𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐏𝐎𝐕
I was almost done unpacking all of Y/n's stuff into my apartment. Well, our apartment. I brought up the last box from my car and saw Y/n had abandoned her box and was sitting on the counter on the phone. "You did what?!" I heard her practically yell over the phone. They had just wrapped up the case which only lasted three days, so I knew this wasn't work-related.
"Y/n quiet down! She's still on the jet with us." I heard JJ say.
"Ugh! Of course I'm not with you guys when interesting stuff happens!" Y/n complained and then smiled at me when she heard me walk into the kitchen. I raised an eyebrow and Y/n pulled the phone away from her ear. "JJ chewed out Barnes on the jet." She whispers before putting her phone on speaker so we could both hear JJ.
"And by interesting you mean me probably getting fired!" I heard JJ argue quietly.
"JJ, you're going to be fine. I did the same thing-" Y/n started before JJ cut her off.
"And you're currently at home with your girlfriend, who is suspended because she also did the same thing!" JJ whisper-yelled. Y/n looked at me with a frown and I just shrugged, "She has a point,"
"Well, at least you won't have to worry about being unit chief anymore, right?" Y/n offered and I just stared at her. "Seriously?" I mouthed.
"What?" She mouthed back.
"If I'm still unit chief when I get back I'm suspending you," JJ said
"Hey! I was trying to look on the bright side!" Y/n argued.
"There is no goddam bright side, Y/n!" JJ argued back and I immediately heard her let out a sigh. "I'm sorry, I just- we're landing in two hours can you come in so we can debrief?" She said and I knew she rubbing her temples.
"Yeah, that's fine. Try not to rip Barnes' head off in the meantime." Y/n smiled.
"Very funny." JJ deadpanned before hanging up.
"Ten bucks says Barnes doesn't make it off the jet," Y/n said as she hopped off the counter and helped me pull items out of the boxes I had brought up.
"Ten bucks says JJ pushes her out of the jet," I said with a smile as I stretched out my hand
"You're on." Y/n giggled as she shook my hand.
We worked on unboxing everything for a while before taking a break on the couch. "You know, pretty soon you'll be all moved in." I smiled as I pulled her legs onto my lap
"You say that as if I haven't basically lived here the last three months." Y/n giggled
"Well, now it's official, and since you're officially moved in you can add some stuff to the apartment if you want," I said softly and Y/n looked at me excitedly. "You're letting me redecorate?!"
"Yeah, I mean, you have a way of making things feel homier," I murmured and Y/n beamed.
"You are adorable, you know that right?" She smiled as she poked my shoulder.
"I'm not adorable." I frowned and Y/n just giggled. "Yeah, sure."
"I'm not," I argued back, and Y/n just threw her hands up. "Okay!" She chuckled as she pulled her feet off my lap to snuggle up closer to me.
We stayed there for another 15 minutes, simply just enjoying each other's presence before Y/n's alarm went off reminding her to head to the BAU. "Hey, you want to come with me?" She asked as pulled her shoes on.
"I'm suspended," I said as I got off the couch.
"I'll bring you as my visitor! And besides, we can go get dinner after." Y/n smiled as she held up my shoes.
"How can I say no to that?" I smiled as I walked over and gave her a quick kiss before slipping my shoes on.
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𝐘/𝐍 𝐏𝐎𝐕
"Coffee?"Emily asked as she placed the cup on my desk before walking over to sit in Spencer's chair. We'd been at the BAU for almost thirty minutes waiting for the rest of the team to arrive and I was just finishing up my case report.
"Thanks." I smiled as I closed the folder. All of a sudden I heard the team walk through the door and I stood up excitedly. "Hey, guys!" I smiled as Emily and I walked over to them.
"I don't think you should be here," JJ said quietly to Emily as she motioned with her eyes to look behind her.
"What? Y/n gave me a visitor pass....." Emily trailed off as Linda Barnes entered the bullpen.
"Dr. Y/l/n and Agent Prentiss. How convenient of you to come here." Barnes smiled and I felt the entire room still.
"What?" I asked trying to mask the glare on my face.
"Well, I was just about to request a meeting with the two of you, and now, luckily you're here. So, my office. Now." She said as she walked out of the bullpen. Everyone was silent as they stared at us.
