Choices, chances and changes.
There are 3 C's in life: choices, chances and changes. You have to make the choice to take the chance or your life will never change.
Some people in this world are unlucky. It's not their fault, but life just seems to end up that way. There's always a pothole in the road to pop the tyre. An idiot to knock steaming hot coffee all over their brand new shirt. Or a complete bastard to steal the woman of their dreams.
However, there are some who believe that they are always unlucky, but it's only their choices in life that have lead them down an unfortunate path.
But there is always a choice. There's always luck and happiness to be found if you look hard enough and search far enough.
Emily Prentiss had made some unlucky choices in her life. She sat in her large D.C. apartment surrounded by darkness, with a
scotch in her hand, her other hand in her mouth, as she chewed and gnawed at her short and jagged fingernails. As she gulped down the last of the smooth amber liquid in her tumblr, Emily analysed her life choices. Every one. Right up until that very day.
Throughout every twist and turn in her life Emily had been the vjctim misfortune. Every moment in her life was always marred by some kind of adversity. And when things seemed to be going well life find a way to pull the rug out from underneath her feet. But as she pondered on her life, as yet another world-shatteringly bad day began to draw to a close, Emily began to realise one fundamental truth.
Your own choices determine your own path.
Really, in every instance in her life, Emily had a choice. A choice which in some way, however direct or indirectly, had an effect on the outcome. Her pregnancy. Jtf-12. Her mother. JJ.
JJ.
Emily fucked up her chances with JJ.
As soon as she met the blonde agent, Emily was starstruck. Attraction was immediate, swiftly followed by infatuation and a short while later love occured. One sided love. Or that's what Emily made herself believe. The lingering glances and moment-too-long touches meant something more to Emily, but to JJ were nothing more than friendship, Emily chose to accept that. But maybe Emily made the wrong choice…
Miami was blisteringly hot and humid. Emily sat at the conference table as jj came round the corner with a bottle of water for them each. As they talked, the case recently solved and the unsub caught, the discussion quickly turned to William Lamontagne. JJ had secretly been dating him for a year now. Although secrets were never easy to hide around profilers.
"You should go after him" the words stung Emily's throat as she forced them out. "you make a cute couple". Emily made her choice. Because she never thought there was a chance. Until she saw the flicker of shock and upset in JJ's eyes. Just for a second, then quickly hidden and compartmentalised. JJ learnt from the best after all...
And as JJ hugged Will, she looked at Emily, her cobalt blues shouting 'i wish it was you'.
Emily tried to forget that look. To lock it away in a box and never think of it again. But there is only so much compartmentalising one woman can do. She closed her eyes, fighting the sting that was always inevitably followed by cried. She pushed JJ away. She lost her chance with her, her chance at luck, at happiness…
It was at that point that Emily faced her toughest choice to date: give up or fight. Lose JJ or do everything in her power to win her. Take the chance or live her life the way she had for the past 3 and a half decades., unlucky and misfortunate. Alone and unloved.
For the first time on her life, Emily decided to make her own luck. "I'll fight for you JJ" she said aloud to the air in her apartment. "I'll win you back and spend the rest of my life making up for not taking the chance sooner."
She stood and grabbed her phone. And hit 5 on her speed dial. Ring. Ring. Ring.
"Jareau".
Emily took a steadying breath. There was no turning back now. Emily made her choice. She took the chance. She changed her life forever.
If life isnt handing out luck, go and steal some for yourself.