Chapter L
"It's been a full week." She cried as her heels clacked against the wooden panels of the floor. "She's been in a medically induced coma for a week!"
"I understand that Counselor but why should that change anything?" the older man in a dark robe asked from his leather-bound chair. Emma stood, her expression livid as she faced the judge, her flaming hair framing the pale face in direct comparison to the flush of her cheeks.
"You cannot be serious." She crossed her arms. "That girl has been through more than any one of us can even imagine and you want to punish her further?"
"She broke the law." A silky voice caused the redhead to narrow her gaze to the woman it belonged to. Madeline Thurman sat cross-legged with a bored expression on her face as if Emma had been recounting the local sports updates. "She should be punished."
"Three shattered ribs, a broken arm and jaw along with a concussion and severe damage to the stitches on her heart after getting shot less than two months ago." Emma relayed the details of Ana's injuries to the two. "I think that's punishment enough."
"Well that only proves one thing then." Thurman stood and turned to face the slightly shorter woman with her arms crossed. "You clearly don't understand the concept of the law."
"I understand the concept of cruelty and misplaced judgment well enough." Emma spat back, her emerald gaze holding onto Thurman's golden one. "You want her in prison so your precious record can stay intact and you want to punish her for the crimes others committed simply because you can't have them!" Kenway raised an eyebrow at the bold but accurate accusation.
"Oh please," Thurman flicked her wrist before rounding the chair she had occupied and placing her hands on its back. "This has nothing to do with us, it has to do with the fact that that…girl broke multiple laws not to mention the fact that she helped Adrian Hail kill an innocent woman."
"We all know that's not true." Knight spat back, her anger at the woman in red boiling to the point of overheating. "Hail was a sadistic, merciless, sociopathic murder. He killed Anya Powell and it had nothing to do with Ana!"
"You seem to have a bit of a soft spot for her Counselor." Thurman narrowed her penetrating gaze at her opponent. "Don't tell me her 'victim' act got to you."
"It's not an act." Emma insisted, turning her back to the woman and facing Kenway instead. "Your Honor, there is no reason that Ana Valerious should have to face the charges the people have brought up against her. You want to make an example of her and I understand that but hasn't she suffered enough?"
"She needs to be formally punished!" she heard Thurman yell from behind her. "It's not the government's fault that she was attacked in prison. It's more than likely that she asked for that as well as what-"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence." Emma had had enough. She rounded on the woman, taking two long strides towards her and staring her down. The intensity of her gaze seemed to cause Thurman to falter but only slightly.
"What?" the older woman shrugged. "I think you're forgetting that she's the one who ran away from home. She's the one who went to New York and she's the one who all but begged Hail to take her in."
"Did she also ask to be hospitalized for weeks on end? Did she ask for her family to be torn apart or for the only people who have shown her decency in the past three years to be ripped away from her?" Emma saw Kenway stand as if ready to pull her off of Thurman. It was a wise decision.
"Maybe not but she did end up sleeping and falling in with a mobster." Thurman replied, tossing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Don't tell me that was his fault too?"
"You're damned right it was!" Emma cried. "She had nowhere else to go! Hail took her in, clothed her, fed her, gave her a home. To a teenaged girl with nothing left, he was savior. How was she supposed to know what he really was inside?"
"You'd think she would've considered thinking about that before she slept with him." Had it not cost her her career, Emma would've gladly practiced what she had learned in kickboxing on the woman's face.
"Ladies, please." Kenway's dreary voice seemed to douse the women in water. It seemed as if they had forgotten he was there. "Ms. Knight, I understand your proposal and I will consider the possibility of lessening the charges against Ms. Valerious."
"Thank you, Your-"
"Don't thank me just yet." Kenway raised his hand and stopped the woman. "I want to meet her. When she wakes up, I want to be informed. I need to see that she is in fact, nothing like the man she fell in love with before I let her go."
"Of course." Emma nodded her thanks and offered the man a smile before shoving past a fuming Thurman and collecting her things. She had to get to the hospital.
It had been almost eight days since Neopolis had told the team that Ana would not be waking up for a while. Eight days of complete silence in a room that smelled like bandages and alcohol. Eight days of Emily chewing on her fingernails and the rest of the team watching her as they paced.
"You've got to stop that, Em." JJ's voice said from behind.
"I can't help it." Emily swatted the hand in front of her away as she continued to bite her nails down to the nub.
"You heard what Neopolis said; it should only be for a few days- until the stitches are stronger."
"Yea, I heard." Emily crossed her arms as she watched the sleeping girl. The bandage around Ana's head had been removed yesterday, leaving behind a line of pink and white indicating where her concussion was. Her arm had been placed in a soft cast until she awoke. Emily knew that it had been broken in three places and would take at least two months to heal. Her jaw was still purple from the blows it had taken but they had managed to set it in time for it to begin healing properly. Ana's breathing seemed labored- even in medical sleep- and Emily surmised that the damage to her ribcage was more extensive than Neopolis had admitted. She knew from experience that ribs took months to heal properly. JJ herself was still in pain at times from the impact of Alek's bullet to her torso.
