A Visit from Mom
The following week was free from any real problems or issues, which was a welcome reprieve. Emily had no trouble staying by herself while Aaron went into work. She could not hold back the 'I told you so' when he returned home on Monday. And as she predicted, she slept most of the time he was gone. Though throughout the week she did call him when she woke up around ten, just to check in and so they both knew the other was doing fine. Neither would admit it but they both really enjoyed those short phone calls.
Aaron also refused to tell her exactly what happened on Monday when he went to deal with her abduction and their relationship. All he would say was that he talked to Strauss and the director and everything was fine. She was now officially on leave till the doctor told her she was fit to return, and everyone passed on their hopes that she would recover quickly and return to work soon. No matter how hard she tried he wouldn't tell her any more.
Emily's mother was stopping by some time Saturday afternoon most likely around three. Though when Saturday arrived Emily found that she was a little nervous to see her mother. Emily really did want to talk to her mom, but as much as she wanted to see her mom Emily just was not sure how the ambassador would react to Her and Aaron's new relationship.
When Elizabeth Prentiss showed up at his door Saturday afternoon Aaron gave her a polite and warm welcome introduced her to Jack and then left the apartment to take his young son to the park. He wanted to give Emily and her mother some privacy to talk and he didn't want Jack to hear Emily discuss what had happened to her.
Emily slowly stood as her mother came closer, she could tell that her mother was assessing the situation with Aaron and taking in Emily's visible injuries. Then Elizabeth Prentiss quickly covered the distance between the two of them and enveloped her daughter in a hug.
"Oh Emily are you okay?" she asked.
"I don't know, better than I was, but everything still hurts and I have nightmares that wake me up every night." She answered honestly with tears in her eyes. Emily stood there soaking up the warmth in her mother's arms for a long time before she finally let go and they both sat down on the couch.
As they sat down the tears reused to stop falling, Emily hadn't planned to break down in front of her mother but that was exactly what happened. Elizabeth pulled her daughter into her arms so that Emily's head was resting in her lap. The older woman slowly stroked her daughter's raven hair as she cried. After a while Emily slowly got her tears under control but she remained in her mother's arm a little longer, it felt very calming to have her mother stroking her hair. Finally she sat up and wiped the tears from her face.
"Do you want to tell me what happened? There was very little information on the news and Agent Hotchner was reluctant to tell me anything when he called, all he said was that they found you alive." Elizabeth said trying to coax her child into telling her what happened.
"I guess that is a small consolation knowing that the news didn't broadcast everything." Emily said more to herself than her mother. She too a moment before she started.
"Mom before I tell you what happened I need you to know a few things. First" she paused trying to find the right word. "He did some terrible things, he tortured me for three days, and I want to make sure you are prepared to hear this."
"Em I will be fine please don't worry about me." The ambassador said calmly as if it were a daily event they were talking about.
"I just wanted to warn you. There is another thing, the Unsub set up a video link and sent, it to my team he made them watch while he hurt me."
"Okay" the older woman said quizzically, "I am not sure why you are telling me this first."
"Because I know you mother, once I tell you what happened you are going to want to see that tape and I don't want you to see it. I already told Aaron and Garcia that you are not allowed near that tape so don't even ask. Please mom this is what I want, just let me tell you what happened and leave it at that." Emily begged her mother to understand and not press the issue.
"If that is what you want sweetheart I will agree." Elizabeth knew her daughter was right she would want to see that tape, Elizabeth Prentiss didn't hide from the terrible things and she wanted to know exactly what her daughter had been through, but she could see this was important to Emily so she let the topic go.
Emily nodded with a sad smile, she then proceeded to tell her mother what had transpired during her abduction and the torture the Unsub put her through. She didn't really leave parts out except for her message to her friends, which was really only for them. She did try and make the torture she had endured sound more clinical in the hopes that it would spare her mom some pain, though by the end she didn't want to look her mother in the eyes.
"According to the doctor I have three broken ribs and the obvious broken wrist." She said raising her left hand. "Cuts to my arms and legs the deep cut on my right thigh has too many stitches to count. They should be taking them out on Tuesday if everything goes the way it should. To prevent infection I am on harsh antibiotics and some nice pain pills." She finished still not looking at her mother. There was a lengthy pause before Elizabeth began to speak.
"How are you holding up, for real, no psychological bullshit either tell me the truth." She asked forcing Emily to look at her.
"Honestly I don't know I am really tired of being in pain and I cry all the time which is frustrating. I wish it would all just get better and it won't. Plus on top of everything else I am now claustrophobic." She paused for a moment. "But I am starting to heal and I am going to talk to a professional about what happened, I guess things are going okay it is just a slow recovery."
"You can't rush things like this they take time, Emily it will get better eventually." Elizabeth said trying to stress to her daughter the idea that she needed to be patient.
