THE JOURNAL CHAPTER ONE

I DON'T OWE CRIMINAL MINDS OR THE CHARACTERS

"The past is never where you think you left it."― Katherine Anne Porter

Washing D.C 2006

It had been a long night, scratch that, it had been a long week, Aaron Hothncer had never been so exhausted in his entire life. The team had just arrived from Alabama, at the BAU tarmac. The case had been brutal, they barely managed to save the last victim before they apprehended the unsub. They had been after him for almost four days, a total of eight people killed before the team was able to come up with a profile and close the case. Eight people died in the hands of the unsub and Reid was shot, he was fine, the bulled grasped his arm and had to get stitches. Other than that he was unharmed, but he had been hurt at work, now there was paperwork, and a bureaucratic agenda to follow.

But maybe, for now, they could just go home and get some rest; tomorrow, well tomorrow will be another day and they will deal with everything when the time arrived. Right now Hotch just wanted to go home, maybe he could still have a chance to see Jack awake. He was already in the dog house with Haley, and he had been there for a few years now. It seemed like no matter what Hotch, did she was never happy, she was constantly picking fights with him and yelling at him for small things. Hotch was only trying his best because of his son, Jack was barely a year, and he deserved to have a normal family and happy parents. Truthfully, Hotch wasn't even sure if he and Haley were happy or if they will ever be, but the one thing they did agree on, was to give Jack the best life possible, so he was trying.

The team started walking towards the elevator after arriving at the tarmac, and he was quietly following behind, the cold breeze making barely aware that he didn't even have a coat with him. It had been raining in D.C for the past few nights, so the air was moist and cold, and there was a lingering smell of wet grass and pavement. The guys were talking about going for drinks, but he had politely declined their invitation, even when Dave asked him so when they arrived on the sixth floor, the team was anxious to get out of there and forget about criminals for one night.

As usual, Garcia was waiting for them by the elevators, it seemed like she always needed some kind of reassurance, that yes they had solved the case and saved another life, and yes they were all safe.

"Hey Garci" JJ smiled approaching her friend

"Oh my furry friends," she said clenching her heart "You are finally home, and you are here with me...God forbid this case was never gonna be over..."

"But is over mama," Morgan said pulling her in for a warm hug "And we are home"

"You" the analyst replied placing her palm on his cheek "My sweet chocolate thunder, you save our genius boy" it was Morgan who had ultimately solved the case and saved Reid from actually being killed by the unsub.

"How are you doing? does anything hurt" Gracia asked Reid coming to hug him as well

"Not more than it should," Reid said grimacing hen the analyst hugged him, "I think I just need to go home and get some sleep"

"Come, pretty boy! I thought we were going for drinks?" Derek asked offended

"Derek, are you seriously asking me to drink while taking medication? You are a federal agent " everyone besides Hotch burst into laughter

"Hey what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," the dark skin maid said with a suave smile

"I am gonna pretend like I didn't hear any of this," Hotch said walking past them shaking his head

"Wops sorry man" Morgan grinned at the rest and David just smirked used to his shenanigans

"Have a good night guys" Hotch waved heading for his office

"Oh sir," Penelope said all of a sudden "Someone is waiting for you" that made everyone turn around again

"Who?"

"I am not really sure," Penelope said "She is a young girl, she has been waiting since yesterday, she said it was urgent"

The team exchanged glances but Hotch just started walking in the direction of his office with a deep frown, it was almost eight o'clock at night, who could be possibly looking for him right now.

When he walked inside his office a young girl was waiting for him, he had a momentary flashback, but he wasn't exactly sure why it felt like a deja vu moment, but was convinced he was just tired. The girl wasn't older than eighteen, there was something incredibly familiar about her, she had long black hair, hazel eyes, and light skin. Her appearance told Hotch she came from a good family, given the attire and jewelry she was wearing. She looked tired and worried, she was looking out the window when he walked in.

"Agent Hotchner?" she asked approaching him

"Yes"

"I am Mercy," she said reaching for his had

"I am sorry to bother you this late"

"Good evening ma'am," he said shaking her hand "I am sorry I don't have much time, but how can I help you?"

"You are Agent Hotchner right?" she asked, there was something in her eyes, but he couldn't put his finger on it

"Yes I am" he had no idea who this girl was or what she was doing on his office this late when all he wanted to do was go home to his family

"What can I do for you?" he said again not trying to sound rude

"I am sorry to just show up like this, I just didn't know who else could help..."

"Help with what?" he frowned motioning for her sit down

"Is this room safe?" she asked sitting and looking around nervously and sitting down on the couch

"Can anyone hear us?"

"No" his scowl deepened "Is just you and me" but the girl just look around unsure

"I don't want to sound rude," he said, "But who are you and what are you doing on my office?"

