A/N: Co-written by Auraya-of-the-White. I DO NOT OWN CRIMINAL MINDS OR IT'S AWESOME CHARACTERS. Please review.
As Casey walked into the two floor condo, the first thing she saw was the magnificent view of the Washington National Mall. Em must have paid a lot to get such an amazing sight out her balcony window. Casey stood looking in awe, but after noticing how tired she was, she quickly turned around and dropped her bags with a thump. Emily's eyes jumped from the window back to Casey.
Casey curiously examined the apartment. They stood there silently, Emily remembering the day she was smacked over the head with a 2 by 4, bringing back memories of when Section Chief Erin Strauss had attempted to blackmail her. It had ultimately led to her temporary resignation. That memory brought her back to the day she was supposed to start at the BAU but was turned away by SSA Hotchner.
Casey glanced at Emily. She seemed tense and Casey could see the worry in Em's eyes.
"You okay?" Casey questioned, staring at Emily.
Emily snapped out of her daydream, shaking her head, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about my job."
Casey turned her head back to the window, and said teasingly, "Well don't. I'm here and it's the weekend so your work can't drag you back to the office…Emily, it's time to relax and take a break for once."
Emily smiled and faced Casey, "You're right…It's late, we should get some sleep if I'm going to show you around all the tourist spots tomorrow. I'll sleep here and you can sleep in my roo–"
Emily was cut off mid sentence.
"No! It's okay, sleep in your room," Casey urged, "I'll sleep out here. I'm used to sleeping on couches."
Emily scrutinized Casey's face, slightly confused as to the tone of her cousin's voice. "Are you sure? Because I'm totally fine with sleeping out he–"
Again Emily was interrupted.
"Yes! I'm sure. Just get me a blanket and pillow and I'll be fine," Casey insisted.
Emily gave in, walked over to a closet and pulled out a pillow and a black comforter and set them on the couch.
"Where should I put this ugly suitcase of mine?"
Emily looked around the room and then shrugged, "Anywhere's good."
Casey placed it down on the ground next to the couch and opened up her suitcase. Rummaging through it, she took out a white tank top and black and white striped sweatpants.
She heard Em move across the room and Casey turned around to see her opening a safe. Casey focused on seeing the combination that Emily was using: 29; 39; 5. The safe popped open with a small click. Emily took her backup gun, placed it inside the safe, and shut the door firmly. Casey ran the numbers through her head a couple of times and then asked Emily where the bathroom was. Emily showed her to the bathroom downstairs and then started heading back up to the living room when Casey stopped her before she got to the stairs.
Her cousin quietly said, "Hey Emily, thanks for letting me stay with you while my parents are in France." Casey looked down at the clothes in her hand, shyly.
She gave a warm smile, "You're welcome Casey."
Emily was trotting up the stairs when she heard Casey say "Night Em."
She turned around, "Good night to you too."
Emily then continued back up the stairs. Casey entered the bathroom and changed into her white tank top and sweatpants. When finished, she went back to the living room and lay down on the couch, blankets cocooning her. She turned onto her side and fell asleep slowly, the jet lag making it seem too early to sleep.
She dreamt about her future plans, how she would go to Stanford Law and become a prosecutor in New York. Her dream was pleasant until she heard screaming. She was unsure if it was her inside her dream or in real life.
Casey woke up abruptly, and the screaming continued. The shrieks sounded like they were coming from inside the condo. "Emily!" she thought. Casey stood up frantically. Now Em was shouting too, "Get away! Somebody help!"
Casey ran over to the safe where Emily kept her gun. She stared at the safe for a few moments unsure if she should really open it. The screams and shouts got louder, making up her mind for her. Casey entered the combination quickly, 39; 29; 5. She pulled at the handle but it wouldn't open. The screams got louder and more desperate, she tried it once more, slower this time. She yanked at the handle again and it opened. The gun was lying on top of a couple of $100 bills and some jewelry. She pulled the gun out and shut the safe.
She flipped off the safety and put her finger on the trigger. Casey kept it pointed towards the floor. She didn't want to shoot anyone on accident and started walking towards the stairs. The gun resting securely in her hands, she slowly walked down the stairs. The yelling was getting louder as she moved closer towards Emily's closed door. She twisted the handle slowly; unsure of what would be behind the door.
She pushed the door opened with her shoulder, raising the gun with her two hands at the same time. The door slammed against the wall. She looked around the room, her weapon sweeping in front of her.
