"Wow, thanks Garcia, I love it," I said enthusiastically, taking the British mug from her. She smiled.
"How's Emily doing?" I asked. I was slightly sad she had left, but I was still happy for her.
"She's doing great," said Garcia, slightly off-handed.
"Garcia, what is it?" asked Morgan.
"Well, I really, really hate change and I loved Emily so much, and what if her replacement is mean or vain or selfish, because she's into the arts with all her various art degrees and her degrees in psychology she might think she knows everything and what if she changes everything and I don't want anything to change anymore!" rambled Garcia.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. How much do you know about her?" interrupted Morgan. Garcia grimaced.
"Okay, I admit I've done some research… but it was for a good cause, I mean if the replacement is vain or selfish…"
Garcia trailed off at our expressions. We both spotted an olive-skinned woman with long raven hair enter the room, looking around then spotting us, close enough to hear Garcia's last statement. She smirked and walked over, stopping about a foot away.
She hugged a notebook to her chest. She was wearing straight black pants that stopped a little over her ankle, showing off a golden anklet with a small music note hanging off of it. She was wearing bright yellow high heels. She was also wearing a fleeced white tee and a gold necklace.
What struck me the most of her appearance were her eyes… they were huge and brown, but strangely piercing, with specks of gold. Her long raven hair was pulled into a pony tail that reached the middle of her back even though it was up.
"Please don't call me a replacement!" she said in a sing-song voice, "that would sound like Emily's dead! No, I'm just… taking over."
She smiled happily at us, and came a bit closer. Garcia was frozen in embarrassment.
"You must be Agent Derek Morgan," she said, extending a hand to Morgan. He smiled and shook her hand.
"You're Penelope Garcia right? The technical analysis?" she said. Garcia nodded, still in shock.
"Well it's nice to meet you," she said in good-nature, "Oh, and I'm not selfish or vain, or I like to think I'm not. That's for you to decide."
She chuckled, her crackling laugh like a child, and extended her hand, which Garcia shook. She smiled and turned to me.
"And you must be Spencer Reid. Identive memory, 20, 000 words per minute, and IQ of 217?" she said. I nodded.
"Cool. You'll be fun to work with. She was about to extend her hand, when she stopped, her eyes sweeping up my appearance, and then she retracted her hand, waved awkwardly, and wiped her hand on the fray of her pants, her eyes twinkling. She smiled at me knowingly as she did it. My eyebrows furrowed. How did she know I was a kind of a germ phobic?
She smirked and said, "I could tell from the fray on your pants and the very slight dryness on the side of your right hand. Plus, you looked kind of resentful when I shook Agent Morgan's hand."
I nodded comprehensibly. She was a bit like Sherlock Holmes.
"SO do you guys know where I can find Rossi?" she asked. I was about to answer when a voice said, "over here, Sanam."
She turned around quickly.
"Rossi!" she said loudly, like a child. She ran over and hugged him, almost jumping into his arms. Rossi chuckled, hugging her back like a grandfather.
"Nice to see you again. How'd the mission come along?" He said, smiling at her bubbly face.
"Great! They caught him and found a bunch of children in custody as well. No casualties in the shooting and all the kids were okay… physically," she said, trailing off at the end.
"I heard you were the one to uncover the hideout?" said Rossi.
"Well, yeah, kind of… it's amazing what you can do wearing a little black dress," she said, her cheeks flaming. Rossi chuckled.
"What do you mean, kind of?" asked Rossi.
"Well, I couldn't have done it without Darren, remember him? He was quick and he helped me persuade the 'top guys'," she said, inserting quotation marks over the words top guys. Rossi smiled at her modesty.
"Well, we're happy to have you here," he said genuinely.
"I am too. Emily is so sweet; she called me up and told me about the space. She told me you were back as well, which made it tens of hundreds times better," she said happily.
"Have you met Hotch yet?" he asked her.
"Yes, we've talked a couple times over the phone, but not in person yet. I was actually on my way to his office now when I bumped into the rest of the team," she said, looking over at us and flashing a dazzling smile. We all smiled back.
"I can show you to the office, Bumblebee," said Morgan, flashing a grin. She smiled at the nickname.
"Lead the way," she laughed. Morgan smiled toothily, and offered his arm. She laughed again, and took it.
"We're off to see the wizard…" she sang, as they walked away. I saw Morgan give her a look of mixed bemusement and wonder before disappearing behind the corner. I stifled a laugh.
"How does she know you?" asked Garcia.
"She was an undercover, as you would probably know," he said, looking inquiringly at Garcia, who blushed, "and she was quite an amazing one. She's a fast thinker, a little impulsive, easily likable and persuasive. I helped her in one of her little adventures (as she calls them) once, and we've stayed friends since."
"Not just friends, she sees you like a grandfather or something," I interjected. Rossi's face turned sad.
"Because she has no one else to call a grandfather," he sighed, and then walked away towards his office. Garcia and I looked at each other nervously, and parted ways, going to our own stations.
A few minutes later, Hotch came out of his office followed by Morgan and Agent Jamshidi. She looked happy enough, as she bounded dutifully behind Hotch, who looked very humoured under his mask of seriousness. Morgan came in behind who was failing to stifle a laugh.
"A new case, meet us in the meeting room," he said, his voice clearly showing some slight humour. Morgan stifled another laugh.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Hotch greeted here, and she gasped and said 'you're almost as serious-sounding as Darth Vader! Hotch's face was hilarious!" he laughed. I chuckled.
"Well that's not exactly accurate. Darth Vader never really was serious he was more-"
"Reid," Morgan cut in, smiling, "let me laugh."
I looked down, embarrassed.
"Guys, meeting room!" chimed Agent Jamshidi's voice. I nodded in her direction and followed her inside.