She explained, shooting Andrew a take that look. He stuck his tongue out at her.
"So, why are you in here?" Morgan asked.
"I had to prove I was right." Bella said. Morgan stared at her, still not understanding.
"Wikipedia." Andrew added, pointing to the laptop.
"Ohhhh." Morgan nodded, finally getting it. "Well, Spencer is getting ready to leave…"
"Oh! Sorry. Bye, Bells." Andrew stood up, preparing to leave.
"I'll walk you out." Bella decided, standing up as well.
"Well, come on. Spencer and JJ are waiting." Derek said, ushering the teens out of the room and following them down the hall.
There was laughter coming from the living room. They walked in and saw Spencer and JJ laughing uncontrollably. JJ was holding on to Spencer's arm with one hand and wiping tears from her eyes with the other. Andrew, Derek and Bella watched, giving one another looks and raising eyebrows. When JJ and Reid realized they were no longer alone, they both immediately shut up. JJ dropped her hand from Spencer's arm.
"I just…" JJ began, but seeing the Don't bother making excuses looks she was getting from Andrew, Bella and Derek, she stopped.
"We, um, b-better get going-g now." Spencer stuttered, looking down.
"Of course you do." Derek said, earning a glare from JJ. Derek just smirked and shrugged.
"Bye, Bella." Andrew mumbled, waving.
"Bye, Andrew. Nice hustling- I mean, meeting you." Isabella replied, grinning.
JJ laughed and poked Andrew shoulder. "You are practically whipped. And you just met her." She pointed out.
Andrew just shook his head, causing everyone to laugh at his expense for the 100th time for the evening. They eventually left, leaving only Derek and Bella behind. The duo began to straighten up the living room, adjusting pillows and picking up stray popcorn. When they finished, they said goodnights and headed off to bed, exhausted, but ultimately happy.
Well, that was really long. Read and review, please. :] I'm leaving tonight for three-week trip, so I may not be able to post for a bit, but if you guys review a lot, I might just post the next chapter before I go! And if there are any plot/grammar mistakes, call me out on it and it will be fixed. Thank you!