"I know Mom and Aaron keeps saying the same thing, I just wish it didn't take so long." The two were silent once again; Emily knew her mother really wanted to ask her a certain question. "Go ahead Mother ask me."
"I was just curious about your relationship with Agent Hotchner, I couldn't help but notice you called him Aaron which I have never heard you do before." Her mother said trying to be nonchalant she didn't want to start a fight with her daughter especially when she was hurt.
"We're, well I don't know exactly what you would call this, we are together, dating, he's my boyfriend I guess if you want to use those words."
"And you two have been living together?"She asked trying to hide her smile.
"Only since I got hurt, but it would seem silly to go back to my apartment once I have recovered. I like living with him, it may seem like we are rushing things but trust me we're not, I like being with him and Jack." She answered defensively, the last thing she wanted to hear was how this relationship was a bad idea, would be harmful to her career, and only end up hurting her. She was really happy with Aaron and she wasn't going to give it up no matter how much her mother disappeared, but to her surprise that wasn't what happened.
"Honey I am not trying to pick a fight with you, I just want to make sure you are happy, you are a grown woman you can make decisions on your own now. I am only concerned about you being safe, happy, and healthy."
"I am happy, I am so much more than happy, I can't even begin to find the words to tell you." She couldn't contain her giant smile.
"Then I am happy for you, Aaron seems like a wonderful man, I trusted him with our safety many years ago and I trust him to keep you safe now. And he makes your face light up in a way I have never seen before. Not to mention his son is just about the cutest thing I've ever seen."
"Oh Jack is amazing Mom he has a huge capacity for joy and love, even after everything he has been through. I love him as much as I love Aaron." Emily's face beamed with sheer joy as she talked about the little boy and his father.
"This is a new side of you Emily, for so long all I have ever heard about was how much you wanted to join the BAU and become a profiler. And I was so worried you would get hurt but you were determined. And then once you got the job it seemed like work consumed you. I haven't seen you in almost two years. But this is new and a nice change." Her Mother said with a smile.
"Well this part of me has been lurking beneath the surface but a lot of things change when you come so close to dying. By the way I expected to hear an 'I told you so from you'. As I remember you repeatedly warned me not to join the FBI, because it was too dangerous."
"As I recall this was not the first time you have chosen not to listen to me and from what I hear this is certainly not the first time you have been abducted or injured. But you do love this job and you help a lot of people. You made a good choice sweetheart, I am sorry if you ever felt like I didn't support you."
"I always knew that you supported me, even though you didn't always express it, but thank you for saying that I never thought I would actually hear you say it."
"Well it is good to know we can still surprise each other."Her mother said with a smile.
"I am really glad you came over Mom."
"I am glad I came too, I needed to see you, when Agent—Aaron called and told me what happened I wanted to come see you right away and I am sorry I couldn't. I almost lost you, I had to come make sure you were alright."
"Being with you makes things a lot better, sometimes I fear this is the dream and I will wake back in that hell hole."
"It will get better sweetie I promise." Her mother said rubbing her back.
"I know your right." Emily replied.
"If only you had that mentality when you were a teenager things would have been a lot easier." Her mother said with a laugh.
"Some things only come with age I guess." Emily joked back.
"Are you sure you are doing alright, you look pale and you have dark circles under your eyes." Her mother asked with a furrowed browl.
"I am fine, I sleep a lot but the nightmares wake me up every night. I am still eating only basic food, lots of crackers and Sprite, the antibiotics really upset my stomach I don't think I could handle real food yet. Sure you don't want to say I told you so, not even a little." She said, she could see concern written all over her mother's face and she tried to abate it with a joke.
"I would never say I told you so. If I have discovered one thing being a parent it is that my job is to keep you safe from harm and your job is to try and get hurt as often as possible."
Emily burst out laughing, her mother was rarely that candid, and Emily clutched her ribs as she continued to laugh.
"You just proved my point." She said referencing Emily's ribs
"Sorry it was funny and laughing is good even if it hurts."
"Okay laugh, but you just wait and remember what I said, that cute little boy is going to prove me right."
"Oh I don't doubt it." Emily said still laughing, her mother may have been shaking her head but she was laughing too.
It was at that moment Aaron and Jack returned to the apartment bursting through the door.
"I see you two are having fun." Aaron said in a mock stern voice when he saw them laughing.
"We are, how was the park Jack-jack?" she asked as the child ran over toward her.
"I went down the really big slide fifteen times."
"Wow, that's a lot." She responded, finding his facial expression too cute for words.
"And Daddy and me played tag until Daddy hurt his back."
"Are you okay?" She asked the older man who was now reaching into the freezer for an ice pack.
"I will be fine a little ice now and some heat later and I will be back to new." Emily didn't believe him but she wasn't going to challenge him in front of her mom. When Aaron Hotchner was hurt he did what he wanted to do and it was impossible to get him to do anything else, especially when he was in front of other people and he called her stubborn she though. She knew she would just be wasting her breath arguing with him so she left it alone.
