[Criminal Minds] Matter of time
Title: Matter of time
Rating: G
Genre: Character study
Series: Moments in Time
Characters: Spencer Reid, Dave Rossi, Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner
Spoilers: 3x13 Limelight
Warnings: None beyond what's in the episode
Summary: Hotch decided to use an opportunity that presented itself. Much to his colleague's dismay.
Disclaimer: All characters are property of CBS, Jeff Davis, Edward Allen Bernero and sadly not mine. I just take them along for the ride. Special thanks to my dear friend Sarah for all her help and encouragement and being a great beta. Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed one of my others stories.
Studying the pieces of paper in his hands that the fax machine had just printed out, Rossi turned around and started to slowly make his way from the BAU office’s entrance in the direction of the stairs leading from the bullpen area to the offices, passing the desks on both sides in the process.
He was focused on his task and didn’t lift his gaze once, so he was oblivious to Reid watching him from where the young man was sitting at his desk to the senior agent’s right.
Spencer was still puzzled by the older profiler. The man had worked with both Gideon and Hotch back in the day and yet he was so different from them; not really dismissive but relatively reserved. And even with everything Reid had read about the first BAU agents and his eidetic memory to help him in that regard, he couldn’t figure out if it was just the man’s personality that made him act that way or a result of all the cases he had worked on that changed him, leaving behind remnants in the soul that could eventually break a person, just like it did Gideon not long ago. It also made him wonder - probably just like the rest of the team - why Dave had chosen to come out of retirement and re-join the BAU.
Rossi might have missed that look, but using his peripheral vision to not bump into anyone or the furniture he did see the team’s leader approaching him. Still not looking up he stopped in his tracks and was met by Hotch roughly in the middle of the bullpen area.
The other agent eyed the pages and asked, “You got something?”
Briefly lifting his gaze Dave answered, “I’m not sure. They’re from an old storage unit,” before handing them over to his colleague.
The special agent in charge took in their content while he noticed Reid getting up from his chair. Having seen the young man’s curious gaze earlier he suspected that Spencer might be encouraged enough now by his presence to join them.
It wasn’t like the long-haired profiler was intimidated by Rossi, he knew that, but Aaron guessed that the other man hadn’t quite figured out yet how to deal with the legend that Dave no doubt was. And considering the puzzled looks that their newest addition to the team had given Reid occasionally it probably was a mutual thing.
“Case agent from the Philly office sent it to me,” the man in front of him continued to explain.
“Somebody you know?” Hotch inquired.
Half-shrugging Rossi answered, “She knows me, you know,” trying to dismiss this little fact.
It didn’t seem to work though[,] because Dave thought he detected a hint of teasing in his superior’s reply. “Oh, a fan. Your world is a very crowded place, isn’t it?”
He wasn’t sure of it though since the other man still had his gaze fixated on the pieces of paper. So he simply answered in a lower voice. “You’d be surprised.”
That caught Hotch’s attention as he suspected that the other man was hinting at something, which in result almost made him look up. But the fact that the senior agent wasn’t elaborating any further and in addition seemed to be uncomfortable with this topic told him to resist the urge and he didn’t press it.
Going back to business he stated instead, “This is detailed.”
“Future tense. They’re fantasies,” came Reid’s voice from his left. The profiler had joined them a moment ago and taken a quick look at the text and drawings over Aaron’s shoulder.
It was Rossi who replied, obviously wanting to the rest of the explanation across. “The agent thinks it could be more than that.”
Now Hotch did look up, if only briefly, already knowing where the senior agent was going with this. “There’s more of this?”
His thoughts were confirmed by Dave’s answer. “Few boxes in the field office. I’d like to drive up there, look at the rest of the material.” Aaron caught the brief glance the older man gave Reid before continuing, “Make a judgment from that.”
The team’s leader wasn’t sure of the nature of that look. Maybe it was simply Rossi including their team member into the discussion. Or it was the man’s way of asking for Spencer’s expertise without saying it out loud, perhaps even only unconsciously so. He didn’t know for certain which one it was but he had made up his mind.
Over the few months that the best-selling author had been back with the BAU he had made good progress in becoming a team player and integrating himself into their tight-knit group. He had shown on more than one occasion that he cared for his fellow profilers. So maybe it was time to take it a step further and share another part of responsibility with him.
Because with Gideon gone, Reid had not only lost a fellow profiler but also his mentor, the person showing him the ropes of the job, something that he couldn’t learn from books. And while it wasn’t like Spencer couldn’t hold himself in the field - he had proven so numerous times already - the team still had the unspoken rule of looking out for and trying to protect their youngest one, a task in which Hotch decided to include Rossi now. In addition to that, Dave had a wealth of knowledge to share so there would be something for sure that he could teach his more inexperienced colleague. And the senior agent would surely challenge Spencer to be at his best on this assignment.
