I said that I would finish this story and I have come to the end of this one. I am not sure if those who have been following the story will be happy with how I chose to end the story. I appreciate all those that have hung in there with me to finish the story. Hope you enjoy the story. Please read and let me know what you think. Thanks for all your support :)

Chapter Fifty Two

Neither Emily or Mary were ready to talk to anybody about what had transpired today so they had to think hard about who to get a ride with to the hotel. They both knew if they told Jennifer and Reid that they didn't want to talk they wouldn't force them to talk but they would spend the whole car ride giving them sad puppy dog stares and ask them if they were okay hoping that they would talk. Morgan would also honor their wishes but he would try to make jokes or talk about nonsense stuff all the way to the hotel mostly for his own sake to keep from asking them questions. Garcia was completely out as the last person they needed for a ride because she would burst out or break down into tears. They knew their friends had nothing but love for them but they just needed quiet right now. The two women knew that they didn't want to talk to each other right now either. That left Rossi and Hotch as the only option. Although Rossi would want to act like a father needing to make sure they were fine but he would not talk to them if they asked. And Hotch being told they didn't want to talk would probably be grateful that he would not have to find the right things to say to try to comfort them. The two women had made their decision before they said their piece to everyone in the conference room now they just needed to ask for the ride when they got to the parking lot.

Once they got to the hotel, Mary and Emily decided to not go to their room but to get their drinks by the pool. They were surprised that nobody followed them or came to find them after they had been gone for an hour but were glad they were left alone so that they could talk before having to talk to everyone else.

"Emily, what do you think is going to happen?" Mary asked as she sipped her Mai Tai looking at the families playing around the pool.

Taking a long drag of her beer, Emily looked in the same direction as Mary and said, "I don't know. What do you want to happen? I think you and the others have the most invested in the decision since you were held the longest by him."

"That is true we were held longer but you have been affected just as much as we were. I know for me it's strange because he is the only parent I can remember and all of you are the only family I can remember so that's why I am happy that the decision is not up to me. I've been thinking that maybe I'm an orphan and that is the reason that nobody has claimed me. Maybe I don't have a family to remember, ya know."

"You have a family now Mary. You have me. You also have the others who are your family now because we have gone through the same experiences together like a family. And you have Reid and the others who are your family too. You are not alone even if you are an orphan," Emily said as she lean over to give her a kiss on the cheek. Her thinking that she may be an orphan was something that Emily had not even considered but it made sense because no one has come forward to claim her and Garcia has not been able to find any trances of anything about her. Maybe that it why she has adjusted better than the rest of the others to this ordeal.

"I know, and I'm grateful that I have such a protective big sister. And I even have another sister, big brothers and uncles not to mention that I have a loving grandmother as well," she with a smile.

Both women smiled thinking about their eclectic family as they watched the other families around the pool playing.

"What are you going to tell Jennifer…about the other stuff we talked to Dr. Martin about?"

Emily took a deep sigh and another long sip of her beer. "I guess I will tell her as much as I can in the beginning but I know I probably won't be able to talk about like you did with the doctor at first since I haven't talked about it with nobody except you. And that was not very much. What are you going to tell Reid? I don't think I want anyone else to know right now."

"I'm probably gonna tell him some of it but not right away. I want to wait until the trial is over with first. One hurdle at a time. You gonna talk to the others about the plea bargain tonight?"

"I will talk about it as much as the others talk about it. But I assume it will be their families who will want to talk about it more. Maybe they can talk to those from BAU and leave us out of it. Maybe we can use our stress and trauma to our benefit so that no one will bombard us with a lot of questions," she said with a grin. Mary just nodded her head in agreement as she went back to her drink.

When they had finished their drinks, Mary placed hers on the table then said, "We probably should go find the others so they don't think we ran away."

Emily lightly laughed as she said, "I doubt they think we ran off because Garcia would make a lousy spy since she has been hovering on the other end of the pool area for about ten minutes after we sat down. And the others have not so slyly joined her pretending to just be having a cocktail as they take turns watching us. It's a good thing that they can't read lips. What do you say we go and sneak up on them? If we leave individually like we are going to the bathroom and come around the other way we can come up behind them. You go first and I will meet you inside."

By the time the others had noticed that the two women had not returned to their table, Mary and Emily were able to walk up behind the group as they were frantically looking around the area for them.

