Chapter 31

                                    

                                          
A Few Weeks Later...
                          
"What's it like to be back in Counter-Terrorism?" Remi asked as she drank a sip of wine and ate a bite of food that Emily prepared for herself, her girlfriend, and Jordan Todd, who had returned to her other job a couple weeks previously.
                          
"It's like returning home, honestly," Jordan admitted to her two friends. "As much as I loved working with the BAU team, it wasn't really my thing."
                          
"Which is unfortunate because we loved having you work with us," Emily told her truthfully, smiling at her friend.
                          
"I know! But at least we all got to meet! But now we can all be where we really belong. And, JJ is back at her job. I have no idea how that woman does it. She still excels at her job and she's a single mom now, too."
                          
Remi laughed a little half-heartedly. "She does seem to be good at everything. So, Jordan, is there anything else that you want to do besides your job?"
                          
Jordan's eyes dazzled happily, talking with the professor. "I love my job to pieces, but I also love traveling. I just want to backpack through Asia or go on safaris in Africa or learn how to dance and learn culture in South America."
                          
The professor started to grin, knowing exactly how the woman felt. "I know what you mean! I love teaching, but I love just going from place to place, not knowing exactly where I was going to end up. Where is your favorite place to travel?"
                          
The agent frowned and admitted, "I haven't really had the time to travel. I basically went to college and started working. I only went to Europe once when I was in college. A bunch of foreign language clubs came together and we decided to travel. It was honestly the best experience I ever had. I learned so much."
                          
Remi nodded, relating so hard. "You know, I have the same feeling when I go anywhere. Have you ever thought about going to Ecuador? It's one of my favorite places to visit. Oh, the culture... the people... beautiful."
                          
The two women almost forgot Emily was there until they heard her phone ring. Emily groaned and got up to answer the call. She went to the bedroom and answered.
                          
"Emily Prentiss."
                          
"Em?"
                          
Emily froze like she had just heard a ghost. But in some ways, she did. "Johnny? Wha-"
                          
"I hate to bother you. But I need to see you. I'm in Alexandria. I'll text you the location."
                          
Emily didn't know what to say. "I- okay. I'll see you soon, I guess."
                          
He hung up on her, but she received his text a few seconds later with a location. She didn't even have time to think about the call. She returned to the eating area where her girlfriend and friend were still chatting animatedly. She smiled, glad that she wouldn't be missed. Once they realized she was there, Emily cleared her throat.
                          
"I have work to attend to," Emily lied carefully, trying her hardest to not look them right in the eye. "I'm so sorry. Please, continue to enjoy yourselves. I hope this is just some paperwork mishap. Jordan, I'm so glad to have talked with you, please come back again whenever you want to. You're always welcome here. I'll be back soon, Remi." She turned away and walked out of the apartment. She felt numb. She couldn't allow herself to feel anything.
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She entered the dank bar and found him immediately. He didn't look too different. He was the same man she left when she was fifteen. And that was the most worrisome thing she had ever thought.
                          
He recognized her, too. But she wasn't the same woman he had seen all those years ago. She was different.
                          
She approached him, quivering slightly. She took a seat next to him and ordered a drink. She turned to him and asked, "Johnny, why did you call me? We haven't talked in years."
                          
"I called you. Multiple times. I thought maybe today, you might pick up your phone." He took a sip of his whiskey and looked down at it. He couldn't look at her. He was too much of a coward to look at her.
                          
Emily sighed, annoyed that she had somehow offended him without even trying. "I was on a case, John. And you didn't leave any messages. What's going on? Why did you need to talk to me?"
                          
He took a long sip of his alcohol and then he murmured, "Matthew's dead." He finally looked up, trying to search Emily's face for a reaction, but knowing Emily well enough to know that he might not find one.
                          
The profiler felt nothing for a second. But that only lasted for a moment. Then came nausea. She pushed it back with a swallow. "How?"
                          
"His parents said that he had a heart attack," John told her.
                          
Emily bit her lip trying to keep all her feelings inside. "Have you seen him recently?"
                          
"Yeah," He admitted, feeling guilty and ashamed. "A couple of times."
                          
"And how was he?"
                          
John shrugged, not knowing how to reply to that. "He was Matthew. He was rambling. A little chaotic."
                          
Emily read between the lines of the little information that she was given. "He was using."
                          
"I don't know," John replied, rubbing his chin self consciously. "Probably." He took another sip of whiskey and looked back at the glass.
                          
Emily stared at him and noticed that something was off. "There's something that you're not telling me."
                          
"The last time I talked to him, there was somethin' different." He noticed that he caused Emily to look very concerned. He decided to go into further detail. "He was talking crazy. But the- uh- fear, I can't quite explain it. It- it was real."
                          
Emily gaped at him, knowing something unusual happened. "Wh-what was he saying?"
                          
"He said, 'Johnny, they're gonna kill me,'" John whispered as if he thought someone was listening to their conversation."
                          
Her eyes widened. "Who's they?"
                          
"He wouldn't say," John told her. He gulped slowly. "He said that they already murdered a guy from Georgetown named Tommy V and made it look like an accident."
                          
Her pulse quickened and she went into profiler mode. "Do you know anyone named Tommy V?"
                          
"No," he insisted as he crossed his arms. "Look, he was probably just paranoid. But with what you do for a living now..."
                          
Emily nodded, debating what to do. "Yeah, yeah." She didn't know what he was asking for her to do.
                          
"I mean you're one of the only people he ever trusted, Em."
                          
Her face melted. "Okay. I'll look into it, John. I promise. But I can't promise that I'll find anything."
                          
"All I'm looking for is the truth, Emily. We owe him that." John agreed. He took a long look at the woman from his past. "It's been too long."
                          
She blinked at him several times. "There's a reason why it's been so long."
                          
John's face fell. "I guess you're right. I'll see you around, Emily. Call me with whatever you find." He left a quick half smile before he turned around and left Emily to stare after him, grief overwhelming her.