Chapter 19 – Returning to the Nightmare

24 Hours Later

Emily and Kate left the condo in silence, Emily pulling along the suitcase as Kate carried Emily's briefcase and her own backpack. As they stepped out of the elevator and walked towards the entrance door Emily could see JJ and Morgan waiting outside for them, she took a breath before she smiled at Kate and walked towards her friends. Morgan quickly opened the trunk of the vehicle before he lifted up the suitcase and put it in as JJ helped Kate sit in the back before she sat next to the young girl as Emily climbed silently into the passenger seat. It was only a short drive to the airport but the painful silence and significance of the journey made it unbearably long for everyone in the car.

JJ and Morgan walked Emily and Kate right up to the departure gate, using their credentials to their fullest, as JJ turned and looked at Kate.

"I'll be up as soon as I can, take care and ring me."

JJ bent down and hugged Kate as she whispered into her ear, Kate nodded her head and quickly wiped the stray tear away from her eye.

"Remember how strong you are Kate, you'll be fine."

"Thanks Aunt Jen."

Kate reciprocated the embrace as she held on tight, not wanting to let go as she knew that when she did it would mean that she had to leave.

Morgan took a hold of Emily's hands and looked deep into her dark brown eyes.

"Take care Emily."

"Thanks Derek."

"We'll all be up for the both of you in a couple of days."

"Thanks, well we'd better get going otherwise we're going to miss our flight."

Emily let Morgan hug her gently before she reached down and stroked Kate's head as the young girl reluctantly loosened her grip and took a hold of Emily's hand before they waved goodbye.

Emily opened the suitcase on her bed and started to unpack the clothes, she glanced across the hotel room and watched Kate as she curled up on the bed with one of her new books, she managed a slight smile as she carried a pile of clothes over to the chest of drawers when she suddenly heard a knock at the door. Acutely aware of the publicity the trial was already receiving Emily instantly reached for her gun as she walked towards the door, she peered through the spy hole and let out a sigh of relief before she re-holstered her gun and opened the door.

"Come in mother."

Emily quickly led her mother into the room, securing the door behind her once again.

"I just wanted to check that the two of you had arrived safely and to let you know that I'm staying on the floor above if you need me at any time."

"Thanks mother."

Emily turned and walked back towards her bed, lifting out the last of the clothes whilst Elizabeth Prentiss went and sat down next to her adopted granddaughter.

"Hello grandmother."

"Hello Kate, was the journey ok?"

"Yes thanks."

"Do you two want to join me for dinner tonight?"

"No thanks mother, we've got to meet with the DA this afternoon and we were planning on having a quiet night."

Emily finished putting the clothes away as she turned and looked at the disapproving look on her mother's face.

"I hope you don't think that you can stay cooped up in this hotel room until everything is over."

"Sounds like a good idea to me."

Emily raised her eyebrows as she spoke, unmoved as her mother stood up from Kate's bed and walked over to her.

"Emily Elizabeth Prentiss that is not the way we carry on, we face up to things, we don't hide away."

"I think you should go now mother."

"Well I will see you both later, take care."

Elizabeth walked over and gently kissed Emily on the cheek before she left Emily and Kate alone once again.

"Thank you for coming to see me Agent Prentiss and Miss Stanley, please take a seat."

"Actually it's Miss Prentiss now."

Kate quickly spoke up to correct the DA who she already had a dim view of before he had instantly failed to make a good first impression.

"Oh my mistake sorry. Anyway shall we start? I will be calling you as our first witness Miss...Prentiss."

Emily and Kate sat there for two hours listening to Mr Silkman go through some of the questions he would ask them and how the defence attorneys may try and trip them up. By 6pm they were both exhausted and glad to be heading back to the hotel.

Emily was woken up the next morning by her cell phone vibrating across the wooden nightstand. Neither she nor Kate had gotten much sleep and when they had drifted off they had both been thrown into the depths of ferocious nightmares. In the early hours Emily had wandered over to Kate's bed to comfort her as she screamed out in horror and now she tried to quietly leave the bed to get to her phone without waking Kate.

"Agent Prentiss."

"Hi Em, sorry did I wake you?"

"It's ok JJ, want can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to know how you and Kate were doing?"

Emily sighed and closed her eyes before she responded.

"As good as could be expected I suppose."

"Well Garcia and I have got a flight out leaving in a few hours, we should be with you for a late lunch if you want some company?"

"That'd be great JJ, I think that Kate needs someone to talk to and it's certainly not me at the moment."

"Oh Em don't take it personally. You know that she loves you, she just doesn't want to upset you at the moment."

"Thanks JJ I needed that, we'll see you both later."

Emily put her phone back on the nightstand and went back to curl up with Kate who had started to move rapidly around the bed, a sure sign that she was having yet another nightmare.

Emily was sitting on the bed reading Mother Night when she heard a knock at the door quickly followed by two extremely familiar voices.

"Em, Kate open up its us!"

"Yes Em please, I need a wee!"

Emily laughed as she quickly opened the door and allowed JJ and Garcia to enter, subconsciously locking it again once everyone was inside.

"Well Garcia you are welcome to use the toilet but you'll have to get Kate out of there first."

"How long as she been in there?"

Garcia was moving around anxiously as she spoke, desperately trying to take her mind off of how much she needed to pee.

"About an hour."

Emily whispered quietly as she turned and walked over to sit back down on the bed with JJ following her and sitting down beside her.

"Hey Kate, come on its Aunt Pen, sweetie, I really need to pee, please..."

The door opened and Kate walked out, her eyes all puffy and red.

"Thank you Kate!"

Garcia rushed in and let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Come here Kate."

JJ called over to the young girl and watched as Kate walked over and sat down between her and Emily. Both women instinctively reached out and wrapped their arms around Kate and allowed her to cry once again.