Chapter 1

Hotch, the first member of his crew to enter the building, did so on a frigid Monday morning. He was a little happy that nobody was around to confront him about a strange habit while he was browsing through his phone. He saw Daniella at her desk with her head down as he was making his way to his office. After heaving a sigh, he approached her and gently roused her. When she spotted Hotch, she sighed and sat up, feeling a little confused.

Hotch observed the weariness in her face and replies. "It's been a week. Go into the shower room if you have extra clothing in the locker."

In addition to nodding and wiping her mouth to yawn, Daniella rubbed her temples. "Sure, thanks."

Hotch shook his head once more before gathering all the completed documents. He entered his office prepared to edit her work when he saw some scribbling on an additional sheet.

Knowing that everything was always in its place, Daniella inhaled deeply before getting up with her purse and leaving her phone on the desk. She let her hair down, left the office, got in the elevator, and pressed the button to the top level where the showers were located.

She had a shower, then looked more put together as she went back to the sixth floor after brushing her teeth and washing her face. She groaned as her sleep-deprived eyes became red around the edges, but she quickly ignored it because she didn't really care if anyone noticed. She entered the lounge and, while reaching for a cup, she added water to the coffee pot. She added more sugar than usual since she thought it would help keep her awake for a few hours. She groaned as she returned to her desk to look at more paperwork.

With a brand new pen in her hand, Penelope was eagerly making her way to her office. As she entered her office and turned on the computer screens and every other monitor, she grinned brightly at the other employees who were walking by. She sat down after setting her luggage down on the chair behind her and swiftly glanced through the cameras. When something caught her eye, she immediately came to a stop. She quickly skimmed through the recordings to see Daniella working. Soon after, she was repeatedly putting her head down before finally nodding after.

When she noticed the deadline, she scowled profoundly since she was at a loss for words. She stood up and searched her bag for the crackers and water bottle she had purchased this morning. Daniella was working quietly at her desk when she emerged from her office and moved closer to her. Daniella jumped a little as Penelope put her hand on her shoulder.

"I am so sorry," Penelope gasped, frowning immediately after. "Are you okay?"

Daniella blinked and answered. "Yeah." She nodded slightly hoping that would comfort her friend. "I'm sorry, it's okay, and I'm okay."

Daniella gave Penelope a bewildered look as she placed the crackers and water bottle on the desk. Daniella was hugged by Penelope as she grinned a little.

"You know where to find me if you ever want to talk about anything," Penelope said, lowering her voice. "And I mean, anything."

As Penelope's hand was extended to her, Daniella's eye began to tear up. She just couldn't, despite how alluring the proposition seemed. She cut off all communication with everyone she loved because she didn't think they would comprehend.

"Thanks Penelope," she sighed quietly. "I might just take you up on that."

After giving a smile and a nod, Penelope turned around and strode back to her workplace. Before continuing her work, Daniella grinned at her friends gesture. Opening the crackers after giving them a quick glance, she began to eat them.

After Penelope left, Spencer and Morgan exchanged looks. They found it weird that Penelope hadn't left her office much. Opening their main office door with a shrug, they entered and headed to their own desks. Spencer shrugged his head dismissively when Derek nodded towards Daniella.

"You look tired," Derek says, smirking a bit. "Someone have a late night?"

"Very late night," Daniella said, her gaze on her work. "I stayed pretty late and here I am."

She appeared to be a little sleep deprived as Spencer observed her. He also observed that she was biting her nails, which she occasionally did. He reciprocated her little smile after she felt his gaze on her and looked up when Penelope motioned for him to go to Hotch's office. He gave her a perplexed expression but yet approached her without asking. Penelope shut the door and the blinds once they both entered Hotch's office.

"You do realize they can't hear us through the blinds, right?"

"But they can see us," Penelope sighed. "And this conversation will avoid any of us looking out the window."

Hotch sighed. "What can I do for you Penelope?"

"Hotch, Daniella hasn't slept much at all for a week," Penelope scowled, her eyes getting wet. "I put my hand on her shoulder and she just jumped! She's in bad shape!"

Hotch closed the file he was editing and motioned for them to sit down. Penelope exhaled as they both sat still, waiting for Hotch to continue.

