Epilogue

Claire and Penelope Morgan

12 Months Later

Disclaimer: I don't own criminal minds or the fabulous characters, just the plot. *sigh*

A/N: This IS the last chapter. Hope you like it!

"Are you sure this is what you want?" I asked Penelope as we walked closer to the building looming above us. She scoffed.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" she countered. A huge smile stretched across my face.

"I'm insulted you'd ask such a question," I said playfully. She smiled, but her eyes dropped to her hands. I watched her fidget with the ring on her finger, twisting it carefully on the place it had rested for three months. "You better not be thinking of giving that back to me..." Her eyes met mine again, alarm showing on all regions of her face. Then she saw me laughing and calmed herself.

"Of course not! Marrying you is the one thing I'm sure I did right." We were drawing dangerously close to the brick steps and Garcia returned to her wedding ring. When she finally looked up, we were at the door and she gulped.

"We don't have to do this if you don't want to," I started. We'd had this conversation so many times and she'd always shot me down; I knew she wanted to.

"No! I'm just... I'm just nervous because... Well, to be honest... I'm scared she won't want to go with us," she said softly.

"Penelope Garcia Morgan! She will be grateful to get out of this place. I promise." I paused to step out of the way of the door that we were now blocking, as a young woman ventured through the great doors. She sighed.

"Fine then. I'm ready." I opened the door.

Stony Bridge Orphanage was not like the one you would see in movies. When you entered you saw a large waiting area filled with comfortable couches and a desk in the middle. An old woman was speaking behind the desk to the woman politely. Beyond the desk was a long hallway and on each side of the hallway were five doors, probably leading to other rooms. JJ had sworn she would find the nicest place for her and it looked like she had. I reminded myself to thank her again later. Garcia took my hand and we walked up to the desk.

"Now, I'm sorry dear, but there is no one by the name of James Lempke here," the woman behind the desk told the frantic mother. She was crying and pleading for her to check again. Her thin hair was frizzing around her face and her watery blue eyes were wide.

"Please! He's here, he is! He's... He's... Check again!" she screamed and slammed her small fist on the counter. The old woman made a hand gesture and the guards by the door came and ushered her out. Garcia stood frozen, watching this exchange and I wondered if she actually had changed her mind.

"I'm terribly sorry. She's been coming by every day for the last week asking for the same little boy. I'm so sorry you had to see that. Now..." She paused, taking us in and smiled warmly. "How can I help you?" This was the part I was nervous about. JJ had said it was a small orphanage. She could be gone. I glanced at Garcia and saw her still frozen so I spoke quickly.

"Yes, we are looking for Claire Turner." I held my breath as I waited for her to tell us she wasn't here. I waited for her to searched in her computer for her as well and come up empty. But she only chuckled and turned to Garcia.

"So. You must be Penelope."

...

Her comment shocked me and we both frowned at her statement. Before we could respond however, she spoke.

"Follow me, children." She made another signal to the guards and one of them walked over to us to replace the woman behind the desk. "I'll only be gone a few minutes, Hoover." The woman must have been standing on a stool, because she couldn't have been more than four feet tall. Garcia and I towered over her and we both bit our tongues. She took us down the hallway and stopped at the second door on the right. She knocked on the door twice and you could hear an audible gasp come from inside. Then hushed whispers.

"Who's it gonna be?"

"My bet's on Melissa."

"What if it's my mom!" Then one loud voice.

"Quiet now. Settle down, or it won't be any of you," a man shouted. Then one more voice spoke before we opened the door.

"W e know one thing. It won't be her." Garcia frowned and I wondered who 'her' was, but before we could ask the door swung open. As we stepped into view, there was a small squeak from the corner of the classroom. The walls were lined with paintings and projects and the desks were arranged in rows of ten. A fit man stood at the head of the classroom by the whiteboard. His hair was neat and clean, like the rest of him and he reminded me of my old geography teacher.

"Ms. Helda, if you will, try to be as speedy as possible. If you will, I have a class to teach, if you will," he said hurriedly. Who says 'if you will' three times in one statement?

"Of course, Bernard. Claire?" Helda called out. A frumpy girl with two blonde, lopsided ponytails stood up gleefully. Her uniform was crinkled and her pudgy face was covered in freckles; her smile so large I winced. This was not Claire. Helda turned to us. "This is the child, isn't it?"

"No, I'm sorry. It isn't," Garcia said, he voice nothing but a whisper. She turned to me and put her face in my chest. "She's gone." I wrapped my arms around her and tried to contain my own unhappiness.

