CHAPTER 22

11:17 am.

Emily reads the time on her phone, carefully making sure that she doesn't make too much noise in order to avoid waking up Daniela from her sleep.

The girl has been resting peacefully for the past few hours, to Emily's relief.

The woman was scared of the girl being plagued with nightmares or waking up because of physical discomfort but thankfully none of that happened. It was an overall peaceful night.

The agent also managed to sleep on a small couch that is in the corner of the room, her body desperately needed to rest.

However, she would wake up a few times throughout the night just to make sure that Dani was okay.

She feels well-rested yet her body is sore. A couple of hits she received now formed into bruises. It wasn't completely painful but she does feel slight discomfort in certain parts of her body.

She looks around the room, seeing the pale tanned walls around the room. The sun rays peering through the window blinds, giving the room a little more life.

The woman has never been fond of staying inside hospitals, mostly because she has been inside of hospital rooms far too many times. Her job is the main factor, either herself being the patient or one of her colleagues getting hurt.

She has been inside various hospitals from different states and even countries, but it doesn't matter where the hospital is and even if it's one of the most high-end hospitals in the nation.

She sees no difference in them. They are all dull and depressing.

Maybe she should have reconsidered her career choice. Hunting down serial killers is bound to land her in a hospital.

No. It's too late for that now.

The woman then feels her phone buzz, alerting her of a notification. She is now using her work phone since her personal one got destroyed back at the cellar.

Rossi made sure that the woman had a way of communication before he left. The only contacts she has now is her work colleagues.

She glances at her screen and sees that it is a message from her friend.

Penelope Garcia: Good morning, Em. The team and I will be arriving at the hospital in about 20 min. Take care :)

Emily smiles when reading the text. Penelope always manages to make her smile, even if she isn't there in person.

She responds to the text with an okay.

Emily is forever grateful for her team. They helped in saving her and Dani. This makes her forever indebted to them.

This team is very special in the agent's heart compared to other places she had worked. The BAU is more than just a branch in the FBI.

It is a team with elite profilers composed with a family connected with an unbreakable bond of love and friendship.

Emily has never felt the warmth of a family from her "real" one so having a sense of belonging into one is new to her.

She feels lucky to have the team because she finally knows what it means to belong to a true family. Not one of blood but one filled with unconditional love.

The woman would do anything for her team and she knows that they will too.

She then sees movement at the corner of her eyes. It's Dani moving her fingers slowly, presumably waking up.

"Dani?" Emily asks while placing her palm on Dani's cheek.

She sees how Dani slowly opens her eyes, squinting as she looks up at her.

"Emily?" She asks with a groggy voice.

"Hey, baby. It's me. I'm right here," Emily replies softly, smoothing the girl's hair.

She has always loved playing with Dani's beautiful hair. The dark brown color her hair has definitely suits her naturally.

Daniela rubs her eyes hoping it will help in adjusting her vision. It's a little blurry but she knows that it's due to the strong lighting in the room. It doesn't take her long before her vision goes back to normal.

"Hey, hun," Emily says, smiling as she sees Daniela's eyes open up more.

The girl looks more rested, having a little bit more of her color back in comparison to the night before.

"Do you need something?"

Dani shakes her head and then clears her throat. "No. I'm fine," she tells her.

Emily nods as she continues to look at the teen.

"Are you okay? Does anything hurt?"

She hopes that the meds haven't worn out completely. With the injuries the girl sustained, it's better for her to be under pain medication so she doesn't feel any major discomfort.

"I feel fine. Just a little fuzzy in the head," the girl answers.

"Whatever is in this medication is making sure that I don't feel anything other than lightheaded," she says, pointing at the IV bag at the side of her bed.

"Are you sure?"

"Yep," the girl nods with a small smile.

"How about you? Did you sleep?"

"I'm okay," Emily replies. "I slept on the couch for a few hours."

The girl nods and looks at the window next to her bed. Though the blinds are closed, sunlight peers through the window and enter the room.

