Outfit: /44VYts1
Eᴘɪsᴏᴅᴇ: Cᴏᴍᴘᴜʟsɪᴏɴ S1, E2
Unpacking my belongings became a far more strenuous task than I had imagined. Once I'd found the necessities, I decided that I was content enough with my progress for one day. Most of the space was still filled with copious amounts of boxes in place of furniture and I had limited possessions available for my use, but I couldn't face the reality of unpacking my entire life in a single day.
Morgan's efficiency in securing the apartment became a hindrance once Ricky arrived. In fact, it was actually a challenge to open the door to his insistent knocking.
"Hi! Welcome to America, land of the queens!"
The very moment that the door swung open, Ricky cheered in a flamboyant manner and thrust several items into my hands, before barging past me to allow himself in. I glanced down to discover that he had presented me with a large potted plant and a tupperware container of roti and homemade dips.
Despite having spent a majority of his life in America, he still treasured his heritage and culture. I had to admit that I found it heartwarming that he allowed me to participate in sharing his traditions. Ricky and his mother Nabhitha had brought new life and a refreshing optimism to our family, and we were all consistently thankful to have them.
"I cooked those especially for you, just so you know. Maji would kill me if I dared to come to a new home empty handed." He called over his shoulder dismissively whilst he explored the space as if he belonged there and I chuckled slightly to myself as I began searching for a secure spot for the plant to live.
"I thought that you could do with another botanical baby, after you had to put all your last kiddos up for adoption." He added with amusement as he indicated toward the new plant, whilst I smiled gratefully in return.
"It is very appreciated. Thank you." I responded, as I placed it on a shelf with pride of place in my new home and tidied the food into the fridge for later. "It was hard to leave them, but I made sure to find a good home. There was a vegan cafe in town that used plants as their main decor, so I donated them. They'll be well loved."
"The burdens of parenthood." Ricky remarked, finally turning back to face me after his analysis of my home, prompting me to gulp in anticipation. "Girl, this place is sad. My room in the halls last year was bigger." He assessed with a grimace and I rolled my eyes, unsure of why I had expected anything different from him.
"Thanks, Ricky. You're so supportive." I groaned, leaning against a kitchen counter as I viewed him, rubbing at my tired eyes.
"I know that you're worried about committing yourself to anything here, but I'm confident that this FBI thing is going to work out for you. It's totally unnecessary to trap yourself in these shady, short term places." He insisted, glancing upward at the small space where I would sleep with disbelief. "You know, if we lived together, we could afford a much nicer place. Thanks to the salon allowing me to book in cuts for the weekend as a freelancer, I'm still bringing in good money whilst I'm studying. I could contribute."
"We already talked about this. I can't have a college kid in my space. I have to be careful with security. You'd never be able to have friends over, or do other teenage stuff." I recalled, emphasising the same points that we had already discussed when I first decided to accept the job and as he opened his mouth to argue, I cut him off. "Besides, I'd basically never be home anyway, so you'd be alone a lot. This job involves a lot of travelling and crazy hours."
"Even more reason for you to have a friendly face waiting for you when you get home. I could have dinner waiting for you like a classy 50s housewife, but with more spice. We could do movie nights! Honestly, Ally, none of those things are a big deal for me." He insisted, still clearly passionate about the idea.
"I thought you'd already secured your place for the year? Aren't you happy where you are?" I enquired, attempting to shift the focus back to him, but he sighed.
"It's not bad, but it could always be better." He revealed, seeming completely unphased at the idea of dismissing a housemate who seemed to be exceptionally accommodating from what I'd seen and I shook my head at his diva attitude.
"Give yourself some time to settle in before you judge." I advised, hoping that with time he might come to appreciate his new home. "Living with me shouldn't be your top choice, anyway! You haven't even seen what I'll be like once I actually start trying to do this job. I could be a nightmare to live with. You're still in university. Give yourself a chance to have some fun." I added, fidgeting nervously as I considered my upcoming first shift and he smiled reassuringly.
"Oh, honey." He breathed sympathetically. "You're already a nightmare." He added with a teasing wink and I grabbed a nearby dishcloth to hit him with.
"Kidding. I'm kidding!" He squealed in surrender. "You'll be great and you know it. Besides, it sounds like you've got a good team, so that'll help." He reminded me as he glanced around at all of the boxes that they had assisted with, leaving me to hum in agreement.
Earlier in the day, Ricky had called me during his lunch break to confirm that his housemate had allowed me to collect my things. He'd been thrilled to hear of my welcoming party, already taking a particularly strong liking to Penelope from my descriptions. Though I knew that the two of them would likely get along like a house on fire, I couldn't imagine the chaos that would result from introducing them and resolved to avoid it for at least a little while.
