SUMMER CHILD, emily prentiss

003

"𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲"
𝑁𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 22, 2022
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
ᴛʀɪɢɢᴇʀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢs: 𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗉𝗍𝗌𝖽 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍𝖺𝗅 𝗁𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗍𝗁 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖽𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌

⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅∙∘☽༓☾∘∙•⋅⋅⋅•⋅⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅

After Emily left Charlotte at their house, Charlotte began unpacking her things. She got into a warm shower, standing under the water for at least 30 minutes. She hadn't had a nice shower in months. Sure, dorm showers were okay for a quick 10-minute routine, but she was thankful to not have wear those awful shower shoes.

Charlotte put on a pair of Nike sweatpants and a hoodie, and chuckled when she found herself about to crawl into bed. Right.

So, down the stairs she went to lay on the couch. Turning on one of her favorite shows, Golden Girls, Charlotte pulled a throw blanket over her body, and before the intro song Thank you for Being a Friend was over, she was asleep.

-

In the meantime, Emily was back at the bureau trying to be productive. She couldn't help but incessantly worry about her daughter, even though in her rational mind she knew she was safe at home.

She was finding it hard to get through the rest of the day, making her way through the stack of paperwork that comes with the title of Section Chief. Her eyes kept wandering to the clock, counting down the minutes until she could be home.

But the team still hadn't found any new leads on the unsub Sicarius, so she kept working until the clock finally read 5:00.

It was just over a 30-minute drive to their house from FBI headquarters in Quantico, and Emily stopped on the way to pick up some takeout. Fifteen years and a child later and the woman still doesn't cook.

Regardless, she picked up enough chinese takeout (Charlotte's favorite) to feed a family of four. She was hoping that some greasy food and a cheesy sitcom would lift her daughter's spirits, maybe even remind her that she wasn't alone.

Emily unlocked the front door, hanging her coat on the hook to the left and kicking off her shoes. The house was quiet, so she assumed Charlotte had taken a nap. She placed the bag of food on the kitchen counter and walked into the living room looking for her daughter.

The television was on a low volume, Betty White's voice barely resonating through the room. Emily bent down and brushed a piece of hair out of her daughter's face. She looks so peaceful.

At the touch, Charlotte's eyes fluttered open.

"You're home." Charlotte smiled lightly and brought herself to a sitting position.

"And I brought dinner," Emily says cheerfully and begins to walk into the kitchen, Charlotte trailing behind.

"Is it... chinese?" Charlotte sniffs the air as Emily lets out a small laugh.

"Well, I couldn't make just anything for your first night home. I had to make your favorite food." Emily teases, a smirk on her face.

"Wow! You've finally learned how to cook; I never thought the day would come," Charlotte says sarcastically.

Their witty and sarcastic banter always made Emily's team smile. From the minute Charlotte moved in with Emily, the two of them clicked. Their relationship always made Charlotte's friends envious. Somehow, her mom was her best friend, rule-enforcer, confidant, and protector all at once. Though Charlotte might say overprotective.