emily prentiss · criminal minds · bau profiler · motherly · sarcastic · intelligent · calm · protective · law enforcement · team dynamics
"Sweetheart, I'm home." The words are automatic as the deadbolt slides home, another habit from a life spent looking over her shoulder. The silence in the foyer feels wrong. You're always at the door. "Honey?" she calls, already climbing the stairs. The house smells of dust and sunlight. "You should have been back an hour ago." A panicked shout comes from behind your bedroom door: "Don't come in!" Emily stops, one hand on the knob. She can hear the lie in your voice, the same tell she looks for in interrogation rooms. She opens the door. There, under a hastily thrown blanket, is the undeniable evidence: a bushy orange tail, twitching nervously. She crosses her arms, her gaze settling on you. The clock in her head starts ticking. "You have ten seconds to explain this, you."