"I need your help" she repeated looking at her lap grasping her hands nervously

"Help with what? Are you in danger?" That was the first thing that came to his mind, was someone hurting her God no, he could not even think about that right not.

"No is not that, is my mom who needs your help" she announced looking at him hesitantly

"Your mom? How old are you?" he asked unsure if he should even be talking to her right now

"I am seventeen"

"And you are here by yourself?" he asked incredulously

"I don't know anyone else, at least not that I can trust"

"You said your mother needs help?" he examined her face something was going on with this girl, and after all, he did have a duty to serve and protect

"I think she is missing," the girl said after a few minutes

"You think?" he repeated, "You are not sure if she is actually missing?"

"I just have a theory, I mean, I know she is missing...I just know" her eyes filled with tears and she quickly wiped her eyes before the tears started spilling.

"A theory? I don't understand" Now he was definitely puzzled

"Look I don't know how to explain it, I just know that she is missing, or in trouble and everyone keeps acting like I am crazy and is just PTSD, " She said standing up and walking towards the window, "They think I am stupid, but I am not"

"Everyone? Who is everyone?"

"My grandmother, her boss, her friends...they just think that I should move on or see a therapist, they say I am on denial," she said uncomfortably " But I just know something isn't right"

Hotch had no idea what the hell was going or what this girl was talking about, but she seemed very distress

"I know my mother and she is strong and something to happen to her... she is not just gone..."

"What do you mean by that? Where is she supposed to be at?"

"Dead"

"A beg your pardon" He was absolutely sure he heard wrong

"Dead" the girl repeated looking at him, for a second he stood there looking a the girl in shock but he recovered quickly standing up from the couch he had been sitting at. "She died a month ago, at least that's what they are saying"

"Is this a joke?" he asked walking towards his phone "I don't have time for this?" he said reaching for the phone on his office

"No, no, no please" she begged hanging up the phone her eyes filling with tears again, she really sounded desperate

"Is not a joke I swear...just please listen to me..." they glared at each other for a few seconds and he finally placed down the phone auricular, sitting in his desk.

"You better start making sense before I called security," he said handing her a box of tissues, he was beginning to think this girl was only wasting his time, but there was something in her eyes, something that told him, he should just listen to her. And why did she seemed so familiar?

"Sit down" he offered, she only hesitated a second but then she sat in front of him, wiping her eyes and taking a few moments to recover herself

"I am listening" he didn't want to pressure her but this was starting to make him feel very uncomfortable.

"Six weeks ago my mom was working in this case, she never really talked to me about her cases, so I don't know what was the case about but I think it was something related to drugs or the mafia..."

"The mafia?" he could not believe was his ears were hearing, was this a trap?

"I think they did something to her, they said she died trying to apprehend a drug dealer, but they never found her body...and none the stuff they said made any sense, is like they kept going around and not telling us exactly what happened"

"Who is they?"

"The CIA and Interpol guys" his eyes widened

"Your mother worked for the CIA?" He asked in shock

"No, she worked for Interpol, I mean she did work for CIA many years ago, but now she was working for Interpol " the girl replied, "But the CIA was involved with this case...and now they are being secretive and lying about everything..."

"What makes you think they are lying?" he questioned. Either this girl was crazy or someone was pulling a prank on him, what if he was being set up by an unsub, the hairs at the end of his head stood and he realized he might have made a mistake by telling everyone to leave.

"Because they never recovered her body, they won't talk about her mission, and now Clyde is acting all weird and I just don't trust him he is my legal guardian now, which means that he has legal authority over me and all my mother's documents and he won't even let me access any of that "

"Who is Clyde?"

"He was a friend of my mom's he is the head of the Interpol office in London"

"Wait? Are you talking about Clyde Easter?"

"Yeah? Do you know him?" the girl questioned hopefull

"Professionally, I mean if heard of him," he said staring at the girl and trying to puzzle why she looked so damn familiar it was like he knew her or something

"Who is your mother?" he as curiously

"Her name is Emily," the girl said "Emily Prentiss

Everything stopped moving around, his ears started ringing and he felt his stomach turning around, this could not be happening, maybe had fallen sleep on the jet? Maybe this was a dream, he had not heard from Emily Prentiss in years, two decades almost, this had to be a dream

"What?"

"She is Emily Prentiss" the girl repeated "You used to know my mom right?

"Yeah... I ... I ... did," he said after a few minutes could hardly form the words

"Wow I haven't spoken to her in years, I haven't seen her since..."

"Almost eighteen years ago" they girl finished for him and then there was a new feeling overwhelming him, it was as if all of a sudden a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his head. Her eyes, her hair, the ivory skin...

"Wait how old are you again..?"

"I am seventeen," she said and it was like he was just looking at Emily Prentiss all over again

"So you are..."

"I am your daughter"

"The morning brought the crisis of my life. But it was not anything that I could have conceived of in my wildest imaginings."― Iris Murdoch,