When No One is Watching

Summary: After a case is finished, and before a new one begins, follow the BAU team when they find themselves on their own time.

Legality: I do not own anything Criminal Minds; I am simply borrowing them to tell a story, and not using them for profit.


"Everybody has a secret world inside of them. All of the people of the world, I mean everybody. No matter how dull and boring they are on the outside, inside them they've all got unimaginable, magnificent, wonderful, stupid, amazing worlds. Not just one world. Hundreds of them. Thousands maybe."

— Neil Gaiman (A Game of You)


Chapter One: "Good Night (Prologue)"

This was the calm after the storm, though there wasn't much calm to it at all. The case was closed, and now everyone involved was ready to go home. The paperwork had been excruciating. The prospect of a night to relax and a morning to sleep-in loomed over all the agents' heads. It may not be a weekend, but it was the closest they could get, and it was all they needed before getting up and having another escapade all over again tomorrow (after lunch, of course). A night of sleep in their own respective beds and four whole extra hours before returning to the office left the excitement in the air palpable; the bees were buzzing in the hive over it, so to speak.

All around the bull pen, the agents were a-flitter: filing the last papers, making sure they had everything for home, washing their coffee cups, checking the paper work (all the lines signed, the t's and i's all crossed and dotted, respectively), and glowing, faint hints of smiles on their tired faces as the promise for relaxing evenings all around were to be had.

Agent Hotchner seemed to be the only exception. He was in a hurry, as the others, but he did not smile as they did; he had no sigh of relief escaping his lungs as he briskly exited from the little kitchenette, coffee cup in hand, with a fresh wave of steam dancing to a crescendo above the rim of the mug before billowing in his wake. He continued steadfast and stone-faced all the way to his office this way, and half closed the door behind him as he retook his seat behind his desk, his hand resuming its position supporting his forehead once he sat.

"Now there's a gloomy bear," said Penelope Garcia. She had watched the agent as he left the kitchen and gulped down the last of her own cold coffee before going into the small accommodations herself to join Agent Emily Prentiss by the sink.

"Think we should invite him to come along with us tonight?" She asked of the dark-haired Prentiss.

Penelope rinsed her cup quickly and hung it to air-dry on the cup tree right below the spot where Hotchner's mug should have been hung. She and Emily turned to leave the kitchenette together while Emily answered, "I don't think he would appreciate the distraction."

"Oh please," the red headed tech responded, "everyone can use a booze distraction, especially tonight!" This was a statement that was enough to perk the ears of one Derek Morgan.

Emily snorted and shook her head as the two walked back to her desk together, "No, I mean the knocking on the door distraction. And the asking the question distraction." She plopped back into her chair and crossed her legs in a sort of uptight recline, just as Agent Derek Morgan glided over to lean on the half-wall.

Always the ladies' man, he shined his winning smile and used his velvet voice to say, "Going out for drinks, ladies? Is that what I heard?"

"Yeah, we're planning a bit of a girls' night out," Emily grinned back. "It's nothing too big, just a beer or two before going home to bed."

"Beer?" Garcia snorted, "Speak for yourself. I'm going to get a Long Island. Or three." Noticing Derek again, she added, "But, we could possibly make an exception on the 'girls' part for a big hunk of chocolate bear like yourself if you wanted to come along." Penelope teased him a little further with a soft, pointed poke to Derek's shoulder.

Derek stifled a laugh and stood himself upright. "Well, that does sound interesting," he started, "but I wouldn't want to impose. Besides, I got me some plans in tonight." He rubbed his hands together in that qualitative way, suggesting he had something delicious planned for his night in. "Delicious" was, of course, open to interpretation.

"Oh, really? Me too." Agent Spencer Reid's voice piped from just beyond the barrier. "I thought it'd be nice to just relax on the couch," he finished.

Derek anchored his feet and leaned his top half over to the boyish agent to cock an eyebrow at him. "What," he said, "you gonna watch the Star Trek marathon on tonight or something?"

"No, I was going to read some Asimov," Spencer answered, confused, while still sitting out of view of the girls. "Wait," he added, "there's a Star Trek marathon tonight? How'd you know about it? Is it TOS or TNG?"

"I'm teasing you, kid." Morgan chuckled. He reached to ruffle Spencer's hair, who leaned just out of reach of Derek's arm and before Spencer could respond, the rustic voice of Agent David Rossi barked from the back of the pit sounding the alarm to grab coats and personal possessions.

"There is jazz to be heard and dancing to be had," he called to them, "so let's enjoy the night." He added emphasis to his words by giving a demonstration of "jazzy" dancing as he hopped down the steps to the rest of the agents.

"Alright, old man," Derek called back to him, chuckling.

"Old?" the senior agent responded, "Aren't you the one talking about spending the night in?" The spring in his step and optimism of his voice as he walked to the where the others were centered reminded the four younger agents to do as they were told (though, they needed not be told twice). Now, with even broader smiles on their faces as before, they scrambled to grab their things as Rossi called the elevator. During the mayhem, Penelope spotted young, blonde Jennifer Jareau slipping out of Hotchner's office and back to her own.

"You there, with the fire under your butt," Garcia called to her, "are you sure you can't make it out with us tonight?"

JJ fired back a warm smile to her friend and responded, "I've still got too much work to get done. Maybe if I wrap it up early enough, I'll give you a call."

The elevator dinged then and the doors glided opened, offering the small box that promised freedom from worry behind them. The agents on the floor piled in while Spencer haphazardly held on to his coat and made a dash for the lift. As he stepped inside, Rossi chided him saying, "I almost let it close on you kid, but then I wouldn't get to see the look on your face."

Spencer gave a sheepish smile and nodded his head as the doors closed, sealing the following laughter into the elevator, and the deafening silence of their wake within the large room. The only sounds left were a keyboard tip-tapping away behind a half closed door, papers whispering their turning from behind another, and the soft tick-tock of the clock above the elevator.

That clock above the elevator read 8:18, and thus, the night officially began.


Author's Note: Thank you for reading, and I hope you stick with me on this story. Any comments, reviews, and/or criticism will be highly valued and appreciated.