Healing Together ( Criminal Minds fanfic)

Getting to Know You (Pt.2)

Chapter 30

2 years ago
April 2015
Greenbelt, MD

Damn it.

Damn it.

Damn it.

These are the only two words that Emily has been repeating in her mind as she storms off to her car.

She came back from a case in Georgia just last night. She thought that it was a good idea to visit Daniela in her current foster home to check up on her.

She had promised the girl that she would look out for her to see how she was doing the last time she saw her.

That's been a little over two weeks ago. During that time, Emily has been in contact with both Daniela's caseworker and the contact she has in D.C. Family Services.

She has been exploring her viable options when it comes to taking in the girl. Her chances are good but it could be better.

There are two main hoops she has to jump for Daniela to be placed with her.

One is approval from a Maryland judge to transfer the girl to another district.

Emily would have to prove that she is more than competent in taking care of the girl. That includes taking the necessary classes as well as having her work schedule approved.

The second obstacle would be Daniela's caseworker's approval of this transfer as well.

This means that the caseworker would give up Daniela's case and hand it over to a caseworker in the D.C. district that would have all authority over Daniela's well-being.

The thing is, it doesn't appear that her caseworker wants to give her up. Which in all honesty was a surprise to the woman.

From the way Bryant was treating the girl last time, she assumed that Bryant handing her case over would be a no-brainer for him.

He said it himself. Daniela was too much hassle for him. Yet, he doesn't want to give her over.

She needs his approval to take her case over to the Maryland judge.

The only way she can skip over this is if the judge deems that Daniela's current custody jeopardizes her well-being.

But now it looks like there is a chance for this to happen.

All for the wrong reasons.

****

"I told you. The girl just didn't come back from practice. The coach said that she didn't see anything or anyone with her," Mr. Novak explains.

"You're telling me she's been gone for three days?! Three days and no one is doing anything about it?" Emily fumed in anger.

"I searched for her around the area. I don't know where the hell she went. I just assumed she would come back."

"You assumed? Have you forgotten that Daniela was kidnapped just a few weeks ago? What if something happened to her?" Emily interjects.

"Listen, agent. The girl is a runner. She is known to just run away from her foster homes. At least three of them if I remember correctly," Novak states.

"She left on her own. A lot of kids like her do. It is what it is. There is nothing I can do about it."

Emily scoffed, her anger boiling.

"There is so much more you could have done. Did you tell her caseworker? Did you tell the police?"

"I haven't told Bryant. He just came back to the state after a family emergency," he responds.