Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the TV series, Criminal Minds.

Who We Are
Part 16

By N. J. Borba

When Emily entered her sister's room that Sunday night after talking to her parents, she found Derek seated at the foot of Anna's bed and Michelle snuggled up beside her mother. "See, mommy," the girl had just presented her mother with a large rectangular piece of paper. It was decorated elaborately with colored markers and glitter-glue. "I made it for you. It's a special diploma that says you have been given the degree of best mommy, wife, sister, daughter, friend… and pancake maker."

Anna's smile lit up the room, even as the dark circles beneath her eyes seemed to grow larger by the second. She lifted one shaky hand and ran her fingertips over the letters her daughter had written. Anna cleared her throat. Her voice was still raspy, but she managed to keep up pretenses for a little longer. "This is better than any degree I could have earned at college," she declared. "But you will be sure to go to college," Anna pointed one finger at her little girl. "Won't you?"

"Yes," Michelle agreed. "I'm going to attend school in California with Ellie. We both want to study Marine Biology and then work at Sea World with the whales and dolphins and sharks," she said. "We even made up our own Orca show, and it's going to be called Ballerina Balene."

"That sounds like a wonderful plan," Anna agreed.

Michelle pulled something else out of the small bag she had with her. "I made this for you too," she handed over the small blue booklet made of construction paper and helped her mother open the item. "That's your picture and your birth date," Michelle pointed out the drawings and text she'd created. "And it says you're a resident of the United States of America. It's your passport," the child revealed as she flipped through the pages. "I used Emily's as an example." She pointed to another drawing. It was a crude rendering of the Eiffel Tower. "This is the entry stamp from when we went to Paris, remember that trip?"

"Of course I do," Anna played along with her daughter's fantasy, knowing it was all for her benefit. "I remember that we ate croissants at a little café on the Champs-Elysees, and saw Da Vinci's Mona Lisa at the Louvre. Then we walked up the Eifel Tower and looked down at the city. And we watched the sunset from up there."

"And this one is from our trip to Australia," Michelle pointed to another fake entry stamp she'd drawn. "Remember when we swam in the Great Barrier Reef together?"

"All those tropical fish were unreal," Anna whispered as she kissed her daughter's cheek.

"And the sea turtle we saw was the best part," Michelle's voice grew weary as she wrapped her arms around her mother. Tears filled her nine-year-old eyes, which reflected more wisdom than most children her age. She knew what their visit meant without being told. "I love you, mommy," she whispered.

"I love you too, baby," Anna's voice was barely audible. She closed her eyes for a long time, holding on to her little girl. Then she looked to her sister and Derek.

Morgan had watched Emily enter the room and, given the look on her face, he feared things with her parents had not gone very well. But he knew at the moment Anna needed them to make Michelle's goodbye as easy as possible. He took that responsibility upon himself, rising to his feet and gently prying the child away from her mother. "Come on, sweetness," he ran a hand soothingly down her back. "Let's go now."

The girl sniffed down tears as she smiled bravely for her mother and clung desperately to Derek's hand. Morgan bit back words as he leaned in to kiss Anna's cheek. It was a simple gesture of affection that he'd performed many times for the woman he'd come to care about. He hoped it would mean more to her than any clumsy goodbye he might try to say. But Derek heard her whispered something in his ear. "Take care of them."

His jaw tightened as he stood and looked her in the eye. A nearly imperceptible nod was the only answer he could give her. Then Derek finally usher Michelle toward the door. He paused in front of Emily, his free hand pressed against her cheek. "I could call Garcia or JJ to take Michelle. If you want me here," he offered.

She did want him there because Emily didn't think she could stand one second of watching her sister die. But she shook her head. "I really think you should be with her right now," Emily nodded toward Michelle who had molded herself to Derek's left side.

Emily felt his lips briefly touch hers before he and the girl slipped out of the room. "Will you give these back to Michelle," Anna spoke, causing Emily to turn and see her sister holding the homemade diploma and passport. "She'll want to have them some day."

