It had taken Erin two weeks to sift through all eligible applicants for the opening with the BAU. This time, Director Shepperd had given her the leeway to choose the person that she thought would be the best fit for the Alpha team, seeing as how Jason's last two choices had not been the best. Finally, though, she thought that she had narrowed in on the candidate who was the most eager and desperate to be part of the BAU, and that person was coming in to interview that morning while the team was in Seattle.

"Erin, did you want me to get coffee for you and your interviewee? I think there's still time for me to run down to your café and grab your usual."

"I think that I'm okay, Helen, thank you. And David would tell you that I don't need any extra caffeine, since I am drinking a little extra coffee these days in the lead up to Elise's first birthday party."

Her assistant nodded, taking a seat in front of her desk and leading in, a wide grin on her face. "We are looking forward to this party, Erin. And knowing your fiancé, it's certain to be a bit over the top."

"Oh, it's not him that's had to be reined in. I just keep telling him these ideas and he agrees to them. But I am glad that I've chosen the same Saturday to have it as Aaron and Haley are throwing Jack's first birthday party. This way I don't have to worry about one or both of them showing up and creating a scene. Not that I think Haley would, but Aaron might. Since he still believes that he's Elise's father." She met Helen's eye and gave her a semi-sad smile, seeing her assistant nod in return. "I wish that it could be different, but David's name is on the birth certificate, and that is the way it will remain."

"That still doesn't assuage your guilt, does it?"

Erin shook her head, blinking her eyes rapidly to hold back the tears. She knew that she didn't have enough time to fix her makeup if she started crying, and she did her best to hold them back as she continued to look at her assistant. "I will carry the guilt to my grave, most likely. Now, I have ten minutes before she's set to arrive. I'm going to read over her file once more and make a few notes on things to ask. When Ms. Prentiss arrives, please keep her in the outer office until one past the hour. I want to see how she deals with that."

"Of course, Erin." Helen got to her feet and gave her a wide smile. "We'll talk more about the party during lunch?"

"I will look forward to that," she replied with a smile before she adjusted the reading glasses on her nose and bent back over the file, picking up her pen to make more notes on the paper next to her as Helen left the room and closed the door. The resume in front of her spoke volumes as to how prepared Emily Prentiss would be to fill the hole in the BAU. She was a polyglot, speaking Arabic, Spanish, French, Russian and Gaelic, which was an eclectic mix of languages, Erin had to admit. Her mother had been an ambassador to the Soviet Union during Emily's youth, along with a stint as an ambassador in Italy. The woman had worked with Interpol and the CIA, as well, which told Erin that she knew how to take orders and stay in line, not rocking the boat more than necessary. Those were all traits that she needed in a good agent, especially when she was looking for someone who would quell some of the recklessness that had crept into the team.

Clearing her throat, Erin got to her feet and went over to the table, pouring herself a glass of water and carrying it back to her spot before taking a sip and then arranging her desk in a manner to look open and pleasing. She wanted to start this off on the right foot, knowing that this interview was little more than a formality, that Emily Prentiss becoming a member of the BAU was a foregone conclusion. Finally, she felt ready to carry out this interview, and she glanced at her watch to see that it was directly on the hour. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her shoulders as the door to her office opened and she rose to her feet to greet the two women.

"Good morning, Ms. Prentiss. I am so pleased to meet you," she said as Helen motioned for Emily to step towards the desk. Erin held out her hand, her face softening a little as she smiled at the younger woman. There was a curiosity and hunger in her eyes that told Erin she was trying not to appear desperate for this job. "Please, take a seat."

Erin gestured towards the chairs in front of the desk, elegantly taking her seat before picking up her water and taking a slow sip. She knew that she was deliberately trying to throw Emily off kilter, but it seemed like she was able to roll with everything so far. "It is a pleasure to be here. I've wanted this job for years, but it always seemed like the timing was never right. Until now."

"Yes, things can change in a heartbeat. Now, I see that you spent most of your growing up years overseas with your mother. How do you think that that background will help you in this job?"

Emily crossed her legs as she swallowed reflexively, looking at Erin's glass of water. "Being exposed to a wide variety of cultures from a young age has made me comfortable in any situation that might arise in the field. It has also helped my during my time with Interpol, since I was able to parse out where it was shifty behavior or a cultural difference. That sort of experience is what can hopefully turn a potentially difficult situation into a more peaceful one."

Those were exactly the words that Erin wanted to hear, and she nodded a little, trying to keep her face a smooth mask, to not give away the fact that things seemed to be even more perfect than her CV had hinted at. "Interesting. And do you think that you can carry out your duties here, after working with two other government agencies?"

"I believe so. All I need is the chance to prove myself."

Erin nodded once more before launching into a series of rapid fire questions, wanting to keep Emily on her toes in order to see how she would deal in a fast paced situation where she was under pressure to provide answers. Emily passed that portion of the interview with flying colors, and Erin nodded as she made a few notes on the paper in front of her. Finally, she brought the interview to a close and slipped her glasses off her face, setting them on top of Emily's file as she folded her hands on her desk and looked directly into the woman's eyes. "Well, I believe that I have all that I need here. I will tentatively say that the position is yours, if you still wish to have it, and then go up and give my recommendation to Director Shepperd. I truly feel that you will be exactly the person that we need on Alpha to help bring balance back to the team."

The grin that slipped across Emily's face told Erin everything that she needed to know, and Erin rose to her feet, once more extending her hand towards the woman. Emily bounced to her feet, still grinning, as she took hold of Erin's hand and shook it strongly a few times. "If you'll make certain that your contact details are correct with my assistant before you leave, I'll be in touch by the end of the week with when you'll start."

"That sounds wonderful, Ma'am. Thank you so much for this opportunity. I promise that I won't let you down!" Erin nodded coolly as she sat back down, watching as Emily left the office, feeling like this was the best outcome for everyone involved.