Follows along with episode 3x02 - In Name and Blood
For the second time, the woman behind the desk gave me a scrutinous look over her glasses. I offered yet another tight smile and folded my arms up onto the desk; it was almost taller than me, even with heels.
"Is there a problem?" I asked, adding a quick smile to dampen how rude that'd just sounded. She pursed her lips in an attempt at a smile back; we weren't fooling each other.
"We don't usually get a lot of temporary badges arranged in the fashion yours has been, so I'm simply ensuring we have everything we need."
So, in short, she wanted to make sure I wasn't lying. Another fake smile got shoved on my face before I could let my irritation rise up instead. The only thing worse than my snarky attitude were my facial expressions, and I didn't need those getting me in trouble today.
Except, I was already running late. I'd had to make a pit stop to drop my bags off at the hotel, and with the Virginia traffic and now the security issues, it was already nearing 6:15.
"I can show you my ID again, if -"
"No, no. I've got it scanned," she dismissed, shooting me another tight smile. "Just a few more minutes Miss..." she trailed off and squinted at the screen. "... Miss DiMaggie-oh."
"It's DiMahjeeoh," I corrected; her lips pursed a little tighter. I let myself slump back off the counter, tapping my nails against it as my hands slid off. As I looked around the lobby, trying to take my mind off the building anxiety that I wouldn't be able to get clearance, I switched to worrying I'd overdressed. Though Gideon had insisted he loved my style, my stiletto heels and above-knee skirt were clearly not the norm. Twice now I'd been scrutinized and my already self-conscious tendencies were running rampant thanks to the extra adrenaline and lack of sleep. I was about ready to just forget this whole thing and rush out the door.
"Here you are," the receptionist said, standing up and holding out a temporary badge. "Your supervising special agent will have your badge waiting for you when you arrive."
For several moments all I could do was stare down at the piece of plastic in my hand. Aria DiMaggio – Intern – BAU Floor 7. This was real. I really had a badge. This was real. As I slipped the badge over my head with shaking hands she pointed a finger towards the elevator.
"Seventh floor. Your badge only gives you clearance for that floor. If you're caught on any other floor -"
"Seventh floor only. Got it," I threw out as I all but ran from the desk. "Thanks!"
Yeesh. What a morning this had been. I was more than relieved to have the elevator to myself; I slumped back against the wall as the doors slid shut and let out a heavy breath. Thankfully, Agent Gideon had arranged a ride to get me into the facility from the airport, but already this was becoming more and more complicated. I was still metaphorically holding my breath, waiting for someone to pop out and go "Surprise! We got you good! Go back to Seattle with your tail between your legs!"
I had to stop thinking like that before I gave myself a mental breakdown. I mean, the plane ticket had been real. A cab had been waiting for me with my name. I had an official badge: this was as real as it could get and as soon as I got to Agent Gideon he could help me take care of whatever obstacles came up
You can do this, I chanted to myself, standing up and smoothing out my skirt to settle my nerves as the elevator came to a stop. I stepped off and made my way across the lobby towards the pair of glass doors ahead of me. All the desks in the office were empty from what I could see as I peeked inside; it was early, and I'd certainly gotten in ahead of everyone else like I'd been asked.
Agent Gideon was nowhere in sight, though, and the knot of worry in my stomach tightened. Maybe... Maybe he was somewhere else on the floor? The thought of going into the office area by myself, unaccompanied, would take more courage than I could muster right now. Agent Gideon had told me he'd be here, so I'd check around the floor and see if I could find him before I went in.
Good plan. I left the office area and went back into the lobby, heading down one of the side halls. The only sound around me was the click of my heels on the tile, an oddly comforting staccato beat to war with the pounding of my heart.
When I'd nearly gone completely around the floor, thinking I was the only person here at this hour, I heard a door open around the corner. I surged forward and whipped around the wall to see a very colorful woman bustling the opposite direction.
"Excuse me," I called; the woman turned to look back at me in surprise. "Uh, hi. I'm -"
"Oh, I recognize you! You're the intern!" she said excitedly, throwing her hands up and spinning on the spot to come back towards me. Oh thank god, she knew who I was! Gideon must've talked to someone after all! See? It's real. This is real. Everything's fine.
