Unconditionally

Trick or Treat

Over the course of the next few weeks, JJ was busy getting Halloween costumes ready for the boys. Sophia used that distraction to her advantage and began spending less time at home and more time with her new friends.

"Do you have any plans tonight?" Emily asked her daughter who was sitting next to her texting someone on her phone.
"Danielle is picking me up soon and were doing a Halloween movie night thing," Sophia lied.
"You're not going trick or treating with Henry?" Emily asked.
"Nope, JJ said I didn't have to," Sophia told her as she stood up.
Emily could tell there was something off about her. Lately it seemed like there was always something off about her.

"Danielle's mom is here," Sophia said and grabbed her bag.
"Want me to walk you down?" Emily asked as she started to stand up.
"No," Sophia said a little too quickly.
Emily gave her a look.
"I'll see you later," Sophia said and smiled before walking away.
She was sleeping at Emily's this weekend.

Prentiss watched her daughter and then got up to follow her, but Morgan said,
"I did not peg you as a helicopter parent."
Prentiss sighed and sat back down as she explained,
"It feels likes she's hiding something from me. She doesn't talk to me anymore."
"Maybe she's just growing up and becoming more independent," Morgan said. Emily nodded, but deep down she knew that wasn't it.

As Sophia left the building she spotted her friend Caleb waiting in his car. Caleb just turned seventeen and he had his own car. At seventeen he was already covered in tattoos and Sophia knew if JJ or Emily saw him she wouldn't be allowed out anymore. Sophia walked over to the passenger side and got in. Just as Caleb sped away, Daniel walked up to the BAU and witnessed what just happened. He and Emily were having a date night tonight. They had been seeing each other occasionally over the past month and worked on rebuilding their relationship.

Daniel made it to the sixth floor and walked over to Emily's desk.
"You ready?" Daniel asked.
Emily looked up and when she saw who it was she smiled and nodded.
"I didn't know Sophia had a boyfriend," Daniel said casually. As he said that JJ walked over.
"A what?" Emily questioned.
"Sophia doesn't have a boyfriend," JJ told them as she approached the two with Garcia.
"Yeah, I think we'd know if our little Sophia was dating," Penelope added.
"My bad, I thought the boy she was driving off with was her boyfriend," Daniel said and shook his head lightly.  He must've made a mistake.
"Boy? What boy? She told me she was going to Danielle's and that her mom was picking her up," Emily said to him with a tone Daniel didn't recognize. Prentiss could feel her insides turn a little.
"She told me the same thing," JJ added which made Emily feel worse.

Emily took out her phone and decided to call her.
"What are you doing?" Daniel asked.
"Checking to see if my daughter is a liar," Prentiss responded.
Sophia didn't answer her phone.
"She didn't pick up," Emily said and put her phone down.

Sophia glanced down to see Emily calling her. She silenced it and looked over to Caleb and said,
"Where did you get it from again?"
"My brother brought stuff home from college and gave me some," Caleb said calmly. Sophia nodded and decided not to ask anymore questions.

Soon enough Caleb pulled into a parking lot and he and Sophia got out. They walked across the street to the cemetery where a few others were waiting for them. Sophia made her way over to Andrea who was the same age as Caleb and kind of took Sophia in and became like an older sister. Andrea's cousin, Mary, was there as well and she was a senior.

"Glad you could make it," Andrea said to Sophia with a smile. Her long raven hair was up in a bun and she had on sweats. Andrea was dating Caleb's twin brother, Carey. The three of them plus Sophia always met after school to hang out, smoke and chit chat. Sophia told Emily and JJ that she joined the chess team and math team again and thats why she stayed at the school late. In reality she just stayed late to get high and hang out with her friends.

Caleb handed Sophia a tab as he put one in his mouth.
"I thought we were doing shrooms," Sophia said as she examined what was in her hand.
"Next time," Carey said with a smile as he popped one in his mouth as well. Andrea did the same and gave Sophia an encouraging smile.
"Are you joining us?" Sophia turned and asked Mary as she carefully placed the small tab in her mouth.
"I'm trip sitting tonight, but next time someone else can babysit," Mary told her and Sophia nodded. Just then Sophia's phone rang again.

