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"Are there any happy families?"

That question hit her harder than most. It had been a tough case for her. Carrie was a young girl who, no matter what she thought, didn't deserve what happened to her. Emily could understand better than most about wanting to be a good daughter. She too, for a long time felt like a failure to her family, especially to her mother. Like no matter what she did, who she was, who she talked to, it was never enough.

Were there any happy families? She would like to believe that, but logically she knew it couldn't be true. She was thrown out of thought whe JJ came and sat in front of her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just thinking" She replied

"I can see it" JJ said

"See what?" Emily said curiously

"You, kids"

That made Emily pause. She wanted nothing more than to tell her team about Declan. But she couldn't, it was better to be safe than sorry.

There was a time she dreamt of having kids of her own. But after Italy she didn't think she ever would.

.

She decided to visit Declan that weekend. All the thoughts about kids made her want to see the one she thought of as her own. She had purposely told Tom not to tell him. She wanted it to be a surprise.

When she knocked on the door, Lousie was the one who opened it.

"Hey" she said and stepped into the house.

Once Lousie closed the door behind her, she embraced Emily in a hug. "It's good to see you, Are you staying for dinner?"

"Yes" Emily says peering up the stairs.

"They're in the backyard," Louis says, patting her shoulder.

Emily follows her into the kitchen which opened into the back yard. Emily stays leaning against the sliding door, watching Declan and Tom play soccer.

She smiled when she saw Declan score a goal. When he turned around he saw her, and immediately ran to her.

"Your here" He says wrapping his hands around her, "I missed you"

"I missed you, too," she says, hugging him back."

Dinner was a small affair, but very enjoyable. Emily loved spending time with her family. But it was interrupted during dessert when her phone began to ring. She watch the excitement leave Declans eyes.

The call from Garcia told her there was an emergency case at the local mall. A girl had been kidnapped, the 2nd in 3 weeks.

She looked at Declan. "You will be back soon?" he said.

"I will be back as soon as this case ends" she says, threading her fingers through his hair, "I promise"

She leaves and drives straight to the mall.

.

She should have seen it sooner. She should have seen the signs. She should have seen his attention to detail.

When she did finally have a go at him, she lost it. She didn't completely lose it but just enough that she was sure others had noticed.

Katie Jacobs didn't deserve what happened to her. She was made to hate herself, blame herself, and Emily knew this too well. But Katie, she didn't deserve this, especially from her uncle, who looked exactly like her own father.

Emily was happy that she was found alive, but how much of Katie was still Katie she didn't know.

She's leaning against her car, when Morgan comes up to her.

"Prentiss" when he sees her startled expression, "Emily"

"Yeah?" she replies.

"You Okay?" he asks, moving to stand next to her.

"Yeah"

"Want to get something to eat?" he asks. "I know a great 24 hour diner, seeing since its 4am"

She nods.

.

When they get to the diner, she order a coffee and a sandwich, Morgan doing the same.

When they finished Morgan was the first to speak. "When it first happened, I didn't understand"

"I was 7 in Russia"

"That's how you knew about me, and when you said you spoke of experience, you were talking about yourself"

"It was never as bad for me as it was for you, he was caught before anything significant happened" she reasons

"Doesn't mean it wasn't any less insignificant"

She nodded at this.

On her way out she picked up the brownies she knew Declan liked.

When they reached their cars Derek spoke, "Emily?"

"Yes Derek"

"I'm glad we had a talk"

"Me to"

.

When she got back to Reston it was nearing 6 am. She walked straight in, and flopped on the couch. Instantly falling asleep.

.

Sunlight streamed on her face. She was comfortable, definitely not on the couch.

Tom must have carried her to the downstairs guest room. She noticed that her jacket and shoes had also been removed, also Tom's doing.

The alarm clock said it was nearing 12. Emily heard the 3 of them in the Kitchen. She crept past and then upstairs. She was sure Tom heard her. She got in the shower and tried to relax. To wash away yesterday's Memories.

When she got down stairs she saw the 3 of them engaging in a game of go fish.

She sat at the table across from Tom.

He flashed her a grin when he saw her. She joined them for a few rounds, then remembered.

"Declan, my bag there is something for you"

He leaped up, and his eyes did too when he realised, "Double Chocolate Brownies!!"

Tom threw a disappointed look at her. This time she grinned at him.

Tom then looked at him, and something clicked for Declan. Emily looked in surprise at them.

Declan came back holding a box. He came and stood next to Emily.

"Open it" he says giving the box to her, "I know I missed your birthday"

Emily opens the box to see a beautiful necklace, with a flower pendant, with an Amethyst in the centre.

"Its my birthday stone, so I'll always be with you" he says.

Emily pulls him close, holding him tightly. "It's perfect, I love it, and I love you. Always" She added, placing her hand over his heart. In the corner of her eye she could swear seeing a tear leak out of Tom's eye. But he would never admit it. Emily smiled to herself.

"Are there any happy families?"

Yes. There are. Emily was perfectly happy with hers.



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