The woman wasn't what I'd expect of an FBI agent. She was a little older than myself and dressed fantastically in bright leggings, a beautiful purple blouse with a colorful shawl on top, and bright red glasses. Her blonde hair was teased up into a cute, fluffy style that framed her face, accentuated by the adorable earrings she had on. She, surprisingly, dressed almost exactly like I did but with more color. Instantly I felt less self-conscious of my own outfit and her warm smile eased down even more of my nerves.
"I'm Penelope Garcia, technical analyst for the BAU."
"Hi Penelope," I said with a grin, holding out my hand. "I'm Aria DiMaggio. I was looking for Agent Gideon, he said he'd meet me at his office almost twenty minutes ago and I'm not quite sure where I need to be."
"Here, honeybunch. Let me show you around. Gideon's usually in before the rest of us so he should be waiting," she told me, leading me down the way she'd been going. We came to the glass doors again and she held one open, ushering me in before bustling after me. "Everyone else will start trickling in soon. We've already got a new case so we're just gonna jump right in, I hope that's okay. I can totally help you get settled, too."
"Thanks, I really appreciate it," I told her as I followed her across the room. She led me up a ramp to our left and walked across to an office labeled 'JASON GIDEON'. She knocked twice, and then called out,
"Gideon?"
There was commotion inside, and the door opened to reveal someone who was most certainly not Agent Gideon. He was tall, slim, and strikingly handsome - even with the shimmer of exhaustion in his soft brown eyes.
"Oh, Reid," Penelope chirped in surprise. "We're looking for Gideon."
"He's not in yet," the man – Reid – said as his gaze flicked to me. He blinked curiously as he took me in; I offered a friendly smile and Penelope wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
"This is the intern he told us about, Aria DiMaggio. Aria, this is Dr. Spencer Reid. He's a member of the BAU. He doesn't do handshakes," she whispered the last part to me, thankfully saving me from an embarrassing moment.
"Reid," he corrected, holding up a hand in greeting and giving me a small smile. I shoved aside the stupid schoolgirl crushing as I watched surprise come across Penelope's face, morphing out of gracious host to concerned team member in a few rapid blinks. She shuffled forward and leaned into the office past Reid, looking around for a moment as she asked worriedly,
"Wait. He's not here? Really? He's always here. He never leaves!"
Reid, leaning against the doorframe to give Penelope room to investigate, gave a shrug of his shoulders and stifled a yawn. I figured it'd be a safe bet to say he'd been here all night. Before I could study him any longer, Penelope moved back to my side and sighed.
"Well, looks like you're with me for right now," she said, giving me another wide, warm smile. "Come on, let me show you around before everyone else gets in!"
She linked her arm with mine and began to tow me back down the ramp. I looked back and gave the slender, sleepy man in the doorway another smile.
"Nice meeting you, Reid."
He blinked in surprise and a small, simple smile flickered over his face before he disappeared into the office again. I didn't have time to linger on the attractive agent I'd just met because Penelope was going a hundred miles a minute.
"This is where you'll be," she said, patting an empty desk right by the ramp. The one just across from mine had a nametag for Dr. Spencer Reid. I smiled and immediately tried not to look as excited as I was. "Did Gideon go over everything with you yesterday during the call? He said he'd fill you in and get you up to speed. He did call, right? He always says he'll call, and he always forgets..."
"Yeah, yeah. He called. We went over a bit," I said, setting my purse on my new desk. "He told me he'd cover all I needed today, though."
"Guess that's my job now, since he's still not here," she said, looking around the floor like she expected him to climb out from under a desk at any second. "Well, you precious little teddy bear, you'll primarily be reporting to Gideon during the internship, but in the super weird and unusual time when he's not here, you're with Hotch – uh, I mean Agent Hotchner – No. No one calls him that. Just call him Hotch. He'll be overseeing your active internship. His face can be scary but he's a secret sweetheart under his scowl. And when all else fails you just come find me and I'll tuck you under my bright and colorful wing."
I couldn't help my grin. "So I get to study behavioral analysis and great fashion sense for my internship?"
Penelope beamed and eyed my outfit. I hoped she felt the click of an instant connection that just sparked through me.
"I think I'll be the one studying. Oh, those shoes are killer!"
"On sale at Target, half off! I'm so in love with your leggings," I admitted, and she proudly showed them off to me.
"I know right? Ten bucks at JC Penny's! You have to tell me where you got that adorable skirt!"
