Fic: Logical Precautions (1/1 Criminal Minds)
Title: Logical Precautions
Series: Of Innocence and Empathy (prequel to)
Author: Frogg
Beta: hawk_dancing, annie
Rating: uh. Nothing alarming.
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Damnit.
Author's Note: Occurs between Lessons Learned and Sex, Birth, Death.
"Do you trust her?"
Hotch glanced over the edge of his coffee cup, taking a quick sip before answering. "Who, Emily?"
"Strauss," Garcia said pointedly, the s' hissed in irritation. "Look, I know - we all know - you protect the team in whatever way you can, even if it's taking the heat for things the rest of us do."
Hotch felt the tips of his ears burn. "That's my job."
"No, it's not, and you know it. But that's not my point." The words came a little too fast, despite the confidence of--practice? Her hands kneading the couch cushions didn't help.
"Which is?" Hotch asked, wishing yet again that she were more comfortable talking to him.
"We both know - and if Gideon doesn't, I'll eat my badge - that there's no way Emily should have gotten Elle's spot. There were at least four people with better credentials alone. I know. I looked. And I checked Strauss' schedule for the last couple of months, and she's been meeting with a lot of people that--"
"Wait."
Garcia waved off the interruption. "I wasn't hired because hacking is my job."
"I'm not sure I'm going to like where this is going."
Laughter bubbled up, sharp, ugly and resentful. "You're not, any part of it, but I had to talk to you--I know you can't approve what I want to do, but I didn't want you to freak out if--"
"Garcia."
"I want to put cameras in the offices - Strauss' and yours, particularly, but probably Gideon's too. Maybe JJ's. And put taps on the phones."
Hotch blinked at Garcia's bluntness. "That's-"
"Illegal, immoral, and inadmissable in court?"
"I was going to say 'proactive'."
Garcia snorted, her expression clearly saying "Suuure."
"But you're right."
"Strings were pulled to get Emily on the team. Strauss' fingerprints are all over it. And there's not a damn thing I can do to keep any of us out of that fire except try and build a record for her."
"You know this could put both of us--"
"Not us, just me. My idea, my hardware, my software. All I need to do is install it." Garcia shrugged deprecatingly. "It's not like they wouldn't be expecting me to do something like this, anyways."
Hotch was once again struck by how tightly bound together the team was, that Garcia was willing to put both career and freedom on the line for something she wasn't sure would ever happen. "I won't let you--"
"Did you ever think about why you never let any of us take whatever heat Strauss has in mind for us? You don't hesitate to tell any of us when we screw something up."
"Are you sure you didn't take the training when I wasn't looking?"
That earned a laugh, one that lit up Garcia's eyes and got a lopsided grin from Hotch.
"You're right. And as much as I'm going to regret this..."
"It's my job to make sure you don't."
Hotch grunted. "You have one away case to install it. My office only." He glared. "Afterwards, I have a week of in-office time to find it. If I do, you take it out and we never speak of this again."
"And if you don't find it?"
Shutting his eyes against the guilt starting to gnaw at him, Hotch sighed deeply. "If I don't find it..."
~~~
Two and a half weeks later, Garcia passed Hotch on her way to her bunker, getting a small nod in silent acknowledgment.
~~~the end~~~
Next: An Illogical World
Series: Of Innocence and Empathy (prequel to)
Author: Frogg
Beta: hawk_dancing, annie
Rating: uh. Nothing alarming.
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Damnit.
Author's Note: Occurs between Lessons Learned and Sex, Birth, Death.
"Do you trust her?"
Hotch glanced over the edge of his coffee cup, taking a quick sip before answering. "Who, Emily?"
"Strauss," Garcia said pointedly, the s' hissed in irritation. "Look, I know - we all know - you protect the team in whatever way you can, even if it's taking the heat for things the rest of us do."
Hotch felt the tips of his ears burn. "That's my job."
"No, it's not, and you know it. But that's not my point." The words came a little too fast, despite the confidence of--practice? Her hands kneading the couch cushions didn't help.
"Which is?" Hotch asked, wishing yet again that she were more comfortable talking to him.
"We both know - and if Gideon doesn't, I'll eat my badge - that there's no way Emily should have gotten Elle's spot. There were at least four people with better credentials alone. I know. I looked. And I checked Strauss' schedule for the last couple of months, and she's been meeting with a lot of people that--"
"Wait."
Garcia waved off the interruption. "I wasn't hired because hacking is my job."
"I'm not sure I'm going to like where this is going."
Laughter bubbled up, sharp, ugly and resentful. "You're not, any part of it, but I had to talk to you--I know you can't approve what I want to do, but I didn't want you to freak out if--"
"Garcia."
"I want to put cameras in the offices - Strauss' and yours, particularly, but probably Gideon's too. Maybe JJ's. And put taps on the phones."
Hotch blinked at Garcia's bluntness. "That's-"
"Illegal, immoral, and inadmissable in court?"
"I was going to say 'proactive'."
Garcia snorted, her expression clearly saying "Suuure."
"But you're right."
"Strings were pulled to get Emily on the team. Strauss' fingerprints are all over it. And there's not a damn thing I can do to keep any of us out of that fire except try and build a record for her."
"You know this could put both of us--"
"Not us, just me. My idea, my hardware, my software. All I need to do is install it." Garcia shrugged deprecatingly. "It's not like they wouldn't be expecting me to do something like this, anyways."
Hotch was once again struck by how tightly bound together the team was, that Garcia was willing to put both career and freedom on the line for something she wasn't sure would ever happen. "I won't let you--"
"Did you ever think about why you never let any of us take whatever heat Strauss has in mind for us? You don't hesitate to tell any of us when we screw something up."
"Are you sure you didn't take the training when I wasn't looking?"
That earned a laugh, one that lit up Garcia's eyes and got a lopsided grin from Hotch.
"You're right. And as much as I'm going to regret this..."
"It's my job to make sure you don't."
Hotch grunted. "You have one away case to install it. My office only." He glared. "Afterwards, I have a week of in-office time to find it. If I do, you take it out and we never speak of this again."
"And if you don't find it?"
Shutting his eyes against the guilt starting to gnaw at him, Hotch sighed deeply. "If I don't find it..."
~~~
Two and a half weeks later, Garcia passed Hotch on her way to her bunker, getting a small nod in silent acknowledgment.
~~~the end~~~
Next: An Illogical World