A/N: So…..I finally caved in. After months of reading everyone else's stories, I finally listened to the annoying plot bunny that's been rolling around in my head lately. I've been wondering just how Prentiss' return will be written. In my Spemily-lovin' mind, it will go something like this. This is my first attempt at writing any sort of fiction since high school (10+ years ago), so bear with me. Here's hoping you find this enjoyable. I'd love feedback!

Disclosures: I don't own the characters or the show. I got one line of dialogue from the season 7 promo. That's it.

Chapter 1

She knew how the others would react to the knowledge that she was alive. Morgan would be pissed—at her, at Hotch and JJ, at the world. Garcia would burst into tears of joy and begin planning a "Welcome Home" party. Rossi would lean back in his chair, nodding his head in understanding and acceptance of what had to be done.

But Reid? He was the wild card. She had been told that he had taken her "death" very hard. Emily worried about him throughout her time in Europe. Reid had endured so much already, had so many people abandon him for their own selfish desires, had so many demons taunting his brilliant mind. She hadn't considered herself religious for a long time, but she frequently found herself praying that he was okay.

She knew it was ridiculous, given the rest of her life story, but she considered turning down Reid's offer to see Solaris to be one of her life's biggest regrets. She couldn't have cared less about the movie itself—she'd already seen it—but she wanted to spend time with Reid away from work, away from the blood and gore. She relished every chance she got, yet longed for more. Doyle somehow knew this—that's why he taunted her about Reid more than the other members of her team. Yet another reason for her to hate Doyle—his re-emergence kept her from pursuing something she had wanted for several years. Her "death" also meant that she might never get the chance to find out if anything would happen between her and Reid.

Now, she was being "resurrected." JJ and Hotch were preparing to tell the members of the team; in a short time, Emily would be reunited with them, with her "family." She didn't expect it to be all sunshine and roses—she knew she would have to answer many questions, regain the trust of her friends, and deal with the consequences of what she had done, even though it truly was in their best interest. Again, she envisioned the reactions of her teammates—except for Reid. With him, she still drew a blank. Would he be happy to see her? Would he tell her how much he missed her? Would he be angry with her for not telling him about Doyle, about her past? She just didn't know. The only thing she knew is that she longed to see those brown eyes again, to see that warm smile, to hear his voice, to feel his presence.

She had arrived under the cover of darkness. After all, everyone at the FBI thought she was dead—showing up during the day would have caused quite the upheaval. As she stepped off the elevator with Hotch and JJ, she shuddered when she saw her picture on the wall of fallen agents. She walked into the bullpen and straight to her old desk. It appeared that nothing had been moved in her absence, like it was some sort of workplace memorial. She took a shaky breath as JJ said, "Spence wanted to leave your desk the way it was." Her eyes filled with tears as they wandered over to his desk, where she could see his chicken scratch on a legal pad, one of his cardigans slung on the back of his chair, and a container of antacids next to his computer monitor. She thought back to the many conversations they had shared at those desks—bouncing ideas off of one another, joking about their teammates, discussing the newest restaurants in the area.

"Emily." Hotch's voice brought her back to the present. "You'll wait in my office while we explain the situation to the rest of the team. We'll give them some time to process everything, and then you can come in. Are you ready?"

Emily closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and drew back her shoulders.

"Yes," she said. "I'm ready."