He held her probably longer than he should have. There had been so many things Derek wanted to say in the passing months that he thought he'd lost the opportunity to tell her. Not that he'd blurt them out now. Emily was shaken up. He needed to get a hold of himself and make some attempt at being her rock. She knew his darkest secret but never changed how she treated him. Returning that sentiment was the least he could do.

"Sorry? What are you sorry about? You're alive! I'm not gonna have you apologizin'," he teased with one last squeeze before letting go. Derek quickly used the back of his wrist to wipe away any moisture that might have escaped his eyes. He gave her his brightest smile yet found himself unable to fully stop touching Emily, a hand at her lower back. He moved to a side rather than pulling completely apart. "It's really you."

He couldn't help that last part. There was a light in his eyes that no one had yet seen in Medietas because he arrived a broken man who had lost someone near and dear. Not one day passed that he didn't think of Emily, didn't think that had he been given just half a minute--she might have lived. He missed the team as a whole but after losing Prentiss, Derek couldn't help but feel maybe they were better off without him. He'd fail them the way he failed Emily, Elle and his father.

Now the tide was changing. Never mind that Derek had no clue how to leave Medietas. While being unsure about returning home, he still had collected as much information as possible on the islands. A little switch flipped inside as the recollection of people disappearing on the islands came to mind and the hand at the small of her back suddenly became more pronounce than the light touch. That would be just his luck; find Prentiss and lose her all over again.

Maybe he needed to come clean sooner than later.