"Yeah, she will," Emily moved to the bed and gently packed the items back into the bag Michelle had left behind.

"They're not coming, are they?" Anna asked.

"I…" Emily sighed as she sat down on her sister's bed and tossed the bag onto a nearby chair. She shrugged. "I don't know." Silence blanketed the room for a long time before Emily spoke again. "Do you want me to call anyone else? Dave, maybe?"

Anna's head moved slowly from side to side. "He was here this morning," a small smile graced her lips at the thought of him. "I said goodbye then. And, don't be mad, but I asked him to look out for you and Derek when you are working. I don't want Michelle to lose anyone else she loves."

"You know they love you too," Emily blurted out, feeling it necessary to assure her sister about their parent's feelings. "I just don't think they know how to…"

The door to Anna's room swung open, cutting off whatever else Emily had been planning to say. Joseph held the partition open with one hand as his wife came in behind him. Elizabeth stood just inside the room clutching the stuffed ballerina cat in her arms, looking like a frightened child, her eyes red and splotchy. But no tears fell as she remained rooted there, watching her husband move toward Anna's beside.

Joseph Prentiss walked across the room, thinking it was perhaps the longest walk of his life. But he smiled for her and crouched down to eye level. "When you were born your mother and I didn't have much money," he informed her. "I didn't gain access to my trust fund for several more years. Of course we could have asked for help from my father, but we wanted to try making it on our own," he told her. "I remember finding an old cradle at an antique shop that I fixed up for you," he said. "And I remember every time I put you to sleep in that cradle I would tell you that someday we'd be rich and live in a big castle. And you'd have a fancy bed to sleep in that was made of gold and silver. And you'd be my little princess," he concluded, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

Emily balled her hands into fists, her nails digging into the flesh of her palms as she watched her mother edge toward Anna's bed.

Elizabeth sat down and settled Chester-the-cat beside Anna. "This got left at our place when you stayed over on Thanksgiving. I suppose it may seem silly to you, but the doll always helped you fall asleep when you were a little girl," Elizabeth watched her daughter smile and was reminded of the last night she'd tucked her in. "Your sister loves you very much. She made me realize I've been holding on too tightly, but I don't want you to suffer any more. I never wanted you to suffer." Elizabeth tucked the cat under Anna's arm. "Sweet dreams, baby. I love you," she whispered as she kissed Anna's pale forehead.

There were a lot of things Elizabeth Prentiss had learned over the years as an ambassador, from proper procedures on filing documents in triplicate, to numerous foreign customs having to do with eating an eight course meal. But, without having any previous precedent set on how to leave a room knowing your child was about to die, Elizabeth simply held her husband's hand as they left their daughters behind.

Anna looked to her sister with pleading eyes. "You'll stay with me."

"I'm not going anywhere," Emily vowed, sliding into the molded-plastic chair once again. She took several deep breaths and listened to the soft steady beeps of the machine's Anna was hooked to. "But maybe we should go home. It would be nicer there for you, more comfortable," she offered.

"No, Michelle has happy memories of me there," Anna countered. "I don't want her to watch me die at home like she did her father."

Barely keeping herself together, Emily nodded. "In that case, maybe I could take you to mother's…"

Anna didn't even let her finish. "I don't want them to have those memories of me in their home either," she declared. "Not for them or Michelle. Or you."

She agreed again, wanting to do whatever her sister desired. But it seemed all Anna wanted was for her to sit there and hold her hand. So she did, for several minutes, for an hour, for two hours. Emily didn't even realize she'd fallen asleep until her eyes fluttered open. Her head lifted and she swore Anna had aged twenty years in just a few hours. Her skin was so thin and pale that she was practically all bone and veins. Emily realized then just how much her sister had been holding in; compartmentalizing. To protect her daughter, her parents. But with permission to move on, Anna had finally been able to reveal her physical burdens.

"I'm so sorry I stood by and did nothing," Anna's whisper was like a gentle breeze.

"What are you talking about?" Emily asked.

"He was dying and I just stood there."