"She better answer this time," Emily said as she held her phone up to her ear. No answer.
"Why don't you try calling her?" Emily said to JJ as she wasn't getting far.
"I don't see how that would make a difference, but okay," JJ said as she put her phone up to her ear.
On the third ring Sophia answered.
"Sophia?" JJ asked.
"What's up?" the girl replied calmly.
"Where are you?" JJ asked.
Sophia stopped to think for a second and then said in a causal tone,
"Danielle's brother is brought us to the store to get food and now we're going back to her house."
"Okay. What time do you want Emily to pick you up? She said you weren't answering your phone before," JJ said.
"Yeah I left it in the car. I'm just seeing her messages now can you let her know I'm fine," Sophia told JJ without thinking. The more she lied the easier it got and soon enough it took no effort.
"What time Sophia," JJ said again.
"I think I'm going to sleepover here if that's okay," Sophia lied.
"You need to talk to Emily, okay? It's her weekend with you," JJ said.
"She'll be fine. I'll see her tomorrow," Sophia said.
"Sophia," JJ said slowly.
"Is she there?" Sophia sighed.
JJ handed the phone to Emily.
"Nice of you to answer my call," Emily said when she put the phone to her ear.
"I left my phone in the car," Sophia repeated from before.
"Yeah, right," Emily knew she was lying.
"So I think I'm going to sleep over Danielle's and then I can get dropped off in the morning," Sophia told her mom.
"We didn't discuss that. Can I talk to Danielle's mom?" Emily asked to see how far Sophia would go in this lie.
"One second," Sophia said.

She muted herself and quickly explained to Andrea the situation. Then she handed the girl her phone and Andrea took it off of mute and said,
"Hello?"
"Hey this is Emily. I'm Sophia's mom. Is it alright if she stays there?" Emily asked.
"Yeah, the girls are setting up in Danielle's room. I can drop her off in the morning when I drive the others home," Andrea said in her mom like voice.
"Okay, I just wanted to check and make sure it was okay with you," Emily said. She was still unsure of the whole situation and she knew her daughter was up to something.
Andrea handed the phone back to Sophia who said,
"Okay bye, love you."
Then she hung up before Emily could respond.

"She just hung up on me," Emily said with a look as she handed JJ her phone.
"Emily I'm sure she's safe," Daniel tried to assure her.
"I don't know, something seems off." Emily said and looked to JJ.
"Do you think she's been acting weird too?" Daniel asked JJ.
"She's just been in her room a lot and saying she just wants to be alone. I think she still needs time to process everything that happened," JJ said.
"I remember my brother used to do that too. He would spend all his time alone in his room and not want to hang out with anyone," Daniel said as he was thinking.
"Anthony was depressed though," Emily pointed out.
"Exactly. Do you think it's possible Sophia's depressed. I know you said she's had symptoms of PTSD in the past, but what about depression?" Daniel offered.
"She doesn't seem depressed, she just seems different," Emily told him.
"Different how?" Daniel wanted to know.
"She's just not warm anymore if that makes sense. She's been snappy and hostile with me," Emily said aloud.
"I've noticed she's been really impatient and distant too," JJ said and she thought about Sophia's behavior that past month.
"Like she's a whole different person sometimes," the blonde added.
The profilers just sat there for a moment and then Morgan spoke up and said,
"Maybe she's just going through a phase."
"Maybe that phase is depression. Wait, your brother Anthony, is he okay now?"  Garcia asked. She was always so concerned about people's well being.

Daniels face fell for a second and then he said,
"He actually overdosed a while ago and didn't make it. His depression got so bad he turned to drugs and became an addict and he was never the same. He was a completely different person when he was using."
"Kind of like how Sophia is acting like a different person," Garcia pointed out quietly.
"Yeah, but I don't think Sophia's on drugs. We would know," Emily said in defense.
"She could be hiding it," Daniel said.
"My fourteen year old isn't a drug addict. She's just going through a lot and doesn't know how to deal with her feelings," Emily said in a convincing manner, although she didn't know if she was trying to convince the others or herself.