He'd been back with the BAU for three weeks now and Agent David Rossi was willing to admit that he wasn't seamlessly connecting with the team as well as he hoped he would. It wasn't that he didn't want to. It was just all new to him. Different.
He wasn't used to working with such a diverse group of individuals. In all honesty, the funky tech girl and the child genius scared him a little and he definitely wasn't used to working alongside such strong female personalities as Agent's Jareau and Prentiss. The entire group dynamic was just so strange for him but he knew that it wasn't the group that needed to change. He himself needed to make more of an effort to adjust.
With that thought in mind, he made his way down to the office of the technical analyst. He entered the room without knocking and cleared his throat to catch her attention.
Garcia spun around angrily, obviously in the middle of something important. "What?" Her eyes widened and her expression instantly softened as she realised who was stood in her office. "Sir, I'm sorry, I… what can I do for you?"
"Are you free tomorrow evening?"
"I… Sir?"
"Tomorrow evening. Do you have plans?"
The blonde's mouth dropped open and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "No sir I don't. Can I ask why you want to know?"
"I'm thinking of having the team over for a meal at my house. I realise I haven't made the best first impression and I want to change that. So would you be interested?"
A shocked chuckle fell from the female tech's lips, before she offered the profiler a grin. "Absolutely."
He nodded and smiled back at her. "I'll check with the rest of the team and get back to you with a time and the address."
After leaving her office, Rossi headed in the direction of the other blonde team member, knowing full well he owed this lady an apology. During his first case with the team, a couple of weeks ago, he had gone over her head and released information to the press that she had deliberately withheld. He had seen the angered look on her face when he had admitted what he'd done. The male agent stepped through the open doorway into her office and offered her a cautious smile.
"Yes sir?" She questioned, glancing up at him over the huge stack of paper files on her desk. "Can I help you with something?"
"I came to say I'm sorry. I know that the media is your area of expertise and I apologise for stepping on your toes with that case." He told her. "I'm not used to this group dynamic. Things are different to what we used to do and I'm struggling to adjust. I promise to make more of an effort, going forward."
She smiled and nodded at him from across the small room.
"As a further apology, I was wondering if you would be free to come over to my house for dinner tomorrow evening?"
JJ's eyes widened and a light blush coloured her cheeks. "Sir, is that appropriate?" The blonde was well aware of the legendry profiler's reputation, but she hadn't expected to find herself on his radar.
"Oh, no. I think you misunderstand me." Rossi rushed to explain, fully understanding the implications that came with his earlier offer. "I'm inviting the whole team. Sort of a building bridges gesture. Sorry, I realise I didn't make that clear."
"Oh." The communications liaison let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding and offered the older agent a smile. "Sure, if everybody else is up for it. I'm free."
"Great. I'll get back to you with the details."
David next headed to the bullpen inviting Morgan and Reid to the get together, glad that nobody seemed to need much convincing. Prentiss was away at a seminar, so he would have to catch her when she returned later in the afternoon. He next approached the office of Aaron Hotchner. He knew that this man was going to be the one that would take the most convincing.
He knocked on the door, entering upon being called in. "Hey Aaron."
"Dave, what can I do for you?"
"Dinner at mine tomorrow evening." He quickly realised he'd made the same mistake he had with JJ, so rushed to add. "With the rest of the team."
"You're having the entire team over to your house?" The Unit Chief questioned. "And you're cooking for them?"
"That's the plan." Dave responded. "I have the go ahead from four of them so far, just need confirmation from yourself as well as the lovely Emily."
"I don't know, Dave."
"Oh, come on, you can bring Jack along, if that's the issue."
"No, it's not that." Hotch assured him. "Haley keeps Jack one weekend of every month and this is her weekend coming up. I was just going to stay here and work late tomorrow evening."
"So you're free to come to dinner with us?"
"I just said that I was…"
"The paperwork can wait until Monday, Aaron." Rossi interrupted. "Come over, it won't be a team meal, without the entire team."
"Fine, what time?" Hotch admitted defeat, wanting to get back to the papers on his desk.
"Say seven?"
Hotch nodded.
Dave turned to leave, stopping in his tracks and spinning back around, as he remembered something he'd been meaning to ask the younger agent for a few days now. "What have you done to upset, Prentiss?"
"I'm sorry?" Aaron's slightly angry stare shot up to meet the gaze of the other profiler.
"For the last week she's seemed somewhat upset and she's been completely avoiding eye contact with you. And I notice that you haven't spoken directly to her all week. Now I know I'm new to this team, but I'd like to assume it's not always like that between the two of you? So I'll ask again, what have you done?"
Hotch didn't really want to admit that it was pretty much always like that between himself and the beautiful woman. He knew that his behaviour didn't really affect her that badly. She was still one of the finest agent's in the division and held friendly relationships with the other members of the team. His distancing himself from her didn't really cause any damage. That was what he'd convinced himself anyway.
Dave was right about one thing though, he knew that Emily Prentiss was angry and upset with him about something in particular at the moment. Something stupid that he'd hated himself for making into such a big issue.
His mind flashed back to the early morning, two days earlier.
"You need to change your shirt."
"I'm sorry?"
"We've spoken about this before, Prentiss."
"With respect, sir, I don't see the issue with my shirt."
The issue is that I can't stop staring at you in it, and I need to get this work done. "It's inappropriate for the workplace."
"How so?"
It's tight, leaving almost nothing to my imagination and from up here in my office when you're at your desk, the low cut gives me a perfect view of you breasts. "Don't question me, Prentiss. I don't want to have to write you up over something this ridiculous. Just change into something more professional and we can put this behind us."
