A/N: Happy update, everyone. I have gotten some quick responses to this story and some follows here and there, so I didn't want to keep you guys waiting (even if this is just a simple chapter). I feel like I should clarify things: I have decided not to use Agent Blake in my fic, not because I dislike her character or anything, simply because I just don't feel like she is necessary to the plot lines that I am working with. Because I am going to be working a lot with developing Ashley Seaver/possibly Emily Prentiss, I didn't feel the need to write for Blake. Whether you want to read this and imagine it after Blake's departure, I just wanted to state that. I hope that doesn't turn any of you away, since this story really does not have a permanent set time frame in my mind - since I am still watching the series while writing this.
That being said, I hope you enjoy it and want to stick around. Let's get going. x
"Seaver. Ashley Seaver. Sorry, that was, uh kind of informal," Reid corrected himself, having blurted out the young agent's name without a thought.
That earned a quizzical raised eyebrow from Morgan, who was always amused by the struggles that the young genius tended to have around attractive women. Garcia stifled a giggle and relinquished a smirk, remembering how she had taunted Spencer about his momentary "crush," when he had first laid eyes on Seaver. She had bugged him constantly to ask her out on whatever his idea of a date was, probably every Star Trek film on a loop, but he had insisted that he was not interested, and nor was she.
JJ, standing up to greet Seaver, broke the awkward silence, "Ashley! Welcome back. You were transferred when you left us, right?"
Seaver, suddenly feeling a bit nervous and out of place, answered, "Uh, yes. I was an SSA for Swan's Domestic Trafficking Force...but I, I missed profiling. I have to admit, there's no other team out there like you guys."
Rossi casually improved his posture, sticking his hands in his pockets, proudly taking Seaver's compliment. Hotch cracked a small smile, bigger than usual, and gestured to a chair on the left side of the table.
"Please, take your seat. We are glad to have you," Hotch said.
JJ and Seaver simultaneously took their respective seats, JJ with a stark confidence, and Seaver with a touch of humility.
Hotch knowingly caught onto Morgan's quiet demeanor, and attempted to coax him out of his own thoughts, "Morgan? Is everything okay with you? We're going to go ahead and present the case if everyone is ready...,"
It should have been Emily, Derek thought.
She was a part of this team. Seaver was barely a part of our team - never mind our family, he rubbed his eyes, trying to play off the excuse of a late night and an early alarm.
"Yeah. Yeah, Hotch, I'm fine," he replied blankly.
"Good. Let me remind you all that Seaver possesses excellent profiling skills that were not used to their best potential at her past assignment. I truly believe that her personal background and fresh outlook on the force will be a great support to us," Hotch reaffirmed.
Morgan pushed a smile, and Garcia could see right through it. She firmly grasped his hand under the table. He returned the squeeze, but only shortly, before pulling away with frustration.
Rossi offered a comforting glance to Seaver, as he knew that she was reading Derek like a book. She was anything but naive, and she was certainly attentive enough to realize when someone was uncomfortable with her presence. She tried to make eye contact with another person on the team, just to see if there was anyone who really wanted her in this room.
JJ was just being courteous and maternal. Morgan would show me the door right now if he could. Garcia takes his side in a heartbeat. And Spencer -, she thought.
She tried to catch his gaze, but he was almost hypnotized with the notepad in front of him.
He hasn't even written anything down yet, she quietly sighed to herself and redirected her attention to the front of the room, where Garcia was standing.
"Alrighty. So, if the welcoming committee would kindly turn back into the BAU squad that I adore, we can go ahead and meet our victims," Garcia started.
Hotch gave her a swift nod, willing her to begin before things got anymore awkward for Ashley, and she graciously took his cue.
Two pictures flashed upon the screen, a smiling, freckled redhead on the left, and a serious-looking, dirty blonde on the right.
"Lily Harman, 27 years old, high school English teacher," Garcia said, gesturing to the first woman.
"She was last seen leaving a staff meeting on Friday night at Glenwood High in Rochester, New York. Her husband of two years, Emmett, reported her missing when she didn't come home from the meeting that Friday. She's held multiple positions in the New York school system, working her way up from teaching kindergarten to even holding some principal positions along the way. It seems like education is her thing."
"Moving on to our second victim, 31 year old Melanie Rucker. Melanie was reported around Friday afternoon, and found this morning just shy of 3am, reported by the Rochester PD, in the parking lot, of Highland Hospital," she started.
Hotch cut in, "Ligature marks on the wrists, clear evidence of a struggle, and one single stab wound to the chest. When her boyfriend identified her, he claimed she was barely recognizable - her hair was jaggedly cut."