"What time is it?" She asks as she runs her hand through her hair.

Emily takes out her phone and checks the time once more.

"It's 11:25."

"Eleven?" The girl repeats with confusion. "How long was I asleep?"

She had lost the sense of time ever since yesterday. All she knows is that she was taken to the hospital at night, recalling the dark sky as she was taken out of the cellar.

Hearing Emily saying that it is almost midday means that she has been asleep for a while.

"You slept for almost 12 hours," Emily answers.

She notices the girl's surprise once she hears the number of hours she slept.

"That's good. The doctor said you need a lot of rest."

"I think 12 consecutive hours of sleep is more than enough," the girl says, using her elbows to prop herself up the bed.

She is tired of laying on her back and therefore prefers to sit. She only gets herself about halfway up before stops, feeling a sting on her side.

She clenches her jaw and holds her side, waiting out the pain. Emily notices and immediately steps up, not really sure what to do in order to help.

"I'm fine. I just got ahead of myself," Dani assures the woman, seeing the worry in her eyes.

"Dani, you need to be more careful," Emily says, placing her palm on the girl's head and gently pushing the teenager back down.

"Your body is still delicate so try not to strain yourself too much."

"I know. I just wanted to sit up."

"You should have told me that before. You're on a hospital bed with a remote," the woman informs as she grabs the bed's remote, pressing the up arrow.

The top half portion of the bed moves up, allowing Dani to sit up as she intended to.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot that existed," the girl said.

"To my defense. I can't think clearly right now. The meds make my mind all foggy and stuff."

"And that's why I am here to make sure that you don't do anything dumb," Emily tells the girl with a smile.

Dani places her hand on her heart, pretending to take offense to the woman's remark.

"I said the meds make my mind feel foggy, not stupid," she defends herself.

"And I said dumb not stupid," Emily retorts back.

"You got me there," the girl agrees.

She scoots up slowly in order to get more comfortable. Emily helps adjust the pillow behind the girl's back, making sure it's supporting her.

"Thanks, Em," Dani said as the agent finished adjusting the pillow.

She didn't like the fact that she couldn't do something so simple as sitting up and get comfortable but she is grateful for the agent's help.

Emily places a soft kiss on the top of Dani's head.

"No problem," she said with a smile.

Though the girl is awake, Emily can see that she is still drowsy. The girl is still in and out of it. All compliments to the medications that are in her system.

The woman can't help but feel sorry for the teenager. She knows how annoying it can be to feel so worn out at the hospital.

She can already hear the girl say, it fucking sucks.

"So, would you consider me taking the IV needle out of my arm dumb or stupid?" The girl asks as she glances down at her arm.

"Either way, I am strongly considering doing it."

She reaches out for the needle when Emily stops her by holding her arm.

"The needle has to stay. Sorry," she says as she lowers the girl's arm.

"But that thing is poking through my skin. The needle is like half a ruler in length," the girl protests.

She might be over-exaggerating the needle length but that is how she truly feels.

"Plus, that thing is just making me drowsy."

"But it's helping you. Without it, you would be feeling sore and in pain." Emily tries to explain.

She knows that Daniela hates having the IV needle. When she had her doctor's appointment last year, getting her to do a blood test was like pulling out teeth.

The girl sighs in defeat and leans her head back. She doesn't want to make it hard on the woman. The situation is already difficult as it is so she just caves in.

Emily sits at the edge of the bed and wraps her arm around Dani, a sign of support for the girl. In response, the teenager leans on the woman, resting her head against her chest.

Even though she had slept for hours, Dani still feels tired. Her head feels heavier than usual and she still feels worn out. Almost as she didn't sleep at all.

"How is it that I've slept for almost twelve hours yet I feel like I can sleep for another twelve," the girl mumbles in annoyance.

"I'm tired of being tired."

Emily looks down at the girl tries her best to hold in her laughter. She thinks it is the first time she hears someone say that they are tired of being tired but she knows the feeling. It can be irritating from time to time.

