A/N: I love having no classes. It helps me update quicker.
Chapter 8- Ghosts From The Past
June 24th, 1997.
Chicago, IL.
It had only taken a few seconds for everything to unravel right before David Rossi's eyes.
A minute ago he had been talking to Angie.
Now he was watching from outside the trauma room she was in as the doctors desperately tried to revive her.
CRIMINAL MINDS
Dr. Harlow grabbed the paddles.
"Charge to 300. Clear!" he shouted.
The girl on the gurney didn't respond.
"Resume compressions," said Dr. Harlow.
CRIMINAL MINDS
Olivia Rossi had discovered she was a lesbian almost 30 years ago and had had to deal with a lot of backlash ever since.
As a result, any situation that was unjust or beyond her control that backed her into a corner… she would often go at everyone around her, save her remaining brother, with both barrels.
"What are you looking at, Agent Hotchner?" Olivia yelled.
"Nothing," said Hotch.
"Don't you and Bobby have that asshole to catch?" said Olivia.
"Yeah," said Hotch.
"Then what the hell are the two of you doing here?" Olivia yelled.
Both men took off. Olivia turned to Gibbs.
"Please get my parents," said Olivia.
Gibbs was too busy drinking his coffee. He needed a distraction. He couldn't watch what were possibly Angie's last moments. It reminded him too much of the loss of Shannon and Kelly.
However, Olivia had no patience.
She knocked the coffee out of Gibbs' hand. The hot brown liquid spilled everywhere.
All Gibbs saw in Olivia's eyes were fear and anger. Those emotions were a far cry from the normally confident woman he had known for over 20 years.
"Just do it. Please? It's bad and they need to be here," Olivia whispered.
Gibbs left.
CRIMINAL MINDS
1979… 1997… 1979… 1997… the numbers were switched around but for Rossi the horror was the same.
He tried to take his notepad from his coat pocket but his hands were shaking so much that he couldn't so it. He wasn't even sure why he wanted it in the first place.
"I sent them away, David," said Olivia. "It's just you and me."
"It's been nearly 20 years since James died… I – I can't go through that again. Angie might only be my niece but I love her like she was my own," said Rossi. "All I cared about was the bureau and getting ahead. Then Michael asked me to be Angie's godfather after she was born… damnit Ollie I didn't even want to get close in the first place. I didn't want to get hurt again."
He felt tears fill his eyes and cause his vision to blur. He let them fall.
CRIMINAL MINDS
Dr. Harlow grabbed the paddles.
"Charge to 360. Clear!" he shouted.
CRIMINAL MINDS
The first thing Angie noticed was that she was standing in the country somewhere.
It was quiet. For the first time that day, Angie didn't feel scared. She felt peaceful.
That was when she saw her parents.
"Mom? Dad?" said Angie.
"Right here, Angela," said Katherine.
"You gotta go back, Principessa," said Michael.
"What are you talking about?" said Angie.
Two more figures walked over. One was a 13-year-old girl, the other an 18-year-old boy.
"You might not recognize me, but I had to change my appearance so you wouldn't want to stick around," said the girl.
"Kelly?" said Angie.
"Told you she'd get it," said the boy.
"Who are you?" said Angie.
"Your guardian angel," said the boy.
Angie immediately looked at her father, Kelly, and the boy.
"Am I dead? I don't want to be dead!" said Angie.
"You have a choice," said the guardian angel.
"You guys didn't? Mom? That must mean… no," said Angie.
"I'm sorry, Angela. About everything," said Katherine.
"We all love you, but we'd prefer to see you again when you're old and have stories to tell that top that crazy brother of mine," said Michael.
The guardian angel laughed. Kelly giggled and gave the guardian angel a peck on the cheek.
Slowly Angie's parents and Kelly waved good-bye as they faded away. The guardian angel pointed toward a light.
"Run there, and don't look back. You'll be where you want to be," said the guardian angel.
"You look familiar. Have we met?" said Angie.
"I wish we could have. Hurry, you don't have much time," said the guardian angel.
She ran to the light, stopped, and turned around.
"What's your name?" Angie yelled.
"James! We're cousins!" the guardian angel yelled.
CRIMINAL MINDS
Dr. Harlow glanced at the heart monitor.
"She's back," said Dr. Harlow.
CRIMINAL MINDS
"David? David!" Olivia yelled.
"What?" said Rossi.
"They got her back," said Olivia.
He let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding as the doctors hastily wheeled Angie to a waiting elevator.
"I'm Dr. Harlow. They're rushing her to surgery. We can talk down here," said Dr. Harlow.
He led the siblings to a room that seemed to be used to give family members bad news in a discreet setting.
"I'm aware from a cop that the two of you are her aunt and uncle. What about her parents?" said Dr. Harlow.
