A Tune All Her Own
Disclaimer: I wish, but no, don't own the characters/show.
Author's Note: Really have no idea where this came from, probably watching Paget's crazy dance moves via the Internet had something to do with it. Enjoy.
"Garcia, you cannot be serious!"
"Hey! Morgan told me what you said you'd do for him! This is the least you can do for me!"
"First off, I never agreed-"
"Please, Emily? Please?"
"Ugh, fine. But if I find this on YouTube I'm commissioning Kevin to do something horrible to your computer."
"You won't, and he wouldn't! My Kevin is completely loyal to me!"
"I was in the CIA, remember? We have our ways."
"Um, point taken! Now just let me set up the camera and start up the music!"
"Honestly, Penelope, where do you find this stuff?"
"Fanvids. Now dance!"
As an ambassador's daughter she'd been required at an early age to take dance lessons, but while every instructor conceded that she did have natural rhythm, Miss Emily Prentiss had always danced to a tune all her own.
This wild flailing of limbs to a UK boy band was what Garcia was recording, a means of forevermore making it up to the Mistress of Awesome for having to fake her death and cause said Mistress unnecessary grief. To be honest, Emily was just happy that this brief humiliation would be all that was required to make it up to Garcia, as she could think of far worse means of atonement. And really, the song was catchy.
If only you saw what I can see,
You'll understand why I want you so desperately,
Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe,
You don't know,
Oh oh,
You don't know you're beautiful,
Oh oh,
But that's what makes you beautiful
She got so into dancing to the song; she didn't even notice him until it was too late.
"Prentiss?"
The music couldn't have been turned off fast enough. Busted.
"Shit! Sir! Um, sorry, we were just-uh…"
"Just having some fun after-hours, Sir Hotch! Sorry if we were too loud."
If she had the ability to make the ground swallow her whole, Prentiss would have activated it just then. She had to force herself to meet his eye. God, she was such a spaz!
"Right…"
One glance confirmed her fierce desire to disappear into thin air, his expression was a stalemate between amusement and annoyance. She didn't know which was worse. Only her mother showing up at the door now could make this more mortifying. Perish the thought.
"Well, I'll leave you both to it, what I wanted to ask can wait until tomorrow. Good night, Garcia, Prentiss."
Only Garcia responded in kind, Emily managed to mumble something while finding something utterly fascinating about her boots.
Once Hotch had left, that was all she could take.
"Alright, I'm leaving, night Garcia, I hope you got what you wanted."
"But Em-"
"No buts! I am never doing that again!"
"But-!"
"Ah! What did I say? Good night."
Garcia sighed in defeat, much to her approval.
"Good night, Emily."
She didn't open the email Garcia immediately sent her until she got home, the media file it contained a copy of her dance session as per their agreement.
What caught her attention, however, was the message Penelope had attached to it.
Watch Hotch.
Confused, she immediately opened the video, hoping against hope that Garcia's message didn't mean what she thought it meant, that Hotch hadn't been witness to her embarrassing dance moves for longer than she ever wanted him to be. Longer really meaning never.
Which was, unfortunately, exactly what Garcia had meant. Hotch hadn't just walked in, he had actually stopped to watch before announcing his presence.
She knew she'd be dead for real this time if people could actually die from embarrassment. How would she be able to ever look him in the eye again after this?
But just as she was about to shut down the video in disgust, the BAU Agent in her made her look a little harder than before at Hotch's expression. Behind the obvious amusement there was something else, something deeper, something more.
Was that…hunger? For her?
She slammed the top of her laptop down before she could even finish that thought. It couldn't be, she was too tired and seeing things. But hadn't Garcia said-
No! This was Hotch, and he most definitely hadn't been looking at her like that.
As if on cue, her phone went off, indicating a call from Garcia herself.
"Prentiss."
"Watch the video yet?"
"Yes."
"And?"
"Good night, Penelope."
"Oh no don't give me that! You saw, didn't you? I know you did!"
"Why are we discussing this?"
She could not classify the noise that came out of her phone as human.
"So you did see! And?"
"And good night, Garcia."
"Emily Prentiss! You cannot ignore the evidence!
"Watch me."
"But…why?"
"Penelope, please."
"Alright, chéri, but don't deny I did you a favor!"
"And here I thought I was the one doing the favors."
"You know what I mean! Sweet dreams, dear heart."
"Ditto, see ya tomorrow."
And if Emily happened to open her laptop again to watch a certain video a few more times before bed, nobody was the wiser.
Author's Note: The song is "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction for those who care to know. Also, thank you so much to everyone who's favorited/reviewed any of my CM stories so far! Really, such a warm welcome means a lot!