Chapter 36
Washington, DC
Whole Foods Market
"Do we need to buy spinach? I don't eat it and you barely take it out of the fridge," Dani comments as she watches Emily pick out a package of green leaves.
"Yes, we do. Spencer gave me a crash course on the importance of having a healthy diet. That includes this very appetizing-looking spinach," Emily explains as she places the item in the cart.
"I don't know if I should be surprised at the fact that you paid attention to Spencer's endless ramble of knowledge or that you called spinach appetizing," the girl comments.
"To be honest, I didn't have much of a choice. I was stuck in traffic with him and he did what he does best. Enlighten me with his knowledge," Emily admits as they continue to grab items from the store.
Grocery shopping wasn't what she had in mind to start the weekend but the woman didn't have much of a choice once she noticed that the fridge was low on food when she was making breakfast.
Before Daniela moved in with her, Emily wouldn't worry so much about her having a food shortage at home.
After all, it was just herself that she had to feed. The woman would tend to simply order something or make a meal with what she had.
Now, the woman tends to have her kitchen with a wide variety of food options for the teenager to choose from.
She remembers when she took classes to get her foster license and how it was emphasized that many foster children have food anxiety and that it was important to take certain measures to not cause any additional stress to the child.
Food anxiety typically comes from food insecurity which the child went through.
This could derive from limited access, neglect, or abuse. By keeping a good stock of food, it gives the child reassurance that they are in a safe environment.
The agent knows to a certain extent about Daniela's past. She knows her history that is recorded by the system. Her files have all records of when she was placed in the system.
She can recall reports that described her mother's drug abuse and the conditions that they were living in. She has also read reports of her years living in different placements.
Emily knows well that Daniela grew up with a parent who was struggling with drug abuse. According to the reports, Sophia Hernandez took various substances that led to her being unfit to take care of Daniela.
Dani has also shared with the agent parts of her past. From where she grew up to anecdotes about her life in the system.
The girl was comfortable sharing parts of her life with the woman, particularly her happiest memories. Emily feels more than honored to hear them.
But she knows there is a lot that she doesn't know about her past, particularly the hardships that the girl went through throughout her life.
Daniela hasn't told Emily much about her growing up with her mom who was using substances.
Her mother is a touchy subject altogether. She has never gone into detail about how she handled living with her struggling mother.
Emily can only assume that it wasn't easy. After all, a person struggling with addiction cannot take care of themselves. It would have been even harder to take care of any child.
It is most likely that the girl was neglected, at least to a certain extent. The agent has seen cases in which children hardly have something substantial to eat since their parents were always high.
It pains her to think of Daniela ever being in that situation.
Emily does not judge Daniela's mother for her addiction. The agent knows well that addiction is a very serious illness that affects a person's ability to overcome such things.
Emily has had friends of her own who suffered from the same thing.
Add the fact that Daniela has nothing but love for her mother. Each time the girl would speak of her mother, she would always speak highly of the woman.
Sofia Hernandez will always be loved by her daughter, regardless of what she has done. Emily could never hate a person for whom Daniela has so much love.
While Emily was in her train of thought, Daniela wandered off to the dairy section of the store to retrieve the items left off on the grocery list.
Though it is the weekend, the store isn't busy with clients. Just a decent amount of shoppers around the store but nothing overwhelming.
The girl arrives at the dairy section and searches for the milk. Once she finds the milk section, she stops and looks at the prices for the product.
"Damn. Almost 10 bucks for a gallon of milk? Really?" she says in disbelief as she reaches for the item.
Though she has been living with Emily for two years, the teenager is still not used to certain aspects of the women's lifestyle. Particularly adjusting to the agent's financial status.
Emily Prentiss is a woman who lives a financially affluent lifestyle. Even from birth, Emily has grown accustomed to a high style of living. After all, her parents are well-known politicians.
From growing up with nannies and housekeepers, traveling around the world, and studying in the best private schools, Emily has always been surrounded by wealth.
Her living in a higher social status does not take away credit from her achievements. Emily Prentiss has built a name for herself without using her family name as leverage. Her hard work and determination brought her to where she is today.