Thoughts rushed through Emily's mind. Maybe she was talking about Eric's death? But that didn't seem like something Anna would feel regret over. She watched Anna closely, seeing her hazel eyes stare at a blank point on the wall. Emily knew there wasn't much time left, and Anna was looking for some sort of absolution for her sins in those final moments.

"I'm sorry I let your father die."

Emily finally realized what her sister was talking about. "No, Anna. You have nothing to apologize for. That man means nothing to me; he wasn't my father in any way that counted. You are important to me, Anna, and he hurt you. I don't blame you for what happened. I'm proud of you for fighting back. I could never be more proud."

Softness returned to Anna's eyes just before she closed them. "Please…" her whisper was already emitting from a place beyond breathing. "Please don't stay mad at mother forever," she implored her sister in her final moments. "And tell Michelle… I love her."

"Every day," Emily promised.

xxx

He greeted her at the door, not with hollow words of condolence but with open arms. Emily fell into them, holding on as tightly as she could. Her mind retreated to The Island of No; their own private getaway spot. She realized it wasn't just a blue and gray plaid blanket spread over grass, but a place in her head that she could visit whenever she was in his vicinity. Unfortunately her retreat only lasted a short time, just as it had in the park.

Emily pushed away from him.

All of her acceptance suddenly drained as she stared at him. Anger welled in her chest. "What was the point, Derek? Why did she come back into our lives only to be taken from us again?" Her voice was filled with rage, yet it came out in whispers, not wanting to alarm her niece. What she'd told her parents, about Anna coming back to them being a miracle, now seemed like a cruel joke. "You said once that you didn't think I knew how to fail at anything, but I did. I failed my sister. I couldn't stop her from being kidnapped years ago and I couldn't stop her from dying."

"You couldn't be any further from the truth, Emily," Derek replied as he clasped her left hand with his right. Without any further words he gingerly guided her toward the stairs. They walked up in complete silence, and moved down the hall until they were standing in front of Michelle's open door. "You were just a baby when Anna was taken," he'd said those words before, but it seemed she needed to hear them again. "And you didn't let her die. Not even the doctors could save her, Em. That wasn't within your control. What did she always say about you apologizing for things out of your control?"

That earned him a teary smile, but he could see she was still teetering. "You loved Anna enough to end her suffering. And you loved her and Michelle before you even knew they were family," he reminded her. Derek directed her attention to the girl curled up in her bed. "She's your point. Michelle is the reason Anna came back to you and your parents. You're going to look after that little girl. You're going to raise and love her. And that's not any kind of failure in my eyes."

"I need to tell her," she squeezed the words out.

"You could wait until morning," he suggested. "Let her sleep tonight. What difference would that make?"

She drew his hand to her lips, kissed it and then let it go. "I have to do it now," she insisted, leaving him at the door. Emily lifted the blue-striped comforter and settled down on the bed beside her niece. She could see that the girl wasn't asleep, her green eyes at half-mast and caked with the crusty saline of dried tears.

"Emily…" her voice was a raw croak. "I saw mommy and daddy together in my dream. Is mommy gone now?"

"Yeah, she is," Emily didn't sugar coat the news.

Michelle turned to her side and latched onto her aunt. "I already miss her," she whispered.

"Me too, chaton," Emily kissed the girl's forehead.

They were both quiet for a long time after that as they laid there in the dark room, Michelle's head tucked under Emily's chin. "Will you sing?" the girl finally spoke again. "Mommy always sang to me when I couldn't fall asleep."

Emily was instantly transported back to the first night Anna and Michelle had stayed with her. They'd been strangers, yet family without knowing it. She remembered hearing Anna's lithe singing voice as she crooned to her daughter in perfect French. Emily choked on the first few strains of Au Claire de la lune, until Michelle joined her. Both their voices slowly broke through the sorrow as they paid tribute to the mother and sister they'd just lost.

Derek listened, watching over them from the doorway.

xxx

Emily slid a second pancake onto Michelle's plate Wednesday morning. "You need to eat, kiddo," she did her best to encourage the child seated at her counter. It seemed like their lives had just been rebooted, from the singing of the old French song the other night, to sharing a breakfast of pancakes. But this breakfast was certainly different from the first one they'd had. For one thing, Emily had made the pancakes from scratch using her sister's recipe.

