Annabel Lee ─ emily prentiss

thirty-four

Two updates in a week to make up for being MIA for like a month and a half.

★★★

"YOU quit? You quit the goddamn FBI. Why the fuck would you do that?" Bel yelled. Having not expected this reaction from Bel to news of her resignation, Emily's brain lagged trying to process what Bel just said. Bel rarely got angry, and when she did, she had issues expressing it. She didn't yell or swear. She held it in and didn't react until days later, when she told Emily about it hesitantly. Emily hadn't anticipated anger from Bel at all, let alone explosive anger she'd never seen from Bel before. It took several seconds for her to find words.

"Hey, watch your mouth!" she snapped defensively. Bel jerked back and curled into herself. "I quit because the BAU's section chief, the woman who assigned me to the team, threatened to demote me and wreck my reputation at the FBI if I didn't give her dirt on Hotch to get him fired."

"So you just gave up? You're not even trying to hold onto the job that lets you help so many people? Isn't there anyone you could report her to? That's extortion! She can't be allowed to do that!" Bel didn't understand why Emily was just rolling over on something so important. Selfishly, she was scared of what this meant for her. She was scared of what she was going to lose. On the few occasions she'd been to the BAU or spent time with the team, it felt like what she imagined spending time with extended family felt like. And there was her friendship with Penelope. All of that would probably be gone if Emily left the BAU. She hadn't been there long enough for those ties not to come loose.

Emily tightened her jaw. As if this whole thing wasn't bad enough, Bel was giving her shit too. "Just drop it, okay? It is what it is. And I don't know, I thought it might be nice to have a job that lets me be here with you every day. I applied to the state department to do civil service so I wouldn't be traveling all the time. Do you not want to have me around more or something?"

Her throat felt like it was closing. She wasn't thinking about anything she was saying. She was just angry and tired, and all she wanted was someone to be supportive. As much as she appreciated Penelope begging her to stay earlier in the day, she wanted someone to be okay with her decision. She thought that Bel would be that someone. Learning that even Bel thought she was making a mistake felt like a slap across the face.

Bel's face softened a little, starting to realize what she just said. "Of course I want you around more, but not at the expense of the lives you might be able to save at the BAU." She rubbed her eyes. "I need a minute."

She went to where her backpack leaned against the couch and rummaged through its small pocket until she found her keys. She grabbed her phone off the kitchen counter.

"I don't want you walking around alone at night," Emily called after her.

"I won't leave the building," Bel mumbled. She just needed to get out of here. Her stomach knotted with guilt and anxiety and fear and she kind of felt like throwing up or crying or both. After hastily shoving her feet into her high tops, she rushed out of the apartment, down the hallway, and into the stairwell that most people didn't use. She sat on the top step and debated who to call. In the end, she dialed Evelyn, who she knew would be honest about how stupid she was probably being. Freyja would be too sympathetic.

The phone rang for what felt like an eternity. Bel didn't think Evelyn was going to pick up, but the last ring was cut short.

"Hey, B." Evelyn was smiling. Bel heard it in her voice. "What's up? How are you?"

"Not great." Bel sniffled. Hearing Evelyn's voice made her heart ache. She missed what it felt like to be in Evelyn's arms. "Things are a mess."

"What happened?"