Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Criminal Minds featured in this fan fiction.
Warnings: gen-fic, mild swearing, non-explicit reference to case-related violence/gore/torture, set in/around season 5 but with no major reference to any episodes/scenes except what happened to Reid in 5.01
Note: Written for the second portion of the Awesome Ladies Ficathon hosted by ineffort on livejournal
Karma Points
Emily Prentiss was having a really shitty day.
She rolled out of bed and stubbed her toe against her open wardrobe door then tripped over her new heels that she'd forgotten to put away last Saturday (that morning being a rainy Wednesday) and consequently scuffed the shiny leather. If that wasn't enough to wreak her mood for the day, her espresso machine made a few unhealthy gurgling noises before stuttering to a halt and releasing an unhealthy plume of smoke. Not steam from her perfectly made morning darkest-black super-special, but grey smoke tinged with red from the fire that had suddenly leapt up from the controls. Despite locating the extinguisher without fuss, there was still significant damage done to the bench-top and she spent quite a few minutes staring morosely at her dead coffee source before heading to the bathroom and praying the shower wouldn't try to drown her.
Though the rest of her morning routine passed without incident, already the theme of the day was 'Let's Make Emily Miserable'. It only became more prominent upon arriving at work to be greeted by JJ's solemn face and a call for a round-table meeting. The file folders opened up to display passport sized portraits of smiling faces clipped to crime-scene photos of tiny mutilated bodies.
Yeah, definitely a shitty day.
"The preliminary profile fits."
Prentiss tried not to glare at Reid as they walked away from the church together. The youth leader was only one of many who had a connection to all three victims but Reid was right about the profile. None of the others they'd interviewed had matched so closely. She shot a quick look over her shoulder before opening the driver's side door to the SUV.
"Profile's not complete," Prentiss said instead of denying the man's involvement.
Reid slid into the passenger seat. "Well, we've still got some information on victimology to cover and the rest of the team might have found something else."
"Yeah, maybe."
Reid stared at her as she started the engine and pulled away from the church. She held out for a minute, concentrating on the road as much as possible, before it got too annoying to bear.
"What?"
"Maybe I should be asking you that. Is there something wrong, Emily?"
Prentiss glanced over at her fellow agent and sighed internally. Stupid puppy eyes and matching pout. The floppy hair didn't help either, nor did the rumpled vest and bright askew tie. Damn Reid; he'd notice a lie and was too good a friend to try brush off.
"Sometimes," Prentiss started before lowering her voice to match her mood. "Sometimes I just want to have my faith reaffirmed instead of torn down."
Reid continued staring before he smiled sadly and looked down at his fidgeting hands playing with the seatbelt. "I know what you mean."
Dr Reid, PhDs in physics, chemistry and engineering, walking encyclopedia of all things factual and proven by logic and experience. Prentiss returned the smile.
"Yeah, I guess you do." She hummed an agreement before changing the topic. "I could kill a burger right now."
"Mmm, I'm about due my third coffee break," Reid said.
"Third? I didn't even get my first. Machine broke down on me before work."
"What?" Reid looked horrified. "How are you even alive right now? Coffee first, then food."
Prentiss didn't even pretend to think about it. "Best thing I've heard all day."
"Of course it is. I'm a genius, you know."
"You don't say."
It was still a shitty day, but some bright spots were appearing.
Hotch was still in the basement with the kid, trying his best to calm the hysterical flailing. Prentiss didn't even wait for his approval before pairing up with Morgan to hunt the bastard down in his labyrinth of a house. Boxes piled in the hallway, stained papers strewn on the floor where a few fell on their sides. The rooms were empty, junk and mildew overwhelming her senses. It was better than the hidden room downstairs – the one they'd dragged the screaming kid from. She didn't pity Hotch, sitting only a few feet away from what she thought was a pretty accurate rendition of hell.
Movement at the end of the hall grabbed her attention and Morgan was moving before she could even signal. They heard a screen door slam and a gun fire. Morgan burst through the back door to see Rossi aiming at the fleeing unsub as the unkempt suspect jumped the short back fence separating his cluttered yard from the woods behind his property. Judging by the unsub's staggering gait and hand clutched to his waist, Rossi had hit his mark.
Prentiss didn't wait, Morgan only a step behind her as she jumped the fence. The unsub looked over his shoulder and raised his unoccupied hand to point an old revolver at his pursuers. Prentiss dodged to the side before he could get a shot off but she heard Morgan grunt and looked back in horror.
He clutched at his upper arm, a thin trail of blood slipping between his fingers.
"A graze! Keep going!"
Seeing Rossi running toward them and calling on his two-way Prentiss knew things would be taken care of there and returned her attention to the unsub.
He was only a few yards away and slowing. She'd have no problem.
Leaping the fence and sprinting after the unsub, Prentiss kept up her pattern of weaving between stunted trees until he ran out of bullets. She was close enough by then to see the panic on his face, the widening of his eyes until they were almost completely white. He raised the gun above his head, as though to use it like a club but Prentiss was having none of that. She tackled him around the waist, feeling his slick wound hitting her shoulder. He dropped, howling in agony, and Prentiss used his pain and distraction to grab the gun from him and throw it far from his reach before straightening up and pointing her own gun at his head before he could reorient himself and get up off the ground.
