Advanced In Age
"Emily, would you please come to my office?" Dave's gruff voice came from behind her and she turned as he passed her desk in a rush, his expression angry. Making a demanding gesture with his hand, he motioned her toward his office without even deigning to look at her.
That was definitely not a request. It was obvious David Rossi was in rage.
Emily looked across at Reid with a quizzical look. Reid just shrugged.
"He seems to be annoyed and wants something from you." Grinning at her, he tilted his chair on the hind legs, appearing very confident that he wouldn't go over backward. Emily uttered a deep sigh and only for a split second, she pondered a tiny push to shake his confidence a little.
"You can see it in his face, you know. Annoyance is an unpleasant mental state that is characterized by such effects as irritation and distraction from one's conscious thinking. It can lead to emotions such as frustration and anger."
Emily looked at Reid in disbelief, shaking her head.
"Okay, genius. I think it's probably better to ask him and find out what's bothering him instead of analyzing the signs of his unpleasant mental state. " She suggested, creating quotation marks with the fingers of both of her hands. Then she turned her swivel chair and got up.
Smoothing her blouse, Emily took a deep breath, straightened her posture and with a brisk pace, she went towards David Rossi's office, meeting the lion in his den.
When she entered the office, Rossi sat at his desk. Bent forward, his forearms were propped up on the blotter, his hands tented; he was nervously tapping the tips of his fingers together. His face still held the grim expression and he seemed to be engrossed in thoughts, therefore seemed oblivious to her entering the room.
Tentatively she cleared her throat, then spoke. "Hello, Dave."
No answer.
Emily waited, mulling over what could be plaguing him and how to get through to him.
After a while, she took in a deep breath, inclining her upper body a bit toward his desk she waved in hopes of gaining his attention.
"Dave?" Her tone a bit louder than before.
Again, he didn't respond. Instead, he absently motioned at her to take a seat. So she sat down in the guest chair on the other side of his desk concentrating her attention on him.
"So, what can I do for you?" Once more she tried to gain his attention. Clasping her fingers in front of her, then crossing her legs, she kept waiting, a bit puzzled at his bizarre behavior.
Time elapsed, moments feeling like hours. Emily licked her lips, leaning back in the chair determined to wait for him to say something.
The room was silent except for the constant tic toc of the second hand of his table clock and the monotone, muffled sound of the bullpen through the half-open door.
Finally, he lifted his head casting a severe look at her.
"Do you know anything about bras?" His voice was harsh and Emily was almost startled at his sudden outburst. Then she realized what he actually had asked her.
"What?" Utterly perplexed by his words, she frowned.
"What do you know..." He took a deep breath. "...about bras?" Emphasizing the last word, anger and impatience was evident in his voice but also a hint of uncertainty, confusion.
Still baffled by his cryptic question, and slightly offended, Emily sat up straight, put her hands under her breasts and pushed them up.
"What do you think?" With a defiant look, she pushed her chin forward.
As if her provocative gesture worked as a wake-up-call, Dave gave her a stunned look.
"What?" Somehow, he seemed to emerge from somewhere else when he stared at her breasts, finally realizing what she was doing. Then he flushed. He actually flushed; just a little, but it was visible. David Rossi never blushes, Emily thought with a gloating smirk, savoring her effect on him.
"Uhm, I…I'm sorry. I...That came out wrong. I mean… Damn!" He slapped one hand on the desktop. Then he got up and closed the office door.
"I have a problem," he turned back to her, obviously trying to remain calm.
"You think?" She gave him a lopsided grin, her eyebrows almost disappeared under her bangs. Dave blinked and she watched in fascination as his jaw clenched tightly
"My niece." A deep-drawn sigh escaped his lips. Straightening up, he put his hands in the back pockets of his jeans.
"What?" Her confusion must have been evident on her face.
"It has to do with my niece."
"Your niece?"
"Yes. Her name is Marina. She's visiting me for a few weeks during her summer vacation."
"Visiting you?"
"Yes. She is participating in a cheerleading competition with a group and she's taking Italian language summer courses, " he explained.
"Cheerleading?"
"Damn, Emily. Don't keep repeating everything I say," he snapped, his face gloomy.
