TW*

————————————
Derek was driving back to his apartment to pick Bailee up, thinking over a way to start the conversation. His anger towards Hotch hadn't calmed down in the slightest how could he say to her that we didn't care? She had made coming to work at stupid hours in the morning seem not as bad. The difficult cases weren't as intense when she was around, her energy would boost their own to get the case done and find the Unsub. Making it to his apartment he heard her phone going off, and her groaning either from the loud noise or the hangover she must have. Stepping into his spare bedroom he stood at the door leaning on the frame. "Morning Princess"

"Derek?" Bailee questions still half asleep.

"Yup. Can we talk?" Derek wants to chat with her before informing her about the case. He needed to make sure she knew what hotch said was wrong.

"If it's a lecture, I'm good" Bailee states sitting up on the bed.

"It's not. I'm not mad at you for drinking. Concerned yes but not mad" Derek walks into the room sitting on the end of the bed.

Bailee scoffs "Sure"

"It's true. Whatever Hotch said was a lie. I care Bailee you are my little sister whether you like it or not. So every time you're in trouble I will be here even if you don't believe me, I'm right here."

Bailee nods her head "You were my first friend, apart from Pennie, you made me feel safe for once in my life"

"You are safe with me. I won't stop you from drinking because I know you won't but please lower the limit I don't want you going down that path" Derek hold out his pinkie for her.

Bailee looks at his pinkie and then back at him "This isn't you needing me for a case is it"

Derek sighs "I'm not going to lie to you Hotch does want to talk to you about the case, not to help the team because you do know the family in the incident, but I promise you, Bailee. You will always come first to me. I even Punched Hotch for how bad his behaviour was"

Bailee's eyes went wide "What! You could get fired, Derek!" Derek shakes his head "The team is pissed off with him they won't say anything and if Hotch wants to keep his team, then he wouldn't say anything either."

Bailee whispers "You won't leave me? right?" Derek pulls Bailee into a hug "Never. You are my priority. I can get another job; I can't replace you." Bailee holds her pinkie up "I promise I'll cut down on the drink"

Derek sighs in relief "thank you, go get dressed here's some joggers and a top you can wear" Derek kissing the top of her head starting to walk out of the room as Bailee calls his name. "What family is involved?"

"The Walsh family. Brian Walsh's Daughter was killed, and the detectives think Brian did it" Derek explains, Bailee covered her mouth with her hands "Lucy's dead?"

Derek stops walking at her reaction "She was involved in a hit and run, her car drove straight off the bridge into the river, and she drowned"

"The detectives are right" Bailee fiddles with the clothes in her hands. Derek furrows his eyebrows "There's no evidence of the person in the other car how can you know Brian did it?"

Bailee looks up with tears in her eyes "That's how Sue died, Brian's wife my foster mom"

Derek didn't expect Bailee to say that he walks over to her and pulls her into a hug. "Go get changed, don't worry, you're not alone"

After Bailee got changed, they drove to the BAU office in silence, Bailee thought she was going to puke from the hangover or the memories playing around in her mind. Derek was concerned that this case would make Bailee's drinking increase more, it's like her whole body shut down when he mention the Walsh family.

When they arrived at the office Derek told her to sit at his desk while he talked to the team quickly. Opening the briefing room door before anyone can speak he does "This case is going to be very sensitive for her I've just got her calmed down if any one of you guys treat her like shit I will leave this job and you will never hear from me again"

The team nod in understanding, ever since Bailee's first day Derek has been by her side sticking up for her. "Of course, we care for her too. Aaron, it's you who needs to think things before you speak" Rossi speaks up.

"Fine" Hotch says, He had felt bad at the treatment he was given to Bailee, but this was the one way he thought he could protect her from Foyet. He was still wary of Bailee being his daughter as well. His plan failed and now their relationship was on thin ice.

When Bailee entered the room with Derek, they were shocked at how different she looked, in oversized clothes, yesterday's make up still on her face, and red puffy eyes. "Let's get this over with." She says with no emotion.

