A/N – Set after the episode 'demonology' and also written in the first person from Emily's pov, not many more one-shots up my sleeve at the moment and have this plot-bunny for a new case fic that is haunting me at the moment which I am thinking of being the sequel to Tempe Secrets so let me know any thoughts!

Demonology -

I stood there staring at the photo in my hands, my hands which had now gone numb through the cold night air. I could feel the tears dripping down my face but then a drop of red fell onto the photo, my mind took a minute to register what had just happened and then my hand reached up to my nostril. I glanced once again at the photo my mind still spinning from the events of the last few days, but then I heard footsteps approaching. Damn them, couldn't they understand that I just wanted to be left alone, time to grieve for Matthew and the baby I decided over twenty years ago to callously terminate.

"Mom."

The words drifted by me, I never even registered them, they just floated by in the wind.

"MOM!"

I shook my head as heard the words, I didn't deserve that title, I had given birth to no child.

"Come on mom, let's get you home."

I felt a warm hand grab my cold shaking palm and start to lead me away from the church and towards a black SUV. The back door was open as I felt this person help me into the back seat and then shut the door, my vision struggled to adjust to warmth and light but then I felt someone pulling a seatbelt over my lap.

"Come on mom, help me a bit here."

I turned and looked at the source of the voice, a young girl with a worried look on her face. I blinked the tears away so I could focus a bit more.

"Kate?"

"Hey mom."

I got a big smile from the young girl, who was my adopted daughter, and that was all it took for my heart to break once again and the tears fell freely down my cheeks.

"Its ok mom, we're going to get you home, isn't that right Uncle Dave?"

I sighed as I saw Rossi sitting in the driver's seat, his grin visible even from my seat behind him, two thirds of me completely mad at him the other third glad I was finally warming up with my daughter beside me. My body had started to shake as it slowly warmed up and I could feel Kate's hands gently wiping my tears away as Dave sped towards my condo.

I still could not get any words out, I just didn't know what to say I just felt completely empty. Kate once took my hand and helped me inside as Dave stood behind me, I was guessing to catch me in case I decided to fall.

"She's still shivering Uncle Dave, what should we do?"

"Take her upstairs and take her clothes off, see if she'll take a shower to warm her up...I'll put the kettle on so there will be a nice warm cup of tea waiting for the both of you."

"Ok Uncle Dave and thank you."

"No worries kiddo, come on let's sort your mom out."

I let the conversation go on without me as I stared out of the window and the view over Washington, finally I felt Kate put her arms around my waist as she helped me upstairs to my bedroom. I felt numb as my daughter sat me on the bed, I stared at the floor, unable to look her in the eyes as she spoke to me.

"Can you manage now mom? You need to get out of those clothes, have a nice warm shower."

I managed to nod as the wise words left Kate's mouth, a total role reversal was taking place as I felt like a lost fifteen year old once again.

"Ok...well I'll be downstairs if you need anything, PLEASE come down when you are ready."

I could feel the tears well up once again as Kate lent in and gave me a kiss before she left me alone once again.

As the door shut I slowly started to strip my clothes off and made my way underneath the shower. I turned the heat to almost maximum and stood passively and let the steaming hot water hit my emotionally broken body. I stood there, completely still, until the water started to run cold, it was only then that I managed to conjure the strength to turn the shower off.

I walked back into my bedroom and changed into jeans and a sweatshirt. All I wanted to do was to crawl into my bed and cry myself to sleep but then my eyes caught the photo beside my bed. Garcia had taken it about a month ago when she and JJ had come round for a movie night, Kate and I had been tickling each other and laughing about something and luckily Garcia had captured the moment. I knew that however much I wanted to hide and be alone I no longer had that option, there was somebody downstairs who relied on me.

As I walked down the stairs it was eerily quiet but then I saw Kate and Rossi sitting on the floor next to each other, with several of Kate's text books open on the coffee table. A smile almost cracked my lips but my heart had been broken into too many pieces for that to occur. I slowly made my way down and sat on the sofa and watched as Rossi explained the maths problem to Kate, I gratefully picked up the mug of tea that had been left for me. My eyes just about stayed open as I sipped the warm liquid but afterwards I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and I had to make my excuses.

"I'm sorry guys, but I'm not got great company tonight, if it is ok I'm going to head up to bed."

I looked at Kate as I spoke and was grateful as the young girl nodded as she had already anticipated my comment.

I don't know if you could call it sleep, more of lay there with your eyes closed trying desperately to relax, but I never managed a deep sleep and was only coaxed out of my warm comforting bed by the smell of eggs and bacon. The memories hadn't faded but at least they were not so vivid, my sensible conscious mind trying to tell me to concentrate on the life I had managed to build for myself with my adopted daughter and my BAU family. I stepped slowly down the stairs and was surprised to see Rossi standing in my kitchen.

"Morning, do I take it you are ready for eggs, bacon and coffee?"

I had no idea of what to say, it was such a strange sight to see in my kitchen I had no words to respond. I sat down on the same stool that I sat on each and every morning that I was in my condo and accepted the strong coffee that Dave passed to me, it wasn't until I took a deep sip that I managed to speak.

"What...Why...How?"

Dave didn't even break his stride as he dished up the breakfast and placed the plate in front of me.

"Kate asked me to stay as she was worried about you, don't worry I slept on the couch."

I tried to shake to tiredness from my mind as I digested what Rossi had just said.

"Kate asked YOU to stay?"

Rossi just nodded as he pushed the plate of food closer to me.

"But she has never asked for anyone to stay over, let alone..."

"Me, a man?"

I nodded as I took another sip of coffee and pushed the plate of food further away once again.

"Well she said that she was worried about you last night and didn't want to be alone in case she couldn't cope, I guess that she has started to trust me, that and that if anything happened Garcia and JJ would wipe me off the face of the world before you had even woken up!"

I almost spit my coffee out at the thought, I trusted Dave with my life and Kate's but I also knew that Garcia was a far more devastating threat.

"So where is Kate?"

"Look at the time Em, she had to go to school over an hour ago, she poked her head round your bedroom door and saw that you were asleep so didn't want to disturb you. She phoned Garcia for a lift and then left you this."

Rossi pushed an envelope towards me which I immediately picked up as I recognised Kate's handwriting, tearing it open I started to read the note.

Mom

I really don't know what to write, what to say to make you feel better, other than I love you. You are the best mother I could have wished for, you took me in when I thought everyone else had rejected me, we may not be related by blood but you are my mother and I love you.

Kate

Once again I could stop the tears and watched them as the drop onto the letter. I couldn't believe how much my daughter had grown up in the last six months and how close she had gotten to the other members of the team. I felt an arm around my shoulder and turned to see Dave standing next to me.

"She may not be a Prentiss by blood but by hell she is a Prentiss in every other way!"

My head just nodded as I knew that the words he had just spoken were completely right.