A hot spurt of anger ran through her, and she started up from her chair. "The way I see it, Agent Rossi, obviously there is something you want from me, not the other way round." With one hand on her hip, she wagged her finger at him.
"I still don't know what you really want from me besides staring at my breasts." She saw Dave flinch at her harsh words. Then, he rubbed his eyes, smoothed over his goatee and shrugged.
"I'm sorry, Emily. I apologize for being such a jerk. I really didn't mean to offend you."
She didn't answer, but nodded, accepting his apology.
He went back to his desk and slumped in his chair, lost in thought again only to get up again a moment later going over to the small cupboard adjacent to his desk to haul out a bottle of scotch and two glasses.
Putting the glasses on his desk, his hand already on the screw cap, he held out the bottle toward her.
"You want one, too?" he asked.
"Are we off duty?" She asked, automatically glancing over to the table clock: 6.30 pm. Technically, they had finished for the day, but David Rossi was still her superior.
"I say we are.." He gave her a lopsided smirk.
"Then, yes, please." Indicating the bottle in his hand, Emily sat back crossing her arms and legs.
When Dave carefully poured exactly one ounce of scotch into two tumblers without spilling a drop, Emily suppressed a chuckle. So Rossi, she thought.
He handed her the tumbler, then sat down. They lifted their drinks to each other.
A built-up tension filled the room, but Emily waited for Dave to say something. The ball was in his court.
Eventually, he regained his composure and looked at her.
"I apologize again, Emily. I didn't mean any harm." With his fingers he absently stroked along the glass walls of his tumbler.
"Its okay, Dave, but please, tell me what's bothering you. Is something wrong with your niece? Is she sick?" After she had taken another swallow of her scotch, she put her glass on the desk, wiping her lips with the back of her hand.
"No, no. Absolutely not." He waved his hands in negation. "Let me start at the beginning."
"Oh, that would be helpful." Emily said, mocking him a bit, but he didn't respond to the bait, fixing his eyes on the brown liquor he was swiveling in his tumbler.
"My 13-year-old niece Marina is visiting me for three weeks during her vacation. She and her cheerleading group are participating at a competition next week here in DC. And while she was here, to make use of the time, she also enrolled in an Italian class." He took a sip from his Scotch.
"We, means Marina, her father and me, decided that it was more comfortable for her to stay with me, and it's the perfect opportunity spend some time together." A warm smile touched on his face but Emily didn't interrupt him.
"I'm her godfather, you see. I've know her since she is little baby. We see each other four, maybe five times a year. She is an adorable little girl." He sighed.
Emily let his words sink in and bit by bit, it began to dawn on her.
"And now she's 13-years-old," she said smiling.
"Yes." He took one more sip from his glass.
"And she isn't the little girl anymore," Emily surmised.
"Exactly." Dave looked at her and she could see the troubled look in his eyes.
"I have a dilemma." His face darkened again.
"I see that, but get to the point, Dave. What's the problem?" she asked.
"She needs a bra." He finally burst out. "Something she wants for her cheerleading training or something. She tried to explain it to me but..." He hesitated. "But I was so...so bewildered that I didn't really understand." He got up from his chair, pacing behind his desk.
"Dave." Emily held out her hand to appease him. "Dave, sit down. Please."
"You know I can handle deranged psychopath, I deal with stubborn unsubs, but I don't know how to deal with my 13-year-old niece. " He raised his hand in desperation and shrugged his shoulders, let his hands fall down and sat down in his chair again.
"Dave, am I understanding you correctly? You need my help, or better your niece needs my help, to find a bra, right?"
He tilted his head and looked at her. "Would you do that?"
"Marina won't go with me. It's embarrassing to go with my uncle, she said. Then she ran to her room crying and I lost it." He blinked and his lip twitched slightly, obviously remembering the situation earlier that day.
"I could have asked Penelope..." He hesitated, considering his words then shook his head, continuing with a grin. "No, I couldn't have asked her. I like her but it probably would get into an absolute mess. Well, I could have asked JJ but..." He didn't conclude his sentence.
"But I have the better boobs?" Once more Emily touched her breasts.
