The Hunting Hour - A Criminal Minds Fiction

Chapter 43: Time Helps

After a while she calmed down but still had tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Are you okay?" Derek asked and Bella nodded yes.

"What exactly happened?" Emily asked.

Bella shrugged.
Derek tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.
"I wanna go to bed" Bella said still crying.

"Oh no princess. We have a rule. It's 3pm right now, it's not time for bed." Derek said and Bella just looked sad.

"Why don't we bake a cake?" Penelope said. "You wanted to bake that rainbow one remember? We bought the ingredients and everything" she said.

"That's a great idea" Derek said.

"Do you want to do that?" Penelope asked.

"No, I wanna go to bed" Bella said.

"Look" Derek said pulling her chin up so she'd look at him. "No bed right now" he said and she just looked sad.

"Please lets bake! Please. You wanted to do that so bad" Penelope said and Bella gave in.
They all smiled and headed to the kitchen.
Emily and Derek sat to watch them as Penelope and Bella baked. The girl was a bit quiet in the beginning but then she seemed alright. They finished it all and put the cake in the oven then sat to watch tv.
Midway through an episode of Doctor Who Bella said she was going to shower. It was almost 5pm. She showered and when she walked back in the living room Hotch was there. She stared at him for a moment and then ran away to her bedroom.

"I'll go" Derek said.

"No, let me" Penelope said already walking there.
She walked inside to find Bella sitting at lulu's bed in the corner of the room as the dog slept and she cried.

"Bella" Penelope said feeling bad.

"What is he doing here?" The girl asked.

"He came to talk to us" Penelope said. Bella felt her heart race again as all those questions filled her mind. She tried hard to concentrate on her breathing before it would get bad again.
Penelope saw it.
It had happened so many times that Penelope could just tell by now.

"Come here. Just breathe" she said handing out a hand. Bella grabbed it, got up and laid on the bed with Garcia. Penelope ran her hand on the girl's back as Bella just cried.

"It's okay pumpkin" Penelope said.

"Can you please make it stop?" Bella begged. "I thought it went away" she said crying. It had been 2 months since the last time she had one.

"It will go away, sugar. It's just because your mommy is back and your little head is going all over the place" Garcia said.

"Just breathe slow" she said. "Here" Penelope said grabbing Isabella's hand and placing it on her chest so the girl could copy her breathing. Bella paid attention and did just that.

After a while she calmed down.
"Why don't you take a bath?" Penelope asked.

"I just showered" Bella said.

"Why don't you give Lulu a bath then?" Garcia said. "She's starting to smell" Penelope laughed and Bella smiled. "Come on" she said and they stood up and went to bathe the dog.
Penelope knew that always put Bella in a good mood.

While Bella cleaned the dog, Penelope went to the living room and explained what had happened. Then Hotch told them about Isabella's papers and how the girl was Emily's again. Hotch explained everything and left.

Emily could tell Morgan looked nervous about that.
"Derek" she said and he looked at her. "I'm not going to make her go anywhere she doesn't want to"