"Yeah I have a sister. It seems like you are either super tight or drive each other crazy."
Emily puffed out her cheeks as she pulled into her drive, it had been a long day of meetings and paperwork, causing a different type of tiredness. It was nearly 7pm but already darkness had fallen and there was a chill to the October night. Shivering slightly Emily grabbed her bag and walked towards her front door, grateful for the automatic lights in the porch as she reached for her keys.
"Libby?"
Emily's voice was a whisper as she caught sight of a small figure sitting beside the front door. Quickly Emily crouched down and put her hand on the girl's shoulder as the figure brought their gaze up.
"Libby sweetheart, what's going on?"
Emily looked confused, the small figure was her ten year old niece, she hadn't seen her for two years but the Prentiss features were unmistakable.
"Come on let's get you inside, you must be freezing."
Emily managed a small smile as Libby silently stood up and followed Emily into the house. Quickly Emily led Libby through the house, sitting her down on the couch before Emily grabbed a blanket and placed it around her niece. Emily crouched down and looked into Libby's eyes, worried by the vacant look, as she tried to engage her niece once again.
"Libby sweetheart, are you ok?"
Libby stayed quiet and silent as Emily heaved a heavy sigh before she reached and got her cell out of her bag, seeing several missed calls from an unknown number Emily frowned and sat down on the armchair opposite her niece and listened to the voicemail.
"Hello Agent Prentiss, this is Detective Anderson from New York Police. I need to speak to you about your sister, Charlotte Roberts."
Emily's heart began to race as she looked over at her niece again but she staring at the floor and wouldn't look at Emily. Emily rang the number back and walked into the relative privacy of the kitchen.
"Hello Detective Anderson, this is Section Chief Emily Prentiss, I just received your message, is everything ok?"
"Evening Agent Prentiss, apologies for the call, unfortunately I have some bad news for you."
Emily felt her stomach churn, she wasn't close to her sister but this wasn't going to be good news.
"We found the bodies of your sister and brother-in-law in their apartment about an hour ago, we were alerted by the neighbours of a disturbance. We are currently looking for your niece and we are about to issue an Amber Alert."
Emily took a breath and closed her eyes as she spoke.
"Libby is here with me."
"Ok thank you for that, at least we know she is safe."
"Can I ask what happened?"
"We don't know exactly what happened yet Agent Prentiss but I will arrange a meeting with you and Elizabeth tomorrow."
"Thank you detective."
Emily finished the call and went back through and sat down next to Libby, she went to put her arm around her niece but Libby flinched at the contact, reluctantly Emily pulled her arm away and spoke quietly.
"Libby, how did you get here? Are you ok?"
There was still no answer as Libby pulled the blanket tighter around her and laid her head on the arm of the couch. Emily was confused and worried, she grabbed her cell once again, walking back through to the kitchen.
"Emily, so you changed your mind! JJ and I will order you a drink!"
"Hey Pen, yeah about that, sorry I need a favour."
Garcia quickly picked up on the tone in Emily's voice.
"Is everything ok Emily?"
"I...errghh...I need your help please. Can you bring your laptop to ny house?"
"Of course Emily, what's wrong?"
"I'll explain when you get here I promise Penelope."
Emily made two large mugs of hot chocolate after she had finished the call, knowing it wouldn't be long until Garcia arrived but she was still worried about Libby and thought at least a warm comforting drink might help.
"Hey Libs, here try and drink this sweetie."
Emily smiled as she put the large mug on the table in front of Libby and was pleased to see that Libby brought her gaze up to Emily's.
"Hi sweetheart, would you like another blanket?"
Emily didn't attempt to touch her niece but the fact that she could now look at her and even managed a small nod of the head was a good start.
"Ok that's good, I'll try and find one without too much cat hair on it."
Emily smiled and spoke gently as she stood up and grabbed another blanket, draping it over Libby before Emily sat down on the floor in front of her niece and drank her hot chocolate. It didn't take long until the sound of Emily's doorbell caught Libby's attention and Emily quickly saw the sense of panic in the young girl's eyes.
"It's ok Libby, you're safe here. It is just my friend Penelope."
Emily spoke quietly as she tried to reassure her niece before she stood up and went to the door.
"Hi Pen, thanks for coming, JJ?"
Emily looked quizzically at JJ as the two women quickly entered and closed the door behind them.
"Well Pen has had a couple of drinks and someone sensible needed to drive her over. Is everything ok Emily?"
Emily just shook her head as she gestured for her friends to follow her, Emily stopped briefly as she looked over at Libby who was now holding the mug of hot chocolate.
"Libby these are my friends, Penelope and Jennifer. We're just going through to the kitchen ok?"
Libby gently nodded her head as Emily smiled softly, waiting until they were sat in the kitchen before she spoke again.
"That's my niece, Libby, she was sitting on my porch when I got home this evening."
JJ frowned at Emily, she knew Emily had a sister and a niece but also that they weren't a close family.
"Alone, she's only about nine isn't she?"
"10, yeah, she hasn't said a word since I found her."
"Her mom?"
Garcia looked concerned as Emily dropped her head and took a deep breath.
"I had a call from a detective in New York just before I called you Pen. They found the bodies of my sister and brother-in-law in their apartment early this evening."
Emily swallowed hard as she heard a gasp of shock from Garcia before she then felt Garcia's arms around her.
"Emily?"
"I don't know Jen, I have no idea, all I know is that I have a frightened little girl in there who I need to protect."
JJ nodded her head as Garcia brought her laptop out and started typing before she shared the screen with JJ and Emily.
"They are treating it as murder Emily!"
"How about I ask Dave and Tara to go up and find out what happened?"
JJ reached across and put a supportive arm around Emily as the brunette nodded her head.
"Thanks JJ that would be great. Garcia can you see if you can find out how Libby got to mine?"
"Of course sweetie, leave it with me."
Emily smiled in appreciation at how quickly her friends moved to help her, slowly she got up and walked through to check on Libby.
Libby blinked her eyes, she could hear voices in the other room but she couldn't hear what was being said, but then she saw Emily's face in the doorway smiling softly at her and she managed a small smile back.
"Hey Libby how are you sweetheart?"
Emily slowly walked over and sat on the floor, looking up at Libby.
"Aunt Emily."
Libby managed to get the words out as she felt the tears drip down her face.
"It's ok Libs, I'm here with you. Are you hurt anywhere?"
Libby slowly nodded her head as she lifted her right arm out from under the blankets and rested it on the arm of the couch. Emily frowned as she bent and looked closer.
"That looks sore Libs, are you hurt anywhere else?"
Libby closed her eyes briefly as the tears started to flow and run down her cheeks.
"It hurts when I pee Emily."
Emily sighed as she moved to sit next to Libby and wrapped her arms around her niece, relieved that finally she could offer Libby some comfort but also deeply concerned as to what had happened to her young niece.
"It's ok Libby, I am here, you are safe with me."
Emily was gentle as she held onto Libby, not knowing the extent of her injuries, she looked up and saw JJ and Garcia edging slowly towards her, Libby's quiet sobs were audible as Emily looked worriedly at her friends.
"I need to take Libby to the hospital, it looks like she has a broken wrist."
Emily's voice was a whisper as JJ nodded her head and put her hand on Emily's knee.
"I'll drop you off, Garcia and I are heading into the office to meet with Luke and Tyler, Tara and Dave are on their way to New York."
Emily nodded her head as she slowly helped Libby up, grabbing her own bag as the four of them quickly left the house.
