Disclaimer: Nothing in this chapter is mine.
Chapter Eight
Hotch is Strauss sixth victim.
"Good to see you, Mr. Hotchner. Please have a seat." Strauss said as Hotch entered her office.
"Nice to see you too, ma'am." Hotch said as he sat down.
"I assume you have no idea why you're here. Am I right?" Strauss asked.
"That is correct. Would you mind telling me why I am here?" Hotch asked, lying.
"I need you tell me a secret about each of your team mates. That is why you are here. Okay?"
"Okay, I can do that." Hotch said, agreeing with Strauss.
"Good now let's get started. Tell me something about Emily Prentiss."
"Well, two weeks before she joined the BAU team, she stole a police car, and arrested four people."
Strauss was shocked at what Hotch had told her about Emily.
"Why on earth would she do that?" Strauss asked.
"Because the car only contains five seat belts. And seeing that Prentiss was already driving, there were only four seat belts left." Hotch said, pretending to be dumb.
"No, that's not what I meant. I mean, why on earth would she steal a police car?"
"Oh, right. Sorry, I guess I misunderstood you. She stole a police car because she thinks just because her mom is an ambassador; she can get away with things."
"Well, I bet she didn't get away with that." Strauss said, smiling.
"Actually, she did." Hotch said with a serious look on his face.
The smile had been erased from Strauss face.
"How did she get away with it?"
"All I know is that she stole a police car, arrested four people and got away with it. I don't know how. I guess she was just lucky or something."
"So do you know who the four people were that she arrested?" Strauss asked, sipping a cup of hot coffee.
"Yeah, I know them real well. They were Garcia, JJ, Morgan and Reid."
Strauss was so shocked at what Hotch had just revealed to her, that she didn't realize that the coffee had been poured all over her.
"Are you okay?" Hotch asked.
"Yes, I'm fine. Why did you wait until now to say anything about that?"
"Well, I was married to Haley and Jack was just a baby at the time! And I thought that if I told, then someone would take my wife and kid away from me!" Hotch said in a panicked voice.
"Whoa! Calm down. I was just asking. Let's move on to the next person. What can you tell me about David Rossi?"
"Well, every Wednesday before school starts, he takes lunch money from the students."
"Oh, I think that is the cruelest thing anyone could do to a child. Why does he do that?" Strauss asked, sounding disgusted.
"Because he needs the money for payments on the house he bought a few years ago." Hotch said, as if he were stating a fact.
"But he writes books. Why doesn't he just use the money that he makes from selling books, for the house payments?"
"Holy hell, lady. How many damn questions do you plan on asking me today?" Hotch thought to himself.
"Because he claims that his book selling money is for his retirement plan." Hotch revealed.
"I guess there are just some people, who I'll never understand. Anyway, what can you tell me about Penelope Garcia?"
"She has conversations with the mannequins at the clothing stores."
Strauss gave Hotch a strange look.
"When did you discover this secret?"
Hotch pretended to be thinking for a few moments, before answering Strauss.
"About five months ago, when Jack told me."
"Wait, how did Jack find out about Penelope's secret?"
"Well, Garcia was taking him shopping one day. Jack had picked out an outfit, and Garcia just walked up to the mannequin and asked for its opinion of the outfit that Jack had chosen. She got pissed off, when the mannequin wouldn't answer her."
"What did she do then?" Strauss asked, with a "this is going to be good" look on her face.
"She asked it why it wouldn't answer her. And she told it that she thought it was very rude for not answering her. After about three minutes, the security guards escorted her and Jack out of the building."
"I hope your son wasn't traumatized by any of it."
"Oh no, not at all. He said it was the most fun, he's ever had."
"Well, that's odd. Anyway, what can you tell me about Spencer Reid?"
"If I tell you, will you promise not to get mad?"
"Of course I promise not to get mad. Now what is Spencer Reid's secret?"
"He thinks you're a guy, dressed in drag."
"He thinks I'm a what?" Strauss said, getting angry.
"Hey! You promised you wouldn't get angry! You broke the promise!" Hotch said.
"Well, why in the hell, does he think that of me?"
"If you're just going to scream at me, then I'm not going to answer you."
"Okay, I'll calm down. Now please tell me why Reid thinks that about me." Strauss said, calming down.
Hotch waited for a few seconds, to make sure Strauss was calm.
"The only reason why he thinks you're a guy is because he claims that you wear way too much make-up."
"But my make-up never shows. I always put it on light." Strauss said, confused.
"I know. I agree with you, but I guess Reid is one of those people with a different opinion."
"Well, that boy has always been strange. Moving on, what can you tell me about Jennifer Jareau?"
"She bought a dog house, and makes Will sleep in it every night."
"Oh, that poor man. Why on earth does she do that?"
"Because she blames him for all the pain she went through, during the birth of Henry."
"Well, do you know how long he has to sleep in the dog house, before he is allowed to sleep in the house?"
"The day that Henry turns three years old, is the day that Will gets to sleep in the house, again."
"JJ seems like an evil person. Anyway, let's get to our final victim. What can you tell me about Derek Morgan?"
"Every time we all go to a restaurant, he tells them that it's his Birthday."
"Why does he do that for?" Strauss asked concerned.
"Because he wants a free Birthday cake, plus when you tell a restaurant that it's your birthday, they'll also give you a crown. He says the crown makes him feel like "The King of the B.A.U." Even though it's just a paper crown."
"My son tried that once, and I grounded him for two weeks." Strauss said.
"Mrs. Strauss, how you punish your son, is not some way I'm going to punish Morgan. Grounding someone for two weeks is the most cruel and unusual punishment." Hotch said as if he were angry with Strauss."
"Mr. Hotchner, how is grounding someone for two weeks a cruel and unusual punishment?" Strauss said confused.
"I don't know, but it just is. I have my opinions and you have yours."
"I can agree with you on that. Well, we are done here. You may go now. Thanks for your time." Strauss politely said.
"You're welcome and thanks for having me here." Hotch said politely back at Strauss, as he left the office.
As soon as he was out the door, he was surrounded by his team.
"So, what did you tell her?" Rossi asked, concerned.
"Well, she wanted to know a secret about each of you, and that's what I told her." Hotch said.
"Oh my God, I never thought I'd live to see the day, when you become disloyal to your own team." Morgan said.
"This is just like the time when Gideon left us." Reid said.
"What is she paying you like a thousand dollars or something, just to get information on each of us?" JJ asked.
"I know I won't be sending you a Christmas card this year." Garcia said.
"What gives you the right to stab each of us in the back?" Prentiss asked.
"You're lucky I don't send the mob after you." Rossi said.
"Okay, all this jumping to the wrong conclusion has got to stop. Can I tell you what I really said to her in there?" Hotch asked.
"Sorry Hotch. Please continue." Rossi said.
"Thank you Rossi. Now here's what I told Strauss; Prentiss once stole a cop car and arrested JJ, Morgan, Garcia and Reid. Garcia talks to the mannequins in clothing stores. Morgan goes to restaurants and tells them that it's his birthday. Rossi goes to the school and takes the students lunch money every Wednesday. JJ forces Will to sleep in a dog house every night. And Reid is convinced that Strauss is a man dressed in drag."
"Let me guess. She believed you, right?" Reid asked.
"You guessed right, Reid." Hotch said.
"Oh thank God!" Morgan exclaimed.
"Sorry to have jumped to the wrong conclusions, Hotch." JJ apologized.
"It's all alright. Just don't let it happen again." Hotch said.
End of Chapter eight. Please tell me what you thought. :)
