AN: …..Hi. c: I need some ideas for a new story... PM me please please? c:

"You go on. You set one foot in front of the other, and if a thin voice cries out, somewhere behind you, you pretend not to hear, and keep going." - Geraldine Brooks

"Not at the moment." Elizabeth's calm and controlled voice stated, her tone flat and void of emotion, as it usually was when she addressed her daughter. "Why? Do you need yet another political favor from me?" It was true that Emily often called her mother when they were dealing with a particularly political case, but it wasn't the only reason that they talked.

"I..." Emily took a deep breath, well aware of the fact that her mother would make quite the fuss out of the fact her daughter was asking for help. But she had no other choice, and a Prentiss never let your emotions control her actions. "I need a place to stay. I chose to take the job with INTERPOL, and I need a place to stay until I leave."

Emily could almost hear her mother's frown through the phone. "Why are you not staying with the BAU until your departure?" Elizabeth asked. "Did something go wrong? Do I need to talk to Agent Hotchner?"
"No, no, I chose to leave. There's no reason for you to speak to Agent Hotchner." Emily rushed., tense at just the mention of Aaron's name. "I just left early to give myself some time to...adjust to working on my own." her mother clucked, and Emily could almost see her shaking her head.

"Emily, you should know better than to lie to a Prentiss woman, especially to your own mother." Elizabeth scolded lightly. "What happened between you and Aaron? I know you two were friendly before Paris, and know you're leaving in a heartbeat."

Emily sighed and swallowed hard, not wanting to explain to her seemingly emotionless mother just why that she was leaving the BAU. "Mother..." she dragged out, not wanting to re-tell the story that still caused her so much pain to even admit, let alone deal with her mother's criticism of her worktime... romance.

"My home in D.C. is open to you, Emily." Elizabeth said, her voice unusually kind. "I'll call ahead, let Jacob know that you're coming so he can let you in and have a room set up. I'll arrange for my schedule to be cleared so that I can come down and help you figure out what's going on."

Stunned, Emily sat for a moment, her mind reeling at the sudden compassion her mother was showing before she finally brought herself under enough control to respond. "Th...Thank you, mother." she said, still unsure what to expect.

"And Emily?" Elizabeth said, and Emily made an affirmative noise, confirming that she was in fact listening to what Elizabeth had to say. "Don't be too rash. Some of the worst decisions I ever made were impulsive and quick. Make sure you think things through. Whether it's with your job, your team, or your relationship status."

"Thank you for the advice, mother." Emily said, her voice unusually soft, especially for when she was addressing her mother, despite the genetics they shared. Elizabeth hung up as she usually did, and Emily sighed, grateful that the conversation went as well as it did.

She turned her car onto the next exit towards D.C., grateful that her mother's car was close. As upset as she was, she wasn't sure that she could've taken the long drive to another of the many homes across the states.