Home Invasion: Chapter 4
Title: Home Invasion: Chapter 4
Author: ficdirectory
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/Characters JJ, Prentiss, Garcia, Hotch, Morgan, Reid, Rossi
Spoilers: N/A
Words: 9,657 - Chapter 4/11
Summary: The BAU is caught unaware on a night off, and find themselves victims of a home invasion.
His priority did not seem to be to teach them what he knew, but rather to impress upon them that nothing, not even... knowledge, was foolproof.
- J.K. Rowling
For Hotch, knowing is little consolation. It does not change the fact that his team is all injured in some way - all trying to put the pieces back together. It does not change the fact that there are still cases to go over and people who still need their expertise.
In short: the sooner they are back to work, the better.
But at the same time, Hotch realizes that it's impossible to predict who will be ready when, or when they will all be ready for their hectic schedule again. He has it on good authority that JJ is already combing through the new case files, figuring out where to go. He called her to check in. Then, he called Morgan - who from the sounds of things in the background on JJ's call - was busy making a pest of himself watching television loudly.
"It's all he's done," JJ confided quietly in ar hoarse, yet irritated tone. "Please tell me we're going back to work soon."
"That's what I'm trying to figure out. How are you feeling?"
"Fine."
She answers too quickly and Hotch knows that. JJ needs more time. Morgan needs more time because of his head injury. Rossi is fine, but instead of going back to work, he stays at the hospital with Reid, who is taking the longest to recover.
That leaves Prentiss and Garcia.
He tries Garcia first, mainly because he wants to end with some hope that his team can start work again soon. Garcia is great at what she does, and Hotch respects her, but she is also the most emotionally fragile, and he will not be surprised to hear her still very distressed about what happened to them.
"Hello?" she answers on the third ring, sounding exhausted.
"Garcia. How are you feeling?"
"Not the best, sir. How are you?"
She doesn't sound the best, but that doesn't stop her from being the only member of his team thus far, to check in with him.
"I'm sorry to hear that," he says honestly, ignoring her question. "I was just calling to see how everyone is feeling..." he lets the sentence trail off on purpose, not wanting Garcia to feel rushed or come back before she is truly ready.
"Not the best," she repeats quietly. "But I'll be okay."
"All right. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call. Any of us. Reid is still in the hospital, but the rest of us are available. All right?"
"Yes, sir. Thank you."
--
Emily groans and stretches as far as she possibly can, with her knee iced and elevated. She manages to nudge her phone off the coffee table.
"Damn it!" She is done being an invalid. Done recovering from ACL surgery. Done with PT. Done with the counselor she has seen exactly one time. What she needs is to get back to work.
And Hotch is calling.
She lunges for the floor and prays she does not fall.
"Hello?" she asks, not even bothering to right herself first. She is bored. And she does not want this call to go to voice mail.
"Emily. How are you?"
"Hold on one second..." Emily grunts and manages to situate herself again. "Okay... Sorry. What were you asking?"
Emily scowls and mutes the television where five women argue about news and pop culture. Why anyone cares about these shows is beyond her.
"Hotch?" she asks.
"Yeah, I'm here. How are you doing?" he presses.
"Bored as hell," she tells him and he laughs.
"I know the feeling," he says, and it makes her feel a little less helpless. A little less angry. A little less everything.
"How soon can you come in?" he asks, and she does mental calculations.
"Desk-ready or field-ready?" she asks, because there is no way she is sitting behind a desk while everyone else goes off without her.
"Either."
"A couple more weeks," she admits. "I mean, I could come in now, but I don't imagine anyone else is ready..."
"You'd be surprised. Morgan is driving JJ crazy. They both want to be here. Rossi's ready when we are. Garcia might need some time, and Reid won't be back for a while yet, but most of us feel the same way you do."
"Did you that Morgan left? A perfectly good house, guest room, everything. Said I was driving him crazy..."
Hotch laughs. "You're too alike."
Emily presses her lips together, to keep the sharp retort inside. Instead, she chose other words. Words she really meant.
"Hey Hotch? Thanks for the call. Thanks for checking on us."