Emily Prentiss had stared down some of the worst criminals the world had to offer and she did it without fear or hesitation. But stood here, in front of him, she had never looked so defeated and vulnerable. Hotch could tell that she wanted to scream and shout at him, but something was stopping her. Why was she holding back?
"Yes, Sir." She finally let out, her gaze sinking to the floor, before she turned and left the office.
Hotch watched her leave, almost stopping her, wanting to take back everything he had just said. He knew that he had no right to ask her to change but he was glad that she had agreed to. Obviously he would never have written her up for something so pathetic, but it was either threaten her with that, or tell her the truth. No, he couldn't do that.
"I asked her to change a shirt that I thought was inappropriate." He admitted to the older male. "She did as I asked, but I don't think she appreciated the request."
"You asked her to change?" Dave looked at his colleague incredulously. "Why? How bad was this shirt?"
"There was nothing wrong with it really." He confessed quietly.
"Then why? Oh…" Dave's eyes widened, before a chuckle escaped him. "You were… enjoying the view a little too much, I take it?"
"Shut up, Dave." Aaron Hotchner retuned his attention back to the work on his desk, effectively blocking out his friend as the other man continued on talking. Hotch was no longer paying attention to him, instead too engrossed in his paperwork. He took in the odd word. Something about feelings, then something about fraternisation, something about Prentiss, something about apologising and then finally something about the get together at Dave's. Finally Hotch's eyes shot up to find Dave seemingly waiting on an answer from him about something. What had he just asked him? Something about going to the team meal, he was sure. "Okay." Hotch responded, hoping this answer would get Dave's approval. He wanted desperately to get ahead on the paperwork, if he was going to be leaving on time the following day.
"Good." Rossi smiled. "I'll let you get back to work then."
With that said the older agent exited Hotch's office, feeling pleased with himself. He headed back down to the bullpen, coming to a stop in front of Morgan's desk, calling for the attention of Morgan and Reid, as well as JJ who was perched on end of Spencer's desk.
"Hotch is attending tomorrow night too. Does seven work okay for everyone?" He smiled as the group all nodded. "Excellent, I'll text you all the address. And by the way. Aaron's upset Emily, so I've asked him to invite her along tomorrow evening. He needs the excuse to start up a conversation with her so he can apologise."
"Hotch and Emily have never really gotten along." JJ told him. "They work professionally around each other though. What did he do?"
"Yeah, what has he done?" Morgan questioned, his protective traits showing as his gaze hardened. "We've all noticed the tension between the two of them in the past, but I always just put that down to him being hard on her when she first started because he didn't really trust her arrival. Like JJ said, they've never been friends, but they've always remained professional. What has he done to upset her?"
"I don't know." Rossi lied. "I don't believe it's anything unforgivable, but I know Aaron wants to apologise. So I'd appreciate it if none of you would mention dinner to her until after he's asked her. If she already agrees to come along, then his excuse to speak to her will be gone."
"If he's upset her, he shouldn't need an excuse." Morgan argued.
"I know, but this is Aaron." Dave explained. "Staring down prolific serial killers, no problem. But apologising to an upset woman, not something he excels in."
The three agents nodded in agreement before they all got back to work, JJ promising to pass the message on to Garcia, before returning to work herself.
Emily Prentiss arrived back from the seminar a lot later than planned. The boring event had run over by more than a few hours, so when the profiler finally returned to the office, everybody had already finished up and gone home for the day. Well, everybody except SSAIC Aaron Hotchner.
Emily flopped down angrily into her chair. She had a lot of paperwork that needed to be completed today, with regards to the seminar, before a meeting with Section Chief Erin Strauss the following morning. It was going to be a late one. She might even end up staying later than Mr 'Doom and Gloom' himself.
Hotch glanced at his watch, his eyes widening at how late it was. It was no real surprise to him that he was still here working so late. The shock came from the fact that Emily Prentiss was still working away down in the bullpen. The Unit Chief packed up his things and exited his office, locking the door, before heading down the steps. He came to a halt at the side of his subordinate's desk.
"Prentiss." He called for her attention
Emily was so engrossed in her paperwork, she hadn't even heard him approach. She noticeably flinched as her surname fell from his lips and she spun around in her chair to face him, her expression matching one of a deer caught in headlights.
Hotch's eyebrows furrowed at her reaction. It was understandable that she may have jumped a little at first, but the look of panic that remained spread across her features confused him. "You're here late."
"Sorry Sir." The female agent rushed to apologise. What she was apologising for, neither of them were sure. But the words seemed to flow freely. "Sorry. The seminar ran a lot later than expected and I have to get all of this done before my sit down with Strauss tomorrow morning."
"Do you need any help?" The words came before he'd even thought it through.
Evidence that Emily was shocked by his offer, instantly began to show in her facial expression. "No sir. I mean… thank you. I really appreciate the offer but there's not much left. I can come in early and finish it tomorrow morning, before the meeting."
The room went silent as Hotch stared at the beautiful brunette in front of him. He knew he owed her an apology for his recent behaviour. In all honesty, he probably owed her an apology for the last ten months. But for some reason he couldn't seem to force his lips to form those two little words. Why was it so difficult for him to just come out and say 'I'm sorry'?
"Sir… can I help you with anything else?" She questioned, as he continued to gaze at her.
Say it, you idiot. Tell her you're sorry. "No. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Agent Prentiss."
With that said the male turned and headed towards the exit, inwardly cursing himself for his cowardly actions.
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