A/N: Please note that other triggering content (self-harm and suicide will be discussed) throughout the story. Please be forewarned and take precautions if these are troubling for you.
A/N: Violence towards a primary character is discussed in this chapter. Please be forewarned if that is troubling for you.
I just wanted to thank everyone for the reviews. My muse and I both appreciate it. This is still, as of now, planned to be a fairly long, multi-part story, but if you all aren't into it…I'll wrap it up before too long.
And remember…reviews and feedback keep me and my muse motivated…especially if they're positive!
***This chapter is a continuation of the second "part" of the story***More drama and more secrets revealed***
I hope you enjoy this latest chapter…Now on with the show!
"We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us thru that darkness to a safe and sane future." ~ John F. Kennedy
"Sometimes when you're overwhelmed by a situation - when you're in the darkest of darkness - that's when your priorities are reordered." ~ Phoebe Snow
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Chapter 29
"Damnit! How the Hell did he find out about him? Oh God! You didn't say anything to anyone about him…did you?" Summer asked…slightly tentative.
"No…it wasn't my place to say anything about him either…but that's what you meant when you said us…wasn't it? You weren't just talking about you and your mom…you were talking about you and Chance…right?"
"That's something that you really need to talk to her about…not me." Summer looked away as she replied.
"Summer…I need to know what's going on. I can't ask your mom right now…and I don't want to bring it up when she first wakes up from surgery…but I do want to help her. Do they not get along or something?"
"It's not that…they get along great…it's just complicated…our whole family is complicated. There's a lot that you don't know, JJ…that all of you don't know. It's not that she didn't want to tell you about it…she just couldn't."
"Was he…or is he…in some kind of danger too?" I ask…hoping that's not the case.
"Not anymore…with Ian and Lucas gone…our family should be safe now." Summer quietly stated.
"Then why do you still seem so sad? Your family is finally safe…that's a good thing, isn't it?" I questioned…not understanding why something that should be good news would bother her.
I understood that she might be having mixed emotions about her father being killed today…but something told me that was not what was bothering her.
"Yeah…it is. It's just really complicated. I just don't know where we all go from here." Summer looked back up at me as if she was trying to decide whether or not to ask me something…
I finally decided to make the decision for her by saying "what did you want to ask me Summer?"
She chuckled softly before replying…"you know…you and mom are both really good at that profiling thing…"before continuing with a more serious tone…"does knowing about me…or Chance…does that change how you see my mom? How you feel about her?"
"What? Why would it sweetie?" I ask…genuinely confused by her question.
"Well…I know my mom has had a thing for you for years…and from what mom's told me…what you've done for her over the years…how close you two are…and just what I've seen today…well…you must like her too…at least I think you do. I just don't want you finding out about me or her past to ruin whatever chance you two might have…that's all." Summer sadly whispered…looking away as she finished.
I slowly reached for her chin…tugging at it gently until she was looking into my eyes. I recognized the same worry and sadness I had seen in Emily's on countless occasions. She's definitely Emily's daughter. You could see it just by looking in her eyes.
"Summer…finding out about you didn't ruin anything…I promise. I don't just like your mom…I love her…more than I ever thought possible…so you're right about that. And I'm going to tell you the same thing I told her earlier…I'm not going anywhere. No secrets…nothing…will keep me away from her…not ever again."
"You don't have to say that." Summer whispered…still not fully believing me.
"Sweetie…I'm not just saying it…I mean it. In fact…if you'll let me…I'd like to get to know you better. Chance too…and the rest of your family…if they'd want to meet me."
"Be careful what you wish for." Summer muttered sarcastically.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I question…wondering why she went from sounding somewhat sad to sounding almost bitter.
"Never mind…It's not important."
"If it's important to you…then it's important to me."
"Mom was right…you are really sweet. I think I'd like to get to know you better too." Summer replied…trying to deflect the earlier question.
"Thank you...I'd really like that…but sweetie…you didn't answer my question. Why wouldn't I want to get to know the rest of your family?"
"I told you before…it's really complicated…and besides…what's important now is mom. Did the doctor say how long her surgery would take?"
"A few hours…" I reply as I glance up at the clock.
