Chapter 8

She got out of the SUV and walked across the grass to where her casket sat. She stepped closer and picked up all the letters, reading each one as they were read to her. Starting with Ashley's and not stopping until after she read Aaron's. Her heart was broken, never had she felt a pain so deep. She turned to leave when she saw the other envelope Aaron he laid on top of the roses the team had placed there last. She picked it up and opened it, pulling out the letter she began to read.

'My Dearest Emily, There are so many things I wish I would have told you while you were here. Like how much I respect you, and value you for all that you have done for me. After Haley, you gave me back the will to live. You gave me the courage to be a better father, a better man. You opened my eyes to a world of possibilities. You gave me the strength to love again. You have always had this way about you that just drew people in. Me included. You are my one regret in this life. I regret never telling you how I feel about you. I regret being too scared to take that step; of being scared of the rejection that could come with opening myself up to you.

I am going to miss your laugh, your smile, and your eyes. The way they sparkle when you are happy. I always longed to be the one to make your eyes sparkle like that. I am going to miss seeing you in the office every day. I am going to miss seeing you period. You have been a light in my life, my source of sanity. You kept me from going over that edge in to the darkness that surrounds us.

I will always be grateful for the time I had with you. I will always be grateful to have had you in my life for the little time I had you for. I will always be grateful for you. I love you more than I could ever say. I would trade places with you for just one more chance to tell you that. You are missed so much more than I ever thought I could miss someone. With all my love forever more, Aaron.'

Emily put the letter back into the envelope, and then pulled out the other item that was in the envelope. It was a necklace with a small heart shaped locket on it. She opened the locket and there inside sat two pictures. One of Jack and one of Aaron, smiling back at her. She put the necklace on and the locket came to rest on her chest, under her shirt, where her heart was beating rapidly. She clung to the letters, the last thing to hold her to this world, she cried for a few minutes until the voice of her handler called to her from the SUV, telling her they had to go. Before she turned to go she placed the note she scribbled, under the roses on the casket. She didn't know how she had written it and hid it beneath the flowers without her handler seeing her, but she did. Then again she had been trained well so maybe it shouldn't have been a surprise. She took the top rose off the casket, the one she had seen Aaron place there, and headed back towards the SUV. Back to where she didn't have an identity, where she didn't have anything.

Aaron walked back through the cemetery towards Emily's grave. He wanted to get the letters and keep them, the last thing he could hold onto. Maybe it would help him find solace. He saw the woman walking away from a grave near Emily's; her blonde hair blowing in the slight breeze. Her walk was familiar but he couldn't place her. The only blondes he knew were waiting for him on the other side of the cemetery. He blew it off as a coincidence.

He made it back to her grave to find the letters gone. The small canopy that covered the coffin would have kept them dry but it would have done nothing to keep them from blowing away if the wind picked up. He looked around on the ground but found nothing. He heard the SUV door close behind the blonde. He looked up at the noise and felt a pang in his heart; he didn't know where that had come from. He looked back over the casket and saw a sliver of paper sticking out from under the roses. He pulled out the folded sheet of paper and saw his name written on the outside in a hand writing he knew by heart. He opened it and saw the familiar handwriting of Emily Prentiss. It was short but it left him with hope in his heart.

'I'm so sorry. Please forgive me for what I have to do. I love you. Love always and forever, E.'

He looked up as the SUV pulled away. "Emily." He whispered out in to the air.