She pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her nose and sighed:
"Could we leave it at that for today? My head's spinning."

"Alright, there's not much more to do until your finals. Good work, Joule", he smiled.

She turned to stuff her books into her bag and hide her blush.
"You'll leave college soon", she avoided his gaze.

He shrugged. Her heart clenched.


Joanna McNolan woke with a start, cold sweat clung to her skin.
She sat up running her hand through her hair.
It had been years since she had thought let alone dreamed of Spencer Reid.
They had met in college during her freshman year, but after he had graduated their contact broke off.

A small smile appeared on her face as she thought of his soft, brown eyes, the way his fingers moved up and down a sheet of paper while he explained something to her.
Although she had not seen him in years she could still picture his face.

Her gaze wandered to the window opposite her bed. The sun twinkled through the gaps of the louver.
She would start her new job today and decided to lock Spencer Reid up far behind in a corner of her brain where he had already spent the last years.
After graduation she had spent most of her time climbing the latter within the FBI.
She had worked at the organized crime unit and then transferred to the civil rights unit.

Today she would be taking a step she had dreamed of since she had started to work for the FBI. She would join the Behavioural Analysis Unit.
Nervousness flooded her system and she smiled like a maniac at the thought of it.
After showering she grabbed the Thermos bottle, filled with coffee to the rim, and her favourite book to calm her nerves.

The subway was stuffed with people. Joanna clutched her book staring at its cover.

"Stay the fuck away from him!", she yelled, her face flushed with anger.

"You know he will always choose a girl like me over a girl like you if he gets the chance", she would never forget spiteful expression in the girl's face.

She shook her head, furrowing her brows at her thoughts.

Enough flashbacks for a day!


The elevator gave a bell-like noise as it came to a halt.
She stopped in front of the glass doors, took a deep breath and strode across the empty room. There was no one in sight as it was still early.
In front of the door to SSA Aaron Hotchner's office she stood still for a moment, smoothened her coat and knocked.

"Come in", a deep, commanding voice got through the wood.

"Good morning, Sir. My name is Joanna McNolan and my transfer to your unit was confirmed yesterday. I-", she started, but he cut her off with a small smile:

"No need to be nervous, Agent McNolan. I have heard of your work, otherwise I wouldn't have confirmed the transfer.

The daily meeting starts at ten, meanwhile you can prepare your desk and meet our technical analyst."

Joanna felt how her body lost most of its tension and she said: "Thank you, Sir."

They left the office and he pointed at one of the desks: "This will be yours, but I will introduce you first."

She followed him, eyeing her surrounding.
He knocked on a door and a woman's voice answered:

"The access to the haven of information may be granted."

Joanna smiled widely as Hotch sighed.

"Penelope Garcia, this is Agent Joanna McNolan, former civil rights unit", Hotch introduced.

"Oh, I know, I know everything about you-", the woman had bright blonde hair, a curvy figure and wore a neon green dress. To say her sight was impressing would be an understatement, but as soon as Joanna became accustomed, she quite liked it.

"I hope that's meant rhetorically", she said and smiled. Garcia giggled:

"You can still tell me everything yourself."

"Alright, Agent McNolan, you know where your desk is and when to arrive for the meeting. We'll see each other later. Bye, Garcia", Hotch said and turned to leave.

"Bye, boss!", Garcia yelled after him.

"So…" Joanna started not quite sure if she should leave or stay.

"I don't want to offend you, but you quite developed since college", the blonde said and cocked her head.

A short noise, somewhere between giggle and snort, burst out of Joanna.

"Well, th-thank you", she stuttered and the woman in front of her grinned.

She decided not to ask.

"Well, I think, I'm leaving and prepare for… yeah, later", she said and smiled, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Okeydokey, Miss Newbie", Garcia grinned.


Joanna set up her things, checked her field of duties and finished her registration.
After she had used the bathroom, she looked into the mirror, studying her face remembering Garcia's words.

She had started to wear contacts after joining the FBI. Her body was more shaped from the physical training and she had learned how to use make-up and not look like a clown.
But her face was still the same thin frame, her eyes a little too narrow, her lips too thin.

She remembered the girl in college and sighed. She had stopped to care for appearance a long time ago, but today her past seemed to be staring back at her through each window, each mirror.

When she arrived at her desk again, she noticed a built, handsome, black man sitting at the desk next to hers.

"Hello, I'm Agent Derek Morgan", he smiled a thousand watt smile and shook her hand.

"Hi, Agent Joanna McNolan. It's my first day… obviously", she felt more ridiculous with each minute.

"So you didn't meet the others yet?", he asked.

"I've met Agent Hotchner and Penelope Garcia, but nobody else."

"Hotch as first impression must have been a little scary", he laughed, "but my baby girl surely made things better, she always does."

"She's the sunshine in here, right?", Joanna laughed.

"That's nice of you, muffin", the tech analyst tapped her shoulder.

Joanna blushed deep red.

"Emily! JJ! Come over here and say hello to our newbie", Morgan shouted.

A woman with dark hair and another blonde came over, introducing themselves.
Joanna was slightly overwhelmed and tried her best not to say something too embarrassing.

"Where are Rossi and the genius?", Garcia asked.

"Rossi's in his office, I think we will have to wait for the meeting to catch sight of him. And our little expert for everything is late, I think", JJ answered her, smiling brightly.

Emily pointed at something behind Joanna's back and said: "Speak of the devil."

Joanna turned to face the so called genius.

Her heart skipped a beat and she felt like she had been pushed off a skyscraper.
In front of her, with a coffee in hands, the same bag he had been carrying around in college- or was it just the same type?- stood the man she had dreamed about just that night.

"Joanna!"

"Spencer"