Identity
Title: Identity
Author: digitaldesigner
Beta: hazel_eyes_86
Word Count: 1210
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Lauren
Pairing: None.
Summary: Emily missed her friends.
Disclaimer: If you recognize them, they belong to Jeff Davis. Otherwise, they're mine.
Author's Note: Written for crimeland's big bang.
She missed them. She missed them so much it hurt deep inside. She thought she knew how hard this was going to be, but the truth is she didn't have a clue. She had no idea how difficult it would be not to be able to pick up the phone or send an email. And God she missed the girls' nights with JJ and Garcia.
She's made a few casual friends in her new life, but it's not the same; they're not her family. They don't know her background; they only know the fake one she's forced to use now. They don't even know her real name. She goes by Elizabeth Baker now, but she still thinks of herself as Emily.
She sighed. She just wanted to go home to the people who loved her.
A knock sounded at her door, disrupting her thoughts. It was probably her friend Alison. She said she might drop by this afternoon. When she opened the door, she was greeted not by her case worker, but by the very people she wanted to see most in the world. There on her doorstep stood JJ, Garcia, Morgan, Reid, Rossi and Hotch. She stared at them in a combination of disbelief, surprise and overwhelming joy. And then she burst into tears.
JJ stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her. "Hey, don't cry. It's going to be okay," she soothed, rubbing her back gently.
When she'd pulled herself together, she stepped back and invited them all inside. Once there, she was on the receiving end of some very emotional hugs from everyone.
She told them to have a seat and then went in search of drinks. In the kitchen, tears overwhelmed her again, but she quickly dried her tears and rejoined her friends.
"I'm sure you're a little surprised to see us," Hotch said as she handed out drinks.
She nodded. "Considering the fact that I'm supposed to be dead, yeah, that'd be a fair assumption. What's going on?"
"Pack your bags, Emily," Morgan said with a smile. "The FBI wants you back."
"What?"
"It's over. It's time to come home," Hotch told her with a rare smile.
With those words, she broke into tears for the third time in an hour. Garcia stood up and came to sit beside her. She pulled her close, not saying anything for a moment. "We missed you. We miss our girls' nights."
"I missed you guys, too. I wanted so badly to pick up the phone or send an email, but I knew I couldn't. Not without endangering your lives. I may have been willing to risk my own life, but I wouldn't risk yours."
Rossi picked up a framed photo of them, taken on her birthday last year. In it, she was wearing a ridiculous birthday hat and smiling widely, surrounded by her friends. It had been one of the best birthdays she could remember having. "At least you had pictures."
"Yes, but pictures can't talk back. Pictures can't ask what's wrong when you've had a bad day or take you out on your birthday. Pictures can't have girl's nights or have debates on whether Star Wars or Star Trek is better. And pictures definitely can't give you a hug when you need it most."
There were nods all around at the truth in her words. "So when do I get to come home?"
Reid smiled. "Today. We're here to bring you home."
At his words, Emily smiled the biggest smile any of them had ever seen. Seeing it brought a smile to their own faces.
***
After Emily had packed a few bags of essential items and some clothes, they headed for the plane. The FBI would take care of the rest of her things. As she sat down on the familiar leather seats, she smiled. She'd even missed the plane. As it took off, she sat lost in thought. She had no idea where she was even going to stay once they got home, but she was just glad to be going back to where she belonged. "You're staying with me until you find a place of your own," JJ told her, as if reading her thoughts. "It's already been decided so don't even try to argue."
"But JJ, you have a family."
"Yes, and I already talked to Will about it. And we have a guest room that hasn't seen a guest in a very long time. We'd love to have you."
"I don't know what to say. Thank you."
JJ just smiled at her friend, thankful she was back in their lives. She'd cried when Hotch had told the team Emily was coming home. They'd been a little upset at first that they hadn't been told about the situation, but in the end the only thing that had mattered was that Emily was alive.
