Prentiss
I was on maternity leave now and for the first whole week, Hotch didn't have a case and he refused to let me go into the precinct and he refused to bring me work home. I didn't know what to do with myself. All my things were here now; with the help of the team, he moved everything for me because he wouldn't let me lift anything even before I was on maternity leave. When Hotch was at work and Jack was at school, I was left alone in a silent house. I couldn't call friends over because they were all my team and they were all working; I never felt like reading, I didn't feel like listening to music or watching a movie. I resorted to starting the series 'Bones' again for what felt like the hundredth time.
I did sleep a lot, but I got through maybe half a season a day. I had watched three seasons in the first week, taking the weekend off to spend it with Hotch and Jack, and then I figured I'd watch up to six seasons by the end of this week. Well, I figured this until I got a call from Hotch. He had a case; the team was going to Bridgton, Maine, about an hour's flight from Quantico.
I got changed into a shirt and slacks that I brought especially for when I wouldn't fit into my other ones and I brushed my hair out before tying it up. I dropped Jack off at school in the morning and I went into the precinct afterwards. I was greeted by a few of security and a few agents of other teams as I made my way up to the sixth floor and through the glass doors.
My team's area of the bullpen was empty and quiet, Hotch and Rossi's offices empty too. I put my bag down at my desk and walked to Garcia's office. I knocked and opened the door quietly. She was talking to the team; I should have assumed. I kept myself off the camera and held my finger to my lips when she looked at me. She hesitated, but she recovered when Hotch asked her what was wrong.
"Nothing sir, sorry…" She continued telling them what she had found so far on the victims.
"Who was that knocking before?" Reid asked after they finished discussing the case. I was sitting a safe distance away from the camera and shook my head when she looked at me.
"Kevin." She looked back at the camera.
"You're seeing him again?" JJ asked her.
"No, no, we're just friends."
"Something up, baby girl? You're acting a little strange." Morgan said.
"No, nothing's wrong. Call me when you need something. Bye," She hung up and took the small microphone from her ear. She spun her chair to the side to face me, "What are you doing here, pumpkin?"
"I came to help you out." I smiled.
"But you're not allowed to be here. Boss-man gave me strict orders to call him if you showed up while they were on a case. He thought ahead, you know."
"Don't call him," I shook my head, "They won't even know. I'll help you out here, and when they call you or video chat you, I will sit silently out of view and you'll pretend I'm not around."
"But if he or anyone else finds out, I'll be in trouble."
"I will take full responsibility, but they won't know," I shook my head, "I won't be able to be here seven to five though, I'll come in while Jack's at school and leave around quarter to three to pick him up."
"I don't like this."
"I can go to my desk if you don't want me here. Then you can just say that you didn't even know I was here if they find out."
"No, I want your company," She shook her head. She turned back to her computer, "Hang that map up over there?" She asked. I nodded and stood up. I took the map she had pointed to and pinned it to the board across the room. I put yellow pins where the victims disappeared from and I put blue pins where they were found.
Garcia's phone rang and I sat silently, looking at her as she answered, "Ms Garcia, how may I save your asses today?"
It was on speaker that I could hear. "Hey baby girl, we need those wicked brains of yours.
"Speak and be heard, oh noble one of chocolate and desirable—"
"You're on speaker with the whole team…and the local cop." He cut her off.
"Oh, that would have been tragic. Anyway, what can I do for you, my heroes and heroine?"
"Garcia, did all three victims call this number at some point in the last month?" Reid read a number out to her and she typed quickly.
"Ah…no one called it, but Brooke had received two calls from the number. The other two don't have any connection with it on their phones."
I went to speak, but I stopped myself just in time. The tiniest noise escaped me and Garcia looked at me, but I don't think they had heard anything.
She pressed a button and looked at me, "Okay, that was close. It's on mute; they can't hear us but…" I heard Hotch and Rossi talking, "We can hear them," She continued, "So what did you want to say."
"Maybe they have other phones or used a friend's phone or something. If the owner of that number is a suspect, I would suggest looking into it." I said.
"Okay." She nodded and took the phone off mute. She told them what I had told her except she didn't say my name. She was taking credit for that and smirked at me when she said "I just thought of". I tried my hardest not to laugh.
"Okay, we'll ask family and close friends. Thanks Garcia." Hotch said.
"Nice work, Pen." JJ complimented. Garcia didn't normally contribute like that a lot.
Garcia hung up and looked at me, "Thank you, now they think that I thought of that." She smiled.
"Yeah, I'll let you take the credit this time around." I laughed. I stood back up and went back to the map. I had a pen and a notebook in front of it in case I had something I had to write down.
