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ssa-sapphic · 1 year

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Pairing: Emily Prentiss × (POC)fem!oc

Summary: Andrea is a surgical intern and single mother, struggling to learn how to trust again after a disastrous past relationship left her heart in shards of doubt and fear. Emily is the FBI agent across the hall who wants more than anything to help pick up the pieces and protect what's become so important to her, while also trying to manage her own battle scars. Will they be able to heal from their shared traumas and learn to let each other in? Or will the demons of their past come to haunt them once again, and threaten the lives they've made for themselves?

Warnings: Mentions of violence and graphic descriptions normally found in grey's anatomy/criminal minds. Some nsfw content and domestic abuse-related details (chapters will be labeled accordingly

Word Count: 3.8k

Moving to Virginia, of all places, was never a part of Andrea’s plans. And yet, she had currently found herself hauling boxes into a fancy apartment just outside of Quantico that she hadn’t even paid for. She knew that anyone could take a single glance at her and instantly assume that she couldn’t afford such a place, and they’d all be right. Truthfully, Andrea would have happily settled for something smaller and cheaper, but her parents were wealthy and only wanted her to have what they deemed “the best.” It was like that all the time when she was a kid, going from boarding schools to prestigious colleges, and it only grew worse when she became an adult. They’re always so adamant about paying her way through life, but she doesn’t want their money. She never did.

Instead of having things handed to her on a silver platter, Andrea wanted to work hard and earn them herself like everyone else in the world had to. It was an uphill battle trying to convince them to let her find her way to make ends meet, but finally, they settled on a compromise: because her parents insisted, they would find her a nice place to live near the hospital–where she recently accepted a job at– and pay the downpayment and ongoing rent, while she worried about all other payments, including student loans and personal medical bills. At first, the idea of allowing them to pay for her apartment was unsettling, but hey, there’s no denying she was broke and on her own.

Well, aside from her cute little sidekick of a daughter, Sofia.

Andrea realized pretty quickly after having her three years ago that kids sure are expensive. So, she decided she wasn’t going to complain about being able to raise her in a free apartment after all. Besides, her parents live in the area because they thought it would be best to have a place closer to them so that they can help look after her while she gets adjusted to the bizarre hours that a surgical intern works. All she wanted to do was provide for her daughter and give her the life she deserved without relying on her parent’s money. It sounded rather enticing whenever she thought about it before, but now that it was happening? Let’s just say she didn’t know if she was off to a good start.

It was nearing midnight when she finally reached the front door to her new apartment, where the fancy wallpaper in the hallways already made her feel out of place as she struggled to find her keys. Unfortunately, she couldn’t get to them, given the large box in her right arm and a sleeping Sofia in her left. So, she was in a bit of a predicament. She didn’t want to make any noise, not only because she didn’t want to wake her up but also because she wanted to avoid leaving a bad impression on the neighbors.

Both ends of the scale were bad, a possible toddler tantrum or all of the most fragile items that she didn’t trust the movers with crashing to the floor. At this point, she wasn’t sure what to do. The hallways were empty, so she couldn’t ask for help, and she wasn’t in the best position to squat and set the box on the ground. Feeling helpless and without any other possible solutions, she started to turn around and head back down to her car to leave the box there for the night. However, just as soon as she turned around, her foot got caught on the rug, and she tripped forward, leaving the box to begin slipping out of her grasp as she instinctively felt around for something to hold onto.

“Hey, hold on, let me grab that for you,” A woman’s voice called out from ahead of her, and quickly she felt the weight of the box be relieved from her arms. “Moving in?” The stranger asked, her small smile masking the tired look in her eyes.

Her straight, raven-like hair was to her shoulders and parted down the middle in a way that framed her face well. It matched the color of her eyes and ultimately contrasted with the light tone of her skin. She was certainly attractive, to say the slightest, but what mainly caught Andrea’s eye was the gun holstered at her hip. She was never fond of them, so she could feel her grip on Sofia tighten, even if there was a badge accompanying it.

“Oh, thank you so much!” She spoke with a sighed relief, allowing her to take the box and follow her back to her apartment door. “You’re a lifesaver,” She added, her voice above a whisper to not wake up Sofia.

She fumbled for the silver key in her pocket before slipping it into the lock and twisting it until hearing the subtle click of the gears. “And yes, I just moved in. Well, I should say I’m still moving in. As you can see from the empty apartment.” She chuckled awkwardly, gesturing into the now-opened doorway.

There were only a few pieces of furniture sitting around the place from where the movers left them, plus a small air mattress, a dining table with a few chairs, and one gray sofa. Quickly, she headed over to the small bed to gently lay her daughter down, tucking her in and kissing her forehead before she made her way back over to the stranger waiting patiently at her door.

