A/N: Short drabble based on 6x07 "Middle Man" (here there be spoilers). Ice_Ziggee wanted to know what "the thing" was Garcia mentioned she did to get the iPads. This is one (of I'm sure many possible) answer :)
No beta, so all mistakes are mine, but thanks to klcm and ice_ziggee for the encouragement and ice_ziggee to prompt me!
Disclaimer: I don't own a thing!
"Garcia, can I have a word with you please," Aaron Hotchner motioned his red-haired tech analyst towards his empty office, wanting to keep the discussion he had intended on having with her when they returned from Idaho in private.
She gulped, standing up slowly from her spot perched on top of Morgan's desk, where she had been chatting the stress of the case away after they had done the necessary paperwork, and when Hotch saw the look of doom marring her features, he couldn't help but think he either came over as a monster or she was prone to drama. Or maybe it was a little bit of both. He waited when Morgan held her back a few moments longer, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, glared at Prentiss who started humming The Funeral March to rile Garcia, and then finally followed her into his office.
"Sit down, Penelope," he kept his tone neutral, sitting down himself. He was more worried than angry at her, he didn't think she'd done something that would potentially get her shot again to get them iPads, but she could still get in trouble and he couldn't afford to lose the best tech the FBI had ever known, not after being down one very valuable team member already.
"Sir, about that thing, I know I said we should discuss it later, and I really meant that, but I don't think it's good for you to know what..." She was nervous, he saw that from the way she moved her hands, how she babbled before he interrupted her with simple hand gesture, the way she clamped her mouth shut when she stopped mid-sentence, the way her eyes grew big.
"Garcia, I am not here to reprimand you," he calmly stated, trying to reassure her, if only so she would perhaps listen to him. Idle hope, he knew that, but he had to at least try. "But I cannot afford to lose you too if you did something illegal."
"Sir, I know perfectly well how to cover my tracks," she almost berated him, slightly indignant about the fact he didn't seem to trust her abilities, "But when I need to be … creative with the law on cases, nobody worries about it either."
Hotch sighed, knowing she had a point. She didn't know he did worry, only he covered it up well. Hell, he worried about everyone on the team constantly, he was their boss, responsible for them, but he also considered them as family.
"Garcia, you know it's not the same. I know you know it's not. I can defend you should someone find out what you did, proving we arrested a serial killer thanks to your unauthorized explorations. If someone finds out you are using your skills for what is considered personal gain..." He let the rest of his sentence linger, after all he was capable of adding a little drama to his job too, and he intended for the words to sink in this time, accentuated by his implications. What was going on in her head, was probably much worse than what he actually meant, and he wasn't going to correct her thoughts, this time.
"Sir, I..." Garcia was speechless, something Aaron Hotchner hadn't seen happen very often since she started working for the BAU. She was wringing her hands in her lap, playing with her rings... Maybe this time...
"What did you do?" He pressed the matter further, determined to go to the bottom of this once and for all. He knew she had held up his transfer some years ago, and he was thankful for it. He knew one time she had interfered with her boyfriend's new job offer, and he also knew she regretted that, but she hadn't learned from it. Or the time she was almost killed for flagging cases. That one, she regretted the most, but she still didn't stop. The rest, he could only guess.
"I reassigned some funds to our budget," she stated, calmly, collected, an answer almost too perfect. She knew she didn't fool him, but she was playing hard to crack.
"And?" The raising of his eyebrows, the slight cocking of his head indicated he didn't believe that was all there was to it.
"The tech department didn't get one tiny update," she murmured, shrugging.
"An important update?" Realisation started to dawn on Hotch, who was quickly calculating the cost of six new iPads. Reid might stay in the Dark Ages according to his tech, there was still one available for him should he need it, he was sure.
"Sir, it's not that much money either, plus I got a good price..." she defended herself, "And I wrote them a better programme anyway, for free, I am just waiting for the higher ups to approve it, they will!" The high word was out, and Hotch was actually relieved. His mind had made matters much worse than they had been too, and he had to applaud how she played her cards, when he saw her smile after the look on his face settled down in understanding. She was an excellent actress, and despite her adamant refusal to have much to do with the profiling side of the job, he knew she had judged correctly in her assumption that if she played it up, he'd only be relieved at the truth.
A small smile played along his lips, but he did his best to still look stern, if only to uphold his natural authority over his team.
"Morgan's waiting for you, just outside, I believe. Send Reid in please when you leave," he dismissed her with a small nod, pretending to go back to urgent paperwork, signaling their talk was over.
"Thank you, sir, " she beamed at him, before opening the door, looping her arm through a concerned Morgan's, and calling out Reid. "Boss man wants to see you, genius!" And he couldn't help but shake his head when he saw their resident doctor gulp too. What was it that made people have that reaction when he called them into his office?