Emily sat down next to Reid, who was playing a game of chess against himself. Not even asking, she moved a piece. Surprised, he looked up at her, but when he realized it was Emily, he smiled and moved another. Since Gideon left, Emily was really the only person worth playing in chess.
She changed to sit across from him and they continued to play, swiftly moving chess pieces back and forth with ease.
Prentiss, nonchalantly: Will you be my buddy?
Reid: Huh?
He stopped mid move and looked up at her.
Prentiss: Hotch says I have to have a buddy in the field. It's stupid, but he doesn't seem to be budging on it.
Reid: Why me?
Prentiss, not wanting her answer to be "I can't even look Morgan in the eye and Rossi's on to us": Why not you?
He smiled and continued his once paused move. For the first time in what seemed like a long time, Emily smiled back.
Reid: Why didn't you tell me? When I was…
He trails off, not wanting to say the words aloud: "Doing dilaudid". Her smile falls. She knows what he's referring to.
Prentiss: Honestly, I'm embarrassed you all know now. I… If I had, you would have asked me for advice, and I don't know if I have any to give.
Reid: You gave Lara some good ideas.
Prentiss: It was all crap. All of it.
It's harsh, but honestly it's the truth. Her issues had followed her around ever since they started. Funny though, when she was with Ian, those cravings for a buzz seemed to dissipate. He was a high all on his own.
END SCENE INT. HOTCH'S OFFICE - LATE AT NIGHT - 6.2 START SCENEHotch, Rossi, and Morgan are sitting around Hotch's desk. The lights are dimmed, and they speak in hushed tones, as if they're afraid of being seen. There's no point, they are the only ones left in the building, but yet, it's an unconscious expression of the unease they feel about their intended topic of conversation: Emily.
Hoping to ease the tension, Hotch pulls out the bottle of scotch he keeps hidden in his locked desk drawer, and pours three small glasses, passing them out to the men.
Hotch: Morgan, I know you expressed concerns about her earlier.
Morgan, taking a sip: Yeah, I did, and I was right, wasn't I?
Hotch: When I met with her, she reassured me she was fine
Rossi: Well, clearly she's not.
Morgan waved his hands, expressing his agreement with Rossi.
Hotch: I know. I don't know what to do.
Rossi: Morgan, come on. Just tell us, what's going on with you two?
Morgan, sighing: Nothing
Rossi: Now you sound like her
This earned him a dark chuckle from Morgan.
Morgan: But it is. Nothing. There was something, but she's made it abundantly clear that it meant nothing.
Rossi: It? Come on, don't beat around the bush.
Hotch raised an eyebrow.
Morgan: Fine, yeah we slept together. Once.
Rossi chuckled into his glass. "I knew it," he whistles.
Hotch, reluctant: Did something bad happen…[ he hesitates] did you-
Morgan abruptly cuts him off and stands up.
Morgan, seething mad: I don't know what you're about to imply, Aaron, but we were both consenting adults.
Hotch is taken aback by the use of his first name, but isn't surprised at Morgan's tone. Of course that implication would offend him.
Hotch: I had to ask.
Morgan, rolling his eyes and sitting down again: Anyways,she was acting weird before that. The case in-
Hotch, Rossi, Morgan, in unison, groaning : Boston.
Morgan: Hotch, does her file say anything about her working at the field office in Boston during her desk duty days?
Hotch, contemplating this: No, it doesn't.
Morgan: Then why did she lie?
Rossi: There's a lot we don't know about her.
Morgan, huffing: Clearly. Didn't know she had a freakin' coke problem
Rossi, shocked at his tone: Derek…
Morgan crossed his arms.
Morgan: Do you think that's it though? Maybe she's taking stuff again? I mean, you guys remember what Reid was like… she's kind of acting like that.
Morgan glanced at the clock. It was late, and if he had a bit more to drink, he wouldn't feel great about driving home.
Morgan: I need to head out.
Hotch nodded.
Hotch: Morgan, please, look out for her.
Morgan, wistfully: I always do.
He shut the door behind him as he left, leaving Rossi and Hotch in the office.
Hotch: Maybe he's onto something about her file. Something doesn't add up. You weren't here when she first got here, but she was too good.
Rossi: What do you mean?
Hotch: I mean she was too calm, too casual in the field for it to have been her first time. JJ called her out on it, years ago.
Rossi: And what did Prentiss say?
Hotch: Something like "I guess I'm just better at compartmentalizing than most people"
Rossi: What does that mean?
Hotch: I don't know anymore. Coupled with her buddy in Interpol, a file that doesn't make sense, and -
Rossi cut him off
Rossi: Lauren Reynolds.
Hotch nodded in agreement.
Hotch, shrugging his shoulders: She said she had no idea what that was about.
Rossi: Do you believe her? That guy seemed sure he knew her.
Hotch: I don't know what to believe anymore.
Rossi: Something's definitely up. Now, though, I don't think her hookup with Morgan is the cause of it.
Hotch: No.
He looked up in realization
Hotch: It's a symptom.
END SCENE INT. EMILY'S APARTMENT BUILDING - 6.3 START SCENEEmily stalks up the stairs of her apartment building. She would've taken the elevator, but she saw Rebecca, her neighbor, drunkenly pull a young, attractive man into it with her and Emily didn't want to interrupt what she guessed was about to go down in that elevator. Rebecca was younger than her, a recent Georgetown grad, and lived off her trust fund.
