DISCLAIMER : I do not own the Criminal Minds franchise, any character seen in the series is the sole property of the creators. No copyright infringement intended. Happy reading!
Guide to the story : anything in unbolded italics is a flashback, and anything in bold, straightfaced font is current.
Non Criminal Minds characters, this chapter (the ones I made up) : Prentiss + Morgan = Agent Diaper Rash ;D. The McAdam's family, Brian Cosgar, Paul, Ethel, Samuel, Jim Moore, Dr. Martin, Justin amd Mitchell Banks, Morgan and Prentiss' aliases and Dr. Hansen. Oh and Emily's middle name.
Extra TidBits That Might Have Some Benefits : In the show Emily Prentiss is like 41 years of age, but I made her a decade younger because...41 does seem kind of old to be popping out a kid...don't-chu-tink? So this would make Derek Morgan a year older than she is. And all the other characters will have three to five years taken off their age to be fair. Also in this chapter, the Salt Lake City junk/shindigs will be based off of the episode Minimal Loss in season 4 episode 3 but with my own twist on things.
"Lost In Paradise"
Chapter 4
{"There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love.", -Washington Irving}
When they drove up to the gates, JJ kept driving on, easily snapping the chain with the Dodge Ram truck. People were running in all the directions, some covered in soot, and others being carried because they were too weak to move under their own power. JJ reached for her radio, "Hotch, get EMS for these people." When they parked the truck Prentiss immediately got out, she didn't even bother wearing a seatbelt. She looked around frantically. "Derek!" JJ joined up at her side and Prentiss walked towards the building they had walked into earlier that day. The sun started to drop below the horizon and it was getting darker. "Emily, we need t-" Suddenly a pile of rubble in front of them began to move. They rushed over and began removing it off of the person it held captive. "Derek!" He looked up at Emily and let out a smile. "What took you so long?" He laughed and began to get up, in his arms was little Amanda. "JJ here, can you take her?" He started coughing and Prentiss gave him her shoulder to lean on and took him to the truck. "You're covered in cuts...are you ok?" He nodded. Fresh blood ran down his arm as he and Emily got into the bed of the truck as JJ drove back with Amanda in her lap. Prentiss grabbed the first aid out of the utility box and began to attend Morgan's cuts. "They're not that bad, superficial at the most. Derek what happened in there?" She handed him a bottled water, and he took a sip before answering. "He handed me Amanda, said to get her out of there and as I was walking out...the compound blew up. He had mentioned something about taking his faithful followers to God and the people that were released were given a head start. But enough about me...are you ok? I know your heart probably skipped several beats when you saw the explosion." She nodded and held his hand. "I mainly heard it. I was in one of the tech tents...talking to Declan..." Tears rolled down her face, "He needs us. He isn't happy at the foster home, and it's obvious." He nodded as the truck came to a stop at the outpost and Hotch and Rossi ran up. "Morgan are you ok?" "Yeah fine, nothing major." He helped Emily down and followed suit. "JJ has Amanda. Garcia!" As quickly as she was called the bubbly blonde came out of the tech tent and hugged her best friend. "Yes sir, my magical tech abilities are here for your disposal." "Find Amanda McAdam's closest living relatives. She needs to be with family once she's cleared by the EMS." "Aye, Aye captian!" She went back to the tent and returned not even 5mins later. "Her closest living relatives are her grandparents, Esther and Earl McAdams. But they live near the office in Hagerstown, so I guess she's flying back with us?" Hotch needed, "I'll call the grandparents."
-On the flight home-
After the compound exploded and everyone was cleared, the team found a hotel to stay at for the night before their flight the next morning. The local authorities took over the case, on permission from Hotchner. Little Amanda quickly took to Emily and wouldn't let her out of her sight. Derek would smile as he watched the two interact. She had insisted on getting Amanda toys from the local WalMart just to hold her over for the 5hr flight back to Quantico but the toddler had been persistant in staying in Emily's lap and would giggle when Trin would kick. Now the flight had only an hour left and Amanda had finally fallen asleep in Emily's arms. "You have a way with kids Em, i'm telling you. Amanda refuses to leave you." Emily looked at the sleeping child in her arms, and smiled. "Attention agents, we're about to land in Quantico, see you guys on the next case" The pilot, Jim Moore was a sweet guy. He had three sons and a daughter. He was a family man who had fought in Vietnam and had the trust and respect of all the agents.
When they landed, JJ, being the only one with a carseat took Amanda to her grandparents as Prentiss and Morgan were called into Hotch's office. "Why don't you two take a few of weeks off? You need to rest, both of you." Prentiss and Morgan looked at each other and smiled. "Ok Hotch...but if you need us you know the number."
