Disclaimer: I own nothing of Criminal Minds or these fantastic characters. I don't even own the sunglasses.
Emily Prentiss climbed from the passenger seat of the black SUV, slamming the door behind her. One slam in a cacophony of slams that signified her team emerging from the cars to join her. Together, as one body, they walked forward across the freezing pavement. A harsh wind bit their faces and wheedled its way through their heavy coats.
A hundred yards ahead, it played through the victim's limp and lifeless hair.
She was young, the victim. And no matter how many times they saw it, it never failed to hurt. Each death chipped away, just slightly, at the coating of ice and careful restraint that protected the team. Each death, especially the young ones, was one more blow, one more hit that dented their armor. With each death, a little piece of each of them ached and was torn.
But they could not cry. No. They must do their job, each of them, to protect the remaining Innocents. They, the team, the BAU, were the sacrificial lambs, and that was alright. They, each, had signed up for it, and they were prepared. Nevertheless, a sight like the one before them hurt.
Walking in line with her co-workers, her friends, her family, Emily Prentiss trained her eyes on the broken body. Tangled fingers of wind lifted limp hair. Eternal silence enveloped the body. Slowly, Emily Prentiss reached in to her pocket, pulling out her sunglasses. She slipped them over her eyes, despite the cloudy winter's day, in a practiced movement. The mirrored lenses blocked her off, sealed her away from the rest of the world, from the reality in front of her. She hated sunglasses for that very reason; you could not read a person when they were wearing sunglasses.
But for that reason, on they went.
Yes, it was her duty to investigate, to analyze, and to protect. But she was still human, and she was still affected.
Walking towards the crime scene, shoulder to shoulder with her true family, she cast a glance about her: first to her left, then to her right. All down the line, she saw no eyes. All down the line, five pairs of sunglasses identical to hers stared silently back.
Hello, everyone! :) Just a short little one-shot about the team and the pain they have to endure with every case. It just popped in to my head this afternoon as I put on my sunglasses. I was angry and wanted to be hidden from the world, so on went my shades. I first saw the idea of hiding behind sunglasses with a friend a long while ago, and I figured that maybe the BAU felt that way sometimes too.
Anyways, I hope you like it! I love the team, so I just wanted to show their softer, more emotional side. Enjoy!
Please Read and Review! :)