❝ you're the best of us. ❞
in which the ex-agent with a therapy license decides to get back in the game.
CRIMINAL MINDS SEASON 4
OC X AARON HOTCHNER
TRIGGER WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS GRAPHIC VIOLENCE, MENTIONS OF SEXUAL ABUSE AND ISSUES SURROUND...
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FORTY FIVE. FOR THE BEST
DAISY HADN'T EXPECTED THE TEAM TO SHOW UP AT THE CARE CENTRE LESS THAN AN HOUR AFTER SHE'D CALLED. The only reason she'd called was to avoid the inevitable conversation they'd have upon her return. Besides, she felt they had done more than enough to support her over the last few days.
She and Rhea were sitting beside the bed in silence, holding hands. The teacher had dropped everything once she got the phone call and raced to the care centre in full Spirit Week attire, the blinding colours of her Miss Frizzle costume unmistakeable. It would have been amusing to Daisy in other circumstances (though Beanie found it hilarious either way).
"You don't need to be so sad," the girl said, not liking the quietness of the room. Daisy looked up from her lap and saw her sister's eyes on her. They had once been full of life and joy, but now they were murky and tired. The expression on her face was also lacking enthusiasm, as she wasn't too impressed with how her sister was handling the news. "I'm going to be a lot happier when I'm gone."
"I know," Daisy felt Rhea squeeze her hand. The agent shifted in her seat, trying to find the right words to say. It wasn't as if she didn't know this moment was going to come, but confronting it was incredibly difficult. She'd had years to prepare for it, but there was a part of her that never wanted to let go. "It's just going to be weird...not having you around."
"You're making it sound like it's the end of the world," Beanie scoffed, rolling her eyes in a very teenager-like way. Sometimes Daisy forgot that she was only nineteen. "I've been in here since I was fifteen, wondering when I'll next see a face that doesn't belong to a nurse or a doctor. There's been days where I've forgotten who you are, and who I am. The only constant thing I have to keep me grounded is a kids show. Daisy...I haven't been living for a long time."
As much as the words hurt to hear, Daisy knew she was right. The girl had never really gotten to live her life. Her mother had left her shortly after her birth, she'd been kidnapped and paralysed in the prime of her youth, and her father had killed himself when he received the news that she could never walk again. That wasn't the life such a good person deserved.
Daisy reached over and grasped Beanie's right hand. Her thumb traced circles on the girl's skin, something that used to lull her to sleep as a baby. "I love you, kid."
Beanie's breath rattled as she met her sister's gaze, a trying smile still on her face. "I love you too. Now, can we make my last day fun instead of depressing? I think I deserve that much."
At this, Rhea started rummaging in her bag, using her dress sleeve to wipe her eyes. "You almost had me tear-bending there, Beanie."
Beanie laughed, her attention turning to the teacher, who found some face paint and nail polish. The girl's face contorted as she became perplexed. "Why do you have that in your bag?"
