Unbroken

Chapter Eight:

"Our greatest fear should not be of failure...but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter."

Francis Chan

Aaron's Viewpoint:

There was chaos out in the hallway outside of Missy's room, but I chose to ignore it for now. I was just focusing on why Missy just would just walk away from any type of hope that she would be finally free to live the life that she has always dreamed of.

Vance was outside of the room managing the crisis and diverting it for now. I knew that there were going to be people coming into the room to check in on me, but the last person that I expected was Emily.

She was at the doorway leaning against the frame when I finally looked up as I was looking down at my hands. She was wearing oversized glasses as well as a hood over her head. 

"What are you doing here?" I asked as she then came into the room and shut the door behind her.

"I'm here to support you guys if you are willing to let me do so," She replied as she lowered her hood and took her glasses off her face.

"Why would you want to?" I asked.

"Because Missy was and is a friend of mine that I am willing to do anything for. She was there as a great friend when I first went away and I'm here to repay her the debt that I owe her for all that she has done for me," Emily replied.

"Why now?" I asked.

"I only got the call when she called me earlier before she was taken. I was on a plane this entire time, so I had no idea what was going on until I got off that plane. JJ told me everything when I landed. My first instinct was to come here. Wanna tell me what happened?" Emily said.

"I...I don't even know where to even begin..." I said. 

"Says the man that has an answer for everything," Emily replied.

I then stood up from the bed and walked over to the window and looked out into the night sky, wondering where Missy was. My arms were now crossed and I felt Emily walked towards me. She soon stood next to me and folded her arms as well.

We stood there in silence for a while just looking out into the distance as the sun started to rise over the trees. 

She then cleared her throat after a while before speaking.

"What would you like me to do?" 

"Help me find her. It's time to finish what Hiram Lodge started," I replied.

"That is something that will be accomplished in time, but I will tell you this, going down the road that I think that you want to go is only going to bring you heartbreak," said Vance from behind us.

I then turned to face him as did Emily and I then replied, "What if he were watching her right now? What then? Are we just going to let her die then and we aren't able to intervene?"

"I already took care of that. It is being handled currently," Vance said as he put his hands into his pockets.

"How do you even know that? There has been no calls that were made here in the hospital, at least that I am aware of as I did request that all agents report to me if they receive a call from her," I replied.

"Who is the one person that she would call who wouldn't have bothered himself to tell you what you want to know?" Vance responded.

I then rolled my eyes as I turned around to look back out the window, already annoyed at the fact that Missy would do anything to not only protect me but also herself. I knew that she was capable of hiding and that she has done it for the past fifteen years, but to think that she would do this at this point is a disappointment at the slightest. 

"Based upon that attitude, it doesn't seem like you are fully surprised at the fact that she trusts him to keep her secrets, but right now, we need to focus on other things at hand," Vance said.

"Which is?" Emily questioned.

"Finding out who forced the president's hand to stop the investigation when he did. The reason being is that I just got a notification from the White House that there was an attack on the president and he has personally requested you, Agent Hotchner as well as you Agent Prentess to immediately meet him at the White House," Vance said.

"Why me, sir, if you don't mind me asking? It's just...I don't know why my name would be attached to Missy," Emily said.

"It's because Missy made an agreement with the President that if there was any danger pertaining to her and that she is not able to do the full capacity of her job, then you would be able to do it, Agent. The president will make things more cleared to you both once you arrive. But that is something that you need to do immediately should you both want Missy to return back here without any fear or any consequences from Hiram Lodge. But that is a decision that you both need to make. I will take my leave now from you both," Vance said before he turned and walked out of the room in silence.

Silence filled the room once more. Emily and I couldn't even look at each other. To be requested, no demanded to be seen by the president was a rare sighting to be had, but to have two agents that knew different parts of Missy to be seen before the President of the United States is something that neither of us were expecting. 

"I guess that we need to go, Aaron," Emily said quietly.

"Yeah....just don't know how to do that without raising suspicions amongst hundreds of agents, doctors, and nurses," I replied.

"How about one leaving the room at a time? I'll go first. You can come a few minutes later, claiming that you need to have some space to think or whatever. We can meet in the parking lot. We can figure out the rest from there," Emily said.

Of course this woman had a plan. She always had one. There was no doubt about it. She always knew that she needed to think three steps of the game if she wanted to be able to walk the earth freely.

"Sounds like a plan. Are you going to be okay getting out of here?" I asked, looking over at her.

She nodded before she raised her hood back up before putting her glasses back on. I knew that it would be a matter of time before she will be able to come back to the team, but there was only so much work to be done before then. She soon starting walking towards the hospital door before she turned to look back at me.

She then said, "We're going to be able to find her. She is going to be okay. Just keep believing in her, okay."

I nodded as she turned back around and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. I then put my hand into one of my jacket's pockets and pulled out an item that I always held onto for all these years, even after Missy left it behind that day she died the first time. Her engagement ring. I looked down at it and it held all of the memories that I have been missing. A life that was easier. A calmer one at least. 

But that dream died that day along with her. She took the hope that she had with me and it was crushed by Lodge. A cruel man that lived on stealing dreams and crushing souls. But the day that he wouldn't be capable of doing it again was soon approaching and I couldn't wait.