"So, he was right. They did end up choosing another brunette to fill out the team," Elle murmured to herself as she observed the older woman and Reid work together on this latest case in Seattle. She had been surprised that Hotch had waited so long to fill Emily's position, but at least they had ended up in her neck of the woods for this first case. She knew Seattle like the back of her hand, and had been able to disappear into the background quite handily whenever there had been a hint that she might be seen by someone on the team. "At least she's pretty."
Shaking her head, Elle crept closer to the pair, knowing that they were alone in the woods, tracking down a lead that had come in. Her informant had been able to text her that information, which Elle had run with, wanting to see how the newbie interacted with the team on an individual basis. Even though she hated having to walk as carefully as a deer in the woods, as the smallest wrong step would result in a noise loud enough to catch anyone's attention and bring her under scrutiny, she did so in order to learn more. Her slow, methodical, steps brought her closer and closer to the pair until she was within hearing distance. Hiding behind a tree, Elle slowed her breathing in order to prick up her ears and listen to the conversation that Reid and the new agent were having.
"Hotch said that Morgan and Garcia will be back by the time we close this case, so you'll be able to meet them. I should probably apologise in advance for Garcia, because she can be a bit much, but her heart is always in the right place."
"Hotch warned me about her, too. Is she really that over the top?"
Reid chuckled as he nodded. "I've heard rumors that she turned her resume in to him on scented pink stationary. I cannot tell you if that story has any veracity beyond office gossip, but it does track for who she is as a person. You will never see her in pants, as she prefers frilly skirts and dresses paired with sky high heels. She's a princess, through and through."
Elle found herself agreeing with what Reid was saying about Garcia, remembering both her wacky fashion sense along with her heart that was as large as the moon. She had been one of the only team members to visit her when she was recovering from her gunshot, making certain that she was okay and bringing her food when needed. Even thinking about that time in her life caused her to tear up, and Elle blinked back tears as she struggled to keep her focus on the task at hand. She had to get to know the newest member better, as that would affect how she was about to proceed. "That sounds exhausting, honestly."
"It can be, but she gets us the results that we need in frankly miraculously quick times. That will be the first thing you notice on our next case, the speed difference between her and Kevin. Oh, and don't mention Kevin around her, Alex."
Elle frowned at that admonishment from Reid, since it seemed a little out of character for him. "And why should I not talk about him?" Alex's voice dripped with the same amount of skepticism that Elle was feeling, and she peeked around the tree to look over at them, trying not to laugh at the look on the woman's face. "Spencer?"
That was a good piece of information to tuck away, Elle thought, since there were few people who so easily called him by his first name. "They went through a very messy breakup in April, and things are still tense when you talk about him around her."
"I'm surprised that Erin allowed a relationship between them."
"Hotch wasn't the one that Kevin sought permission from to date Garcia. He actually went to Rossi, and thoroughly embarrassed Garcia in the process. Somehow, they managed to make it work for almost four years, and then it all went south. No one really knows what happened, but we just let it be because she's more important to our group dynamic than he is. You'll see what I mean when you finally get to meet her."
Elle was surprised that Spencer hadn't picked up on the small difference in the way that Alex had said Erin's name, and she knew that the woman was talking about their Section Chief, not Hotch. That idea caught her by surprise, and she filed it away as something to come back around to when she was back in her hotel room and compiling what she had learned that evening. She knew that it was time to leave, as she didn't want to press her luck and end up being caught by them, so Elle turned and carefully picked her way back to her car, making certain that she stepped softly enough so as not to snap any branches and catch Spencer's attention. She didn't want to be caught this soon into her plan to bring Hotch down. He needed to pay for what he had done for her, and she couldn't make that happen if she was sitting behind bars.
Somehow, she made it back to the car, even though she felt like she was going to be caught at any moment, and began the drive back to the hotel. Knowing that there was still a chance that she could be caught by the others on the team, Elle made certain to drive carefully back to her home. That was the only good thing about this case in Seattle, as it allowed her to touch base, grab fresh clothes, and then head back out on the road.
Once she had arrived back at her apartment, Elle stepped out of her shoes and went into the kitchen, making herself a fresh pot of coffee, since she knew that it would be a long night, putting together the new pieces to the puzzle that was the current Alpha team. This Alex Blake seemed quite intelligent from the little that she had listened to her interact with Spencer, and she also had a beef with Strauss, which she knew would be helpful to dividing the team and perhaps getting Hotch on his own, so that she could deal with him.
After the coffee was brewed, Elle took a seat at the kitchen table and pulled out her binder, flipping it to the blank space that had been for the new team member. She filled out as much information as she could on Alex Blake at the moment, knowing that her mole in the bullpen would be able to get her more information when she touched base with him next week. Still, he probably wouldn't know about the resentment that lay between Blake and Strauss, so she knew that she would have to fill him in on that, and have him search out any back history that he could access and she couldn't. After all, she didn't want to do too many internet searches, since those could be traced back to her quite easily. Her time with Penelope had taught her that much, at least, and it wasn't something she was soon to forget. Not when the stakes for this job were so high. Patience would be her virtue, along with being circumspect, and she would prepare for the long game, not the short one.