"Ambassador Prentiss would like to stay for dinner, Jack and I are having tacos and corn on the cob." He could see that Elizabeth Prentiss' visit with her daughter was going well and he wanted Emily to get to spend as much time with her mom as she could.
"I am having Tomato Soup, apple sauce, and Jello." Emily added with a less enthusiastic voice. "You are welcome to join us." She said smiling at her mother.
"Emily can I have some of your Jello?" Jack interrupted.
"Of course you can." She said tickling him.
"Thank you for the invitation but I have a business dinner that unfortunately I can't cancel…again." Her mother said answering Aaron's question, she smiled because she had to admit the three of them made one very cute family. "Maybe some other time?" She ask sincerely
"Defiantly" Emily said and Aaron nodded agreement.
"I should be going now if I want to get there on time. Emily sweetheart relax, get some rest and you will get better, listen to your doctor and Agent—Aaron. I will give you a call early next week okay?" Emily nodded.
"Aaron good to see you again and Jack it was a pleasure meeting you." She smiled at Jack and Aaron and then gave her daughter a very long hug. "Goodbye honey I love you." She said quietly as they hugged.
"Bye mom, love you too." She said with a slightly sad smile.
Elizabeth on the other hand gave her daughter a big smile with a peculiar twinkle in her eye, she continued to smile as she looked between the three other people in the room; she then let herself out of the apartment with a final goodbye.
Jack now free from Emily's tickles ran to his room to play, their visitor was gone and his room now provided more entertainment.
"Uh-oh" Emily said as Aaron walked over and kissed her on the forehead.
"What" he asked pulling back.
"I know that face, that is my Mother's look of pure joy at the prospect of getting to plan a giant party."
"What does that mean?" He said confused.
"It means your son and my mother are going to end up pushing us down the aisle as quickly as they can."
"That only because Jack wants a pool."
"And my mother wants grandchildren, that doesn't make a difference."
He just laughed and gave her another kiss and walked to the kitchen to make dinner.
"How is your back, the truth this time?"
"It is fine really, some ice and heat will fix it." He answered sticking with his original statement.
Yeah he was stubborn alright she though as she watch him begin making dinner.
"How was the visit with your mom?" He asked as he began to make dinner.
"Good, better than I thought, she didn't fight me on the video and she didn't have a problem with the two of us dating. I think it had more to do with the visions of grandchildren dancing in her head." She paused for a minute and then finally continued to talk. "I cried again Aaron, the moment she gave me a hug I broke down. I really have to get this crying under control or I am likely to freak out Morgan and scar Reid." She tried making a joke of the whole thing in an attempt to make herself feel better.
"Give it time, crying is part of healing, and I am sure your mother didn't mind. It is okay to cry, crying is not going to scar Reid and Morgan will deal with it." He ended his statement with a laugh he couldn't help but wonder how Morgan would deal with a crying woman."
"Well I am sure he has had some practice given the way he dates women I am sure he breaks a lot of the lady's heart." She said with a laugh.
"I am glad you had a good visit with your mother." He said getting them back on the important topic.
"Me too, I think it was exactly what I needed. I needed to see her after what happened, it was the last part of proving to myself that I am still alive. And it was nice to see her. For some reason I never thought I would witness her becoming one of those mothers who bugs her children about getting married and when she is going to get some grandchildren. But I could tell that was what she wanted to ask, after I told her what happened that is. I thought she would have hated the idea of me dating you but it was just the opposite, I think would love to plan a wedding right now. This is completely different side to my mother, I think I like it."
"Well I am glad she was happy about us, it makes it a lot easier to do this all the time." He exited the kitchen and walked back to the couch and then proceeded to kiss her. He too was glad the ambassador was in favor of their relationship, Emily didn't need any more problems to deal with right now.
"Mmm that was nice."
"Yes it was now backing to food. You look a little tired, you did miss your afternoon nap maybe you should sleep while I make dinner."
"I think that is a very good idea." She said with a yawn as she snuggled into the couch. After a few minutes she was fast asleep. Aaron just smiled as he kissed her on the forehead. He was happy that her afternoon went so well, Emily deserved happiness after everything that had happened to her at the hands of George Grant, and he was still determined to make sure she got her happily ever after.
A/N Again I really apologize for taking so long to update I took the last week and finished the story there are two more chapters left and they will up this week, I also spent a lot of time tweaking this chapter and I still don't think it is as good as I would like so I am sorry about that as well. I am very sad and angry about the cast changes that CBS wants to do with Criminal Minds I am sure it is clear that Emily is my favorite character and I think Paget Brewster is an amazing actress and I want her in every episode this is not right and I hope that CBS had a huge change of heart. Thank you everyone for reading and extra thanks for the reviews I hope you have a great week.
