Hey guys! Sorry for the lack of updates!
Here's the next installment!
I'd like to thank Billie Goat and EldestDurk for adding this story to their favs! And also to Merenwen Melwasul for reviewing!
Though I must add, I'm pretty disappointed with the number of reviews I've received.
Please do try to give me comments on the story, because I know it isn't perfect and there's bound to be things I need to watch out for :)
Disclaimer: I only own my own characters and the plot.
xx neoncrayons
Audrey Démarchelier was nervous to say the least.
If you were to ask her for a phrase that could describe her exact feelings right now, it'd have been something along the lines of 'heart-stopping', 'nauseous', 'terror-stricken' and 'ready to run off and jump in front of a moving train'.
Her hands were clammy from the sweat glands that had been overworking like crazy since she had stepped through the huge glass auto-doors of the building, and there was a weird feeling in her throat. It felt as though there was something stuck in her oesophagus fighting to come out, and she wondered if it had been bile she tasted at the back of her tongue. The wild butterflies that had been fluttering around in her stomach had now turned to full-blown fighter jets breaking out in mini flight wars and turbulences.
'It's like the first day of college all over again,' she thought with a grimace, wiping her right palm against the skirt of her navy blue dress.
The first days of anything had always been hard. First day of elementary school. High school. College. University. She always felt like it was the end of the world on those days because she wasn't a 'people's person'. She couldn't make ten acquaintances in a single conversation unlike other girls she knew, other girls like the whore of her dormitory, Mary-Ann.
No, she wasn't that sociable. Not in that sense, anyway.
Audrey was the type of girl to make a few friends that truly stuck with her for the rest of her life. She didn't care for a large social circle that she could use to show off to others. She cared for lasting friendships that ensured she'd have the support she needed whenever she needs it.
Her breath hitched when the sleek silver elevators door opened, revealing an empty carriage.
'It's going to be okay,' she silently assured herself, stepping into the empty metal box. 'Just remember – don't ramble, don't trip, and in the name of all things lovely, don't do anything stupid.'
With a shaky finger, Audrey pressed the square button with the number '9' on it, watching it light up in a dim orange light before moving her finger down to the 'Door Close' button.
The doors were inches from meeting each other when she heard hurried footsteps rushing towards the closing doors. Instinctively, Audrey's finger jabbed at the 'Door Open' button quickly, holding her digit there as the metal doors slid in the opposite direction again, opening up to reveal the marble lift lobby.
A man stepped into the lift quickly before the lift doors closed again and encased the spacey metal box in dimness. He was dressed in a smart black suit with polished leather shoes to match as far as Audrey could tell in the mere three-second glance she had spared him.
"Which floor?" Audrey asked, turning away from the man.
"Twelve please." The man said, loosening his tie ever so slightly. "Thanks,"
Audrey merely smiled in reply and pressed the desired button as the lift started its slow ascent to her floor first. Her hands were hugging the box towards her chest tightly as she began to have a mental freak out session as the numbers above the doors continued lighting up.
"First day?"
Audrey jumped at the sudden question and turned to the other passenger in the elevator. His unknown coloured eyes appraised her nervous stance quietly while a small smile hung on his chiseled cheeks.
"Mmhmm," Audrey nodded.
"Don't worry. I was a mess on my first day too." The guy chuckled. "Just remember, if landed yourself a place in this building, you must be doing something right."
"Ah, wise words," Audrey gave a short laugh before a bell sounded as the lift doors slid open. "Well, here's my stop. Wish me luck!"
Audrey stepped out of the lift and started on her way to the glass doors when she heard the lift doors open again.
"Wait!" The blonde haired man shouted with a faint blush in his tanned cheeks. "Can I at least know your name?"
"It's Audrey,"
And without another word, Audrey turned back and started towards the door, feeling the jet planes come rushing back to her again. She was there yesterday, walking through the same glass doors leading to the office. But this time, it was different.
Because this time, when she walked through the entrance and into the office, she was officially an FBI agent.
