criminal minds oneshots

✧ what cat?

i stood in the kitchen, cooking the chicken for our dinner. i stirred the pasta, hoping my baby would get home soon. i knew their jet was on the way, i just didn't know when it was due in. emily had been away for three days now and i was missing her. their case had been a tough one so she fell asleep on facetime most nights, keeping true to her home comforts.

"baby, i'm home!" i heard her voice say as she walked into the kitchen. i smiled and turned on the balls of my feet but paused. she stood in the kitchen, holding a bundle of fur in one of my jumpers.

"what is that?" i asked, pointing at the strange creature in her arms. then, i heard the little meow. she stroked the cats head and cooed at it, scrunching up her nose and moving it closer to her face.

"i found it," she said, not looking at me.

"em," i sighed. "you found it?"

"yeah, outside. it was sat on the doorstep," she whispered.

"baby," i said gently, moving over to her. i inspected the cat. he looked matted and tired - his eyes were full of gunk and his teeth looked bad. i pouted, looking at it.

"i think he's hungry, he's super skinny," she told me, looking at me through her eyelashes.

"he's hungry, yeah?" i whispered. she nodded gently, kissing it's head and holding it closer. i smiled, she was the cutest thing in the world. i leaned over, planted a gentle kiss on her forehead and moved over to the cooking. i made sure the chicken was cooked before putting it on a small plate.

i moved over to put down the food but emily sighed, nodding at the counter top.

"don't put the cat on the counter," i told her.

"he might be scared on the floor," she replied.

"he might be scared of heights," i chuckled. she scowled and went to set the cat on the counter top. "em," i sighed. she removed the jacket from around him and i could see his ribs. his legs were bony and it broke my heart.

"give me the chicken," she told me, holding out her hand. i handed her the plate and she stuck it in front of him. instantly he dug in, like he hadn't eaten in weeks.

i dished out our dinner and she kept her eyes on the cat.

"did you round up the case okay?" i asked her, softly.

"mhm, we did yeah," she told me, putting some more chicken down for the cat.

"we should take him to the vets," she told me after. i nodded, agreeing. i couldn't be mad at her. she was too gorgeous, watching the cat eagerly. "finish up and we'll go!" she said getting excited, leaning over the counter and kissing my cheek. she didn't eat hers, i noticed that.

i finished mine up, deciding not to say anything. she picked the cat up again, wrapping it in my jumper and waited for me at the door. i noticed how sad she was being, how she was so invested in the cat. she had hardly even looked at me. at the door, rather than opening it, i grabbed her cheeks gently- forcing her to look at me.

"are you okay sweetheart?" i asked her, kissing her lips gently. she nodded and gave me a gentle smile. "are you sure? you can talk to me, you know."

"i know," she whispered back.

"okay," i kissed her lips again. "i love you."

"i love you too," she whispered, kissing me back which made me smile.

at the vets, she clung to the cat - refusing to let it go. even when the vet tried to check him over, she was cautious. i kept my hand on the curve of her back, offering my support. we ended up signing the cat into our name, she didn't even ask me but i didn't mind - not one bit. we named the cat sergio. in the car, on the way to the pet shop, i could hear her phone going off in her pocket. she didn't even flinch, just continued nuzzling the cat, kissing him and speaking softly to him.

"baby," i said as we parked at the shop.

"hm?" she didn't look at me. I took off my seatbelt and turned in my seat.

"are you going to answer the phone?" my tone was getting a bit more authoritive now. i loved her and i hated seeing her hurting. she always struggled to talk.

"no," she whispered back. she handed it to me and i called back the last number, being JJ.

"em, are you okay?" JJ said instantly down the phone.

"Not really," i laughed, she chuckled back. "what's going on?"

"has she still got a hold of that cat?" JJ asked me, I frowned. still? she told me she found it on the doorstep.

"yeah," I told JJ. "we took it to the vets."

"y/n," she sighed. "it was the victims. the family wants it, she took it. smuggled it onto the jet," she laughed a little.

"oh," i said. emily looked up at me, through her eyelashes and i saw tears in her eyes. she never, ever cried in front of me. "she doesn't have the cat." i told JJ.

"y/n," JJ sighed.

"i don't know what cat you're talking about sorry JJ. didn't you say mat?"

"okay, thank you anyway y/n," JJ told me, sighing.

"I'll call you later," i told her.

"see ya."

emily and i walked into the pet shop and we went straight to the cat isle. she spoke to sergio, showing him some toys, asking him what food he wanted. i picked up a cat basket and a bed and just watched as she interacted with our new boy. i don't know what had happened with the unsub, i don't know why she kept the cat but i was never, ever going to take her away from it. not with the way she treated him. if we had to hide him forever, then we had to hide him forever. if my girl was happy, then i'll keep my mouth shut.

what cat?