A/N: Thank you all for the amazing feedback that I've gotten for this story. I greatly appreciate. I have this whole story roughly planned out and just waiting for some details and typing up. Review or PM me if you have any prompts that you would like me to add to the story or just general one-shots that you would like me to do
Chapter 2
Several hours later, Arizona looks around the conference room she is currently situated in and gently removes the pair of headphones from her ears. She gingerly rises and moves her tired muscles. The sun is just about to set, creating an orange hue within the room and she once again fixes her gaze on the on the dozens of papers scattered across the elongated wooden table. The constant flow of cool air conditioning contrasting the warmth that the sun brought.
Arizona peered through the large glass doors and into the nearly deserted bullpen. It was moments like these that Arizona knew she appreciated all of her team as they were the only members left, working on case files, filing out reports and just generally keeping themselves busy until she left. She wondered how she was going to choose between the members because each of them played an integral part in making her team function like the well oiled machine that it is.
Alex being the muscle of the group with sharp shooting skills and his profiling skills, Hunt being the resourceful one, instantly coming up with strategies and his general stealth that helped her team efficiently invade high security areas. Then there was Avery and his innate need to prove that he was more than the pretty face, he's the brains of the group, managing to spew out facts in order for the group to narrow down target and last but not least is Wilson. Wilson is the hacker and contrary to the stereotype Wilson can handle herself. All of these people formed her team.
Arizona walks through the conference room door and leans forward against the railing overlooking the bullpen and just studies them "Alex, Wilson I need you in the conference room now!" she called out and as she made her way back into the room she heard her team snickering amongst themselves 'ooooh someone's upset mom'. Arizona just chuckles and looks back at them, they're more than just her team, they are her family
As Alex and Wilson enter the conference room they are met with the stench of stale coffee and the overheated machine smell emanating from the printer "Whoa Robbins, you would think someone died in here" Alex grumbled and Arizona had the decency to look sheepish "Sorry" she mumbled "Anyway that's not the reason I brought you in here….." "Well I sure hope not!" Alex interrupted picking up one of the many annotated pieces of paper lying around while Arizona just glared at him
"As i was saying... I need you both with me on a medium level protection case. It's also a need know basis situation so everything discussed in this room does not leave it. Am I understood?" she instructed, her authoritative tone making both other agents stand up straighter. Arizona's features softened and she continued "I'm not sure how long this case will last, and as you two are the only members without relationships outside I assumed you would want it. Off the record, no FBI bullshit or the whole code, do you actually think you want this assignment?".
Arizona was introduced to the definition of honor, sacrifice and selflessness when she was four years old. Growing up in a military household meant that. Meant hardly showing emotion. Meant do everything you had to do to protect those you love. Hell, she was named in honor of those concepts but as much as it taught her she grew to slightly resent it. For the knowledge she had gained in protecting those she loved, she lacked the ability to openly give and receive affection. shouldn't those two qualities come hand in hand.
Arizona is pulled from her thoughts when she hears them say "We're in". She just smiled and left the room. Alex and Wilson were standing there confused until they realized Arizona went to dismiss the rest of the team. When she came back, Alex and Wilson had already color co-ordinated her stack of papers and were quietly going through them.
After another hour had passed, Arizona and Alex reading through files and Wilson's softly tapping against her keyboard, the blonde leader decided that they had gotten far enough today and then too dismissed them with the instructions that they should familiarize themselves with the profile and meet at her house at noon the following day. The puzzled look on their faces lead her to further explain that she had assigned the rest of the team different cases and that because this was a long term mission, they deserved the morning off. "Boss, I think the issue here is that we don't have your house address" Wilson pointed out. Arizona just pursed her lips and scribbled it down on a paper and handed it to them "See you tomorrow" and with that she was gone.
Realizing that it was already ten o'clock when she set foot into her house, Arizona decided that dinner tonight was a scrambled egg and a protein shake. She quickly made her way through the open plan space and started her five minute meal. She flicked on the tv for some added noise; reduce the loneliness the house seemed to possess. Arizona took in her surroundings, the large coffee colored leather couches, the laminate flooring, the overstocked bookshelves and the large flat screen tv mounted to the wall. She has a few paintings and family photos hanging on the face brick walls but other than that this house, just like all her others, were just that. The furniture and ornaments it contained. Not the memories it held, like a home was supposed to, or the sense of safety and belonging it should have embraced her with when she enters.
She solemnly finished off her dinner and wandered into the shower. Once finished with her nightly routine, she lay in her bed, her damp long hair framing her face and pillow. The tv and the soft inhale and exhale of breath are the only things to be heard.
As she stared up at her ceiling, 'I could get a dog' she thought and with that small thought she let herself get carried away with how it would greet her when she came back from work and how it would run around her backyard, play fetch, cuddle with her on the couch when she was home to watch tv. And that's where the fantasy ended. She couldn't have the dog, because she's never here. She couldn't have someone to come home to, because they too would ultimately get fed up with her not being around and that would ultimately lead to her having no kids. Sure, she could adopt, but she wanted the whole picture; the big house with the large backyard and tiny little feet running around. the karaoke singing in the car while they dropped them off to school, the Disney movie nights and the lazy Sunday morning cuddles in bed with her wife. Arizona sighed to herself, cuddled a nearby pillow and fell off to sleep.