"Right, Alley Cat. Let's get these cases open. I need to choose a fierce outfit for your first day!"
- O - O - O - O - O -
Stepping out of the elevator into the BAU floor felt different this time. Knowing that I was a member of the team was strangely jarring and I was pleased that I had chosen to arrive early as the office was almost empty.
For a few minutes I stood in the foyer, allowing myself a chance to acknowledge how insane it was that this was happening. It seemed completely surreal, as if I might wake from a dream at any moment and I took a deep breath, holding my head up high before continuing my way inside.
JJ had instructed me to report to her office first. I approached her door obediently, knocking gently to find that she was absent from her desk as usual. A small prickle of anxiety was already present in my stomach and I knew that waiting around would only cause it to grow.
Instead, I wandered to the kitchen and placed a large cake box onto the counter. It was filled to the brim with pastries that I had baked the night before, when I'd been too nervous to settle. Out of habit, I ensured that there was a placard on the front with all of the ingredients in case of any allergies, before taking the individually packed cake with me.
Glancing into the main office, I noticed that Spencer was already at his desk and battled to convince myself that it was better to get this interaction over with quickly, before I had time to obsess over the fear that I might appear strange for doing it. I had barely managed a few steps through the doors when he noticed my approach. He seemed happy to turn his attention from his book, smiling warmly at me.
"Morning, Alice. Looking forward to your first day?" He questioned, slightly nervous energy clear in his posture and I felt a surge of fondness in my chest at the sight of him.
"Good morning. I'm a little apprehensive, but mostly excited." I admitted.
I was always surprised at the honesty that he was able to draw out of me. Despite my best intentions to keep my nerves to myself, I admitted them the moment he asked. Spencer placed the book down to focus fully on me with a hint of concern. In an effort to quickly change the topic before he could corner me, I cleared my throat and placed the small pastry box down beside him.
"This is for you." I mumbled, desperately focused on ensuring that I didn't blush, though I could already feel heat in my cheeks. "I baked some Chelsea buns for the team, but I thought you'd prefer something individually packed." I explained as he looked at the box, then glanced back up at me in surprise.
"Who told you?" He queried, his confusion over my choice filling his handsome features and I rushed to clarify that I hadn't actually been researching him.
"No one." I blurted, quickly realising that this only made me sound worse. "You avoid shaking hands, so I figured that an open cake box would probably be gross for you. Honestly, I don't mess with shared food either. I just wanted to make sure that you were still included." I reasoned, smiling nervously at him and the suspicion that had been present in his expression before faded to appreciation.
"5000-7000 cases of food and waterborne diseases are registered every year and that's without considering the thousands of unreported cases. It's simply safer to minimise the contact that your food has made with other people." He commented as he shifted as if he was embarrassed by this quirk, inspiring me to lighten the conversation.
"Are you saying that you think you'll get food poisoning from my cooking?" I suggested in a low tone and he sat up so straight that he was practically completely rigid.
"No! I wouldn't ever-"
"I'm teasing, sweetheart. I'm not offended at all." I interrupted, feeling immediately guilty for his distress. "Don't worry. My mum was always very strict on kitchen hygiene, so you can trust that your bun has only been touched by me, with very clean hands."
"If I'm hearing this right, Reid got cake. That sounds a little like favouritism to me, Alice." Morgan crooned as he arrived at his desk, glancing between us suspiciously as he unpacked his things and I crooked a brow at him.
"Not at all. There's a whole box in the kitchen. Help yourself." I argued, prompting a flash of excitement from him at this unexpected treat. "It was either share them out here, or spend the next week gorging myself on my childhood favourites. I decided to be kind to both my team and my waistline." I revealed, earning a chuckle from Morgan.
"Oh no, Poppins. Are you trying to invade our territory with your weird British recipes?" He teased, leaning back in his chair with satisfaction whilst I crossed my arms at him.
"Excuse me. I think you should hold your judgement until you've tasted them, thank you very much." I sassed, unwilling to allow him an easy win in any exchange.
Morgan shrugged at me as if he hadn't decided whether he would indulge me yet or not. It seemed rather early in the day for him to surrender and so I remained braced for some kind of jab. Before I could scold him any further, Penelope rushed into the bullpen.
"Alice Hawthorne, you are a goddess in human form!" She announced as she approached me, licking her fingers. "If you keep bringing in delicacies like that, you can stay forever." She added with a wink and I chuckled, as Morgan raised his brows in surprise.
"You're eating cakes for breakfast now, Babygirl? You're already sweet enough." He drawled as she snuck a sly smile at him, before bringing her gaze back to me.
