Hotch's Niece | Criminal Minds

Izzie

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He nods a very finalizing nod, and with that, he reaches  behind his back and pulls a gun from the couch. Morgan and I both react quickly, pulling our weapons as well, but before either of us can speak, he mutters a "I'm coming for you, Jackie," and pulls the trigger.

Mark Rowland was dead.

There is a shocked silence after the gunshot, and then Alison screams. At the very same time she begins to yell, a crying erupts from the room just through the kitchen. I look at Morgan for direction. He's still staring, shocked, at Mark's body, but he has also heard the crying. Slowly, he holsters his gun and turns to me, nodding. "Go," he mouths. Quickly I turn and leave the room filled with the screams of the sister of the dead man. I move through the kitchen, and just before I open the door the crying is coming from, I look back. Morgan has picked up Mark's gun and is bringing Alison into his arms.

I swallow down the bile trying to force its way into my mouth, and push open the door.

A child stands in a crib, crying loudly. She can't be more than two, and she has cute little red curls and large green eyes. Izzie.

It has to be Izzie Rowland, Mark and Jackie's young daughter. I snap out of my shocked state and rush to scoop her from the crib. "Shhhh, it's okay sweetheart. You're okay, don't worry." I repeat this little mantra over and over, and finally she begins to calm down. Several minutes later, someone knocks on the door. "Come in," I call, giggling a little when Izzie grips my finger.

No other than Spencer Reid opens the door, a concerned look upon his. "Morgan called, told us about Mark, are you okay?"

I bounce Izzie on my hip and lie. "Yes, I'm fine Spencer, thank you,"

"Okay," he says, obviously not totally convinced, but changes the subject anyways. "Who's the little cutie?" Reid asks, although he probably already knows that it's Izzie Rowland.

"This is Izzie," I say, and Reid reaches for the little girl. She leans towards him, arms out to be received by the genius. Reid takes her from me and and settles her in his arms.

"The coroners have taken Mark outside, he's on his way to the morgue now. Morgan's giving his statement and Emily and JJ are taking care of Alison Rowland," Spencer informs me.

"Do I need to give a statement as well?"

"No, Hotch wanted me to come tell you that between Morgan's statement and the fact that he had just lost his wife to a serial killer, no one will ask any questions about whether it was really a suicide. You and Alison should be okay," Spencer says.

I nod and thank him.

"Dada?" Izzie gargles, and Spencer and I look at each other, unsure what to do. Alison is in no condition to take care of the little girl right now, and, well, who wants to tell a two year old that Dada's not coming home?

"Not right now sweetie, but we're going to go have a party, okay?" Spencer says, and Izzie giggles and nods.

I find a little My Little Pony backpack folded under the crib, filled with what look like Izzie's clothes, and I find some diapers too, but assume she's pretty much daytime potty trained as she does not have one on right now. We'll have to take her down to the station, we've got no other choice until Alison has calmed down.

Once I pack a few more things for Izzie and let her pick up her two favorite stuffies from the pile in the crib -- a stuffed lion and a stuffed penguin.