Chapter Text
Upon entering the club, Emily Prentiss realized two things very quickly: Firstly, it was far more cramped than she had ever anticipated, and second, though several people were far more scantily clad, she felt that the deep-cut dress she’d worn was hardly covering anything that her choice of dress usually covered.
Scratch that, a third realization: Her childhood friend Jennifer Jareau, who had promised that she and her coworkers would all be there, was nowhere in sight. Emily rose up on the balls of her feet, heels coming off of the floor, as she narrowed her eyes in the bright club lights in search of her friend. A soft buzz on her left thigh pulled her back down, and she pulled the hem of her dress up to tug her phone out of the gun holster she’d strapped on. The one bad thing about this otherwise perfect dress, she’d decided, was that it didn’t have pockets, so she improvised.
Incoming Message
JJ 8:40 pm
Are you here?? We’re in the back, if you are.
I’m here, omw back now
Message Sent
Emily shimmied her way past partiers, hoping to make it to the back without getting accidentally grinded on. She was nearly out of the densest part of the crowd when she found herself standing in front of a tall, beefy man. Or rather, he stood in front of her, he’d practically shoved another girl out of the way to get there. “Now, what’s a pretty little lady like yourself doin’ here all by your lonesome?” He crossed his arms and leaned in slightly, and Emily felt like she could’ve gotten drunk just from the smell of him in this close proximity.
“I’m not by myself,” She said coolly. “I’m meeting my girlfriend.” A lie, Emily was hopelessly single, but this jagoff didn’t need to know that.
At ‘girlfriend’, the man smirked. “Girlfriend, ey? That’s kinda hot.”
“That’s what the last guy said. A shame they never found his body.” She walked past him, his eyes wide, and she gave him a noncommittal pat on the shoulder as she slipped past him. She spotted JJ and her small group near the corner, at a table, and hurried over.
One of them, a taller man with dark hair, nodded in Emily’s direction, and JJ, who was in the middle of saying something, turned around, face bright. Emily’s heart warmed- JJ hadn’t aged a day. She looked just like she did when they went their separate ways. They’d kept in touch, of course, which is how Emily had gotten in touch with her when she found she’d been accepted into the BAU.
“Em!” JJ grinned, hurrying to throw her arms around her and giving her a tight squeeze. “It’s been too long!” She pulled away to give Emily a squeeze on the shoulder. “You haven’t changed a bit, the last decade’s been kind to you.”
“I should say the same about you! I swear, it looks like you just plucked yourself from my memory.”
JJ laughed softly, waving her comment away. “Still charming as ever. Oh!” She wrapped an arm around Emily’s waist, pulling her closer to the table. “These are the guys, this is Dr. Spencer Reid-” a rather uncomfortable looking young man in a business-casual suit gave her a slight wave and a small smile. “-and Agent Aaron Hotchner.” The man who had alerted JJ to Emily’s presence leaned in to shake her hand.
“A pleasure… aren’t you a little young to be in a club?” Emily asked, eyeing Reid up and down.
Spencer cleared his throat, offering a soft laugh. “I’m 25, ma’am.”
“Oh-!” Emily starts. “Sorry, I just…” She trails off, shaking her head. “Sorry.”
“So JJ tells us that the two of you were good friends in school?” Aaron interjected, taking a sip of his drink.
“All through school, yeah.” Emily beamed, recalling. “We were actually on the soccer team together back in, what, second grade, and we hit it off.”
JJ sat back in her chair, smiling as Emily spoke. “Of course, I was better.” She grinned teasingly.
“Which is why I gave it up for dance.” Emily retorted with a laugh.
“We went to college in different states, but we kept in touch.” JJ stirred her whiskey sour. “I went on to PITT, and Emily went to Yale.”
Aaron raised a brow. “Yale? Impressive.”
Emily beamed, glancing down at her feet. “Thank you, sir. Top of my class.” Righting herself, Emily pursed her lips. “I thought you said there would be more of your coworkers here?”
“Oh, there are.” JJ laughed. “Derek couldn’t wait to start drinking.” She nodded over to a spot on the floor away from the table, and Emily followed her gaze. A taller, fit man was dancing with so much confidence it astonished her. “Morgan!” JJ yelled over the music. Derek turned his attention to her and joined the group when she waved him over. “Emily, Derek Morgan, Morgan, this is Emily Prentiss, my friend from school.”
Derek shot Emily a charming grin, offering his hand for her to shake. “A pleasure. JJ neglected to mention how absolutely breathtaking you are.”
Emily took his hand, smiling innocently. “She also must have forgotten to mention that I’m a lesbian.”
Morgan blinked, but otherwise seemed unfazed. “Worth a shot. If you need help finding a girl, I’d be more than happy to be your wingman.”
Emily laughed, shaking her head in amusement. “I’ll keep that in mind, thank you.”
He opened his mouth to say something else, but Derek spotted someone over Emily’s shoulder, and called out to her. “Hey, baby girl! Come meet JJ’s friend!”