"I know that in England you would usually have a cup of tea with something like this and I have got you totally covered! I didn't know what kind you liked, so I ordered a variety. There's a whole drawer full of tea bags in my office for your perusal." She explained with such enthusiasm that I couldn't help but laugh at her efforts to make me feel welcome.
"Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to clean myself up. Fair warning, these buns leave you sticky in places I didn't even know I had." She added as she wandered away from us with her hands held out to prevent herself from spreading sugar everywhere and Morgan got to his feet.
"Alright. I guess I better find out what all the fuss is about. Where are these home baked treasures?" He asked, rubbing his hands together with excitement.
"They're in the kitchen. Yours is the one that's full of laxatives." I joked with a wicked smile, prompting him to shake his head at me as he left.
Beside me Spencer unpacked his little box, after efficiently setting out some wipes in preparation for the mess.
"Alice. Welcome to the team." Hotch's voice carried from nearby, prompting me to turn to find him standing on the raised platform outside his office. "If you have a minute, we have some paperwork to complete." He offered in a friendly tone despite his usual stern expression and I wasted no time in entering his office.
Following his gesture, I took a seat at his desk. He began laying out several forms before me carefully. I'd hoped that I had already completed everything by now due to the copious amount of steps that I'd taken to process my move here and felt daunted at the sight of even more documentation, until Hotch slid a small black wallet over to me.
"You need to sign this to confirm receipt of your credentials. This badge gives you authority which comes with a great deal of responsibility. I just want you to know that I'm pleased to be able to provide you with it." He explained, a subtle hint of a smile dancing in his eyes and I felt my breath catch in my throat.
The pen felt especially heavy as I signed on the line. Once complete, I took the wallet in my hands. Flipping it open to reveal an FBI badge with my name and photo on it, I felt as if I had fallen into a dream. This single item seemed to be the final thing that allowed me to realise that this was really happening.
"As you have opted not to carry a firearm, you will be assigned to a member of the team who is armed whenever possible." Hotch explained, fixing me with a serious expression and I nodded in understanding. "You will also be required to undertake some defence training, as this is your first field role. I'll be scheduling you some sessions with Morgan in the next few weeks." He revealed, making it clear that this was not open to discussion and I sighed at the idea.
"Yes, Sir." I answered.
Already, visions of Morgan throwing me around like a ragdoll flashed through my mind. I could hardly contain my dread at the humiliation. Without considering the fact that he was built like a wrestler, he was almost a foot taller than me and clearly substantially fitter. These sessions would undoubtedly be a repeat of my dismal physical education classes in school.
"For the time being your role will be considered as provisional, until you have completed enough cases as a direct employee of the FBI to qualify, but I have no doubt that you are capable of doing so. As such, the team will be addressing you with your full title, regardless of your status. Welcome to the BAU, Special Agent Hawthorne." Hotch finally broke a smile as he addressed me and though part of me cringed at the formality, I was thrilled at this demonstration of trust.
"Thank you, Sir. I'm honoured to be here." I breathed, genuinely pleased that I was considered a part of this team, before being startled by JJ knocking on the door.
"Excuse me, Hotch. Could I borrow Alice for a moment?" She requested with a polite grimace and as soon as he nodded in approval, I stood to follow her.
"Sorry I wasn't here to meet you when you arrived. I was caught up in a call. I know that Hotch completed your paperwork, so that's the biggest job out of the way. All that's left is to show you to your desk." She breezed as she guided me back to the bullpen and indicated to the cubicle that was attached to Morgan's, leaving Reid's desk directly to my right hand side with no obstructions between us.
"Our new recruit will be over here, so that sets you all up with a space to work together on anything." She explained, pointing to the cubicle that was attached to Reids and I smiled thankfully at her.
It felt strange to be assigned somewhere in the open, after spending all of my time at Interpol shut out of sight. However, I was warmed by the idea that I would be surrounded by my team. Morgan peeked over the divider at me with a look of defeat and drew my attention away from JJ.
"Alright, new girl. I'll admit that your baking skills are pretty good, but this isn't over. I'm gonna get you to admit that American food is where it's at." He admitted, wiping at his hands and face in an effort to clear the remaining icing from his skin and JJ's interest peaked immediately.
"You made cakes?" She asked with obvious amusement, seeming surprised that this was something I would do.
"I cook when I'm nervous. They're in the kitchen if you want one." I confessed awkwardly, aware that this likely wasn't something that most professional agents did, but her eyes lit up at this information. Reid quickly chimed in from behind her.
"If there's any left. They're excellent." He praised, flashing me a smile that made my stomach flip with pride.
"You even got Reid to eat one? Now I have to taste them." JJ exclaimed as she raced toward the kitchen and I chuckled at the reception that they were receiving. Spencer cleared his throat to address Morgan and I.
