The Slow Burn

Chapter 1: Well, isn't this just great.

Megan Ryan quite liked Andrew Mendoza at first. Thought he was a great guy, fantastic agent and actually fully approved of his relationship with her best friend Emily Prentiss . What ruined it for her was today. It was a sunny Saturday Afternoon and that meant today was Matt and Kristy Simmons Baby shower! Baby number...50 if Megan had to guess. Of course the whole team had showed up and the ones who had significant others brought them along as well. Megan had shown up alone and about an hour into the party with a decent sized gift in her arms. There was no way in any world she wasn't going to spoil the new BAU baby! Of course the gathering was in full swing, people drinking and talking. Some people simply playing the small baby shower games in the back yard. Megan was quick to grab a glass of white wine before shuffling over to the wonderful couple she had grown to love over the last year and a bit. Everything seemed great! Today was going to be a great day or at least that's what the brunette woman thought as she made her way off to talk to some co-workers.

"Hey. Megan. Can I talk to you?" Andrew asked after slowly approaching her. "For sure!" Megan replied happily, smiling warmly at him before politely dismissing herself from a conversation between herself, Spencer Reid and Tara Lewis. Together they walked towards the front door where it was a quieter area considering most of the party was happening in the back yard and living room.

"Everything okay Andrew?" She asked as she lightly swirled her glass of wine, her eyes carefully watching as Andrew turned to face her. "Actually. No...It's about Emily." He began before being cut off. "Is she okay?!" The brunette woman asked, her tone filled with panic as she turned to start moving back to the party in search of her best friend. "She's fine! Perfect in fact...it's about your friendship with her actually." He said quickly, his firm hand reaching out to take ahold of her elbow which in turn caused her to turn back to him with a furrowed brow.

"I know how you feel about her. You adore her and love her...more then a friend should. I see it and I understand why. Emily is a wonderful woman! Hell, I'd even say perfect. But...she's mine." He rambled through, his eyes not once leaving the woman's face. Megan was filling with rage as he spoke, her hand clenching the glass tightly. "I ask...that you leave her be. End your friendship if need be but...don't get in the way of our relationship." He finished, smiling down at her. She stared at him in complete disbelief, her mouth opening some but quickly snapping shut as the grip on her glass became so tight, her knuckles turned white.

"Hey you two! What are my favourite people talking about?" Emily said as she approached the pair of them, an arm wrapping lightly around Mendoza as she looked over at Megan. "We were discussing wine! Megan here is attempting to convince me it's better for my system!" Andrew said as he smiled down at Prentiss all the while Megan continued to glare at him. "Megs?" Emily asked as she had noticed the angry expression on her best friends face. "Wine..." was all The younger woman could say before quickly downing the rest of her glass. "I need more wine. So much more wine." She continued before quickly departing the scene, her stomach churning as she thought of Andrew's request.

The party went by slowly, the sick feeling she had prominent as she mingled with the party guests. She was doing everything in her power to completely avoid Emily and Andrew. At one point she even ran away from a conversation when she saw them approaching, her fleeting excuse being that she forgot she had to make a phone call to her Doctor. On a Saturday. It was that moment that Megan decided to leave. Her desperation to avoid a conversation with the couple causing her to make up poor, sad excuses was definitely the breaking moment. So she walked out the front door without a glance back, her arms lightly folded over her chest as she stared steadily before her. Her mind was racing a million miles per minute as she continued to replay the conversation her and Andrew had earlier. Was she truly so obvious? Had she allowed her feelings to show that much in the last few months that he had noticed?! She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't even hear Emily walk up behind her until she felt the other woman's hand grab her elbow.

"Megs, you okay?" Emily asked as the younger woman turned to look at her, her blue eyes wide from being startled. "Everything's fine." The brunette said quickly, a small soft smile appearing on her lips as her expression relaxed. "You've been av..."The raven haired woman began before being cut off by Megan shaking her head. "Just my stomach. I kinda feel like I over drank or I just have some sorta stomach bug. I promise I'm okay....other then my stomach." She said as Emily finally released her elbow, her hand slowly moving up to rest on the younger woman's shoulder. "Go home and rest up. Don't need one of my best agents calling in sick on Monday!" Emily said with a smirk causing Megan to chuckle in delight, her blue eyes gazing at the older woman for a long moment before looking past her to see Mendoza standing at the door, the angry expression on his face clearly indicating he did not like nor want to see the sight before him. "I'll see you Monday morning Em." The younger woman said as she stepped away from Emily, feeling the older woman's hand slide down off her arm before waving slightly and  completely turning away to make her way over to her car.

Once she was seated in her car, she looked over to watch as the front door of the house close. Almost instantly, she balled her hands up into fists and slammed them against the firm steering wheel as she allowed a frustrated yell sound from her throat. How dare he ask her to ruin a 15 year long friendship. But while she was angry about what he had asked her to do, she was also angry with herself. How stupid was she to allow her feelings to show. And with that final thought, she drove away in silence.