(Fanfiction is merely a way for me to 'play' with someone else's characters between my own written projects. Because I do use fanfiction as a 'warmup' for bigger projects, very seldom do I edit or rewrite, so unless it is a major flaw with the story or the character, please excuse any typos or errors. Enjoy!)

PS This is my first Criminal Minds or NCIS fic although I've seen A LOT of the episodes, but I tried to keep it in complete character for each show.

This is set sometime a few weeks after Criminal Minds "OPEN SEASON" and somewhere in Season Four for NCIS.

AGENT PRENTISS AND THE NCIS AGENT

Emily muttered under her breath as she searched beneath the two desks Director Sheppard had relegated the BAU to, hoping she'd find her missing PDA. She'd searched the hotel room she was sharing with JJ and Garcia, but couldn't find it anywhere.

The last place—the only place—it could be was back at NCIS headquarters. The last place she wanted to be.

Team Gibbs hadn't exactly been welcoming. Nothing new there, locals usually didn't like the FBI stepping in. Especially when it was another agency. Morgan and Agent DiNozzo were especially at each other's throats and Emily, for one, was ready for this case to be finished so she could put it behind her.

The only one not having too hard of a time was Spencer. He'd found a fast friend in lab-tech Abby. They'd spent hours spewing off the wildest and most obscure facts about serial killers to one another. NCIS Agent McGee, however, didn't seem too impressed with the younger doctor.

To top it all off, the case was stalled. They'd found nothing more than what they'd been briefed on when they arrived. Sixteen navel officers—all female—had been found with their hands bound, heads covered, and arteries in their legs' slit clean through. It disturbed Emily on so many levels.

The strain was getting to everyone—even Hotch. But on top of everything else, she'd lost her PDA.

She'd moved the chair out of the way and had just reached behind the last desk when she heard precise footsteps behind her. She froze, recognizing the awkwardness of her position. As far as she'd known, only she and the security detail were still in the building. She sincerely doubted the guards had left their posts to come sneaking up behind her. She hoped it was playboy DiNozzo. He'd seemed like a nice enough guy and had taken it pretty well when she'd turned down his invitation to a movie.

"Something I can help you with, Special Agent…Prentiss? That is Prentiss under there isn't it?"

Emily mentally groaned, realizing it wasn't the easy-going agent who'd told her to call him Tony. It was the Gibbs himself.

She carefully extracted herself from under the old desk, feeling the heat of embarrassment painting her cheeks. "Agent Gibbs. I seem to be missing my PDA."

"And it couldn't wait until morning, I take it?" Gibbs brows rose as he gave her a quick once over. Her loose pink and green lounge pants and green t-shirt was a far cry from the button down suit she'd worn earlier. "It's nearly eleven."

"I need it for a report on my last case." Emily brushed the hair out of her face. It was curled, victim to a very bored Garcia, and it made her feel more vulnerable, more feminine. Not at all like the business-like professional agent she always wanted to convey. In fact, the only colleagues who'd ever seen her this way were JJ and Garcia. The vulnerability was made even worse because it was a man like Gibbs who stood before her—strong, precise, controlling, and alpha.

"I put it in the second drawer on the left. I found it by the coffee pot just after I got to the office."

Emily paused a moment, retracing her steps. She'd been the last of her team to leave—her and Garcia—and she'd been waiting for her colleague when she'd decided to pour herself another cup of the incredibly strong coffee that had been waiting across the room. She'd just finished rinsing out the mug when Garcia had come storming out of the elevator, talking excitedly about the new technique MIT graduate McGee had showed her. If she remembered correctly, Agent Gibbs had already been long gone. He must have come back after everyone had left.

She opened the drawer and retrieved the PDA. She slipped it into the pocket on her FBI windbreaker before turning back to the senior NCIS Agent. "Well, thank you, sir. I should probably get back to the hotel. Have an early day as you know."

"Yes, and Agent Prentiss, I really hate being called sir, ok?" He paused a moment, but didn't move to allow her to pass by.

"Agent Gibbs?" Emily's voice wavered as she moved to step around him.

"Would you like a cup of coffee. I know a place around the corner that serves the best in three states. And they're open 24 hours." Gibbs tone was assured, confident, and Emily couldn't tell if he'd issued the invitation out of professional courtesy or because he was interested in her.

"You're asking me for coffee, si—Agent Gibbs?" Emily was floored. She hadn't said any more than a polite hello to the team leader since meeting him—outside of a professional capacity—and he'd said barely little more to her.

"It happens I like coffee, Agent Prentiss. Can I call you Emily?"

"Me, too. I mean, of course I like coffee. And Emily is fine." Now she was even more confused at the strange an enigmatic man standing before her.

"So, shall we? I promise I'll walk you home before curfew." He stepped aside then, and turned as she walked ahead of him. He placed a polite hand on her back as they walked to the elevator. She liked the gesture; it spoke of an old-worldliness that was gentlemanly. Hotch, Rossi and Morgan made the same gesture sometimes and she liked then, too. She was just an old-fashioned kind of woman. Always had been.

"Coffee sounds great, as long as I am back in the hotel by midnight. Momma JJ might get a little worried if I'm out too late." Emily smiled to hide her nervousness. The man just plain made her nervous. She wasn't used to that. They walked down the street, side by side, as she asked herself just what the hell did she think she was doing?