I'm back… we're going to skip a few weeks and months in this story, mostly small things you will hear when the characters talk as the story progresses. Like I said in the beginning, this story follows the show in some parts but I have my own story to work with to make it my own. I love how the show is written so I don't want to mess with it. So, if you have any suggestions, let me know. I double-check my work before I post it but sometimes there are a few slips so please forgive me if there's a mistake.
Don't own anything.
Julia picked Emma up from the airport because the team got called in, but Callen promised that as soon as they were done, he'd be there so she could tell him about her trip. Julia loved that Emma got away for a few days because she knew the next couple of months would be a crazy mess for them all. As they drove, Emma kept on looking out the back window. She noticed a black Land Rover following them since they left the airport. She thought it was just going the same way but when it kept following the exact route they were taking, she knew something was up.
"Hey, mind pulling over for a sec?" Emma said to Julia.
"What's wrong?" Julia asked a bit confused.
"This car has been following us since we left the airport. Don't panic, just pull over for a bit."
"Okay." Julia said as she found a parking spot. Just like Emma thought, the car passed them but soon she could see them turning around and driving back the way they came from. They passed them and then it stopped a few feet away from them on the same side of the road.
"Okay, let's start moving and head to the boat shed." Emma said as she took out her phone and dialled Agent Castor's number. It only took a few rings before he answered.
"Agent Castor."
"Agent Castor, it's Emma-Grace."
"Hi, Emma. How was your trip?"
"It was good, I'll tell you all about it later. Are you close to the boat shed?"
"I'm 15 minutes out. What's up?"
"Would you mind meeting us there? We have a car following us since we left the airport and it stopped when we stopped."
"That's not good. I'll head there now and meet you guys there. Do you want me to call OPS and ask them to track the car?"
"Not just yet. I want to see what happens when we stop and get out of the car."
"Okay, I'll meet you guys there. Just head inside when you get there and I'll have a look and come inside when I've cleared it up."
"Thank you. See you in a bit." Emma said with a smile.
"No problem. See you in a bit." Castor said as he ended the call.
"Okay, Agent Castor will meet us at the boat shed. He said we should head in and he'll sort this out and come inside to speak to us." Emma said as she put her phone down.
"Emma-Grace, what's happening?" Julia asked, now full of panic.
"I don't know but let's get there and Castor can handle it. And if he can't hopefully OPS can help." Emma said with a small smile.
The trip to the boat shed felt like it took forever but once they got there, they did what Agent Castor said. Grabbing her bag, Emma led Julia to the side door and went in to wait for agent Castor. Emma made Julia a cup of coffee and as she handed it to her, she heard the door open and Agent Castor walking in but he wasn't alone.
"Emma-Grace, this is Mr. Snider. He's a lawyer with a fancy firm that I can't remember." Castor said while he rolled his eyes. Emma could see he was annoyed with the small man.
"I work for Snider, Williams and Algo." The man said, offering his hand to Emma.
"I've never heard of them. Mind telling me why you're following us?" Emma asked.
"Well, you are a hard lady to track down." Snider said with a small smile.
"Maybe I didn't want anyone finding me."
"I represent Joan-Jacques Phillips. You know him, right."
"That's a name I haven't heard in a long time."
"I know but I need to speak with you. It's urgent and private."
"I'm not talking to you about him. He's in the past and I'm trying hard to forget about him and his business." Emma said but Julia could see she was trying hard not to cry.
"I'm Julia Feldman, Emma-Grace's guardian. Would you mind giving us a few minutes alone."
"Sure, but as I said, this is urgent and we've been looking for her for a while now."
"I understand but as you can see, she needs a few minutes to compose herself."
"I'll take you to the next room, follow me." Agent Castor said as he led the small man to the interrogation room. Julia waited till she heard the door close then she turned to Emma, "I'm going to call Callen and tell him he needs to come."
"That wouldn't be necessary, Ms. Feldman." A voice came from behind them.
"Hetty, what are you doing here?" Emma asked.
"Agent Castor called and said you had a situation and were on your way here." Hetty said before she turned to the guilty-looking Agent. "That will be all, Agent Castor. Thank you for getting the situation under control. I'll take it from here."