Emily turned and her heart fluttered; A blonde woman with dark streaks in her hair hurried over to the group, her dress hugging her in all the right places. Even in a club, it didn’t stop her from adorning butterfly clips atop two fun-buns. “Oh! Uh, don’t tell me, don’t tell me- Emily, right?” She scrunched her nose up, hoping she was correct.
“That’d be me.” Emily said, offering her a hand, and the woman’s face relaxed. “Nice to meet you…?”
“Penelope Garcia, BAU’s holy grail for all things digital.” Garcia beamed, shaking her hand excitedly. “And the pleasure’s mine. Any friend of JJ’s is a friend of mine. Do you dance?”
“Not unless it’s contemporary-”
“Well, you do tonight. Come on!” Before Emily could protest, and without a single drink in her, Garcia pulled her to the floor to dance.
Looking back at the table over her shoulder, Emily noticed that JJ and Derek had followed the pair out to the floor, while Spencer and Aaron remained at the table, sipping at their drinks and discussing something.
“So! JJ says you’ve been lifelong friends?” Penelope’s question brought Emily back to reality. She looked over to the woman, closer to her than she initially realized, and tried not to lose herself in those beautiful amber eyes.
“Yeah,” Emily started. “We went to school together, back in Pittsburg, but we hadn’t really hung out until I joined the soccer team in second grade. We had so much in common- favorite bands, foods, we were in the same class together…”
Garcia smiled warmly at her. “That’s so sweet! I’m a sucker for that kind of stuff, like a ride-or-die.” She bobbed her head a bit at “ride-or-die”.
Emily laughed, watching in amusement as Penelope let the music take her- and oddly enough, soon found herself comfortable on the floor as Morgan had been earlier. Garcia took Emily’s hand, lifting it over Emily’s head and spinning her around. The pair giggled softly before the song switched over to one with heavy bass. Penelope gasped, then grinned widely as she danced along. Emily froze in awe, heart thumping hard in her chest; Garcia was the most intriguing and beautiful woman she had ever met, and Emily came to the quick realization that she had never caught feelings for a woman so quickly before.
“Get it, babygirl!” Derek’s voice ripped her from her thoughts. Right, of course. That made the second time Derek had referred to her as “babygirl”, which could only imply that they were an item. Right? Emily noted how brightly Garcia beamed at him, before she pulled Emily in to dance closely with her. Emily put her mask back up, smiling and laughing along with Garcia. Part of her wondered why she wasn’t dancing with Derek, but she pushed the thought back, assuming that it was only because Garcia was just being friendly, wanted to make her feel welcome.
When the song finally ended, and another began, Emily found it in her to look Penelope in the eye. “So;” she started, yelling over the music. “How long have you and Derek been a thing?”
Garcia froze for a moment, staring at her in confusion, before laughing loudly. “Angel, what on earth are you talking about? I’m not with Derek.”
Emily blinked. “But… he-” She tried her best to make sense of it. “He called you-”
Penelope waved her comment away. “It’s just a bit of workplace banter. I guess, in some cases, it would be considered flirting, but we would never work out.” She threw the back of her hand to her forehead. “He’s too much of a player, I’m more of the commitment type.” She pulled her hand back down, giggling as she straightened back up. “Nah, it’d never be more than a fling. He’s a sweet guy, though, and a great flirt.” She shrugged. “I want somebody who’s going to want me for the long-haul.”
I could be in for the long-haul, Emily thought to herself, but instead said “I’m sure you’ll find the right one eventually. I’m surprised they aren’t flocking to you.”
“Oh, sweetness, so am I.” Garcia grinned, tossing her hair over her shoulder dramatically, earning a laugh from Emily.
A bit later, Emily and Penelope found themselves back at the table with the rest of the group, sipping at their drinks.
“I totally forgot to ask!” JJ said suddenly, setting her drink down. “Emily, how’s Annie?”
Emily peered down into her glass, giving it a stir. “We, uh… broke up a few months ago.”
JJ softened, rubbing her shoulder gently. “Oh, sweetie, I’m so sorry…”
Emily shook her head. “No, no, it’s… it was for the best.” She forced a smile up at her friend. “She wanted to stay home when I found out I got a job at the BAU, and both of us realized that, with our crazy work schedules, even long-distance wouldn’t work out.”
The table was silent for a bit, before Morgan spoke up. “Hey, at least now you can shake your ass for any girl you want, right? Make the most of the single life.”
Emily laughed and shook her head. “Maybe…”
“If it helps, most long-distance relationships don’t tend to work out, anyway.” Spencer offered. “Only 31% of them make it out.”
“Thank you, Reid.” JJ said, a touch of sharpness in her voice, enough to chastise him.
“Just trying to help.” Spencer shrugged, sipping at his drink.
