Emily melted into the bathtub and groaned a sigh of relief. She felt the tension ease from her body. Finally, a moment of peace. She heard the soft melodies of the piano humming into her bathroom from her laptop speaker propped up on the bathroom counter. No case to worry about. No chores that she needed to get done. No unwanted people invading her thoughts. It was turning out to be a great afternoon.

Knock, knock.

Emily's eyes popped open. The sound was faint but she rose up in her bathtub slowly on high alert. Maybe she had imagined the sound or those noisy neighbors were hanging up their painting again. She rolled her eyes. If she was going to stay with the BAU then she really should think about investing in a house. It was grown up and responsible, but just so permanent.

Knock, knock….knock, knock, knock.

It was louder this time. She lifted herself from the tub and reached for her robe. She thought about her phone charging on her bed and gulped. She really hoped there wasn't an emergency and no one was hurt.

She stood on the tips of her toes, tying off her robe tightly around her waist and peeked through the hole on her front door. She groaned and took a step back to fling the door open.

"Yes?" Emily tried to sound annoyed, she really did. But when Garcia and JJ rushed in her door and lifted their eyebrows wide, she couldn't help but smile. Damn. She really did love those two, even if they had interrupted her alone time.

They looked at each other and laughed. Emily rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm sorry, did we interrupt private time?" JJ asked.

Garcia curiously glanced around her apartment as if she would find someone there.

"I was just taking a bath," Emily said. Garcia wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Alone," she added.

"Well, sweet cheeks, you never responded to my text this morning about ladies night and I refuse to take 'no' for an answer, so tada." Garcia waved her arms above her head and smiled wide. "Now, go put some suggestive clothing on. We are getting dinner, going shopping, and maybe more if you don't behave."

Emily scoffed. "I didn't realize we were living in an episode of Sex and the City, Penelope. Are we going to get our nails done, too?"

"Not anytime soon if you don't stop biting yours."

Garcia and JJ walked over to her couch and flopped themselves down defiantly. Emily rolled her eyes again. It was like they had rehearsed her kidnapping.

"Don't worry. Take your time," JJ said. She clicked on Emily's TV. "We'll wait here. The day is young."

Emily caved and started walking back to her bedroom. Right before she closed the door, she heard Garcia say, "Why don't we hang out here more often? This apartment is great."

Emily walked herself back to the bathroom and closed her laptop shut. She brought it out to her desk in the corner of the room and opened her closet doors. She thought about putting on sweatpants and the nerdiest shirt she owned just to spite them, but she figured she might as well not look like an old cat lady and decided on a nice black skirt and blouse.

Twenty minutes later, Emily was locking the door behind her as she followed behind JJ and Garcia.

They had taken her to a new restaurant that Garcia found on the internet downtown. She insisted that they needed to try it because of the positive reviews on Yelp. It was Mexican food and Emily had to admit that they were both right to make her get out of her apartment. It was a nice night and she was enjoying just having girl time. She didn't really like that term, but it was fun nonetheless.

Emily was just finishing up her last taco when Garcia perked up in her seat and gave them both a devious grin.

"Screw, marry, brother," she said. Emily tilted her head in confusion. "Let's play with our BAU studs."

JJ laughed. "I thought the game was fuck, marry, kill?"

"Yes, but fuck sounds so vulgar and I don't like the thought of killing, so my way is better."

Emily absolutely did not want to play this game. She hadn't thought of Reid at all tonight and she would like to keep it that way. She decided to try for some guilt to put a stop to it.

"Come on, Garcia. We have to work with these men. Let's not."

"Emily," she whined. "It's just for fun. There's no harm."

"How would we feel if they played that game with us?"

"I wouldn't mind unless my boo didn't choose me to marry," she said with a shrug. "JJ, you go first."

JJ took a long sip of her drink and squinted her eyes. Emily had a feeling that she already had her answer, but she wanted to make Garcia wait.

"Alright, let's see," JJ said. "I would brother Spence since he's already like my brother. I would screw Morgan, I guess, and marry Hotch."

Emily lifted her eyebrow and felt a laugh slip out of her from deep in her chest. "You would marry Hotch?"

JJ shrugged her shoulders. "He's already a dad. It seems easier."

Garcia bounced in her chair. "Okay, let's see. Well, Reid really is like the perfect little brother and that way I know he can't delete me from his life," she said. "I would screw Rossi and marry my one and only."

"Really? You would screw Rossi?" JJ asked.

"It's only hypothetical, JJ. Besides, I can say from experience, do not count out an Italian lover."

Emily squirmed in her seat and she felt their eyes on her. It was only a stupid game, right? It's not like they were going to dig deep into each other's answers.

"Okay, okay," Emily said. "Hmm...I would brother Morgan, screw Hotch and marry Reid, I suppose."

She felt her face heat up and forced herself to meet their eyes. She had nothing to hide. It's just a stupid game.

"You would hypothetically marry doctor cheekbones?" Garcia actually giggled at her.

Emily feigned disinterest in the whole conversation. "Well, he seems the least likely to stick me with all the chores and he could help me with my paperwork."

