The Transfer

You won't be sorry

Beep. Prentiss' phone buzzes. It's from Garcia 'They are on their way home.' Prentiss smiled and sent a thanks before packing her bags to head to the office.

She decides to sit on the couch at Hotch's office while waiting for the team to be back. It's better than standing awkwardly in the middle of the bullpen. She was getting comfortable by lying down on the couch playing with her phone, and suddenly, she sat up after she heard shuffling noises and footsteps.

"Please tell me you haven't been here for the last 4 days," Hotchner said.

"Definitely not. I'm here because I heard you were flying back tonight," Prentiss replied.

"Heard? How could you have heard a thing like that?" Hotchner asked.

"Gracia. Your technical analyst."

"I appreciate your interest, Agent Prentiss... but profiling is a speciality. We can't just let anyone who wants to give it a whirl." Hotchner said.

"I know our history Agent Hotchner, and it's been more than a decade we last saw each other. Judging from the photo on your desk, you have moved on, though you both are unhappy in your marriage, especially your wife."

"The smile on her face, it was forced, just for this photo. Her eyes were dark. She was staring into blank space. But there's a twitch in the corner of her eyes, she was either angry or trying to take control of her emotion." Prentiss said while holding the photo.

"Stop," Hotchner said.

"May I say a last word, Sir?"

"Yes, you may."

"The only person that looks happy in this photo is your son. Please do anything you can to shield him from the darkness of this world." Prentiss said, with a grim expression.

An awkward silence fills the room.

"This isn't a whirl Agent Hotchner."

"I don't know how the paperwork got screwed up, or maybe you believed my Mother pulled some strings which she didn't, well, not that I know of."

"I belong in this unit. And... all I'm asking you for is the chance to show you that" Prentiss firmly pleaded.

"I still need to look into this. I'm not promising anything." Hotchner said.

"Understood" Prentiss replied.

"We'll brief new cases every morning at 10 am. You can see the facilities management about a desk." Hotchner said.

"You won't be sorry," Prentiss replied while gathering her stuff to walk out of the room.

"Prentiss."

"Yes, Sir?"

"It's great to see you again," Hotchner said, and his lips curled up a little.

"It's great to see you again too, Sir," Prentiss replied with a firm smile, trying to be professional.

Hotch let out a breath of relief once Prentiss was out of his office. He reminds himself that he is her boss, and she is his subordinate. The chemistry they had 14 years ago when he started working at the United States Diplomatic Security Service where he was tasked to work as security clearances for Ambassador Prentiss' staff cannot exist. He doesn't even know whether she had moved on.

Haley was... easy. She's the opposite of Emily Prentiss. Haley has blonde hair while Emily's dark brown. Haley is an open book, while Emily is an exciting mystery. Haley is the total opposite of Hotch himself, where people always say opposite attracts. Meanwhile, Emily is eerily similar to Hotch, that sometimes Hotch couldn't help but think whether she thinks like himself.

Judging on how she profiles him just now, he knows that she can still read him easily. It's fascinating, even after all these years. However, there is a rule about dating coworkers, and Agent Hotchner is not someone who breaks the rules.