Series 10 One-shots: X

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the ideas

Wow this is my fifth set of one-shots! Where has the time gone? Little scared how long I have been writing CM FF now (though know there are many more who have been here much longer than me). Sorry I am running a little behind but we got the first ep in the UK this week and have decided to hold out and watch them rather than try and find them online.

So here we go again – hope you enjoy the ride.

I will be honest I had several prompts picked out for this (including Reid twerking! I am still disturbed by that). However what I have decided to go with will not be everyone's cup of tea (Yes Nebs I am referring to you). I have fully accepted that Paget Brewster has moved on, but I couldn't resist the snippet that has allowed me to write her once more. Tedious link it might be but here is chapter one!

. . .

Prompt

JJ: Hotch talked to Emily.

Garcia: And . . .

Rossi: She just doesn't want to come back.

. . .

Emily placed the phone down with a sigh. It was one of the hardest calls she had made in a long time. However her mind had been set and her decision was final. No matter how hard it was to physically voice it.

Emily loved her family at the BAU, but it was no longer her home. She had completed that chapter and was currently well into the next stage of the story.

She was aware that her upbringing had led to her being able to compartmentalise and she had been grateful for it repeatedly through life. It made the ending of each stage a little easier, though not completely pain free. She liked to think of it more as a coping strategy than a way of life.

Right now though the filter seemed faulty, Emily thought as she shuffled the endless piles of files on her desk. Blinking to stem the tears that prick her eyes she tried desperately to hold it together. Somehow turning Hotch down had been like leaving all over again.

Finally laying the top file back down she pushed back in her chair. Reaching down to the bottom drawer of her desk and pulled out a bottle of malt and a glass, a little something Rossi had corrupted her into. Pouring a generous measure she took a lingering sip as she settled back into her leather desk chair. As she did a single tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. "Damn" she cursed as she realised her resolve was just about to completely crumble.

Walking away from the team to face Doyle had been crippling, but she had been able to justify her actions. Staying away now seemed selfish. She had no reason other than her own wishes. Glancing up a framed photo that she kept on the filing cabinet opposite, it was part of a small collection Clyde had encouraged her to put in place, Emily smiled. The collection had started shortly after she had settled into her new post. It had become obvious she was feeling homesick and Clyde had suggested she personalised her office space. Emily had become so used to minimalistic that it had become a habit.

The first photo to makes way onto the previously clear surface had been one that each BAU team member had. It was taken on one of their infamous nights out. Garcia had persuaded the hostess to take the picture and printed them one off each, getting it framed and given them out at the Christmas gathering later that same year. In the shot Garcia was snuggled up to Morgan a satisfied grin on her face as he pulled her in tight, his million watt smile out in full force. Next round the table was Reid who was looking very uncomfortable with the PDA happening next to him. JJ smile elegantly at the camera while Rossi offered a toast beside her. Emily, herself, was next in line with Hotch completing the line up. Happy days!

Admittedly Emily had added a photo of her mother to the collection, telling Clyde it was there to reminder her why it was a good idea to be living in a different country. Jack and Henry both had a spot and an unframed shot from when Morgan and Garcia had come to visit finished off the area as it rested against the silvery frame of the team shot.

Staring at the main photo as she sat back and relaxed, Emily had a small chuckle at the good times they had shared.

Garcia had been the BFF she had never had at school, moving around too often to ever cement that lasting friendship with another female. Yet in PG she had it all. Even now Emily eagerly awaited the start of each new month as it brought her a special treat in the form of a 'Penelope Garcia Emergency Food Parcel'. Each month the contents varied slightly but contained a selection of foodie treats that Pen knew Emily loved but in her friend's opinion was not available in the UK or just didn't taste the same. Emily had tried to show Pen that Hershey had made it onto the UK shelves but the tech kitten was having none of it. In return Emily fed Pen's sweet tooth with the treats she had discovered on her visit. Both of them knew with determination they could get them ordered and delivered if they so wished but honestly they loved the anticipation of the gifts.

As for Morgan he had been her 'partner in crime' on so many levels. It wasn't just Garcia that people had assumed he had been sleeping with, but people could not have been more wrong. Emily had always managed to have some amazing platonic relationships and theirs rated up there with the best. Morgan had been one of the first to break down her defences and get her to accept she was part of the team, the family. He had somehow snuck under the radar during their road trip conversations. He had almost tricked her into their first 'personal conversation' yet after that it was just too easy to spill and tell him all.

Reid she had been just as close to but in a totally different way. She felt protective of him; she was convinced this was purely because of his age. Yet at the same time was in awe of his talents and skills. Emily knew he was a greatly underestimated member of the team, by those who didn't know him.

Emily appreciated how her relationship with JJ had deepened when she had gone into hiding. The support that had been offered at that time was the only thing that had kept Emily going. Without JJ she was convinced that she may never have reached the light at the end of the tunnel. In her darkest times 'Chetto-breath' had been her saviour.

Rossi had been an odd one – the one who had joined the team after her. Some may call him the father figure but Emily preferred to think of him as the cheeky uncle that spent too much time encouraging you to do the things your parents had told you not to, and when it came to her parents she didn't need a whole heap of encouragement.

Now Hotch was more the father figure, or at least the head of the family. He was the stoic leader of the unruly crew. Emily had long admired Hotch dedication to them all. She had seen first-hand how he had fought to keep the family together. She knew the pain that the lies had caused to keep her and the team safe. Now she was experiencing the sense of responsibility Hotch had for herself and was hoping that she has managed to carry over what he had taught her into this new role.

Taking a final sip from the glass she closed down her computer and made ready to leave. It had been a long day. Taking one last glance at the photo she didn't envy Hotch telling the others she had turned down the chance to come back. Hopefully he hadn't even told them that he was asking her. Nibbling at the edge of her thumb nail Emily decided she would make arrangements for a special delivery to the team. Something appropriately sugary and sinful to let them know they were never far from her mind.

. . .

The love of family and the admiration of friends is much more important than wealth and privilege.

Charles Kuralt, Journalist