"If this get's too much for you let us know," Rossi says to the young girl. Bailee waves them off "You can stop with the acting, already know the truth"

"We do care Bailee" JJ states with sadness.

Bailee scoffs "Of course you do"

Hotch's guilt increases at how his words affected Bailee, how would he fix this he wondered. "Bailee?" He questions.

"Oh great! Any more truths you need to spill, already said I wasn't needed, like a toy been used up on to the next one, that's what I am to you right?" Bailee says coldly.

"Bailee I didn't mean it like that" Hotch tries to talk. "Let's get this over with, so I can actually do my job with my team that you know ant me not just because they need me for my skills"

"How was your experience with the Walsh family" Prentiss changes to subject to the case.

"Great" Bailee lies.

"Were you close with Lucy?"

"Yeah, she was the sister I never had" Bailee smiles at the good times.

"What changed?" Reid carefully asks.

"Sue died" Bailee crosses her arms getting uncomfortable.

"Sue was Brian's wife" Derek explains to the team sitting down next to Bailee.

"Lucy and Sue both died by drowning" Reid looks at the file, and Bailee nods "I had been with them for over a year"

"Brian killed Lucy; I know it" Bailee adds zoning out.

"We don't know that" Hotch disagrees. Bailee gives him a fake smile "because you know everything right"

"There's no evidence"

"He's Always been lucky with that" Bailee mumbles.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hotch questions. Bailee stands up "I'm done, have you even checked his files?"

"We waited to see what you knew"

"Of course, still using me for a case and I'm not even on the team" Bailee rolls her eyes going to leave.

"So, you won't tell us anything?" Hotch asks. Bailee shrugs "Why should I do your job for you?"

"Fine. We'll do it like a normal case, integration room it is" Hotch walks out of the room pulling Bailee along by her arm to the room.

"Ouch" Bailee pulls her arm out of his grasp,

"Sorry" He mutters.

"You don't mean that"

"Bailee. Come on you know how this works, tell us what we want to know" Hotch says, part of him knew his actions were making it impossible for him to fix their relationship as employee and boss but now he had to think about her as his daughter too. The other half is curious to know what happened in that family that she didn't want to go back.

"I already told you, I'm not doing your job, as a profiler, as you said many times, you are stupid. Should have checked his history" Bailee puts her head on the mental desk and closes her eyes, done with today and her hangover.

Garcia heard what Bailee said in the briefing room, Looking through files on the family, mainly Brian she was shocked. Running to the room where the team watched the interrogation between Bailee and Hotch. She could tell how angry and annoyed at their faces. "Guys?" She whispers.

"What's wrong?" Rossi asks trying to lessen the anger he felt.

"I did what Bailee said before" Garcia didn't really know how to tell the guys.

"It's bad"

"What's bad" Hotch questions startling the team. Rossi was the first to speak up "I've never been so disappointed in you"

Hotch sighed "I know, I was wrong to do that" JJ steps up "You were over the top, I could never do that to Henry, imagine doing that to Jack, or if Bailee was your daughter for goodness's sake"

Rossi chuckles "He doesn't have to imagine that" the team looks at him weirdly "What" the team says.

"Nothing. What was bad? Garcia" Hotch gives Rossi and warning look but Rossi just smirks in response.

"Um, I checked the files" Garcia hesitates.

"And?" Prentiss questions.

"There was an older brother in the family. Liam Walsh"

"Was? Where is he?" Reid asks.

"Dead. After his mother died, he killed himself, umm it was either in front of Lucy or Bailee, the don't give underage names in reports" The team stop their movement, and Hotch looks down at the ground every decision he's been making has harmed Bailee...Daisy, his daughter.

"That's not it" Garcia questions. "Brain's financial history, he's paid loads of different medical bills, at different hospitals using different last names"

"What were the medicals bills for?" Rossi had a sick feeling about the truth.

"Concussions, deep wounds, broken bones, fractures" Garcia swallowed.

"Who had the injuries" JJ whispers.

"Bailee"