Title: The Oracle
Author: amaranth-moon15
Pairing: Prentiss/Garcia friendship
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Remote for In Name And Blood - set somewhere in the last third of S3 probably.
Disclaimer: Characters = not mine. Just borrowed for fun and pleasure.
A/N: A silly bit that has been in my head for some time. I know, I keep doing oneshots, when there's many that would maybe prefer longer fic. I promise, there's something in my mind that I just need to get on paper (or into IIIOIOIOIOOOIO, for that matter).
Summary: Afterwork drinks and revelations of yet unknown secrets.

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It had been a rather uneventful day for the BAU team, not that they were complaining. Considering what an exciting workday held for them it was sometimes quite a blessing to be granted a boring day of paperwork and routine consults only. Plus, one could call it a day not too late, which was just what the girls had done today when they had decided to go for a drink. Emily and Penelope were sitting in a booth in the back of their favourite pub; JJ was due to rrive any minute. Her pregnancy had started to take its toll and kept slowing the lively blonde woman down, much to her annoyance.

Penelope, however, was not all that ungrateful to have her friend to herself for some minutes of girl chat. She had a sneaking suspicion that, if confirmed - or not believably denied - would make a wonderful piece of gossip. It had been only very recently that their boss, the very Agent Aaron Hotchner himself, had showed up on Emily's doorstep and had all but dragged her along to fly out to Milwaukee with him to work with the team on their current case, when actually Emily had already declared that she would resign from the BAU. The technician somehow had a feeling that Emily hadn't minded all that much to be dragged.

"So, my dear cupcake" Penelope started most playfully - and Emily already braced herself for what was to come, her friend's tone left nothing to guess about the fact that she had caught on a scent and would not stop preying upon her until satisfied - "tell me, you wouldn't happen to be harbouring some secret crush on our dear Unit Chief?"

Emily choked on her drink. That was Garcia for you, never one to beat around the bush. "Hell, no. Of course not. Hotch? Come on! Where on earth'd you get that idea?" she defended herself.

"Aaahaaa…" was all Penelope would reply.

"Aha what?"

"My diagnosis: Way too much denial, and way too fast."

Emily's ears turned red, only faintly discernible in the dim light in the pub, but still.

"And now blushing!" Penelope added with glee. "Honey, this is not just any passing crush. This is some serious fangirlish addiction! Oh, I'm a lucky girl, I'm going to be treated to a most elegant and expensive dinner by none other than our dear Derek Morgan."

Emily buried her head in her hands for a moment. Then she looked up at Penelope again, fully aware that her now bright red face would so give her away. But she had to try at least. "Derek? What's he got to do with it?" she tried to distract her friend.

"Oh, we have a bet running, for quite some time actually, that one day you two will come to realise that you are nothing but an OTP. I saw that coming from day one." Garcia practically bounced on her seat with joy.

"Hell no, Pen. How'd you get this idea? Hotch? He's our BOSS, for heaven's sake!"

"Yes, I know. Still, you have to give it to him - boss or not - that man is serious hot stuff, don't you think?"

"No. Yes. No, I mean,... , it doesn't matter, does it? Of course he is attractive, but come on, would you even get the idea to look at him this way? With all the complications it would bring and all?"

"Honey, you're rambling. It gives you away even more." Penelope stated cooly. "Plus, look at it from another side: Where else but in the office would you find any suitable guy? One that can put up with your clever head and demanding job? Look at me and Kevin - it's not as if you couldn't make it work if you want to."

"Well, it works for the two of you, but Kevin is not your supervisor! This could so never happen and work! And even if, I mean, come on, Hotch is a married guy, so please." Emily groaned inwardly at the realisation of how very much she could not hide the thoughts and emotions chasing each other in her mind. She looked positively desperate.

"Was, darling, WAS a married guy." Garcia quipped.

"This is SO not the point."

"Really? And here I am thinking it SO is…"

"It's not!"

Garcia gave Emily a deep look, which caught her slightly offhanded. Penelope's eyes only showed pure joy at the thought of her friend finally finding what she had - probably unconsciously - been looking for for such a long time, and she tried to wordlessly give Emily a shove into the right direction.

"Oh…" was all Emily could muster, once the unspoken message started to really sink in.

"See?" The pleasure in Penelope's face couldn't be missed.

"Oh." Emily said again, this time to her hands. Then she looked up at her friend again. "Garcia, what on earth are you?"

"Me?" the blonde woman chuckled. "Darling, in case you haven't noticed yet - I'm the Oracle of Quantico!"

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