Thursday, 3:12 p.m., Conference Room at The Hoover Building in D.C.

"Sir, my searches are only as good as the information I am given." Garcia takes a deep breath. "Cody Beamer did not turn his brother over to us as an employee of The Nightingale. Additionally, he and his brother were working a tax scam in that Cody took a large paycheck then split it with his brother. That way only Cody had to pay taxes. Hank just filed as a freelance handyman to keep from being audited. Since there was no real paper trail tying him to the restaurant there was no way we could have even found him by accident."

Garcia stares at the men in front of her. Try as she might, she cannot help but be intimidated by them. And like a shark smelling blood in the water, the chairman knows it.

"You got your start in the FBI as a criminal, is that correct, Ms. Garcia?"

"Uh, well, technically, yes," she answers.

"A hacker. The list of places we know you got into is quite impressive. Those hacking skills have proven handy for Chief Hotchner at times, haven't they?"

"Uh, well, yes, sir. I guess at times they have. But I have never hacked just to hack. It has always been as a last resort," she insists.

"Right. I'm sure it was. Tell me, Ms. Garcia, how you came to hack Interpol."

She starts to open her mouth then stops. "I, um, can't. It's classified."

"What is?"

"The cases…um…the reasons…sir, I just can't speak of it. Any of it."

"Ms. Garcia, I remind you that you swore to tell this committee the truth."

"Yes, sir, I know. And the truth is anything I did or didn't do with Interpol is classified."

"What if I were to tell you that I have clearance to get you to speak about it?"

"I would need to see proof from Director Ryder, sir. Personally."

The chairman stares at her. She may be scared but she won't be cowed into talking about what he wants to know. He is almost impressed by her. Almost.

"Ms. Garcia, did you find it odd that Agent Prentiss called you instead of Agent Jareau when she was with Ian Doyle?"

Garcia considers her answer a moment, sure he is trying to trick her into saying something to hurt Emily. "No, sir. She knew I had the programs needed to trap and trace the call, even if it utilized a sophisticated re-router that bounced the signal all over the world."

"I see. So you aren't having an affair with Agent Prentiss?"

Garcia reddens. "WHAT? NO, SIR! I would never do that to JJ! Uh, Agent Jareau. Not to mention AGENT PRENTISS would never cheat on her wife!"

"Oh, please, Ms. Garcia. Surely you know Agent Prentiss slept with Ian Doyle again."

Garcia slams her hand down onto the table. "NO! She didn't, sir. She…she…no! It's classified. And now I know you don't have the file because the truth is she DIDN'T sleep with him. I will say nothing more about Agent Prentiss in regards to Ian Doyle." Then she adds. "Sir."

"I see. And you didn't find it strange that with her aversion to undercover work that she would suddenly decide to go undercover in Norfolk?"

Garcia's head is nearly spinning at the change in the conversation. "Well, no sir. Because above and beyond anything, Emily Prentiss is a damn good FBI agent. She took an oath to protect the laws and people of this country and she would gladly ignore her own personal hang-ups to save someone's life. Just earlier this week we all were deposed for a case we worked in Alaska. She jumped off a cliff into a nearly freezing river to save a woman, sir. Because that is the kind of person Emily Prentiss is."

Garcia sees several people on the panel look impressed at her defense of Emily's character. She stares at the chairman, wondering at the look in his eye.

"And have you come to doubt Chief Hotchner's ability to lead this team in the aftermath of Norfolk?"

Again Garcia's head swims. It is obvious he is switching up cases and agents to try to get to her. She slowly shakes her head.

"I have no doubt in Chief Hotchner. It was a good, solid plan. Unfortunately we didn't truly know all the players in the game and that's why it got so bad so quickly. That was not his fault, sir. If it was anyone's it was mine because I didn't disclose that Cody Beamer had a brother as it didn't seem relevant at the time." She leans on the table as if trying to get in the chairman's face. "So if you want to hang someone for the Norfolk case, you hang me, sir. Not Chief Hotchner or anyone else."

This time she sees more than one person look at her with newfound respect and admiration. The chairman consults with the others at the table.

"Very well. We're done for now, Ms. Garcia. You are forbidden from discussing your interview with any members of your team. Make sure you're available if additional questions arise before our findings are made public. You may go."

"Yes, sir. Thank, sir. All you sirs and ma'am."

Garcia gets up and heads out into the hallway. She leans against the wall, glad the interrogation is over. She reaches into the breast pocket of the blazer she wears and pulls out a key she had gotten two days before. She stares at it, drawing comfort from what it represents. Just as she starts towards the elevators JJ comes out from the room across from the conference room.

"Hey, you," she says with a smile.

"Hi," JJ replies. "How was it?"

Garcia gives her a grin. "Piece of cake, sugar. You'll be fine."

JJ nods. "Good. Thanks, Pen. See you later."

Garcia nods as JJ heads into the conference room. Dropping the key she is clutching in her hand into her pocket, Garcia heads towards the elevators, hoping JJ's interview goes better than her own did.