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Emily Prentiss looked up at the sound of a soft, nervous tapping at her door and she sighed. She’d always had ambitions to rise through the ranks, and here she was now: Section Chief… and right now, today, this minute, she wanted to go back to just being a grunt.
The tapping came again. Shit. Penelope Garcia was not a ‘knocker’, she was a ‘burst in at the worst time-r’. And Emily loved her for that. But she knew that it was Penelope outside her door; knocking with uncharacteristic nerves. And Emily couldn’t put it off any longer.
“Yeahyeahyeah, I hear you Penelope. Come in for Chrissake.”
The door opened a crack and Penelope stuck her head into the room. “If you’re busy…” she whispered.
“Penelope. This is a scheduled meeting. Get your butt in here.”
“Oh, uhm, yeah. Right.” Penelope stammered, her head nodding. She tiptoed in, her ludicrous heels making that difficult. “I, uhm, I bought you some donuts if, uh, if you’d….” she trailed off once she caught sight of Emily’s withering glare. “I’ll, uhm, I’ll just leave them here…” she said, setting the box gingerly on Emily’s desk. Then poking them closer to her boss with a single finger, before sitting nervously down.
“Fucking donuts.” Emily sighed. “I don’t want donuts, Penelope. I want to know what the Hell you were thinking? Goddamn it Penelope! Sleeping with a material witness! After I TOLD YOU to break it off! JESUS!”
Penelope cast her eyes down to the desk, her voice soft and childlike. “I know. I let you down. I’m sorry.”
Emily just about blew her stack there and then. “Don’t give me that bullshit Pen – we’ve known each other too damn long. You’re NOT a child, and you’re not an idiot – you’re a FEDERAL AGENT - but you damn well acted like an idiot. And even WORSE – you treat ME like an idiot! Well I’m not, Penelope: I’m your BOSS and I gave you an ORDER and you lied to my face! You LIED to my FUCKING FACE.”
Penelope paled, swallowed and glanced at the door. She coughed awkwardly. “I, uh, I think maybe they can hear you yelling out there…”
“Do I give a shit?!” Emily yelled. “Do you REALLY think I give a shit? CHRIST! Do you have any idea the position you put me in?” She laughed at her situation. “I’ve been reamed out about Rossi – I’ve already had the Attorney General threatening to take my badge and now with… with…”
Emily sighed, the fight draining from her, her voice catching and her eyes filling with tears. “With Bailey’s death, I… I just… I can’t believe you did this to me Pen.” She shrugged and shook her head, her voice soft and broken. “You’ve killed me here. You’ve killed me. I’m pretty much under orders to fire you right now, you know that? And you’re not giving me anything to change that decision.”
Penelope wiped at her eyes. “I’m sorry Em, I… I don’t know what happened. We were working so closely together and… and I went to break it off with him, like you told me too, but… he was so drunk and sad and… and… I hugged him and then he kissed me, and then –“
“DON’T go into the details for God’s sake.” Emily sighed, waving her hand. “You’re a grief counsellor, I get it. You’re soft hearted. Soft HEADED. I know that too… but I just can’t cut you any more slack.”
“You-you’re gonna fire me then?”
Emily sucked in a breath. “You’re making it hard for me not to. Give me something. ANYTHING to change my mind.”
Penelope sat in thought for a moment before her smile boke free. “Sergio! You can take Sergio. He misses you, Em, he really does.” She paused, her voice dropping to a whisper. “And he doesn’t like The Black Queen.”
Emily gaped at her, her head falling into her hands. “Tell me….you’re not trying to bribe me with a cat.”
“Not just any cat. SERGIO!”
“Jesus. Jesus wept.” Emily sighed.
Penelope watched her for a few moments. “Migraine?” she whispered.
“Ugh.” Emily groaned.
“Uhm… should I… get you an aspirin?”
Emily raised her eyes and her brows. “Get me a gun.”
Penelope swallowed. “I think, ahem, maybe an aspirin would be better.” She noted at her quietest, least offensive volume.
Emily glared at her and sat back in her seat, her short nails drumming at the veneer of her desk. “Are you still seeing him?”
Penelope shook her head. “No. I, uh, I broke it off.”
“If you’re lying to me…”
Penelope shook her head rapidly. “I’m not. Honestly. I’m telling you the truth. This time.”
Emily closed her eyes and hissed at herself, at the choice she was about to make. “This is my career as well as your Penelope.” She warned. “Who else knows you slept with Green?”
“Uhm…”
“WHO ELSE.”
“Luke.”
Emily sucked at her teeth. She trusted Luke Alvez. He reminded her of herself. He was a little reckless, a little gung-ho – but he was utterly dependable. “You get ONE more chance, Pen. Screw up again and I can’t – I WON’T – help you, do you understand me?”
Penelope nodded. “Yeah, I do.” There was a silence for a beat. “What, uh, what are you gonna do?”
Emily sighed. “I’m gonna lie for you. I’m gonna tell Davis that this… fling… was over before it started. That you will NOT see or speak to Green again. That your relationship was professional and YOU stopped it when HE kissed you. Got it?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me, Penelope. When I found out what you did – friend or no friend – I was set to fire your ass. You COMPROMISED us, Penelope, and I won’t stand for it. One more mistake and you’re out. Lie to me again and you’re out. BRIBE me again and you’re out. You hearing me?”
“Loud and clear ma’am.”
“Ma’am me once more and you’re out as well.” Emily added.