"The asshole that did this to her murdered both of them. So tell us what we should expect," said Olivia.
"I'm going to be straight with both of you. Your niece is in bad shape. Her lungs sustained most of the damage from the blast and she's lost a lot of blood," said Dr. Harlow. "She also has a skull fracture that is causing intracranial pressure, which is why we couldn't wait any longer to get her into surgery."
He went to explain the full extent of Angie's injuries. Knowing that they had no control of whether she lived or not had Rossi and Olivia angry. Neither of them liked it when they realized they had no control of a situation or it's outcome.
CRIMINAL MINDS
"Do I really want to know what he meant when he began speaking in tongues?" said Rossi.
"I can translate but you won't like what I have to say," said Olivia.
"Is she really that bad?" said Rossi.
"It's going to be touch and go for a while, but she's young and was healthy prior to this," said Olivia.
Their conversation was interrupted when Gibbs showed up with Johnny and Marie in tow.
CRIMINAL MINDS
As several members of the Rossi family waited to see if Angie would pull through surgery, the atmosphere in the waiting room got so tense it could've been cut with a knife.
Gibbs was working on his second cup of coffee, Marie was praying with a rosary, and Johnny was reading a magazine. Rossi and Olivia stared at the double doors waiting for someone, anyone, to come out with news about Angie.
"Put down that magazine and pray!" Marie yelled.
Johnny rolled his eyes and put it down.
"What was that for?" said Marie.
"Nothing," said Johnny.
Rossi, Olivia, and Gibbs noticed how surly Johnny looked.
"What happened after I left this morning?" said Rossi.
"Nothin'," said Johnny.
"What happened this morning that got Katherine and Angie at the mall?" said Rossi.
"Your mother and her blasted view on skirts," said Johnny.
"That's not fair!" said Marie.
"Are you high, Ma? There's a madman bombing buildings, and you were concerned about if the skirt of Angie's dress would touch the ground when she kneeled in church during her father's funeral? Michael's dead! He wouldn't have cared!" Olivia yelled.
"Don't bother, Ollie. Appearances are all that matter to the woman," Rossi snarled.
"That wasn't fair, son," said Johnny.
"Angie almost died in the emergency room in front of me. She didn't even want to go to the mall, did she? I'll bet she cooperated just to make everyone happy because tensions were so high in the house when I went to the precinct this morning," said Rossi.
"She seemed reluctant but I thought if she and Katherine got out of the house it'd do them some good," said Marie. "This is all my fault."
"No… it's mine," said Rossi.
Gibbs muttered something about getting more coffee and left.
"What are you talking about?" said Olivia.
"I should've seen this coming! The suspect was beginning to play games. He could've blown The Drake Hotel at the rate he was going. I – I should've taken Angie to the precinct with me. I could've protected her there," said Rossi.
"You can't blame yourself for this," said Olivia. "It's the madman blowing up buildings that's to blame, but not you. What you did for Angie was the most selfless act of bravery I've ever seen."
He wondered how Olivia had found out, but he was unable to sit in the waiting room any longer. It was driving him nuts.
CRIMINAL MINDS
Rossi found the hospital chapel shortly after he left the waiting room and lit four candles before kneeling in a pew to pray.
He couldn't remember the last time he had prayed. He hoped that despite getting divorced three times he still had some good will left with the big man upstairs.
"I know I've screwed up in several areas of my life except for being an uncle. You and I both know that's the only area of my life I've done well in. Veronica, Nick, Angela… they've helped me see that there's more than being the best the FBI has to offer," said Rossi. "It's Angie I'm worried about. She's in surgery because a suspect I was chasing blew up a building she was in. I know I've made mistakes, but she shouldn't have to pay for them. She's only eleven years old. Please… watch over her and help her get through this."
He heard a noise. It was Olivia.
"O – one of the nurses gave me Angie's things," said Olivia.
She reached into her purse and took out Angie's necklace. The dog tags and St. Jude pendant reflected the light of the candles Rossi had lit a moment ago.
"I thought you might want to hold on to this until we know when she'll be able to wear it again," said Olivia.
Rossi nodded.
"I – I need some time alone right now. I hope you don't mind," said Rossi.
"Not at all. Dad and Ma won't quit arguing so I'm going to have to handle the funeral arrangements for Michael and Katherine. I'd call Juliet to come and help me but someone has to stay with the kids. As much as I want them all here, I know the kids will be scared for Angie," said Olivia.
Olivia gave her little brother a hug before she left the chapel.
CRIMINAL MINDS
Rossi stared at the necklace for the longest time. He hoped Angie would be okay after the surgery and he could give it back to her.
He then began to remember when he had given her his dog tags.
It had been five years ago…
Next chapter will be a flashback.