As always, thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. Your feedback is always appreciated.

Another new perspective in this one: Gideon. Of course, this means we're jumping way back to when Prentiss first joined the team. It's tagged to the intriguing "Lessons Learned" episode from season 2.

The idea for this conversation came from the best reviewer a writer could ask for, the fantastic Annber03.

Happy reading (=

"Mistrust is the most necessary characteristic of the Chess player" – Siegbert Tarrasch

"Mate," I say after I move my queen.

Reid lets out a small huff of frustration. "I quit. Yield, surrender, capitulate. I'm gonna take a nap."

I turn my attention to her and find her looking out the window of the jet, a blank expression on her face.

"Prentiss," I say, and she turns her head to face me.

"Sir?"

"You play?" I ask. I can tell she takes the invitation for exactly what it is – an acceptance of her, albeit one which is careful and guarded, and an opportunity to get to know her. A person's approach to a chess match can reveal a lot about them, I've found.

"Yes sir, I play," she answers with a small, appreciative smile.

We reset the board and begin the match. Minutes pass with no conversation, and silence envelopes the jet, save for the constant hum of the engine and Reid's intermittent snores. As she contemplates her next move, her eyes studiously focused on the board, my mind goes over what exactly I know about Emily Prentiss and how she came to be here.

After Elle's less than peaceful departure from the unit, we'd gotten stuck into some kind of limbo. We were still functioning at a high level, and it wasn't that we were painfully missing an agent, but there was something missing, that much I couldn't deny. It wasn't to the point that replacing her was on the table, and it certainly wasn't something Hotch and I had discussed at any point. Of course we'd probably need to replace her eventually, but there was time to do that. There was time to find the person who would fit, and complement the already well-working machine that is the BAU. After all, the applicant pool is never small, with dozens of hopefuls throwing their hats into the ring, even when there isn't an opening. But suddenly, and entirely too soon after Elle's departure, Hotch is asking if I'd approved a transfer, and she came into the fold.

She moves a bishop, and I slide my queen over, leaving her to ponder her next move.

I have any number of reservations and a strong feelings of apprehension about this woman. For one thing, she mysteriously appeared right after the debacle with Elle, and that timing can't be a thing of pure coincidence. I know for a fact Strauss has had her eye on taking down the current team, Hotch and me in particular, for a long time and Prentiss' introduction could be a part of that. We've been dealing with Strauss' efforts at subtle manipulation for months now, that isn't the issue. The issue is that without a semblance of trust between its members, this team can't function properly.

Her eyes jump up from the board and narrow ever so slightly at my scrutinizing gaze. She drops her gaze and moves a pawn. I consider the board for just a moment before capturing her pawn with my knight. She doesn't frown, or react in any overt way, but continues sliding her eyes over the board, considering her options.

I lean back and fold my hands as my mind continues to process the facts.

Her file notes that she's been in the Bureau for ten years, riding a desk doing analysis work in a few different departments. Ordinarily the lack of field experience would bristle me, but given the exceptions that were granted to Reid in his basic training, it's hardly a fair argument against her. Still, it's something to consider – Elle was a well-trained and experienced agent, profiling skills aside.

Her mother is a career politician, having held numerous foreign ambassador postings with the government, and enjoyed much success in Washington politics. This means she enjoyed a privileged childhood, and makes the fact that she attended Yale not altogether surprising. That being said, her graduation from Yale summa cum laude is an impressive feat that few can claim, but intelligence alone does not make a good agent.

Her family's background in politics is a cause for some worry. It's possible that Strauss and her mother have crossed paths before, and if so that would make Emily the perfect candidate for Strauss to manipulate. A promise of support and string pulling for her to climb the ranks in exchange for information would be an easy sell for an ambitious Ambassador's daughter.

She picks up another pawn and captures my rook. I scan the board for a minute before sliding my other rook a few spaces forward. Her eyes don't leave the board, but I'm sure she's aware of my continued intense scrutiny.