"I'm not very hungry," the girl replied, prodding her meal with a fork.

The frying pan was placed back on the stove as Emily turned everything off and grabbed her plate. She stood on the other side of the counter and slathered butter onto her own pancakes. "I know," she wasn't very hungry either. But Emily led by example, drizzling her meal with syrup. She cut into them and took a small bite. Michelle followed her lead and they chewed for a while, trying not to think about the woman who'd introduced them both to the joys of homemade pancakes.

"Am I going to stay here with you?" Michelle asked.

With surprised eyes, Emily looked to her niece. "Your mom asked me to take care of you," Emily replied. "But you and I have never really talked about any of that, have we?" she realized. Emily wondered what the girl was thinking. "Do you want to live with me?"

Michelle's head bobbed vigorously. "Very much," she replied.

It was the first real emotion she'd gotten out of the child in two days time. "Well," Emily let out a relieved breath. "I've never done the parental thing before, so I'll try not to mess up too badly."

The girl actually smiled, taking another bite. "Where's Derek?" she asked, mouth still slightly full. "Is he going to live with us, too?"

Emily nearly choked on her pancakes. She coughed and took a long swig of her coffee. Then she chuckled, recalling how her mother had once asked a somewhat similar question about her and Derek's living situation. "I don't know," she finally answered. Emily realized the girl had asked two questions. "And, I don't know." She couldn't help wondering where Derek was, having heard him leave at the crack of dawn.

Michelle looked confused, but the click of the front door opening caused them both to be distracted from their conversation. And the man in question appeared from around the corner, but he was standing a bit oddly with half his body pressed against the wall. "What's going on?" Emily asked.

"I found someone out on the doorstep," he replied cryptically. "She said she was looking for Michelle."

Panic gripped Emily's chest for a moment before Derek finally stepped to one side and revealed the shorter person standing behind him. "Ellie," Michelle whispered her friend's name, clearly surprised by her appearance.

The two girls didn't collide into a happy hug, giggling and excited to see one another. Instead, they hung together in a wordless huddle for a few seconds and then Michelle led them upstairs to her room. Emily watched them go and eyed Derek as he moved further into the kitchen and snatched a bite of her pancakes. "Do you really think that's smart?" she asked, waving her hand toward the stairs. "Making Ellie deal with all this so close to the anniversary of her dad's death?"

"Ellie contacted me," he replied, finishing the bite. "And," he shrugged. "No, I have no idea if it's a smart move or not, but…" Morgan let out a breath as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I remember when my dad died, all the adults kept coming up to my sisters and I and saying how sorry they were and making comments about those poor children. But all we really wanted was to be together, with someone our own age who really understood what we were going through."

She nodded her understanding and leaned in to kiss him. The sweetness of syrup from both their mouths punctuated the union; lips and tongues explored the familiar landscapes they hadn't traversed in several days. Emily ended the kiss, but remained close, their heads resting against one another. "I missed having you here this morning when I woke up," she let him know.

Derek smiled, glad that she wasn't retreating from him after Anna's death. There'd been that small outburst of anger Sunday night, but nothing since. "And I missed you, but I wanted to pick Ellie up myself," he kissed her again, hands fingering the soft fabric of her charcoal dress. Derek pulled back, having almost forgotten what their plans were for later on that day. But her dark clothing and his reflected the sorrowfulness of the occasion. "You sure you're up for this today?"

Emily laughed. She saw his confusion, but the ridiculous giggles that bubbled up from her throat were hard to suppress. "I'm sorry it's just those words, up for it," she chuckled again. "It was something Anna and I joked about the other day when we were… after Rossi left…" Emily still wore a smile as she sighed. "This morning I woke up, showered, got dressed in this funeral attire, made pancakes for Michelle…" she rambled off the list. "And in the back of my mind it felt like any other day. I was thinking about driving Michelle to school and getting to work on time. Then I even thought maybe I could leave early, pick Michelle up and go the hospital to spend some time with Anna, possibly have dinner with her," she bit her lip. "Then I remembered."

