𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘆 || 𝗗𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗸 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻

𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻

"𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴; 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗼"
-𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲

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𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻 - 𝗚𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳

"How can it take this long?" Valentina was now pacing up and down the waiting room, expecting the doctor to come through the door any minute and say he's okay. But that moment never came.

"Time of death, 8:49pm" Valentina watched from the door as Noah's parents rushed into the room after hearing a long beeping noise come from the electrocardiogram. Noah had flatlined, he didn't have a heartbeat, he wasn't coming back. All them things rushed through her head as she started at her ex boyfriend, her best-friend.

"I need to go call Ophelia" Val muttered after snapping out of the trance she was in "You can call Matt and Owen right?" She asked James who was at a loss for words.

"Y-yeah, course I can but-" He didn't get to finish his sentence before Valentina rushed off down the hall and back into the waiting room. Hearing the cries from Noah's parents down the hall was pure torture because there was no coming back from this. It was over just like that.

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You dust yourself off and you carry on. The thing Valentina's dad always used to say to her because there is no way to prevent anything in life. That's just way the world works so you have to suck it up and keep moving forward.

But she didn't know if she could do that as she stood staring down at the piece of paper in her hands before her eyes glanced over at Noah's coffin and then at his parents. Micheal and Sarah were sat in the front row of the pews with Gabriella on his lap. Tears were streaming down Gabby's face as she hid herself in her fathers chest. She was five she didn't deserve any of this.

That made Val want to cry even more until her eyes landed on her coworkers who were sat three rows down with comforting smiles on their faces that said you can do this. So she took a deep breath and prepared herself for the speech she was about to give "Noah and I um, we served together and went through some things we could never talk about with anyone else. He was just that type of guy that could make you smile or laugh in any situation and when you're a soldier on the front line you need that" She smiled slightly and wiped another stray tear that came running down her cheek.

"And that's why I fell in love with him, I fell in love with his amazing parents and his beautiful little sister Gabby. They took me in as their own and showed me what it felt like to have a real family. So thank you" Looking up at his parents she gave them a small nod before continuing on with her speech.

"I wasn't ready to say goodbye just yet, I wasn't ready for him to leave. And I would give absolutely anything for just one more day, just one more minute. One of the, erm, profound things about death is that love never dies because some bonds just simply can't be broken and even though he's not physically here, his heart still is. And I will carry his heart inside mine always. And someday we will hopefully meet again but until that day comes. . .I'll keep comfort in knowing that he's still with us and just watching us all from above"

"Noah, you will forever leave a permanent footprint with the United States army. You served our country well and now it's time for you to be laid to rest" Valentina felt the tears in her eyes threatening to spill. She looked over at his picture, the picture that she took on their first day on tour making her smile "As a final goodbye, I love you Noah" Crumpling up the piece of paper in her hands she looked back at everyone in the church "Thank you"

Stepping down, she walked past Sarah who gave her hand a comforting squeeze before making her way to sit down with her team "I'm okay" She whispered to Aaron who was giving her a concerned look because she wasn't fine and you didn't have to be a profiler to figure that out.

After finishing up the funeral and Valentina struggling to hold it together, she was now sat in Hotch's office ready to just go home "Aaron I am perfectly capable of staying here and doing the job I'm paid to do"

"I know that Val but I am in charge here and I have a right to be concerned about your well being. So I'm giving you four months off work where you have time to grieve properly" He sighed "I also suggest you look into seeing a therapist. And you don't have to, okay this is all up to you but in my opinion, I think it would really help you"

Valentina nodded knowing Hotch was just doing what was best for her and she needed to respect that "Thank you Aaron, for everything" The man nodded and stood up to give the girl a hug which she happily complied "I guess I'll see you all in four months" She said and picked up her bag off the floor.

"Yeah I guess you will" Hotch smiled at her as she went to open his office door before he spoke again "Oh and Val, if you ever need anything and I mean anything you know where I live. Me, Jack and Haley wouldn't mind you over for dinner sometime. He's missed his favourite auntie"

She smiled and let out a small chuckle "Yeah I'd like that" Opening the door fully she swung her bag over her shoulder and took a deep breath "See you soon Aaron"

"See you later Val, take care of yourself"

"I will" Walking out of the FBI building with grief the only thing weighing her down was like a nightmare she couldn't escape from but death was apart of life and you can't change that.

Getting in the cab Hotch had ordered for her, she leant her head against the window and closed her eyes to try and forget. To forget everything that had happened today and hope that she could wake up tomorrow and this would all be a dream. But she'd need a miracle for that to happen and in Valentina's world there was no miracles. Not for a little while anyway.