Pansy ▲ Daniel Atlas

✧ 0 2 ✧

Elle frantically hopped up the steps and into the office, cursing as she went. "Hey Elle," The receptionist greeted happily. Farah was a perpetual ray of sunshine in an otherwise grey and clinical-feeling office. She offered everyone a cheery greeting and large smile when they walked through the door and each and every time Elle couldn't be more grateful for her. She was also just an amazing receptionist to boot.

"Hey, Farah." She panted, "Sorry, I don't have time to stop and chat, I'm-"

"Already late, I know." Elle nodded and the young Arabic woman nodded to the hallway behind her that lead to the elevator. "You better get a wriggle on." Elle smiled and the elevator, clumsily bumping the numbers with her elbows. Bouncing on the balls of her feet as she waited, swearing it always seemed to know when she was late. The elevator finally opened, revealing the bullpen closed behind another door. FBI security is no joke. She stood in front of the ID lock and had to awkwardly rub her badge against the detector, knowing she looked deranged rubbing her chest on the doorframe. She looked up and came eye to eye with Dylan who was covering his hand with his mouth, trying to cover his smirk.Sending him a pleading gaze and he stood with a sigh and waltzed over, opening the door for her.

"Thanks, Dylan," She breathed a sigh of her own. Only hers was of relief as she scanned the bullpen searching for her boss who thankfully seemed to be none the wiser to her tardiness.

"No problem." He shrugged and took the coffee Elle was offering him. They made their way through the pen to find their desks, Dropping off the third coffee on Fuller's desk as they went. "So, why're you so late?" Rhodes asked, taking a sip of the coffee as he did so. As soon as the cup touched his lips he scrunched his face up and spat it out in the bin beside his desk. "Obviously it wasn't the coffee that took so long." He said. She rolled her eyes at his dramatics, falling into her chair with a huff before taking a sip of her own. Ah. Like Dylan, her face scrunched up but she managed to swallow it. The normally hot beverage was nearing stone cold. "So, to repeat my previous question, what took so long?" He asked with a raised eyebrow as he sat at his own desk, throwing his coffee in the bin. Thankfully - or not depending on the day and Dylan's penchant for teasing her - Elle was sat directly across from him. Their desks being up against each other allowed for her to kick him in the shin if she so pleased. And she did. Regularly. The view from the floor to ceiling windows directly beside them were pretty good too, she supposed.

"Nothing," She finally answered with a small shrug, but her burning cheeks gave her away as she tried to feign nonchalance by staring down at the paperwork in front of her.

"Oh yeah, that facial expression just screams 'nothing' to me." He quipped sarcastically. Just as Elle went to reply, her desk phone rang. She looked down at saw that it was line one meaning that it was Farah. She immediately picked it up. 'Saved by the bell' Dylan mouthed and she rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Farah."

"Hi Elle," The woman chirped, "You have a call on line 2." 

"Who is it?" Elle asked curiously. It wasn't often she got calls so out of the blue and usually they would inform Farah who they were and why they needed to be in contact with her. 

"Dunno. I asked, but they didn't say," Farah said easily, though it made Elle's nerves rise slightly.

"Alright." Elle replied with furrowed brows, "Patch them through."

"Will do," She hung up the phone and stared at it, waiting as patiently as she could.

"What was that about?" Dylan asked. They'd been friends long enough now that he could read Elle with no difficulty and as a result, he could tell she was feeling a bit uneasy which, in turn, made him feel uneasy. He'd become quite protective of Elle in their time working together, seeing her as his best friend if not his sister. Thus, h wouldn't hesitate to get involved if she needed him. They both knew this.