"Try anything and you won't need to find out how good a shot I am at far range."
Rather than replying, the unsub lay panting – his hand twitching as it lay upon his wounded side.
Only a few seconds later and footsteps announced an approaching agent. Prentiss didn't look away from the unsub but she heard JJ relaying the situation on the radio. Once she was done and officers from the local precinct were on their way she came up to stand beside Prentiss, her own gun levelled at the unsub.
"Nice moves," JJ said.
"Morgan can't have all the fun."
Their backup and a paramedic team were only a few yards behind JJ but neither agent lowered their guns until the unsub was fully secured to the gurney and under the watchful gaze of local officers.
"How's Desmond?" Prentiss asked as they followed the procession of officers to the waiting ambulance and police cars.
"The church group youth leader? He'll be fine – woke up and confirmed his attacker's identity. He was lucky you got there so soon."
Prentiss shrugged. "I had a hunch."
"More like a leap of faith." JJ smiled. "Congrats on saving the day again, superwoman."
"Hey," Prentiss protested, pointing to Reid and Hotch by the house talking with the gathered officers and the boy's parents as they clutched their rescued son. "Team effort."
JJ nodded, watching Rossi and Morgan join the other two. Reid and Hotch immediately started pushing Morgan over to the waiting paramedics. "Yeah, it was." She turned back to Prentiss. "But that was a great tackle."
Prentiss laughed. "That was a brilliant tackle. Morgan should start taking lessons from me."
JJ laughed and they joined the rest of the team in their victory.
Prentiss had seen worse days.
"Hello my heroic lovelies!"
Prentiss turned around in her chair and grinned as Garcia rushed through the bullpen, bright colours and happiness making her shine in the dull bullpen. Prentiss wasn't the only one to smile at such a familiar and welcome sight: JJ waved cheerfully from the conference room as she fielded yet another call; Rossi allowed himself to be hugged on his way out of the office to for a much deserved rest; Hotch smiled softly from his doorway and pretended not to notice his team procrastinating; and Reid leapt to his feet, already reaching for the box of home-made cookies the wondrous tech goddess brought for her minions.
Garcia halted at Prentiss' desk, her exuberance dimming slightly as she looked around in confusion. "Where is my tall, dark and gorgeous super-agent?"
"Sitting right in front of you," Prentiss said.
Garcia grinned. "Ha, very good. You are indeed the woman of the day, but I was just a little worried about my favourite super-agent of he non-girl-power persuasion."
"Hotch sent him home," Reid jumped in, his mouth full of cookie crumbs.
Prentiss shot him an exasperated look before turning back to Garcia. "The bullet only grazed him but he needed antibiotics just in case. No celebratory drinks for him so he too Hotch up on the offer of an early night."
"While we actually finish our paperwork," Reid said. "Getting shot's not that important."
"You're just jealous because now everyone's fussing over Morgan's war wound instead of your old one."
"What? That's preposterous." Reid wouldn't look at either of them and grabbed blindly at another cookie before returning to his paperwork.
Prentiss and Garcia shared a look over Reid's bowed head and stifled their giggles.
"In any case," Garcia said, "I do believe someone deserves a drink after such an exciting day."
Prentiss looked at her watch and the pile of folders on her desk. "I shouldn't," she said, drawing the words out reluctantly.
"Bah. Where's the fun in only doing things you should do?" Garcia tugged on Prentiss' arm. "C'mon, we'll make it a girl's night."
"Oh, so I'm not invited then?" Reid asked.
"Would you even say yes without Morgan prodding you into it?" Prentiss asked.
"…Maybe. It's statistically possible."
"Not with 2001 playing on cable tonight."
"You're right. Have a fun girl's night."
"We need one more girl to make it a real girls' night," Garcia said.
Still tugging on Prentiss' arm, she headed towards the conference room. Prentiss sighed and gave in to the insistent enthusiasm and followed along – their arms linked as though going for a stroll in the park. Reid just shook his head, smiling at the antics, before returning to his work, yet another cookie in hand.
"Psst! JJ!" Even Garcia's whisper couldn't be subtle. The two women poked their heads around the door-frame only to find JJ, no longer occupied on the phone, watching them with a stern look.
"Her fault," Prentiss pointed a finger at Garcia, who tried to look affronted but gave up in favour of a cheeky smile.
"Too true. C'mon, girl's night. We haven't had one in ages."
JJ quickly gave up the stern 'mother' look and rubbed at the back of her neck. "I was looking forward to a quiet night."
Garcia pouted. "Could you really disappoint this face?"
"Yes, I could." JJ smiled. "It does sound fun."
"So call up your scrumptious partner and let him know you'll be late and will probably wake him up with your off-key singing."
"I do not sing off-key!"
"That's not what I heard from Reid."
"What!"
Prentiss smiled as she watched her workmates and closest friends tease each other and smile and act so very alive. She'd definitely had worse days. Tomorrow, for example, looked to be filled with headaches and paperwork. Best to put it off as long as she could, the next tomorrow might offer something better. But this day …
Prentiss was having a pretty good day, all things considered.