The whole of the FBI building at Quantico was on edge, trying to appear faultless. Today the Bureau Director, Ted Jones, was visiting each unit individually, something rarely done thereby making it an even more nerve-wracking experience.
Strauss has already spend the last two days lecturing the BAU about looking good to the Director, even threatening Garcia with her job if she didn't wear something office appropriate just for one day. Hotch had got the worst of her frustration, listing every fault of his team and telling him how important it is that he not find out any of it.
As much as everyone was certain that Aaron Hotchner would never do anything to make his team appear negatively, he may have a glitch when it comes to Dave Rossi; working for the Bureau for so long and not having the fear of being fired like the other team members he did tend to push boundaries, especially Erin Strauss' nerves. Dave had spent the last week or so smiling broadly at Strauss whenever he saw her, making her more than nervous.
It was not long before lunch that the Director reached the BAU offices. Strauss was fawning all over him, although the man himself looked less than impressed with her. He looked to be in his fifties or early sixties and a disciplinarian to a fault, his face was set with a serious expression and he walked with purpose. He was the epitome of an FBI agent.
When he came to the BAU it was agreed that all agents would be in the bullpen, standing with their own Unit Chiefs, despite not being field agents, JJ and Garcia were also included in this.
It was Garcia and Reid that appeared the most nervous when they saw the man enter with Strauss. The team were quite sure that the meeting would be short and simple, shake his hand and answer a question or two about the unit and that would be that.
The Director met Morgan first, shaking his hand. "SSA Derek Morgan." Derek introduced himself.
"This is the A-Team for the BAU?"
"Yes Director."
"This unit does impress me, getting inside the minds of serial killers is not something that everyone can live with."
"It does leave its mark on you, but there has to be someone to do it."
The Director gave Derek a nod and moved on.
"SSA Spencer Reid, Director sir." Reid was definitely nervous; social interactions really aren't something he is good at.
"Reid, yes, I have heard of you." Reid was shocked, as was the rest of the team. "Considering your extensive skills and potential, why are you with the BAU?" He seemed genuinely curious. It was also something that the other team members had wondered on occasion.
"Sir, I can do good here, I can help people. Serial killers are just that because they haven't been caught, which means that other areas such as forensics are rendered obsolete, therefore the only way to predict their next move is to read how they have acted previously. Using the past to predict future actions. The fact that past events have compounded to create the present, the patterns that people follow; it's intriguing." The Director seemed impressed with his answer.
"Indeed, thank you Agent Reid."
"Jennifer Jareau, Media Liason." JJ said, offering her hand with a smile. This was the type of meeting that she was used to, she could exude confidence even if she was a nervous wreck on the inside, her emotions already heightened due to her pregnancy.
"Pleasure, Miss Jareau." The Director even managed a small smile at the blonde woman, something which surprised Erin Strauss. "Congratulations on the baby." JJ couldn't help but smile whenever her baby was mentioned.
"Thank you sir."
"Are you hoping for a boy or girl?"
"A little boy would be lovely." JJ blushed slightly, embarrassed that she was discussing her pregnancy with the director of the FBI. The man smiled kindly at her once more.
"SSA David Rossi."
"I thought we had got rid of you ten years ago, who let you back in the building?" The director joked.
"Three wives have come and gone but the job was always there."
"You just want to see what the next generation are doing to your unit."
"That too." The two men shared a laugh of understanding.
The director then looked to the next in line, not sure what to say upon seeing Garcia's outfit. She had indeed toned it down, but it still wasn't exactly FBI standard. Strauss held her breath as the director took in Garcia's purple heels, yellow dress and red hair.
"Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia, sir."
"Delightful." He said with a smile. He didn't appear to mind her clothes in the slightest.
If they were honest, it was a good thing right now that the team had such good poker faces, as the director was not at all how they expected him to be, he may look fearsome but he was also a nice man, interested in his agents' lives. It was very likely that Strauss had lost all power of speech.
"SSA Emily Prentiss."
"Nice to meet you Agent Prentiss. I have met your mother, the Ambassador, on occasion."
"Lucky you Director." Emily said sarcastically, causing the other agents to gasp and Strauss' jaw to drop in shock.
"Lucky her, I should think." The director replied jovially.
"Of course Director."
"Are you always this insubordinate Agent Prentiss?" He said with a smirk. The team gathered that there was something between these two that they didn't know yet, they were guessing along the line of that they had met at a political function.
"I do try, sir." She deadpanned. They stood there silent for a moment before they both burst into laughter. The team could not have looked more confused and shocked if they had tried, Strauss looked murderous but Hotch just shook his head at them.
Once they had stopped laughing, the Director embraced Emily in a hug.
"You two know each other then?" Dave asked. The Director looked at Emily, who nodded reluctantly.
"Emily is my daughter." Everyone gasped in surprise, and Strauss went bright red. "Although I use a different name when working so that people can't use our connection for their own benefit, we certainly don't, I even tried to stop her joining the FBI." He glanced over at Strauss, he was well aware of what she had done in the past to Emily and this team. He then turned to Hotch, who had been smirking the entire time. "Nice to see you again Aaron, it's been a while but looks like you're doing well for yourself." Hotch nodded in thanks. "It's funny how you two ended up on the same team after all these years." He lowered his voice so that only Hotch and Emily next to him heard the next part. "Or is it fate?" He said, winking at them.
The Director turned back to the rest of the team and saw them smiling in amusement and also saw Strauss trying to slink away from the group. "Seeing as it's nearly lunch anyway, why don't we take your team out Emily?"
"Great, as long as you don't go telling them any embarrassing stories about me." She sent him a warning glare.
"Fine, but how about I tell them what Aaron here did when I met him and we played our little game on him? We always pretend we don't know each other to see how people react." Hotch hung his head in shame and Emily nudged him playfully.
"Hotch was on security detail in my mother's house, and dad walks in and picks me up in a hug, Hotch didn't know who he was and tried to take him down because he thought I was being kidnapped." The whole team laughed so hard, including Emily and the Director at the memory.
"Any chance of a re-enactment?" Garcia asked smiling broadly. Hotch went bright red and wanted nothing more than to be dissolved into the floor.
"Come on guys, let's go eat, I'm hungry." Emily said, so that they turned to leave, taking the attention away from Hotch who looked more than uncomfortable. She kept Hotch back a minute. "You know, I think you are the only person who has ever tackled my dad."
"I feel so special." Hotch said sarcastically.
"You are special, to me." She said smiling up at him. He lifted her chin up so he could kiss her.
"We better follow them, in case your dad decides to tell them about the incident with the garden fountain." She nodded at him and they walked out after the team holding hands.
Strauss was left standing in the middle of an empty BAU, shocked beyond words; the FBI was far more complex than she realised, especially when you add the Prentiss family into the mix. She decided she needed to take a vacation.