JJ looked disappointed. "Your answer is really boring, Emily."

"Yeah, I was really hoping for something more saucy," Garcia added.

Emily finished her drink and felt her cheeks cool down. Good. Boring is good. "Yeah, well it's a silly game and we're not teenage girls in case you two forgot."

Garcia grinned and reached out for her hand. "Good thing we're not because I remember a certain picture of a teenage Emily Prentiss and she was horribly confused by the 80's and all things bright and sparkly."

Emily groaned. She should have known Garcia wouldn't let that go. She still wasn't completely convinced that she hadn't altered it.

"What picture?" JJ asked. She looked at Garcia with those damn bright blue eyes. "Did you uncover something? I wanna see!"

"Not going to happen, JJ," Emily said. "I don't want to leave you scarred for life."

When they left the restaurant, JJ insisted they head towards a coffee shop. She mentioned something about Will sneaking Henry some cookies before bed. Before they even walked three feet out of the building, she heard Garcia reciting her order to Emily and then hustle down the street saying she would meet them when they were done.

There was a line in the coffee shop, but Emily didn't really seem to mind for once. She felt more like herself tonight. They didn't go out often anymore since JJ had a family to spend time with and Garcia stayed in to Skype her boyfriend. She felt relieved to have a distraction.

JJ bumped her shoulder.

"What are you thinking about?"

Emily smiled at her friend. "Just that I'm glad you two planned a ladies night with me."

"It is nice, right? I'm always so busy with work or Henry," she said. "Not that I would trade it for anything, but sometimes I miss when we were all single and going out without a care in the world."

Emily missed it, too. She had far more fun and she was far less lonely. But she wouldn't want to go back to that time either. She was happy for her friends.

"You know you always have an open invitation to my house, right?"

She nodded her head. Did she look as lonely as she felt?

They ordered their drinks with ease and stepped to the side of the counter.

"So, do you have any hot dates planned?" JJ smirked. Did she and Garcia plan to bother her about her dating habits tonight?

"No. None that I can think of."

"I think Mick Rawson might be waiting for a phone call."

Emily groaned internally. She wasn't really interested in someone like him. Why was that so hard to understand? Sure, he was hot and clever and she appreciated his sharp-shooting skills. He was probably great in bed and that thought did excite her, but there was something that he was lacking. She didn't know what it was and she was probably being too picky, but she knew he was all wrong. She wanted to spend time with someone she got along with. Someone she could trust. A friend. A sweet, unassuming nerd who-

"Emily."

JJ laughed and walked to the counter, handing her two drinks.

"What have you got to lose? He's so cute and he seemed to like you a lot..."

Emily and JJ made their way out of the crowded coffee shop.

"That's not the point."

"Well, are you going to call him?"

JJ was probably right. She was always right. Emily was likely overthinking the whole thing. A date would do her good, even if it was with someone who reminded her of every guy who broke her heart.

"Maybe," she responded.

JJ groaned. Emily would be amused by her enthusiasm if she wasn't so confused about her lack of love life.

"Emily!"

"Mick Rawson is an arrogant, over-sexed, egotistical-"

"-Hot, British dude with a sexy accent, badge, and gun," JJ finished for her. "Just your type."

Emily sighed. My type, she thought. That's what it was, wasn't it? She didn't have a stupid crush or whatever on Reid. Somewhere down the line she must have just realized that she needed to try and date someone who is definitely not her type. Reid was nearly the opposite in every way of the guys she dated in the past. It was misplaced attention on her part. She just needed to try being around someone who was more like him.

"Alright, you know what? I don't even get you sometimes."

She knew she should feel bad, but all she felt was relief that she finally figured herself out. Emily looked up and saw Garcia marching towards them with her arms full of shopping bags.

"It wouldn't go anywhere," Emily said.

"You don't know that."

"I know our work schedule."

"Okay, you know what? Will and I make it work."

JJ really wasn't going to let it go, was she? JJ took her eyes off of Emily and looked in front of her to see Garcia and all her shopping bags.

"Oh, no," JJ groaned.

Garcia was ranting about shopping and helping the economy and who knows what else. Emily's thoughts were only broken when she asked for her coffee. Thankful for the change of subject, Emily happily handed it over and recited her over-complicated drink order back to her.

"Next stop, Xanadu!"

Emily didn't know what that was, but Garcia's excitement was contagious.

She heard JJ groan next to her. That could only mean one thing…

"Xana-don't," she sighed. "Time to go to the BAU ladies."

Emily's life was just ridiculous sometimes.

"Maybe I should get a cat."

They began walking back towards JJ's car and Emily's mood was deflated. The BAU really was the last place that she wanted to be right now. The whole ride there she just thought of what kind of cat she might like to get. It seemed she might be an old, cat lady after all.

***Author's Note**

Don't worry, our favorite genius will be in the next chapter. I just love the friendship between the BAU ladies. Thanks for reading!

In response to ahowell in the comments, I have a feeling Emily is about to notice far more than she wants to about Reid.