"It's not surprising that they're enjoyable. Chelsea buns were first baked in the 18th century at the Bun House in Chelsea, hence the name. The establishment was actually favoured by British royalty. They share many similarities with American cinnamon buns, but these are steeped in both cultural and historical relevance. They are the perfect choice for establishing common ground, Alice." Spencer managed to utilise facts to administer praise and whilst I was distracted by being impressed at his knowledge, Morgan thinned his eyes at me.
"Similar to cinnamon buns, huh? That's cheating. I'm taking your point back." He stated mockingly, but I simply rolled my eyes at his constant competitive nature.
"You know that these are better. You may be able to lie to me, but you can't lie to yourself, Morgan." I teased, causing his expression to crack from laughter.
I couldn't help smiling in appreciation of his banter, which made me feel at home within the team. Once I started setting up my desk, I realised that there were items hidden in one of the drawers. Inside were a couple of fluffy pens, a small decorative notebook and a cup and saucer set with a note on it. As I lifted it out, I realised that the teacup had a sketch of Alice in Wonderland on the side. The note was from Penelope, stating that she hoped this helped me to personalise my space.
Morgan flicked through a newspaper, whilst Reid got out a chess board at his desk which he quickly became deeply concentrated on, both of them making it clear that our time waiting for a case was free to spend as we wished. I organised my new items in a way that I liked, before pulling out a few photos from my bag to pin to the side of my cubicle.
There was one of Ricky and I from our fateful trip to Brighton; one of my mother on her wedding day to my step dad Roger; one of my Nana Nelly who had inspired Penelope's nickname Nels; one of my aunts Nabitha and Heather on their protest wedding day. As gay marriage was not legal, they had simply hosted a formal party where they exchanged vows and rings, and since then the family all addressed them as wives. Their love and determination was a point of pride for us all.
"Check. Checkmate in three moves." Gideon's voice announced from behind me and I turned to find Spencer staring up at him with sheer disbelief. "Nice to have you back, Alice. Welcome to the team." He added as he glanced over at me, before he wandered off at a purposeful pace without waiting for a response.
"What?!" Spencer hissed, studying the chessboard with such powerful confusion that I had to laugh. Morgan threw down his paper to direct his snarky attitude to a new target, as he finally grew tired of picking on me.
"You know, you'll beat him when you start learning." He stated tauntingly, pretending not to notice that I rolled my eyes at his mean tactics.
"Learning what?" Spencer questioned, holding out his hands in exasperation and though I was tempted to tell him not to take the bait, I decided not to intervene.
"To think outside the box." Morgan remarked, giving advice that was just vague enough to leave Spencer completely baffled as I shook my head sympathetically.
The clicking of heels drew my attention away from their interaction. I looked over my shoulder to find an unfamiliar woman walking from the direction of Gideon's office. She had thick dark hair and warm skin, and was dressed in a black suit that flattered her figure. For once, I was pleased that Ricky had assisted me in finding an outfit that made me appear less casual. Otherwise, I knew that I could easily have been intimidated by the confident woman before me.
"Question for you." She called as she made her way over to the desk that JJ had earlier pointed out and I quickly pieced together that she was the new team member that I'd been briefed on.
"Shoot." Morgan responded, glancing up at her with interest as she strode into the space between our desks.
"The footpath killer." She announced as she placed herself between the three of us. "Why did he stutter?"
"Come on, Elle. We've all asked him and he won't say. He wants us to figure it out." Morgan answered, before JJ rushed over to deliver a stack of cases to Elle, whilst also introducing herself.
Tuning out their conversation, I focused on setting up my computer in a familiar layout to my previous laptop. I was unsurprised to find that Penelope had already set my background to a photo of the two of us. In the reflection of the monitor, I straightened my clothing and attempted to channel confidence, as Ricky had made me promise that I would do.
The outfit that he'd eventually been convinced to settle on was simple, following many requests from me to remain professional in his choices. I wore a loose white blouse with a large black bow on the collar, a well fitted pair of black ¾ length trousers and in place of the heels that Ricky had laid out for me were a navy pair of high top Converse. My hair was in a simple updo and I'd added a vintage flare to my makeup with a red lipstick that gave me a spring to my step.
"BAU team." Hotch announced from the raised section of the room and I smiled at the thought that this included me. "Can you meet me in the conference room, please? I need to show you something."
Everyone got to their feet without hesitation and as I followed them into the conference room, I couldn't help a slight sense of nervousness as the possibilities for the nature of my first case crossed my mind. As it turned out, we were assigned to investigate a serial arsonist who had struck at a university and I knew that I was soon to be entirely out of my depth.