Emily was lying on her bed, writhing and screaming. Casey looked around the dark room. No one was there, not even in the closet. She looked at Emily. Her eyes were still closed and she continued shouting. Casey still wasn't sure if there was someone else in the room so she clutched the gun in one hand, shaking Em with the other.
"Emily! Emily, wake up! You're screaming!" Casey shouted over Emily's cries.
Casey was getting extremely frustrated, Emily would not wake up!
She yelled one last time, "Wake up Emily! Dammit Emily, wake up!"
Emily finally stopped screaming and woke up with a jerk, sitting up in bed. Emily looked scared and confused.
She sleepily asked, "What just happened?" and then noticed the gun. Wide awake all of a sudden, she yelled stunned, "Why do you have my gun?!"
Casey put down the gun on Em's dresser. "You were screaming so I thought someone was attacking you. I grabbed the gun and came down here. You scared me," Casey explained, concerned, her hands trembling slightly from the adrenaline rush.
Silence fell as Emily turned on the light next to her, "Thanks for waking me up but what if there was someone up here attacking me? What would you do? I know you don't know how to use a gun. You could have put a bullet through your hand or through me. What were you thinking?"
This accusation made Casey mad and she immediately tensed up. "You know what Emily? I've changed since last time you saw me. I do know how to use a gun. I made sure I did just in case someone attacked me or someone else in my home. I also took a self defense class after you where held hostage by Cyrus."
She paused to compose herself and continued, "In that class I learned how to disarm someone with a knife or a gun. So don't act like you know what I know!"
Casey walked out of her bedroom and before closing the door, said harshly, "Good Night Em."
Emily heard Casey's footsteps going up the stairs. God, she was right. She had changed; she wasn't a little kid anymore. She wasn't that shy, sweet little girl she used to be. Now she's become an independent, outgoing, smart, normal twelve year old who doesn't wear fancy expensive dresses with fancy shoes to Embassy parties anymore. She would wear a nice, cute but inexpensive dress with skate shoes. She's different now.
Emily rubbed her eyes and got out of bed. She picked up her gun off the dresser, opened the door and walked up the stairs. Casey was sitting on the corner of the couch reading a book. The lamp next to Casey was turned on and Emily could barely make out the title, 'Things Not Seen.' Emily walked to the safe, opened it and put the gun back inside.
"Good book?" Emily asked, locking the safe.
Casey looked up from her book at Emily, "Yeah, I guess. I really don't like reading."
Emily sighed, unsure of what to do or say. She turned towards Casey, "Look Casey. I'm sorry, I just assumed that you…well…wouldn't know how."
Casey looked up and smiled, "It's okay Em. You were right. I shouldn't have scared you like that and put the gun down before I woke you up. I mean I would be freaked out too if I saw my little cousin pointing a gun at my face at three in the morning."
Emily grinned and let out a small laugh, "So how do you kids say it now? We cool?"
Casey snorted at Emily's sentence, but let out a kind, "Yeah, we're cool"
They smiled at each other, "Good, 'cause JJ called me last night before I fell asleep. She wanted to know if tomorrow, well now today, we wanted to get breakfast with her and the rest of the team."
Casey looked confused. She didn't think that she had made a good impression. She had only talked to them for a minute or two, but hey, what the heck? Might as well get to know everyone since they all seemed nice.
"Sure, that's cool. What time?"
Emily hoped that the team wouldn't intimidate her with their interrogation style questions. She was glad that Casey seemed to like them and replied, "Okay, since JJ said eight-thirty why don't we get some sleep and I'll set my alarm for…How long will it take you to get up and get ready?"
Casey thought for a while. She had taken a shower yesterday before she left for the airport so she wouldn't have to take another one until tonight.
"Thirty minutes to wake me up then a maximum of ten minutes to get ready."
Emily was shocked, "Thirty minutes to wake up? Why?"
Casey smirked at Emily, "First try waking me up just by saying wake up a couple of times. If that fails, and I guarantee it will, get my phone, click menu then go to my music and play song number five as loud as possible. Then place my phone three inches away from my ear. That usually wakes me up, but if that doesn't work, pour cold water on my head and that should definitely do the trick."
Emily nodded, trying to contain her amusement. She made a mental note to follow those instructions exactly.
"Okay so I will set my alarm for seven. Until then get some sleep Case," Emily said, emphasizing Case.
Casey laughed, "Will do Em."
Emily went back downstairs and both of them fell asleep.