Author's Note: Just a short story to promote the Profiler Choice Awards. Check out the info at the end!
Welcome Home
Garcia heard the phone ringing as she reached the outside of her apartment. Flustered, she hurried inside as it was rare that anyone call her home phone and not her cell phone. She was breathless by the time she picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Penelope?" a familiar sultry voice replied.
Garcia stopped a beat. "Emily? Oh, my God! Emily, how are you?"
Emily chuckled. "I'm good. I'm..." She faltered. "I'm lying."
"Oh, sweetie, what's wrong?" Garcia sat down on her couch, her heart breaking for her friend.
"I thought this was what I wanted. I thought that this move would open up an entire new world for me," Emily cried.
Garcia wished she could crawl into the phone to comfort Emily. "And it hasn't?"
Emily took a shaky breath. "No. I find... I find that there's someone that I can't stop thinking about back in DC."
"Someone?" Garcia repeated. She felt and unexpected cold shiver run through her body and she fought to maintain her exposure. "Anyone that I know?"
"Well, she's-"
"She?" Garcia interrupted with force.
Emily sighed. "Yes, she. I thought you knew that I was bisexual."
Garcia's heart skipped. "I- I didn't. So, do I know this woman?"
"You do!"
"Are you going to tell me who it is?" Garcia asked, impatiently, after Emily refused to speak further.
"I want you to guess," Emily teased.
Garcia rolled her eyes. She wasn't much for guessing games. On the plus side, she and Emily only new a handful of the same females and they were all FBI agents. "Fine."
Emily giggled. "Well, she's sweet and caring. She can be incredibly feisty, especially when she's protecting someone she cares about. She's wicked smart. She's so much stronger than she thinks she is. She's blond. She's-"
"JJ is married, you know," Garcia sighed. "She and Hotch are quite happy."
"She's completely amazing when it comes to computers," Emily continued as if Garcia hadn't said anything. "And her fashion sense absolutely can't be beat."
Garcia opened and closed her mouth a few times before squeaking, "What?"
At this, Emily paused, her voice growing slightly timid when she spoke again. "You really have no idea, do you?"
"About what?" Garcia asked, sounding small.
"About how much I love you."
"Me?" Garcia squealed.
Again, Emily hesitated. "Yes. I have been in love with you for so long, but I thought you only had eyes for Morgan and then Kevin. But I couldn't stop thinking about you. Even after I moved to London, my thought constantly turned to you. I thought it was a pipe dream, but then JJ mentioned to me that you went out with that woman, Atlanta, and I had... I just had to take a chance. I'm moving to the States either way, but if you think there's even a chance for us, I'm coming to DC." Emily took a deep, heaving breath. "Penelope?"
"There's a chance," Garcia answered, quietly.
"Oh, thank God!" Emily sobbed.
Garcia felt her own tears bubbling up. "I-" She was stopped by a knock. "Hold on. There's someone at the door."
Garcia opened the door to find Emily standing there, tears falling down her cheeks. They fell into each other's arms, kissing as if it was their salvation. Garcia pulled away just long enough to drag her inside and whisper, "Welcome home."
END
NOMINATIONS HAVE STARTED FOR PROFILER'S CHOICE CRIMINAL MINDS FANFIC AWARDS! Calling all CM readers and authors! Join us for the annual Profiler's Choice CM Awards on! Help us choose the best of the best of the CM stories on, and let your voice be heard. Please check out the nomination ballot and rules at the ProfilerChoiceAwards2013 Forum. All rules and information are on the forum. Nominations are due October 31st. All entries with ten or more categories filled out are eligible to win one of two Amazon gift cards!
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