A Second Chance

The Picture

JJ pulled up to the BAU and walked Sophia inside. While in the elevator, Sophia could feel JJ staring at her.
"What?" she asked and looked up.
"Nothing," the blonde replied and quickly looked away.
Sophia just rolled her eyes and smiled.
The bell dinged and the doors opened.
Right when they stepped out, Garcia was standing there waiting for them.
"Sophia?!" the chirpy woman exclaimed.
"Hey," the kid said sheepishly with a smile.
JJ looked down at the girl and said,
"I thought it would be nice to have her hang out here after school."
"It would, but you're leaving. The team got another case," Penelope informed her.
JJ's smile dropped.
"You're leaving again?" Sophia asked, looking disappointed.
"But you just got back," she said softly.
JJ was a bit surprised. It was the most heartfelt thing Sophia said to her.
"I'm sure it'll be a short case," JJ said reassuringly with a small grin.
Sophia didn't smile back.
"I can take her until Will comes if you want. The case is local and Hotch wants to leave ASAP," Penelope told her.
JJ sighed and looked down at Sophia.
"What do you think?" she asked the kid with a guilty looking face. She felt bad for leaving again. Especially since she did just get back.
"I'll be fine," Sophia said then looked up at Penelope.
"Okay," JJ replied and put a hand on her back.
"Cmon, I have a lot of fun toys to play with in my lair," Garcia said and held out her hand.
Sophia looked up at JJ and said,
"So I guess I'll see you whenever you're done."
"I'm so sorry," JJ replied with.
Sophia shrugged and gave the woman a sad smile before walking over to Penelope. She ignored Garcia's hand and just kept walking passed her. Penelope smiled at JJ and said,
"Don't worry, I got her."

Penelope walked the little one down to her office and let her in.
"Wow, do you have enough computers?" Sophia asked sarcastically with a smirk.
Penelope just smiled at her and replied with,
"I'm the technology person, so computers are my thing."
Sophia nodded and looked around some more.
Garcia took a seat at her desk and watched Sophia go through her things.

The room was so different from the rest of the building. There were little toys everywhere and it was more colorful compared to the rest of the BAU. There were also pictures of the team and some cat on the shelves and desk. The place was really decked out. Sophia knew Garcia was a little special, but not like this.

"Who's this?" Sophia asked curiously as she took a picture frame down from the shelf.
It was a photo of the whole team, plus another woman.
"Is this Hotch's ex-wife?" the kid asked and turned around.
"Let me see," Penelope told her and held her hand out.
Sophia walked over and handed the woman the picture.
"Her," Sophia pointed out and put her finger on the mystery woman.
"Oh, no. That's not Hotch's ex wife," Garcia clarified.
"Then who is it?" the girl wondered.
"Her name is Emily Prentiss."

Sophia's eye brows furrowed. Why did that name sound so familiar to her?
"Emily Prentiss?" Sophia said slowly, dragging out her name.
She stared down at the picture.
The woman next to Aaron had on a big smile. She had black hair and very dark eyes. Her porcelain skin stood out to Sophia and reminded her vey much of herself. The woman was flawless, absolutely gorgeous.