"It's probably the medication they gave you," Emily says as she rubs small circles on Dani's shoulder.

"Don't worry, it will wear out soon."

"I don't need any more medication. I need an iced coffee," Daniela insist. "Two maybe."

"You need some serious help when it comes to your iced coffee addiction. You will end up like Spencer and run on nothing but the caffeine in his blood system," the woman tells the girl.

The boy genius is the reason why Starbucks has a high-profit rate here in D.C. alone.

"And that hasn't affected his high IQ intelligence. Plus, the coffee hasn't killed him... yet," the girl replies.

"Either way, I know you can't be talking. I see that coffee cup on the table," the girl points out as she gestures her hand towards the table.

Sure enough, there is an empty coffee container on the edge of the table.

"Oh, c'mon now. Give me a break. After everything that has happened, I think I deserve a little leeway right now," Emily defends herself.

She admits, she got herself a coffee even though she gave up on it for several months. But, it was just one.

"Okay. Okay. You get a pass for that one," Dani tells the woman.

"But you shouldn't worry about my love for coffee. Weren't you basically raised with it?"

"What makes you say that?" Emily asks.

"Didn't you grow up in different parts of Europe? Instead of juice or milk, kids are raised with coffee or tea, depending on what country they're in," the girl rambles.

Emily smiles at the girl's remark.

"Yeah, I did live in a lot of countries in Europe. I might have picked up the coffee habit a little earlier than most," she admits.

"In conclusion, there is nothing bad about my love for iced coffee," Daniela concludes.

"Kid, instead of water you will end up having coffee in your blood," the agent continues.

The girl hears the woman's remark and then looks at the coffee cup at the table. She then looks at her IV bag and an imaginary lightbulb turns on.

"Ooo. I can make that happen right now," she exclaims in excitement.

"What if I add coffee inside the IV bag and replace it with the medication? The coffee would literally enter my bloodstream and then bam, my energy is at the full bar."

"You really shouldn't be left alone without adult supervision right now," Emily sighs.

She looks down at the girl, her face disapproving of the girl's crazy idea.

Daniela raises a brow in confusion.

"What? I think it's a good idea," she states.

"In fact, I will give Spencer the idea and let him know what he thinks. I'm pretty sure he will be on board with it."

Before Emily can say something, they hear someone knocking on the door. The person opens and enters the room, revealing a male doctor.

Emily recognizes the doctor who entered, being the same person that spoke to her the night before.

He walks towards both of them, carrying his old-fashioned clipboard, and offers a smile.

"Hello, Daniela. I am Doctor Brown." He introduces himself. "Do you remember seeing me yesterday?"

Dani lifts her head up and looks at the doctor.

"No. Not really," Dani answers.

She saw a lot of nurses and doctors checking up on her. Last night was a complete blur. Not the good kind in which she can't remember what happened after a party. (Though she wishes it was)

She was just completely worn out. There is no way she could recognize who helped her in the hospital yesterday.

"That is alright," the doctor said with a smile.

"I talked to your mother last night. I just wanted to pass by and see how you were doing."

Emily holds her breath as the doctor finished his sentence. Last night she identified herself as Daniela's mother to the doctor.

Yes, Emily did consider herself her mom. After all, she loves the girl as her own daughter and sees her as one.

She knows Dani has a different opinion when it comes to that. The word "mother" or "mom" are sacred words to her.

To Dani, she will have only one woman as her mother. Sofia Hernandez was and will always be her mom even if she wasn't present in her life anymore.

Emily respects Daniela's feelings in regard to this matter. She just hopes that one day Dani would see her as another maternal figure, not a replacement one.

"I'm alright," Dani replies to the doctor, completely oblivious to the fact he mentioned Emily as her mom.

"I just feel tired, that's all."

"That is completely normal. You don't have to worry about that. You will eventually regain your strength," he informs while walking towards Dani.

"Now if you don't mind, I want to check your pulse."

Dani nods as she sits up, this time making sure that she does so slowly. The doctor listens to the girl's heartbeat as a normal routine.