"Thanks for your help, Castor." Emma said with a smile. She didn't want him to think she was angry at him. He was just doing his job and Emma would have done the same.
"Now, let's find out what this man wants." Hetty said as she walked towards the other room. "Emma dear, join me. Ms. Feldman, you can watch on the screen if you want to." Julia just shook her head and pushed Emma towards the other room. Emma took a few deep breaths before she shook her head and Hetty opened the door.
"Mr. Snider, I'm Henrietta Lang." Hetty said as Emma pulled the chair out for her to sit.
"Regg Snider. I represent Joan-Jacques Phillips."
"I know, but I don't know what your business is with Emma-Grace."
"Well, Mr. Phillips left a few things for her after he passed and I wanted to settle this before I retire. We've been looking for her since Mr. Phillips's death, but all our leads led to dead ends. We thought she was placed in WITSEC but we received a tip a few weeks ago and here we are."
"You received a tip? From whom?" Hetty asked.
"Don't know. The person told us that Emma-Grace was still in LA and enrolled at UCLA." Snider said.
"Okay, I'll deal with that later. You said you have something for her. So, let's get this over with." Hetty said, Emma could see the lady was upset that someone found her information.
"Well, mind if I talk to her alone? Mr. Phillips left clear instructions that this conversation needs to be private."
"Even though Emma is considered an adult and can make her own decisions, she's still in the care of Ms. Feldman and NCIS. Emma-Grace, do you want to speak to Mr. Snider alone?" Hetty asked but Emma shook her head no. "As you can see, she doesn't want to speak to you privately. So, you will just have this conversation with me in the room. No matter what your instructions were." Hetty said and Mr. Snider could see he lost the fight. Opening his briefcase, he took out an envelope and slid it towards Hetty and Emma. Hetty nodded to Emma before the teenager took the envelope and opened it. Taking out all the papers, Emma started to read but couldn't believe what she was reading.
"He left everything to me?" Emma said not looking up from the document.
"As you know, most of Mr. Phillips's assents were under the microscope after the 'Russian Dolls' business so we had to wait for everything to be cleared before we could contact you. The money he left you, was in an account in the name he set up for you. I promise this money is legit and not from his illegal dealings."
"Dealings I bet you were a part of Mr. Snider." Hetty said with a smirk.
"As I said, this money has been cleared and it's all legit." Snider said with a tilt of his head. "There's more…"
"Of course, there's more." Emma said sarcastically.
"Do you still have the key Mr. Phillips gave you for your 12th birthday?"
"You mean the key he gave me before he raped me for the first time."
"I know this is hard but he did love you and just wanted what was best for you."
"He took my innocence! He molested and raped me over and over again! He sat in that room while he's friends did whatever they wanted with me. He sat there while they raped, beat, and choked me to the point that I passed out. He didn't love me because if he did he would have stopped coming to Olga for me." Emma yelled at him. "I don't care if he left me the universe, I'm not taking anything he left me. I don't need his charity and just move on with my life." She said before she got up and walked out. Emma passed Julia but she shook her head and left the boat shed.
"I know this is hard on her but JJ did love her more than anything." Snider said when it was just him and Hetty.
"Love is a wonderful thing. But as Emma said, he didn't love her. Because if he loved her so much, he would have found a way to take her away from that woman and her lapdog."
"That's what he was trying to do. The key he gave her was for a safety deposit box at First National Bank. I don't know what's in the box but he said it was the key she needed to start a new life. As I said, this is the last thing I needed to do before I retire. I'm no longer an employee of Mr. Phillips and I hope Emma finds peace. This is all hers and she can do whatever she wants with it."
"Well, I hope you find retirement peaceful because you just opened a can of worms we'll have to close for you and your employer."
"I understand Ms. Lange and wish I could give her the peace she wants. The peace she deserves after everything she's been through but I can't. I know money can't make the pain go away but it could give her the future she deserves. Have a good day Ms. Lange." Snider said before he opened the door but he ran into Julia.