“I get it,” The woman nodded in understanding as she watched the mother accept the box back from her and quickly walk back to set it on the dining table. “I just moved in a couple of weeks ago, and I still have boxes stored away in my closet.”

“Procrastinating, huh?” Andrea wondered, pulling her thick curls up into a messy bun as she returned to the door.

“Force of habit, actually,” The brunette’s smile widened just the slightest bit. It was infectious, adorned with dimples and pearly white teeth. “I moved around a lot growing up, so I never stayed in one place for too long. I guess somewhere down the line, I had gotten used to never being able to plant roots in the places I’ve stayed at.”

“That makes sense,” She subconsciously crossed her arms, something that didn’t go unnoticed by the stranger at her door. “Hopefully, you stick around this time. It’d be nice to see a friendly face around here. I’m Andrea, by the way.” She finally introduced herself, holding out a hand.

“Emily,” She grasped her hand, her palm warm and slightly callused. “And yeah, I’m hoping I’ll be here for a while.”

As they conversed, Andrea couldn’t help but take notice of the way her tired eyes shined back at her. She could tell from her slight slouch in posture alone that she’d had a stressful day herself. Before she even thought twice about the matter, the words were already flying from her mouth.

“Um, would you like to come in for a drink?”

Never in her life would she have been so trusting of a stranger, but there was something about Emily’s presence that she enjoyed. Plus, it was nice having a conversation with someone her age rather than a 3-year-old, and she wanted to talk more.

“I know it’s late,” She continued, her body unintentionally growing smaller under the weight of her gaze. “But I figured I should thank you somehow for helping me out in the hall. Besides, no offense, but it looks like you could use one.”

“I could say the same about you.” Emily teased, causing her to suddenly feel self-conscious and glance down at the baggy clothes she had on from a long day of traveling and hard labor.

Andrea smiled at her disheveled appearance, biting her lip in embarrassment.

“Touché. So, what do you say?” She asked, already knowing the answer as soon as a small grimace made its way onto Emily’s face.

“I’d love to, but I really should get home and try to sleep a little before going back to work in the morning.”

“Oh, right, of course!” She chuckled awkwardly, having forgotten about the time. “I’m sorry, that was probably weird of me to ask in the first place. Thank you again for the help, Emily. It means a lot.”

“There’s really no need to thank me. I’m not home much, but if you ever need anything while I’m around, I’d be more than happy to help. It was nice meeting you, Andrea.” She spoke sweetly before her gaze fixated on something behind the woman in front of her. “I think you may have someone who needs your attention now.”

Quickly, Andrea turned around to see her daughter standing sleepily behind her, rubbing at her tired eyes and clutching her pink blankie.

“Mommy, where’s Teddy?” Her voice trembled as she mispronounced nearly every word. “I can’t sleep without him.”

She looked back to wish Emily goodnight, knowing a tantrum was about to occur, but when she did so, Emily was nowhere to be seen, and the door across the hall was being clicked shut. With a sigh, she closed the door and locked it behind her before walking over to her awaiting toddler.

“Oh, honey. I think he’s still in one of the boxes in the car.” She cringed, mentally cursing herself for not remembering to keep Sofia’s stuffed bear at arm’s reach. “He’ll be safe there tonight, and we can get him first thing in the morning. Think you can manage without him just for tonight?”

Her head slowly shook as tears welled up in her eyes, and Andrea knew what was coming. Soon enough, small cries left Sofi’s lips before the sobs followed shortly afterward. It was like witnessing the oncoming of a big storm. It began with the small droplets falling from the sky, a sign to take cover before the major downpour hit. Unfortunately, the storm rolled in fast, and like thunder, her daughter’s screams echoed through the walls, and no doubt rattled the box of fragile items on the dining table.

“C’mere.” She cooed, scooping her up in her arms and gently rubbing her back while she cried in the crook of her neck.

It was going to be a long night.

When the morning sun finally decided to peek its way through the curtains, Andrea woke up from probably only 5 hours of rest. There wasn’t any point trying to get back to sleep. She knew that she had a lot planned for the day, what with setting up her apartment and moving in the rest of the boxes from her car, including Teddy. He was a top priority after last night’s incidents. Fortunately, she was meeting up with her parents this morning, and they wanted to take Sofi for a few hours. So, hopefully, she could get her actual bed delivered today and get a nice nap in before they dropped her off later in the evening.

In the meantime, however, she figured she’d get a jump start on the day’s activities. With caution, she sat up from the sofa, making sure not to wake the little sleeping beauty lying on her chest. It was an uphill battle trying to get her back to sleep last night, but within time Andrea assumed that the exhaustion from the long trip caught up with her because she eventually cried herself to sleep.