They stood quietly behind the group as Emily loudly asked, "Who you guys looking for? Did Monroe escape or are you looking for the waiter to bring you another drink?"

Both women laughed at the startled response from the group being surprised which caused everyone to burst into laughter after they realized that they had been pranked by the two women. They all realized that this was the first time they had all been able to let their guards down enough to engage in genuine laughter.

*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*

Mary and Emily told Jennifer that they would talk to people once the trial was concluded. JJ understood that talking about all of the other issues now would only create more stress for her girlfriend and she didn't want to do anything to shatter the shaky resolve she managed to obtain now to get through what may be the end of all of this crap that everyone had to go through, so she was willing to try and be patient with her. She would also help remind everyone else to lay off trying to get Mary to talk about it as well.

Both Mary and Emily decided to take a short nap before they were to meet everyone for dinner. Jennifer suggested that they sack out in their bedroom because it was further from the hotel room door in case the others came by and they wouldn't be disturbed by the noise. Plus she knew that the others would want to quiz her in case she found out any information from the two women. She was a little surprised that they agreed to the suggestion but was happy that they decided to get some rest.

Fifteen minutes after the two women had fallen asleep and Jennifer was trying to read a magazine to relax, a knock came at the door. She took her time getting up to answer the door because she knew it was either Garcia, Reid or Morgan. When she opened the door she was surprised to see all three standing at the door trying to act like they were innocent.

"I knew it would be at least one you but I didn't expect all three of you at the same time. And before you ask me anything, they have not told me anything. They said they want to wait until after the trial is concluded so they only have to deal with one major thing at a time. So do you want to still come in or do you want to wait until we all meet for dinner?" She wasn't sure if she wanted them to come in or not.

"Well, I wanted to come and keep you guys company before dinner," Penelope said with a cheerful smile.

"Yeah I wanted to talk to you guys instead of the old men's club. I know Hotch isn't as old as Rossi but sometimes when they get together I start to feel old," Morgan laughed.

"You could never be that old chocolate thunder." Morgan gave the blonde a seductive wink as he put his arm around her shoulder.

"I just wanted to spend time with Mary," said Reid with a meek expression.

"Well you three can come in and talk with me but they are taking a nap right now. So you will have to be quiet." Jennifer said in a motherly tone. She saw the slight dejected look on the three of their faces and tried to hide her grin.

Taking a deep breath, Morgan stood up straighter and suggested, "Well since they are sleeping, let's go to the bar and get a drink until you have to come up to wake them. How 'bout it JJ?"

She turned back to look down the short hall before nodding her head. She thought that might be better to socialize with friends instead of trying to pretend that she wasn't worried about the women by reading the same page in the magazine over and over. She went to get the door key card off the bar and followed her friends down to the bar.

*X*X*X*X*X*X*

Everyone was impressed that Garcia was able to pull together the dinner arrangements so quickly for them and to get a private room. She was also able to manage to get the whole deal catered which raised a questioning eyebrow of the unit supervisor but he figured he would talk to her about that later.

As was expected that the kidnappees all congregated together and the others sat together. Mama Belle at first was unsure which group to sit with but she decided to sit with Mary and Emily's group first before dinner in hopes of offering the others some type of comfort before dinner and because the topic of discussion in the room was everyone's feelings about the plea bargain. Dr. Martin was invited to join the group for dinner but declined feeling that it would be outside of her professional duties having spent most of the afternoon with the group as it was.

Before everyone began to eat Mama Belle stood up and asked for everyone's attention. "I don't mean to keep you good folks from eating but given the circumstances of us all being together and what may be the end of the trial tomorrow, I thought it fitting to grace this meal and gathering with a prayer for all of us and our love ones. I ain't no preacher but I know a little something about God's good grace. So if you all don't mind I'll like to share a prayer." She looked around the room to see if everyone was in agreement before she continued. She smiled kindly when she saw the smiles and nods from others in the room.

"Let us pray." Everyone bowed their heads and some closed their eyes in preparation for the prayer. "Dear heavenly father, thank you for giving us this wonderful place where we can all share in your bounty. Thank you for allowing us all to be here safe and well with each other and to be allowed to support each other in this time of trials and anguishes. Thank you Lord, for watching over those who could not be here with us today. We know they are going through their own trials. We know that your loving hand will direct us all through whatever is to come next and your grace will not forsake us even if our hearts are heavy. In your name I ask for these blessing for all of us. Amen." She ended with a wide smile on her face as she looked to everyone in the room as if giving them all her own personal blessings as she heard them say 'Amen' in unison. After a few moments of silence she shouted, "Now let's eat before this good food gets cold!" The room broke out into good natured laughter which brought the tension down in the room allowing everyone the freedom to enjoy themselves.

