Chapter Text
Emily: "I'll tell you a secret. Old storytellers never die. They disappear into their own story." Author Vera Nazarian.
Emily Prentiss was the last member to join the BAU team. The team welcomed her warmly. Well, almost. Hotch was still on the fence about her. After she mysteriously joined the BAU after Elle left, he didn't necessarily trust her.
However, JJ and Garcia were two people that welcomed her warmly. The two made Emily feel like a family member instead of being shunned away for being at the right place at the wrong time. Emily didn't worry. She was used to men talking her down all of her life. She knew Hotch would come around eventually.
The raven-haired woman took comfort in JJ. The two instantly became close. It was evident to everyone on the team that she was most comfortable around the blonde woman. Although Emily would never admit it, she had a small crush on the blonde woman. Emily loved women, always has, always will. But there was just something about JJ that sat right with her. She had a beautiful smile, smelled nice, and would pour her a cup of coffee when she saw Emily being sluggish. What was there not to like about JJ?
JJ, on the other hand, felt the same way. JJ had always struggled with her sexuality, but now, she was learning to embrace it. Even though she wasn't entirely out yet, Emily was shy, but everyone could see her open up with JJ in the room with her.
Now it was just a matter of when the two would only be open about it.
JJ walked into the bullpen and saw the raven-haired woman being buried in paperwork. She smiled to herself as she walked up the stairs to Hotch's office. She knocked on the door and walked in.
"Hey, you wanted to see me?" JJ asked and tilted her head to the side. Hotch looked up from the file and nodded.
"Have you been able to talk to Agent Prentiss?" Hotch asked and peeked over to the window and saw the agent in her own world. JJ furrowed her eyebrows as she followed his line of sight.
"Like about work? Or just getting to know her?" JJ asked and crossed her arms. Hotch rubbed his fingers together and clenched his jaw. He didn't say anything but just nodded.
"Both," he said simply.
"She's a really nice person if you get to know her, Hotch," JJ said and bit her lip. She took a seat right in front of him. "Look, I know it's fishy how she came in her suddenly. But she's trying her hardest to prove herself to you. She wants to make you happy."
"I can see that, but it's just not a coincidence, the way she showed up," Hotch said and moved his line of sight down to the files in front of him. "I just want you to keep an eye on her for me."
"Hotch," JJ said softly.
"That's an order," Hotch said simply. "Until I trust her."
"Okay," JJ said and pursed her lips. She tapped her fingers against the arms of the chair before getting up and walking out. Emily looked up and smiled sweetly at JJ.
"Hey, you okay?" Emily asked and reached a hand out for JJ. That was a thing she and Emily did. They were comforting the other through touch. It was their love language that the two understood perfectly. JJ smiled back at her.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she said and tried to brush it off. But Emily knew something was off.
"Why don't you and I go get some lunch today? My treat if you like," Emily asked and put both her hands in her pockets. JJ looked over her body language. Emily was nervous. The younger woman nodded and placed her hand on her shoulder.
"As long as you pick," JJ said as she walked off. Emily's eyes followed her. The woman was captivating to keep her attention until she walked out of the bullpen area. Emily sighed softly before turning back around to her desk. She felt someone's eyes on her. She looked in the direction and saw Hotch staring at her through his office window. He looked away as he and Emily locked eyes.
The raven-haired woman sat back down at her desk and got lost in her paperwork. JJ found herself back in her office and doing the same, except she wasn't entirely in it like Emily. The blonde woman's attention was only on one thing. Her unofficial date with Emily Prentiss. JJ pursed her lips before getting up and walking over to Penelope's office. She knocked twice.
"Enter at your own will!" Garcia yelled from the other side of the door. JJ walked in and sighed heavily. Penelope looked over and saw the blonde woman in a mood. "Sugar, what's up?"
"I need some advice, and as my best friend in the whole entire world, I need you to keep your mouth shut about this, okay?" JJ said with a smile. She sat down in the chair next to Penelope. "I like someone, and I don't know how to feel about it."
"Who?" Penelope asked and leaned forward. JJ took a deep breath and open and closed her mouth a few times.
"Emily," JJ said softly. But Penelope heard it loud and clear. The younger woman chuckled.
"Emily? Like the Emily that you've been hanging around twenty-four seven? And that I had my suspicions the two of you liked each other? That Emily?" Penelope asked. JJ furrowed her eyebrows.
"You knew?"
"Hey, your job isn't the only one with the need to profile," Penelope said and chuckled. "And I see it. You'd be cute together. And I totally see that she's into you. It's written in her smile."
"She does have a nice smile," JJ said mindlessly. "But that wasn't what I wanted to tell you. She asked me to lunch. Like a lunch without anyone else. For the past month that she's been on the team, this is the first time she and I are going to lunch by ourselves. I'm nervous about it."