She felt so helpless not being able to comfort her in the way she needed, and it broke her heart to see her daughter in such a drastic state. She’d only ever cried that much for two reasons, and that was if she had a bad dream or if Teddy wasn't there to “protect” her. It only reminded her that she was still so new to parenthood. I mean, she’s been in her life for three years now, but she wasn’t a pro at this. It was times like this when she wished she could just have someone in her corner to help out. She could feel her insecurities about being an unfit mother start to overwhelm her, but she knew she couldn’t go down that road again.

She shook her head to rid her mind of those plaguing doubts, knowing that she’d only been doing the best that she could as a single mother. By the time she finished with her morning routine and began making breakfast, it was around 6:30 when she felt a warm embrace around her left ankle. Looking down, she was met with the adorable sight of her daughter’s big bright hazel eyes staring back at her and her wild mess of a bedhead. That was gonna be a pain to detangle. Still, it was just what she needed for her mood to shift completely, much like it always had been when she was around.

By the time they made it out of the front door, it was somewhere around 7:15. Andrea held Sofi on her right hip while she locked the door to her apartment.

“Are you excited to see Nonna today?” She asked, knowing she favored her more than her grandpa. After receiving an enthusiastic nod in return, she chuckled. “Me too! But first, we gotta zip up this coat, Missy. It’s supposed to be a bit chilly outside today, and we don’t want you catching a cold.”

Lowering her to the ground, she bent down to her height and set her purse on the floor beside her. Sofia’s bright bubblegum pink jacket was halfway hanging over her shoulders, and it took her a little while to get it situated so that she could zip it up. Her daughter, of course, didn’t make it easy. Opting to stomp and dance in place like children often did because standing in place for too long was just too agonizing. But once she did manage to zip it up, she gave her nose a little *boop* because she was so darn cute, and it never failed to make her giggle.

Suddenly, the door behind her burst open and closed shut with such a ruckus that Sofia and her mom both flinched, having been used to the lonely hallway.

She hadn’t had much time to act before she felt someone trip over her purse. Their body tumbled to the ground directly in front of them with a loud *thud*. Quickly looking up in worry, Andrea saw the same brunette from last night lying before her, grunting in pain.

“Oh, my god!” She gasped, eyes widened with concern as she quickly approached her. “Emily, I’m so sorry! Are you alright?”

By the looks of it, she could tell she was in a hurry to be somewhere, and she assumed it was work-related, given she was dressed professionally in a nice sweater and slacks. The same gun was holstered to her hip, as well as the badge hooked onto her side belt. Her hair was a bit out of place from the fall, yet Andrea still managed to catch sight of a small smile gracing her face while she licked her bottom lip in embarrassment.

God, why was she such a sucker for dimples? She fell for her daughter’s every time she used them to her advantage, and she could already feel the effect Emily’s started to have on her, though she hardly knew her.

“I’m fine,” Emily assured them, making a point to speak directly to Sofia, who was cowering behind her mom’s legs with her thumb in her mouth. Something she only did when she was anxious or scared. The sudden noise and commotion must’ve scared her, so after Andrea helped Emily from the ground, she guided Sofia in front of her so she could see there wasn’t any threat or need to worry.

“Just a little clumsy, that’s all, see!” Emily continued, making a show of twisting her arms around to show Sofi everything was okay. She then turned her attention over to Andrea with the same gentle smile as if she didn’t just see her wincing slightly during her display. “Are you and your daughter okay? I didn’t get either of you on the way down, did I?”

“No, we’re completely fine. Don’t worry.” She answered truthfully, glancing at her daughter just to double-check before looking at her once again. “Are you sure you’re alright, though?”

Concern was evident on Andrea’s face as she focused on the way Emily was subtly holding onto her wrist. She didn’t even think twice before she stepped forward and gently took it into her hands, allowing her fingers to graze softly along the smooth skin. While putting slight pressure here and there to check for bruising or swelling, her mind wasn’t even focused on how close they were. She was too distracted by her doctor mode showing itself, cataloging every freckle on her skin, every twist of a ligament, every outline of bone.

“Uh, yeah, I’m fine.” Emily stammered slightly, clearing her throat afterward, which made Andrea smirk to herself.

“Well, it doesn’t look like you sprained it, so that’s good.” She gave her a reassuring smile, still holding onto her hand. “But you should probably ice it for a few minutes if you can, just to take the redness down.”

“Thank you for taking a look. I’m sure it will be fine,” Emily replied, pulling her hand back and cradling it near her chest. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re a doctor.”

“You’d be correct.” She laughed sheepishly.