As we started chatting, I heard the glass doors open behind us and we both glanced over at the newest people coming into the office.
"Oh, here, introduction time round two!" she said excitedly, stepping around me and taking my hand as she made a beeline across the floor. Despite how reassuring Penelope had been, nerves still burst through me. Without Gideon, I couldn't shake the feeling that I didn't quite belong here.
The agents walking in gave us a curious glance as we came up to them.
"Guys, this is the intern Gideon told us about. This is Aria DiMaggio. Aria, these are SSA's Derek Morgan and Jennifer Jareau."
"It's great to meet you both," I said, taking their hands as they extended them out. The tall, muscular guy right in front of me took my handshake first and gave me a surprisingly warm smile.
"Morgan," he introduced. "It's nice to meet you, Aria. I didn't know you were showin' up so soon."
"Gideon was supposed to be here to introduce her, but he's still not in so I figured I'd show her off," Penelope explained; the same flash of surprise that Penelope had shown earlier came across Morgan's face.
"Wait, Gideon's not here?" Penelope shook her head and Morgan jerked his head towards the office. "Not asleep in there?"
"No, I already checked –"
"What about Strauss? He with her?"
Penelope gave him a bewildered look to say how should I know and Morgan gave her an unamused stare before skirting us to head back out into the lobby. Jennifer stepped up to me and shook my hand, mirroring Morgan's welcoming smile.
"Welcome to the team, Aria. You can call me JJ. I'm the liaison for the BAU, I deal with the media and local stations, and help field the cases for the team."
"And she's your number one go-to for snacks and juice boxes," Penelope pointed out with a grin. "Feel free to call her mom."
"It's great to meet you JJ," I giggled; JJ stuck her tongue out at Penelope as I heard footsteps behind us.
"Okay, so Gideon's not here," Morgan confirmed; Penelope turned to frown at him.
"What, you didn't believe me?"
He gave her another look and then shifted his gaze around the pointedly empty office.
"Where's Prentiss at?" JJ and Penelope shrugged, and he frowned a bit more. "What about Hotch?"
Again, they shrugged; I joined in this time and earned a giggle from Penelope with that. He threw his hands up and looked around.
"Where the hell is everyone?!"
"Reid's in Gideon's office," Penelope offered. Morgan rubbed a hand down his face and then pointed a finger at the room behind him.
"Yeah, seein' as I just talked to him I pieced that much together. Alright. Let's grab pretty boy and meet in the conference room. We got a case and we don't have time to wait for them."
He skirted the hallway and dipped into the conference room. JJ sighed and turned to me.
"I promise he's not usually this..."
"Spicy," Penelope offered; JJ and I both snorted as Morgan poked his head out of the room.
"I heard that."
"Okay, okay, calm yourself Captain Grumpygills," Penelope cut in, waiving her hand in dismissal. "JJ can grab Reid and the files and I'll grab us coffee."
"Meet in the conference room in five for briefing," JJ started; Morgan popped his head out again.
"Meet in two. We don't have time for five."
JJ and Penelope rolled their eyes as he slipped back in the room.
"I can go get Reid," I offered, wanting to be as helpful as possible. JJ gave me a thankful smile as she skirted up the ramp to meet Morgan in the office. Penelope was already bustling away, so I made my way to Gideon's office. I knocked again and then eased the door open.
Reid was slumped in an armchair, head propped on his hand, snoring lightly. For just a moment I lingered, not wanting to wake him up. He looked so peaceful, and I could tell he'd had a long night. But once I realized how creepy I was being – and how pressed for time we were – I stepped inside and asked softly,
"Reid?" He blinked himself awake, staring up at me in tired confusion for a few heartbeats. I folded my hands in front of me, twisting my fingers together out of nervous habit as I waited for him to sit up. "JJ wants us to meet in the conference room for a briefing."
Reid nodded and pushed to his feet, slinging his bag over his shoulder before following me out of the room as he asked,
"Do you know if Hotch is here?"
I shook my head and glanced back at him.
"I don't think he is. Prentiss isn't either," I put out; that knowledge was probably more important to him than it was to me right now. His brows furrowed but he didn't say anything else as we came into the room. As Reid slipped around me to settle at the table, I hesitated. I wasn't an actual profiler, I was the intern.
Penelope was getting coffee... was that something I was supposed to do? Morgan, JJ, and Reid were already looking over case files, so instead of standing around or taking a place at the table, I turned and hurried off to find Penelope.
