Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds or any of the characters that are mentioned I'm just using them for a while.
Chapter 1:
Charm Bracelets, Treasure Chests, and Unforgotten Diaries
Emily Prentiss didn't lose things, especially not things that were this important to her. She was a well organised, well put together person. At least that's what she kept telling herself as she searched frantically through a drawer of knickknacks. Her usually tidy apartment looked as if a hurricane had struck and her normally compartmentalized mind was a jumble. It all started by her coming home from a case that hit closer to home than she wanted to admit. She later realised that she was missing her lucky charm bracelet that she got when she was nine. The bracelet was special because it was one of the few precious memories she had when her mother was being her mother and not Elizabeth Prentiss the ambassador. She was about to give up and start tidying when she found it in her old treasure chest that she had owned since she was a little girl. As she was closing the lid something caught her eye. It was her old diary which was underneath a few pictures. She had always found the diary antic. It was leather but the texture had a softer feel to it. The pages were lightly covered in dust but apart from that it was how exactly how she remembered it and that was the problem. Just touching it made her remember the memories that she tried so hard to forget and she fought the urge to shiver. She put the diary back in the chest exactly where she found it and went about cleaning.
Later that night Emily couldn't sleep. She checked the clock for the third time then realising that she wasn't going to get any more rest she got up and did what she'd normally do when she got insomnia. She set the herbal tea down on the outside table and went to make a snack. Insomnia wasn't new to her. Sure she'd get it after a difficult case or when she had too much on her mind sometimes it was even both but she used to get it a lot as a child. At first she didn't know how to deal with it but one of the maids taught her that herbal tea, a snack, fresh air and a clear mind would help and it did except in order to have a clear mind she'd have to confront what was bothering her. She knew what it was and she knew that she'd have to deal with it again at some point but she thought that she could leave it in the back of her mind until she knew that she was ready to reopen what she wanted so desperately to stay closed forever. It seemed with the case and her current state of mind that the only option was dealing with it now. So she got the diary out of the chest, went outside, sat down, had a sip of her tea, took a few deep breaths and began to read it.
Wednesday, October 17th, 1984
Dear Diary
I'm glad that Uncle Dan got me you for my birthday. The ambassador got another assignment today, which means that we're moving again this time to Italy. Yes, I'm still calling her "the ambassador" just not to her face even though it was priceless when I did that a few days ago while she had one of her "important" guests over. I can't believe her just when I start getting used to a place she decides to move us. It's not that I really like this place or even that I dislike it for that matter. I mean sure the scenery's nice, and the foods great but it's basically the same as all of the other places I've lived in. One of the things that I really wish I could change though is the houses or I suppose what most people my age would call it the mansions. Then again most fourteen and a half year old children haven't lived in four different countries and at least eleven different cities. The houses may look different to others but to me they all look the same. I guess after about the seventh house you find that there are no differences because they're all as boring, empty, uninteresting, and hollow as all of the others before and all of the others that will come after. I knew that this was going to happen because when I got down the stairs this mourning the ambassador wasn't in her office but at the dining room table. Then she started the same speech she always does before we're about to move. Anyway the maid wants to come in and help me pack because we're leaving tomorrow at noon. I'll try to write whenever I next get the chance even though I'm sure ambassador Prentiss wouldn't approve of her daughter writing in a diary so it'll most likely be in a few days from now when I get settled into Italy. Bye for now
Emily paused to regain the breath she didn't know that she was holding, took a few more sips of her tea, turned the page and started to read.
A.N I Hope that you enjoyed the first chapter. I sort of have a layout for the second chapter it just has to go from my head to my laptop then to something readable. I want to say thanks to my Beta Whitewolf200056 any mistakes that you see are my fault.