I sat in silence for a long while before I decided I was hungry. Well, more like my children were hungry. "Hey, are you hungry?" I asked Garcia as I stood up.
"Most definitely." She nodded and turned around in her chair, smiling at me.
"I'm going across the street, what do you want?" There was a small café there; they had fish and chips, burgers, sandwiches, coffee. It was very convenient for us.
She clicked her tongue as she thought about it, "Sandwich please." She smiled. I knew her usual sandwich.
"And a drink?"
"Coffee, coffee, coffee."
I smiled, "More and more like me every day," I teased as I walked to the door, "Okay, I'll be back soon.
"Thank you!" She called after me.
I walked out of the bullpen with my bag and my phone rang as I reached the elevators. I answered the call as I walked into the small box and the doors were closing. "Hey."
"How are you doing?" Hotch asked.
I rolled my eyes, "I'm fine, hun." The doors opened and I walked out of the elevator and towards the exit quickly, hoping to escape any noise that would tell him where I was.
"What have you been doing today?"
I bit my lip, "Nothing. I read my book for a while but I couldn't concentrate on it so I took a nap and it lasted a few hours longer than I planned."
"And what are you doing now?"
"I'm getting food."
"Out of the house? I can hear cars and people."
"I'm on maternity leave, not bed rest."
"Okay." He seemed to accept that fine. I don't think he was the least bit suspicious.
"So how's the case going?"
"Not so great. We already had a suspect but they checked out about a half hour ago. JJ and Reid were convinced it was him. Garcia came up a really good idea too and she doesn't normally contribute like that."
"Maybe she just thinks that you guys might appreciate some extra help or suggestions now that you're an agent down."
"That's what JJ said."
I talked with him for a while longer outside of the café until he had to go. We said goodbye and I hung up. I walked into the café and ordered what Garcia and I wanted. It was no more than five minutes by the time our coffees and sandwiches were ready. I took two apples from the small basket they offered free fruit from and I went back to the precinct.
Garcia thanked me when I gave her what she had wanted and an apple. We ate together and talked until we finished eating. I insisted that she needed to get back to work and so she did.
I sat outside of Jack's school in my car, waiting those few extra minutes for the bell to go. I felt kicking in two different spots and it had been going for a while; it was starting to become very uncomfortable. I groaned to myself as I ached and dropped my head back, "I swear to god, if the two of you don't stop, you're going to be grounded for the first ten years of your lives." I said to my stomach quietly.
The passenger door opened and lifted my head quickly. Jack climbed into the car and threw his backpack into the backseat. "Hi." He smiled.
"Hey; how was your day?" I asked. I waited for him to do his seatbelt up before I pulled back into the lane.
"It was pretty good; we started to make little pots in art today."
"Like real pottery?"
"With a pottery wheel and everything." He nodded.
"That is so cool." I smiled.
"We're making them all week so we get to make as many as we can in that time. I'm going to make dad one and you and Jessica. If I have time, I'm going to make mum one as well."
I looked at him with a small smile, "That sounds great, Jack."
"How was your day?"
I nodded, "It was alright."
"What did you do? Dad said you're always bored when you're alone."
I nodded, "Yeah, I just read my book and fell asleep."
"All day?"
I glanced at him and nodded. If I told him that I had gone into work, he'd tell Hotch if he asked and then I'd be in trouble, "pregnancy makes you really tired." I drove home and when we stepped out of the car, Jack took my bag before I could. He insisted on carrying it inside for me, but I don't think he expected it to be so heavy.
I unlocked the front door and threw my keys to the table by the door. I went straight to the dining room and put some water on to boil; I desperately needed some coffee. I was on decaf now; Hotch hid all the real coffee and didn't let me go shopping to avoid me buying more. It was healthier for the twins this way, so I wouldn't buy any while he was away.
Jack put my bag on the desk in the corner and sat at the dining table with his. He got a few books out and he got a pen out of his pencil case. He started his homework straight away. I kissed his hair as I walked past and I went upstairs to get changed. I finished making my coffee and I sat down at the desk and started paperwork. The kicks in my abdomen made it so much harder to concentrate.
After a while, Hotch called my cell and I gave it to Jack to talk to him. After they talked for a while, he gave the phone back to me and I talked to Hotch as I began making dinner.
"Hey Jack, take a break buddy," I said as he made a frustrated noise and ran his hand through his hair, "Go watch some TV or something."
"Okay." He closed his book and got down from the chair. He went to the living room and I kept talking to Hotch while I cooked.