-A Few Days After-
Emily brought her car to a stop in front of a two story, olive green house that had a wrap around porch. A bike, that was obviously that of a young boy's was leaning against the big oak in the front yard full of lush green grass. She was nervous, she had only talked to Declan via Skype and hadn't seen him in person since he was 4. Walking up to the door, she rang the door bell and smiled when Declan's foster mother answered. "Oh Emily! I'm so glad to see you again, come in, come in!" She did as instructed as the sounds of a child's footsteps could be heard running down the steps. "EMMY!" Declan ran and hugged her, refusing to let go like Amanda when she was on the plane. "Hey Bud, have you packed your things for the week yet?" He nodded excitedly and smiled. "Yes ma'am!" He was polite and well mannered. Having Declan grow up to be an Irish arms dealer and extremeist like his father was a future he wouldn't fair well in. He was too sweet, and too smart. "Emily are you sure you don't want any money for the zoo? I'd be happy to give you some." Declan's foster mom was an older woman, about the age of Emily's mom. "Oh no, no it's fine. You keep it." She nodded and smiled, "Do you want to sign those papers now...or when you get back?" "I can sign them now. Child services came and cleared off the house, Declan can move in whenever he's ready to." Emily signed the custody papers while talking to the foster mother. "Thank you so much for looking after him for this long. He's an amazing kid." Ethel took a sip of her coffee and smiled at Emily. "It wasn't anything. He's been looking forward to going home with you for quite sometime. He's been calling Trinity his little sister at school, but there is one boy who has been messing with him...a boy named Justin Banks." Emily looked over into the family room where Declan was watching his regular Spongebob Squarepants episodes on the weekend. "He told me about it a few days ago when I was in Salt Lake City. At the career day next week, I'm going along with a few of my team members to prove that Declan isn't a liar." Ethel reached across the table and held Emily's left hand. "How've you been since all that happened with his father?" Ethel knew of her abduction, she was one of Emily's good friends and had sent roses to the hospital room Emily was in during her stay. "I'm alot better. Derek has been there every step of the way and he makes sure that I don't lose my mind." Both women laughed. "I'm glad you're doing better. When is your baby shower by chance? I'd love to come." "We're planning for it to be in about a month, closer to the due date. Derek is in daddy mode already. He's baby proofed the house already and we still have another 2months to go." The sound of Declan's footsteps made them both look into the kitchen doorway. "You ready to go Bud?" He nodded excitedly and hugged his foster mother bye and went to help Emily up and held her hand out the door with Ethel following. "I'll call you Ethel when we come to get the rest of his clothes and toys. Thank you again...for everything." The older woman smiled and waved bye as Emily started her car and drove off. "Emmy, is Morgan gonna be there too?" Declan looked up to Morgan, "Yep, he sure is. He had to get the oil in his truck changed," Emily looked at the clock on the car's radio and the green digital lights read out 9:37am, "Do you want to stop and eat breakfast first, or wait and eat lunch at the zoo...or both? That sounds good to me, i'm so hungry I could eat a house." Declan laughed and leaned over the console and laid his head against Emily's stomach and listened to Trinity's now audible heartbeat, and Emily looked down and smiled. "Both sounds good Emmy...when you signed the papers...does that mean I get to call you mom now?" "It sure does Bud, sure does." Declan smiled and held her free hand.
After they ate, the drive to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park was short and free of traffic. Emily parked in a free space up front at the entrance, and soon the familiar blue Dodge Ram parked next to her, it was Derek. Declan hopped out, excited as ever and then came to a halt as Justin Banks the 5th grader who was the source of Declan's recent pain, approached him. "Hey twerp...when do I get to meet that FBI agent friend of yours, hmm?" Justin was a little bigger than Declan and he believed that because Declan was a grade below him he could bully him. Suddenly Emily and Morgan came from the other side of the car at the sound of Justin's taunt. They were flashing their badges and FBI identification cards. "You get to meet them now." Emily, who was typically calm with children had annoyance in her voice...she didn't take kindly to some measly kid being distasteful towards HER son. Justin's eyes grew wide, and Declan ran over to his mother. "Justin David Banks, am I correct?" Morgan looked down right into his eyes as he nodded, scared to even blink. "I really don't appreciate you punching my girlfriend's son, you see...she's pregnant with my baby and if she gets stressed because of something you're doing to Declan, I'll be having a chat with your parents." He picked up his cell phone and dialed Garcia's number, "Hey Pen, can you get me the address to Mitchell David Banks home please?" He waited and hung up his phone when he had been given the address. "172 Hawthrone Drive...am I right Justin? All the boy could do was nod, he had ate his words and actions. "Quit being mean to Declan." Justin ran away towards the Zoo's park and didn't look back. "Thank you Derek, I really didn't want to have to go off on an 11yr. Declan hun are you ok now?" He nodded and hugged Emily and flashed a big grin when Trinity kicked against the womb that held her.
Their day at the zoo was uneventful from that point on until, in the African Safari part of the zoo when Declan went to look at the lions, when Derek turned and looked at Emily, "Hey Em, I have a question for you. He reached into his pocket and fumbled for the red velvet box while Emily looked at him questioningly. "Yes Babe...anything...what is it?" When he finally retrieved what he was looking for he got down on one knee,
"Emily Renee Prentiss, will you marry me?"