"I- Um- I'll debrief with you later," JJ said as she motioned for everyone else to head to the conference room. The team murmured a couple of 'good lucks' before leaving Emily and me.
"What do you think this is about?" I asked quietly as Emily and I headed to the elevator.
"I'll give you one guess" Emily sighed and I frowned.
"We're fucked aren't we?" I said.
"Definitely," Emily said as we made our way to Barnes's office.
"What are we going to do?" I asked nervously before she could knock on the door.
"You're not going to do anything," She said and I was about to interject when she knocked on the door.
"Come in." She called out and Emily and I filed into the room after closing the door. "Have a seat." She said as she motioned to the chairs in front of her as she stood.
"I'd rather not." I glared at her and Barnes just tilted her head. "Fine." She said with a tightlipped smile as she grabbed a large file from her cabinet and dropped it in front of Emily and me. I looked over at Emily and she was just staring down Barnes. "Go ahead. Open it." Barnes said as she gestured toward the file.
I cautiously opened the file and my eyes widened as I saw the contents. There had to have been more than a hundred photos of Emily and me. Some were from CCTV or security footage and it looked like they were dating back all the way to the gala. "I- what-" I started and I just saw Emily staring at the pictures.
"That little stunt you pulled in the conference room raised some suspicion. So, I did a little digging and this is what I found" She said as she gestured to the pictures. Emily and I didn't even have a chance to say anything before she started again.
"You both know that relationships between coworkers are prohibited. And it's even worse that this relationship is between a superior and a subordinate." She said stiffly. I was about to speak up when Emily interjected.
"If you want to put the blame on someone blame me. I'm her superior. I'm the one at fault, not her" Emily gritted out and my eyes widened. "What?! Emily-" I started
"I want nothing more than to do that. But I can't." Barnes interrupted me as she reached into her desk to grab an envelope.
"I suggest you both take a seat." She said and I could tell from her tone that whatever she was about to say wasn't good so we both took a seat.
"An opportunity has been presented to Dr. Y/l/n. Granted, this was before I found out about your relationship but nonetheless, it solves my problem on its own." She says as she handed me the envelope. As I looked at the back of the envelope I felt Emily stiffen beside me.
"Absolutely not!" She yelled as she shot up from her seat and Barnes just glared at her. "I'm afraid this is out of both our hands Agent Prentiss. And besides, it has come to my attention that firing or transferring you away from the BAU would be more of a hassle on my part." Barnes sighed. I looked between the two of them, more confused than I have ever been in my life. "Um, what is happening right now?" I asked slowly.
"Were you the one that recommended her?! Did you just offer her up like she was a pawn in your own twisted game?!" Emily yelled at Barnes, completely ignoring me.
"Yes, I was the one that gave them the recommendation. But after that, it was out of my hands, just as it is now." Barnes said staring at Emily.
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" I yelled, getting impatient at the fact that they were talking about me but I had no clue what this was about.
"Open the envelope," Barnes said and I slowly opened it. In bold letters was the word 'CONFIDENTIAL' and then under it was the Central Intelligence Agency symbol. I felt my heart rate pick up. "I- what is this?" I asked as I looked up at Emily.
"It's a request." She said, not even looking at me.
"A request for what?" I asked slowly.
"A CIA Special Op's mission. The CIA needs profilers to go undercover to find the ring leader of a human trafficking circle in Argentina." Barnes said and I just stared at her.
"So you recommended me?! I don't even have CIA training!" I practically yelled.
"You don't need training and you're more qualified than any CIA agent for this mission," Barnes said simply.
"I don't understand. What's your angle here?" I asked seriously.
"There is no angle. Dr. Y/l/n, you are multilingual and a very intelligent profiler. When I was asked for a recommendation you were the first one that caught my eye. This is an amazing opportunity for your career." Barnes said
"Don't try and lie to her Barnes. You're only doing this because you know that if the mission goes well you will get all the glory. And now you can downsize the BAU in a way that'll only benefit you." Emily basically growled as she glared at Barnes.
"Well, if that happens, then so be it." Barnes shrugged and I just scoffed.
"None of this is happening because I'm not doing it! I'm not going undercover!" I glared at Barnes. I was waiting for someone to say something but all I felt were their eyes on me.
"What?!" I asked getting annoyed.