"Emily! I've already apologized." He scowled at her. "What I want to say is that I've asked you because you're good with kids. They trust you." He paused, then gave a small almost shrug. "And I trust you."
Now it was Emily's turn to flush.
"Now I owe you an apology." She took her glass and raised it toward him. "I'm sorry, Dave."
For a moment, they drank in silence.
"I want to ask you if you're up to helping my niece to find an appropriate…underthing." At his sober request, Emily couldn't help but laugh.
"Don't laugh at me." He frowned.
"I'm not laughing at you." She smiled widely at him. "Nevertheless, can I ask you a question? Why doesn't her mother take care of this?"
Suddenly his face saddened. "There is no mother. She died years ago."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Emily looked down on her folded hands.
"It was a long time ago. She died in a car accident. Marina was still a baby." He said with a quiet voice.
"My brother copes with it rather well and he does a hell of a job raising Marina. She is a terrific little girl." For a moment, a thoughtful silence occurred between them.
"Anyway." Dave broke the silence. "Emily, let me ask again. Will you help me with my...hmm... my dilemma?" This time his smile was a bit softer.
"Of course, I will or at least I'll try. Do you think she'll confide in me? She doesn't know me right now and I know exactly what it's like to be a 13-year-old girl." Emily made a face remembering her embarrassing purchase of her first bra with a woman her mom ´ordered` to do so. She shuddered, thankful when Dave cut her thoughts off.
"I'm sure she will. She's usually an open-minded girl. I already told her that I'd ask someone special for help or advice." Taking his drink from the desk, Dave finished his Scotch in one sip but Emily supposed he just wanted to avoid eye contact.
Emily grinned, feeling a little flutter in her stomach by his words.
"Okay, I´ll help you and your niece. Or at least I´ll give it a try."
Emily finished her Scotch, putting the glass back on the desk.
"What do you think if I come by tomorrow afternoon? Would that be a good time to meet Marina?"
"That would be fine. She's usually home about 4:00 pm after class. Tomorrow there's no cheerleading practice."
Emily was surprised at his exact knowledge of his niece's schedule; on the other hand, it was typical Rossi. She assumed he was an over-protective uncle and "neat freak" anyway.
"Great. That gives you the opportunity to tell her about me a bit."
"But only the good parts. We want to gain her trust. Don´t frighten her!" A mildly threatening tone resonated in her statement.
Dave laughed, his relief almost palpable.
"Believe me, Emily I'll paint a rosy picture of you. Just like you are, a beautiful, intelligent woman."
There was the flutter again. That was the second compliment in a few minutes and Emily pondered if he just wanted to flatter her or if it was just Rossi turning on the charm or...
She shook off the thought, turning toward the door. "See you tomorrow, Dave."
"Emily?" She stopped and turned around again. Dave looked at her, his eyes warm and profound. He smiled.
"Thank you."
The next day Emily arrived a few minutes past four at Dave´s house. She had been at his home a few times before. Sometimes, after a case Rossi invited the team over for a drink just to ease the aftermath. It´s occasionally comfortable and somehow healing to stay together a while longer because what they experienced and saw during a case is hard talk about. To band together made it easier to cope with and provided the opportunity to lead another life outside.
She rang the bell and Rossi opened the door in an instant, as if he was waiting behind the door.
"Hello, Emily. Thanks for coming." He held out his hand and gave her a warm and grateful smile.
"I really appreciate your help." He was holding her hand a tad longer than Emily thought necessary; Emily avoided his searching glance.
"Oh, it´s my pleasure." She pulled her hand away and immediately missed his warmth.
"Come on in. I´ll introduce you to my niece." Dave took her jacket and hung it on a hanger then showed her to the other room.
When they entered the living room a lanky teenaged girl looked up from her position on a love seat reading a magazine. She got up immediately and looked at Emily standing on the other side of the coffee table. Big brown eyes, dark curly hair, the family resemblance with her uncle was quite obvious. Emily smiled.
"You must be Marina." Respecting Marina's personal space, she just nodded at her.
Marina was wearing a big, baggy sweatshirt, pulling it away from her body with one hand the other was drawn-in in the sleeve.
