𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫, 𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘀

𝟎𝟕𝟔

"𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚖𝚊𝚜 𝚂𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚝"
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭

"WE'VE BEEN HERE for two hours," Noah groans as Emily walks up to her.

The mother decided it would be nice to go Christmas shopping.  The holiday is coming up and Emily likes to be ahead in her shopping.  Noah has been sitting outside all the stores, waiting for Emily.

"You don't wanna look around at all?" Emily asks as they walk alongside all the stores.

"What do I need to look for?" Noah shrugs.

"Presents for your friends or ideas for your own Christmas list — which you have yet to give me."

"I don't want anything," Noah replies.

"You say that until you wake up on Christmas morning with nothing." Emily argues and rolls her eyes.

Noah thinks to herself about the Christmas mornings where she did wake up to nothing.  It was as if it was not Christmas morning at all.

"I just don't like asking for things." The teen asserts.

"Why?" Emily questions.

"Just makes me feel weird," Noah shrugs again.

"I don't know what to get you," Emily sighs.

"Just get me a book or something," Noah suggests.

"You're difficult," Emily groans.

"So I've heard," Noah mumbles.

Emily peers down at her daughter, not knowing what to get her.  She knows Noah more than most people, but she has never got the teen a present.  It will take her some time to come up with some ideas.  And if Noah thinks she is waking up to nothing, she is very much mistaken.

—
𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘴' 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵

"Can we put flour down so they're not as slimy," Noah asks as she watches the cookie dough drip from her hand.

"I thought I told you to do that," Emily replies as she grabs the flour from the cabinet, "Here," She says and hands the glass container to the teen.

"How do you think Hotch is doing?" Noah asks randomly as she rolls the dough out.

"He's alright," Emily sighs as she prepares the homemade frosting, "Safe for the most part.  Right now, that's all that matters."

"What happened exactly?" Noah questions.

"There's someone after him and his family." Emily tells the teen.

"Why?"

"It's an old case," Emily answers, "I guess, Hotch got into it too deep and the unsub didn't like that.  All these years later, that still matters."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why wait for years?" Noah inquires, curious as to why it matters.

"These guys are like this," Emily says, "Sometimes, it's manipulation.  They make you think everything's okay and then they take you by surprise.  It's a power move.  They show you that they let you live, but they remind you of how quickly they can change their mind."

"Do you think the guy's bluffing?" Noah asks her mother as she grabs the gingerbread cookie cutter.

"I don't know, honestly," Emily exhales, "He's pretty ruthless.  I mean, he kinda proved he's not joking around by attacking Hotch."