"Dr. Y/l/n, this may be new to you, but when the CIA requests you, you don't turn them down," Barnes said seriously.
"But they didn't even request me! You recommended me!" I argued.
"And then they requested you from my recommendation!" Barnes yelled impatiently.
"So, what your saying is that I don't have a choice?! I have to do this assignment that I didn't even want in the first place?!" I yelled and Emily placed a soft hand on my shoulder.
"No, you don't-" She started and Barnes slammed her fist against the desk.
"Yes, she does!" Barnes yelled. "Dr. Y/l/n, do you know how many people you will save if you take on this mission? You will save hundreds, maybe even thousands. That's why you started at the BAU, isn't it? To save lives. Think of how many you can save." Barnes said and Emily scoffed.
"Are you really trying to guilt trip her into this?!" Emily yelled and I just ran my finger through my hair.
"Can I have a moment alone with Barnes?" I asked as I looked up at Emily. She was about to protest but I gave her a look and she gave in. She left but not before giving Barnes a deadly glare.
"If I do this-" I started once we were alone.
"There is no if. As I said before the CIA does not take too kindly to being rejected." Barnes gritted out.
"Fine, since apparently, I am doing this, you have to back off Emily. Don't report our relationship to HR." I said seriously.
"What makes you think you have any power over what I do?" She laughed with pity.
"Because if I mess up this mission you bet your ass I will find a way to make this your fault. And besides, I'm technically being transferred so there is nothing to report about our relationship anyways." I said as I stood up and Barnes rolled her eyes. "I am backing off of Agent Prentiss but it has nothing to do with you. Someone higher up seems to think she belongs at the BAU so at the moment she is out of my reach." She gritted out and I just smiled triumphantly.
"Perfect. So, when does the assignment start?" I asked surprised by how calm I was. Maybe things just hadn't been processed in my head yet...
"The 11th." She said simply.
"The 11th?! That's next week!" I almost yelled. I take it back, things were starting to process and I am not calmed.
"Yes, this is a time-sensitive mission. As I said before I don't know many details but you and Agent Alvez will be briefed accordingly." She said and my eyes widened. "Agent Alvez?"
"Oh, I forgot to mention that before Prentiss' outburst. Agent Alvez will also be a part of the Special OPS mission. They needed two profilers and Agent Alvez is the only one also fluent in Spanish. I was surprised when they asked for both of you but my guess is that they needed two people who already trusted one another." She said and for the first time since I opened the letter, I was slightly relieved.
"How long is the mission supposed to last?" I asked. I didn't know a lot about the CIA, most of what I knew was from Emily and that was enough to make me really not excited.
"I don't know. As I said before, I am not authorized to have that much information." She said, obviously annoyed.
"Okay- um- I'm assuming that when I come back I no longer have a job at the BAU," I said biting the inside of my lip.
"If you hadn't been in a relationship with Agent Prentiss then you would. I may not be reporting it to HR but you still broke the rules and have to pay for it. If anything, you're lucky that you've been assigned this mission since it will go down as a transfer rather than being fired on your record. I know you may not want it but if it goes well you will have job opportunities lined up for the rest of your career." She said with a smile.
"So, Emily can still keep her job, correct?" I said.
"Correct," Barnes said stiffly and sighed in relief that at least she wasn't trying to take both of us down. Not that she really had a choice though, I know that Emily would never ask for it, but I'm pretty sure, no I'm definitely sure, that the 'higher-ups who have more power than Barnes' are her parents.
"You're free to go if you don't have any other questions and please clear out your desk by the end of the week. A CIA handler will be in contact with you soon, Dr. Y/l/n." Barnes said and I just nodded before walking out the door.
I saw Emily leaning against the wall across from the door. She stood up straighter when she saw me. "What happened? What did you talk to Barnes about?" She asked immediately and I just played with the rings on my fingers.
"Can we not talk about here?" I sighed
"Yeah, yeah that's fine," Emily said softly and I nodded, not even trying to make eye contact with her. I made my way to the elevator with Emily trailing behind me.
I barely even remembered getting into the car. It felt like one minute I was in the elevator and the next minute we were halfway to the apartment. It was Emily's hand resting on my knee that pulled me out of my head. "You want to talk about it?" Emily murmured as she rubbed her thumb across my kneecap.