After he's done, he takes a look at the stitches Dani has on her brow, making sure they are in place.

Daniela hasn't seen her reflection in order to see the severity of the cut. Part of her wants just out of pure curiosity but what is holding her back is her own fear.

She doesn't want to know how bad it looks. For all she knows, the injury is still fresh which can make it seem more displeasing than usual.

If the injury required for it to have stitches, she can only imagine how unpleasant it looks. She would rather deal with it later.

"Everything looks just fine," the doctor said while writing down on his clipboard.

"I want to keep you under observation for another twelve hours just to make sure that you are clear to go. Then after that, you may go home. I will prescribe pain medication that you can take home today."

"Will you prescribe a lot of meds?" Dani asks nervously.

"No. Just two," the doctor replies.

"You are very strong, Daniela. I can see that. I will need you to take lots of rest and minimize any sort of physical activity for a while. This is so you can have a faster recovery with your broken rib."

Dani nods her head in understanding. Now her suspicions are confirmed that she does in fact have a broken rib. She knew that the last punch she received was a strong one. Dani herself heard it crack.

Her body recoils when remembering it. It isn't a pleasant memory to have. The fact that she remembers it so vividly makes her feel rather uneasy.

Dr. Brown looks up at Emily.

"I will send you a copy of the prescriptions and further information in regards to Daniela's recovery. Any questions before I leave?"

"No. Thank you so much for everything," she said while placing her hand on Dani's shoulder.

"No problem. I will leave you two to rest," he said as he walked out of the room, closing the door.

"Twelve more hours?" Dani sighs while placing her head against the headboard of the bed.

"I don't want to stay in this place for that long," she pouts.

"Time will fly, Dan. Don't worry about it," Emily tells her.

"If it were up to me, I would have kept you under observation for at least another three days."

"Does this mean that you will have me at home all day doing nothing for at least a couple of days?" Dani asks.

"Yes. You will have to be at home for a while and rest," the woman states while shifting closer to Dani.

"That means that I will be stuck with you all day? Why must I suffer this way?" Daniela dramatically asks with a mischievous grin.

She loves the idea of spending some time with the agent but she doesn't want to admit it out loud.

Emily shakes her head with a smile.

"Oh, yeah. You will have to suffer from my 24/7 presence for a while," Emily said while wrapping her arms around Dani.

"How will I ever survive?" asks Dani sarcastically while rolling her eyes.

Emily gives Dani a light squeeze and kisses the side of her head.

"I promise I won't be bugging you all the time," she assures the girl.

"Okay. I will keep hold of your word but if you break your promise I will go move in with Penelope," Dani said with a smile.

"And I know she won't say no to me."

"That's because that woman loves you to pieces. She spoils you rotten and you know it," Emily says as she places her chin on top of the girl's head.

"It's not my fault I'm so well-liked," the girl boasts.

"Plus, we are talking about Penelope here. That woman is made up of flesh, blood, and a unicorn spirit filled with nothing but love."

"Talking about Penelope," Emily said while taking out her phone.

"She texted me saying that she and the rest of the team will be coming over for a visit. I want to warn you so they don't catch you off guard," she announces while scrolling through her text messages.

"What time will they be here?" asks the teen.

She was excited to see the team again, especially Penelope.

The blonde always manages to make her smile. Daniela definitely needs a dose of Penelope's endless positivity.

Knock Knock Knock

"I have a feeling that knock answered your question," Emily said with a smile. "Come in."

The door opens widely and both Dani's and Emily's eyes widen as they see Garcia walk in holding large, colorful balloons in one hand while holding a cute teddy bear on another hand.

Luke walks right behind her holding a large gift basket that had a "Get Well Soon" card on it. The rest of the team enters along with them.

Emily doesn't know why she is surprised by this. This is Penelope Garcia she is talking about.

The blonde is always extra when it comes to making a person feel better. One way she does that is by giving presents.

But she doesn't have to do so. The tech woman's presence is all Daniela needs to feel better.