Mama Belle's prayer and blessing was able to set a positive tone for the room. It was almost as if her words took away the heaviness that everyone was feeling as they walked into the room. Everyone was able to laugh and enjoy each other's company with the discussion about the trial or talk about what led to the trial being at a minimum. They all realized that there would be time to talk about those things in the future after this was all over. The families realized that wouldn't get much of a say in the outcome and those directly affected were having a hard time making a decision. They just wanted the man helped and not to cause more pain to others.

The festivities lasted for a few hours and people slowly started to drift out of the room and to their homes saying their goodbyes until tomorrow. By the evening's end, Emily and Mary thanked Garcia for putting the dinner together each giving her a tight hug and kiss. Both women walked Mama Belle to her car not wanting their time to end with her. They knew that her family she was staying with would be expecting her and she did promise to call and talk to the girls before their bedtime.

"Mama Belle, thank you for everything you did for us today. I can't imagine what my life would be if we had not met you. I'm glad I can refer to you as my family…my grandmother," Mary said as a few tears ran down her face as she gave the older woman a hug.

Emily also hugged her tightly when Mary released her from her arms. In her ear she said, "I don't remember my grandmother but you would be the person I hoped that she was for me. Thank you Mama Belle. I love you."

After getting in her car she sat there without saying anything for a few moments, she rolled down her window before pulling out of the parking space to speak to the two women. "Girls, I love you both as if you were my own. I thank God every night that he brought you into my life and my girls' life. I love you both. Now you both get to bed. Making an old woman cry like this you should be ashamed of yourselves. Go on now, I gotta get home. See you tomorrow." She then pulled quickly out of the parking lot without looking back at the two women through her rearview mirror who were watching her leave hugging each other. She tried to hold her feelings in as best as she could because those two women were bringing back feelings and thoughts about her own lost child. It was true that she was glad they had come into her life because they caused her to remember and cherish the good and all too short times she shared with her baby.

"Well I guess neither one of us can say that we don't have a grandmother anymore. Let's go to bed. I think tomorrow is gonna be just as hard as today," Emily said as she gave the younger woman a kiss on the forehead as they walked back into the hotel.

*X*X*X*X*X*X*

Mary decided to stop by Reid's room to say goodnight and give him some attention since she knew that she had been ignoring him all day. She didn't plan on telling him everything or anything but she just wanted to spend some time with him.

Knowing that she would be going back to the room alone was making Emily nervous to have to be alone with Jennifer. She was surprised that Jennifer was alone in the room as she expected to see Penelope and or Derick in there with her. But she was grateful that she wouldn't have to deal with the other two just now with the day she had had.

Hearing the door open, the blonde turned around hoping that her girlfriend was coming in. She quickly looked around expecting to see Mary but smiled wider when it was just the brunette.

"Hi baby, did Mama Belle get off okay?"

"Yes, she said she would see everyone tomorrow. I thought you would be in bed already. Mary stopped by to talk to Reid. Hopefully Morgan will give them some alone time." She walked over to the couch and leaned down to give Jennifer a quick peck on the lips.

"Are you going to bed right now? I was hoping you could cuddle with me on the couch before we went to bed. We don't have to talk. I just want to be close to you before going to bed," JJ said as she took her hand in her own rubbing her thumb in her palm.

Without saying anything, Emily sat next her and placed her arm around her shoulder causing her to snuggle closer to her as she wrapped her arm around her waist. Emily placed a gentle kiss on her forehead as they both just sat there in each other's arms.

After about five minutes of comfortable bliss which was unexpected by both women to be that comfortable after the day that they had had, Emily broke the silence with a loud sigh.

"Are you okay baby?" JJ asked with concern.

Taking a deep breath, Emily spoke softer than expected. "I'm sorry about what happened today. I know you want to know what it was all about…and I want to tell you but I can't tell you about it right now. I just want to get through tomorrow first. Is that okay with you? I…I guess I can tell you something about it so it will not make you upset. I don't wa…"

She was silenced by Jennifer placing her finger to her lips. "Sweetheart, I am just happy that you are here with me like this right now. I will wait until you are ready to talk to me about whatever you need to tell me. I could never get upset with you about not being able to talk to me about whatever happened to you. And just so you know, you are talking to me about it. I will always be concerned about you because I love you. You are my heart." She then leaned up to give her a passionate kiss.