Cautiously, Audrey made her way into the office, as the grip on her box grew tighter. She was sure that if she had held onto the box any tighter, the sturdy material would have been crushed in her hands.
"Hey! It's you!" Audrey whipped around in the direction of the voice to see the dark haired woman who had led her to Aaron's office yesterday. She offered Audrey a friendly smile, walking up to the lost girl in bold and confident strides. "Here to see Hotch again?"
"Someone's looking for me?" The unit chief asked, walking down the metal stairs with a file in hand before Audrey could form a reply. He closed the folder with a snap when he reached the bottom of the stairs and looked up to see Audrey standing beside the taller agent awkwardly.
"You're finally here," Hotch's words were laced with amusement. "I thought you've decided not to show up from the nerves,"
Audrey let out a weak chuckle. "Nice to know your faith in me is as strong as ever, Hotch."
"Prentiss, get Garcia down in the bullpen, I've got an announcement to make." Hotch said to the dark haired woman before moving to stand at the front of the place where he called the bullpen.
"Team!" he barked in a loud and clear voice, causing several heads to snap in his direction. They rose from where they were sitting or standing at and moved towards Hotch curiously, training their sight from their chief to the petite girl standing awkwardly beside him.
"Everyone, this is Dr. Audrey Démarchelier," Hotch said just as a brightly dressed blonde bounded towards the group quickly, wondering what was it their chief wanted. Audrey offered the group a friendly smile and returned to appraising the scene quietly. "She will be joining our team from today onwards as an official Special Agent Profiler."
"A doctor? Oh my god, are we getting another Reid?"
"What's another Reid?" Audrey asked, shooting the dark skinned agent a confused look at the weird question.
"Reid's our residential genius," The bubbly blonde from before explained, pointing to the familiar lanky agent who was leaning against one of the cubicle. He sent Audrey a small smile at the mention, which she returned briefly. Thinking back, a faint blush crawled onto her cheeks as she wondered if she had scared him off by acting like a complete loon in front of him yesterday.
"Oh no, I'm not a genius." Audrey hastily shook her head. "The salutation came from my degree in Psychology,"
"Dr. Démarc-"
"Colette," Audrey corrected, interrupting Hotch before he could get her unbearably irritating last name out. "Uh… you can use my middle name. Everyone uses it instead of my last name. It's… hassle-free."
"As I was saying, Dr. Colette here used to work with the National Psychology Institution." Hotch said. "She works for the criminal analysis department where she studies convicts, murderers and suspects, to know what is it that drove them to commit the crimes and give her a better understanding on how they think."
"Like a psychiatrist?" the dark-haired lady from before asked.
"Not exactly… In actual terms, I'm a criminal behavioral psychologist. I hold meetings with convicts to get an insight on why they do the things they do." Audrey explained. "It's like profiling but on a more personal level. I develop ways to get them to talk about their fears; their past or events that haunts them. I try to help them overcome it if I can, but most of the times, I'm just there to learn more about the criminal minds."
The team nodded their heads in understanding quietly while Hotch cleared his throat.
"Alright, let's get you settled in." Hotch said, pointing to a cleared cubicle opposite a cluttered one. "You can take that empty space opposite Reid's."
And with that, Hotch walked back up to his office with the file held open while Audrey stood rooted at the spot, not knowing if she should walk off to the table and started unpacking her things.
Luckily, the dark-skinned agent seemed to have caught onto the awkward silence that hung over as he clapped his hands together loudly with a bright smile.
"Alright, I guess we should start introducing ourselves?" He asked, smiling at Audrey. "I'm Derek Morgan,"
He pointed over to Reid and went on. "That's Dr. Spencer Reid, Agent Emily Prentiss, Agent Jennifer Jareau and our lovely Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia."
"We have another senior agent, but he's up in his office being his grumpy old self," Garcia joked and pulled Audrey to her new workspace.
"Come on, sweet cheeks!" Garcia said, taking the box from Audrey's hands. "Let's get your fine ass settled in your new life with us."
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