"Marina, this is Emily Prentiss." Dave gestured to Emily. "Emily, this is my niece Marina. Also called papillo."
"Uncle Dave!" the girl cried. "I already told you, you shouldn't call me that."
"Yeah, sorry, doll." He smiled at her.
"Uncle Da-ave." Rolling her eyes, Marina's voice lingered on the ´a´ stretching it into several syllables.
Puberty is when the adults become difficult. Emily thought and stifled a smile; instead, she stretched out her hand trying to ease the situation.
"Hi, Marina. How are you?" The girl looked somewhat sheepish but extended her hand even if rather reluctant.
"I'm fine. Thank you. Are you Uncle Dave's girlfriend?" Big brown eyes glanced over Emily bursting with curiosity.
Emily choked off a laugh. "No, we´re...friends."
"Marina, I already told you that Emily is just my co-worker." Dave reminded his niece.
A tiny sting of pique went through her at his words.
Check yourself, Emily. This is not about you, she thought.
"Can I get you something, Emily? Water? Coffee? A drink?" Dave asked, always the perfect host.
"A glass of water would be great, thanks."
When Dave disappeared into the kitchen she turned toward Marina.
"So, how do you like being here, Marina?"
"Oh, it´s cool. We´re practicing a lot for our cheerleading-competition we take part in. It´s great fun." Waiting for Emily´s reaction she paused. When Emily said nothing she continued.
"It´s great to see all those fantastic athletes but we´re also good. We actually have real chances to make it into the top five." As long as she was on firm ground, talking about her interests, Marina came off as a confident teenage girl.
"Really? That´s great. I´ve never joined a cheerleading group. How does it work? " Emily´s interest was sincere.
"Tell me about it," she encouraged Marina.
Now, the girl was unstoppable and she started to talk her head off. She told Emily all about her peers, their customs, their dancing steps, the music. It was fascinating to see the enthusiasm and joy Marina pursued her passion.
Then she suddenly stopped, looking at the tips of her feet.
"And now I have this problem." Her last words only a murmur, her shoulders hunched. The atmosphere seemed to change from one minute to the other and Marina was a totally different girl. She fumbled at the hem of her much too big sweatshirt pulling the sleeves over her hands again.
Emily looked at Dave as he came back silently, obviously not wanting to interrupt their conversation.
"Dave can you bring me the case file I asked you for?" Giving him a distinct look he hesitated just a second then realized what this was all about. He looked towards Marina but she still seemed engrossed with her sleeves, oblivious to her uncle.
"Of course, it´s in my office. Give me a minute while I get it for you." Then he got up and went over to the next room.
"Thank you," Marina whispered at her, making clear that she wasn´t as oblivious to the situation as she pretended to be.
"I don´t want Uncle David to feel embarrassed when we talk about...this." She pushed at her sweatshirt again.
"Oh, I understand. Do you want to talk about me about this?" she asked gingerly.
"Uncle David told me I can trust you and that you´re a nice, helpful woman, that you can help me with my problem." . Marina put on a solemn face.
"Yes, of course, I can help you and I will, if you want me to." Emily touched Marina´s shoulder. "What do you think, should we quit designating it as a problem? I think, it´s something really normal and we'll make it a wonderful new experience for you, all right?" Marina shrugged but Emily realized that she was still tensed up, something was still worrying the girl.
"What if he doesn´t like me anymore." Marina´s voice hardly audible her eyes were filled with tears. "He probably thinks I´m still a little girl – he still calls me his little papillo."
"Oh, no, don´t say something like this, sweetie." Giving her a comforting hug Emily sought for the right words.
"Dave loves you, believe me. Your uncle is...he's anxious. He doesn´t know what to do about this," she said, remembering his performance in the BAU.
" Actually, I´m very sure, he's proud of how much his little papillo has grown up," she reassured.
"Are you sure?" Marina dashed away a tear.
"Yes, I am." There was no doubt in Emily´s voice. "You don´t need to feel embarrassed needing a bra. It´s very exciting! You´re becoming a woman now. And that's something wonderful."
"Emily?" Marina fidgeted with the hem of her sweater bending her head to avoid looking at Emily.
"Yes?" .