"She was a little girl and he was an adult! He didn't love her, he abused her and took advantage of the trust she put in him. I hope he rots in hell, where he belongs." Julia said with the anger of a mother. Turning her back, Mr. Snider took that as his cue to leave. Hetty sat in the interrogation room for a few minutes before she got up and collected all the documents. She walked out of the room towards Julia, who was sitting by the table with her mug in hand. Hetty pulled out a chair and she wished she was in her office where she could have something stronger.
"Emma-Grace is going to need our help more than ever. You've helped her so much and we can't possibly ask more of you." Hetty started.
"She was a little girl." Julia said, "She's come so far and this is just taking her back to a past she fought so hard to keep in the past."
"I know but she has her family now and will get through this." Hetty said.
"Do you know where this key is he asked her about?" Julia asked.
"I'll have Nell go through her case file. It should be with her diaries but we'll have a look."
The two women sat there for a while when they heard the door open. Thinking it was Emma, both looked up but to their surprise, it was Callen and Sam.
"Hey, mama Julia. What are you doing here?" Sam asked but then he saw Hetty and he knew something was wrong. "Where's Emma-Grace?"
"She went for a walk on the beach." Julia started but Hetty stopped her.
"Something happened when Ms. Feldman went to pick Emma up from the airport. Agent Castor helped them out but we have something to discuss. It's about Joan-Jacques Phillips."
"Now that's a name I thought we would never hear again." Kensi said as she and Deeks walked in.
"I thought that case was over and we were finally moving on." Callen said with anger in his voice.
"I thought so too, but we have a family matter to discuss. Let me make a phone call first. Mr. Deeks, please see if you can find Emma-Grace. She left here an hour ago and doesn't have her car or bag with her, so she shouldn't be that far." Hetty said as she went to make her call.
"I can do that. I have a feeling I know where she might be." Deeks said before he left.
"Mom, want to tell us what happened?" Kensi said as she took her mom's hand and walked her to the couch.
Julia began to tell them what happened and when she was almost done, Hetty returned. Smiling she told Sam to find something stronger than tea for everyone to drink. Laughing, he got up and went upstairs where he knew they hid the 'good stuff.' Pouring the drinks, Hetty spoke. "Nell went through Emma's files and she found the key for the safety deposit box. Now it's up to Emma if she wants to go see what's in it." She said before she took a sip of her drink.
On the beach
Deeks knew Emma's special spot. It's the spot he showed her when he would come surfing and she and Kensi could sit and talk or read. Walking up to her, he spoke before sitting beside her.
"So, want to tell me about the snow?" Deeks said with a smile.
"It's wet, cold, and it gets everywhere it shouldn't be." Emma said but Deeks could hear she wasn't in the mood to talk.
"Hey, come here." Deeks said as he took her in his arms and that just opened the floodgates. As she cried, Deeks held her and told her just to let it out. They stopped saying everything would be fine because she would get angry and tell them that is a lie. Rocking her, Deeks could feel her pain. He read the files, heard her tell them what happened, and got so angry. Beating the crap out of a punching bag didn't help him with the anger he felt but it was all he could do.
"I know this sucks and I wish we could take this pain you're feeling away but we can help you deal with it. You have your family and we're not going anywhere. Just trust us and we can do this together."
"I want this to be over. I want to move on with my life and just forget but as soon as I move a step forward, something happens that makes me take two steps back." Emma said.
"I know, honey. I know." Deeks said as he stared at the ocean.
"I told Brian everything." Emma whispered.
"You did?" Deeks asked. Usually, she was so closed off from people but opening up to a friend and his family was a big step for her.
"We were sitting by the fire one night and it just came out. And to be honest, it felt so good. To have it in the open and not have to lie about everything."
"How did they take it?"
"They were angry but with Olga and everyone in my past. They didn't look at me like a victim, they looked proud that I've come so far."
