Fic: Earnest Appreciation (3/3 Criminal Minds)
Title: Earnest Appreciation (3/3)
Series: Of Innocence and Empathy
Author: Frogg
Beta: fluffnutter (partial)
Rating: FRT-13, mention of f/f slash
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Damnit.
Author's Note: Set after Earnest Victory.
Morgan's expression of grim sympathy slowed Emily's normal morning entry into the bullpen to a crawl. One quick glance to her desk and she found herself looking warily around the office, then behind her back into the hallway for JJ.
Reid sucked air in through his teeth hard, making a startled hissing noise. "I don't think I've ever seen JJ as angry as she was when that was delivered," he said, gesturing to the flat box sitting on Emily's desk.
Remembering the day before, Emily winced.
"Hotch is talking her down." Morgan tilted his head towards Hotch's office; JJ was visible through the window, posture stiff and unyielding.
That would explain why that door was closed, Emily thought to herself. "Any idea...?" she asked.
"This one's got a card," Reid offered. "It could be jewelry, but given the expense of the roses and the sculpture, it would probably have been packed in a velvet case, and this one's plain cardboard."
"Meaning..."
Morgan laughed ruefully and shook his head. "Meaning you should open it and find out. At least you'll know what you're dealing with when Hotch drags us all into the conference room."
Emily's shoulders slumped, and she rubbed her forehead briefly, feeling a headache coming on. "I hate this," she muttered, finally reaching her desk and staring down at the unwanted gift.
"You could put an automatic refusal on deliveries." Reid's suggestion was tentative.
"JJ."
"What, you think she's going to make this into some kind of competition?" Morgan asked, then had to laugh at himself. Of course she would.
"I dunno, deep pockets versus actually knowing what you like." Reid gave a small lopsided smile. "Seems a pretty lopsided battle to me."
"Guys, this isn't helping."
"Neither is stalling," Morgan pointed out gently. "You're running out of time."
"Did I mention I hate this?" Emily muttered as she prized the envelope out from under the ribbon. She slit the top neatly with a fingernail and pulled out the card, feeling Morgan and Reid's eyes on her.
"What's it say?" Reid asked once she'd read and set it down, the stiff white paper face down.
Emily shook her head. "It wasn't signed." The ribbon snapped with one swift jerk, the silvery coils tangling in Emily's fingers before being dropped off the edge of the desk.
Morgan and Reid glanced at each other warily.
"I'm not an UnSub here, guys," Emily snapped bitterly, flipping open the box to rifle through the contents with careless fingers. She had to jam the lid down to get it to close.
"No, but you're about as irritable as JJ was earlier," Morgan offered. "What is it?"
"Tickets."
Reid frowned. "To what?"
Emily shrugged, sinking into her chair. "I don't know, and I really don't care."
Morgan reached forward, maintaining eye contact with her as he dragged the card close enough to pick up. Still, he waited for Emily's small nod of permission before turning it over.
Emily took a deep breath, bracing herself.
"Emily, I'm not Reid, but this?" and Morgan sent it spinning back onto her desk, "is not from someone trying to get an in with the Ambassador."
~~~the end~~~
Previous: Earnest Appreciation part 2
Next: Unwanted Resources
Series: Of Innocence and Empathy
Author: Frogg
Beta: fluffnutter (partial)
Rating: FRT-13, mention of f/f slash
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Damnit.
Author's Note: Set after Earnest Victory.
Morgan's expression of grim sympathy slowed Emily's normal morning entry into the bullpen to a crawl. One quick glance to her desk and she found herself looking warily around the office, then behind her back into the hallway for JJ.
Reid sucked air in through his teeth hard, making a startled hissing noise. "I don't think I've ever seen JJ as angry as she was when that was delivered," he said, gesturing to the flat box sitting on Emily's desk.
Remembering the day before, Emily winced.
"Hotch is talking her down." Morgan tilted his head towards Hotch's office; JJ was visible through the window, posture stiff and unyielding.
That would explain why that door was closed, Emily thought to herself. "Any idea...?" she asked.
"This one's got a card," Reid offered. "It could be jewelry, but given the expense of the roses and the sculpture, it would probably have been packed in a velvet case, and this one's plain cardboard."
"Meaning..."
Morgan laughed ruefully and shook his head. "Meaning you should open it and find out. At least you'll know what you're dealing with when Hotch drags us all into the conference room."
Emily's shoulders slumped, and she rubbed her forehead briefly, feeling a headache coming on. "I hate this," she muttered, finally reaching her desk and staring down at the unwanted gift.
"You could put an automatic refusal on deliveries." Reid's suggestion was tentative.
"JJ."
"What, you think she's going to make this into some kind of competition?" Morgan asked, then had to laugh at himself. Of course she would.
"I dunno, deep pockets versus actually knowing what you like." Reid gave a small lopsided smile. "Seems a pretty lopsided battle to me."
"Guys, this isn't helping."
"Neither is stalling," Morgan pointed out gently. "You're running out of time."
"Did I mention I hate this?" Emily muttered as she prized the envelope out from under the ribbon. She slit the top neatly with a fingernail and pulled out the card, feeling Morgan and Reid's eyes on her.
"What's it say?" Reid asked once she'd read and set it down, the stiff white paper face down.
Emily shook her head. "It wasn't signed." The ribbon snapped with one swift jerk, the silvery coils tangling in Emily's fingers before being dropped off the edge of the desk.
Morgan and Reid glanced at each other warily.
"I'm not an UnSub here, guys," Emily snapped bitterly, flipping open the box to rifle through the contents with careless fingers. She had to jam the lid down to get it to close.
"No, but you're about as irritable as JJ was earlier," Morgan offered. "What is it?"
"Tickets."
Reid frowned. "To what?"
Emily shrugged, sinking into her chair. "I don't know, and I really don't care."
Morgan reached forward, maintaining eye contact with her as he dragged the card close enough to pick up. Still, he waited for Emily's small nod of permission before turning it over.
Emily took a deep breath, bracing herself.
"Emily, I'm not Reid, but this?" and Morgan sent it spinning back onto her desk, "is not from someone trying to get an in with the Ambassador."
~~~the end~~~
Previous: Earnest Appreciation part 2
Next: Unwanted Resources