Thankfully, she wasn't far. She was at the small break room by the glass doors, compiling a slew of coffee cups and lids. I stepped up beside her and offered a smile.
"How can I help?"
"Oh," she said, glancing over at me. "You don't need to get the coffee!"
"I'm the intern," I pointed out, taking a cup. "That's what I'm here for."
She looked uncertain for another heartbeat; I lifted a brow at her to ask what to do. She chuckled and relented, stepping aside.
"That one's for JJ. She likes light cream, one sugar."
With Penelope at my shoulder, I finished mixing the coffee – and tea for Reid – and grabbed one of the trays from the counter. I lifted them up and turned to head back to the conference room.
"What about you? If there's a coffee or tea you like, I can get it ordered. There's nothing I can't get," she insisted, looking like she was genuinely concerned I didn't have my own drink. "We also have scones. I can get you a scone!"
"I already had a snack on the way here. I keep a tight snacking schedule, don't worry," I began. When she still looked uncertain, I turned to show her the medical ID bracelet on my wrist. "Type-1 diabetes. I probably have more snacks than a 7-11."
"Oh! Oh, that's good to know! I'll let the team know. I can get some healthy snacks in here for you. Oh, and I have a mini fridge in my office if you need a place for your insulin. Oh! And I think I even have a blood sugar meter at home that I can bring as a spare if –"
"Are you diabetic?" I asked in surprise, unable to hold back the giggle as she brought her excited thought train to a stop. She shook her head quickly.
"No, but my best friend in high school was. It's just sort of became a habit to have testing stuff around. She always needed somewhere to put her insulin or a snack that wasn't 98% sugar, and it was a struggle. So I've got you covered, honeybunch."
"You're seriously one of the most amazing people I've ever met," I told her, honest smile on my face. She grinned at me, cheeks tinting pink and she ducked her head.
"Don't mention it," she assured. "Go wow them with your intern skills!"
After helping me steady the tray of drinks, Penelope trotted off across the office and I hurried back into the conference room. As I sat the tray on one of the tables along the wall, though, the three profilers were already getting to their feet. Morgan turned to me, and thankfully it seemed most of his irritation had settled from earlier.
"There you are, kid. You up for travelling today?" he took the cup of coffee I handed him and stepped aside to let me hand JJ and Reid their respective ones as well. "Got a go-bag and everythin'?"
"Yeah, Gideon told me to pack one just in case. Where're we going?"
"Milwaukee," JJ said, sipping her coffee. "It's a rough one. We'll go get your bag and –"
"Oh hallelujah," Morgan exclaimed, startling both myself and JJ as he took off out of the room. "We got Hotch!"
Reid joined JJ and I as we moved to look out the door to where Morgan was practically sprinting. I couldn't see the man he was running to meet, but it was clear the team around me were relieved to have him here now.
"Aria, I'll take you to Garcia's office so we can get you an official badge and then we'll go get your bag," JJ declared, resting a hand on my arm to guide me out of the room. "Reid, we'll meet you guys on the plane."
Reid held up a hand in both agreement and goodbye as he made his way to his desk to gather his things. JJ took me through a different door in the conference room, leading me down a narrow hall. She paused at the only door and knocked twice, then let us inside.
"Oh wow," I breathed, looking around at the number of trinket-covered desks surrounding us. Penelope sat across from us in the center of several desks and computers. She turned from one of the monitors, an ID badge already in her hand. The look on her face told me things weren't getting any easier today, though.
"Per the email I just received, Strauss didn't know about Aria," she said to JJ in a tight, worried voice. The woman at my side let out a groan and dropped her head into her hand, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Why am I not surprised Gideon didn't talk to her?" she sighed. "Let me guess..."
"Yeah. She wants to talk to you, Aria," Penelope said, glancing up at me. The look on my face had to show just how uneasy I was at the thought of talking to this Strauss lady. "If it helps, I triple checked all your paperwork, and you're squeaky-clean approved. I don't know how Gideon did it without her knowing, but he made sure you're official."
"Well, that's good at least," I said slowly, my heart not any more settled than before she told me that. "Why do I get the feeling Strauss is bad news?"