"I love you too. I am always surprised how you can still be so kind to me after everything I have put you through and probably will still put you through."

"It doesn't matter as long as we go through it together. How about we go to bed so you can go to sleep in my arms. We all have a big day tomorrow." Jennifer stood up and held out her hand leading them both to the bedroom.

*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*

Emily did not get much sleep and even though she didn't want to leave the comfort of Jennifer's embrace she knew she would wake her up because of the inability to be still as the thoughts of what was going to happen kept going through her head. She got up wondering if Mary had come back last night or stayed with Reid. She hoped she stayed with him and that got her some solace unlike her. She was a bit surprised and relieved when she walked out to the main room and saw the young woman sitting on the chair looking out the window in the darkness of the early morning. She quietly went and sat in the twin chair next to her and joined her.

The two women sat in silence for about an hour or two as neither one had paid any attention to the time just knowing that it was early. Jennifer walked out after realizing she was alone in bed noticing that it was 6:30 am in the morning and became concerned when Emily had not come back to bed. The morning light had just begun to illuminate the room and Jennifer noticed that both women were fully dressed for the day. She wasn't sure if she should alert them to her presence or just get dressed herself so that maybe they could go have breakfast or talk or something.

Before she could make up her mind, she heard a quiet voice say, "Good morning Jennifer."

She shouldn't have been startled that Emily heard her come in the room after all she was a skilled spy and profiler. "Morning sweetheart. I didn't think I was making any noise."

"I heard the bedroom door open. I didn't want to wake you so I thought I would get ready for the day. Me and Mary have just been waiting for the day to start."

"I see. How about I get dressed and we can go get some breakfast? Maybe the others will join us if you want them to."

Emily looked over at Mary and noticed that she just shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever the rest of you guys want to do. Just let us know."

Nothing else was said and Jennifer realized that she was probably going to have to make some decisions about the morning. She went back in the bedroom to get ready and call Garcia.

*X*X*X*X*X*X*

Garcia had rallied everyone to meet for breakfast to everyone's displeasure. Morgan made sure to tease Emily and Mary about being such early risers. Emily tried to turn it around on to Jennifer since she called Garcia. She didn't really want the others inconvenienced because she couldn't sleep.

Fortunately the conversation was light and nobody talked about the elephant in the room and what would be happening in the next few hours.

It became evident that Emily and Mary were growing anxious to get to the court house even if it meant just wait outside the courtroom for some type of decision to be made. Everybody else figured that the others were probably going to be just as anxious and be waiting there as well.

And just as they surmised the others were waiting outside the courtroom when the BAU team arrived. There was no sign of the prosecution team or the defense anywhere in sight so everyone just tried to occupy their time making idle chit chat so not to think the worst case scenario.

*X*X*X*X*X*X*

In one of the conference rooms one floor below the court room an intense meeting was being held with the defense and the prosecution hashing out the plea agreement. They had been talking for about an hour and they were still having trouble coming to any compromise.

"Mr. Peabody he will have to do some jail time. The crimes he committed cannot go unpunished," Eliot Wallace said trying not to shout.

"I think him being sentenced to a hospital indefinitely is punishment enough. We have all agreed that Dr. Monroe needs help and he is not responsible for his actions because of his mental health issues," retorted the defense lawyer.

"I will not stipulate that he is not responsible for his actions. Yes, he does require treatment for his mental health issues but that does not mean he gets a pass for his crime. He knew enough to concoct the drugs to manipulate them and enough to know when they were needing medical attention. So he obviously knew what he was doing. Again my offer stands that he be placed in a state hospital until he is deemed ready to be transferred to a federal prison for 7-10 years. That's the best you are going to get or we can finish the trial and you can gamble with him getting 25 years in federal prison. I will give you 10 minutes to talk it over with your client."

Wallace walked out of the conference room leaving the defense to talk over the plea deal with Monroe. He hoped for the sake of the victims that he will take the deal. Everyone involved needed this to be over especially since it has been going on for so long. The victims needed to be able to put this behind them so they could start to live their lives again. Eliot was grateful that there was no loss of life involved just loss of mental health which for some he realized could be worst.

