Broken Circle
Chapter 4: Meeting
Garcia takes her sister by the hand and leads her back to the BAU. As they walk, people bustle about, paying little attention to the two women who chatter happily like parakeets.
"They are going to have no idea what to make of you."
Ria glances at her sister, one eyebrow quirked in an expression of curiosity. "Oh?" she asks innocently.
Penny laughs, causing an intern to drop his coffee. "Let's just say they've never really worked with someone like you before. They're a bunch of profilers; not the most social bunch. If they're not with each other, they're with a dead body. Not my idea of a good time." She looks at Ria over the top of her glasses, which today are lime green. "I warn you now; they're going to put you under a lot of scrutiny. But they really are good people once you get to know them. They can't help the fact that they're intense."
A smile dances across Ria's lips. While she had been away, she had missed Penny's ability to chatter up a storm about anything and everything. Without a doubt, Penny is Ria's best friend. It is a fact that has held true ever since they were little.
After dodging a group of interns, the two Garcia sisters arrive at the BAU bullpen. The team is hard at work, heads bent over mountains of paperwork, attempting to find some sort of lead on the case that was giving them all headaches and sleepless nights.
A man, dressed in traditional FBI garb, and striking a firm countenance, emerges from a doorway and stands on the highwalk that oversees the activity below. He looks down to address the assembled team. "Everyone, come to the meeting room."
Garcia seizes the opportunity to quiz Ria. "Name that man."
Ria studies the face for a moment, before responding with "Aaron Hotchner."
"Good! You get a cookie later."
They remain unobserved in a corner of the bullpen as the team gathers itself together for yet another long day of brain teasing. Some, especially Morgan, were beginning to question the logic behind becoming a FBI profiler. They all appear exhausted; both mentally and physically. This case, known as the Circle Case, was proving to be a complete pain in the ass.
Once the team disappears into the meeting room, Penny says, "Showtime!"
Even though she is accustomed to meetings with strangers, Ria's heart quickens its pace. She rationalizes this sudden seizure of nerves on the basis that she has not acted in this particular capacity for quite some time. She remains in the corner, watching Penny walk fearlessly towards the meeting room. Penny glances over her shoulder to see if her baby sister was following. After taking a deep breath, Ria follows her older sister, heels clicking on the floor.
Garcia opens the door and receives some quizzical glances from Morgan and JJ. "Hotch, the consultant is here."
She steps aside to allow Ria to enter the room. All heads of the team turn toward the door to get a decent look at the new arrival.
"Ms. O'Connor, welcome." Hotch extended a hand in greeting. Ria takes it in her milk white hand and shakes firmly. "I'm Aaron Hotchner." He gestures with his hand to the remaining people. "These are the BAU team members. Jason Gideon, Derek Morgan, Dr. Spencer Reid, Emily Prentiss, and Jennifer "JJ" Jareau."
"It's quite the pleasure." Ria pulls a file from her briefcase. "I don't know if Director Caswell gave you a copy of my file."
Hotch reads through the file, eyebrows knitting together at points. "That's quite interesting…" he says aloud at one point.
"What?" Morgan asks, intrigued by Hotch's curiosity and the strangeness of the new consultant.
"Full name: Dr. Brialyn Lenora O'Connor-Garcia."
Morgan spins to face Ria. "You're Garcia's sister?" Disbelief is written across his face. His eyes twitch between Ria and Penny, trying to find some sort of family resemblance.
"I'm her adopted sister; have been since I was three" is Ria's simple reply. The answer seems to satisfy Morgan, who turns back to Hotch, expecting more.
"It says here on the resume that your previous employment was in a burlesque house in New Orleans?"
Emily jumps into the conversation. "You're a stripper?" she asks, her tone incredulous.
Ria turns her head to face Prentiss, her flame waves flowing behind her. "If you wish to speak crassly, yes. But allow me to make something quite clear." Ria takes two steps forward so that she is nearly nose to nose with Emily. Her eyes narrow to slits and her voice dips to a no-nonsense tone. "I do not turn tricks. I am not the filthy trash you assume me to be. I am a dancer only."
"You're consulting on this case?" Reid asks, speaking in an effort to break the tension between the two women.
"Yes, because of my expertise."
"As a stripper?" Emily scoffs. She cannot believe that someone like Ria could have any bit of intelligence in her head. She speaks the phrase as though she is twisting a knife. It is a direct criticism at Ria's offending presence.
"Not at all," Ria responds as though Prentiss said nothing. "I hold a doctorate in pagan and cult religions. I had originally turned my resume into the College of William and Mary, but somehow they felt that my knowledge would better serve you folks."
"Ms. O'Connor - Garcia…"
"Please, call me Ria," she interrupts Gideon gently.
"Ria, past employment notwithstanding, I'm glad you've decided to help us out. We've reached a point where we're nearly useless." He gestures to an empty seat, "Please settle in and we'll get to work."
"Certainly." Ria moves towards the chair and removes her overcoat.
"Brialyn Lenora O'Connor-Garcia!" Penny cries, aghast. Ria turns to her sister, genuinely surprised at the outburst. "You are barely within dress code!" her older sister exclaims while pointing an accusatory finger to Ria's selected wardrobe.
Ria glances down to observe the outfit she put on that day. In addition to the strappy leather stiletto heels, she wore a black silk skirt that came to mid-thigh, with a slit up her left thigh. The elbow sleeve blouse was powder blue, but only the bottom three buttons were fastened. The open blouse top reveals a lacy pale pink bustier. She thought nothing of it. Ever since moving down to New Orleans, this sort of outfit comprised the majority of her wardrobe.
However, the other team members were not quite as accepting of her garb. The men turned away, trying hard not to graze their eyes across the female figure in front of them. Hotch silently seethes beneath his calm exterior and Gideon raises his eyes to the sky, begging for patience. Morgan fights every instinct to stare while Reid squirms in his chair. From the women were various outbursts of outrage. JJ blushes in discomfort while muttering to herself and Emily rages up and down about improper and lewd behavior. Penny merely stands by the door and shakes her head at Ria's mannerisms. She knows her baby sister walks a completely different path. The rules of convention have never applied to Ria.
Unfazed by the exclamations of dislike for her appearance, Ria settles herself into a sitting position on the table. She crosses her long legs at the ankle, and leans across the table to reach the case file she had yet to read. At that moment, Reid turns around, only to find himself with a full view of everything Ria's blouse had to offer. He sputters and gapes, completely uncomfortable with the current situation. Like a scared rabbit, Reid stands and bolts to a chair on the opposite side of the table.
"Do you have photos of the crime scene and victim?" Ria asks while looking through the case file.
"Yes," Gideon responded before any of the team could make a snide comment. "On the whiteboard behind you."
Ria's ice blue eyes dance across the pictures taped to the whiteboard, soaking in every detail the pictures offer. The glossy prints show various angles of the crime scene. Her attention is drawn to an overhead shot of the crime scene. The body of a young woman lies in the center of ringstones, body lying prone on the center stone alter. What intrigues Ria most are the position of the body and the physical features of the victim. She turns to face the team, slightly hesitant to say what needs to be said in regards to the crime scene. Swallowing her fear, she says:
"You have two missing prior victims."