The Element of Surprise

Damaged - Part 1

Within the of each of us is the child we once were. This child constitutes the foundation of what we have become, who we are, and what we will be - Neuroscientist Dr R. Joseph.

"Careful now, easy, easy... hey, slow down there!"

I roll my eyes at Derek's constant nagging as I ease my way down the stairs leading down into the bullpen. My sides ache with each step, but at least it's not as bad as it was weeks ago when still raw and tender. They've healed up pretty good over the past few weeks. The skin closed and all that remains are sensitive, pink patches that will either scar badly, or come out looking like weird-shaped birthmarks. Truthfully, the idea of having scars on my torso doesn't really appeal to me. Bye-bye bikinis and cute crop tops in the summer.

"Watch your step, there's a-"

"A dip in the floor, yeah, I know," I cut Derek off mid-sentence, "I work here, too, you know?"

"I do," he gives me The Eyebrow, "But I'm not the one who nearly got fried a few weeks ago."

I roll my eyes lightheartedly and this time allow him to help me towards my desk.

"Hey, look who came to visit."

Emily, who's been sipping a takeout coffee and reading through some files, looks up at Morgan's announcement. Her face lights up. In a flash, the coffee and file are forgotten and I'm being softly crushed in a hug by Prentiss, "This is a surprise! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at home, recovering?"

Patting her lightly on the back, I pull back before the half-healed wounds in my sides could start aching again, "If I spent one more day in that apartment, I'd either burn it down or throw myself out of the window. Besides..." I peer over her shoulder at Hotch's office, "A little birdie told me Hotch isn't here today, so I came to say hi."

"Because he wouldn't let you within a mile of the Bureau," Prentiss catches on, "Smart."

"Where's Reid?" I frown at the absence of our intellectual colleague slash friend. If he's here, he would've already voiced his doctoral opinion on burn wounds and how intricate the scarring can be sometimes. I bet he'd even ask if he can see mine.

"He's with Hotch," Emily says, "They left for Connecticut last night. Reid only mentioned something about an interview at a prison with a serial arsonist."

"Hotch originally wanted to take you, considering it's just an interview and you won't need to physically active," Morgan adds, "But..."

"He's worried something bad will happen nonetheless," I sigh and slump my shoulders, "It's fine, though. Like I said, I came because I know Hotch isn't here and if either one of you tells him, I'll personally hunt you down to dissect your brains." Ignoring their snorts, my eyes travel over Em's shoulder to the office next to Aaron's. That heavy pull in my heart surfaces and I wonder if I should ask. At last, I do, "And Rossi? Is he in? His door is open..."

"Oh, ah..." Prentiss glances over her shoulder and shakes her head, "I haven't seen him come in."

"Didn't see his car in the parking lot either," Derek adds with knitted brows.

Odd.

Slowly moving down the desks, I crane my neck to peer past the half-open door. That's when I spot the files and documents strewn all over the senior agent's floor. It's messy, unorganized, and very unlike David Rossi.

"What the hell?" Em reads my mind.

Derek mutters something about finding JJ and hurries down the bullpen into the direction of her office. The moment he's gone, curiosity and concern gets the better of me and I brave the few steps up the platform to take a better look at the office. Prentiss jumps to support me when I reach the second to last step before wincing at the sharp ache in my sides. Perhaps stairs were a bad idea.