6 AM -
The alarm is most definitely the most unwelcome sound of all. Arizona HATED it at this point. 'of course the one day she gave herself the morning off, she didn't turn her alarm off. She groaned and rolled herself out of bed, mindlessly threw on her workout gear and managed to tame her hair into a ponytail. With her phone in hand and a water bottle she left the house and tore down the streets for her usual run
Once back, she made her way to her backyard and focused on exercising certain muscle groups. Arizona made her way back into the house and headed for the shower. After toweling herself off, she walked to her closet and started to pick out something to wear. The sound of glass shattering outside of her bedroom put Arizona on high alert. She raced into a pair of grey sweats and a loose fitting tank, grabbed her gun and slowly approached her bedroom door. However, what began to confuse her was that now she heard the sound of a broom sweeping up said broken glass. 'Was her burglar…. cleaning up?' she swiftly moved out her bedroom door and turned around the corner to aim her gun where the noise was coming from.
"Calm down Robo Cop!" Tim said without looking up from his duty. When he gathered all the shards of glass in the dustpan, he simply walked around her and moved to the trash can and discarded the items there.
"You realize i can arrest you" Arizona joked "Yeah yeah, I just came for some coffee. Anyway in a while, crocodile, I gotta head to the center. kids to entertain, lives to change yada yada. Come over for dinner this weekend, kay. Sierra wants a catchup. Bye Phoenix" Tim yells as he is running around the house grabbing his coffee and is just about out the door when Arizona replies "I'll try, I might be going under and I don't know how serious it is yet…. or when I'll be back" when Arizona finished, Tim swiveled around and then walked to and dropped himself on the couch patting the space next to him. she moved forward and just sat down.
What type of case is it" he asked "Protection detail" she rushed out, she was nervous because while her brother supported her decision going into the FBI, it didn't mean he liked it. After their dad had died overseas, he himself decided against joining the marines. He saw firsthand what not returning home did to those they loved. He never wanted to put anyone through the pain he saw his family and he too felt. But Tim understood Arizona and could not fault her for the decision she had made. They sat and talked, about Tim's job at the orphanage and kid's center, how far along the adoption process was, his wife Sierra and basically anything but the pink elephant in the room.
"When are you going to see mom" he asked as he stood up. "After this, I gave my team the morning off so I could have time with her" she said as she too stood up. She pulled him into a hug and he let her just hold him.
"Stay safe Arizona" he whispered before letting go, tears brimming his eyes "You better not use this as an excuse out of our Mario kart championship." he joked. He rubbed the back of his neck and left. She sat herself back on the couch and took several deep breaths in
1 o'clock had come by faster than Arizona had anticipated. Arizona was emotionally drained after seeing her mom. She informed Wilson and Alex of the changes in timing, the team was now meeting at half one. she raced back to her house to pack her bag up with all the essentials that she would need. Once finished, she switched the tv on and flipped to the sports channel. She was mindlessly watching the highlights of the week when she heard a knock on her door.
"Hey guys! come in." she greeted Alex and Wilson and moved over so they could enter with their bags in tow. They left their bags near the door sat on a separate couch to Arizona. Wilson began taking in her surroundings, while Alex was too engrossed in the football highlights. Arizona just laughed at the clear differences between the two "Boss?" Alex spoke up and Arizona just motioned for him to continue "Next game day is DEFINITELY at your house" and that's when they all laughed.
"Are you familiar with the case" Arizona asked and they both nodded "Give me the rundown then". This was their routine to make sure they have more than one perspective on the case.
"Callie Torres, youngest daughter of Carlos Torres. Has a dual degree in business management and Marketing from UCLA" Wilson started while running her fingers through her hair. "Manages the Marketing and Acquisitions at Torres Inc., not married nor does she have any significant other at this point. As far as we know, she is the most private of the whole family, choosing secluded and not flashy items. You would never believe that she is related to this family aside from their astounding family resemblances, she is the 'different' one. Hardly has a social media presence" Wilson ended
Alex took over after that "From the monthly payments she makes, we know a lot of her inheritance goes to funding up startups and into research for many diseases. Both parents were hospitalized two years ago, when a drunk driver ran into them. It was kept under wraps. And thats it Boss, well more like the most important things. When she does go out to the fancy upscale parties, It's more likely that they will be showcasing art or historical pieces. Alex finished and leaned back into the couch.
"Alright, let's go meet Miss Callie Torres and her family. The meet up is at the JW Marriot so we can avoid any unwanted attention. The last thing we need is for the Torpedos to see that they have brought firepower" Arizona said. She let them head out the house first before quickly shutting everything down and locking her house for an undisclosed amount of time. She hoped this mission would end quickly.
A/N2 Next chapter: Meeting Callie