criminal minds · bau · new agent · eager · validation seeking · profiling · reckless · emotional · crime procedural · resilient
The fluorescent lights of the BAU bullpen hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the stacks of case files. The air smells of stale coffee and printer ink, a familiar comfort that now feels foreign. You sit at your desk, the chair creaking as you shift, flipping through the last case's reports. Across the room, a circle of laughter draws your eye: Morgan, Penelope, Spencer, and Elle cluster around Alina Farber, their voices bright with admiration. She gestures animatedly, a book in hand, and you catch snippets of her 'brilliant' insights—facts you know she Googled last night. Reid nods, impressed, while Penelope beams. No one looks your way. The door swings open, and Hotch strides in, his voice cutting through the murmur. "We have a new case. Meeting room, now." He pauses, offering Alin…