Synopsis: While being chased by the cops, Emily Prentiss jumps into a cab that is just about to pull away. Moments later, she realizes she's not alone. She's joined by a tall, handsome stranger. AU: young Emily and young Aaron.

1

The sound of footsteps behind her was coming closer, and her breathing quickened with every step. Take a left. Through an alley. Straight on. Cross the street. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. She could lose him, but the alleys and shortcuts were running out and he was still tailing her, coming closer by the second. She needed a getaway. Cross another street. Left or right? Left. Another three corners away was a taxi stand. Speed up. Push push push. In the corner of her eye she saw a small church flashing by. How ironic. Rounding the last corner she saw the yellow blur of her getaway.

"Police. Stop running." She pushed through her last energy and grabbed the handle of the first cab in row.

"Drive drive drive!" She called, and the scraggy boy behind the wheel –who looked like he had only just graduated high school- hit the gas, anxiously looking at her through his mirror.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" It was only now that she noticed that she was apparently sharing the cab. With a tall, handsome guy. "Stop this car right now."

"No!" She anxiously looked out the back window, still panting from the frantic run. "Please don't. I'll pay you double your fee if you just drop me off a few blocks from here." If this guy stopped the cab right here, she'd be arrested for sure.

"Excuse me." The handsome guy –wearing a slim fitting suit, with his tie untucked next to him and he first few buttons of his shirt undone- threw a pissed look at his fellow passenger before directing his glare back to the terrified cab driver. "I am a SWAT officer and if you don't stop this car right here right now, I will have you arrested." He didn't usually use his job to his advantage, but this young woman and presumably criminal –albeit an attractive one- was invading his personal space on a whole new level.

"Don't listen to him." She smiled sweetly at the cab driver. "He can't just arrest you, trust me." Comforted by the fact that the cop who had been chasing her was no longer in sight, she settled down into her seat, calming her rapid breathing. "Just drive a couple more blocks and I'll pay you three times your regular fee."

The young man, not insensitive to her bribe, reluctantly kept on driving. "Sorry Sir."

The man let out an exaggerated sigh, but by now he had become a little distracted by this mysterious lady hogging his cab. Loose dark curls fell down her shoulders, barely touching the top of her dress. A long, flowy summer dress That hugged her curves in just the right places. He highly doubted she was a seasoned criminal, although –as he had learned today- looks can be deceiving. He averted his eyes with a slight blush on his cheeks, and turned his head away to look out the window. But not before his fellow passenger had spotted his rosy cheeks.

"Emily." She said, and extended her hand out to him. But she didn't get any response, he just looked at her for a few seconds and huffed, before turning back towards the window. "Fair enough." She grinned. "It's better that you don't know my name anyway."

He turned around in shock, only to see her laughing right at him, exposing her white teeth. He finds himself suppressing the urge to smile with her. "What did you do anyway?" he says, trying his best to sound indifferent.

"That's for me to know and for you to only guess." She winked at him. "So are really a SWAT officer?"

"Yes." He caught himself sitting up straighter, trying to appear bigger. She invaded his cab ride, for god's sake, why was he trying to impress her?

"Then what's with the fancy suit, Mr officer?" he looked down at his attire, a black suit with a white shirt and a dark red, striped tie. Although he didn't mind wearing suits, this was not his regular work attire. With his work came a full proof uniform. However, he had not been at work today, he'd been to a day of seminars about the science of human behaviour. Issued for the whole team by his commanding officer. And although he hadn't quite looked forward to a day of sitting in class, especially in this weather, it had actually been very interesting. He had even signed up for a follow up course. "That's for me to know and for you to only guess." He answered her question, and listened to her laugh for the second time today. He already felt addicted to it.

"You're funny." That's the first time anyone had said that to him, he snorted, and he turned around to find her staring at him with a smile. What was it about this girl that was making him act so strange? She had jumped into his cab to fled the police, and he was just making nice with her like she was just a girl he'd met in a bar. Although he rarely went to bars, and when he did he wasn't really the smooth talker kind of guy. The only girlfriend he had had, had dumped him straight after high school, and asking someone out was not his strong suit. Let alone dating someone he hadn't known for forever.

"Uhm, ma'am?" the cab driver interrupted his thoughts. "Are we far enough?"

"Yes sure, this will do." Emily said, noting the cab driver's anxiousness to get her out of his cab. "Well, have a nice night, Mr. officer." He watched as she got out of the cab on the corner of the quiet street, and paid the cab driver a generous amount through his rolled down window. He really shouldn't let her walk alone in this neighbourhood, at this time of the night, but the cab driver had already closed his window again and was starting to pull away. And it shocked him to feel a pang of disappointment that she was gone, and he would never see this woman again.

It wasn't until the cab started speeding up that he noticed the lone item lying on the other seat. A white phone that most certainly didn't belong to him.

TBC

Author's note: I'm back! Thank you for reading. If you see any mistakes, grammar/spelling/or other, I hope it didn't bother you too much. English is not my native language, and I've been out of the writing game for a little. The second chapter is already in the makings, so keep an eye out for that, and let me know your thoughts and ideas. All feedback is welcome! Have a lovely day, Silke.