The discussion between Peabody and Monroe was going slow. The lawyer wished he had arranged with his therapist to be here while dealing with the plea agreement but he said he would be present in court.

"Phillip you can't continue to ignore me about this issue. Whatever you choose will affect your life. I need your opinion on what you want to do. You told your doctor that you wanted to get help and stop hurting the others. Is that still what you want to do?" Peabody at first thought this case would be another feather in his cap but he was just now realizing how damaged the man really was and saw the damage he had caused.

It what could be seen as a moment of clarity or further evidence of how sick that man really was, Monroe stared at his attorney with a questioning look and said, "I hurt people. I don't want to hurt people. Is that why I am locked up and on trial? I hurt people, how?"

"You don't remember taking a bunch of people and holding them to make them believe that they were members of your family who had died? The prosecutor just offered you a deal to get help before going to prison for 7-10 years instead of possibly doing 25 years in prison. He's given us 10 minutes to give him your decision."

"I don't know why I did those things. Did I hurt people badly? I guess I do need help." He put his face in his hands as he bent his head down as if in thought. His lawyer waited for any further response from him. After about two minutes his head shot back up and he looked as though he was agitated. "I want to see my family if I have to go to somewhere to get help. At least let me be able to say goodbye to my wife and children. I want to tell PJ and Claire that that they will have to take care of their mother and grandfather while I am gone. I know they will take care of their sisters."

Peabody realized that he needed to get the man to sign off on the deal as quickly as possible before he goes into another psychotic tailspin. "Phillip, just to be clear, you are saying that you want to get help. You realize that means that you will be admitted into a state hospital and then will have to do prison time."

"If I hurt people I guess I need help but I want to say goodbye to my family. I haven't been able to see my wife or my middle daughter. Will I be able to see them before I go to the hospital?" Monroe said as if was just a matter of a phone call to make these things occur.

Peabody knew this was the best he was going to get from the man so he only responded with, "I will see what I can do. I will go tell the prosecutor of your decision. Wait here and I will be back."

As he found the other attorney talking to a clerk, he took a deep sigh as he went over to talk to him about the plea. He was hoping that he could get him to shave a few years off the prison time knowing that he will probably be spending a long time in the state hospital. And he figured he would present his request knowing that there was no way in hell that it would be granted.

After the two attorneys worked out the particulars of the plea agreement, they had it sent to Judge Scott after getting Monroe's signature for her to sign off on it. An hour and a half later, all parties would be informed so that court could commence.

*X*X*X*X*X*X*

Emily had been twiddling with a piece of Kleenex in her hands so long that now it was a pile of miniature white balls in her lap while they were waiting for some news of what was to happen. Mary had practically worn a hole in the carpet from her constant pacing that Reid had become tired of trying to keep pace with her and sat down. The others had come in and outside so often that the security guard had made arrangements for them to use another door beside the main entrance. Mama Belle had arrived and after having a short conversation with the others and realizing that her presence would do nothing to calm down her two girls she took a seat and softly began to sing a hymn hoping that it will bring some type of peace to those waiting.

Everyone was startled when the court room doors opened allowing people to enter. Most people rushed in to make sure they were able to get a seat. The press who had been kept away by the court officers from the victims were able to enter the court room which many mumbled their disapproval to not be allowed to do their jobs and interview the parties involved. Emily stayed back with Jennifer waiting to hear if she had to testify or not.

"It's okay sweetheart. No matter what's going to happen I'm here for you." Jennifer took hold of the brunette's hand as they waited. Emily just kept worrying the piece of tissue in her hand and said nothing.

A few minutes later a court clerk approached her. "Miss Prentiss, Mr. Wallace would like to talk to you before the court is called into session. If you will follow me please." The woman motioned for her to follow her to a small room next to the court room leaving Jennifer to wait. Jennifer went in to wait in the court room with the others and noticed that the other kidnappees were not in the court room. In the room were the other members of the 'family' that had also been summoned to the meeting with Eliot.

He looked at everyone to make sure he had their attention. "As you all know Phillip Monroe was asking to for a plea deal. We met this morning and were able to come up with a deal that the judge has approved. I wanted the opportunity to share it with you first before it is announced in the court room. Mr. Monroe has agreed to be placed in a state hospital until he is deemed well enough where he will be transferred to a federal prison where he will do 7-10 years before he will be released. Do any of you have any questions?"

