Authors Note and Disclaimer: This is a fan-made work of fiction: I don't own Criminal Minds or any of the main characters.
Additional: for a bit of back story, I've only just started re-watching Criminal Minds again - this story is not set in any particular season, season thirteen/fourteen maybe?
This is just a story that's been on my mind lately.
Chapter One: The Bar
The BAU had just finished a double homicide in Los Angeles; where similar to the Silencer case years earlier; the UnSub was stitching his victims mouths shut.
Upon their return to DC, someone had suggested trying the new cocktail list at O'Keefe's. With Rossi's credit card in tow, the group headed out.
O'Keefe's was packed on this regular Saturday night; but regardless, the team was still able to head over to their favorite booth in the corner.
Some headed to the bar, and starting selecting their favorite beverages - while others ordered from the waitress circling their table.
An hour passed, and they all drank, until their little rectangle table - was full to the surface of drinks, glasses both empty and half full.
Matt was the first to bail; he headed home to his wife and the kids.
Reid was second; he mentioned something about an early lecture-related appointment he had the next morning.
Then slowly followed - JJ, and Tara.
Finally Penelope, who always had one strawberry daiquiri too many, and usually shared a ride share with Rossi home, turned to him, blurry-eyed enough that she could only just make out his face,
"You ready to leave?".
He nodded, and with a wink, left his card on the table to continue their tab.
Meanwhile, Luke, who had run into his old high school friend, Keisha, had spent the biggest portion of the evening checking in with her - gave Rossi and Penelope a wave goodbye across the bar when he saw them leaving.
With that, he turned back to the auburn haired beauty,
"I'd better return to my table" he pulled her in for a hug, "It's good to see you".
Keisha smiled, "It's good to see you too".
Luke then headed back to the booth where Emily had just ended a phone call.
She sighed, and muttered something under her breath, but it wasn't too obvious.
Luke, very skeptical, grabbed Rossi's card off the table, and pointed to the bar, "I'm getting one more beer, can I get you something?".
Prentiss reached for the cocktail list, and flipped through the tiny clipboard.
"I'll have... " she paused, and then, similar to Penelope's tired attributes, rubbed her eyes, and placed the menu down with a sigh, "just... surprise me".
One hand fell to her cheek, as she kept her chin up. Her phone making a small clattering sound as she dropped it against the table surface.
Luke nodded; but still returned with one schooner of lager, a jug of water, and two glasses - balancing them all on a black plastic tray.
"I could've helped carry" Emily insisted.
"Nah, it's fine" Luke smirked.
Emily poured herself some water, and watched as he sipped his beer.
At the other end of the room, Keisha, was putting on a scarf, swung a handbag across her shoulder, and gave Luke a wave before heading out the exit door.
"Bye" he mouthed, waving back.
"So..." Emily chuckled, "she's pretty - is there a story there?"
"Not really, she's just a good friend".
He watched her as she sipped small and lips pursued at her glass of water.
"So.." he trailed, "your turn, Emily. If you need to talk, I'm a good listener".
"I mean, it's stupid... " but, unconsciously she reached for her phone and checked her notifications, before placing the phone back down again.
"Try me"
She sighed, "It's not working out with Andrew, which is fine, because we knew long distance was going to be a struggle. So, we've called it all off. But, now, Mark, has tried to get back in touch... and honestly, I've just had enough of everything".
"Relationships are hard" Luke agreed.
"Yeah" Emily nodded.
A bartender came around to collect some empty glasses and tidy up the table, but Emily's gaze never left Luke's.
"Anyway... how's your love life these days?"
Luke shrugged, "Not really since Lisa. I had a bit of a fling about a month ago with one of my neighbors, Stephanie, but even then, she and I both mutually agreed it was absolutely a one time thing".
Emily chuckled, before motioning to the bartender, gracefully ordering a Manhattan, before turning back to Luke; "See, I always knew you were a bit of a player".
"I wouldn't say that" Luke denied.
He smiled politely at the bartender and ordered a Manhattan too, "I just go with my gut, whatever feels right at the time".
"Trusting your gut is not a bad quality to have"
"It'll get you in trouble sometimes" he persisted.
She shook her head, "See, I disagree. Your mind and body will tell you everything you need to know".
Their drinks came over, and they met in a cheers, clinking their glasses softly together.
Her phone beeped a text message tone again, but she smiled as she deliberately ignored it.
She hadn't really talked one-on-one with Luke in a while, and that one time they shared dinner in her office seemed so long ago. Luke, was easy to talk to, and she always felt she could really open up to him. She assumed it came from his army-protective-instincts, but she always thought he had something; a quality, a trait.
Something that just wasn't the same from Matt, or Rossi, or Reid. Something that almost reminded her of Morgan.
Luke had an easy smile, an easy nature, and was always easily impressed, but - he too thought there was always something about Prentiss.
He liked the way her hair got tousled when the weather was really cold, and how she'd bite her bottom lip unconsciously when she deep in thought.
Little things she didn't notice about herself; but he noticed straight away.
She smiled as she remembered their dinner in her office, where they had almost talked about everything.
She loved Italian food, her favorite romantic comedy was Serendipity, and she loved the phrase "everything happens for a reason".
He liked mountain climbing, mountain biking, (anything that kept him outside and out of trouble, especially with Roxy in tow) - and he told her of the times when he was younger, and he got into mischief with his older half-brother.
She had three tattoos, all small; a palm tree on her lower ankle, a scorpion on her lower back, and a blackbird which failed to cover up her Ian Doyle inflicted scars.
Luke told her of the time he had turned twenty and snuck into a bar with his brother, when they found a girl named Eliza being assaulted in the parking lot. While his brother chased the guy halfway down the block, Luke had stayed with the bloody Eliza while they waited for the paramedics to arrive. She had passed away from her injuries by morning.
The two sat in their booth and ordered more drinks upon more drinks.
Eventually, the poor bartenders couldn't keep up with clearing their dirty glasses, but regardless, the night pressed on.
Emily and Luke laughed, and smiled, and shared stories, and played drinking games, and then they did shots.
Shots were never a good idea, and in the end, Emily knew she had to call it.
It was reaching that dangerous part of the night, where nothing good happens after 2am, and she was ready for bed.
Together, they finished their last drinks, paid the bar tab with Rossi's card, left a tip, and headed outside.
Luke decided to stop by Rossi's house to return his credit card into his mailbox, while Prentiss peaked through all her missed Andrew/Mark messages before deleting them all.
Then, they decided to hop in their separate cabs, and head in different directions.
But before they left, they gave each other a hug - unbeknownst to them both – or perhaps they did know –
that the hug was most likely, definitely, a lingering second too long.
"Goodnight Emily".
"Goodnight".
Then, they both smiled; sleepily, and sheepishly, the whole way home.