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Emily looked up in surprise, instinctively rising politely from her seat and tugging the hem of her suit jacket straight. She was expecting Hotch or Gideon, and she felt under scrutiny every second she was in their presence – she was not expecting the team’s media liaison – JJ – to poke her head around the boardroom door.
“Hey!” the blonde greeted, her tone had a welcome – and rare – friendliness to it.
Emily couldn’t help the look of surprise on her face. “Oh, uh, hi.” She gave an odd little wave – one that Reid would have been proud of, and she inwardly cursed the way her nerdiness sometimes showed itself at the worst times. Way to make a good impression, Prentiss!
JJ grinned at the brunette, weighing up the team’s newest agent. Emily Prentiss had only been with the team for a day and had already been somewhat of a surprise to her. She was good at her job, JJ had no doubts about it. Perhaps deceptively so, because while she was all business in one breath, there was a charming kind of awkwardness that she displayed in the next. And today Emily had dropped a surprising talent, and JJ couldn’t wait to pump her about it.
Emily awkwardly gestured to one of the empty seats and watched as JJ stepped inside, still grinning like the Cheshire Cat, and sat down. Emily mirrored the movement and brushed a little hair behind her ear, self-conscious under that blue eyed gaze. She braced herself for some kind of indirect reprimand that would have come from Hotch or Gideon. Some little thing she might have done; a line she may have stepped over; something. There always seemed to be something that she had done to garner Hotch’s disapproval. “Uhm, have I got something in my teeth?” she laughed nervously. “Or grown a second head or something equally embarrassing?”
JJ frowned, before getting the joke and chuckling softly. Although she was no profiler, JJ had worked around them long enough to pick up a few skills… and yet she found herself unable to get a read on Prentiss. “No, it’s nothing like that.” JJ smiled. “You’ve been keeping secrets Agent Prentiss!” JJ said, raising a brow.
Emily’s heart stopped. She fought to maintain the mask of composure, her face impassive even as her mind raced as to how the Hell this team found out about her so damn soon. Was it Strauss? Did the Section Chief tell Hotch that –
JJ’s voice interrupted Emily’s thoughts. “When were you gunna tell us you spoke Arabic?!”
Emily’s eyebrows shot higher up her forehead and she laughed with relief. “Oh, uh, right now I guess.” She fumbled.
JJ’s eyes narrowed as she watched Emily’s fingers toying with the edge of the file in front of her; the blunt fingernails that spoke of a nervous habit; and inside facing watch that spoke of years of training. But which one was the real deal, JJ wondered.
Penelope had called the guys into her Batcave when Prentiss had been assigned just yesterday. She’d pulled as many records as she could on the new agent, and they were impressive. JJ had been expecting some super efficient by-the-book G-woman – but Prentiss came across more like someone arriving late on their first day at a new school. She was funny and a little weird – and Hotch absolutely did not seem to like her for some secret reason. But, my God, when they were sat around that table just a few minutes ago listening as Prentiss nonchalantly translated Arabic like it was nothing, JJ’s jaw had nearly hit the floor.
“So you speak Arabic?!” JJ asked, awed.
“Uhm, yeah. I, uh, spent some time in the Middle East when I was younger.”
JJ waited for more, but Emily seemed to deem that vague response as good enough. “Huh.” JJ nodded.
“I’m maybe a bit rusty.” Emily added hastily, picking at those blunt nails.
JJ watched, intrigued – and, she had to admit, a little amused that she was able to make Prentiss squirm just a tad. It was cute. “So, you’re bi-lingual then.”
“Yeah. Well, no.”
JJ leaned closer.
“I, uhm, speak a few languages. It’s kinda a hobby, I guess.”
JJ gaped excitedly. “Really? How many?”
Emily’s cheeks glowed pink as she blushed and stared at the file. “Five.”
“FIVE??!! You speak five languages!!”
The blush deepened.
“Which ones?”
“Oh, uh, French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic and a bit of Russian. But –“
“Holy moly! That’s amazing! How did you manage to learn so many?”
“I guess I just have an ear for it.”
“Uh-huh.” JJ nodded, her eyes narrowing. It was another vague answer and JJ wondered what Prentiss was holding back. “Can you say something in one of them for me?”
Emily shrugged. “Sure. Which one?”
“You pick!”
Emily’s cheeks flushed darker as she said a few things that JJ had no idea of how to translate.
JJ couldn’t help but be awestruck. “I gotta call P.”
“Oh, God no... she’s probably busy and I don’t want to get her in trouble –“
“Pfft.” JJ dismissed, setting her phone to speaker. “You don’t know Penelope!”
“Jayje honey bun!” Penelope Garcia cooed.
Emily had met Penelope Garcia once for all of about ten seconds, and in those seconds, she was engulfed in a hug that one might give to a most beloved best friend, and definitely not someone you’d only just set eyes on.
