Chapter twenty-five
Spencer
The next day Spencer and JJ stood in front of Hotch's desk, waiting for the hammer of doom to fall.
Hotch came in quietly with files in hand, followed by Rossi and looked at them for a few moments. He did not invite them to sit. "I spent the morning reviewing the Federal Code of Conduct rules. As you know the Bureau takes the Code of Conduct very seriously and has let Agents go in the past for violations of that code. There are a number of regulations aimed at preventing sexual harassment but they only apply to a supervisor/subordinate relationship and in cases of adultery. Now neither of you is legally married and while Dr. Reid does have significant seniority it is well known in the department that he is not considered an alternate supervisor in times of need, so none of these regulations would apply in this case. Once those regulations have been taken into consideration each individual unit is expected to submit ethics guidelines to the committee, taking into account the unique nature of the work performed by said unit."
Wait, Spencer thought, they had talked about fraternization rules in the department before. "I thought we had rules in place?" He'd never read them, he never expected he'd have to.
"We do, but they are specific for the BAU. Given the nature of the work we do, that we have to get into each other's heads in order to better understand the UnSub it is understood and accepted that personal relationships will develop between agents from time to time. However, to protect unit cohesion and to better enable us to function with the law enforcement units we are called upon to help casual liaisons are prohibited."
Spencer looked over as JJ spoke up. "I'm sorry but Garcia and Kevin…"
"…do not go into the field together. They do not confront the UnSubs as we do. They do not represent the Bureau in the field as we do. Now I know that Agent Gideon was made aware of a certain…football game a few years back, but other than that were you two involved in a…private relationship before the Roland Hackett case?"
That, Spencer thought, was a very formal question, "No, sir."
"No, sir."
"Has there been any such relationship since the Roland Hackett case?'
"No, sir."
"No, sir."
"And I do not expect there will be one in the future. If that becomes the case I expect one or both of you will put in for a transfer to a different unit. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"Yes, Sir," Spencer sighed. He'd been afraid it would come to this. He stuck his hand in his pocket, feeling the weight of his badge. The only thing better than the day that was placed in his hand, he realized, was the day JJ put Sophia in his arms. "In that case, I…"
Rossi reached over from where he'd been sitting on the couch and stopped him. "Let the man finish"
Hotch had changed files, looked up at them as if Spencer had not opened his mouth. "Now, should you two decide to marry in the future your relationship would fall under a different set of guidelines."
JJ blinked at him. "Isn't that kind of patriarchal?"
Rossi leaned over to look past Spencer. "Be patient with the FBI," he said, "It's still trying to outgrow Hoover."
Spencer had been considering this. "I'm assuming the theory behind that would be that a relationship involving a public commitment would imply stability, making the relationship a known factor that other agents could take into consideration when weighing information, as opposed to the secretive, unknown factor inherent in a more casual relationship. It would also carry a certain moral weight that would make it more acceptable in some of the more conservative parts of the country, as opposed to a more casual relationship that would cause some law enforcement officials to question the morality and by extension the judgment of the team."
Rossi's just nodded, "Something like that."
Hotch took back the floor. "In order for both members of a married couple to remain within the unit they have to agree to certain guidelines, professional behavior during all on-duty hours and an ability to continue to work together with the team being the primary concern. I would expect that should you two decide to marry at some point in the future you would continue to maintain the same standard of exemplary behavior you have set in the past."
"Yes, sir."
"Yes, sir."
"Good. The other concern involves couples with children. In order to minimize the risk of a child losing both parents in one day you two would not be going into the field together if it can at all be helped. You will be assigned to different partners during an investigation, and when we go out to confront the UnSub one of you will remain out of the line of fire, preferably back at the station. Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"Yes, sir."
"Unfortunately JJ as the parent of record this falls on you. While you do not need to give the name of the father of your children, you will need to provide the name and contact information of a guardian who can take custody of your children in case something happens in the field. And it cannot be Reid, even if you list him as father; it must be someone outside the unit, preferably outside the Bureau. You will also need to provide a child-care plan for your file before you are cleared to leave town on a case. The forms are available from HR. And before you ask, I have the same forms on file myself."
JJ nodded. "I can ask my sister to be guardian, I'm sure she will. Child care is going to be a fun one, though."
"Well, you'll have time to sort it. You both earned a disciplinary note in your files and a ten day suspension without pay."
They were understandably shocked. "Why?" Spencer asked.
"For falsifying reports in the Roland Hackett case; I'm sorry, I know it's difficult but the FBI needs to know what happened. I expect you both to amend those reports before close of business today. Now I have been able to request that you serve those suspensions consecutively as opposed to concurrently in order to avoid drawing down the manpower level of the unit past the point of functionality. JJ, you begin your suspension today, head out as soon as you finish that report. Reid, you start in ten working days."
JJ just chuckled and shook her head. "I don't know if I should complain about the unfairness of a suspension or be grateful for having a month to sort childcare."
Hotch looked up with something that might actually have been a smile as he set the open files in front of them, "Sign." They both signed the relevant documentation and then JJ went through the formality of turning over her ID and service piece for the duration of her suspension. It was rather embarrassing, Spencer thought, but that might be the point of it, as behavior modification. "All right, that's the paperwork. We might want to go share with the rest of the family." He nodded out the window.
While Hotch went to process the paperwork the three of them, JJ, Spencer and Rossi headed down to the bull pen where Garcia, Morgan and Emily had been Not Watching with little success. "Well?" Emily asked.
"Ten day suspensions, first me, and then Spence," JJ told them. When they all grumbled she just shook her head. "It gives me a chance to sort out child care. Besides, it could have been worse. Oh, and a strict warning to keep our hands off each other." She waited a beat, "Unless we decide to get married."
"Oh." Emily looked at the two of them. "So, um, are you going to talk about it?"
JJ shrugged. "Not much to talk about." She turned to Spencer. "Still want to?"
Only more than anything, he thought. "Sure."
"All right then."
It took a moment for what just happened to sink in, and then Garcia went all a flutter. Then it was back slapping and handshakes and hugs and congratulations all around. Even Hotch was drawn into it as he came back into the room.
One person, however, had something to say. "Are you serious?" Rossi asked "I spend over two years watching you two trade off heavy looks and little, private smiles across the conference table and cuddling up together on the plane, ripping out my Italian heart and shredding it into little pieces of misery and this is the best romance you can give me? What is it with you young people today?" He held a hand up again and turned to face Spencer. "Whatever you do, do not use the word Vegas in this conversation. If you do I will shoot you in the other knee. You two are going to have a proper wedding, so help me."
JJ chuckled. "Are you going to pay for it?"
"If I have to."
Sometime later Hotch encountered Rossi in the hallway. "So I never asked you." He said. "How did you get Strauss to let us change the unit guidelines so quickly?"
"I reminded Erin that it takes two people to break a fraternization rule. Or to create the need for one." Rossi told him.
Hotch nodded. "You were right, I don't want to know."