I was doing some file paperwork at my desk with my colleagues when my phone rang. From where Morgan was sitting he could get a clear view of the caller ID. Perfect.
I rejected the call, being at work even though personal calls were in fact allowed since we weren't on a case at the time. This was getting ridiculous; he had been calling all day despite my rejecting them and Derek knew it. Unfortunately, this did not stop him from calling once more. I sighed, rejecting the call once again. Seeing it was the same caller yet again, Derek apparently found himself incapable of keeping quiet.
"I'm guessing that's not Jack Hotchner who's been calling you all day." he remarked with an annoying smirk on his lips.
"What?" I ask feigning innocence causing Morgan to roll his eyes at me.
"Oh come on, Elle. You know exactly what I'm talking about. That same guy, Jack's been calling you all day and you've been rejecting his calls with the same look on your face." he imitated my expression mockingly.
"So what are you getting at, Derek? I've been rejecting the calls 'cause we've been on duty." I explain, trying to discreetly hide my face at the risk of getting caught in the lie.
"But we're not on duty anymore and you're still rejecting," he countered. "Come on, Elle. Who's Jack? You're boyfriend?" he asks and I scoff at the assumption.
"You're basing this on what, exactly? That I'm not answering my phone?! You've been a profiler for how long, Derek, and that's the best you've got? That's-that's weak. That's weak." I deny.
"What's weak?" JJ asked as she walked by with a bunch of files in her arms.
"Morgan thinks Elle's got a boyfriend." Reid pitched in.
"Well, do you?" the blonde inquired bluntly.
"It's more fun not to answer that question." I admitted, figuring it would be fun to vainly string them along.
"That right there is a yes, Baby!" Morgan piped, swivelling in his desk chair while JJ left.
Before I could answer my phone rang one more time and Morgan didn't even have to check to know who it was. He gave me an amused look and irritated, I picked up the device, not taking my eyes off of the smirking profiler.
"Hello?" I called into it stiffly.
"Elle, where the hell have you been?" A voice demanded.
"Relax, would you? I'm at work. What's wrong?"
"Dammit, Elle! I've been calling you all day and you haven't answered. I thought something was wrong. I was going kill call the FBI themselves and ask if you were ok and where you were! I was about to fly over there myself, for Gods sakes!"
I blushed since I knew that the other agents could hear his voice yelling regardless as to whether they could hear what he was actually saying.
"Alright, alright! Calm down. I'm not allowed to take personal calls while on duty," she coaxed her friend and former colleague.
"Are you on duty now?" he asked quickly.
"No, I'm not. Look, Jack; this better be good if it couldn't wait for me to get home… hold on a second," I took a look at my watch and I narrowed my eyes. "Isn't it like 4AM where you are?"
I mentally kicked myself for saying that aloud in front of everyone, since it would give them ideas of exactly how desperate this guy was to reach me. Why was he so desperate to reach me? I saw Morgan raise his eyebrows at this but I ignored it as Jack replied.
"Yeah and no, it can't wait. Look, have you contacted or researched the Doctor lately?" He asked abruptly, to my surprise for even hearing about the man. I slightly zoned out of my surroundings once I realised what this was about and concentrated on my current conversation.
"No, why would I?" I asked curiously with caution.
"Because I can't or each him at all and on top of that, I can't find a single thing on him in any database. It's like he's been entirely deleted from the universe. In fact, I checked all the other databases - and I mean in the universe - and there's nothing. There's absolutely no mention of him. He's vanished." During Jack's small speech, I got up from my seat at my desk and walked away from the room so I could have a bit more privacy, ignoring Morgan's cheeky grinning.
"What? Wait, Jack. What do you mean vanished? How is that even possible?" I stuttered.
"You can use a molecular-"
"Yeah. I get that, Jack. I mean why? Who? Who would do that? I mean this is the doctor we're talking about. Low-key is hardly his style. To sod something like that would take devotion." I query.
"I know; that's why I called you. I was wondering if you had heard from him recently." He asked me, worry trailing in his voice.
"No; if I had I would have told you...Jack, you don't think..?" I didn't want to think of the possibility of him being dead but it could explain it...
"I don't know. Tosh can't find anything on him...Do you think it could be his own work? Maybe the Doctor did this himself on purpose; a fresh start, you know?" he suggested hopefully. I guess it was a plausible enough theory.
I agreed, not wanting to crush her friend's hope. "Yeah...it could be. I'll have our tech see if she can find anything and get back to you." I offered.
"Elle, look, if Tosh can't find anything with her skills and our database then..." He started uneasily, causing me to roll my eyes. Honestly, those Torchwood agents could be arrogant, she thought to herself.
"Jack." I stopped him. "Look, I don't doubt Tosh's skills, but it's still worth a shot. Garcia's good, alright? It won't be a problem." assured him.
"Alright then," he gave in, "Call me when you're done. Bye."
"Bye." And with that I hung up the phone and walked back toward my desk to find a curious Reid and a nosy, smirking Derek Morgan.
"So how's Jack?" he asked teasingly as I gathered up my belongings.
"He's not my boyfriend, Morgan. He's just a friend." I admitted, not in the mood to keep up the charade any longer and witnessed the profiler's face fall slightly but not much as he wasn't really sure if he should believe me.
"Have you seen Garcia?" I enquired and thankfully, before Morgan could retort with an inaccurate comment about Jack, Reid gave me an actual answer.
"I think she's still in her lair. Why?"
I ignored his question and left the two men to ponder on what had just occurred.