It occurs to me that perhaps I'm focusing too heavily on the potential negatives of her presence, no doubt a consequence of her being assigned to the unit without me or Hotch signing off on it. To be fair, she'd demonstrated her skill with languages from the outset, translating that Arabic message on the fly, and her file notes that she's fluent in several other languages as well, but then again we're not looking for a translator in the BAU. That being said, her familiarity with human behaviour paired with her knowledge of numerous languages could potentially be helpful, especially considering that our success with this very interrogation really began with her knowledge of the nuances of his speech. But that is not enough to convince me she is the right fit for this team.

I'd given into Hotch's idea of taking her with grudgingly. I like to have a period of observation before really breaking in new agents on the team. I didn't get that with her, and it still irks me, despite her valuable contributions on this case. I suppose only time will tell who this woman really is.

I let my mind relax and focus more intently on the board in front of us, letting the swirling thoughts of the countless possibilities her presence might represent dissipate. She grabs her king and moves it diagonally, despite not being in any immediate danger of being in check. Interesting.

"You said you grew up in several Middle Eastern countries," I say, breaking our silence.

Her eyes shoot up from the board and meet my gaze, revealing a surprised expression. "Sir?" she replies somewhat cautiously, no doubt aware of my previous focus on profiling her.

"At the briefing you mentioned growing up in several Middle Eastern countries," I clarify.

"Yes, sir," she replies. Her incessant use of "sir" is another strike against her – brown-nosing will get her absolutely nowhere with me, or Hotch for that matter. Then again, maybe I'm being too harsh. I am, after all, her superior, and her spot on this team is far from solidified.

"Which ones?" I ask as I move a pawn. Maybe it's in search of more information to piece together a better profile of her, or maybe it's out of curiosity. I'm not quite sure which.

"Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, and a couple months in Yemen," she says before pausing for a moment to think, letting her eyes absently wander to the seat next to me. "And I think we spent some time in Israel as well," she finishes.

"Your mother's postings were primarily in the Middle East then?"

"Actually no, sir," she says as she shifts her queen. "Check."

I narrow my gaze and realize her queen is in line with my king. I move a knight to block its path.

"She was based mostly in European countries," she explains, moving a rook sideways a few spaces.

"I see. I assume that's how you picked up your language skills?" I say as I move a pawn forward to sit diagonal from her king. "Check."

Her eyes widen for a fraction of a second, but then she relaxes and nods. She reaches for her king, but then changes her mind and instead picks up her knight, capturing my pawn.

"Do you speak any other languages, sir?" she asks, her gaze settling on my face.

I shake my head, "Not fluently." I capture her queen with my bishop.

Thirty minutes later we're deep into the match, each of us playing our cards close to our chest. She has pleasantly surprised me with her skill; in fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see her beat Reid handily. We haven't delved into any more conversation, instead settling into silence that is not completely uncomfortable. Knowing we're approaching our estimated time of arrival, I search for my opportunity to close out the match. I find it in the form of my bishop.

"Check," I say, moving my bishop to trap her king. She has limited options available to her now.

I'm surprised to see a hint of a smile appear on her face for a fraction of a second before she picks up her king and takes my bishop, leaving her susceptible to checkmate in just two moves. I frown – she had been doing so well.

I move a pawn to begin to end the game, but my mind freezes as she picks up her own pawn and blocks my forward progress, any experienced chess player would avoid that move, as it leaves her even more vulnerable. I move a rook to seize the opportunity, but it was apparently exactly what she was waiting for. After a few more evasive moves by her king, she nudges her bishop a few spaces, and without any discernible expression on her face proclaims, "Mate."

I narrow my gaze slightly and then offer a small smile. "Well played," I concede. It's been a long time since someone was able to beat me at chess. And thoughts of my ego aside, any person capable of beating me at chess is one to watch. Whether she'll be a valuable addition to the team, or a significant part in its demise remains to be seen. Regardless, of one thing I was sure: there was certainly more to Emily Prentiss than meets the eye.

I'd love to hear your thoughts/impressions... And if you have any moments of inspiration for conversations, let me know. I'm always open to bantering about where to take this story.

A brief note, in answer to a few people who have been asking: These conversations (in my head, at least) all take place in the same universe, but are not in any semblance of an order. I write them as they pop into my head, which unfortunately leaves me with conversations jumping around from year to year. That being said, I do try to give enough context within the chapter to allow you to place it.