I have a cold.
‘I’m going to talk to Strauss,’ Morgan said, his tone conversational, even if the topic he brought up was anything but.
Emily turned on him. ‘Derek.’ She put a serious emphasis on his name. ‘You really, really shouldn’t do that.’
‘Why not?’ he asked, turning away from the food that was set out on the table. ‘You can’t just have anyone in the BAU - getting rid of you would be a mistake, and Strauss needs to understand that.’
‘You’re not going to change her mind, Derek - I think you need to understand that.’ Her voice had more venom in it than she’d intended, but she really needed Morgan to back off, for his own sake. If he pissed off Strauss, then it didn’t matter what kind of deal Emily had made.
‘I don’t believe that.’
Emily put a hand to her head. She liked Derek a lot, but he could be the most frustrating, stubborn, pain in the ass when he wanted to be.
‘I already told you,’ she persisted. ‘Either I leave the BAU, or we both leave the FBI.’
‘Why you?’ he demanded. ‘Why not me? That seems a little unfair, doesn’t it?’
‘Stop trying to change this, Morgan,’ she yelled, a little surprised at her own anger. Not as surprised as he was, though.
He stared at her, a little stunned. ‘Emily…’
‘Derek, I…’ She shook her head, not wanting to tell him, but at the same time knowing that she had to. ‘Strauss…Strauss brought me into the BAU to get dirt on Hotch for her. She thought that…because of my name - my parents - I would be willing to spy for her. That’s why I quit.’
The reasons behind her mysterious resignation had been overshadowed by Gideon’s disappearance, and she’d become accustomed to the idea that she’d never have to explain herself. ‘I don’t belong in the BAU, Morgan - I never did. You…you are the one that kept us together after Foyet attacked Hotch. You’re the one they wanted to lead the team in his stead. If you leave, then they will be losing a hell of a lot more compared to me leaving.’
There was a long pause, which Emily cut short with a sigh. ‘I’m sorry. I should have spoken to you about the transfer, but that would mean admitting to the fact that I was never supposed to be there in the first place.’
He stepped across the void that had sprung between them, taking her hand. ‘You always belonged, no matter what Strauss said, no matter what brought you there. There is no normal way to get into the BAU - look at Reid. Look at Garcia. You work on a team full of profilers - trust me, if you didn’t belong, someone would have noticed.’