Plausible Deniability

Pills

"You know, the first time I realized she was special was when she was in training. It was the point when we had them interview patients from the hospital..."

"I was so nervous for that part of training," I reminisced.

"She wasn't. She was excited. At first I thought it was a red flag, like she could be one of those special cases."

"When the psychopath gets into the field to witness everything first hand?"

"Or cause more damage."

"She is crazy but she's not that crazy."

"Well when it was finally her turn to interview a patient I wanted to be sure. I put her with someone who was awaiting trial. I knew it wasn't the protocol but...I had to know what she was capable of.

She commanded that interview like I'd only seen in one other person. No one can get inside the mind of an unsub like that without pure talent."

"Gideon was number one manipulator," I smirked and sipped my coffee.

"I used to think I was number two until that day. She put me to shame."

"Is that when you decided to ask her out?"

"Shut up," he laughed and added another sugar to his coffee.

"You've never really told me what happened with that."

He sighed and shook his head, "She's pretty and I'm a dirty old man."

I laughed, "And she can out manipulate you. That had to be a turn on."

"It is," he sipped, "but I'll keep that to myself now that I know she's taken." He raised a brow and waited for my response.

"It just happened." I tried so hard not to smile like and idiot. He was staring at me, unconvinced.

"How soon was it before you realized she was special?"

"Honestly?," I paused and took a deep breath, "When I watched her moonwalk down the hallway, excited about seeing alligators in Florida."

"She has that blind optimism like Garcia. It's not really blind, it's just her way of keeping this job and all of it's emotional demands at a distance."

"Some people cook."

"Hey now, don't bring my cooking into this!" he set down his coffee to scold me. "Don't try to change the subject."

I laughed and swirled the last few drops of my drink around the paper cup. "I can't get anything past you, can I?"

"Come on, give me some details." He was looking too eager.

"You want me to give you details about me and a girl you tried to date?"

He paused. "Good point."

"How was your date?"

"It wasn't a date?"

"Uh huh," she mumbled against my lips. I could tell she missed me.

"You been bored today?" I mumbled back.

"Yes!" she whined and threw her head back. "Get me out of here!"

"It's almost over," I tried to reassure her.

"Yeah, only nine more days. But who's counting."

"Have you taken your meds?" I asked but I already knew the answer.

"I don't think I've even opened the bottle." She looked away like a kid who hadn't eaten their vegetables.

"I figured," I smirked and pulled a bottle from my jacket pocket. "Just take half of one."

"Aaron-"

"I'll be here all night. Plus, this will help you sleep." I started to pry the stupid foil off the top as she headed for the kitchen.

"I'm fine!"

"I can see the pain in your eyes, just take half of one!"

"That's the pain of cabin fever."

"Evan!" I stopped her before she got too far. She sighed and looked up at me, still fighting defeat. "I'll be here with you all night."

"You need to get home to Jack." She was trying to convince me to leave and drop the subject but she forgets that I'm as stubborn as she is.

"Jack is with his aunt, he'll be fine until the morning."

She rolled her eyes and held out her hand. I grinned as I finally got into the bottle and handed her a pill. She reached into a drawer and cut the pill in half and before she could set the knife down it was in her mouth and gone.

"Happy now?"

"Thank you."

"Now take me to bed."

"Yes, ma'am."