Author's Note:
Hey, this is my first published Criminal Minds Fanfiction. I have one on Mibba, but otherwise... I have a few chapters typed up, and since I'm on summer break, you can expect updates nearly everyday from me. The story is set around 4x19 "House on Fire." And it will progress through Seasons 4, 5, 6, 7, and so on...
Anyways, I won't bore you to death. Reviews are nice, and they make me smile.
As always, I don't own any of this. If I did, I wouldn't be so poor.
"What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from." T.S. Elliott.
Pacing into the BAU, there were so many things that were different about this visit. Whether it be the modest clothes I wore, or the sanity I had acquired since 'then,' the busyness of the atmosphere enticed me. Everyone was rushing from one place to the next, unlike me, who was just strolling back and forth.
I knew I was supposed to be heading somewhere, but you have to savor all the tiniest details. It wasn't something I did when I was here last. This was going to be my new home more or less. Knocking quietly on the office door, a stern voice beckoned, "Come in."
Shaking, I walked into the room. Along the mahogany bookcase was sparse picture frames. Looking towards the desk, his hand motioned me to sit down in the generic gray chairs. "Good morning Agent Hotchner," I greeted, smiling the widest I could without passing into creepy territory.
"Please, it's Hotch," He insisted, staring down into the papers. "Agent Carter," he mused sifting through the stack to hand me my things. "Here's your gun, a Glock 19, make sure it is functional," he ordered making eye contact with me to prove the point. "Here are papers that you just have to sign," he sat down a thin packet compared to those on his desk. Taking a deep breath, he handed me the credentials I had been waiting long for, "And here is your creds, you must use these from now on," he gestured to my student credentials hanging off of my shirt pocket.
"Anything else?" I raised my eyebrow, testing his limits.
Shaking his head, he continued with the speech, "Your desk will be labeled 5B, and then you can meet the rest of the team," he suggested, "Have a good first day Agent Carter."
"You have a good day Agent Hotchner," I pushed the chair in, waving as I left his office. Descending the steps from the overhang, I snooped around for desk 5B. Not being able to find it, much less the numbers, I sighed in defeat. Deciding not to give up so soon, I made a loop around the desks one more time, someone coughed to get my attention. "Sorry," I apologized.
"I don't think students get desks," the man stated matter-of-factly. His shinny chocolate colored hair
Biting my lip, I flipped open my newly attained creds, "I'm looking for my desk," I grinned.
"Sorry," he put his hands up in defeat and sustained a giggle. "5B right?" he questioned, raising his eyebrow.
Folding my arms across my chest, I nodded, "Yes." Pointing over to his left where a lanky man was standing, he sighed.
"That's Reid over there, and your desk is to the right of his," he beamed happily. "You really have the cred flip down," he joked, rubbing his temple. It caught my attention that this person had worked my case, but I couldn't remember his name.
"Florence Carter," I introduced, looking upwards at him. Heavens, he was tall.
"Derek Morgan," he extended his arm to shake my hand. Taking it, I was fearful his hand was going to crush mine.
Smiling, noticing my manicure was still intact, I stated, "See you around?"
"Guess so," Morgan shrugged his shoulders. Biting my lip, I shuffled back and forth on my heels. Ambling around the corner of the hordes of desks, I quickly spun around.
"Thanks again Derek," I called, then continuing towards desk 5B.
Over his shoulder, before he made his way up the stairs, he smiled, "No problem Sunshine."
Blushing, I headed over to my desk. Reaching into my bag, I pulled out the few things I had brought from home and began arranging them on the surface. Reid wasn't acknowledging my presence, and that was an excellent thing. His face and name were the most familiar to me. Reaching up to my chest pocket, I unclipped the student credentials and attached my brand new identification card.
"I remember doing that for the first time," the familiar voice to my right chuckled. Blushing hastily, I turned my face to look at him without thinking.
"I like to think of it as a shiny target," I laughed nervously, rotating my head back downwards again.
Coughing quietly, Reid leaned up against his desk. I felt his eyes trained on me, like he was studying my every move. "Florence Adrianne Carter," he hummed barely audible; "It's been a while."
My heart dropped, he did remember me. Sighing, I claimed, "It has," I looked at him for a minute. Instead of facing him hunched over a desk, I choose to stretch out my body like his and lean against the structure.
"You've changed," he admitted, gulping quickly. Glancing down at his shoes, the bustle of the morning in the bullpen was at its peak.
Biting my lip, I laughed a little. I had changed tremendously. "Hopefully for the better Dr. Reid," I poked at him, trying to test his limits as I had with Hotch.
"You're twenty two now right?" he asked, sitting down on the wooden tabletop. Refusing to make eye contact with him, I continued to look at the nameplate behind his back.
Shrugging my shoulders, I sighed, "Just twenty two."
"That's very young for a SSA," Spencer noted, raising his eyebrows in emphasis. "Who's your Unit Chief?"
"I'm sure you're not too much older than me," I stated callously. "Agent Hotchner," I added to answer his query.
Shaking his head, smirking, he replied, "Twenty seven." Noting that he didn't have his glasses, I gave him a check on the fashion report card. Those things were really outdated.
"Meaning the last time I saw you, you were twenty three," I formulated, stabbing his remark of my age.
"Drug specialist and Adolescent advocate," he squinted at my credential. "Sounds like something you'd like," he suggested, crossing his arms.
Biting my lip, I wasn't sure if that was a compliment or a degrading. Holding my head high, I exhaled loudly, as my nostrils flared characteristically. "I'll take that as a compliment," I jumbled together, twisting the ring on my finger habitually.
"Engaged?" He questioned, staring at my hands.
Showcasing my hand for him, I nodded. Embarrassment filled my cheeks in the form of blood rushing my face, "Yeah," I gushed.
A blonde twenty something walked up towards us, "Welcome Agent Carter, I'm the media liaison, Jenifer Jareau, or JJ," she shook my hand without me extending it. "Good morning, Spence," she smiled at Reid. Rolling my eyes, I gripped my leather bag's straps and brought the tote over my shoulder. Continuing onwards, she gestured behind her, "We have a case, so be in the conference room in five."
"Nice playing catch up," I sneered at Reid, gathering my stuff off my desk that I would need.
Flinging the one bag he had over his shoulder, he exhaled loudly. "I'm glad you turned your life around," he admitted. Walking towards the end of our row, I stopped for a millisecond for him to catch up.
"I'm glad you gave me that sandwich."