Illicit Affairs || A.H.

It's Nice to Have a Friend

Your head spins a little. The BAU. You got into the BAU. You remember all the statistics, the huge numbers of applicants with qualifications the same as yours, if not better. Your mind immediately drifts back to your interview, the application process had been long and hard so by the time the interview rolled around, you hadn't had your hopes up very high. You remember the feeling, you had felt so intimidated yet at home all at once. Agent Morgan had cracked a joke almost straight away.

"JJ, looks like you've got competition for the prettiest face in the bureau."

You laughed, slightly nervously but it made you feel more at home. You had done your research, of course. Agent Rossi, the accomplished author and master profiler, welcomed you with a small smile and cock of the eyebrow and you swore he seemed impressed as he looked through your resumé. Agent Morgan, the muscly profiler with a natural charisma simply acted as though you'd known each other for years but you knew he could have a serious streak when needed, when it mattered.. which is what he showed as he took his turn looking through your qualifications. Agent Jareau, who wasn't actually a profiler but could definitely be regarded as the face of the BAU due to her media liaison status, was warm and welcoming but quiet. She smiled and although the smile was small, it was kind and it's almost like the warmth radiated from her. Penelope Garcia, the quirky tech analyst had a bit of a sour face from the moment Agent Morgan called you pretty, but then you smiled at her and she gave a little smile back. It was then you knew, you could win her over. Dr Reid, the genius mastermind who lacked social skills started spewing facts and statistics and you swore he seemed nervous, this suspicion confirmed by Agent Morgan teasing him because 'pretty boy is nervous of talking to a pretty girl' and you just chuckled, not wanting to be impolite. Agent Prentiss.. her political background, her intense stare.. she intimidated you, which was probably her tactic. She asked a lot of questions about you and your background but she seemed satisfied with your answers, even cracking a small smile.

And then there was Agent Hotchner, the unit chief. He was stern and his face perfectly controlled, not giving anything away. You wondered if he was always this serious, maybe it came with the territory. He stared you down and you would've given anything to know what he was thinking. His poker face remained for the whole interview, even as he thanked you and said he'd be in touch. Not even a sprinkle of emotion visible. You had gone home after the interview and you had no clue what would happen next, it had gone well, of course, but with the sheer amount of applicants.. what were the chances? Well, it appears your chances were good..

-

The minute the interview ended, all the team had to do was exchange one look and they knew. They knew that no matter who walked through the door afterwards, no one would fit quite like you. Aaron took a sharp breath, he had been more nervous during that interview than ever before. He wanted to remain professional. He needed to remain professional. But it was hard, he wanted to stop you there and tell you the job was yours. But he couldn't. If he did, the team would just start profiling him as to why he wanted this specific young woman on the team. He shook off his nerves and made a mental pact with himself that he was going to just sit through the other interviews and keep his steely exterior.. and certainly stop thinking about the passionate young woman from the interview. However, as he sat there and tried his best to appear focused, his mind kept drifting to you. Y/N.. your name suited you perfectly, he thought to himself. He thought about your smile, the way you answered questions with confidence and a poise about you that not many young people have anymore. He was brought back to the conference room by Rossi clicking his fingers in front of his face and when Hotch appeared as though he was dragged back into reality, Rossi chuckled. He knew what he was thinking about, or rather who he was thinking about. Rossi might be the only one on the team who could tell what Hotch was thinking.