"I...I need some pads, too." Now, Marina looked at her, her cheeks deeply flushed.
Acting on impulse Emily hugged and squeeze Marina tightly.
"Oh, Marina, that´s natural, too, part of growing up and becoming a woman. No wonder you wanted help. We´ll get you taken care of, all right?" Emily gave her a genuine warm smile.
"I would suggest, we first searching the internet a bit about options and varieties about bras and all the other things we should take care of, okay?"
Marinas face brightened up, her body relaxing noticeably.
"Sure. That's a great idea!" She agreed gamely.
Almost right on cue, Dave came back into the living room caring a file as a pretense, taking a questioning look at both women.
"Something wrong?" Obviously, he sensed the changed situation but couldn´t really determine what it was yet.
"No, no everything is fine, isn´t it Marina?" Emily gave Marina a conspiratorial nudge with her elbow causing a giggle from the girl.
"Dave, do you mind if we use your computer? " Emily asked.
Before Dave could give an answer Marina forestalled him.
"Ms. Prentiss, can we go to my room? I´ve got a laptop with internet access we can use." Marina looked at her warily, chewing on her lower lip.
"Sure. And Marina," Emily turned to her and smiled, "you can call me Emily." Marina stared at her, her brown eyes gleaming.
"Sure." Her tone was nonchalant, very inconsistent with what her bright face revealed.
Oh sweet taste of puberty, Emily thought then touched Marinas shoulder nodding her approval.
"Let´s go," she said to Marina and directed to Dave with a very big grin "Woman´s job."
Then they turned toward the guestroom lately converted into a teenagers room, went in and closed the door.
David Rossi stood in his living room feeling forlorn. Still holding the mock file in his hand he tried to figure out what just had happened. Throwing the folder on the coffee table he went over to sideboard, took out a bottle of whiskey and poured himself a glass.
The liquor felt good in his mouth taking away the stale taste which he wasn´t really aware of before. Relishing the first drink of the day, which is always the best, he tried to figure out what was bugging him. While sitting down on the loveseat he could monitor the guestroom door opposite to the living room, his hand wrapped around his glass, feeling oddly unsettled.
Do I feel excluded? Dave snorted. It´s all but impossible to profile yourself. So stop that, he scolded himself.
Maybe it was the loss of control, not to know what was going on and what plan the ladies were concocting and how they wanted to pursue it. Dave shook his head; it was pointless to wrack his brain any further.
He had asked Emily to help him with this problem because he had seen her dealing with kids or young adults during cases. Compassionately, she gives her full attention to them, focused on their mental state trying to protect, comfort and support as much as it is possible in an already difficult situation.
Therefore, he was sure that she could handle this case with great ease, he trusted her and she was a woman who knew the ropes.
Oh yeah, what a woman, he thought.
Getting up from the couch he approached the closed guestroom door with a few careful steps. It wasn´t in fact his intention to eavesdrop on them, he just wanted to get an idea if everything was going well.
Their voices were muffled through the closed door and he couldn´t decode what they were actually saying but he could perceive Marinas giggle several times and now and then the firm alto voice from Emily.
They apparently sat in front of the PC surfing the internet about bras, breasts and bustiers, he surmised. Dave wondered how easily Emily had managed to gain his niece's trust.
It´s true, he had seen her acting with troubled kids,he knew she could handle his niece, but he hadn´t expected the effortlessness and empathy she exhibited.
Obviously, Marina was perfectly at ease with her. Emily talked to her in a quiet agreeable voice and Marina sounded receptive to it.
Suddenly, he felt like an intruder and sat down back on the couch taking up the magazine Marina had left half-read.
After a while, his nerves relaxed appreciably and he eventually delved into an article about Italian cuisine.
Roughly thirty minutes later the door to the guestroom opened. Marina and Emily came out of the room still chatting with each other, Marina´s cheeks were slightly flushed but she seemed to feel relieved although a little agitated. When they became aware of Dave´s presence they both smiled at him.
"And?" he asked, arching his eyebrows.
"We´ll go shopping." Marina proclaimed, shrugging her shoulders. She was already wearing her jacket and carrying a colorful purse.