"Ms. Helda, we said Claire Turner. If she is no longer here, we will be leaving now," I said gruffly. I felt Garcia squeeze me tighter. Before we could leave the room or Helda could speak. A beautiful girl in a crisp uniform rose. She was seated near the back and seemed to be isolated from the other children.

"I'm Claire Turner." My focus snapped to hers and I breathed a sigh of sweet relief. Garcia didn't wait for that, she just ran towards her. I almost told her to be careful, an old habit after her injuries. She reached Claire and picked her up, holding her close. "I knew you'd come," she said to quietly I might have imagined it.

"Wait. Her?" several people asked.

"Why do you want that one and not us?" another chorus of people shouted. Claire blushed and turned away from us. But I was past that. I felt rage.

"I heard her parents were alcoholics."

"I heard that killed themselves."

"Does it matter? They're dead!" This earned a round of laughter from the kids. I was about to yell that these ungrateful children when Claire's yell halted my own.

"YES IT DOES." No one in the room moved and I was shocked. "My parents were NOT alcohol abusers! My father was MURDERED because the sick son of a bitch was JEALOUS of him."

"Claire! Language, if you will!" Bernard told her. She ignored him.

"My mother and brothers and myself WERE KIDNAPPED. They were BRUTALLY KILLED BY THAT MAN. BECAUSE OF ME. You don't know what the hell you are talking about. I bet NONE of you have had that happen to you. NONE. I bet YOU GUYS are the ones with unfit parents that use drugs. You can tease each other about that, but not me. You know why? Because I'm leaving WITH THEM. The people that caught the killer." She pointed to us and I still couldn't move. She took my hand and Garcia and walked with us towards the door.

"I still think she's all talk," one final child mumbled. "She wouldn't have the guts to hurt us if she wanted to." I saw the anger boil up inside her again, but I met her eyes and winked. She frowned but didn't move. I turned and walked over to the puckish boy.

"The man that killed her family isn't in jail," I told him. He laughed.

"See! You guys aren't as good as you think you are. Is that supposed to scare me!" he said. Cocky little... I darkened my eyes and I could feel him lean away from me.

"No," I said simply. He laughed again. I put my hands on his desk. "He's not in jail because..." I leaned closer to him, making him sweat. "Because Claire shot him in the face." The room gasped. I turned away from him and took Claire's hand in my own, as well as Garcia's, and walked out of the room.

...

Before we left and after we had legally adopted Claire, I told Garcia to catch up with Claire on the chairs across the room from the desk. I wanted to have a little chat with Ms. Helda. She was sipping her coffee and reading the newspaper. I waited until she looked up.

"Oh! Mr. Morgan. Can I help you?" she asked, completely unaware.

"Do you have anything to say about what happened in that classroom?" She frowned.

"Yes. Yes I do. I think you were too hard on Jeffery. He doesn't know any better yet." I slammed my hands on the counter, making her spill some of her coffee.

"If that is the amount of bullying that Claire received that this school for one whole year, I am ashamed and disgusted by the adult supervision. I was told this was the best orphanage in the state."

"It is!" she exclaimed.

"No. No it isn't. You will not receive very must business the next few months Helda. I swear to you." Those were my last words to Ms. Helda.

...

When we exited the orphanage, Claire hugged us.

"Thank you so so so so much."

"You're welcome," we said in unison. After that Garcia asked her many questions and finally Claire just told us everything. While Claire was still talking, Garcia took her hand in mine and met my eyes. They were filled with tears of joy and wonder. Claire stopped speaking to watch our exchange and smiled when Garcia put her head on my forehead, leaning in to me.

"I love you," she said. "Thank you for this." My lips touched hers and I reminded myself of how lucky I was, for the hundredth time that day. When we continued walking down the street, all I could see was my family. It was as if a light shown from them, surrounding their forms. I couldn't believe what I had, and I knew I would never let it go. As long as I lived.

A/N: It's finally over! I can't thank you enough for all the reviews and support that I've received while writing this story. I would LOVE to thank:

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The people above are people that have reviewed my story and have helped me along the way. HOWEVER. I have a very special thank you soooooooo much to:

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These are the people that inspired me and were with me the whole way. That's all I really have to say, I have no idea when I will come up with another story, but if I do it will most likely be a sequel to this one. THANKS SO MUCH AGAIN.

-Rachel (boneslovva) 3