But Emily's affluent lifestyle is far from what Daniela is used to. The teenager grew up in a working-class neighborhood that offered limited opportunities.
Her mother worked two minimum-wage jobs to get by. They had enough for their basic needs, such as food, rent, and clothing but that was it.
There was no extra money for trips or anything of that sort. Trips and desired items were a luxury that her family couldn't afford.
Even when moving out of her mother's home, her financial status didn't change when placed in temporary care. Most of her foster homes relied on what the government gave them to meet her basic needs.
That is if the family decides to use the money for her. She can recall a few of her placements where they would use most of the funds to their benefit only, leaving her with crumbs.
Daniela is used to buying at local groceries which had low price items to choose from. Cost-effective items that would last in the long run.
The Dollar Store was practically her go-to store in which she knew she had enough money to buy what she needed.
It was about more than which options were the healthiest to buy or which items were of the best quality. For Dani, it was just which ones she could buy to survive.
That is why she feels weird when she goes shopping with Emily. Each time they go buy groceries, clothes, or even eat at a restaurant. Seeing how much things cost makes her feel uneasy.
It makes her feel almost... guilty.
"Here you are. Did you get what we need?" Emily asks as she pushes the cart towards the girl.
"I got the milk," Dani responds as she places the gallon in the cart.
"I think we got all we need for the week. Are you ready to go?"
"Yep. Seeing all of this food is making me hungry," Daniela comments as they make their way to the front of the store.
"How about we pass by somewhere and get brunch?" the woman offers.
"I admire your will to not cook despite us having all this food in front of us," the teen comments as Emily lightly shoves her in response.
"But I accept it because I am a person who does not judge and well... because I'm starving."
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Washington, DC
Pennsylvania Ave.
Both ladies are cruising down the busy streets of central DC. Emily is behind the wheel, paying attention to the road in front of her while Daniela is in the passenger seat, watching how the buildings pass by.
They are currently passing through Pennsylvania Ave, which is mostly filled with federal buildings and high-end restaurants. The buildings give the area a classy vibe, with its older architecture being well-maintained.
Daniela has her window down to feel that nice fall breeze. Her hair flows to the rhythm of the wind while she watches the fall leaves fly by.
Emily continued to drive down the road, noticing that traffic was getting slower as she continued. She wasn't sure why there was heavier traffic than usual. Traffic tends to be lighter on the weekends.
"Do you hear that?" Daniela asks as she props her head outside the window.
"Hear what?" The woman asks.
"It sounds like... music. Loud music out somewhere," Dani tells her as she looks around.
"Maybe it's coming from a car or something," Emily guesses.
She continues to drive when she notices that traffic is being redirected to another route. She first assumes there was an accident but then she also hears music playing.
"It's a festival of some sort!" Daniela exclaims as she looks out the window once more.
She can see tents set up all over the block as well as dozens of people surrounding the area. She also sees a few people out with their grills, the smell of light smoke making its way to the car.
"And they have good ass music too," she adds.
"Oh, it's probably the Fiesta DC festival that is going on today. I almost forgot about it," Emily says as she glances at the event.
"The what now?"
"Fiesta DC. It's a festival that the city does to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. It usually lasts for the whole weekend," the agent explains.
"Huh. I think I've heard about it before but I've never seen it in person," the girl comments.
"Do you want to stop by and see what they have? I've heard that they sell some good food there?" she offers.
"Really?" the girl asks, unable to hide her excitement.
"Sure. Let me just go find parking and we can make our way over there," Emily says with a smile.
Once they find parking, both ladies make their way to the Fiesta DC festival. A lively festival that commemorates the Latino cultural heritage in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.
As they arrive, Daniela is mesmerized by the colorful atmosphere. The street festival is filled with live music, food stands, and informative booths.
The girl sees that there is an extensive amount of Latino countries represented all over the festival. From a food stand selling typical food from El Salvador to a stand selling jerseys from South American countries.
"Oh wow, this place is awesome," Dani beams as she looks around the area.
"This festival happens every year. From the looks of it, they have a lot of vendors from all over," Emily says, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder.
"So, what do you want to eat?" the agent asks as they continue to walk past vendors.
"You are asking me to make the hardest decision right now. All I see and smell is delicious food," Daniela responds.