"Not really," I said softly as I stared out the window. I heard Emily sigh and watched as she pulled into the nearest parking lot. Once the car was in park she grabbed both of my hands into hers. "Please talk to me." She said quietly and I just bit my lip.
"I took the assignment," I whispered and I felt Emily's body still.
"What? Why?!"She said and I could tell she was trying to keep herself from yelling.
"I had to." I sighed.
"No, you didn't-"
"Yes, I did! Barnes may be an incompetent bitch but she's right, you can't exactly tell the CIA no!" I said and Emily just shook her head. "Y/n I could have figured something out, I- I could have pulled some strings-" Emily started again.
"No, you couldn't have. You know that. And now you won't have to leave the BAU and I will have other job opportunities when I get back." I shrugged and Emily stared at me wide-eyed. "What do you mean other job opportunities?"
"I don't have a job at the BAU when I get back," I said quietly, knowing that Emily was going to be more upset about this than I was.
"WHAT?!" She yelled as she took her hands away from me and put the car back into drive.
"Emily, what are you doing?"
"I'm not letting her fire you! If anyone deserves to be fired it's me!" Emily yelled and I just ran my fingers through my hair. "Emily, I'm not letting you destroy your career for me and besides, you heard her earlier. It's more of a hassle if she fires you. You have more connections and leeway than I do so if she fires you she's putting a lot in jeopardy, not only for the team but for herself also." I sighed and Emily just shook her head.
"No, I'm not excepting that. I don't care about my career I care about you! She can't just send you off and then take you away from the bau-"
"But she can and she did. I- I leave the 11th." I said quietly and I saw Emily visibly pale as she gripped onto the steering wheel harder.
"That's- that's next week?!" She said, her voice cracking.
"I know," I murmured biting the inside of my cheek.
"How long is the assignment?" She asked, trying to keep her voice from breaking,
"I don't know. I'll have more information later." I sighed and thankfully we pulled into the apartment's parking lot rather than Emily trying to storm back into Barnes' office.
As soon as she turned the car off she leaned her hand back against the chair and covered her face with her hands. "This- this is all my fault." She whispered and I immediately shook my head.
"What are you talking about? This isn't your fault-" I started but Emily brought her hands down to look at me.
"Yes, it is! I- I should have been more careful. I should have known that Barnes would go after you! And- and now you're going to be gone for god knows how long-" She started to ramble before I cut her off.
"Stop! This isn't your fault! You heard her Em, she put in the recommendation before she even knew about our relationship. It's just now more convenient for her that she can take me away from the unit and get credit while she's doing it. And who knows how long the mission will be, but maybe by the time I get back you guys will figure out all this crap with Barnes." I offered and Emily just closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. "How are you still optimistic?" Emily murmured and I just bit the inside of my cheek, "Because if I don't have something good to hold onto I have nothing to hold onto." I whispered and I saw Emily truly look at me for the first time since we got into the car.
"Oh, Y/n. I'm sorry I- I've been making this all about me I- I haven't even asked how you feel about going undercover." Emily murmured as she grabbed onto both of my hands.
"I'm okay, I'll be okay," I said softly and Emily shook her head. "It's me, Y/n. Don't lie to me."
I sighed as I looked down at my hands. "It's an amazing opportunity and even though Barnes was trying to guilt trip me, she was right. If the mission goes right we could save hundreds to thousands of lives."
"That didn't answer my question. How do you feel about going undercover." Emily said softly and I took a while to gather what I wanted to say.
"When I graduated I had a lot of job offers, the CIA being one of them. I joined the BAU because I like the balance of personal and impersonal work we do. But going undercover, becoming someone else, infiltrating not just someone, but an unsubs life? I- I don't know if I can do that." I said nervously.
"I hope you aren't deep undercover so you have to do that, but I know you can do that. Barnes may only care about her reputation but she chose you because she knew you were her best choice. Don't ever doubt yourself or your abilities, Y/n." Emily murmured and I nodded.
"Can- can we just go inside and talk about this tomorrow?" I sighed and Emily nodded
"Okay," Emily said as she kissed the back of my hand.
As we got out of the car and into our apartment and I couldn't push away the knot in my stomach.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
Things were going so well.
We just moved in together...
...How is Emily going to handle this?
God, how am I going to handle this?
A/N: Y'all knew things were going too well again.....