I Do not own Criminal Minds
Please R&R
Penelope Garcia
The team plus Jack and Jess were sitting in a small room off to one side of the courtroom, the team were more than willing to help Hotch with his thing but they were all sitting in awkward silence because Jess was there for Hailey also Jack was there. The usually happy and excitable three year old was unusually subdued today despite Reid trying to keep him entertained. They all froze when the door opened and the bailiff came in and most of them let out a sigh of relief when he said "Penelope Garcia."
They had all discussed within reason what they were going to say but Garcia changed her mind at the last minute she was going to do everything in her power to make sure that Hotch got to spend time with his son.
Bailiff: "state your name, occupation and relationship to the parties involved please."
"My name is Penelope Garcia, I am a Technical Analyst for the BAU out of Quantico, Virginia and I am a family member to Aaron Hotchner."
At this everybody in the courtroom frowned except for Hotch who knew what she meant.
"You're a blood relative of Aaron Hotchner?" Judge Morrow asked in a slightly disbelieving tone.
"Well not blood relative per se but let me explain something to you." Penelope said while reaching into her bag to pull something out of it.
"The BAU team is a family, in our job we see some of the most horrifying things that human beings can do to each other and we do it like no other team in the world, this because we are a family. True, we are not blood relatives but each member of our team plays a vital role. Our team is similar to that of a family. See (indicating to the photograph on the front of a photo album showing it to the judge and starts showing the judge the pictures) Jennifer Jaruea, Derek Morgan and I are the children. We all have fun when were not a case and watch each other's backs and while I stay at home I still try to and make them smile at least once a day on a case. Dr. Spencer Reid is the youngest and is fairly socially challenged and a genius and we all love him, we all pick on him but like the other members of our team we would protect him to the end of time. Rossi is like the weird uncle/ grandfather that we all love and Emily and Hotch are the parents of all of us they make sure that we are all ok inside and out and despite Hotch's….. Stoic expression goes to all lengths to protect the team he is our flag, the flag that we all look up to and that looks over us while Emily is our pole she is the one that can tell what everyone is feeling and knows what to say to everyone especially Hotch. And finally we come to Jack he is our shining star whenever he comes in we all put down what we're doing and spend some time with him because he is the purest thing in our lives, he reminds us all of why we look at pictures of mangled bodies and watch as another family falls apart because a monster has taken their baby."
Garcia's eyes were lined with tears, Hotch was looking at her with a look of admiration in his eyes that she had never seen before, Hailey looked mad and her lawyer was rising.
"Ms Garcia how often does Mr Hotchner bring Jack into the office?"
"ah…. whenever Hailey lets Jack have him over the weekend he usually picks him up on the Friday afternoon about 4:30 but we don't usually leave till around six so he brings him in but Hailey only lets him see her about once a month if that so not much… why?"
"Do you think it's irresponsible to let a child into an office where and I quote 'we see mutilated bodies and see families torn apart when a monster takes their baby?"
Garcia sat up straighter and had a look in her eye that Hotch had seen only a couple of times someone was threatening her family and she would make them pay.
"No."
"No?"
"No, like I said before Jack is our shining star when he comes we put all items away and we all babysit Jack while Hotch finishes his paper work, he usually sits on Emily's lap cos she's his favourite while he colours then Reid talks facts and shows him physics magic….."
This time Judge Morrow interrupted.
If neither party minds I have a couple of questions for Ms Garcia. Both parties' lawyers looked curious and shook their heads in agreement.
"Question one what in the world is physics magic?"
Garcia and Hotch both let out involuntary chuckles and in Garcia's case she's could barley stop laughing so Hotch stood.
"Your Honour if I may Doctor Reid is a 26 year old genius that graduated high school at the age of 12. He has limited social skills and although he is a genius the things that make him feel most comfortable is statistics and what he call physics magic. Magic is well magic but he also uses his knowledge of physics to show Jack cool displays of physic's that he refers to them as physic magic."
"Thank you Mr Hotchner, second question why is Emily Jacks favourite?"
Garcia looked uncertainly at both Hotchner's she saw Hailey reaction to the question and although she wasn't a profiler she could tell that she wanted to know the same thing and then something clicked.
"Emily? You know her sir?"
"ah yes I met her once or twice when she was younger at a couple of her mother's functions although she would only stay with the adults for a few hours then she would sneak off to go play with the children. But I haven't seen her in well nigh on twenty years."
Both Garcia and Hotch smiled clearly not surprised.
"Well sir, she hasn't changed much. Jack loves her because she always gives him massive hugs, she answers his questions that everyone else shy's away from especially pertaining to his mum and dad's relationship, and she always has a treat from him plus she's hard not to love."
Haley looked like she was about to explode especially when she saw Hotch smiling he hardly ever smiles! Judge Morrow looked content with her answers apologised for interrupting before signalling for her lawyer to continue.
"Do think it's a bit neglectful of Mr Hotchner to leave Jack with you guys on what you said were the very few days he had him to spend it at work."
"NOT ALL!" Garcia all but yelled before continuing. "Hotch spends those few hours finishing paperwork that he is always swamped with so he can afford to take the weekend off to spend time with Jack. This is the only way that he can take it off in good conscience besides Emily always helps anyways she takes half the paperwork off his desk when he's not looking." At this news Hotch's eyebrows went up and Garcia's hand flew to her mouth.
"May I have a look at your photo album quickly Ms Garcia?"
"Sure, the pages that are tagged are the ones with pictures of Jack."
This was an informal hearing so everyone circled around Garcia as she explained the photos. Hotch was surprised, of course he remembered the events and days that the pictures were taken but he didn't remember seeing her with a camera. Most of the photos were of the team at the park, the boys playing touch, the girls with Henry watching them, everyone eating and helping themselves and the kids to food and more like that. Hotch reached out when he saw a photo that he hadn't seen before, it was of him, Jack and Emily squirting each other with water they were all soaked. He couldn't help but smile they all looked so happy.
"Oh! I remember that day it was after a pretty bad case and Hotch had Jack so we all went to the park and had a barbeque, we all had a great time… playing Frisbee, the boys played touch with Jack, then we had a water fight
Hailey's lawyer knew that this didn't help his case. "Thank you Ms Garcia, no more questions your honour."
"No questions your honour I believe that Ms Garcia has answered everything, however I would like to request keeping the photo album for a short time, I promise Ms Garcia that I will return it to you in the condition in which it was given."
"Ok as long as I get it back."
