The Hunting Hour - A Criminal Minds Fiction

Chapter 39: The Case Is Over

They waited in Derek's office for about an hour and Isabella refused to leave the couch. After she hid her face on Lulu's back she stopped talking. Everyone was very understanding and knew she was obviously upset so they let her be.
After some time JJ got a call from Hotch. He told her they got Declan and were heading to the BAU. Four men got arrested and Interpol had taken over. Emily's friend Clyde had taken over and promised no one would ever hear from Doyle again.
JJ hung up and looked relieved.
"They found him. They're coming back" she said.

Emily's heart pounded fast. It had been so long since the last time she saw Declan. She made sure the boy had everything he possibly needed and she felt happy that he was turning out nothing like his father.

"Can we go home now?" Isabella whispered to Penelope who was now sitting on the couch where Bella was laying down. The girl had her feet on Penelope's lap.

"We'll go soon" Penelope whispered back and Bella hid her face again.

They waited for the rest of the team to arrive and it wasn't long till Hotch walked inside Morgan's office with Declan walking right beside him.

"Declan" Emily said with a smile when she saw the boy. He ran to her and they hugged. Bella took a peek and hid again as her eyes filled with tears.

"Are you alright?" Emily asked him.

"Yes" Declan said. The blonde boy smiled at her with his big blue eyes. Emily smiled as she saw he was still just a little boy. She felt sorry for him. She knew he was a good kid and didn't have anything to do with the life his father chose. She felt like she wanted to take care of him but with Bella she knew it probably wouldn't be a good idea. Maybe after some time once the girl was okay and settled with her again. But not at that time. For her luck one of her friends that used to raise Declan as his own son, together with the boy's old nanny, was traveling to DC to get him.

"How's everything in here?" Rossi asked Emily, looking at Bella.

Emily just raised her eyebrows unsure of what to say.

"Is that your daughter?" Declan asked when he saw Bella.

"Yes, that's Bella" Emily smiled and he smiled back.

"Excuse me" a woman said at the door and everyone looked at her. Everyone but Bella.

"There's a Mister Tom Coller here looking for Agent Prentiss" she said.

"Let him in" Emily said. He was the man that helped raise Declan. He was the boy's adoptive father.

"Let's go to the conference room" Hotch said. He knew they had a lot to talk and Derek's office wasn't the best place for that, especially since Bella was there and was clearly very upset with everything. They walked out and before Emily followed she looked at Morgan and Garcia, unsure she should go.

"We got it" Penelope said with a small smile and Emily walked out.

Bella looked around and saw she was alone with both of them. She sat up and asked "is he okay?"

"He's going to be fine" Derek said with a little smile as he saw how she was worried about the boy.
Bella stood up and went and sat on his lap. She rested her head on his chest.

"What's gonna happen to me now?" Bella asked him.

He wasn't sure.
"What do you want to happen?" He asked.

"I wanna stay with you" she said looking at him as her eyes filled with tears.

"Okay." He said. "You'll stay till you're ready to go home with her, okay?"

"Okay" she said and started crying.

"I promise you it's going to be okay" he said as tears filled his eyes. Penelope walked to them and sat on the chair next to him.