It had been over two since I first arrived at the hospital with Emily. Over an hour since they took her back to the O.R. I prayed that the surgery was successful and that when she woke up…she would be back to her normal self…not the shell of the person she was when they brought her in.
I hear the rest of the team arrive and come into the waiting room…taking various seats around the room.
"Here you are ladies…it took me a little while to find some coffee that was acceptable to drink." Garcia finished with a wink to both of us.
Garcia sits beside me…whispering to me that she has filled in the team on who Summer is so that neither of us have to repeat the story again. Morgan filled in the rest of the team on what the doctor said so they're caught up on that too.
The next four hours are spent in almost complete silence. The occasional sound of Morgan or Rossi's shoes scraping the floor as they continually pace back and forth…of Reid turning the pages of the books and magazine's he's read a dozen times…of Garcia typing on her computer…of Hotch periodically moving around…coming and going from the room to place or answer a phone call…of Summer…texting or tapping the screen on her phone…and of the clock ticking. The more time that passes…the louder each of the sounds become until they slowly start to drive me insane.
In order to try and keep myself calm…I try to think back to earlier in the day. I try and remember the sound of Emily's laugh…the feel of her arms wrapping around my waist…the feel of her soft kiss on my lips.
But I can't help but also remember the muffled sounds coming from the room she was in with Lucas…wondering what was happening inside…what he did to her to make her shut down so completely.
Was there more I could have done? Should I have tried to go in sooner? Would that have helped or made things worse? She's risked her life so many times trying to save other people…why is she always the one getting hurt?
The silence is finally interrupted by the sound of the doctor coming inside the waiting room. "You're here for Agent Prentiss?"
We all immediately jump to our feet and rush over to the doctor…wanting to bombard her with questions…but she raises her hand…anticipating the questions she's about to receive. "I'm Dr. Hayes…I know you all have a lot of questions…and I will try to answer the ones that I can…but first, I need to know if any of you are immediate family?"
Summer steps forward and tells the doctor "Yes. I'm her daughter…Summer. But you can talk to them. They're her family too." Summer glances back at all of us…but grasping tightly on to one of my hands.
"Ok. Yes. I see you on her list of contacts. I just needed to make sure…privacy regulations and all. Agent Prentiss is out of surgery…she's stable…she suffered three fractured ribs. One of those punctured her right lung. That, along with a couple of other injuries she sustained, caused some internal bleeding. We were able to repair all of the damage and replace the blood volume that she lost. She required a number of sutures and stitches and she also suffered a right wrist fracture. In addition, she appears to have suffered closed head injury. The scans we've done so far look promising…but the next 24-48 hours will be crucial for her recovery."
The doctor looked as though she wanted to say more…but when she looked at Summer…who appeared on the verge of tears…she softened her tone and gently took her other hand. "Your mom's strong…she made it through surgery…that's the most important thing."
"Can I…can we…see her?" Summer glanced back at me.
"They're just bringing her back from surgery…and she's heavily sedated right now…but I think I can let one or two of you see her right now…as long as you make sure you can keep calm and make sure she remains calm as well. The rest of you can see her a little later." Dr. Hayes replied. "I'll come back in a few minutes and get you when she's settled in a room and able to have a couple of visitors."
As everyone started to return to their seats in the waiting room…I watched as the doctor started to leave the room, I walked quickly to catch up with her…telling Summer I would be right back. "Uhhh…Dr. Hayes?"
"Yes…I'm sorry…I didn't catch your name" she replied.
"Agent Jareau…but you can just call me JJ."
"Ok…JJ…what can I do for you?"
"I could tell you wanted to say something else…but didn't. You were worried about how Summer would react. What was it you didn't say?" I glance back behind me to make sure Summer isn't there.
"Yes, you're right. But…I'm not sure I can release that information to you. Since you're not immediate family…it would be a violation of privacy regulations." Dr. Hayes tried to argue…though not adamantly.
"I realize that I'm not immediate family…but I am family…we all are. Summer told you so herself. Look…I was with her in the ambulance when she was brought in. I know there is more going on that what you told Summer. I know Emily wasn't talking or anything when she came in…was that because of the head injury? Did something else happen? Please…I really need to know. I love her…I want to help her…I have to help her." I pleaded with Dr. Hayes.
