Survivor, emily prentiss

𝟎𝟏𝟎, 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

claire's pov

"why would he kill out in the open like this?" I watch as the EMTs load another body onto a gurney.

"He's losing control emotionally, he could be devolving." Hotch added. Emily chewed her lip. "Leaving the body out in plain sight, it's off pattern."

"He was interrupted." I cock my head over to a kid probably around my age, in a yellow collared shirt. Morgan took him aside to question what he claims to have seen. "Whatever he sees in his victims he wants for himself. He hates who he is. He's targeting tourists cause he sees them as living a kind of lie, too."

"Could be suffering from cluster B." Emily suggested. "Cluster B?" I look up from my notebook, a little embarrassed for my lack of knowledge.

Reid clears his throat; "A cluster of personality disorders. It's also called the Erratic, Dramatic, Emotional Cluster. An enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that differentiates itself markedly from the expectations of the individuals culture and—"

"— This guys a sick dude." Morgan interrupted. I let out a chuckle as Spencer nods in agreement.

"Got it." I nod, writing in my notebook: Cluster B: cluster of personality disorders.

"But something triggers his constant need to escape. It could be drugs, sex, something that makes him feel vulnerable." Emily adds.

"That vulnerable is his weakness." I start to put the pieces together. "Escape into the fantasy protects him from ever having to look at himself."

Hotch adjusts his sunglasses before walking over to the EMTs, "any ID on the body?" The woman in blue shook her head. "No wallet, nothing."

The dark haired agent looked back at the team. "We got to figure out who this guy is and where he was staying." The team breaks up in their separate ways and I wait until Emily is alone before catching up to her.  She pulls out her phone and sends a quick texts when I grab her wrist and pull her into a hallway.

She looked me up a down, startled a little until she realized it was me. "Hey- What are you doing?" She laughed a bit. Her eyes were soft and I couldn't help but get lost in them. I didn't realize I was standing in front of her like an idiot until I felt her hand on my shoulder. My eyes find it.

"You good?"

I chew on my cheek and nod. Emily smiles a warm grin and cocks her head. "Come on, we'll fall behind." She held my hand for a second before letting go. I wish she hadn't.

~

emily's pov

Rossi and I drove back to North Beach, Morgan caught a lead on our UnSub and cornered him at a youth's shelter. Rossi's phone chimed and he sighed.

"Turn around."

I furrow my eyebrows. "What?"

"He's been arrested."

I roll my eyes. "He really couldn't wait ten minutes." I say under my breath. Derek was always pulling shit like this. I'd be lying if I said on occasion I hadn't broke protocol to make an arrest, but Morgan was doing so left and right, and Hotch wasn't happy about it. I make a U-turn and Rossi and I head back to the station.

On the jet, I sat beside JJ and Spencer. Reid showed us a new card trick he learned and after we played a few rounds of poker. "What's with you two?" I hear JJ's voice pull me from my thoughts. I kept staring at a sleeping Claire across the jet, and it didn't take a profiler to notice. "What do you mean?" I ask, not even sure myself what was going on between the blonde and I. JJ tilts her head and gives me the look.
I playfully roll my eyes. "It's your turn to deal." I reply, sliding the deck of cards to her. She shook her head but stayed quiet, dealing her hand.

Once we landed I collected a few things from my desk at Quantico before finding my car in the parking lot and driving home. I value my independence, but sometimes returning to an empty apartment can be awfully desolate. After I showered and unpacked, I pulled out my phone and placed an order for Chinese from a little place a few blocks from my apartment. I definitely ordered more than enough for one person, but part of me wanted to use any excuse to invite Claire over. My thumb hovers over her number before I inevitably press call.

"Hey I was just about to call you." I hear her perky voice on the line. I smile to myself.

"You're not busy, are you? I just ordered way too much food from Gar Won." I ask, crossing my fingers. "Uh, tell you what... Cancel the order, I'm gonna come over and cook for you."

I nervously look around my kitchen. "Evans, I'm not kidding when I say all I have in my fridge is expired milk and hot sauce." I chuckle, mentally reminding myself to go shopping.

I hear the blonde's laugh and can't help but blush. "I'll stop at the market. Let's say.... a half hour?"

I nod and then remember she can't see me, "Sounds good. See you then."

~

this is so short but my attention span is that of a fish. hope u enjoy. xoxo