Don't let go - Emily Prentiss & y/n

I'll always have time for you.

TW: brief mention of a case that includes child abuse, if you're struggling please reach out to someone.

Writing in italics is your thoughts.

You'd been sifting through countless hours of CCTV footage and credit card transactions with Garcia for the past 24 hours when you finally caught a break in the case.

'Wait, hold on hold on, rewind a minute.' You asked, pointing at the computer screen next to Garcia. She looked down at her keypad and clicked a few buttons before it rewinded for a few seconds.

'There!' You shouted. 'Got him!'

'Oh my god.' Garcia exclaimed quietly, staring at Mr Walsh on the screen in front of you both, walking down the street not far from the hotel 5 hours before the murder.

You picked up your phone and dialed Hotch, still keeping your eye on the screen.

'Hotch, we got him.' You said down the phone.

'Be with you in a minute.' He replied, hanging up immediately after.

Mr Walsh had thus far had an airtight alibi. Hotel workers and CCTV at the hotel reception had confirmed he had entered the hotel at the time he said he had and there was no evidence to suggest he'd left at all that evening.

Garcia was certainly sceptical when you suggested you both looked through local street CCTV in case he'd snuck out a different exit, and lo and behold, there he was, 5 hours before the murder, getting into a car. If a 3 hour drive in a borrowed car to go and kill his kids and then return back to pretend he'd stayed put all along seems far-fetched, the lies he told about his whereabouts that night and the mother's elaboration of the abuse on top is certainly more persuasive.

'I'll send some officers out to arrest him. Good work you two.' Hotch said after you'd showed him the footage. He left as quick as he came, already on the phone with the local police before he was out the door.

Knowing there was nothing more you could do until the team questioned Mr Walsh, you went to the kitchen to make yourself a coffee. You sat down alone at the table with your mug in front of you, suddenly feeling exhausted from all the screens you'd been staring at all day.

I just don't understand how someone could do that to another person. Kids, too. What did they ever do wrong?

'Y/n?' Emily called from the kitchen door.

Kids are the most innocent people in the world. They haven't done anything yet. They haven't lived.

'Y/n?' Emily repeated, a little louder this time, making you jump a little. You caught your arm on your coffee mug and it splashed over the table.

'Shit! Sorry!' You said, looking from Emily to your mug and down to the coffee on the table. Emily walked over to the counter to get some kitchen roll, and brought it over to you.

'Here,' she said, holding it out for you, 'you seemed like you were miles away then.'

'Sorry,' you said again, soaking up the coffee into the kitchen roll, 'I was just thinking about the case.' Emily sat down cautiously opposite you at the table.

'That was a good break you just made. Most people would have taken the hotel CCTV, the workers and Mr Walsh's credit card records as sufficient enough to say his alibi was solid.' She complimented.

'Yeah, well... something just felt off.' You replied, bundling the kitchen roll together and moving it to the side before gripping your coffee mug.

'Hmmm... I know the feeling.' Emily said, eyeing you suspiciously. You pulled a confused look and laughed a little to brush off her comment, knowing full well she was referencing you acting strange. You didn't want to get into it with her.

To distract yourself from her eye contact, you picked your mug up and took a sip of the coffee. You pulled a face as you drank it.

'Not nice?' She questioned.

'Cold.' You replied, still pulling a face.

'How long have you been sat there staring into space?' Emily joked.

'Longer than I thought, apparently.' You laughed. You got up to tip the coffee down the sink, and you started rinsing your mug out with your back to Emily.

'So, seen as you caught him on CCTV, I'm assuming you'll be questioning Mr Walsh?' Emily pried. You looked ahead of you at the wall in front, trying to pick your next words carefully.

'Oh no, I'm gonna leave that to you guys. I'm taking full advantage of sinking into the background, full Penelope mode today!' You joked.

Please don't read anything into it.

'Oh... okay.' Emily replied. As you placed your mug on the drying rack, you turned back to Emily to see her getting up from her seat.

She wandered over to you until she got right in front of you, then she snaked her arm behind you to the drying rack, leaning in a little closer to you as she did. You turned your head as you watched her reach for your mug. She brought it towards her, reaching with her other hand behind you to the tea towel. She brought them both together and started drying your mug for you.

'You know, you don't have to talk to me,' she said, looking down at what she was doing, 'but I can tell something's up.' When she finished drying the mug she put the tea towel back behind you and took the mug over to the coffee machine. She clicked a button and it started whirring away. She looked across at you.

'You don't have to tell me now. You don't ever have to tell me. But when you're done pretending like you're fine, and trying to convince everyone there's not a war going on in your head right now...' when the machine stopped whirring, she picked up the mug, walked over to you and held it out for you. You took it.

'...I don't want you to go home and think that no one's here for you because you've put them all at arms length.' She was stood directly in front of you, just the coffee between you both, looking you dead in the eyes.

'If you want to talk, if you want a distraction, day or night, tonight or 3 months down the line... whenever. I'll be here.' She reached the back of her hand up to your face and stroked it gently.

'I'll always have time for you, y/n. You're worth every second.' She reached her hand back down to her side.

You didn't know what to say. Tears formed in the corner of your eyes as you looked into hers.

No one's ever been this nice to me before.

Noticing your silence, Emily took a step back.

'Drink your coffee, take a minute, and join us when you're ready.' She said, nodding slightly, and then walking out of the room.

You looked down at the coffee she'd just made you and all the tears you'd held back poured out of you and down your cheeks. You turned around towards the sink in case anyone came in.

After a moment you wiped them away and tried to compose yourself. When you felt presentable enough, you turned back around, took your coffee to the table and sat down in your original spot again.

You sipped at your coffee, feeling the warmth inside you, not from the coffee, but from Emily's sweet words.

How is she so amazing?