Maybe this was what both of them needed at this point and Hotch hoped that it would establish a good rapport between them.
So he looked up and turned his head to the left for a quick sideway glance at the young agent before his gaze shifted to Rossi and he instructed, “Take Reid with you.”
He handed the pages back and got a nod from the man in front of him that looked suspiciously like more of an automatic response rather than a conscious one since his face showed that he was about to protest, proven by his opening mouth.
But whatever he wanted to say got cut off by their colleague’s happy voice. “Road trip, nice!”
Now it was Reid who didn’t notice a gaze - Dave’s - cast his way when he walked back toward his desk.
The senior profiler tried his best not to make a face at the other man’s obvious joy at the prospect of that field assignment. It reminded him of Spencer’s behavior when Hotch had introduced the team to him those few months ago. The young man definitely wasn’t the type of agent he had worked with before. Among other things it had been weird to him that Reid had been quoting sections of his books word for word, apparently even without being aware of doing so. He had to admit he was a bit uncomfortable with this kind of open admiration displayed by the kid. And it was more than that. Usually one of the team would subtly - or sometimes not so subtly - stop the genius when he was starting to ramble, something he didn’t quite have the heart to do so yet. So he wasn’t sure how this consultation with just the two of them would work out.
He didn’t doubt the other agent’s competence, he had witnessed enough during the cases to not do that, but he didn’t know how the interaction between them would go, now that there wouldn’t be any of the rest of the team present to act as a bridge for the - perceived - opposite in personality and working style between the two of them.
So while Spencer was chatting away and getting ready to leave Rossi gave him one last look before he headed for his office to get prepared himself.
Unnoticed by them, Hotch had turned around and he couldn’t keep a smile from creeping on his features, both at Reid’s enthusiasm and the somewhat shocked and suffering look on the senior agent’s face that - even though he couldn’t see it - he just knew was there.
He was pretty sure that all it took for his two colleagues was to come to understand each other. And if this little trip, no matter if it turned out to be a BAU case or not, would help achieve that, it was all he could ask for.
Since he knew them both well enough he was certain that they’d be doing just fine. And whether Dave realized it or not, their resident genius was well on his way to go under his skin, too.
It was just a matter of time.
Rating: G
Genre: Character study
Series: Moments in Time
Characters: Spencer Reid, Dave Rossi, Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner
Spoilers: 3x13 Limelight
Warnings: None beyond what's in the episode
Summary: Hotch decided to use an opportunity that presented itself. Much to his colleague's dismay.
Disclaimer: All characters are property of CBS, Jeff Davis, Edward Allen Bernero and sadly not mine. I just take them along for the ride. Special thanks to my dear friend Sarah for all her help and encouragement and being a great beta. Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed one of my others stories.
Studying the pieces of paper in his hands that the fax machine had just printed out, Rossi turned around and started to slowly make his way from the BAU office’s entrance in the direction of the stairs leading from the bullpen area to the offices, passing the desks on both sides in the process.
He was focused on his task and didn’t lift his gaze once, so he was oblivious to Reid watching him from where the young man was sitting at his desk to the senior agent’s right.
Spencer was still puzzled by the older profiler. The man had worked with both Gideon and Hotch back in the day and yet he was so different from them; not really dismissive but relatively reserved. And even with everything Reid had read about the first BAU agents and his eidetic memory to help him in that regard, he couldn’t figure out if it was just the man’s personality that made him act that way or a result of all the cases he had worked on that changed him, leaving behind remnants in the soul that could eventually break a person, just like it did Gideon not long ago. It also made him wonder - probably just like the rest of the team - why Dave had chosen to come out of retirement and re-join the BAU.
Rossi might have missed that look, but using his peripheral vision to not bump into anyone or the furniture he did see the team’s leader approaching him. Still not looking up he stopped in his tracks and was met by Hotch roughly in the middle of the bullpen area.
The other agent eyed the pages and asked, “You got something?”
Briefly lifting his gaze Dave answered, “I’m not sure. They’re from an old storage unit,” before handing them over to his colleague.
The special agent in charge took in their content while he noticed Reid getting up from his chair. Having seen the young man’s curious gaze earlier he suspected that Spencer might be encouraged enough now by his presence to join them.
It wasn’t like the long-haired profiler was intimidated by Rossi, he knew that, but Aaron guessed that the other man hadn’t quite figured out yet how to deal with the legend that Dave no doubt was. And considering the puzzled looks that their newest addition to the team had given Reid occasionally it probably was a mutual thing.