"Oh my God, it's happening," Garcia said and smiled. "When you guys get married, can I be your maid of honor?"
"Woah, slow down, Pen," JJ chuckled and stuck her hand out and grabbed onto the other woman's arm. "It's just a lunch."
"I'll tell you that when you two are madly in love and all mushy gushy about it," Penelope said and chuckled. The two were about to continue their conversation, but there was a knock on the door. Emily walked in and smiled.
"Hey, sorry to interrupt. Garcia, I need you to pull up an old file from the Riley Evans case for me? Also, Hotch said he needed to see you," Emily said and leaned over and saw Garcia typing the name of the case. The two women traded places. Once Emily turned her back, Penelope mouthed the words 'talk to her now!' to JJ before leaving.
"So, where did you want to go for lunch?" JJ asked and crossed her legs. The older woman looked over and had to actually refrain herself from looking at JJ's exposed leg.
"Um, there's a good sushi restaurant down the road. They have a buffet of different sushi rolls. Or there's that new diner down on K street? It's really up to you, JJ," Emily said and clicked through the files that came up on the computer. JJ was admiring her side profile. Emily was practically sculpted from hand. The way her nose curved and the perfect jawline. "JJ?"
"Yeah, sorry, um, sushi sounds amazing," JJ said and blushed lightly as she realized Emily caught her staring. The woman's lips separated barely to see her teeth. Emily's eyes wandered all over her face. There was something definitely going on with JJ. Emily just couldn't put her finger on it.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Emily asked and placed her hand on JJ's knee. "If there's a problem, I hope you know you can come and talk to me about it. My ears are always open for you if you need to talk."
JJ sighed softly and placed her hand on top of Emily's. The two lock eyes as JJ smiled softly. "I know. And appreciate that, Em."
"But?"
"There's no but. I just need you to know that," JJ said and stroked her thumb over Emily's hand. The two sat in the comfortable silence until the door opened. JJ and Emily pulled away as Garcia and Hotch walked in. JJ stood up and patted Emily's back. "Just come get me when you're ready to take your lunch."
Hotch furrowed his eyebrows as JJ looked directly at him as she walked out. Emily watched her and then looked over at Hotch. The woman had a feeling about what was going on. She thanked Garcia for using the computer and walked out of the office. Hotch's eyes following her as she did.
He looked down at the floor and clenched his jaw before looking back over at Garcia. She was looking at him for his next move. The man nodded, and the two walked to the computer.
"What's up with you?" Morgan asked Prentiss as she walked into the bullpen. The woman looked up at him and bit her lip.
"Have you been hearing criticism about me since I've been on the team?" Emily asked and didn't even look up at him. Morgan raised an eyebrow.
"We all had criticism when we joined, Emily. It's apart of the inauguration," Derek said and lowered his head to meet her eye. Prentiss shook her head.
"It's not like this," Emily said and sighed softly. "I don't know. Maybe it's just the fact that I feel like nobody wants me here."
"I want you here. If you need to remember anything, remember that," Derek said and smiled softly at Emily. "You're a member of this team, whether you want to see it like that or not. We're a team. Plus, you have JJ and Garcia who think the same thing."
"Three down," Emily joked, and Derek chuckled. "So uh, I'm probably going to take an early lunch. JJ and I are going to this sushi restaurant down the road. You'd want anything?"
"No, sweetheart, I'm okay. I'm more of a cooked meat man," Derek said and patted the desk. Emily chuckled and grabbed the case files. She looked over at the clock and saw she had about twenty minutes until she could go to lunch.
Emily decided to keep to herself until it was time. She was excited to go to lunch with JJ. The older woman found herself thinking about her. She did her best to continue on with her paperwork in front of her.
Hotch walked in and saw Prentiss working and entirely focused. There was just something about her that he didn't know, but he had a feeling. It was like she wasn't truthful. He sighed before walking up to his office. The woman felt him watching over her and turned her head when she heard the footsteps going up the stairs.
Emily brushed it off and continued with her paperwork. She finally set down the pen and looked over at the clock. She smiled as she saw it was time.
"Alright, I'm out. Are you sure you don't want anything? Not even a drink?" Emily asked as Derek typed down on the computer.
"I'm all good. You and JJ have a good time," Derek said and smiled at Emily. She said her goodbyes before walking out of the bullpen. She walked down and to JJ's office. She knocked twice before entering. JJ looked up from her paperwork and smiled.
"Hey, you ready to go? I'll drive," Emily said and smiled widely. JJ looked around and grabbed her purse.
"Thanks again. You just saved me from a stack of papers that I did not want to get into," JJ said and chuckled softly as Emily closed the office door after JJ got out. The two chatted mindlessly as they left the FBI headquarters and down to the restaurant.