"You are asking me to choose between empanadas, arepas, carne asada, and pupusas. That is just a small list of what they have here."
"Let's just see all the options and settle with what convinces you the most," the woman tells the girl.
They look around the numerous food stands, seeing a wide variety of food options available. The smell of food being cooked or grilled hovering over the area makes the stands even more appealing.
Daniela is right, there are just so many options to choose from. All of the stands are offering appetizing meals.
"Oh my gosh, it's street tacos!" Dani exclaims as she rushes to the stand.
Emily picks up her pace as she tries her best to catch up to the girl. This is the first time she has seen the teenager so excited about food.
"Look at it. It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen," the teen expresses as she looks at the stand with awe.
The stand is larger compared to the rest. There is a large flat-top grill in which tortillas are being flipped while the meat is being cooked on another grill.
There is also a section of homemade drinks as well as condiments to add to the main dish. Cooks are busy making orders while their customers wait in line.
A masterpiece to the girl's eyes.
"They have the best they can offer. Tacos al pastor, carnitas, carne asada, and even shrimp tacos. It's perfect."
They get in line to get ready to order. Daniela is waiting eagerly as she looks at her options. She decided to settle with grilled steak tacos while Emily was interested in trying out the shrimp tacos.
They order their drinks and pay, making their way to the picnic tables that are set up on the side of the event.
"This smells so good," Daniela says as she adds red salsa to her tacos.
"You sure you want to add that much salsa? You haven't even tried it to see how spicy it is."
"C'mon now, Em. I'm Mexican. Salsa practically runs through my veins. Both the sauce and the songs," Dani responds as she takes a bite.
She tastes the food and immediately loves all the flavors she is tasting. However, she should have listened to Emily as she also felt a sting of spice from the sauce.
"Okay, it has a little kick to it," she admits as she clears her throat.
"A little?" Emily asks with a chuckle as she sees the girl chug down her drink.
"Yep, just a little but it's so worth it."
"I don't think I've ever seen you so excited about food. You were very hyper when ordering. I'm surprised the cook understood you," Emily comments as she takes a bite of her food.
"You don't understand my love for this food. I love street tacos," Dani states.
"I have to admit, this is very delicious. This is probably one of the best tacos I have ever tried. Better than the ones in London. Those hardly had any flavor," the woman shares.
"That is because these are truly authentic. No five-star restaurant can ever create something as good and authentic as this."
They continue eating as they catch up with what they were up to during the time in which they were separated. Emily shares small anecdotes about her travels while Dani shares what she did at school.
Except with her altercation with Max. The agent doesn't need to know about that.
Once both of them were finished eating, they decided to further explore the festival. Daniela is eager to see everything.
They passed by stands, most of them consisted of people selling cultural items and artifacts while other stands had information about a certain region.
Daniela was especially looking forward to seeing the live concert going on at the end of the strip. She could hear the instruments playing as a crowd gathered around to see.
As they approach the crowd, they see two familiar people standing beside the crowd.
"Penelope? Spencer?" Emily questions as she gets a good look at them.
Both of the agents turn around to see their boss approaching them, pleasantly surprised to see her there.
"Oh my! If it isn't our fine boss lady!" Penelope exclaims as she approaches the brunette for a hug.
"And my munchkin! Hello to you too!" She squealed as she engulfed the teen in a hug.
"Hey, P. Hey, doc," Dani says as she receives the blonde's embrace.
"We didn't know you guys would be here," Penelope tells them both.
"This was a last-minute thing. We were on our way back from grocery shopping when this caught Dani's attention," Emily explains.
"I call it my Latina spidey senses. The music was an indicator that something interesting was going on," the girl puts forth.
"And your senses were right! This place is amazing," Penelope says with a smile.
"We came here because we heard that the food was great," she adds.
"They weren't wrong. I'm glad Alvez invited us to tag along with him," Spencer shares with the group.
"You guys came with Luke? Where is he?" Dani asks as she looks around.
"Oh, he went to go buy drinks. Apparently, they sell a one-of-a-kind margarita that he insists I have to try," the blonde explains.
"It's a must, Penelope. I can assure you that you've never tasted anything like this," Luke says as he approaches the group, with drinks in each hand.