"You, my dear Emma-Grace, are a survivor and so strong. You are so loved and you are so special to all of us. You are part of this family and can call on us whenever you need us." Deeks said, hugging her tighter with each word. Sitting there for a few more minutes, Deeks spoke again. "We need to head back before Hetty sends out a search party." Emma just shook her head and Deeks pulled her up. He knew this would be hard for her but she needed to deal with it so they could move on with their lives. When they got to the boat shed, Callen was the first to grab her in a hug—whispering that he loved her and that they would do this together. Emma just hugged him back and shook her head as he spoke. Emma knew she could do this with the help of her family and she needed to trust them and ask for help when needed. It was after 11 at night when Julia and Emma got home and Julia could see Emma was dead on her feet. She told Emma to go and shower while she made them tea, Julia took the envelope and key Hetty gave her and placed it on the counter where Emma could find it. Making their tea, Julia ensured all the doors and windows were locked before she headed to Emma's room. Sitting on Emma's bed, Julia just looked at the room. In a few months, this room will be empty. And then a few weeks after that, it will belong to someone else when a new family moves in. Julia looked at the pictures on the wall and she could see the love in them. They did their little photoshoot with Zack the morning Emma left and she couldn't wait to see those photos. In each photo, Julia can see how much Emma has grown. She wasn't the scared little girl, who hid behind her books anymore. She was this confidante young woman, who took the second chance she got in life and ran with it. Julia couldn't wait to see what Emma would do with her life but she would support her every step of the way.
"I'll print the pictures tomorrow when I'm in town." Emma said as she walked into her room.
"There's no rush. Relax tomorrow, get everything ready for school and then you don't have to rush when it starts." Julia said as she hugged the young girl, "Your tea is on your nightstand. I put one of your sleeping pills the doctor prescribed you last time, next to it. Drink it and try to sleep in a bit. We'll deal with the rest as the week goes on, okay."
"Thank you, mama Julia. I don't know what I would do without you." Emma said as she hugged her back.
"And we're not going to find out." Julia said as she took her face in her hands, "Sleep well my little butterfly and I'll see you when you get up."
"I love you, mama Julia."
"And I love you, my dear Emma-Grace."
Emma couldn't wait to get to school on Monday morning. She spends most of the weekend with Julia and the team. Everyone came over on Sunday for dinner at Julia's house and Emma showed them all the pictures from her trip. Everyone could see she enjoyed her time away and that was good, she needed it. Nobody brought up JJ and the safety deposit box. They knew they would deal with it later, everybody just wanted her to get settled again before they opened that can of worms. As she parked her car, she stopped at the front office to get her parking pass and put it in her car's window. Grabbing her bag, she walked to her first class of the day. As she placed her laptop on the desk she felt arms wrap around her neck.
"How was Alabama?" Melissa asked.
Emma took her friend's left hand and moved her to sit next to her. "First tell me about this beautiful ring?" Emma smiled.
"You like it?" Melissa said as she moved her hand next to her face.
"Like? I love it. Justin has good taste." Emma said as she hugged her friend.
"I know you helped him pick it out. Thank you! This is a dream come true."
"You deserve the best and he is a keeper. He loves you so much so be good to him." Emma said with a serious face.
"Now I need your help with the wedding." Melissa whispered as the professor entered the class.
"Just tell me where and when and I'll help you with everything."
Emma and Melissa were walking toward the coffee shop when they spotted Justin at a table. When he saw them, he got up and kissed Melissa before pulling out a chair for her. Once she was in, he went to hug Emma and pulled her chair out too.
"Well, thank you kind sir." Emma giggled.
"You are welcome, miss." Justin said before he went to pick up the girl's drinks. "So, did she tell you when the wedding is?"
"No but I can think it will be soon." Emma said as she took a sip of her tea.
"And you'll be correct." Justin laughed.
"Hey, I want to be Mrs. Briggs before the end of the year." Melissa said as she gave Justin puppy dog eyes.
"So, you guys going to tell me the date or not?" Emma said.
"September 27th." They said at the same time.
"That's a day before Mel's birthday."
"And that's what makes it the perfect day."
"You mean, you get a wedding and a 24th birthday party in one." Emma giggled.