"So I have to ask," Emily said as the two sat down at the booth. Both had a plate full of sushi right in front of them. "And I hope this doesn't come off the wrong way."
"Emily, whatever is on your mind, it's okay," JJ said and placed her hand on top of the older woman's. Emily bit her lip and sighed softly.
"Is Hotch asking you to keep an eye out for me?" Emily asked. JJ shook her head and dropped her eyes down to the table. That was JJ's tell. The younger woman grabbed her chopsticks and picked up a piece of the sushi. "Or is he asking you to watch me?"
"He asked me to keep an eye on you," JJ said and licked her lips. Emily sat back into her chair and sighed. She was right. She grabbed her chopsticks and shoved a piece of sushi into her mouth. "But it's only because he wants you to get comfortable and get used to the BAU."
"It's kinda hard to do that when he's watching over me like a hawk, don't you think?" Emily commented and shook her head. Emily popped another piece of sushi in her mouth. "Is it because he doesn't trust me? Is that it? Or does he not like me because of my mother? Or what? What is it?"
"He wants to trust you. Just give him time, Em," JJ said and grabbed onto her hand. "Trust me on this."
"What are you going to tell him?" Emily asked as the two continued to dig into their lunch. Her eyes were meeting JJ's. They were full of reassurance.
"The same thing I told him when he asked me to look after you. That you're a really nice person when someone gets to know you," JJ said and smiled widely as Emily's eyes lit up. The two women didn't say anything until the waitress came and asked if the two were okay.
Emily felt safe with the blonde woman's presence here. The two continued their lunch and small talk. Both feeling like five minutes had passed by when their lunch came to an end. It was refreshing having someone to take your mind off of work. And to the other, both women did just that. It was like a sigh of relief, a breath of fresh air when the two were swept away from the group. Everything felt right.
The two made their way back to the office and laughed as they exited the elevators. Garcia saw them walking out and practically threw herself to the wall, not to be seen. She watched as Emily shyly walked JJ to her office door and leaned against the frame as the two said their goodbyes. Penelope had never seen JJ like this. It was like watching a school girl talk to her crush for the first time. It was endearing, to say the least. Emily made JJ laugh one more time before turning and waving goodbye. Penelope sprang into action and walked like she wasn't watching the two women.
"Hey, Emily. How was lunch?" Penelope asked as subtle as she could. The raven-haired woman smiled softly.
"It was great. I'm always in a better mood after some spicy tuna. Plus, JJ is a good company," Emily said with a more significant smile cracking on her face at the mention of the blonde woman.
"The two of you are hitting it off well, huh?" Penelope asked and tried her hardest to compress the smile she felt creeping up on her face.
"Yeah, she's...amazing," Emily said softly and looked down at the floor. "Well, if you need me, I'll be in the bullpen tackling my files."
Penelope nodded as Emily walked off. The blonde woman tried her hardest to run in her heels to JJ's office. She didn't even bother to knock and just stormed in. JJ didn't even flinch as she flipped up a paper in her hand.
"So I just saw a little birdy in the hallway," Penelope sang out and smiled widely. JJ grabbed a pen and hummed.
"Was it looking for Snow White?" JJ asked and scribbled down her signature. Penelope rolled her eyes.
"Maybe you shouldn't go to lunch with Emily. You're starting to sound like her," Penelope said and placed her hand on top of the paper JJ was reading.
"Pen, I love you, but I really have to-"
"So you don't wanna hear about how Emily called you good company, and I quote 'amazing' when I asked her how lunch went?" Penelope asked. That surely caught JJ's attention. The liaison stuffed the paper into the file and closed it before gesturing to the chair in front of her.
"Sit," JJ said and leaned forward.
"She blushed when she was talking about you, JJ. You should go for it!" Penelope said and grabbed onto JJ's hands. "She's nice, she's funny, she thinks very highly of you. And you don't have to worry about the family initiation since she's already in the family."
"I don't know, Pen. I don't want to make things awkward for the team if we don't work out," JJ said and shook her head. "That's the only reason that's stopping me."
"You can't think about the one bad thing that would happen when there's so much good to balance it out," Penelope said and pursed her lips together. "Besides, I think you two would be endgame."
"Endgame?"
"Like you end up together? Do you people know nothing about internet lingo?" Garcia asked and shook her head. JJ furrowed her eyebrows. "I'll leave you to it. Just think about it."
Garcia patted JJ's hand before getting up and walked out of the office without another word. JJ sat back at her desk and sighed. Her anxious thoughts took over about a certain raven-haired woman.
JJ: "Please, I want so badly for the good things to happen." Sylvia Plath.