The Phoenix

Life Doesn't Discriminate

"Are these the same files that your informant provided you with?" Emily asked, handing them to Hannah.

"Afghani massacre, Catalan, yeah. It all checks out." she muttered.

"Now, the picture that was stolen, do you have any idea when that was taken? Was there any timestamp that you can remember?"

"Um, I think that there was either a 12 or 17 in there, a 3, and a 5."

Emily made a mental note of those numbers. She could have their guy in the CIA find the date, mission, and team members.

"Also, I have reason to believe that Jason Atwood did not kill Majid Nassar. The day before his confession, his son went missing. The next morning he said everything was fine but it seemed suspicious, so when he left work in a hurry, I followed him. He met with a woman at a parking garage and she gave him a paper," Hannah said, placing a picture on the table. "I think she was forcing Jason to confess so that the blame would not be put on anyone else. Catalan was there that day at the prison and he killed him. That's how he knew exactly how Nassar died and he gave that information to Jason."

"But why would Catalan have killed Nassar?"

"When Jason and I interrogated him, we got him to admit that he was not the one behind the bombing. He told us a man named Catalan is who was truly behind it and that he would kill him. Well, obviously, he did."

Just then, Emily's phone began to ring. At the time, it didn't seem like anything important.

"Emily?" asked the shaky voice of her younger brother, Sawyer.

"Hey, I'm in the middle of something right now, can I call you back?"

She had brushed it off a bit since he had severe anxiety and panic disorder, so him being upset was normal.

"No. This can't wait."

"Alright, but make it fast please."

"Em, it's dad." he said, his voice breaking.

"What about him?"

"He's-he's,"

"He's what, Sawyer?" she demanded.

"He's dead!" her brother scream-sobbed.

Without even meaning to, her phone left her hand. Agent Wells and Aaron both looked at her in confusion.

"I have to go." she said, standing up out of her chair and running out. It wasn't until she got to the car that she realized Aaron had driven them both, but luckily he was right behind her.

"Where are we going?" he asked as they got in.

"My house. Step on it."

"Emily, what's going on?"

"It's my dad. He-he's dead. I have to check on my sister."

"Oh, my god."

Aaron listened to her and went probably twice the speed limit to get to her apartment. When they pulled up, Emily jumped out before the car even fully stopped. He followed her into the apartment. Lucy was sitting on the couch with pajamas on and her hair wrapped in a towel, crying. Emily sat down next to her bleary eyed sister, relieved but devastated all the same.

"I'm assuming that Sawyer told you." she said.

"Mhm," Emily muttered. "I just can't believe he's gone."

"Me either."

They sat in silence for a few moments until Lucy broke it.

"Do you remember the last time he said he loved you?"

"Yeah. I was 12 years old."

"He told me that the night I moved out. I think he was finally trying to make things right, but I didn't let him. I pushed him away, just like he did to me for the past 17 years of my life."

"Dad really did love you, Luc. I still remember the pride in his eyes when you took your first steps because I was jealous of it. It might not have seemed like it, but he was so happy when I taught you to ride a bike, or your piano recital."

"He loved you too, Em." Lucy said, another tear running down her face.

"Alright, no more crying." Emily replied, wiping her sister's face then pulling her into a hug.

"I'll let you meet my boyfriend if it makes you feel any better." she whispered, glancing at Aaron, who had been awkwardly standing in the doorway for the entire ordeal.

"Deal. But I should probably go put some normal clothes on and not look like a royal trainwreck."

"Good idea."

They pulled away so Lucy could change, and Emily practically sprinted into Aaron's arms. There was a certain comfort in knowing that someone else was okay when you weren't. If you weren't happy, you could be happy that they were.

"It's gonna be okay."

"I know. It's life. My dad wouldn't want me to stop living just because he did."

He just stood there, holding her until Lucy came out wearing normal clothes with her pastel pink hair almost dry. Emily's jaw hit the floor.

"Um, Lucy? What did you do to your hair?"

"I dyed it. I thought since I would be going to college soon that I needed a new look. It's a fresh start for me. Does it look okay?"

"I like it. It just surprised me. Oh, and this is my boyfriend, Aaron." she said.

"Hi. I'm Lucy, it's nice to finally meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too. Emily talks a lot about you." After that Aaron's phone buzzed.

"The President. He's expecting us."

"Go ahead. Just give me one second."

"Alright." he said, walking out.

"He's quiet." Lucy chuckled.

"Yeah, well, he usually isn't."

"I'm sorry I had to meet him like that."

"No, Lucy. I'm sorry. Sawyer called me and he was a wreck, I just had to check on you."

"Thank you. Go have fun at work with your boyfriend." she taunted, hugging Emily.

A/N: I think that Wait For It from Hamilton goes really well with the next three chapters, sos they'll all be named after lyrics.

"Life doesn't discriminate bwtween the sinners and the saints, it takes and it takes and it takes..."