The group all looked at each other trying to get a read on what all of this meant for them. Emily cleared her throat getting everyone's attention before she spoke. "Does he know what he agreed to? Does he still think we are his family?"

"Yes, I am afraid that he is still in the delusion that you are all his deceased family. The other reason I wanted to talk to you all before court started is that he made a request to be able to say goodbye to his family before he went away so you will understand that he is going to get better before you see him again. The judge denied his request of course. I will understand if you don't want to be in the court room as the plea deal is read into the court records and made official. He may try to talk to you when he sees you."

"Can we say something? I mean can we say something to the judge about how we feel about everything?" Michael Cooper asked.

Giving the man a slight smile, the lawyer responded, "I believe the judge will ask if any of you have anything you want to say before she imposes her final sentence."

"Will we be able to give our opinion about the plea deal or say what we want to happen to him? I know my kids think that him going to a funny farm is an easy way out and he should get punished for what he did to us. I know he ain't right in the head and should be locked away so he can think straight. I read some stuff about him and he was supposed to be a good doctor back in the day until his family was killed. I don't know how I would act if it was my family but …" Joe Warner was cut off by Michael.

"You wouldn't kidnap a bunch of people and force them to believe things that are not real. Yeah that was sad what happened to his family but he was trying to do the same to us and our families. Mary can't even remember her family because of him. And Karen and Bethany may never be the same because of him. The more I think about it the more I believe he gets what's coming to him," Michael said with barely controlled anger.

"I know the plea agreement will not please everyone but it was the best way that we were able to get a positive outcome and him receiving prison time for what he has done to all of you. Listen everyone, the plea deal has been signed off by the judge and I know she would like to hear anything you have to say but he will be sentenced to a penile state hospital and then to federal prison. There is no date when he is scheduled to be released from the hospital but it could be a long time. After court has been adjourned I will be happy to talk to any of you or find someone for you to talk to. We better get in the court room so we can conclude all of this and you good people can take back your lives with this portion finally behind you." Eliot Wallace reached out toward the door as a signal for them to file out and head back to the court room.

Emily slowly walked back into the court room and sat next to Jennifer. "Are you going to have to testify or did they reach a plea deal?"

"They reached a plea deal. State hospital until he is sane to do 7-10 in a federal prison," Emily said flatly.

Jennifer was unsure what think about her lack of emotion but then she realized that the others had a similar flat affect. Before she could ask her anything else the court was called to order. Monroe was led in by two officers and sat at the defense table. He kept turning around trying to talk to the victims who seemed to be trying their best to ignore him.

Judge Scott called for order in the court room and addressed the prosecution. "I understand a plea agreement was reached. Is that so Mr. Wallace?"

Standing to address the judge, he said, "Yes your honor. We have. Mr. Monroe will be admitted to a state hospital until he is deemed sane then he will be transferred to a federal prison to serve out his sentence of 7-10 years."

"Mr. Monroe please stand and face the court."

Monroe was so distracted with trying to talk to his victims sitting in the gallery that Peabody had to work to redirect his attention toward the judge. "Phillip, pay attention and stand up so you can talk to the judge," he said with a stern whisper.

Finally getting his attention the judge said, "Mr. Monroe, you understand that you have agreed to a plea bargain where you admitted your guilt to the charges against you where you will be sentenced to a stay in a state hospital until you are you deemed to competent to complete your sentence in a federal prison for a minimum of 7 years not to exceed 10 years. Do you understand this agreement?" Monroe looked at the judge at first like he didn't understand what she was saying. "Mr. Monroe did you understand what I said to you?"

Mr. Peabody leaned into him whispering in his ear, "Phillip you need to answer the judge."

"Sorry your honor, I understand. I don't want my family to think I'm a bad person that's why I am ready to go to the hospital so they won't be afraid of me and know that I will do anything to protect them. Your honor, could I have some time to talk to my family who are here right now to say goodbye to them and can I be able to see my wife and my daughter who are not here. I have not been able to talk to any of my family since this all started. I'm not sure they understand why I have had to go through all of this. I know that my kids were scared when they were made to have to say those things about their father. I just want a few minutes to talk to them if I may your honor." Before the judge could respond to his request he had turned around and started to address the others seated behind him. "Family, I love you all. I hope you know that and I never want to hurt you. Kids, daddy is going to have to go away for a little while but I will be back. Please know that I will always love you. Go find your mother and sister and you all take care of each other. Your grandpa and uncle will help you, won't you?" He turned around to face the judge, "I guess I'm ready to go now."

