Annabel Lee ─ emily prentiss

twenty-four

This is kind of just a little filler chapter with some more BAU action. Have fun, kids. 

★★★

AFTER wrapping up the case of a series of murders committed by a military vet in a severe PTSD episode in Houston, the team arrived back at Quantico around 6 PM that night, all of them somewhat defeated. When an UnSub was a sexual sadist or a serial child murderer or something else horrible, it was easier to not feel guilty if the case ended with the UnSub shot and killed. People like that were incapable of normal human emotion and would only cause more pain if they stayed alive. But cases like this, UnSubs like Roy Woodridge, were different. Roy didn't realize he was killing a construction worker or a homeless man. He thought he was still fighting in a war. He left a wife behind too. It was a shit ending all around.

With a sigh, Emily dumped her go bag on her desk and slumped forward, resting her forehead on the bag. Derek chuckled, watching as Emily took some files out of her bag and dumped them on the desk. Dropping off files was the only reason she came into the building—she had plans.

"Yeah, that's pretty much how I feel too." He leaned back in his chair, in the corner of his eye noticing Penelope heading right for them. "What's crackin', hot stuff?"

Derek and Penelope's banter was jarring at first, but Emily had come to be amused by it. She smiled, looking up.

"Not really in the mood, Chocolate Thunder." Penelope gave his left bicep a halfhearted squeeze. "I hate it when cases end like this. How are you guys holding up?"

"I've had better days." Emily glanced at the big East Coast time clock on the wall. 6:07. "I should get going."

She stood up straight and slung her duffel bag over her shoulder.

"Where are you running to at six PM on a Tuesday, Prentiss?" Morgan raised his eyebrows suggestively, attempting to mess with her. Emily rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling.

"To get pizza. Bel's working at the pizza place for another hour."

Penelope gasped, her eyes lighting up. "Can I come?"

In her excitement, the grip of her right hand, which was still around Morgan's bicep, tightened.

"Hey, hey, watch it." Morgan pried his arm out of her grasp. "You gotta have a license to touch these guns, babygirl."

He winked.

"Ew." Emily made a face. She looked back at Penelope. "I think Bel would really like it if you came along."

"You should come too." Penelope poked Derek's arm. With a groan, Derek stood up.

"I guess I could eat."

As if on cue, JJ came out of her office and down into the bullpen, her purse slung over her shoulder.

"Yo, JJ!" Morgan called. "You hungry?"

Twenty minutes later, the BAU team, minus Hotch (he had to go home to Jack and Haley) and Gideon (who marched to the beat of his own drum), gathered in front of the pizzeria. Even Reid, who'd been uncharacteristically irritable and erratic lately, agreed to come after Penelope talked him into it.

Emily pushed the front door to the restaurant open, and they all filed in behind her. The place was quiet, only two tables occupied. Bel stood behind the counter ringing up someone's order. She looked up from the register and saw all of them standing there. Her mouth hung open in surprise. She hurriedly finished what she was doing and placed the paid bill back on a couple's table before rushing up to the group.