The girl has a soft spot for her which allows Penelope to be closer to her in comparison to the rest of the team.

"Oh my precious pumpkin," Penelope voiced out with worried eyes.

She carefully settles the balloons and teddy bear on a nearby table and rushes towards Dani.

"I was so worried about you. We all were," she said while carefully reaching out to hug Dani.

Dani receives her embrace with a smile.

"Hey, Penelope," Dani replies while receiving a warm hug.

She winces slightly, feeling a sting on the side of her ribcage but she ignores it. She looks at the rest of the team and offers a small hand wave.

"Hey, guys."

The team surrounds her and greets both ladies in the room. All of them are glad to see that both Daniela and Emily are doing better.

It was a long night for all of them, especially for their boss and her daughter. It's good to see that they are more rested.

Penelope lets go of the teen carefully and cups her cheek with one hand.

"Are you okay? Is something hurting you? Am I hurting you?" She asks with concern.

"I'm fine. Nothing hurts," the girl answers with a smile.

"Are you sure?" the tech analyst wonders with a brow raised.

"Positive," Dani assures her while nodding.

Penelope stares at the teen, trying to figure out if she was telling the truth or not. Unfortunately for the tech wiz, she is not gifted with profiling skills that can help her determine whether the girl is lying.

Especially when it comes to someone like Daniela, who is an expert in masking her emotions.

"Oh no," Garcia said with a pout while looking up at the rest of the team.

They all raise a brow wondering why Garcia said that.

"Emily has infected Dani with eternal stubbornness."

The team all laugh at Garcia's statement, nodding in agreement. Dani also lets out a chuckle, hoping not to laugh too much. She has to remind herself that she has a fractured rib.

"You're right, P. Emily has infected me with her Prentiss virus," the girl says dramatically.

"Is there a cure or something that can help me fight this illness?"

"Unfortunately there is no cure. Once infected you will forever be cursed to be a headstrong person that is more stubborn than a mule," Penelope continues with their joke.

Daniela looks up at Emily with a smirk on her face.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. You both are really hilarious," the brunette says dryly while rolling her eyes.

"Truth hurts, Em," JJ chimes in the conversation. "I'm pretty sure your stubbornness has rubbed on Dani."

"Oh no. Don't blame me. She was already a very stubborn child before I met her," Emily defends herself.

"But you enhanced it," Dani said while glancing at Emily, her smug face showing.

Emily nudges Dani playfully in response to the teen's words.

"But seriously now. Are you sure you are okay?" Penelope asks once more as she smoothens the girl's hair back.

She can't help but feel worried. After what she saw in the live feed and the visible bruises that the girl has, she can only imagine how much pain the teenager went through.

"I'm okay, Penelope. I don't feel any sort of pain or anything," the girl assures the blonde once more.

She doesn't see Garcia's constant questioning as annoying. She knows that the woman is only asking because she is worried.

"Whatever is inside this medication that they are giving me is making sure that I don't feel a thing other than lightheaded," she continues.

"It's kind of trippy. I feel higher than a kite."

"According to the Federal Aviation Administration, no one may operate a kite more than 150 feet above the surface of the earth," Spencer blurts out, having the urge to add in a fact to the conversation.

"Do you consider 150 feet high?" the girl asks the boy genius.

"150 feet is relatively elevated from the ground. Without the FAA law, it could be higher," Spencer answers.

"I think I'm high enough already," Daniela tells him.

"Any higher and I wouldn't be able to speak to you right now."

The team all smiles at Daniela's remarks. They are glad to see and hear that the girl is okay. It's also good to see that her good humor has been untouched.

During the rest of the team's visit, Dani was busy talking to Penelope, Spencer, Luke, and Rossi.

Penelope was telling the team about her visitation plan. This included movies, food, games, and overall quality time with the tech analyst.

She couldn't wait to hang out with the girl outside the hospital.

She then proceeded to have a small argument with Luke after he said suggested a horror movie to watch. Penelope refuses to see any more horror. She already has enough work.