He kissed her brow and then her lips again briefly. "I know," Derek whispered. "And it will happen again. Many times. Trust me," he said. "About two weeks after my dad died my mom was back at work, and my sisters and I were in school. I remember it was a Friday afternoon and I was picked to be part of the starting line in a neighborhood league football game. Nothing major, except to me. So I ran to the precinct where my dad had worked because he was the first one I wanted to share the good news with." Morgan sighed. "About half way there I realized my mistake."

"What did you do?" Emily asked.

"I ran to the social services office where my mom was working at the time and I told her," he said. "She smiled and told me how happy she was for me, even though she worried every second I played ball." Derek held Emily a little closer. "I think the point I'm trying to make is you still have people to share your life with. And if you ever have the desire to knock off work early like that, I'd be more than happy to join you and Michelle for dinner," he let her know.

"Well, I might take you up on that," she smiled, still not exactly sure how Derek Morgan had turned into the love of her life. "I am up for this," Emily said in a serious voice that had gained some strength. "I don't want to prolong it. Anna would want us all to move on with our lives, so that's what I plan to do."

xxx

As she stood by the marble bird bath in her parent's back yard, which was practically a park, Emily noticed the multitude of flowers. There were lilies, tulips, roses and carnations; all different colors. Countless numbers of cards and flower arrangements had been sent to the retired ambassador's residence, from friends and dignitaries around the world. Emily was grateful, though, that the memorial was small, just family and Anna's closest friends; meaning everyone on Emily's team.

Hotch was there with Jack. The boy had joined Ellie and Michelle by the koi pond. The three of them sat huddled, speaking in soft kid-whispers; all of them united by the fact they'd lost one parent or both. Garcia and Kevin arrived, along with JJ and Will, Rossi and Reid. They all greeted Emily's parents, with words or hugs, sometimes both. Morgan had Henry engaged in a game of chase, weaving around the highly manicured lawn. Rossi broke free from the group and joined her.

"I loved your sister," he revealed to her without preamble. "Not in a romantic way," Dave clarified; lopsided grin perched on his face. "Although, if things had been different… maybe if we'd had more time," the man's voice trailed off. "Anna became a very good friend in a short time. I've never met anyone who was so accepting of their life. She knew she couldn't change the past so she looked to the future. And maybe that was born of her upbringing," he shrugged. "No matter the reason, she was an inspiration to me in how I'd like to live my life. It was an honor knowing her."

"Thank you," Emily replied.

Rossi reached out and gently squeezed her shoulder. "I didn't say it for a thank you, but if it helped… you're welcome." He took a breath. "When I saw Anna on Sunday she gave me this," Dave produced a small white envelope from his breast pocket. "She said it might help." He then removed another envelope. "This one is for Michelle, whenever you think she's ready," he concluded.

She held the two envelopes as he walked away, returning to the group. Emily ran one finger over her name, which Anna had written in perfect penmanship. With a small summoning of courage she tore into the envelope and read her sister's message. Minutes later she somehow managed to gather everyone in a semi-circle. It was about as informal as a memorial could be. Anna's ashes weren't even there, neither was her ballerina cat. Emily had arranged for the stuffed animal to be cremated with her sister. It had always been Anna's and always would be. But her sister's spirit was all around, and Emily took it upon herself to bring closure to her Anna's life.

"I'm not sure I can tell you all anything about Anna that you didn't already know," Emily began. "And I'm not sure how much I brought to her life, other than introducing a few contractions to her vocabulary," she paused as laughter permeated the yard, which was what she'd been hoping for. "But she brought numerous gifts to my life. Friendship, acceptance, forgiveness, love…" Emily sucked down a shaky breath. "And she left me one final gift," the page was partially crumpled as Emily clutched it in her left hand. "But it's not just for me, so I'll read it to all of you."