"Emily." A familiar voice called from the doorway and both women spun to see Emma Knight leaning against the frame. They shot out of their seats and raced towards the woman. They knew where she was coming from.
"What is it? What did they say?" the brunette asked, frantic to learn of the news from Judge Kenway.
"He said he understands that she's been punished enough." Emma could practically feel the relief from the women in front of her. "There's one condition though."
"Of course there is." JJ waved it away as if it were nothing.
"He wants to meet her." Emily and JJ looked at one another, seemingly confused. "He wants to make sure Hail didn't have a…lasting impression."
"Fine, whatever it takes." Emily agreed but knew that Ana herself would have to consent. Would she want to speak to the man that condemned her to such a brutal beating?
"How is she doing?" Emma asked, concern obvious on her features.
"The same." Emily informed the redhead. "Neopolis said it should only take a week or two."
"Good." Emma nodded. "I almost attacked Thurman in his office today." The other two women spun on their heels at the random admission.
"Not that I'm not glad but why?" Emily crossed her arms on her chest and raised an eyebrow in amusement.
"She-she's just so, ugh!" Emma threw her arms into the air and rolled her eyes. "She genuinely thinks that Ana's evil because she had feelings for Hail. She basically called her a slut and a murderer in front of Kenway and I swear I almost-"
"There's no need to explain." JJ placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm the woman. "We would've done it too."
"Unfortunately, I didn't."
"I'd say that's pretty fortunate." A new voice was added as the women turned and saw Hotch making his way towards them. He smiled softly at Emily before placing his hand on her waist. "Who would defend her with you in prison?"
"Yea, you'd like that wouldn't you, Hotchner?" Knight smiled coyly at the man she had once called an adversary. He grinned- something she had never seen before.
"Maybe a little." The four chuckled softly before dispersing. JJ had to pick up Henry from soccer practice and offered to give Emma a ride back to her office afterwards. Aaron and Emily stayed behind, content with sitting by Ana's bedside until she awoke.
"You didn't have to come, you know." She told him softly as he took the seat next to her.
"You're here." He said frankly. "Why would I want to be anywhere else?" Emily smiled and couldn't help but blush at the statement of affection. She turned and kissed him full on the lips, relishing in the feel of his stubble against her smooth skin.
"Thank you for staying with me." She whispered. "I know it can't be easy."
"Emily," Hotch took her chin in his grasp and raised to face him. "There's nothing easier than being with you."
"Oh, I'm sure I could think of a lot of things that are." She joked as he pulled her in for another kiss. As her arms wrapped around his neck and his hands wandered to her waistline, neither heard the changing rhythm coming from Ana's ventilator. The sound that came from Ana's throat was the only thing that alerted the two of the situation and they broke apart immediately. Emily took the girl's hand in hers and cooed her as Aaron rushed into the hallway in search of Neopolis.
"Ana, it's Emily. You're safe, you're ok." She promised. "Just wake up." At the sound of Emily's voice the girl frowned and tried to open her mouth. The tube that stretched from her esophagus to her stomach kept her from accomplishing her task and caused her to panic. Her eyes squeezed shut, Ana's grip on Emily's hand tightened painfully as she couldn't understand why she couldn't breathe.
"Ana," Emily was shoved out of the way by Neopolis and her crew of nurses. "Ana, my name is Lucy. Can you hear me?" Ana nodded frantically, her eyes now open and in search of a familiar face. "Ana, I'm going to take the tube out alright? Hold still." Ana did as she was told as Neopolis gently eased the tube back up her throat and out of her mouth. Ana immediately hunched over, coughing violently as the nurses tried to settle her back down.
"Ana, I'm right here." Emily called to her as she felt Aaron's hand slip into hers. She squeezed it for comfort and turned to see him smiling back at her. It was over. Ana was alive and awake and the trial had been cancelled. All that was left now was for Ana to speak to Judge Kenway. Emily barely heard Neopolis calling out medical terminology as she nudged her way in between two nurses to get a good look at Ana. The girl's eyes were closed, one hand was pressed against her ribs and the other lay useless to the side. When she took her uninjured hand into hers, Ana's eyes opened slowly and searched for the owner.
"Emily?" she tested just how well her voice would work and failed miserable but it was still one of the most beautiful sounds Emily had ever heard. Tears brimmed on the corners of her eyes as Ana recognized and smiled at her.
"I'm right here." She repeated. "And I'm never leaving again." Slowly, Ana's hand reached up and wiped away the tears that had made their way down Emily's face. The older brunette chuckled before gently leaning down and hugging the girl as tightly as she dared. She felt Ana sigh contently against her as more tears streamed down her cheeks. By the time she let go, Ana had fallen back asleep. Emily adjusted the covers around the girl as Aaron slipped his hand around her waist and drew her in close, his own eyes welling with wetness as Emily nuzzled his chest and smiled against him for the first time in weeks.