Rosemary

Four, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞

"Don't worry, I'll survive. I always survive, I survive everything."

For nearly a month, Erwyna couldn't stop having nightmares about Annie. Most of the time, Annie was alive. Sometimes, she'd tell Erwyna about her life as a grade school teacher, and other times she would just stand there, out of Erwyna's grasp. She'd try to grab her every single time and pull her away from her inevitable death, but not once did it work. However, other times, Erwyna would be back in the moment when she found her again. Every single detail would be in her dream, from the blood in Annie's auburn hair to the petrified look in her eyes. 

Today, Hotch invited her out to the bar with him, his wife Haley, Derek, Penelope, and Emily.

Things had gotten even more awkward between Emily and Erwyna ever since she told her about her mother. For some reason, Erwyna felt it was absurd that somebody else knew about her mother's death besides Hotch, especially with it being Emily. 

Erwyna couldn't breathe around Emily anymore, and it took everything in her to walk into the bureau every day, knowing she'd have to cross paths with Emily. It was so unbearably painful, even for the others in the bureau. Nobody could include both of the women in a conversation, and they had no idea why.

What made this situation even more awkward was that Erwyna had now become friends with JJ. This put yet another rift in Erwyna and Emily's friendship, if you could even call it that, with JJ having to say things twice; if Emily responded to a question JJ asked, Erwyna would refuse to add on unless JJ asked her again directly.

The sextet were all dispersed throughout the Irish pub as they arrived. Derek was dancing with a few women on the floor, Penelope was watching Derek, and the other four were seated at a table.

Emily returned with drinks for those seated at the table, crudely asking Hotch to hand Erwyna her drink. This wouldn't have been awkward if Erwyna hadn't been sitting right beside Emily. Hotch tried to communicate this to Emily and get her to just hand it to her herself, but she refused.

Hotch hated this situation as much as everybody else, and he just wanted them to settle this feud. He had tried plenty of times to get them back on speaking terms, but it never worked. As a result of Hotch's poor reconciliation skills, Haley took Erwyna's drink and passed it to her instead. She was completely oblivious to Emily and Erwyna's feud, as Hotch rarely talked about work at home.

The four clinked their glasses and chanted, "Cheers!" but Erwyna still remained silent, her gaze solely on Hotch and Haley. Even when clinking with Emily, she still refused to look at her. She had almost missed Emily's glass, which received an awkward laugh from the rest of the party, but luckily nothing had been spilled.

"How are they treating you at the BAU, Emily? Erwyna?"

Parting his drink from his liquor-tinted lips, Hotch explained Haley's question in depth. "She means, am I being nice to the both of you?"

Emily kindly responded, "Actually, everyone has been incredibly nice."

"Even the quiet one?" Haley asked, to which Erwyna still just continued to stare through Haley as if she were a mirror. Erwyna didn't like her reflection, but it was still better than looking at the other woman beside her.

Emily coughed a bit as she glanced over at Erwyna. "She tries. It's- I don't know, we'll be fine."

Haley, catching the trajectory of this conversation, cut Emily off, "Look at him move," as she looked over at Derek.