Side by side || Emily Prentiss

10.

"I don't dye those anymore because gray hair gives me a more authoritarian look. It's difficult to gain respect if you're a woman in our environment, even if you're your own boss."

For the entire duration of that conversation Daisy had not stopped for a second caressing all the corners of Emily that were accessible to her. The older woman was doing a lot of work on herself to let Daisy do it without interrupting her and walking away from her.

"It's not true, you stopped dying your hair because you're trying to appreciate the fact that you're getting older and I totally support your choice. I've always thought that people should never row against the passing of time, it's a losing war. When mine will start to grow white I won't dye them even once" - Daisy said in a whisper

Emily was pleasantly struck by how Daisy was extraordinarily able to read between the lines of her soul. It had never happened to her that a person was able to do it with such ease, it was almost as if Daisy had known her all her life.

What made Emily nervous was that she, one of the best profilers in the world, couldn't do the same. Daisy was a closed book to Emily and that drove her crazy.

"You say that now because you're young and beautiful and you can't help but love yourself." - Emily said while she was starting to feel very uncomfortable in that conversation

"It's not really like that, there have always been things about myself that I didn't and still don't like and every time I look in the mirror I also wish I was eighteen again and had a clean body, but I've learned to make peace with it. I'm proud of my scars, they all mean I survived all the things that gave me them and that's not something we can all say." - said Daisy, resting her eyes on a photo of her and Claudia that she had on her bedside table, framed in a white and minimalist frame

She would never forgive herself for having managed to survive the tragedy that killed the love of her life. She didn't mind having those scars because she had just them, while Claudia had nothing left. She was dead while Daisy was alive and well and naked in her bad with another woman.

"Is she the woman you called the love of your life?" - asked Emily following Daisy's gaze

"That's a story for another time. Rather, how did you come up with this one?" - Daisy said, caressing Emily's huge scar that cut her abdomen in two

She knew very well how the older agent had gotten it, she had been told everything about Ian Doyle, the fake death, the months undercover in Paris, her love for Declan and her work at Interpol, but she couldn't make Emily understand that, so she necessarily had to ask her about it.

"That's a story for another time." - she replied with a mocking smile and Daisy couldn't do anything but accept the fact that Emily still didn't want to talk about it

Those moments of veiled love were interrupted by the ringtone of Daisy's phone, and she jumped when she saw the name that had appeared on the screen of her cell phone, obviously a fake one. Without saying anything she jumped out of bed and headed into the living room to answer.

"Why did you call me all those times?" - asked the boy on the other end of the telephone line

"You would know if you answered one of the thirty-seven calls I made to you." - Daisy said in a sour tone

"Let me guess, you want to come here, right? I'm sorry princess, but you missed the train." - said the boy laughing

Daisy hated him. She hated him with all her heart. She hated his voice, she hated having to hear it more than she already had to, but she wanted to see Rose and there was only one way to do that: she had to use Emily. That knowledge destroyed her, but she had no other choice.

"I have some news." - Daisy said trying to keep her voice neutral

"If they're not good I'll blow your head off. See you in two hours." - said the boy, disconnecting the call

Daisy put the phone down on the sofa with a resigned sigh. She had succeeded in her aim but she couldn't help but feel dirty and mean. She almost jumped when she spun around and found Emily in front of her, standing by the door with only a t-shirt on.

"Everything okay?" - Emily asked her, coming closer

"Yes, don't worry." - Daisy said, closing the distance that separated them

Their lips joined in a soft, sweet kiss, full of tenderness and still mixed with all the hours of sleep they had had. Daisy didn't want to break that magic, but she had little time to prepare and reach Rose.

"Who was on the phone?" - Emily asked, breaking the kiss

"An old friend of mine, I don't want to chase you away Em, but I have to see him in two hours." - Daisy said, caressing her face with the palm of her hand

"Don't worry, it must be important if you called him thirty-seven times and I'm sorry, I wasn't planning to spend the night here." - Emily said trying to hide the suspicion that crossed her mind

Daisy had told her the night before that she didn't know many people in D.C. and at that moment she was telling her that she had to meet an old friend of hers. Just because Daisy didn't know many people didn't mean she didn't know any, but Emily couldn't shake a bad feeling.

"Don't worry, it was nice. You can come back whenever you want if you like, even if you have nothing to give me back." - Daisy said, smiling slightly at the older woman

"Are you sure you want to condemn yourself like this?"

It was actually Emily who wasn't sure she wanted to condemn herself like that. She knew they were putting both of their careers at risk and if she had to rationally think about what was happening she knew it wasn't right.

"I'm not condemning myself Emily, neither are you, we're just having some fun and when we see this is getting too far, we just stop." - Daisy replied reading Emily again and faking again her own intentions

Emily wasn't so sure though.