"Oh, hey! I didn't know you two were here," he says with a smile as he hands Penelope her drink.
"Prentiss, you should try this drink. This will help you loosen up and enjoy the vibe," Luke tells his boss, offering his drink.
"Thanks for the offer Alvez but I'll have to pass. I am on driving duty today," Emily politely declines.
"I could drive us," the teen speaks up.
"You've never even been behind the wheel. There is no way I'm letting you drive when I'm wasted," Emily said as she ruffled the girl's hair.
The group decides to take a seat and make their way to a group of chairs that are set up nearby.
"Have you tried out the food yet, doc?" Daniela asks the curly-haired man.
"We did eat at a nearby stand. I believe it was Peruvian chicken. It was delicious but I wish they had dessert options," Spencer replies.
"What kind of desserts do you like?"
"I like a good variety of sweets but the one thing I never get tired of is jello."
"I don't think I saw any stands that had jello but I did see one that was offering flan," Daniela says.
"Flan? What is that?" The genius inquired.
"Flan is a vanilla custard topped with a yummy caramel sauce. It's my favorite dessert," Dani explains.
"You have to try it. If you like sweet desserts, you will love them."
The two of them continue to talk as the rest of the group follows behind them. For the BAU members, it felt nice to simply hang out as friends without the stress of work.
They arrive and take a seat around a table. The festival was attracting more people as the day went on. Families, friend groups, and even tourists are currently enjoying the event.
They watch as a local band plays on the main stage. Daniela was completely entranced as the music played with small drums, trumpets, and even bongos.
The band played a few more songs until they finished their presentation, moving up to the next phase of the program.
As the stage is getting settled for the next part of the program, Daniela and Spencer use that time to go and buy the dessert the girl recommended earlier.
"Oh wow! This is pretty good," the genius says as he takes another spoonful of flan.
"I told you. Flan is a top-tier dessert," the girl replies as they make their way back to the group.
"Todo está listo para nuestra siguiente fase del programa. Agarren a su pareja de baile y disfruten de la siguiente hora de bachata y salsa!"
The presenter announces to gather the crowd's attention.
"Oh. Y'all heard that? This place is about to turn onto a dance floor with some fire music," Luke comments as he finishes his drink.
"I do love some good salsa music," Penelope says with excitement.
"What do you know about salsa?" Alvez says teasingly with a grin.
"Excuse you? The last name Garcia isn't completely in vain. I may not understand the language very well but I do know what good music is," Penelope defends herself as the rest of the group smile in amusement.
"And I'll have you know that I am an amazing salsa dancer," she adds.
"Well I could take your word for it but there is only one way we can find out for sure that your claim is true," the man explains as he points out to the dance floor.
"I would prove it but unfortunately for you, I don't think you have what it takes to handle all my groove," the blonde remarks while flipping her hair.
"Oooh!" The rest of the group hollers in unison.
"Now you're doubting me?" Luke asks while pretending to be offended.
"You're the one who has to prove himself, newbie. I only dance with those I deem worthy," the blonde gloats.
"You've officially been challenged by the one and only Penelope Garcia," Emily points out.
"And I will gladly accept the challenge."
As if on cue, the intro of the first song of the program starts to play, signaling the crowd to make their way to the front of the stage.
Quiero contarle mi hermano un pedacito de la historia negra*
De la historia nuestra, caballero y dice así*
"It's Rebelión!" Daniela and Luke exclaim in unison.
"That is my type of music," the girl adds as she nods her head to the rhythm of the music.
"Would you please do the honors of dancing this song with me? I must overcome the challenge Garcia gave me," Luke asks as he stands up.
"No need to ask me twice. This song will always have me dancing," Dani jumps up.
"You're gonna have to seal your end of the deal, Garcia," Alvez calls out as they make their way to the front.
"We'll see about that!" The tech girl exclaims.
En los años mil seiscientos*
Cuando el tirano mandó*
The group watches as Daniela and Luke start to dance, blending in with the rest of the crowd.
The music pours through the air as the crowd sways to the rhythm of the song. The upbeat song adds radiating energy to the dance floor.