"You're welcome."
Author: ficdirectory
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/Characters JJ, Prentiss, Garcia, Hotch, Morgan, Reid, Rossi
Spoilers: N/A
Words: 9,657 - Chapter 4/11
Summary: The BAU is caught unaware on a night off, and find themselves victims of a home invasion.
His priority did not seem to be to teach them what he knew, but rather to impress upon them that nothing, not even... knowledge, was foolproof.
- J.K. Rowling
For Hotch, knowing is little consolation. It does not change the fact that his team is all injured in some way - all trying to put the pieces back together. It does not change the fact that there are still cases to go over and people who still need their expertise.
In short: the sooner they are back to work, the better.
But at the same time, Hotch realizes that it's impossible to predict who will be ready when, or when they will all be ready for their hectic schedule again. He has it on good authority that JJ is already combing through the new case files, figuring out where to go. He called her to check in. Then, he called Morgan - who from the sounds of things in the background on JJ's call - was busy making a pest of himself watching television loudly.
"It's all he's done," JJ confided quietly in ar hoarse, yet irritated tone. "Please tell me we're going back to work soon."
"That's what I'm trying to figure out. How are you feeling?"
"Fine."
She answers too quickly and Hotch knows that. JJ needs more time. Morgan needs more time because of his head injury. Rossi is fine, but instead of going back to work, he stays at the hospital with Reid, who is taking the longest to recover.
That leaves Prentiss and Garcia.
He tries Garcia first, mainly because he wants to end with some hope that his team can start work again soon. Garcia is great at what she does, and Hotch respects her, but she is also the most emotionally fragile, and he will not be surprised to hear her still very distressed about what happened to them.
"Hello?" she answers on the third ring, sounding exhausted.
"Garcia. How are you feeling?"
"Not the best, sir. How are you?"
She doesn't sound the best, but that doesn't stop her from being the only member of his team thus far, to check in with him.
"I'm sorry to hear that," he says honestly, ignoring her question. "I was just calling to see how everyone is feeling..." he lets the sentence trail off on purpose, not wanting Garcia to feel rushed or come back before she is truly ready.
"Not the best," she repeats quietly. "But I'll be okay."
"All right. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call. Any of us. Reid is still in the hospital, but the rest of us are available. All right?"
"Yes, sir. Thank you."
--
Emily groans and stretches as far as she possibly can, with her knee iced and elevated. She manages to nudge her phone off the coffee table.
"Damn it!" She is done being an invalid. Done recovering from ACL surgery. Done with PT. Done with the counselor she has seen exactly one time. What she needs is to get back to work.
And Hotch is calling.
She lunges for the floor and prays she does not fall.
"Hello?" she asks, not even bothering to right herself first. She is bored. And she does not want this call to go to voice mail.
"Emily. How are you?"
"Hold on one second..." Emily grunts and manages to situate herself again. "Okay... Sorry. What were you asking?"
Emily scowls and mutes the television where five women argue about news and pop culture. Why anyone cares about these shows is beyond her.
"Hotch?" she asks.
"Yeah, I'm here. How are you doing?" he presses.
"Bored as hell," she tells him and he laughs.
"I know the feeling," he says, and it makes her feel a little less helpless. A little less angry. A little less everything.
"How soon can you come in?" he asks, and she does mental calculations.
"Desk-ready or field-ready?" she asks, because there is no way she is sitting behind a desk while everyone else goes off without her.
"Either."
"A couple more weeks," she admits. "I mean, I could come in now, but I don't imagine anyone else is ready..."
"You'd be surprised. Morgan is driving JJ crazy. They both want to be here. Rossi's ready when we are. Garcia might need some time, and Reid won't be back for a while yet, but most of us feel the same way you do."
"Did you that Morgan left? A perfectly good house, guest room, everything. Said I was driving him crazy..."
Hotch laughs. "You're too alike."
Emily presses her lips together, to keep the sharp retort inside. Instead, she chose other words. Words she really meant.
"Hey Hotch? Thanks for the call. Thanks for checking on us."
"You're welcome."