“Thanks, guys, I appreciate it, really. But I think I might just… let love find me, you know?” Emily leaned into the table more before standing fully. “I’m gonna pop in the lady’s room, I’ll be right back.” She said, hurrying off.
______
As she washed her hands, Emily looked herself over in the mirror, still feeling a touch self-conscious, before frowning, straightening her back. She looked good, damn it. She looked better than good- she looked hot. Derek was right; she could look for whoever she wanted, whenever she wanted. She fixed her hair and touched up her lipstick, then turned to the doorway before freezing. There, leaning against the doorframe, was Penelope.
“She’s crazy, y’know. Annie, I mean. For letting you get away.” She said, standing fully. “I get wanting to stay home, but… in sacrifice of such a beautiful woman, I mean- hell, I’d follow you anywhere if I was your girlfriend.”
“Yeah, but she has her own job, her dog, she-” Emily stopped, blinking hard before her eyes went wide. “Wait… what did you just say?”
Garcia’s brow quirked up. “Which part, angel face?”
“All… all of it…” Namely the last part, but-
“Well, it’s true, if I were your girlfriend, I would do anything for you. And you’re gorgeous, I mean-” She gestured at Emily’s physique. “If I had a girl like you to show off, I’d be happier than a clam in high tide.”
Emily didn’t say anything- couldn’t say anything- just stared at her in disbelief.
From her spot at the door, Garcia rocked awkwardly on her heels. “I’m sorry if I overstepped,” she said quickly, “I just thought that you needed some encouragement for the situation… and my complete honesty. I mean, I’ve had girlfriends that seem similar to Annie, or, what I understand of the situation, anyway… broke it off because of similar reasons… conflicts of interest, I guess you could say.”
“Penelope, can I buy you a drink?” Emily offered, and the blonde perked up. “Anything you want.”
“I’d like that…” Penelope said, holding her hand out to Emily. “You’re sure?”
“I’d be crazy not to.” Emily replied easily, taking her hand and squeezing it gently before leading her back out to the club.
_____
With a few drinks in her now, Emily felt herself getting looser on the dance floor. She and Garcia danced close to one another, and everyone else in the club disappeared. It was only them, each other. Emily watched, mesmerized, as Garcia swung her hips to the rhythm, and she chewed on the inside of her lower lip before slipping her arms around Garcia’s waist from behind, joining her in swinging her own hips. Their bodies were pressed against each other now, and Emily’s subconscious knew that Penelope could certainly feel Emily’s racing heart against her back, but Emily didn’t care. She was focused on Penelope, on them.
_____
When they made their way back to the table later, Aaron and Spencer were holding the girls’ drinks, their hands over the tops. “Mm, thanks, guys.” JJ said, taking glass from Reid.
Aaron handed Emily her drink directly, Spencer doing the same with Penelope. “Yeah, it’s really great that the two of you are the kind of guys we can trust to hold our drinks.”
“I’ve seen too many cases of men and women alike fall victim to date rape drugs, it would be unprofessional to let it happen to colleagues. And it would be a dick move if I let it happen to friends.” Aaron held Emily’s gaze, a hint of a smile playing at his lips.
JJ gasped teasingly. “You got a Hotch smile!” She raved, giving Emily’s shoulder a light slap. “And you’ve only known him for two hours! Mine took years.”
“I just love you, you know that?” A tipsy Penelope asked Spencer, gently poking his nose, which he scrunched up immediately. “You’re such a lil’ cutie, it’s not fair.” Upon hearing her giggle softly, Garcia turned her attention to Emily. “And you-“ She stepped forward to poke her shoulder. “You’re so gorgeous, it actually hurts.” Emily’s face heated at her comment, but she hid it behind her glass as she took a large sip.
“Studies found 50% of women will be or have been roofied or drugged by date-rape drugs in their lifetime. We’re here to make sure you don’t make it into that statistic.” Spencer nodded solemnly.
Emily offered him a warm smile. “Thank you, Spencer. And you, too, Aaron, it’s appreciated.”
“You call me Hotch. You’re one of us now.”
Emily’s heart swelled at the comment, and she nodded before she set her glass down on the table. “Well, are we ready to head out?”
“You guys go ahead,” Derek called over with a grin, an attractive woman in tow. “I’ll catch up with you later.” He winked at them, before leading the woman from the club.
JJ laughed and shook her head. “I’ll ride back with Spence and Hotch. Ladies, you need a ride?”
“No, I think I might get a cab, thank you, though. Good to see you again! Can’t wait to see you every day.” Emily said, giving JJ a tight hug, and waving to Reid and Hotch. “Good to meet you!”
“So….” Garcia started. “You’re headed home?”
“That was the plan… why, should it not be?”
“Oh, no, it’s fine… I guess I’ll just… head on home to my cats… alone….” Garcia peered up at her with a slight smirk. “….unless you wanna come along?”
Emily laughed and shook her head, taking her hand and heading outside with her. “Let’s go, babygirl.”
“Ooh, it scratches a different itch when you say it. I like it.”