***
Reid, Morgan, Garcia, JJ and Emily were playing cards. Gin to be exact. By some stroke of bad luck, Reid had lost every game so far, amusing them all. "Poor Reid," Emily laughed.
"Now you're just mocking me," Reid told her.
"Would I do that?"
"Yes!" they all exclaimed in unison, laughing at the look on her face.
"Yeah, okay. I would," she admitted with a smile.
Meanwhile, Hotch and Rossi were talking quietly a few feet away. "She looks happy, doesn't she?" Rossi asked with a small smile.
"She does. I can't imagine having to leave everything you know behind, to leave the people you love, the people you trust."
Rossi studied the young woman in question. "But she made it. And now she's back where she belongs."
Hotch nodded. "I swear to God if the FBI ever tries to break this team up again, I'm going to tell them to go to hell."
Rossi laughed. "Well-said, my friend, well-said."
Hotch grinned as he stood up. "I have something I need to do. I'll be right back."
Rossi watched as Hotch walked over to the card game still in progress. He reached inside his jacket pocket and handed something to Emily. "I forgot to give this back to you earlier."
Her breath caught in her throat when she saw what he'd given her. It was her badge and FBI credentials. She opened it and gently stroked the medal, an American eagle and shield with the words Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice written across it. She'd missed the people surrounding her, but she'd also missed the job. In her other life, she'd been a childcare worker. She'd loved the kids, but it wasn't her. This was who she was. Her fingers traveled to her name. Emily Prentiss. Not Elizabeth. Emily. She looked up at Hotch. "Thank you," she whispered, unable to say much more than that.
He nodded and returned to Rossi. "It must be like finally remembering who you are after experiencing amnesia," Rossi commented thoughtfully, watching as the card game resumed.
"Only this had to be worse because she knew who she was. She just wasn't allowed to be that person anymore. Until now."
Rossi smiled. "Until now."
***
As Emily walked into the bullpen of the FBI late that night with the rest of the team, she had just one thought. She was home.
Author: digitaldesigner
Beta: hazel_eyes_86
Word Count: 1210
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Lauren
Pairing: None.
Summary: Emily missed her friends.
Disclaimer: If you recognize them, they belong to Jeff Davis. Otherwise, they're mine.
Author's Note: Written for crimeland's big bang.
She missed them. She missed them so much it hurt deep inside. She thought she knew how hard this was going to be, but the truth is she didn't have a clue. She had no idea how difficult it would be not to be able to pick up the phone or send an email. And God she missed the girls' nights with JJ and Garcia.
She's made a few casual friends in her new life, but it's not the same; they're not her family. They don't know her background; they only know the fake one she's forced to use now. They don't even know her real name. She goes by Elizabeth Baker now, but she still thinks of herself as Emily.
She sighed. She just wanted to go home to the people who loved her.
A knock sounded at her door, disrupting her thoughts. It was probably her friend Alison. She said she might drop by this afternoon. When she opened the door, she was greeted not by her case worker, but by the very people she wanted to see most in the world. There on her doorstep stood JJ, Garcia, Morgan, Reid, Rossi and Hotch. She stared at them in a combination of disbelief, surprise and overwhelming joy. And then she burst into tears.
JJ stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her. "Hey, don't cry. It's going to be okay," she soothed, rubbing her back gently.
When she'd pulled herself together, she stepped back and invited them all inside. Once there, she was on the receiving end of some very emotional hugs from everyone.
She told them to have a seat and then went in search of drinks. In the kitchen, tears overwhelmed her again, but she quickly dried her tears and rejoined her friends.
"I'm sure you're a little surprised to see us," Hotch said as she handed out drinks.
She nodded. "Considering the fact that I'm supposed to be dead, yeah, that'd be a fair assumption. What's going on?"
"Pack your bags, Emily," Morgan said with a smile. "The FBI wants you back."
"What?"
"It's over. It's time to come home," Hotch told her with a rare smile.