Hotch gave it some thinking. "Since she skipped out on our most recent training with the bureau coach, I've tried to talk to her about what's going on. She simply won't discuss it, and I can't force her to speak if she chooses not to."

Reid, who was now facing Penelope, shook his head and cleared his throat. "Maybe she simply enjoys being here."

Penelope glared at Reid and stated, "Regardless, she's not getting enough sleep and she can hardly stay awake at times. Send her home, please!"

Not having much of a choice, Hotch pledged. "And I will. I'll send her home."

After leaving his office, Reid and Penelope stood silently outside. Penelope gave Reid a hard elbow as he turned to gaze at Daniella, who was laughing at something Derek said.

"Ow! What? "

"You think she's pretty, huh?" Penelope teased.

"What? I never said that!" Reid squeaked out, his cheeks reddened.

Penelope smiled at the few people who turned to face them. Once they looked away, she roared with laughter.

"Oh, you do!" She laughed again before leaving.

Before returning to his workstation, Spencer shook his head and snatched up some coffee. In fact, he was unhindered in starting his papers.

The day was long and tediously administrative, and before long, it was dark. Even though Daniella had trouble focusing on her task, she was largely awake. Her headache was getting worse, and her vision was becoming foggy. She closed her eyes and put her head in her hands, hoping that would make the unexpected anguish go away.

She gave the file a final shut after a brief pause and placed her pen down. When Spencer put a hand on her shoulder and she jumped out of her chair as a result, Reid took a step back. With her heart racing from the unexpected fear, she turned to see Reid.

"Reid, you scared me!" She exhaled, her eyes wide.

"Yeah, I-I see that. I'm sorry," Spencer replied, looking at her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, closing her eyes. The bright office lights were making her head hurt much worse. "Yes, I'm good. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you."

Derek turned to face them after grabbing his belongings and waiting to see what would transpire. Reid's anxious expression and Daniella's sleep deprived state caught his attention. He strolled over to them after grabbing his keys. Spencer gave him a quick glance before returning to Daniella.

"It's late," he remarked. "You two should go home. I can give you a ride if you'd like. "

She shook her head. "Thanks, but I'll ride the train. Some fresh air would be nice."

Before agreeing and walking away, Spencer shook his head at Derek and offered him a little smile.

Spencer gathered his belongings while Daniella quietly gathered hers. With only two of them in the office and the lights beginning to fade, Derek had already left. She turned to face Spencer while he was observing her, seeming a little perplexed. She was ready to speak when he shook his head.

"I'm riding the train with you," Spencer said. "It's late."

Daniella have a modest smile and nod as they left the BAU together. The night was beautiful and crisp. She was nervous since the subway was so crowded. Daniella bit her nails as she experienced a wave of fear and felt completely overpowered by the unexpected influx of people.

With his eyebrows raised, Spencer gently grasped her wrist and pulled her hand away from her mouth. She stared at him, and when she appeared to be a little lost, he offered her a tiny smile.

"Your nails already have bacteria on them from touching the poles, which I'm sure aren't sterilized. In addition to spreading additional germs and diseases, biting your nails while eating them can result in a stomach infection," he warned.

Daniella sighed. "Of course."

When they arrived at their destination, Spencer let her out first while leading the way. Even though they were walking silently together, it was very reassuring. She thanked him as he led her to the building with a smile. Before leaving and returning home, he waited until she was inside the building.

-

January 20, 2023 4:09 am

Hi guys! I have been very inactive on my account as of late, and I am trying my best to finish editing Insomnia and I am trying to finish the sequel as well! I last edited this on Oct 13, 2022 and there were still a lot of mistakes that I was not able to fix due to me being in school and finishing my externship. It has taken me almost 4 days to edit a single chapter because the grammar and punctuation are so far off and I am trying to fix that!

I am also working on other short stories but have not gotten around to being able to share them with you because I did not have a lot of time on my hands, but I am on a short break. I will try my best to get a few chapters out by Sunday so please bear with me! I most definitely thank you all for your patience! I also wanted to thank you guys for getting Insomnia up to 145k!! much love guys!! 💖💖💖

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