A/N: Well, my mind has created a new monster. This will be a rather lengthy, multi-chapter fic that will probably drag out and drive all of us crazy, but hey, it's supposed to be fun...right? Enjoy, and please leave me with your thoughts. :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds and/or its affiliates. All rights belong to CBS
March 14th, 2003, Quantico, Virginia
Jennifer Jareau awoke in her bed at the Quantico Marine Corps Base, itching to get out of bed and to training.
'Four more days. That's all you have to get through.'
She stretched and slid her legs over the edge of the squeaky bed she'd come to know so well over the past year. The short walk across the hardwood floor to her small closet was familiar and comforting, and she enjoyed the coziness and warmth of her small space. She slipped her USMC t-shirt and navy shorts off her petite body and changed into her training uniform-a grey shirt that read "Quantico" and navy athletic pants. As she glanced at her watch she heard her apartment-mates stepping into the common areas of their temporary home. They were due to report to the large gymnasium at the FBI Academy/Marine training center in just under an hour. All their training for the past month had been nit-picking and conditioning so that the skills they'd learned became muscle memory-skills that would save their lives in the near future.
JJ padded out of her room and into the bright living room, the sunrise coming in through their window and the light from the kitchen causing her to squint slightly.
"Morning Jareau!" Tucker Stevens, a 6'3" blond, green-eyed man with muscles bigger than JJ's face called to her.
"Hey Stevens. How'd everyone sleep?"
The other man and woman she lived with-Eric Clarke and Molly Richards-looked up at her, the brunette woman responding first,
"Pretty well, you?"
JJ shrugged,
"Okay I guess. I'm getting kind of antsy, I gotta admit."
Clarke chuckled,
"I think that'll fade pretty quickly."
She gave him a smirk and took her plate of breakfast from Molly.
Stevens glanced at each of them as they dug into their food,
"So what hell do y'all think Evans will put us through today?"
Emily Prentiss walked into the bullpen of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit with all the confidence she'd managed to scrape up over the last few months.
"Hey Prentiss, ready for some ass-whooping?" Her friend and teammate Derek Morgan greeted her with his usual humor and charming smile. She smirked as she reached her desk,
"Yeah yeah, you're all talk but let's see some action."
Morgan had been giving her hand to hand combat training as part of her field certification, and he was always teasing her despite her obvious progress and inevitable success.
"Don't encourage him, Prentiss." David Rossi gave her a half-smile as he approached them. Prentiss had learned that despite his fame as one of the founders of the BAU, Rossi was a kind and humble man that respected his team.
"Alright alright enough you two. Miss thing go get ready, we'll head out in about ten minutes."
Morgan shut down Rossi's teasing which elicited a mischievous smile from Prentiss. She shook her head and dug through her bag for her gym clothes, ready to show off.
"Alright Prentiss, that's enough. Let's cool off and then go get some lunch." Morgan had to hold back a laugh as Prentiss continued playfully shoving his arm.
"What? Can't take anymore?" She flashed him a teasing smile.
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that hot shot."
She backed away, staying turned to him with that pressing smile, but soon enough she found herself tumbling off the elevated mat in a clumsy mess. Just as she didn't think things could get worse, she felt another body behind her.
"Crap! I'm so sorry!"
She began spewing apologies as she picked herself up and turned around to face whomever she'd just crashed into.
"It's fine! I should have looked where I was going, really. It's okay."
Prentiss was stunned as bright blue eyes framed by golden hair looked at her with kindness, understanding, and guilt.
"Uh…I really am sorry." She said, offering a hand to the woman.
The blonde took it and used it to aid herself to her feet.
"Well since we can't go on a date, I might as well introduce myself. Private First Class Jennifer Jareau."
Emily found herself shaking Jennifer's hand,
"Supervisory Special Agent Emily Prentiss."
"FBI? Impressive. If you didn't guess I'm with the Marines."
Emily chuckled,
"Yeah, but hey, so is being a marine."
JJ offered a small smile,
"Well I better go. See you around?"
Emily smiled back,
"Yeah. Nice meeting you!"
JJ and the rest of her fellow trainees walked into the cafeteria of the academy, and just as soon as she was heading for one of the lines, she saw the brunette she'd met just minutes ago across the way from her. She put on a playful smile and made her way over,
"Are you stalking me?"
Emily jumped and whipped around to face the familiar voice. When she saw JJ's light smile, she laughed a little,
"Private Jareau! Well it is a small training center. My partner and I didn't feel like waiting any longer…although it seems he's abandoned me."
JJ giggled,
"Please, call me JJ-and for the other part, if you don't mind I'll keep you company?"
Emily nodded,
"I'd like that."
They grabbed their food, paid, and grabbed a small table for two in the back corner by one of the large windows that allowed great natural lighting into the café.
"So, what part of the FBI do you work for?"
Emily snapped out of her thoughts and met JJ's eyes,
"The Behavioral Analysis Unit-BAU for short."
JJ quirked an eyebrow,
"Sorry, I'm not familiar…"
Emily put up a hand to gesture for her to not worry,
"Essentially, we analyze the behaviors of sever criminals-serial killers, usually-and build psychological profiles to help local law enforcement catch them. It's a puzzle that makes it easy to predict their next move."
JJ's eyebrows raised,
"Wow. That's really cool."
Emily smiled,
"Yeah, it's tricky but it's never boring, and the payoff is great."
They went silent for a moment, each taking a bite of their lunch. Emily broke the silence,
"So you and your colleagues are in good shape, are you all preparing for anything?"
JJ nodded,
"We deploy soon. We're headed to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas in a few days, and after that we'll each receive assignment somewhere in Afghanistan and maybe Iraq-although most marine troops are headed for Afghanistan."
Emily's heart skipped a beat,
"Oh wow, thank you-for your soon to be service, I mean."
JJ's eyes filled with gratitude,
"Thank you, it's nice, you know? Having someone thank you? Of course it's not expected but when someone does…"
"…it makes it easier." Emily finished for her. "I bet your family will miss you."
JJ's heart ached and she released a little sigh,
"Yeah, I don't really have a family."
Emily flashed a look of confusion.
"No one's heard from my brother in a decade-he practically abandoned us. My parents were killed in an accident three years ago. Other than them…I'm on my own."
Emily instantly felt guilty,
"JJ, I'm so sorry, I didn't know-"
JJ shook it off,
"It's fine. Everyone always expects someone like me to have a big loving family, lots of friends, a boyfriend even. But I don't think any of that's in the cards for me. Sure, it would be nice to have someone to talk to while I'm…gone but I've been on my own for long enough that I'll be okay. Besides, I have my unit, and I've learned that despise the disgusting amount of testosterone that circulates, the common love of country really makes for great friends."
Emily softened her face,
"I know we just met, but if you like…I could write to you? Try and help as much as I can?"
Something in JJ told her to go for it-that this was something that was needed,
"I'd like that."
They exchanged kind glances and proceeded to write out their contact information, trading one another and sharing one last friendly smile. Emily sat back a little, letting herself relax at this possibility of new friendship.
"So, where are you originally from?"