It was just another day to the team who sat quietly on the plane going home from a case in Merced, Ca. It had been rather difficult, they had profiled that it was a man in his late thirties, killing young girls that fit his young daughters image. Taking the hate for a daughter he recently found out wasn't his and taking out on other girls.
Hotch was sitting in at the back of the plane like he always did, it was the perfect place to observe the whole team. Rossi, Prentiss and JJ were playing cards, and Reid was teaching JJ to count cards as the others tried to shoo him away. Shaking his head he looked over at Morgan who was talking on his computer with Penelope Garcia who was back in Quantico. She had begged to go on this case because it was computer related, but he felt that it was safe for her to stay, she fit the profile, she was older then the girls that had been killed but she still fit the profile and he wasn't going to take any chances. He had to admit, he'd sheltered her a lot since she had gotten shot two years ago.
She was the only one on the team who refused to carry a gun. Not that it was required but after she had been shot he asked her to get one. That had been one hell of a conversation.
"Garcia I just want to know that you are okay when the team is gone." he said
"No, they are filthy things and I will not get one. How can you ask that of me? I was shot! Hotch. Why would I want a gun, when one was the reason I was in a hospital." She said back hotly.
"I don't want you too be afraid of them, Guns don't kill people…"
"yes I know , people kill people. But your going to have to give up because I am NOT GETTING A GUN!" she had yelled the last part and swung her chair around ignoring him.
"well then" he said and ran a hand over the back of his neck. "you can no longer go on cases with us. I will not have anyone out in the field who cannot carry a gun!"
"Oh you!" she said and slammed the door behind him as he walked out.
He never figured that she would ignore him for a good month after that, but she had and he was grateful that she had eventually given in and started calling him one of her super heroes again and not some of the more colorful things she had been calling him.
"hey Hotch!" looking back at Morgan he saw that he was holding his lap top up, gesturing for Hotch to turn his on. Nodding he opened his and powered it up, as soon as everything was loaded, Penelope's face appeared and she did not look happy.
"Hello Garcia, how is everything at HQ?" he asked politely hoping she wasn't in too bad of a mood.
"Just peachy , Sir. Just friggin peachy. Just though I would let you know….imtakingagunclass" she mumbled the last part, and he had to restrain him from not smiling.
"I'm sorry what was that?" he asked still trying to not to smile widely at her confession.
"you heard me!" she said and cut the connection. Closing his laptop he stood quickly and went into the small plane bathroom. Shutting the door he leaned on the sink and let out a loud laugh, God did it feel good, he had gotten her to take a gun class and now he couldn't stop laughing. Turning on the water he splashed some on his face and then dried. Stepping back out of the bathroom he was met with five questioning eyes.
"what? He asked and sat back down like nothing had happened.