"She's the BAU's section chief," JJ explained, jerking her head to lead me out of Penelope's office. I glanced back at her and she held up a hand in goodbye, mouthing 'good luck' as JJ pulled the door shut. "I think, deep down, she's a good person. She just... She's never liked Gideon, and doesn't like the freedom our team has. She's probably pretty unhappy that he got you approved without her say-so. He had to have gone over her head and that's not a power move she'll be happy with."
Well that wasn't reassuring. The opposite, quite frankly, especially with Gideon not even here to defend me. I found myself twisting my fingers together and made myself pull my hands apart; I resorted instead to toying with the hem of my skirt. I could hear my dad snapping, Where are your manners? How many times have I told you not to fidget? Keep your hands still. I didn't raise you to be impolite.
As JJ opened a door for me another spark of alarm burst through me and my fingers curled around the hem of my skirt as I gave her a tight smile. She gave me a gentle one in return and rested a hand on my shoulder.
"Hey, you'll be just fine. I'm sure she just wants to meet you. If Garcia says you check out, you check out. Okay?"
"Right, okay," I said, nodding quickly and resisting the urge to pick at my stockings now. She gave a gentle squeeze and then headed back down the hall.
"I'll be down in the lobby waiting."
I waited until JJ was out of sight and then blew out a shaky breath before stepping inside. There was another door just ahead of me, and plush chairs scattered around this part of the office. Just as I let the main door shut behind me, the one across from me opened. A tall, dark-haired woman came stalking out, fury shining bright in her deep brown eyes.
She caught sight of me and faltered for just a moment; I skirted aside quickly and gave a nervous smile. Her expression softened as she murmured a quick excuse me and slipped out. I turned my attention to the other open door and found two sets of eyes staring at me.
Here goes nothing, I sighed, making my way forward. I paused in the doorway and turned to the woman seated behind a desk. She had short, golden hair that stood in stark contrast to the cold, gray eyes that swept over me in a swift examination. The man standing across from her had a strict face and piercing eyes, almost sharper than hers. His suit was as crisp as the look he gave me; I tried to keep my voice from squeaking.
"Hi, I'm here to speak with Section Chief Strauss," I prefaced. "I'm Aria DiMaggio. I'm the –"
"You're Agent Gideon's intern," the woman – presumably Chief Strauss – concluded, lips drawing into a tight line. Surprised at the ice laced into her tone I only managed a nod. Her head snapped to look up at the man across from her. "Did you know about this?"
I have a name, I thought to myself, forcing my face to stay neutral. The last thing I needed were my expressions getting me into trouble. The man studied me a moment longer and turned his sharp gaze to her.
"He hadn't discussed anything with me, no."
Strauss hmm'd and turned back to me. I folded my hands in front of me, squeezing my fingers tight so I didn't fidget. Dad was right – I'd been raised with manners and I'd be damned if I wouldn't use them as much as I could now.
"Miss DiMaggio, I want to assure you that the process for becoming a member of the FBI – much less an elite team such as the Behavioral Analysis Unit – isn't quite as simple as showing up."
I blinked and took a second to understand what she was saying. Was she... did she mean that I wasn't supposed to be here? I glanced at the man – who was studying me intently – and then looked back at her.
"I understand," I said, and quickly added ma'am at the end because she seemed like the kind of person that wanted that level of etiquette. Her face didn't change.
"I also don't appreciate taking methods to grant access to my team without my approval."
"Oh, I didn't know that you hadn't been involved," I said quickly, hoping she heard the honesty in my voice. "I had assumed that Agent Gideon had made me the offer with the proper approval."
"Well, Miss DiMaggio, I can assure you that assumptions won't get you very far in the FBI," she told me coolly as she folded her hands on the desk. I opened my mouth to reply but shut it again when I realized I didn't have an idea of what to say. JJ wasn't kidding, she really didn't like her authority being surpassed like Gideon had apparently done.
"Agent Hotchner, I'll be overseeing this case until I can assign your replacement," she said curtly, turning her chilly scowl up at the man across from her. So this was Agent Hotchner? What the heck did she mean, replacement? Gideon had raved to me about how amazing 'Hotch' was – did Strauss really just fire him? In front of me?!
"You don't have any field experience, do you?" Agent Hotchner asked; I wasn't the only one surprised by his question. Strauss took a moment to glare up at him as she shut the file on her desk.