"I'll make an exception…but if anyone finds out I released this information to you…and not her daughter…I could get in a lot of trouble."
"They won't hear it from me…I swear. Please…just tell me what you were keeping from Summer."
"As for the reason Agent Prentiss…" Dr. Hayes started…but I interrupt.
"Emily...call her Emily….please."
"Ok…we can't say for certain the reason Emily arrived in the ER in the somewhat catatonic state she was in. It could be due to the head injury…it could be due to some form of PTSD…or she may be suffering from some kind of dissociative state. Until she wakes up from the sedation from surgery and we are able to see what kind of state she is in then...and potentially complete another scan and/or complete a more thorough exam at that time…we won't really know for sure." Dr. Hayes stated…but acted as if she was debating on saying more.
"There's more…isn't there?" I asked…not sure if I wanted to know the answer.
"Unfortunately…yes. When the paramedics initially brought her in, they didn't immediately notice some of her injuries, probably due either to her non-responsive state or her dark clothing that was masking some of her additional injuries. While prepping her for surgery, we noticed that Emily had sustained several deep puncture wounds…probably from a bladed instrument of some kind…a knife or something similar…in and around her pelvic area. Those wounds caused the additional internal bleeding I mentioned to all of you…but we were able to repair that as well. With that type of injury…I can't say for sure…but it could explain some of the reason for her mental state when she arrived."
"Oh God…" I feel like I'm going to pass out…or throw up…"are you saying that he…he…" I couldn't even finish the sentence.
"Based on the number of wounds and the pattern…I really couldn't say." Dr. Hayes replied…slight sadness tinting her voice.
That's what happened when she was out of my sight…when he drug her to that other room. What he did to her to make her hide so far within herself…why she was so closed off…unreachable.
"You said you were able to repair the damage…Did he do any permanent damage…or were you able to fix everything?"
I hope he didn't do anything that will cause permanent damage.
"At this point…it looks like it's nothing permanent…at least physically. Though, it will take time to heal and we'll need to monitor her condition carefully for infections and things of that nature. As for her mental state…only time will tell." Dr. Hayes stated softly.
Good God…no wonder Dr. Hayes didn't want to tell Summer about this. I feel like I'm going to pass out and I deal with this kind of thing at work all the time. Granted it isn't someone I care about or love…deeply…with all of my heart…that I'm dealing with…but still.
"I really do need to get back and check on Emily now…I'll be back in a few minutes to let you know when you and Summer can go see her." Dr. Hayes softly states as she turns and walks away.
I absent-mindedly say "thank you" to the doctor as I turn to walk back to the waiting room where the others are already at, only to bump into Hotch.
"JJ…what else did the doctor have to say? I could tell she left some things out…because of Summer." Hotch quietly stated after checking to ensure Summer was still in the waiting room.
On the verge of tears I try to relay what the doctor just informed me and Hotch pulls me into a hug…whispering to me "She's strong JJ…and she has all of our support. I've already cleared it so that you can be here with her for as long as you need."
"Thanks Hotch." I quietly respond.
Trying to take the focus off of what I just heard, I try to change the subject slightly and ask "have we found out anything about the photos of those women yet?"
"I've had Garcia running all of the information we were able to locate while we were waiting. Hopefully we can find out something soon. Lucas may have just been using those photos to taunt Emily or they could be real victims. Until we get a positive ID on them, we won't know anything for sure." Hotch quietly finishes.
"God…I hope he was lying and that he really didn't kill all of those women." I whisper sadly as we both make our way back into the waiting room.
Just as we enter, Garcia stands and comes over to the two of us. She whispers that she found out something about one of the women, but that she needs to talk to all of us…away from Summer. Confused, Garcia tells me that she'll explain as soon as she can, but that she can't say anything right now…not where Summer might hear us talking.
I walk over to Summer and say "I need to talk to the rest of the team for just a sec…but we're going to be right outside in the hall. The doctor should be back to let us know when it's okay to go see Emily. Will you be okay for a few minutes while I talk to them?"
