heart like yours (jennifer jareau)

3. nine

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"i'm forever a child looking out my window at the night sky thinking one day i'll touch the world with bare hands, even if it hurts." - tracy k smith

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Delilah swung her legs back and forth in the booth of the diner she was sat in in Nevada, sipping on a milkshake with her back to the door. Dave sat on the stool beside her, sipping on his own milkshake.

"She shouldn't be too long," Dave said, checking his watch.

Delilah nodded. Liv was picking Ziggy up from the social worker building today, and was bringing him for breakfast at this diner with Delilah and Dave. Delilah and Dave were just waiting, which was probably why Delilah knew Dave was going to bring up the balloon thing.

"So, I've pulled a bunch of my contacts," Dave said quietly, glancing from side to side. "Hotch was right. You're safe."

"Apparently," Delilah mumbled her agreement. "I don't really wanna talk about it, dad."

"I know," Dave said. "But we have to."

"Not really," Delilah said. "What else is there to say?"

Dave took a deep breath.

"Have you considered leaving?" he said.

"Leaving? And going where?" Delilah asked. "Witness protection? No, thanks."

"Coming to California, living with me," Dave said.

Delilah raised an eyebrow, turning her head to look at him.

"No," Delilah said.

"You, Liv, Ziggy, all of you. I can protect you," Dave said.

"I can protect myself," Delilah whispered, turning her head around to check nobody was listening. "And Liv would hate me if I decide to move, 'cause she'll feel obligated to come with me and we'll uproot her life, too. No. Besides, you said you'd come out here."

"Well, I just think that, maybe, you might need some time off work," Dave said.

"I am off work," Delilah said.

"More time off work," Dave said.

"Dad, please don't start. I appreciate you looking out for me, but it's not the job making me crazy. It's me," Delilah said quietly. "I don't want to leave my friends, either. I'm not running away. He's taken so much from me. He won't scare me into ruining this for myself."

"Okay," Dave nodded slowly. "I can respect that, bambina."

"Thanks," Delilah said.

"So, Vince cleared you?" Dave asked. "To keep being on field duty?"

"Yep," Delilah said. "No more mental breakdowns."

"And Hotch is trusting you there?" Dave checked.

"Yeah, we're good," Delilah said. "Seriously, you don't need to worry. I'm good."

"Your definition of good and my definition of good are two very different things," Dave said.

"Fair, but I'm good," Delilah said. "Or Liv would've told you I wasn't."

"Fair," Dave sighed. "How's JJ?"

"What's Liv said about that?" Delilah groaned.

"Nothing, which is why I'm asking," Dave said. "The radio silence is concerning."