Criminal Minds Imagines <3

It hasnt been easy (D.M)

A continuation of  "A kid???" As requested by @hannah44466

⚠️mentions of poor eating habits

*Your POV*

It's been nearly a week. My things are moved in. The walls in the guest room I'm staying in are rather bare and bleak. Late at night, when Savannah and Derek think I'm asleep, I hear them arguing downstairs. About me— of course.

"I don't want her here Derek. What if she's on drugs- like her mother??" "I doubt she's on drugs at 11" "Her mom probably offered! And she is not staying in this house alone tomorrow. I don't trust her. Take her with you to work." "So the team can know about her?? I don't think so. Why don't you trust her?" "Drugs Derek."

I'm so over this.

"Hey" I called out from the railing at the top of the stairs, "I can hear you, ya know?" I announced, "Oh- sweetie-," Savannah began and I cut her off, "Don't 'sweetie' me. It's not genuine. I'm not doing drugs. I never did drugs. My mom wasn't crazy enough to try and give me any. I never asked for any. And Derek, you're ashamed of me. I know. You didn't want me before and you still don't want me now. I get it. I'll call Mrs.Stuart in the morning, she'll come and get me. I'll be out of your lives forever." I rambled on before returning back to the bedroom.

*Morgan's POV*

I thought she'd been sleeping. Had she heard Savannah and I arguing the previous nights too?

Am I ashamed of Y/N? I don't think so..? I mean— am I proud? Not really... but she seemed like a smart kid— sassy like her mother was... she's hurting and vulnerable. I haven't made things any easier for her. She eats alone for most meals. And she doesn't eat much to begin with. If she eats three times in a day they were all small portions. If she eats once in a day it'll be something a little more filling. She drinks a lot of water and likes fruits from what I've observed. But I kind of worry about her...

I have a plan.

I went to the kitchen and got a nicely sized bowl. Then, I took our cold green grapes, strawberries, blueberries, and kiwis. I washed them all and cut the bigger fruits into more bite-sized and easier to manage sizes. I put them in the bowl and mixed them around to get some variety. I also grabbed an ice cold water before walking upstairs. I knocked on the bedroom door and got no response. I carefully cracked the door open.

"Y/N? Can we talk?" I heard a sniffle from under the covers of the queen sized bed. Oh goodness. I turned on the lamp on the nightstand beside the bed. I placed the bowl and water on the nightstand as well. "Can I sit here?" I asked and pat the bed, she shrugged. "Here's the thing, Y/N. I never expected to be in a situation like this. This isn't what I wanted. Not what I hoped for. It's straining my marriage. It's another thing to add on to my personal life. Another thing on my list of responsibilities." Y/N sat up, streaks of drying tears on her cheeks being replaced by fresh ones that are ready to be gone back over with the ones welling up in her eyes, "Gee! Thanks! Another reminder of how terrible and unwanted I am! Hank seems to be the only person here who likes me and he's barely a conscious human!" Okay. Fair... my words did not come out the way I meant for them to and it made it so much worse.

"Y/N- I-," "Save it, Derek. I don't need your pity. I already told you, I'm gonna make the call in the morning. You won't have to wor- is that a fruit salad?" She noticed. "Y- yeah.. I was kinda getting there..." my hand rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly, she did a little nod which told me to keep talking. A slight relief. "Although this isn't how we wanted things to play out. I want you to know that I do think you're a pretty cool kid. You're smart and funny and sassy. You remind me a lot of your mom. She was a great woman. And- oh Y/N.." she started ugly crying— not that's she's ugly— but it was a full frown cry. "D- do you want a hug?" She nodded her head yes and I gave her a big warm hug. She melted into my embrace and wailed, "I miss my mommy!" She's just a kid. She's just a young kid who lost her mom. I'm what she has left right now. I'm her dad. I'm her dad and she needs me. I'm her dad and she needs me and I'm about to let her go. I'm her dad and she needs me and I'm about to let her go into foster care to get bounced from house to house with potential creeps and fiends. We never even gave her a chance.

"Stay." "Huh?" She pulled away from my hug and wiped the snot from her face. Which I am now realizing is on my shirt. I don't even care. "You should stay here, Y/N." "But-," "But nothing Y/N. We never gave you a chance to try and have things work here. If we get to the end of the month and you really don't like it here, then you can go. But please stay. I know it hasn't been easy.. any of this.. but I'm willing to try if you are."

I took the bowl from the nightstand and placed it on the bed between us. "Care for some fruit?" She took a piece of strawberry and when she popped it into her mouth I saw her get a tint bit happier.

"What do you say about coming with me to work tomorrow?"

🩷💜💙