With those words, she broke into tears for the third time in an hour. Garcia stood up and came to sit beside her. She pulled her close, not saying anything for a moment. "We missed you. We miss our girls' nights."
"I missed you guys, too. I wanted so badly to pick up the phone or send an email, but I knew I couldn't. Not without endangering your lives. I may have been willing to risk my own life, but I wouldn't risk yours."
Rossi picked up a framed photo of them, taken on her birthday last year. In it, she was wearing a ridiculous birthday hat and smiling widely, surrounded by her friends. It had been one of the best birthdays she could remember having. "At least you had pictures."
"Yes, but pictures can't talk back. Pictures can't ask what's wrong when you've had a bad day or take you out on your birthday. Pictures can't have girl's nights or have debates on whether Star Wars or Star Trek is better. And pictures definitely can't give you a hug when you need it most."
There were nods all around at the truth in her words. "So when do I get to come home?"
Reid smiled. "Today. We're here to bring you home."
At his words, Emily smiled the biggest smile any of them had ever seen. Seeing it brought a smile to their own faces.
***
After Emily had packed a few bags of essential items and some clothes, they headed for the plane. The FBI would take care of the rest of her things. As she sat down on the familiar leather seats, she smiled. She'd even missed the plane. As it took off, she sat lost in thought. She had no idea where she was even going to stay once they got home, but she was just glad to be going back to where she belonged. "You're staying with me until you find a place of your own," JJ told her, as if reading her thoughts. "It's already been decided so don't even try to argue."
"But JJ, you have a family."
"Yes, and I already talked to Will about it. And we have a guest room that hasn't seen a guest in a very long time. We'd love to have you."
"I don't know what to say. Thank you."
JJ just smiled at her friend, thankful she was back in their lives. She'd cried when Hotch had told the team Emily was coming home. They'd been a little upset at first that they hadn't been told about the situation, but in the end the only thing that had mattered was that Emily was alive.
***
Reid, Morgan, Garcia, JJ and Emily were playing cards. Gin to be exact. By some stroke of bad luck, Reid had lost every game so far, amusing them all. "Poor Reid," Emily laughed.
"Now you're just mocking me," Reid told her.
"Would I do that?"
"Yes!" they all exclaimed in unison, laughing at the look on her face.
"Yeah, okay. I would," she admitted with a smile.
Meanwhile, Hotch and Rossi were talking quietly a few feet away. "She looks happy, doesn't she?" Rossi asked with a small smile.
"She does. I can't imagine having to leave everything you know behind, to leave the people you love, the people you trust."
Rossi studied the young woman in question. "But she made it. And now she's back where she belongs."
Hotch nodded. "I swear to God if the FBI ever tries to break this team up again, I'm going to tell them to go to hell."
Rossi laughed. "Well-said, my friend, well-said."
Hotch grinned as he stood up. "I have something I need to do. I'll be right back."
Rossi watched as Hotch walked over to the card game still in progress. He reached inside his jacket pocket and handed something to Emily. "I forgot to give this back to you earlier."
Her breath caught in her throat when she saw what he'd given her. It was her badge and FBI credentials. She opened it and gently stroked the medal, an American eagle and shield with the words Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice written across it. She'd missed the people surrounding her, but she'd also missed the job. In her other life, she'd been a childcare worker. She'd loved the kids, but it wasn't her. This was who she was. Her fingers traveled to her name. Emily Prentiss. Not Elizabeth. Emily. She looked up at Hotch. "Thank you," she whispered, unable to say much more than that.
He nodded and returned to Rossi. "It must be like finally remembering who you are after experiencing amnesia," Rossi commented thoughtfully, watching as the card game resumed.
"Only this had to be worse because she knew who she was. She just wasn't allowed to be that person anymore. Until now."
Rossi smiled. "Until now."
***
As Emily walked into the bullpen of the FBI late that night with the rest of the team, she had just one thought. She was home.