"If you approve, of course." Emily added holding her hands palms up in a gesture of good will.
"Well, yes...you...want to buy something for Marina, uhm, you. Now?" He wasn´t sure to whom he should refer to which made him mad at himself. In nine times of ten he handled by far more complicated situations but when it came to his niece, his family, he changed into a stumbling goof.
"Yes, it´s the best chance. We did some research on the internet and found some shops in Potomac Mills in Woodbridge. Marina´s next practice is tomorrow. It would be good to find a bra or bustier for her as soon as possible." Emily´s voice was purposeful but Marina was totally interested in the toe-caps of her sneakers all of a sudden. Dave cleared his throat pushing himself up from the couch.
"Shall I drive?" he asked. The two women exchanged glances.
"Oh. No, I won't go in the...shop. I´ve got to run some errands myself..." he stumbled hastily, lifting his hands in defense.
Emily laughed. "Dave, please, calm down. It would be great if you give us a ride."
When they arrived at Potomac Mills they arranged a meeting point.
"What do you think? How long do you both need?" Dave asked. Marina looked at Emily.
"No longer than an hour, I guess." Emily shrugged looking at her watch. "One and a half, just to be sure."
"Fine. We´ll meet here in about ninety minutes and then I´ll take you out for a pizza, right?" Putting his hands in the back pockets of his jeans, he awaited their answer.
"Yay! Pizza!" Marina clapped her hands together. For a moment she was a little girl again.
Emily grinned.
"Pizza is fine," she agreed.
"Well then, see you in ninety minutes. Have fun little papillo." Dave teased his niece, tousling her hair.
"You too, Zio Davide." A mischievous grin on her face.
"Aha, your Italian lessons are working!" He winked, turned around and disappeared in the motley crowd.
More or less one and half an hour later they met again at the arranged point.
"Hello ladies." he greeted them, unsure what to say next.
"Have you been...successful."
As an answer Marina chuckled.
"Yes, we were. You wanna take a look?" To his dismay, Marina started rummaging in the bag she was carrying.
"No!" he gasped out then a bit more conciliatory, "Later, okay?"
Emily burst out laughing watching his horrified expression.
"Your little lady here not only looks a lot like you but also inherited your special sense of humor."
Dave gave her a lopsided grin. "Let´s go have a pizza!"
Later that evening, when they were back at his home, Marina performed a little fashion parade, at least she showed the outerwear they had also purchased. A fitted blouse and a few colorful t-shirts which fit her much better than the huge sweater she was wearing before. Dave was elated, realizing how pretty Marina looked in her new clothes.
"Now I belong to the crew." Marina declared, very proud as she puffed herself up. Dave smiled but didn´t say anything. He wanted his niece to enjoy this special moment.
Then Marina went over to Emily and gave her a halting hug and Emily didn´t force her.
"Thank you, Emily," she said gently.
"My pleasure, Marina. It was an honor and I really had fun," she assured.
"I´ll go to my room now; I'm tweeting with Nancy. She's my best friend, you know. I´ve got a lot to tell." She smirked, turned around and went to her room.
Dave had followed the whole scene, astounded at how mature Marina had handled the whole situation, probably better than he did. His little papillo was moving towards adulthood.
"You have a wonderful niece, Dave." Emily interrupted his thoughts.
"She is just a teenage girl and her hormones sometime go wild. My advice: treat her with respect and thoughtfulness. Puberty isn´t easy, for anyone involved but it doesn't have to be miserable. We all came through it." She looked at him with a wry smile.
"And please, Dave. Don´t call her little papillo for a while. There will be a time when she'll love and appreciate being called by this nickname by her uncle again."
He nodded, looking at her.
"How do you know all these things?"
"What do you think?" she asked with a mocking face. "I´m a successful profiler. And..." she made a dramatic pause. "Believe it or not, once, I was a 13-year-old girl, too."
"What an amazing woman you are, Emily." His admiration was not only audible in his voice but also visible in his eyes.
"Next time, Emily, when I ask you something about lingerie I sincerely hope it won´t have anything to do with adolescence but everything with the two of us."
She blushed. This time it was Emily who felt like a teenage girl.
FIN