"Don't worry, you know what you're doing," Luke told himself as he straightened his tie and stepped off the 6th floor elevator. "They want you here, and you've earned it." His first day at the new job and here he was, about to step into the bullpen of the BAU, and into his new role as Supervisory Special Agent Alvez.
He adjusted the black satchel strap on his shoulder and headed for the etched glass doors in front of him. Sparkling clean and imposing, those doors stood for everything he had worked for up to this point in his life. He paused briefly to notice his reflection within the engraved FBI seal on the glass, and he smiled. Luke Alvez was looking forward to this assignment. Only the Bureau's finest made the BAU, and he had worked his tail off in the Fugitive Recovery division to get here.
He flinched to see another face in his reflection. A thin man about his height with messy hair was glaring at him through the glass. The man pushed the door open and faced Luke, giving him the once-over.
"Hotch is expecting you in his office, he doesn't like to be kept waiting," said Dr. Spencer Reid.
"Oh, thanks!" Luke extended his hand, "I'm- "
"I've read your file," Spencer shot back, as he continued down the hall at a brisk pace.
Luke watched Reid's retreating back, noticing the square shoulders and stiff spine. He finally dropped his outstretched hand and sighed. "Okay then, better get going," he said out loud.
He pushed open the heavy glass door and walked into the controlled bustle of the bullpen, making his way around the catwalk to Hotchner's office. He'd studied the schematics of the department, so he knew where to go, but he couldn't suppress a grin as he negotiated around the hurrying agents. Everyone was on a mission, it seemed. Everyone had an important somewhere to be.
He spied a suited Hotchner speaking with an attractive blonde woman in dark jeans and a v-neck tee whom he suspected was Agent Jareau. She had her hands in her back pockets as he approached, and Hotch looked up from the file he was holding, his brow furrowed. For the second time that day Luke extended his hand, and this time it was accepted.
"SSA Hotchner, sorry I'm a few minutes late..."
Aaron shook his hand and said "That's fine, Agent Alvez. Once. Are you ready to get started?"
"Yes sir. Just looking to put down my bag and I'm all yours."
"Good. This is SSA Jennifer Jareau. We'll convene with the rest of the team in the briefing room. Welcome aboard." Aaron took his leave with his usual determined stride.
JJ stuck her hand out and smiled brightly – a little too brightly – and said, "Call me JJ, I'll show you to your desk, and don't mind Hotch, he's had a lot on his plate since Agent Morgan left."
"I can imagine," Luke took her hand and shook it firmly. "I read up on Derek Morgan before I got here. Superior Agent. Looks like the BAU has some big boots to fill."
JJ gestured for them to get moving and answered wryly, "You said it. And since you're his de facto replacement? All eyes are on you right now."
"I hope I'm up to the job."
They got to his desk and Luke dropped his bag. He followed JJ's gaze and saw her eyes following the sweater-vested agent who'd greeted him in the corridor. Well, 'greeted' wasn't exactly right, but... "I assume that's Dr. Reid?" he said.
"You'd assume correctly," JJ confirmed, her voice softening.
He watched Reid continue his brisk pace around the catwalk and through to the briefing room, and Luke noticed the perfunctory glance in his direction. He made a quick derisive snort that got JJ's immediate attention. "What's his deal?"
JJ turned slowly and squared off right in front of Luke, folding her arms, all niceties wiped from her face.
"His deal is that he's an indispensible member of this team for the past 11 years, and a brilliant profiler. He also happens to be godfather to my sons, and Morgan's best friend." JJ turned and headed for the briefing, leaving Luke in her wake.
"What'd I say?" the newest profiler wondered aloud as he hurried to catch up to the former media liaison. "Hope I didn't blow it already," he thought.
Hotch made introductions all around and Dave Rossi nodded his gratitude as Luke professed to being a huge fan. "Obviously a man of great taste," Rossi joked. Reid's eyes stayed fastened to his file, and JJ touched his shoulder before taking her seat next to him.
Penelope Garcia's bracelets clacked as she raised the remote to start the briefing. She averted her eyes from 'the new guy' as she mentally called him, after allowing herself a single welcoming nod in his direction.
"How dare he. How dare he come in here and be all smiley and nice to us and smell so good when he isn't Derek. At least he had the decency to be late. Maybe Hotch will fire him and we can all just move forward with the missing and the –"
"Garcia, can we begin?" Hotch's quiet voice had that tinge of impatience that she always hated to hear.
While Penelope relayed the case, Luke looked around the table at each of them, and let a part of his mind focus on the people around him. He could see how they loved Derek, their loss was palpable in how they moved, how they spoke to each other. He knew then that this was the kind of team he wanted to belong to, and he made a silent promise to be the kind of teammate that they would need him to be. He also was damn sure that he was calling Derek Morgan, first thing in the morning.