"Alright Mr. Monroe the court officers will transfer you to the state hospital. I hope that your victims will also be able to heal now that this trial has come to an end. Mr. Monroe I know that you were a talented doctor before you suffered the tragedy of losing your family. It is my hope that you will also be able to receive the help you need so that you will be able to take responsibility for your actions and understand the harm you have caused them. Officers please remove Mr. Monroe from the court room. This court is adjourned." Judge Scott struck her gavel ending the court session as Monroe was taken from the court room.

The spectators and reporters exited the court room leaving only those who were directly involved sitting still in their seats speechless trying to take in what just happened. It became clear that they were trying to come to terms with the trial being over and now trying to figure out what to do with their lives now.

Jennifer took hold of Emily's hands causing her to look at her. "Baby, it's over. It's over. Everyone can get on with their lives now. You can put this behind you now and you can now heal. Let's go back to the hotel. We've spent enough time in this court room. What do you say?"

Emily began to tear up feeling the stress and pressure that the whole experience has caused her. She was starting to feel closed in and needed to get some space and fresh air. She looked around the room but was not really seeing anything specific. She started to hear the voice of Monroe telling her he was proud of her and that he would see her soon. She looked toward the door that he was led out thinking that he would comeback in and start talking to her. She was staring so hard at the door she started to imagine that he did come back through the door.

Mary and Garcia were concerned as they looked at Emily seeing her blank expression. Mary was also worried when she looked at the others especially Robert Crawford and Joe Warner because they looked as though they were lost like Emily. She wondered why she wasn't feeling the same but knew that they all needed to leave the court house.

Rossi and Morgan seeing the mood of everyone had come up with an idea that they hoped will lift the spirits of the group. "Hey everybody, let's all go get some lunch and celebrate that the trial has concluded. There's a great bistro across the street that we can make a group reservation, right Garcia?" said Rossi. Noticing that Mr. Eliot was still in the room he also invited him to join them but he declined.

The parents of Robert were the first to respond to the idea because they were tired of being in the court room. "I think we can all use a celebration after what we have been through. Come on Robert, I'm sure your mother will allow me to buy you a large ice cream sundae to celebrate," he said with a chuckle directed at his son which seemed to lighten his mood.

Garcia seeing the group needed a major happy boost was quick on her phone to make the arrangements for the group. Once it was set up she was quick to announce, "We are all set to go. In fact because of our size they are going to close the restaurant for about three hours and open for a late lunch. Shall we get going?" Penelope said in a cheery voice trying to motivate the group.

Robert's family started the movement and everyone started to follow. Penelope began to act like the Pied Piper as she cheerfully led out of the court house and across the street. Everyone but Emily, that is. Mary went over to Joe taking his arm and escorting him over to the restaurant.

*X*X*X*X*X*X*

When everyone had left the court room, it was just Emily and Jennifer left in the room. They sat in silence staring at the judge's bench. Emily startled Jennifer as she was the first to break the silence.

"Jennifer, I'm scared. I don't know what to do now that it's all over. I don't think I can be stable in my thoughts but I'm not sure. After the judge announced his sentence I heard Monroe talking to me, telling me that he was proud of me and that he knew I would help him. He told me that he would come back for me and the others soon. A part of me wants to believe that he comes back but I know that makes me crazy. What if I don't get better Jennifer? You can't want to be with me. I probably can't work with the FBI because the job is high stress and all the doctors say that high stress is high risk for me to have an episode like I have been having."

Seeing that this was the most Emily has been willing to talk with her, Jennifer didn't try to challenge any of her statements just yet, so she just let her talk. She hoped that she would realize how much she might have been catastrophizing the situation. At least she was hoping she was catastrophizing.

Emily was barely taking a breath as was talking. "You wanted to know what those men had done to me and Mary. Well they kidnapped us and were going to rape us but they were too drunk to complete the task. I was so scared for Mary. She was too young and too innocent to have something like that to happen to her. I had to protect us so I took the truck from the men and we ran and hid until we found Mama Belle and then I found you. I thought once I found you things would get better but they haven't. I'm still messed up in the head thanks to Monroe and I can't even get the thoughts and feelings out of my head that he's my father." She turned and looked at Jennifer in the eyes for the first time since she had started talking. "I love you Jennifer but I can't ruin your life by having you deal with my crazy ass. It would not be fair to you. You can find someone who is normal and will be able to make you happy."