“I have Emily here.” JJ told her.
“Ooo…hi sweetcheeks!”
Emily frowned and whispered “I already have a nickname?” to JJ.
“Everyone does.” JJ laughed. “It means she’s accepted you.”
Emily frowned. “We only just met.”
“Hey, Penelope is never wrong about people.” She chuckled at the look on Prentiss’ face. “Pen – guess what I just found out about Agent Prentiss?” she sing-songed.
Penelope gasped. “What? Do tell! No, wait! Let me guess! She has a motorbike? No, wait – she can juggle? Or sing? Or is she a black belt in kung-jitsu-judo-whatchamacallit? No! Wait! Is she –“
“Hush!” JJ laughed. She looked pointedly at Emily. “Go on. Say something.” She hissed.
Emily shook her head in bemusement. “Je me sens comme un ane.”
JJ stared at her.
“I feel like an ass.” Emily translated.
“Wait. What. Was that her??” Penelope trilled.
“Yep.” JJ beamed. “Do another language!”
Emily opened her mouth, but Penelope’s shriek stopped her.
“Another language? Another! How many can she speak?!”
“She speaks FIVE!” JJ shrieked almost as excitedly as Penelope.
“Hey. Hey!” Emily called. “I’m here y’know. You can actually talk TO me.”
“Oh my God! It is so amazing!” Penelope clapped. “Oh you’ll have to teach us, Sweetcheeks. It’s so sexy! My chocolate thunder’s eyes will bug out of his head!”
“Who?” Emily mouthed.
“Derek.” JJ chuckled.
Emily grinned and raised a brow. “Chocolate Thunder..?”
JJ grinned. “Everyone has a nickname.”
Emily couldn’t help but grin. “Even Gideon?”
JJ just raised a brow.
“What is it?” Emily couldn’t help but ask, her smile growing wider.
“That, Agent Prentiss, is classified – UNTIL you agree to a girls’ night.” JJ stated, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms over her chest.
“A what?”
“Girls’ night.” she repeated.
“YES!” Penelope shrieked. “Tonight! You’ll come out with us, we’ll get you drunk and learn all of your deep, dark secrets!”
Emily chuckled nervously. “I don’t know…”
“It isn’t that bad.” JJ laughed. “Hush Garcia – you’ll scare her away!”
“Oh, shoot. My bad! Please come? Pleeeeeaaasssee? Pretty please?”
“Do I have a choice?” Emily whispered so that Garcia couldn’t hear.
JJ shook her head solemnly.
Emily winced. “Okay?”
“YAY!” Penelope cheered, the pitch of her voice almost at glass-shattering level. She paused. “Say something in Spanish – NO! Italian! The language of luuuuurve.”
Emily sat back and folded her arms, copying JJ’s gesture. “Maybe you’ll just have to wait until tonight?”
“Oh you meanie!” she chided. “But I love ya, sweetcheeks.”
“We’re hanging up now P.” JJ chuckled.
“Am I allowed to change my mind now she’s gone?” Emily asked.
“God no. Penelope is… a bit full on, that’s true – but she’s the best friend you could ever ask for.”
“Uh huh.” Emily nodded.
“Speaking of,” JJ added. “If you’ve got friends this way who want to join us..?”
“No friends.” Emily replied. Adding, “Not down this way, anyway.”
“Just us chickens, then.”
“Just us chickens.” Emily agreed, giving JJ a firm smile. “We should get back to it, I think. I don’t wanna make Hotch mad again.”
“Yeah – what is it with you two?” JJ fished.
“He knew my mom a long time ago. She’s, uh, not the easiest woman.”
JJ grinned. “And he’s taking it out on you?”
“I think it is more that Strauss kind of foisted me on him. I can’t seem to put a foot right, though.”
JJ reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “Don’t take it to heart. You’re doing great!”
Emily blushed. “You think so?”
“I know it. What you did today – with the Arabic? – THAT was really good.”
“I just don’t want to let anyone down.”
JJ nodded, sensing the seriousness of Emily’s words. “You won’t. Trust me.”
Emily nodded. “Okay.”
“And don’t worry about Gideon either. He was pretty close to Elle – the Agent you replaced. He doesn’t really get close to people so just give him time, okay? It’ll work out.”
Emily opened her mouth to reply, but Reid interrupted, stepping into the room.
“Sorry to disturb but Hotch wants Emily. She has a file…”
“Oh shoot!” Emily gasped, grabbing the file she had been toying with and darting from the room.
“See you later then?” JJ called to the empty space that Emily left.
“Girls’ night?” Spencer queried.
“Uh huh.”
“So…you’re going to get all the gossip on Emily?”
“Uh huh.”
“You’ll share, right?”
JJ grinned and patted his arm as she passed him to leave. “You’re cute when you beg, Spence.”