Emily smoothed out the page. "I was born Charlotte and died Anna. But who we are is not defined by a name or even by genetics. We are defined only by love; those we love and those who love us. Even in my darkest days I had Eric's love to sustain me, and he mine. I believe I was meant to live that life for him, and he for me. Without each other's love we would not have survived." Emily paused, looking to her parents. "You have already mourned forty years for me, so I ask that you please do not mourn any longer. Look to Michelle as you would have me, love and raise her as you would have me. And in that love I will always be with you."

The note was lowered to her side as Emily glanced around at the faces of those she cared most deeply for. "In the months before Anna died I was lamenting the fact that we didn't have a longer time together to be sisters, but I realize now that we've always been sisters." Emily smiled despite the somber occasion. "Time and distance couldn't change that, and neither will death," she concluded.

xxx

On Monday morning, just a little over a week past her sister's death, Emily stood inside the front door of Michelle's school and looked over at the girl. Michelle had her tan skirt and white blouse uniform on, backpack slung over her shoulders, lunch sack clutched in her right hand. The only thing certain about life was that time kept moving forward whether you liked it or not. "You're sure about this?" Emily asked.

Michelle and Ellie had spent four days together, mostly squirreled away in Michelle's room, talking, crying, and laughing. On Sunday they'd all taken the girl to the airport so she could get back to school in California. But not having that time together with her niece left Emily feeling like she didn't know much about Michelle's state of mind, and she was worried. "Because you can take a few more days if you want," Emily offered.

"Mommy would want me to be in school," Michelle replied, flashing her aunt a smile. "And I want to see my friends and my teacher."

"Okay," Emily breathed out. "You can call me anytime and I'll be here to pick you up."

"School gets out at 3:30, same as always," Michelle replied.

A chuckle escaped Emily's lips. "I know." That hadn't been what she meant, but she was encouraged by the girl's attitude. "Then I will see you at 3:30," she made a move to give her niece a hug, but Michelle rolled her eyes. "Can I at least say I love you?"

Michelle's brows shot upward and she checked over her shoulder to make sure no one was within hearing range. A bell rang and she looked to her aunt again. "I have to go," she waved and was off, rushing down the hall toward her classroom.

Emily watched, making sure that Michelle got safely to the classroom. Then she walked outside to her car. She sat there for a long time, monitoring the school and wondering what her next move should be. Emily finally settled on work, but she made a quick call first, punching in a speed dial number on her cell.

"Hello," JJ answered.

"Hey, you have contacts at most of the DC police precincts, right?"

"Yes, why?" the liaison sounded concerned.

"Well, I was just wondering if maybe you could arrange for a patrol car to keep an eye on Michelle's school periodically," Emily explained, waiting for her friend to tell her she was being paranoid.

"I'll see what I can do," JJ replied.

The call ended and Emily drove to Quantico with a little less worry on her shoulders. She wanted to find Derek, because he was always good at squashing her fears. But she decided it best to pay her boss a quick visit first. Thankfully he wasn't on a call and looked up immediately upon seeing her. "Should you be here?" Hotch asked with genuine concern. "Strauss just brought me a signed leave form for you. She thinks you could use the time, and I'm somewhat inclined to agree with her.

Emily resisted the urge to smile. "Well, since I know how much you dislike agreeing with Strauss, I came to tell you that I'm okay," she insisted. "I'm more worried about Michelle going back to school so soon. But I talked to her teacher and the principal and they agreed to it. We're planning to evaluate her progress in a few weeks. Of course school will be out in another two months, so…" she shrugged. "Am I doing the right thing?" Emily had talked to Derek about it and he'd agreed with her, but she felt the need to talk it over with the parent of a child who'd been through it all recently.

"Jack has been doing pretty well in school," Hotch relayed. "But there are ups and downs."

She nodded, not expecting a perfect answer. "I think sitting around my empty place right now would actually be worse than facing the wrath of Strauss. Meaning, I'd like to keep busy. If that's okay?"

"We have a briefing in ten," he let her know.

