"Told you that you should have let me set a trap," Emily muttered at Hotch, keeping her eyes firmly on the Director.

Hotch sighed heavily and resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. That would just draw attention to the two of them and he didn't want that. Most of the higher-ups were always a bit wary around Emily. For good reason but Hotch did not want them to become even more so. He like his team un-meddled with. And he supposed he rather liked Emily too. Most of the time. When she wasn't trying to get them all fired like she was apparently trying to now.

"It's not too late," she said temptingly.

"No." he repeated, sounding more tired than firm this time.

He felt tired. Exhausted even. They had barely had any time to be at home in the past week and he'd been kept late due to paperwork. The last thing he needed was a meeting, especially a pointless one like this one was shaping up to be. New policies, ones that didn't even apply to them, did not require a meeting. Maybe he should have let Prentiss do whatever hare-brained scheme she had come up with. At the very least it would be entertaining.

A quick glance at the look on Prentiss' face squashed that particular thought. She had a scheming look on her face alongside the hope. Definitely not a good combination. Also, he was meant to be in control here which meant his team had to be kept under control. Something his team seemed constantly eager to challenge. That was the problem with having a group of highly capable and skilled agents, especially if they had 'down time'.

Eventually, the meeting came to an end -about twenty minutes too late in Hotch's opinion. His team perked up as soon as they realised the Director's droning voice had stopped which meant more focused attention might be on them. Thankfully, the Director deemed further discussion unnecessary and made to leave the room after getting mumbled farewells from his reprobate agents. Unfortunately, the 'leaving' part didn't exactly go to plan.

"What the-?"

CRASH

The team immediately looked at Prentiss, Hotch raising a stern eyebrow for good measure.

"It was me!" she hissed as the Director' secretary and personal assistant fluttered around him as he tried to detangle himself from, was that a bundle of wires?

Somehow Hotch didn't exactly believe her.

"Get away!" the Director grumbled, batting his hands at his personnel.

"Let me help, sir," Morgan offered, holding out his hand which the man grabbed.

Soon he was back on his feet, suit crumpled but no obvious injuries.

"Thank you, Agent Morgan," he grumbled, dusting himself down. He drew himself up to his full height and demanded of Hotch, "What on earth was that about?"

"I have no clue, sir," Hotch replied, not wanting to give away his suspicions of a prank or trap. This did not require any official interference. Especially not from so high up the chain of command.

"Why on earth is there technical equipment on the floor?" the Director asked and then turned to Strauss. "Is this department usually so careless with such things?"

"Of course not, sir," Strauss soothed while glaring pointedly at Hotch which he would have taken offense to if it wasn't for what she said next. "I'm sure it fell from a technician's box or something."

Whether on purpose or not, Strauss had managed to remove all suspicion, imagined or otherwise, from this team. The director appeared to be appeased by this and was soon urged out of the room to his appointment in Strauss' office where a hot drink would be waiting for him.

Hotch immediately drew his attention to Prentiss, whose eyes had gone almost impossibly wide. The expression didn't fool him, he knew what she was capable of and her ability to keep a straight face. Not that that particular skill was currently coming into play, Hotch could see a faint trace of her amusement in the brief curve of her lips.

"It wasn't me!" she claimed as soon as she realised his attention was back on her.

Hotch wasn't the only one sending her disbelieving looks, most of the team was. They had all heard her suggestion from before the meeting and her eagerness to carry it out. How could it have not been her?

"It wasn't!" she insisted. Silence followed that declaration. "Look, it really wasn't. That's," she pointed at the cables that were now on the table, "is not my style and I haven't been out of anyone's sight before this meeting."

"Except to use the restroom," JJ supplied.

"Garcia was in there when I was," Prentiss defended.

"I was," the brightly dressed woman confirmed.

No dishonestly was detected in either woman's tone or stance. Garcia was not the prank pulling type anyway and Prentiss was certainly shocked and amused by the whole series of events but there was no satisfaction of a job well done. Hotch decided to believe her, as good as she was about schooling her features, she did like to brag about getting one over someone which she definitely wasn't doing now.

"Well, if you didn't do it, who did?" Hotch demanded as the Director disappeared down the corridor, still not fully convinced that Emily didn't have a hand in this somehow.

"Do you think I know?" was the snappy reply he got.

"Seriously?" Morgan suddenly exclaimed in Prentiss' direction.

"No, I really don't and ... you're not talking to me," Prentiss retorted, trailing off into a mumble as she realised that Morgan was looking over her shoulder.

"Uhhh."

Hotch's heart sank as he recognised that particular guilty tone and craned his neck to confirm it. Reid's sheepish face came into view. Yep. He was right. Morgan clapped their youngest Agent on the back as JJ gave him an impressed but disapproving look.

"You've got guts kid," Morgan congratulated.

"How come Reid got to do it!" Prentiss complained.

"I thought we were going ahead with the trap!" Reid protested.

"I said no," Hotch reminded him.

Reid met Prentiss' eyes and gave Hotch a guilty half-smile before looking at his feet, obviously not wanting to see the disapproving look Hotch felt the need to give the younger man.

"That was pretty awesome," Prentiss told Reid who looked up to beam at her, always happy to have her approval.

Hotch had to smother a groan, Reid really should not be encouraged in these sorts of endeavours. Actually, none of his team should but especially the one with the large IQ who had endless material for pranks.

"Of course, I would have done something much more spectacular," Prentiss continued in a bragging tone.

"You would not!" Morgan rebutted.

"I would too!"

Hotch sighed heavily. Again. Hopefully this wouldn't progress to an all-out war.