Flawless ➝ Criminal Minds ✓

*Deep Breaths*

*Deep Breaths*
(Amelia's P.O.V)

The elevator hummed and lurched upwards, making my stomach jolt. I had never liked elevators, with their droning whir and jerking movements, and their slow ascent, only to grind to an a abrupt halt. It made me feel nauseous, perhaps slightly claustrophobic, with their confined space; metal walls pressing in either side of you. I usually cringed at the thought of them.

But now, as I stood in the elevator, clutching the railings in one hand and a bag in the other, nothing could quell the anticipation rising in my stomach. The nervousness starting to kick in; subtle palpitations, fists clenching, breathing quickening, frequent gulping.

Deep breaths. Take deep breaths. That's it. That's all you need to do. Deep breaths.

I slowly sucked in a long plume of air and puffed out my cheeks, holding it in for a few seconds. Then I released, just as the elevator shuddered to a halt.

This was it.

I stumbled out of the lift as the doors slid open, and found myself in a deserted corridor. Which door was it? There were several, and I allowed my eyes to wander over each golden slab, etched with writing. Ah, perhaps the one that was titled 'Behavioural Analysis Unit'? Yes, perhaps, since that was my new job title. Profiler of the Quantico BAU.

I sighed. New job. New start.

You can do this, Amelia.

I approached the door and hesitated. My warm breath roused the dust that had settled along the hinges, sending it billowing up in a tempest. I coughed the dust from my lungs, wafting it out of my face. 

Pushing away all anxious protests, I straightened my composure, smoothed down my uniform and, clenching my jaw, raised a hand to knock on the polished oak door. My knuckles rapped against the wood three times, then I carefully pushed it open and entered.

Six pairs of eyes swivelled to face me; most were friendly, some were curious. But nevertheless, my cheeks heated beneath my dark hair as I strode forward, avoiding any eye contact whatsoever. As I walked past a man slumped in a chair, my breath almost caught in my throat. My jaw almost slackened. My heart almost stopped beating. He was... profoundly handsome, even with only a brief flicker in his direction.

But then my professionalism surfaced and I continued towards the most official looking man in the room, head held high. He had dark, serious features, and his lips were drawn into a straight line.

Clearing my throat, I introduced myself, hoping I was addressing the correct person. "Err, good morning, Sir. I'm Agent Amelia Shields. I've been transferred from the FBI Academy to join your team."

The dark haired man stared at me for a prolonged moment, and I felt myself shrinking slowly under his gaze. Then the slightest smile tugged at his lips, but it was gone before I had a chance to fully register it.

"Welcome, Agent Shields. I'm Agent Aaron Hotchner, but you can just call me Hotch."

I offered him a friendly nod, allowing myself to loosen slightly. These people weren't going to judge me from how I introduced myself. I merely had to prove I could do this job. And I believed I could. I'd had some experience in the field before, and I was also usually considered the smarter one of the team. The previous cases I'd worked on had benefited profoundly from my extensive knowledge, and is what had given me the chance to join the BAU in the first place.

"Thank you... Hotch."

He nodded to someone behind me, and I swivelled round to face a heavily built man, bearing dark eyebrows and a somewhat friendly smile.

"Derek Morgan." He offered a hand and I took it in a firm grip.

"Amelia Shields."

Then a woman approached me, with dark hair and a kind smile. "Emily Prentiss."

"Amelia Shields. Nice to meet you." She nodded and two more agents stepped forward. One was a serious looking Italian man, whom instantly offered a smile, and a very colourful, somewhat bouncy, woman. Rossi and Garcia.

And last, but certainly not in the slightest least, he stepped forward. The one who had caught my eye when I entered. He was tall and thin, with slightly wavy brown hair and chocolate eyes. His lips tugged up into a lopsided grin, and I couldn't help but notice how adorable it was. How adorable he was.

"Er... Dr. Spencer... Reid. But you can, er, just... call me Reid," he announced in a wavering voice, his eyes searching mine in a fleeting glance. He seemed nervous, and his hand repeatedly stretched up to rub his neck. Probably a habit, but why so on edge?

My heart jolted painfully in my chest. I mustered the most attractive smile I could and held out a hand. "Amelia Shields. Nice to meet you."

He glanced anxiously at my fingers, before gingerly interlocking his hand with mine. His grip was smooth and firm, yet he seemed unsure of his actions. After a few seconds, I tentatively met his gaze and a momentary flicker of attraction sparked between us. I instantly pulled away with a gulp.

From the corner of my eye, I saw the others glance at each other with incredulity and let my dark hair dangle loosely over my reddening cheeks.

I stepped away from Reid and coughed myself to attention, glancing back at Hotch. "So, Agent Hotchner. When do I start?"

*Omg. I'm writing my first ever CM fanfic; exciting, right?! I've only recently started watching criminal minds, but I instantly fell in love with the show... and Reid, of course! Aha. So I decided to write a fanfic, and I'm really excited about it! I've also been reading the 'Boss' Niece' series and omg they're amazing! I've just started the third book, but please check them all out if you haven't already done so, 'cause they are just brillinat, and I'm dedicating this chapter to 'StongerThanIWas' because they're such an amazing writer! Okay. Thanks for reading! Please vote! I'll love you forever if you do ;)*