Scars

Chapter One

I walked into my favorite coffee shop, The Daily Brew, and saw my favorite barista working behind the counter. She had my order ready to go already. I came in like clockwork at 7:15 every day to get my coffee before heading across the street to the FBI. My name is Sara Michaels and I'm a 26-year-old agent who works in the terrorist task force on the 4th floor. Well I was. Today I'm starting a new position at the Behavioral Analysis Unit on the 6th floor. The BAU is a task force that specializes in profiling serial killers and stopping them. Today was going to be the first day of what I hoped would be my new home. I loved to profile terrorists and the people I worked with didn't understand. They didn't care why they did it. They just wanted the bad guy to go away. But with my profiles, we were able to find more terrorists before they can do something bad.

The director of the BAU, Erin Straus, contacted me three weeks ago about a transfer. An agent named Dr. Alex Blake got a job as a professor of linguistics at Georgetown with her husband, so they had an opening. I immediately took her up on the opportunity. I was warned by another agent on my floor that the BAU is like a family and very nervous about newcomers. I was very nervous for my first day, but I knew in time that I would (hopefully) be accepted.

I walked up to the counter and Megan greeted me with her cheerful smile. She had my upside-down caramel macchiato with two pumps of toffee syrup and chocolate scone ready to go.

"Hey Sara! It's a great day here in Virginia. How are you?" she asked me. I smiled back at her. I couldn't help it. She was so nice and always friendly. I gave her my cash and grabbed my stuff.

"I'm doing ok. Starting a new job today but hoping it goes well," I replied. She gave me a quizzical look.

"You're not an agent anymore?" she asked me quietly. Megan was one of the only people who knew I was an agent. I tried to keep it on the down low, but she figured it out on her own. I mean, watching me walk across the street to the FBI building every day for three years must have been a dead giveaway.

"I am but I'm starting in a new unit today. Speaking of which, I need to get going. Don't want to be late on my first day!" I smiled and waved at her.

"Have a great day Miss Sara! I hope it's everything you've ever hoped for!" Megan yelled as I walked away. I turned around and winked at her. I was hoping that too, Meg.

I walked to the crosswalk and waited for the light to change. I started doing my nervous tick. I touched each of my fingers to my thumb over and over again while calming myself down. A tall, African American man stood next to me. He was completely bald and had on black sunglasses. He had a jawbone to die for and was wearing black slacks with a dark gray sweater. He had a coffee from The Daily Brew in his hand too. He took a sip and looked at me. I blushed as I realized that I had been staring. I saw the silver wedding band on his finger and smiled. I'm glad someone could nail down this hunk.

The light turned and we walked across the street together. I walked to the front door of my building and scanned my key card. He did the same and I realized that I recognized him. He was the Derek Morgan from the BAU. I had read up a little bit on the other agents I would be working with but not in a creepy way. I just wanted to know a bit of what they were like and if I would ever be able to get along with them. I walked to the elevators and pressed the open button, all with Morgan following me. He was watching me. I could feel it. My anxiety started to rise but I calmed myself down. He noticed my fingers and I stopped.

"What floor?" I asked him. He just smirked and took a drink from his coffee.

"You already go it," he replied in a deep baritone voice. He had taken his sunglasses off and I could see the milk chocolate in his eyes. I recognized him from somewhere, but my anxiety got in the way. I turned around and faced the doors of the elevators. I took a deep breath and took my scone in the same hand as my coffee. I extended my hand to him.

"Sara Michaels. I'm the new one at the BAU," I said to him. He smiled and took my hand firmly. It clicked in my head where I knew him from.