"My job is to protect the bureau. If I have to hold the team's hand for one case, so be it," she dismissed, getting to her feet and turning to leave. Agent Hotchner took a step after her.
"Ma'am, in order to function effectively, this team needs stability –"
"The BAU has some very talented people on the team, and I believe it's time they were out from underneath you and Jason Gideon. It's clear, when left to your own devices, mistakes and poor decisions are all that seem to happen."
At her last words, her eyes flicked to me. Again, I was so taken aback by her underhanded jab at me that I simply said nothing. As she approached I stepped aside to let her pass. She paused in the doorway and, without looking at me, simply said,
"Miss DiMaggio, your services are not needed on this team. I trust you can find your way out. Be sure to turn in your badge at the front desk, or we'll be charging you for its replacement."
For several moments, Agent Hotchner and I stood in stunned silence. For a heartbeat, all I could think was what the hell just happened? But as her words settled over me, the reality of my situation started to sink in.
I'd just lost my job. In under an hour. The job I moved 2,700 miles for and left behind everything I'd called home. After sacrificing all I'd had, I'd lost what little I'd been trying to gain.
"I'm sorry."
Surprised, I turned to stare up at Agent Hotchner. His scowl was a mixture of fury and determination, but the gaze he fixed on me was gentle, sympathetic. "I know what you gave up to come out here at Gideon's request."
"You - Gideon did tell you about me?" I managed, voice catching on the emotions rising within me. He gave a curt nod.
"Gideon called me the night he met you," he confessed. "I had hoped your career stood a better chance if Strauss didn't know I was in on it too. She's never been fond of Gideon or myself."
"Well she hides her distaste well," I said bitterly, and immediately snapped my mouth shut. Really, Aria?! I peeked back up at Agent Hotchner and to my surprise, there was the ghost of a smile on his face for just a heartbeat.
"I'll walk you back to the bullpen so you can grab your things."
"Thank you," I said softly, letting him lead the way out of the office. I followed him silently, listening to the click of my heels and trying to calm myself down like I'd done just an hour early. Just an hour earlier. Everything indeed was crumbling down around me like I'd been terrified of. Agent Hotchner held the glass door open for me and I walked in slowly, trying to keep the tears at bay.
Penelope was at my desk waiting, eyes wide as she waited to know what had happened. When she caught my expression, her own fell into disbelief. Agent Hotchner gave me a swift nod in goodbye as he slipped past me, up to an office beside Gideon's. Once the door clicked shut, Penelope was bustling forward to pull me into a hug.
"Oh, honeybunch, I'm so so sorry," she said, holding me tight to her. I wrapped my arms around her waist and rested my head on her shoulder, forcing my lip not to quiver and trying not to let my tears spill out. "Look, I'm not letting this be the end of it. I can find Gideon and – and I'll go the same route he did –"
"I don't want you to get in trouble," I said immediately, pulling back to look up at her seriously. "I... I get the feeling Gideon isn't here because of what he pulled to get me on the team. I don't want you – or the rest of the team – to get in trouble."
My heart sunk further at my own words. I realized Strauss had already gone downstairs, probably told JJ what had happened... I wouldn't be getting to say goodbye to the others and the pit in my stomach deepened.
"But you came all this way –"
"Yeah, and I knew what I was risking. This was too good to be true, and I let myself get caught up in a fantasy." God, it hurt to even say. We stepped apart and I was surprised to see Penelope's eyes glistening.
"It's just not fair," she managed, and now a tear slipped down her cheek. "You really clicked with the team. With me. Gideon wanted you here and she's just – she's just ripping things apart because she's mad. Really, Aria, I can get into the system and cancel anything she's trying to do. I can protect you –"
"I mean it, Penelope, I don't want you getting in trouble because of me. Just... Just tell the team goodbye for me." I grabbed my purse off the desk behind her and began to back for the door. "And I mean it when I say it was truly wonderful to meet you."
I turned away as I felt tears welling and rushed to the doors. I hastily wiped them off my cheeks as I jammed the elevator button. As I stepped onto the lift and turned around, I saw Penelope staring after me. Over her shoulder, Agent Hotchner had stepped out of his office to watch me leave, an unreadable expression on his stern face.
I offered them one last smile, tears and all, as the doors slid shut.
I hope you're all enjoying the story so far! I'm excited for you guys to get to know Aria. If you have any thoughts so far, I'd love to hear them! Thanks for all your support!