"That's why you're the smartest person I know." Justin said with a smile. Looking down at his watch he saw that it was almost time for their next class. "We need to head to the next class, ladies." He said as he got up. As they walked, they kept on talking about the wedding and graduation. Emma could see how happy her friends were and was delighted for them. They deserved it and she'll do anything in her power to help them get that. Justin had football practice so Mel and Emma went to sit in the library while they waited for him. They were just packing the books away when he texted Mel that he'd meet them at the cars. As Emma drove towards OPS, she thought of the paperwork and safety deposit box she still needed to deal with. She was tired of her past popping up, so she had to master the strength to deal with it and move on with her life with her family and friends. As she walked into the building she made a beeline for the gym. She missed her run this morning so she was going to make up for it now. She was on her last rep when she saw Callen and Sam walking toward her.
"How was your first day back?" Sam asked as he hugged her.
"Was amazing. Glad to see everyone and get back into the swing of things." She said as she hugged Callen.
"Did she show you the ring?" Callen said with a smirk.
"She did and they look happy. So, I'm happy for them." Emma said as she went for her water bottle.
"I see a wedding in your future." Sam said as they walked towards the bullpen.
"That's what normally follows after an engagement." Emma giggled, then she turned to Callen. "I'm glad I saw you, I was hoping to talk to you." she said as Sam went for his desk.
"What's up?" Callen asked as he sat at the front of his desk.
"I was wondering if you'll go with me to the bank to check out JJ's safety deposit box. I want to get this over with and don't want to do it alone." Emma said as she sat on Deeks' desk.
"I'll be happy to go with you. When do you want to go?" Callen asked.
"Friday after school. The last class is at two so that will give us enough time and I want to have a weekend if I have to deal with stuff."
"Now that is a great idea, Ms. Callen." Hetty said as she walked in behind her.
That made Emma jump, "Heart attack much."
"You must be on your toes if you want to be an agent." Hetty said with a smile.
"I'm on my toes, it's you that needs a bell around your neck Ms. Lang." Emma said with a giggle.
"I've tried but she's too fast and sneaky." Deeks said as they walked in.
"I would like to see you try Mr. Deeks." Hetty said as she walked back to her office.
They all just laughed and shook their heads. Nell came walking down the stairs with files in her hands and her tablet. "Hey, Emma. I've got those files you were looking for." Nell said as she handed it to the teenager.
"What files?" Callen asked.
"That's classified Agent Callen." Granger said as he walked into the bullpen.
"Ahh, like her job here." Sam said as he packed up for the day. "You coming G?"
"Let me just grab my bag." Callen said as he grabbed his stuff. "Don't work too late, Em." He said as he kissed her on the forehead and followed Sam.
"I wouldn't. Have a good night." Emma said as she took the files from Nell and walked towards her desk. Quickly scanning the files, Emma opened the file on the computer and started to fill in the missing information. She was about to close the files, when she saw Granger heading her way. "You need anything else, sir?" Emma asked.
"No, I'm good. I was hoping I could talk to you about something."
"That's never a good thing." Emma said as she closed the files and turned her attention to Granger.
"I know you've been accepted into the BAU program and planned to move to Virginia but I made a few calls and got you into FLETC when you finish your BAU training. Then when you turn 18 in February, you can start with the next group in June." Granger said.
Emma was shocked. Granger was the last person she thought would help her get into FLETC or anywhere else. She got the idea he didn't like her much but him doing this made her feel that maybe he was warming up to her. "That's… that would be great. But I don't want you to use all your favours on me."
"Think of this as a stepping stone for your future. I think everyone will be with me on this, NCIS can use your skills more than the FBI and you have your family here. You might not end up here but we can always deal with that later." Granger said as he got up and walked out.
On the one hand, Emma was looking forward to being in Virginia and training with the FBI; on the other, she was happy that she could join NCIS as she had always wanted. Packing up her stuff, she started to walk toward her car. She couldn't wait to get home and talk to Julia about this change in plan.
Hetty sat in her office with a Scotch waiting for Owen. She heard the exchange and just like Emma, she was shocked. Since Owen found his daughter, he has been more open with the team and her. Maybe having the teenager around NCIS made him soften up towards the girl. Owen walked up into her office and picked up the drink.
"So, you made the phone call?" Hetty said.
"Like you didn't try to get her in before she got her acceptance letter from the FBI."
"What can I say, I see potential in her." Hetty said as they fell into silence.