Title: Power Play
Rating: R
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Universe: Creatures of the Night (Part 1)
Pairing: Morgan/Prentiss; JJ/Hotch
Genre: Supernatural/Drama
Summary: Tensions are running high when a vampire joins the BAU, but all differences must be put aside as the team investigate a series of suspicious werewolf murders. AU.
Author's Notes: Betaed by Windy City Dreamer.
Chapter Four
JJ's blocking out the thoughts of the vampire that has just entered Hotch's office. It's difficult, she admits. She's doing exactly what Professor Pewter had instructed. She's focusing on her own mind. On not letting those tendrils reach out to touch the minds of those around her. There's something of a difference between promising that she'd check out the mind of this vampire and actually putting that promise into practice. At this point, all she can feel emitting from the room's newest occupant is a buzz. A strangely positive buzz.
Sitting across the desk from JJ and Hotch, Emily Prentiss is decidedly vampirish. It doesn't matter that she hasn't embraced the whole culture surrounding vampirism. Some vamps you saw were into all of the black leather, "I'm so awesome" crap that makes JJ roll her eyes. The vampire that's in the room with them now is wearing a simple pantsuit – navy blue – with a plain white shirt. But, all the bright colored clothes in the world can't hide pale skin, pointed teeth and that stark aura that a vamp gives off. The hair makes it worse, JJ thinks. It's dark, almost black. A blindingly stark contrast against an ivory complexion.
At a sideways glance from Hotch, JJ lets one of those tendrils out. Just a small one. She wants to test the waters before she jumps in with both feet. It's a new experience – not anything like any of the minds she's read before. It has deep roots, as though there's more hidden below the surface than even the most proficient of psychics can detect.
Emily winks.
JJ gives a start. Holy crap, could she sense that? Her heart beats a little bit faster, which only caused the vampire to grin. It's not a malicious grin. It's a goofy, warm thing that JJ has never really seen in a vampire before. Of course, she's tried to keep her distance from vampires since the incident that left Hotch in hospital.
Hotch raises an eyebrow. He is uninformed as to the details of this silent interaction, JJ remembers. She gives him a slight nod, as if to give him the go-ahead. Emily Prentiss isn't about to tear at their throats, as far as JJ can tell.
Beside her, Hotch is still bristling with discomfort. He cannot delay the start of introductions any longer though.
'You've been in the Bureau twelve years?' he asks. It's a question that he already knows the answer to, having read through the file meticulously. JJ had watched his brow furrow at certain segments. If nothing else, it's probably an interesting read, she thinks.
'Yes sir.' Hotch raises an eyebrow. Those words can tell volumes about a person, but JJ isn't about to invade her supervisor's privacy by trying to find out what they told him. She knows she'll find out in the information sharing session that is bound to follow this interview.
'Your file also says that you've worked in fourteen different field offices. Several of your supervisors state that you have a "problem with authority."'
Emily rolls her eyes, though the gesture does not seem to be directed at Hotch. She gives a slight grimace, revealing understated fangs at the corner of her mouth. JJ would barely call them fangs – they were simply slightly pointed canines. Her gaze returns to Hotch, as she says, finally, 'I'd like to think that authority has a problem with me.'
'You understand that the BAU is not going to be an outlet for your personal issues?'
'With all due respect, sir, this isn't my personal issue. This is politics.' She pauses, and when neither Hotch nor JJ says anything, she continues. 'The vampires hate me because I've rejected them, and the non-vampires hate me because they think all bloodsuckers are arrogant jerks. And I'll admit, I've got my flaws, but I'm not about to play their game. I'm here to do the job to the best of my ability, personal issues aside.'
JJ gives Hotch a slight nod. This vamp is being sincere. She may be a bloodsucker, but she's not about to try and kill them all. The very least they can do is give her a chance.
'If you'll excuse us,' Hotch says, eyes flickering towards the door. Emily nods, standing. Something tells JJ that the vamp already knows how the next few days are going to play out, especially with this team. A whole lot of mistrust is going around the Bureau these days.
She exits the room, and the door clicks shut, giving JJ and Hotch some semblance of privacy. Hotch is about to speak, but JJ quietens him. She feels something.
Oh no.
'Morgan's coming up here,' she tells him, 'Now.' And if he does, he's going to run smack bang into the vampire that's just joined the team.
It will not be pretty.
***
Morgan smells the new vampire the moment he steps out of the elevator. There are six other vampires on this level, all of whom he mistrusts. Thankfully, his interactions with them are limited to accidental encounters in the break room, and hurried file requests. The bloodsuckers outnumber the wolves in this city ten thousand to one. Vampires are big on politics. It fits, Morgan thinks. Vampire politicians got to be bloodsuckers in more ways than one.
He finds himself walking quickly in the direction of this new scent, this new vampire. If there's another person he needs to avoid, he wants to know about it. The vampire/werewolf feud isn't exactly an official thing. It isn't a long-standing war, with each side striving to be the victors. It's simply that when it comes down to it, the two species don't really like each other that much. And there's a reason, Morgan knows, that isn't in any of the history books.
Vampires are jerks.
They're conceited, self-important, unsympathetic jerks. This, of course, is the main reason they make such excellent politicians. They're in it for the power, the glory. Most of the vamps treat their condition as something to be proud of, and that makes Morgan seethe more than anything else.
The scent overpowers his nostrils when he starts climbing the stairs that lead toward Hotch's office. He sees the vamp shutting the door. She's already sensed him. Already counted a hundred of his heartbeats. Dismissed him as nothing more than a lowly wolf.
She's staring at him. He can see the scorn in her eyes. He closes the distance between them. She doesn't move, doesn't say anything. It's a Mexican standoff, 'wolf versus vamp. He's waiting for her to attack, or to make a derisive comment about his heritage. Instead, she gives a tiny shrug, and steps to the side. Before he's even had time to process what she's done, the office door swings open, and Hotch and JJ step out.
In any other circumstance, Morgan might have wondered just what the Unit Chief and the Media Liaison were doing behind closed doors, but now there's a more important matter at hand.
'What's going on, Hotch?' he asks, not taking his eyes off of the vampire.
'Morgan…' starts Hotch, and the profiler can hear the slight hesitation in his supervisor's voice. Can smell the apprehension. 'This is Emily Prentiss. She's joining the team.'
And those are the words that Derek Morgan had feared the most. Not just that a vampire was joining the team, but…'Prentiss?' he asks, incredulous, 'As in…' He gives her a sideways glance. 'As in those fuckers that almost killed you?'
For a moment Hotch looks as though he's about to agree with Morgan, but instead, he says, 'I'd prefer that we talk about this in private,' and gestures towards his open office door. 'JJ, if you'd show Agent Prentiss around, introduce her to the rest of the team?'
And if either JJ or the vamp take exception to this order, Morgan doesn't know, because he has already slammed the office door shut.