In many ways, she reminded Emily of herself when she was that age. Rebecca too was the daughter of members of the Washington elite. Emily couldn't remember exactly who her parents were or what they did, only that her mother had recognized Rebecca's last name.
Emily, too, had once lived in an apartment her parents paid for and pretended it didn't embarrass her too much to live off them. Now, though, she purposefully let her friends think her parents still supported her in this apartment she wouldn't be able to afford solely on a Bureau salary. She had to let them think that because they weren't exactly supposed to know about the significant cash the CIA still wired her to "keep her on retainer".
She almost wanted to laugh at that. It wasn't really payments to thank her for service or in case something came up and they needed her back. It was hush money.
It wouldn't be so good for the country if the public found out about the real tactics used behind closed doors. You know, agents sleeping with terrorists and such. Wouldn't be a good look, would it?
No, they paid her to keep her mouth shut. Emily was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't even notice that she'd walked up the entire staircase. Fumbling with her bag to get her keys, something felt off.
Stopped dead in her tracks, the keys tumble out of her hands. She can smell his cologne. Slowly, as if she waits long enough he won't really be there, she looks up.
Ian, wearing a familiar leather coat and cargo pants, is leaning against her door, tracing the golden number with his finger. He knows she's staring right at him, but he doesn't meet her eyes. He's toying with her, and he knows it's driving her insane.
He lazily gazes over at her and looks her up and down as they stand in complete silence. She's changed her clothes since her little TV appearance. Her light jeans are more casual than she would wear for work, he figured, and they're low rise enough to give him a little peak of her torso, one of her tattoos daring to reveal itself.
The knit white t-shirt clings to her figure and for a moment, he wants nothing more than to pull it off of her. He can see the nervousness creep over her face. Was she scared of him? How cute.
He steps closer to her, wanting to reach out and grab her. She lurches backwards until her back is against the wall. If it wasn't for her training, she would have been shaking with fear. Nonetheless, her stoicness was fragile.
His hands are up against the wall on either side of her, boxing her in. Her hand drifts towards her gun but he catches her before she can unholster it and chuckling, he pins her wrist to the wall. He pauses for a moment, the shock of actually touching her again paralytic.
He wraps his free hand around her pale neck, conscious of her soft skin and the fact he can feel her pulse racing. He tightens his grip and she gasps for air. For a moment, he can't decide if he wants to kill her or kiss her.
Emily is paralyzed with both shock and fear. Fear, not of him, but because she can't tell if she wants to kill or kiss him either. His hand lingers on her neck, and neither one of them dares speaks.
He releases her wrist and she knows she should go for her gun. But she doesn't and that's when she knows she's totally screwed, playing right into his charm. Ian isn't stupid and he knows exactly what he's doing when he lets go of her hand. He was testing her and she either failed hopelessly or passed with flying colors, depending on who you asked when she doesn't go for her gun.
"Hello, love" he whispers in her ear and gently brushes a hair out of her face. She bits her lip, refusing to speak. He knows he came here to finish this, but seeing her like this, completely able to shoot him, yet completely vulnerable to him, he just can't.
Not now. He lets go of her throat, dropping his hand down to his waist, making sure to brush his fingers against her chest as he does. He steps back and turns.
Before she even has time to react, he's gone. She begins to breathe heavily, trying to catch her breath but failing miserably. Her wheezing is loud and forceful and she doubles over, hands on her knees, her go bag and keys long forgotten on the hallway floor.
END SCENE INT. THE STAIRWELL - 6.4 START SCENEIan waits in the stairwell, listening to her heave. He thought hearing her panic would have given him satisfaction, but instead he's reminded of another time he heard this same sound.
END SCENE - TRANSITION TO FLASH BACK INT. THE VILLA - IAN'S BEDROOM - FLASHBACK - 6.5 START SCENEHe's sitting on their bed, waiting for Lauren to finish up in the bathroom before dinner. She's been in there a while and he's starting to get concerned. This isn't like her- fussing in the bathroom like some teenage girl.
Ian: Lauren? Everything ok?
Lauren, from inside the bathroom, her voice shaky: Just a minute!
He rolls his eyes and leans back on his hands. It's more than a minute when he jumps up in shock, hearing her wheeze inside the bathroom. He begins to bang on the door, worried she's hurt.
Ian, yelling: Lauren! Open this door!
He pounds on the door again. She continues to heave.
Ian: Lauren, I swear, open this door or I'll kick it in.
Suddenly, the door swings open and she walks right past him. He pivots to face her, flabbergasted at her dismissal of him. Wait- what was she holding?
Ian, scoffing: Um, love? Hello?
He waves his hands in front of his face, trying to catch her attention. Her breathing has calmed down, but she's pacing back and forth, holding whatever it is in a way that he can't make it out.
Ian, gritting his teeth, losing patience: Lauren. What is going on?
Lauren stops pacing and looks up at him, her eyes filled with uncharacteristic worry. She flattens her palm so that he can see what's in her hand. His eyes widen because he now knows what she's going to tell him.
Lauren: Ian, I'm pregnant.
END SCENE END ACT 5 END EPISODE