Daniela finds it amusing how quick Penelope is to disagree with Luke.

It's like almost anything he says she deliberately takes the opposite stance. It's like seeing two children argue.

Rossi told Dani that he would be Dani's personal chef, serving her delicious Italian dinner as much as he can.

The older agent knows that Daniela will need all the help she can get being that she will have to eat Emily's cooking for a while.

He also wanted to try out a few new video games he recently purchased with her.

Dani is very grateful for hearing everything the team was offering her. She is amazed at how they all treat her like they knew her their whole life.

The girl has always seen the strong bond the whole BAU team had. They were more than a team. They were family and now Dani sees that she is a part of that.

After years of having a broken family, Dani wouldn't have ever imagined having the warmth and love of a family again.

Between the death of her brother and being placed in the foster system, the teen had lost all hope of ever landing in a good home.

As the years passed, the illusion of her being happy with a family drifted away.

But now she has one. Dani always questions why she was given a second chance at life. She tries to rationalize it with good karma or just pure luck.

She will most likely never find a true answer for this but one thing is sure. Now she has a family she can rely on. She wouldn't trade them for anything in this world.

Hopefully, it's a permanent thing. Permanent is a word that she doesn't use often when it comes to her life. Maybe she can start believing in that word again soon.

While Dani was talking with them, Emily is with the rest of the team at the other end of the room.

She was drinking a cup of tea that JJ brought her. It definitely helped to calm her nerves down.

"How are you feeling, Emily?" Asks Tara.

"I'm good," she simply replies.

"Do you really think we believe that?" JJ said with a sigh while looking at the brunette.

"Emily, what happened to you and to Dani was something very hard. We just want to know if you are okay."

She knows her friend isn't doing so well. What she went through was very stressful. Something traumatic that even the toughest person can't just shake off.

The blonde just wants Emily to be more open in order to avoid her from shutting down.

Emily looks up at JJ. She sees that the blonde agent is visibly concerned. The brunette knows that she can't lie to her friends or to the rest of her team.

"I...I don't know how I feel right now," Emily shares while looking down at the floor.

"It's a ball of emotions that ai still can't process. All I know... is that I was scared," she admits quietly so that only they can hear.

She has never admitted publicly to being afraid. At least she doesn't think she has. This is the first time she had done so in front of her team. Something about them makes it easier for her to do so.

"It is completely understandable why you feel that way," said Matt.

"Any parent would feel scared if they went through the same thing you did. What is important right now is that it's all over. You and Dani are both safe now."

"That is true. We are safe because of you all and I thank you guys for that," Emily tells them.

"I'm just worried about how this is going to affect her."

"Has she broken down or had any nightmares?" asks Tara.

She knows the effects this type of trauma can cause. Daniela and Emily are not the exceptions to this. After all, they are just human.

"No, not yet," Emily replies.

She turns around and looks at Dani. She was explaining her coffee IV idea to the group, Spencer, and Garcia listening attentively at the girl's crazy invention.

Luke is trying to reason with the three of them, telling them that injecting caffeine isn't a good idea. Mostly due to health concerns. As usual, Penelope shoos him away.

"I'm telling you. The caffeine will directly enter your bloodstream. According to my non-calculated calculations, with the coffee IV we can be unstoppable," Daniela rambles to the group.

"You guys would be able to solve cases faster."

"That doesn't sound very healthy. You wouldn't be able to sleep for days," Luke tries to argue.

"No. No. She's got a point," Reid tells him.

"I would be more productive in the work field." Penelope nods in agreement.

Rossi just looks at them with confusion and worry. Penelope and Reid really need adult supervision from time to time.

Their high intelligence in their field of work may have burnt out their common sense.

Sometimes, the smartest people in the team can also be the most childish.

Emily sees the smile Daniela has. A smile the woman always loves to see. She just hopes to continue seeing the girl's display of happiness.

But deep down she knows that her happiness is now tainted with the events that happened the night before.

She turns her head back at the group and looks at them.