“Case agent from the Philly office sent it to me,” the man in front of him continued to explain.
“Somebody you know?” Hotch inquired.
Half-shrugging Rossi answered, “She knows me, you know,” trying to dismiss this little fact.
It didn’t seem to work though[,] because Dave thought he detected a hint of teasing in his superior’s reply. “Oh, a fan. Your world is a very crowded place, isn’t it?”
He wasn’t sure of it though since the other man still had his gaze fixated on the pieces of paper. So he simply answered in a lower voice. “You’d be surprised.”
That caught Hotch’s attention as he suspected that the other man was hinting at something, which in result almost made him look up. But the fact that the senior agent wasn’t elaborating any further and in addition seemed to be uncomfortable with this topic told him to resist the urge and he didn’t press it.
Going back to business he stated instead, “This is detailed.”
“Future tense. They’re fantasies,” came Reid’s voice from his left. The profiler had joined them a moment ago and taken a quick look at the text and drawings over Aaron’s shoulder.
It was Rossi who replied, obviously wanting to the rest of the explanation across. “The agent thinks it could be more than that.”
Now Hotch did look up, if only briefly, already knowing where the senior agent was going with this. “There’s more of this?”
His thoughts were confirmed by Dave’s answer. “Few boxes in the field office. I’d like to drive up there, look at the rest of the material.” Aaron caught the brief glance the older man gave Reid before continuing, “Make a judgment from that.”
The team’s leader wasn’t sure of the nature of that look. Maybe it was simply Rossi including their team member into the discussion. Or it was the man’s way of asking for Spencer’s expertise without saying it out loud, perhaps even only unconsciously so. He didn’t know for certain which one it was but he had made up his mind.
Over the few months that the best-selling author had been back with the BAU he had made good progress in becoming a team player and integrating himself into their tight-knit group. He had shown on more than one occasion that he cared for his fellow profilers. So maybe it was time to take it a step further and share another part of responsibility with him.
Because with Gideon gone, Reid had not only lost a fellow profiler but also his mentor, the person showing him the ropes of the job, something that he couldn’t learn from books. And while it wasn’t like Spencer couldn’t hold himself in the field - he had proven so numerous times already - the team still had the unspoken rule of looking out for and trying to protect their youngest one, a task in which Hotch decided to include Rossi now. In addition to that, Dave had a wealth of knowledge to share so there would be something for sure that he could teach his more inexperienced colleague. And the senior agent would surely challenge Spencer to be at his best on this assignment.
Maybe this was what both of them needed at this point and Hotch hoped that it would establish a good rapport between them.
So he looked up and turned his head to the left for a quick sideway glance at the young agent before his gaze shifted to Rossi and he instructed, “Take Reid with you.”
He handed the pages back and got a nod from the man in front of him that looked suspiciously like more of an automatic response rather than a conscious one since his face showed that he was about to protest, proven by his opening mouth.
But whatever he wanted to say got cut off by their colleague’s happy voice. “Road trip, nice!”
Now it was Reid who didn’t notice a gaze - Dave’s - cast his way when he walked back toward his desk.
The senior profiler tried his best not to make a face at the other man’s obvious joy at the prospect of that field assignment. It reminded him of Spencer’s behavior when Hotch had introduced the team to him those few months ago. The young man definitely wasn’t the type of agent he had worked with before. Among other things it had been weird to him that Reid had been quoting sections of his books word for word, apparently even without being aware of doing so. He had to admit he was a bit uncomfortable with this kind of open admiration displayed by the kid. And it was more than that. Usually one of the team would subtly - or sometimes not so subtly - stop the genius when he was starting to ramble, something he didn’t quite have the heart to do so yet. So he wasn’t sure how this consultation with just the two of them would work out.
He didn’t doubt the other agent’s competence, he had witnessed enough during the cases to not do that, but he didn’t know how the interaction between them would go, now that there wouldn’t be any of the rest of the team present to act as a bridge for the - perceived - opposite in personality and working style between the two of them.
So while Spencer was chatting away and getting ready to leave Rossi gave him one last look before he headed for his office to get prepared himself.
Unnoticed by them, Hotch had turned around and he couldn’t keep a smile from creeping on his features, both at Reid’s enthusiasm and the somewhat shocked and suffering look on the senior agent’s face that - even though he couldn’t see it - he just knew was there.
He was pretty sure that all it took for his two colleagues was to come to understand each other. And if this little trip, no matter if it turned out to be a BAU case or not, would help achieve that, it was all he could ask for.
Since he knew them both well enough he was certain that they’d be doing just fine. And whether Dave realized it or not, their resident genius was well on his way to go under his skin, too.
It was just a matter of time.