Jennifer wasn't sure if she was happy that she was talking to her, pissed that she wanted to walk away from their love or scared because maybe she was suffering from mental illness. In the end it was her anger that triggered her response to her girlfriend.

"Damn it Emily! I'm not going to go through this again with you. If I wanted to leave your crazy ass I would have left you six months after we first got together. I'm glad you love me because I love you more. I told you I'm with you for the long haul good or bad. Emily we don't know what the future is going to bring. For all you know, now that the trial is over your stress level will decrease. You've already changed your job with the FBI and you are not going out in the field at least for right now but who knows what the future will bring."

Cutting her off, Emily continued her rant. "But what's going to happen if I have another melt down like what happened in court yesterday or like when I went shopping with Penelope? What would I do if you were away on a case and couldn't help me through it or I was not stable enough to call anyone who could help me? I know I was taught tools to help me through those times but if they don't work."

Jennifer stood up and looked at her girlfriend with a stern look on her face and her fists on her hips. "And what if I sprout daisies out of my ass! We can't predict the future… but we can plan to help ourselves when things don't go to plan. " She was able to calm down some by taking several deep breaths and sat back down next to the woman taking her hand in hers and continued, "Emily, I'm committed to you no matter what crazy theories you come up with about you being crazy. If we all were to get honest with ourselves, we're all a little crazy in one way or another. I'm scared too. I don't know what's happening to you and sometime I don't know if I can help you either. But I will not run away from you or let you run away from me either. I can't go through losing you again."

Tears began to run down the blonde's cheeks and the gravity of her emotions caught up with her. She realized that she couldn't be strong for Emily anymore as she tries to hang by the thin string that was getting thinner as she tried to be everything for Emily. She realized she was just crippling Emily by not allowing her to fall and work to find her own way back up. All she could really do for her was to be with her and support her as she found her way. Jennifer came to the realization that her girlfriend was never going to be the same person she once was not only because of what she went through but because of how she survived it. Now Emily had to come to those conclusions on her own.

Wiping the tears from her face she looked at the brunette straight in the eyes. "Sweetheart, I love you. I need you to know that. And I will be at your side and help however I can. But you will have to work on saving yourself. You are too strong a woman to let all of this make you act like a pussy. I'm expecting you to put your big girl panties on and go and handle your business. I can't continue to hold you up all by myself. I still need you to hold me up sometime. I still plan to hold you up as well. I love you Emily Prentiss and nothing will change that." She pulled the woman into her arms and gave her deep passionate kiss that left them both breathless.

When Emily got her breathing under control she was still left speechless comprehending what Jennifer had told her. She smiled as lovingly as she could muster. She rubbed her fingers gently down her cheek and took her hand and nuzzled her finger.

"Jennifer, the one thing that I know for certain is that I love you. I'm going to try… try to do better but I don't know if I can be the person you deserve. But I will still try for you."

"No honey, not for me, do it for you… and maybe both of us but more importantly for you."

"Why shouldn't I do it for you? I owe you so much after all that you have done for me. Maybe if I work on trying to get better for you it will help to fix things. You said you wanted me to try and I'm willing to try. I'm going to hold you up as best as I can right now fighting for you is what I need to do right now to help me. I hope that is good enough for right now." Emily took her girlfriend in her arms and embraced her tightly as she nuzzled into neck.

Jennifer leaned back to at Emily and gave her a bright smile. "If that's what you can give me for right now, I guess that is what I will take. But just to let you know I will be expecting you to not give up and to keep trying to do better. Okay?"

"Okay. I promise to keep trying."

"And keep loving me."

"I definitely will always keep loving you."

"Good. I think we should join the others before they think that something happen with the trial and they called you back in for some reason."

"Yes, I think you are right. I am hungry and we better get there before they eat all the food." They both laughed as they looked deep into each other's eyes.

They shared one more kiss before leaving the court house hoping that this was the end of this chapter. Both knew it was just the beginning of a long time of uncertainty, newness but most importantly a time that they would have each other to love.

The End...or a new beginning...

Depending on the reviews I might be enticed to write an epilog to the story...