"It looks like Alvez is sealing his end of the deal. You will have to do your end soon," Emily puts forth with a smug.
"It's not fair. He has the advantage of having a good dancing partner," Penelope responds.
"Just look at her. She is a complete natural."
Emily nods in agreement as she looks at where the teenager is dancing.
Now that the woman thinks about it, this is the first time she sees Daniela dancing. The way she moves effortlessly to the rhythm of the music makes it look like this isn't her first time doing so.
The teenager spun and twirled without missing a beat. The woman watched with awe as Dani moved with grace and confidence as she danced with Luke, both of them in sync as if they had been practicing prior.
The one thing that stood out to the agent was the genuine smile on Daniela's face. There was no hint of any negative emotion coming from her. The teenager seemed to be carefree and in high spirits.
Emily will never get tired of seeing her smile. It means Daniela is happy. An emotion she always deserves to feel.
As the music dies down, so do their moves. Daniela and Luke made their way back to the group, both of them laughing about something as they both conversed.
Despite just coming back from dancing, the two still beamed with energy.
"So, what did you think about my awesome groove?" Luke teases Penelope as he walks next to her.
"It was... decent," Penelope comments as she adjusts her glasses.
"You had Dani as leverage. She was the one carrying the dance."
"See, that is what I said too," Dani says with a chuckle.
"Okay, okay. Maybe I had a little help but you guys have to admit that I wasn't a bad dancer. Plus, we made a deal," he put forth as he extended his hand to the blonde.
Penelope looks at him and contemplates for a few moments before slowly taking his hand, and standing up from her chair.
"I am only doing this to salvage my reputation. Penelope Garcia never breaks her promises and never will," she asserts as the next song starts to play.
"C'mon now. Less yapping and more dancing," Luke urges.
"You dare drop me and it's all over for you, newbie."
Daniela smiles as she hears the witty banter between the agents while taking a drink of water. Dancing made her thirsty but it didn't lower her energy to continue dancing.
Why would she want to stop dancing? After all, they were playing the intro of one of her favorite songs.
"Alright, agent. It would be a crime for me to stay seated while an Oscar D'León song is playing. Let's go," she tells Emily while pointing to the crowd of dancers.
"What? Me?" Emily asks with genuine confusion. Daniela's proposal caught her completely off guard.
"I'm not sure. I'm not the best dancer and you surely are more skilled than me."
"All I hear is excuses. No need for you to be an expert dancer if we are just dancing for fun. Plus, I have a good feeling that Emily Prentiss does know how to move," the teen puts forth.
"Your intuition isn't off. I recall Garcia telling me that Emily has taken a few salsa dance lessons before," Spencer speaks up, Emily giving him a quick glare.
"That is all the information I need. Vámonos, agent Prentiss!"
Emily simply gives in with a chuckle, following the teenager, walking towards the crowd.
Sé que tú no quieres que yo a ti te quiera*
Siempre tú me esquivas de alguna manera*
As the DJ pumped the beat, Emily quickly lost her initial nervousness. Her body loosened up as she got in sync with the rest of the crowd.
Llorarás y llorarás*
Sin alguien que te consuele*
Así te darás tú cuenta que si te engañan, duele*
As the pair danced, both ladies were in rhythm. Each step they took, each twirl was in harmony with the music. Daniela guided them along.
Llorarás, llorarás, llorarás*
Como lo sufrí yo*
Oye, tú llorarás*
Y nadie te comprenderá*
The music was electrifying and the energy of the crowd was contagious. Everyone danced blissfully to the tune of the song.
Though Penelope tried her best to look unbothered, she couldn't resist the smile from forming on her face as she danced. Luke quickly noticed.
On the other hand, Daniela and Emily were smiling from ear to ear as they moved along. Laughing as they spin around the dance floor, Emily forgets the crowd around her and focuses on how much fun she is having with her daughter.
Moments like these are very special to her. She does not need to worry If Daniela is hurting inside as she can see nothing but genuine happiness glistening in her eyes.
None of them need to put on a facade as there is nothing they need to hide. They are both in good spirits enjoying each other's company.
There is no other way Emily would want to spend her weekend other than to enjoy it with her daughter.
Daniela feels the same way.