Unlike your brother Sean, you loved your brother Aaron. You stayed in the virginia area, stayed in Aaron’s life. You were there for him when he and Haley divorced, when his job led to Haley being killed. Everyday, since Aaron never ate, or always forgot to, you brought him a packed lunch. The team he works with, the BAU, had gotten to know you from your visits. One agent in particular, Emily. she had caught your eye and you had caught hers. after each visit when the team was in town, you’d find yourself talking to the team, getting to know the people Aaron worked with. You’d find a reason to talk to her and she was more than eager to be in your company. Even if you couldn’t stay long after dropping off Aaron’s lunch, she’d find an excuse. ‘Hey, let me walk you out.’ ‘Let me make you a cup of coffee for your drive.’ ‘You look tired, let me give you an energy drink.’

Emily had a magnetic energy about her—a confidence that made you feel seen and appreciated. She had a way of intuitively knowing when you needed a laugh to distract you from the weight of the world or when you simply needed someone to sit in silence with you, sharing the weight of unspoken thoughts.

It was during one of those lingering goodbyes that everything shifted. You had brought in a homemade lasagna, Aaron’s favorite, and Emily insisted on helping you carry it to the car. The two of you walked closely together, her shoulder brushing against yours, sending sparks of electricity coursing through you. The casual closeness felt comforting yet thrilling, a world apart from the tension that lingered on the edges of your relationship with your brother.

Once outside, you turned to her, laughter bubbling up from a joke she had just made. Your eyes locked, and for a brief heartbeat, the world fell away. It was just you and her—two souls caught in an unspoken moment filled with what-ifs and couldbes.

“Aaron would kill me if he knew I was fawning over you,” Emily teased, but there was a sincerity in her eyes that made your stomach flutter.