Emily nodded gratefully as she left his office and reentered the bullpen. She was happy to see Reid but surprised when she glanced at her empty desk. "We've all been taking our share of extras," Reid spoke up. "So you wouldn't have so much when you came back."

It was hard resisting the urge to hug the genius, but thankfully JJ's presence stopped her. "An officer Rachel Jorgenson is going to try and work in a pass by Michelle's school into her patrol. Probably around noon. She said she'd call if she spotted anything out of the ordinary."

"Thank you," Emily relaxed even further as she walked with her two colleagues to the conference room. Derek was already there and he pushed a mug of coffee toward her as she sat down across from him.

They listened as JJ went over the case. "Police chief in Redding, California claims they've had three bodies in two weeks wash up on the shores of the Sacramento river. All wrapped in plastic, tied with rope. Rope and plastic were traced to the same store. And each victim lived within three miles of the river."

"Doesn't sound random," Rossi said.

"No…" JJ was about to delve further into the details when someone's phone buzzed.

"Sorry," Emily snatched up her cell. "I must have forgotten to…" she trailed off, glancing at the screen.

Derek couldn't help notice the look or worry on her face. "What is it?"

"Michelle's school," she replied.

"Take it," Hotch told her.

The group couldn't help overhearing her one-sided conversation. "Hello," Emily answered. "Yes, this is she… no, Michelle is at school today. I talked to Principal Davies myself this morning about it and… what do you mean?" The room turned deathly silent for a few seconds. "Yes, you should call the police!" Emily shot to her feet. "Tell them the FBI will be there in a half hour."

Emily knew it was closer to an hour's drive, more in traffic, but she wasn't about to let time stop her. "Emily," Derek's hand was on her shoulder and she realized she'd gotten half-way out the door without telling them what was going on.

"Michelle didn't return to her classroom after morning recess," she finally explained. "They don't know where she is."

"Let's go!" Hotch ordered his team, even though they didn't need to be told.

xxx

The team stood like statues on the front steps of St. Ann's Academy where Emily had been just a few hours ago. Police already had the school block cordoned off, all the kids were being gathered in the cafeteria. "She's still grieving," Derek tried to reach Emily, praying she didn't retreat this time. "Maybe she got distracted. She could've walked to a nearby park," he offered.

"Don't do that," Emily growled at him. "Don't insult me with coddling, Derek. Don't treat me like some paranoid mother. Michelle knows not to wander off, under any circumstances. She would not do that to us." Emily surveyed the scene. "I know this is Margaret's doing. I know it. She has her."

Emily bit into her lip so hard she thought she tasted blood. "Finding out my parents never told me I had a sister; that hurt. Discovering that the man responsible for Anna's kidnapping and torture was also the man responsible for half of my DNA structure; that hurt like hell. And losing Anna…" That pain was still too fresh to claim she was handling it well, despite what she'd said to Hotch earlier. "I'm dealing with those things. But if anything happens to Michelle there will be no dealing."

Derek didn't need her to spell it out for him in any more detail than that. He'd found her three months ago under a tree with a gun in her hands, and he knew every day how lucky he was to have found her alive. "I know," he nodded his complete understanding. He was about to ask how she wanted to proceed when he noticed her eyes dart to the street in front of the school.

A silver town car pulled to the curb, waved in by Hotch himself. Emily watched her parents exit the vehicle and she held her breath. For a second she actually thought Michelle might get out of the back seat. She thought maybe the girl had called them to come get her and wires had been crossed and they'd forgotten to call her. But she knew even her parents wouldn't make such an egregious mistake.

Michelle didn't exit the car with them, and the looks on their faces told Emily they were just as panicked as she was. But her heart beat even faster, waiting to be berated for her crime. Waiting for her mother to rail against her and ask how she'd let anything happen to their precious granddaughter. Emily even closed her eyes for a second in anticipation of the backlash. But instead of angry words, she felt arms snake around her torso, and the smell of her mother's perfume assaulted her nostrils.

"We're going to find her," Elizabeth whispered in her daughter's ear. "This time we won't ever stop looking," she vowed.

To Be Continued…