"It's not about mom…nothing else happened, did it?" Summer worriedly asks.
"No sweetie…just some work stuff."
"Ok…yeah…I'll be okay."
"Ok…I'll be right back." I softly reply as I walk back into the hall to rejoin Hotch, Garcia, and the rest of the team that have now joined us in the hall. "Ok…what's going on? What did you need to talk to us about that Summer couldn't hear?" I ask Garcia.
"I was able to positively ID all of the photos. One of the women worked for Emily's family until Emily was 15 and then was fired. Emily and her family knew her…and Hotch…she died the same year Summer was born." Garcia started.
"Could that have been the trigger?" Morgan asked.
"I don't think so…Summer said that Lucas didn't find out about her until recently." I quietly state.
"JJ's right…I think this has more to do with Emily than Summer. Go on Garcia…what else did you find out?" Hotch questions.
"Well…the police thought the circumstances around her death appeared somewhat suspicious but it was eventually ruled a suicide…but here's the real kicker…her name was Lauren Reynolds…the same name that Emily used when she was on her undercover assignment with Ian. I'm no profiler, but that makes me think that Emily must've been pretty close to her. I can't find any information about why she was fired though…hopefully Em can tell us more when she wakes up." Garcia finishes.
I glance over at Morgan…knowing he saw how Emily was when she was brought in…"Baby Girl…we may need to wait on asking Em anything about this woman for a little while…give her some time. Let's see what we can find out without having to ask her…" Morgan quietly responds.
"Ok…I'll keep digging on that…" Garcia responds. "As for the rest of the photos, this Lauren woman was the only one with direct ties to Emily, but she also appears to be the first victim. Unfortunately, all of the women are dead…and they all died under mysterious circumstances, but their deaths were eventually ruled as either suicide, accidental, or unexplained/unknown causes."
Surprisingly…Reid didn't interject any statistics on how many women die each year from each of those…but instead managed to hold back and just listen intently to the conversation. I think he was still just trying to process all of the new information he had just learned…like the rest of us.
"Sounds like we need to find out from Emily or her parents who this Lauren Reynolds was…why she was fired…and how Lucas knew about her. Maybe if we can find that out…we'll be able to find out how he was able to choose his other victims and make sure that there were no other victims out there he forgot to mention or that he claimed to have killed that really were suicide or accidental deaths…ones he just wanted to make us all believe he killed." Rossi quietly replied.
"I have a feeling there is more to this whole thing that what we know right now…and the families of those that Lucas may have killed deserve to know the truth either way. JJ…can you find out if Summer has contacted the Ambassador or anyone else to let them know Emily is here? We'll need to talk to them about this Lauren Reynolds woman…but we're obviously going to need to handle this as discreetly as possible." Hotch stated.
"Uhhmmm…yeah…I can check. I know she was on her phone earlier…I don't know if she was texting someone in her family or doing something else…but once we have a chance to check on Em…I'll ask." I distractedly reply.
If Em saw a picture of someone she knew…someone she cared about…on top of everything else…especially given what the doctor said happened to her…what Lucas did to her in that room. If she thought she was the reason someone she cared about was murdered. God! She may have hidden so far inside herself this time to block something like that out…or blamed herself for that…it may take a miracle to reach her. I just pray that I'm able to.
I'm not going to give up on her no matter what…no matter how long it takes…I can't lose her…I won't. I just have to make her see that none of this was her fault. I just hope she is capable of hearing me when I try to talk to her…not like she was earlier…completely shut down and shut off from everyone and everything around her.
My internal worry and panic are interrupted when Dr. Hayes walks up to me "You and Summer can go see Emily now."
I walk over to the door to the waiting room and make eye contact with Summer and ask "are you ready?"
Summer jumps up and walks quickly over to me…grasping tightly to my hand. We follow Dr. Hayes to Emily's room stopping just before we enter. Dr. Hayes explains the various machines that Emily is attached to…in an effort to minimize our surprise before we walk in. She slowly opens the door for us and I feel Summer tightly grasp my hand as we walk through the door together.
I take a deep breath to slow my rapidly beating heart…trying to prepare myself for what lies ahead. Please let her be okay!