It was then that Sofia reached up for her mom, who didn't hesitate to pick her up and set her on her right hip while she wrapped her purse around the other.

“By the way,” She changed the subject. “I don’t think you were properly introduced last night, but this is my daughter, Sofia. Can you say hi, Sof?” She looked at her, but the little girl only gave Emily a small wave before hiding her face in the crook of her mom’s neck. “Sorry, she can be a little shy sometimes.”

Emily smiled brightly. “That’s alright. Hi Sofia, my name is Emily.” She spoke gently, stepping only a little closer before pointing to the sleeves of Sofi’s pink coat. “Is this your favorite color?”

Sofia nodded a little, pulling her head out of Andrea’s neck in curiosity.

“Do you want to know what my favorite color is?” Emily continued, waiting for her to nod once more before reaching into her bag and pulling out a red lollipop. Something that instantly made Sofia’s eyes go wide. “My favorite color is red, just like this! Do you like lollipops?”

She let out a soft ‘mhm’ in response, the fresh curls of her ponytail bouncing along as she nodded. To which Emily chuckled.

“Can you ask your mommy if you can have this lollipop? I think it was made just for you!”

Sofia’s next words to her mom were almost incoherent due to her excitement, but she managed to hear her use her manners, and that was all she needed.

“I don’t see why not.” Andrea agreed, immediately receiving a cheer in response from her daughter. She had already begun leaning out of her embrace to accept the lollipop before showing her true strength by ripping it open. But her mom quickly stopped her with a raised eyebrow. “Hey, wait a minute! Honey, what do you say to Emily for giving you a treat?”

“Oh,” Her head perked up in thought before she smiled shyly and rested her head on her shoulder. “Thank you, Emmy!”

“That’s my girl.” She kissed her head before looking up at Emily with a knowing smirk. “Be prepared. She’s gonna expect you to always have candy on you every time she sees you.”

“Well, luckily, I usually always have something.” She replied, zipping her bag closed. “Part of what I do involves having a specialization in children. So I always keep a couple of treats just in case.”

Intrigued, Andrea was about to ask what her profession was. However, she noticed the way she began fidgeting with her hands, and it was then that she remembered she was originally in a hurry to leave.

“Well, I don’t want to keep you. But, um, I was wondering if you’d like to grab a coffee with me sometime? My treat?” She asked, albeit a bit nervously. “I know you told me you’re a busy woman, and honestly, I don’t know what my schedule will look like once my internship starts,” She began rambling. “I just feel like I really owe you one, Emily. I mean, you helped me out last night, and I ended up making you fall this morning and probably be late to work. So, please let me do something nice for you.”

The words flew from her mouth before she could catch them, and the next thing she knew, she was diving into the fact that she was new in town and need of friends. It wasn’t until she saw the amused look on Emily’s face that she paused mid-sentence. “I’m sorry, I’m ranting, aren’t I?”

Emily laughed a little, “It’s okay. You’re cute when you ramble. And actually, I do a fair bit of traveling for my job, so I don’t know when I will be completely free again. Our jet has been grounded for a mandatory safety inspection for the next two days, so maybe we can make something work then?”

She reached back into her bag while Andrea stood a blushing mess, unable to form an actual response after hearing Emily call her cute. “Here, take this,” She handed her a card with her contact information on it. “And if you ever hear me at my apartment, feel free to knock. I don’t have many friends here either and would love some company.” She winked before speaking to Sofia in hushed tones. “Don’t tell your mommy, but I have a new kitty who is little like you.” She reached over and tickled her belly to get a bit of a laugh, which she succeeded in. “And he would love to have some new friends to play with.”

With that, she checked her backward watch and quickly started to sprint down the stairs, calling up a final goodbye on her way out. Andrea watched as she left, only hoping that she hadn’t noticed her reddened cheeks.

Honestly, she never used to be such a nervous and self-aware person. She was always a social butterfly to her peers and practically radiated confidence in the way she presented herself. However, everything changed after her last relationship with Sofia’s father. She was left broken with the type of baggage that was filled to the brim with nothing but coping mechanisms and insecurities.

Nowadays, she was always worried about saying the wrong thing, but so far, Emily’s kindness was like a lighthouse in the distance, as cheesy as that sounded. She saw the light within her, and it gave her an ounce of hope that maybe she could escape the darkness still lingering around her.

Only time would tell.

a/n: hope you liked the first chapter! let me know if you’d like to be added to the taglist for this fic <3

taglist: @sweetmidnights @leftoverenvy @ssajemilyprentiss @heidss

#safe haven 🩺#ssa sapphic’s fics #emily prentiss x fem!oc #emily prentiss x poc oc #emily prentiss fic #ssa emily prentiss #criminal minds #criminal minds fic

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