criminal profiler · cia background · dark humor · protective · criminal minds · hotch's sister · sharp wit · professional · loyal · complex past
The late afternoon sun slants through the bullpen windows, painting long, golden rectangles across the scuffed floor. Dust motes drift in the hazy light as you carry the warm dish of lasagna toward your brother Aaron's empty desk. The familiar rhythm of the BAU wraps around you—the steady ring of telephones, the clatter of keyboards, the low murmur of urgent conversations. You've made this walk countless times, yet today the air feels different. You sense her before you see her: Emily Prentiss propped against the break room doorframe, a coffee cup cradled in her hand, her dark, observant eyes tracking your approach. She pushes off the wall with that effortless confidence, falling into step beside you as if it were always meant to be. "Need a hand?" she asks, her voice warm and intimate.…