"Yeah, she used to work here," Garcia said, interrupting the child's thoughts.
"What happened?" Sophia asked, not taking her eyes off of the photo.
"She got a better job in London."
"Oh."
"She kind of looks like you, don't ya think?" Garcia said.
Sophia scoffed.
"Are you kidding me? She's way prettier."
"Sophia, you look like a younger version of her," Garcia said and took  a photo of just her, JJ and Emily off of her desk and held it up next to Sophia's face to compare.
They did look similar.
"Whatever," the girl said and walked over to put the photo back.
Then she went back over to Penelope and sat down.
"I wish Emily still worked here. You'd really like her," the blonde said.
"Yeah?"
Garcia nodded,
"She was a total badass."
That got a smile out of Sophia.
Then her smile faded and Penelope noticed.
"What's wrong?" she asked instantly.
"When do you think JJ will be done?" Sophia wanted to know.
"They'll probably be home by tomorrow," Penelope answered.
"Why?" she added.
Sophia just shrugged and her eyes met with Garcia's.
"Is something wrong?" Penelope asked.
"No, I just want to talk to JJ about something."
"Anything I can help you with?" Garcia asked.
The brunette hesitated.
Then she realized something.
"You're a techie, right?" Sophia asked.
"Yeah."
"So you can find basically anyone," the kid wanted to confirm.
"Indeed I can. Is there someone you're looking for?" Penelope asked and turned to her computer, ready to type.
"My mom," Sophia replied.
Garcia froze and then slowly turned back around.
"Sophia-"
"No, I know what you're going to say, that it's impossible, but can we at least try?" Sophia asked hopefully.
"We don't know anything about this woman," Penelope told her.
Sophia didn't say anything.
"I know you want to know where you came from, and please don't get mad when I say this, but finding your birth mother is like looking for a needle in a hay stack."
"You think I don't know that?" Sophia asked and raised her voice, sounding an awful lot like a friend of Garcia's. The voice sounded so familiar it actually scared her a little.
Penelope gave her a second to calm down.
"I'm sorry Sophia, but there's nothing I can do to help," she said.
The little brunette was furious. All she wanted was to find the woman that gave her life. Was that so much to ask for?
Sophia quickly closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. She knew getting angry at Penelope was no help. It wasn't her fault the woman abandoned her without a trace.
When she opened her eyes, she felt herself getting back to normal, but still needed a minute to recoup.
"Where's the bathroom?" she asked quickly.
"Down the hall to the left," Penelope said, surprised.
Sophia bolted out and ran to the bathroom, locking herself in a stall.
Right when she got in, her head fell to her hands and she closed her eyes.
Penelope was quick to follow the girl.
"Sophia?" she asked softly.
"What?" the kid replied.
She sounded upset.
"Can you come out here so we can talk?" Penelope asked.
Sophia didn't answer.
"Sophia?" Garcia tried again.
"Go away!"
Garcia waited a few minutes then said,
"Sweetie you have to come out so we can talk."
"Can you please just leave me alone for God's sake?!" the child shouted and opened the stall door. She walked passed Penelope and back into her lair.
Then she grabbed her bag and when she looked up, she saw Will.
"Everything alright?" he asked.
Sophia seemed all fired up about something.
Then, Sophia saw Penelope's face behind Will.
"I want to go home," she sighed and walked passed them. Will gave Garcia a confused look and she said,
"Sophia asked me to find her birth mom and got mad when I told her I couldn't because it was too hard."
"I guess I should go talk to her then," Will said.
Penelope gave him a sympathetic smile.
"I'm sorry she gave you a hard time-"
"No worries," she cut him off.
Will thanked Garcia and then went after Sophia.

"Hey, Penelope told me what happened," Will said casually in the car.
Sophia turned her head to look out the window. She let out a big breath and Will honestly didn't know what to say to her.
The rest of the car ride was silent.

That night, the dinner conversation only consisted of Henry and Will talking. Sophia just played with her food and never looked up.
"I'm not hungry anymore," she said and got up and left after clearing her plate.
"Can I go to bed?" she asked Will and looked him in the eyes for the first time that night.
He nodded and gave her a small smile.

While Sophia was up in her room, Will decided to call JJ and tell her about the incident with Sophia.
"We're actually at the BAU right now. The case was an easy one and we nabbed the guy before he could hurt anyone else."
"So you're coming home tonight?" Will wanted to know.
"Yeah, I should be home by nine. I'll talk to her if she's still up," JJ said.
"Okay, I'll see ya then," Will said.

When JJ hung up the phone, she turned to find Garcia next to her desk.
"Did he tell you?"
"Yeah," JJ sighed.
"And?" Garcia asked.
"She refused to eat dinner and then went to bed," JJ said as she packed up her things.
"I feel bad for her. She's had it rough," Penelope said.
"I know, the kid just needs a break," JJ said and started walking out.
"Let me know how she is," Garcia called as her friend got in the elevator.
"I will. Goodnight Penelope."
Garcia just waved with a big smile as the doors closed.

When JJ got home, Sophia was up in her room just cuddled in the blankets with her eyes closed.
Sometimes things would get her so down and remind her about how crappy her life was and that her mother abandoned her. When she was younger, she used to lay in bed and cry herself to sleep. However as she got older, she learned how to soothe herself and handle it better.
Sophia's done crying. All she does now is lay there with her eyes squeezed shut, or staring blankly at a wall. She's learned to hide her emotions and conceal everything that's going on in her mind. It could be seen as a blessing and a curse.

There was a light knock on her door. Sophia didn't answer.
Slowly, the door opened and in walked JJ.
"Sophia?" she asked softly.
No response.
"Sweetheart, I know you're awake."
"What do you want?" the kid asked quietly.
"I want to know how you're doing," JJ said and walked over to Sophia's bed.
"Hey, are you okay?" JJ asked when she reached the girl's bed and sat down on the edge of it. She carefully pushed Sophia's hair out of her face and looked her in the eye.
"I want my mom," Sophia admitted and stared up at JJ.
"I'm so sorry," JJ whispered and leaned her head down on Sophia's. The girl didn't pull away, which surprised JJ. Sophia closed her eyes and felt JJ's forehead on her.
"It's been ten years since you've had a mother and I think you turned out just fine," Jennifer told her.
That made Sophia smile.
"Good one," she said and opened her eyes. JJ sat back up and said,
"Want me to stay with you until you fall asleep?"
The kid hesitated.
A part of her, the rational part, wanted to say no. No to a physical and emotional relationship with JJ. But the little girl in her just wanted a mother figure to care for her, and that part won.
"Yeah," Sophia whispered and nodded.
JJ smiled and snuggled up to the girl. Sophia leaned her head on JJ and slowly drifted off to sleep.