𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫, 𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘀

𝟎𝟏𝟒

"𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎"
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
𝔽𝕣𝕚𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕄𝕠𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘

     "TIME TO GET UP!" Emily exclaims for the third time. Noah groans as she sits up in bed.

"Why do you have to work so early?"

"It's only seven-thirty. You'll have to be up even earlier for school." Emily says as she looks around the teen's room.

There are miscellaneous clothes everywhere; on the floor, the bed, there is a shirt hanging on the doorknob, and all sorts of dirty clothes all over the closet floor. There are about five empty water glasses, a couple of empty contact lens packets, Noah's glasses, a chapstick tube, a couple of books, and a pen on the nightstand.

"Don't remind me," Noah whines, making Emily tear her eyes away from the mess.

"Where's Sergio?" Emily asks.

"In the closet," Noah says as she yawns. Emily goes to open the closet door and sees Sergio curled up on top of one of Noah's pillows.

"How'd that pillow get in there?"

"He didn't like the thunder last night, so he kept hiding in the closet. He was laying on the floor, so I took a pillow and sat with him for a while. I left it in there for him." Noah explains as she goes into the closet and picks out her outfit for the day.

Emily smiles to herself at how much Noah loves Sergio. She can tell that Noah has never had a pet before though. The teen is very careful with Sergio, never really sure where to pet him or how to pick him up. Noah always asks him if he's hungry or if he needs a nap, which Emily finds very cute.

"Emily," Noah says, snapping Emily out of her thoughts, "Can you go so I can change?" She asks.

"Oh, yeah! I'll be downstairs when you're ready." Emily says as she stands to her feet.

"What about breakfast?"

"We'll eat at the office," Emily says and walks off to her room to get ready.

—
𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘶

"Munchkin!" Penelope beams as she sees Noah in the kitchen of the BAU. Emily told her to help herself to the coffee and donuts that Penelope brought in, to which the teen happily did so.

"Hey!" Noah replies and hugs the woman.

"I heard that you've been settling in nicely," Penelope says with a big smile.

"Hm?" Noah hums and cocks her head a bit.

"Emily may have been rambling and mentioned your messy room," Garcia says, not sure if she was supposed to spare those details or not.

"Oh," Noah giggles, "I've always been like that. Used to drive Mom crazy." She says as she rolls her eyes.

"Aaron, I have no choice!" Erin Strauss, BAU Section Chief, argues as she exits Hotch's office.  Everyone's eyes watch them as they bicker back and forth on the steps.  Noah walks over to Emily, who is at her desk, with Garcia hot on her heels.

"Your team has been reckless." Strauss says, "I've got pressure from upstairs!"

"We closed the case and no more lives were lost.  That's a victory in my book." Hotch defends his team as they all watch the dispute.

"Putting a teenager in an interrogation room with murderers is not a victory.  It's reckless." Strauss exclaims and Noah knows that they must be talking about her, "I hope you offered to pay for that kid's therapy." She snaps and walks out of the bullpen.