"I'm scared that once all the drugs wear off, Dani will fully take in what happened. She is a person who hides her feelings well, even hiding them away from me. I don't want her to go through hard times with everything she went through alone."

"I can't tell you that won't happen," said Tara.

"But what I can tell you is that as long as you are there for her she will eventually warm up. It will just take time."

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After talking for a while, the team decided it was time to go in order to let both ladies rest. They all assured Emily to take her time in order to take care of herself and the girl.

They will carry on with solving cases just fine, a relief to the woman. They all said their goodbyes and left, leaving Rossi behind talking to the two ladies.

"As I told Dani before, I will pass by every night that I can to give you two an exquisite Dinner," he tells Emily with a smile.

"David, I appreciate your modesty but you don't have to do that," Emily said brushing her fingers across Dani's hair.

She loves David's kind gesture but doesn't want to bother the man. He is already taking charge of the team while Emily takes a few weeks off.

The man is doing more than enough to help her already.

"But I want to," David said, knowing that Emily would tell him this.

"Plus, I will be saving Dani from possible burnt food that was left on the stove for too long."

"He is right about that," Dani said while looking at Emily.

"At least the fire alarm won't go off for a while," she said with a smirk.

Emily rolls her eyes and ruffles the teen's hair.

"Fine, you both win," she said in defeat.

Dani and Rossi both pump their fist as a celebration.

"A wise choice," said Rossi with a wink.

"I will get going now. Rest well, Dani. Try not to give Emily too much trouble," he said with a smile.

"I will try but I make no promises," Dani replies.

"Fair enough," Rossi said with a nod.

He knows that it will do good for both ladies to have time to themselves. That way, things can get cleared out.

He looks up at Emily, getting her attention.

"Can I talk to you outside for a moment?" He asks while gesturing at the door.

Emily looks at him and nods.

"Sure," she replies.

Emily looks at Dani and brushes the teen's cheek gently.

"I will be right at the door. I promise I will be right back," she tells her.

Dani looks up at the agent and nods, understanding that the adults need a one-on-one conversation. Emily presses a soft kiss on the girl's temple and stands up, walking towards Rossi.

They both exit out of the room and the man closes the door.

"I wanted to inform you about Declan's arrest," he begins.

"He has openly admitted everything he did. He will have a psychological evaluation and from there it will be determined if he goes on trial."

Emily listens to Rossi and nods.

"David, this is all my fault. I should have never-"

"Emily. You and I know very well that this isn't your fault," David interrupts her, knowing where this conversation was going.

"You couldn't have known that this was going to happen. If you did know, I'm sure you would have done everything in your power to stop it."

"David, you don't understand. Daniela was taken because of my past. She has nothing to do with the Doyle's and yet she was caught up in the turmoil," Emily explains.

"She had a gun pressed to her head. How can I not say that it wasn't my fault?"

"Because you were not the one with the gun," David replies.

"Don't let guilt drown you in a world of misery and fear. It's hard to bounce back up once you end all the way at the bottom."

He looks at Emily and knows she is listening, so he continues.

"I know Daniela doesn't blame you for what happened. I know her. She probably already told you to not blame yourself by now."

"She did," Emily tells him softly.

"Then, in that case, you shouldn't blame yourself either," he said.

Emily nods, understanding the man but continues to have her lingering doubts.

"Does Dani know about him? About your past?" asks Rossi with his arms crossed.

Emily shakes her head.

"I never told her before. When he had us both in the cellar he told Dani about Doyle. Parts of what happened but she doesn't know the whole truth."

"Are you planning on telling her the whole truth?"

"I have to. After everything that happened, Daniela deserves to know why she was abducted," Emily tells him.

"I just don't know how she might take it."

"I'm sure she will understand once you tell her. She is a smart girl," Rossi said while placing his hand on Emily's shoulder.

"Anything you need, call me. Okay?"

"Okay," Emily repeats.

"And thank you, David. For everything."

"farò di tutto per la mia famiglia."