The team scanned the gruesome pictures of Rucker, which were collected on the screen.
"So she's dumped at a hospital, in the parking lot,where she can't get immediate medical attention - the irony might be part of the unsub's satisfaction," Reid inquired.
"Now if you had let me finish, darlings, I would have told you that Melanie Rucker is surgeon Melanie Rucker. She interned at Highland Hospital after earning her degree, and she's worked her way up to Attending since then. And, a pretty good one, too."
"So our guy abducts one woman, first, and then sets off on a kill? That's almost too out of sequence for me," Rossi said.
"Two females. Both holding reputable job positions, both in Rochester. The killing following an abduction of a first victim is a catch, but I'll buy it. My bet is that Lily could be already gone, maybe just not in plain sight, like Dr. Rucker," Morgan said.
"That's it. That's the through-line, the jobs. Think of it, two females, both holding upstanding positions in relative distance of each other. They're role models for women, representing the career identity of females," JJ stated.
Seaver uttered her first comment, "In a generation where feminism is breaching through misogynistic tendencies, it's not unusual for males to get frustrated with the opposite gender taking more credit than they believe that they deserve. We might have a close-minded, old-fashioned, sexist on our hands."
"You know, I've always found gender studies extremely fascinating and they've started to take on an extremist fashion in these recent years. I agree with Seaver," Reid said, offering her a reassuring smile.
She thought of returning it, but then remembered how he had stared down at his blank notepad only minutes ago, ignoring her. She was sure that his "agreement" was rooted in Hotch's wish for them all to be friendly and civil. When he didn't receive any acknowledgement from her, he defeatedly returned to his this time, written on notepad.
Morgan spoke up, "Okay, but what's our first focus, motivation or Rucker? You really think that this guy is keeping her alive when he didn't keep Melanie alive for even 24 hours?"
Hotch replied, "We don't know if Rucker was an immediate kill, or if our unsub held her for a while, with Lily Harman. He could be debating which one lives and which one dies, when he has two victims together in one place."
Garcia decided to encourage her team, "And let it be known, my heroes, that your reliable 24 hours to find Lily Harman safe and sound is certainly not up, yet, so get to it."
"She's right. Wheels up in thirty," Hotch routinely declared as he strode out the room.
"Wow, he still says that?" Ashley jokingly asked.
With that, Morgan got up quickly, and walked out of the conference room, Garcia awkwardly scurrying behind him, muttering, "Derek!"
Rossi tried to comfort Ashley's poor attempt at humor, "If it ain't broke - you know what they say," he said, proceeding to get up as well.
"And I still need more coffee," JJ said tiredly, as she grabbed her cup.
For some reason, Spencer was hesitating to get up and follow his team members out. He couldn't exactly pinpoint it, but there was something he needed to convey to Seaver.
He gathered up his papers, casually saying, "You know, I, uh, I really did agree with you on your point about feminism and gender boundaries. I could tell from the way you tactically avoided my encouragement that you thought I was faking."
"Why wouldn't you fake it? None of them want me here, and they're your team," Ashley answered, pushing her chair in.
"I guess we've just had so many people come and go, people start to miss certain ones," he replied.
"I clearly wasn't one to miss, then," she said, her head looking down.
"No - no, that is not what I meant. Besides, hey, I miss that one time we ate Indian food together - at a rather unreasonable time to eat Indian food, now that I think about it," Reid laughed.
"Oh my gosh. Chicken Tandoori. I do remember. Well, in our defense, we were starved," she said, smiling.
"See, now that you're back - I can count on someone to have late night Indian cuisine with, and someone with an affinity for Women and Gender Studies too," Reid said.
"I'm glad you think I'm good for something."
"I do think you're good. At other things too, I mean. Look, I know Hotch, and he wouldn't have brought you back if he didn't think we needed you. Maybe the others just... don't see it yet. Patience is a virtue," he assured her.
"I guess I'll have to take the wise words of Dr. Reid to heart, then," Seaver said.
"Most do, even if they aren't entirely accurate, which rarely happens. Although patience is a virtue dates back to something called, Psychomania, where a proverbial seven heavenly virtues were listed to - I'm boring you, aren't I?"
"Reid, you're talking to me. You didn't leave this room the first chance you got, and you agreed with me in front of your team. And you've reignited my love for Chicken Tandoori. So, no, Spencer, I'm actually not bored with your insane facts," Ashley said.
Reid felt himself blush, just slightly, as he pulled his bag over his shoulder.
"Hey, uh, by the way, I'm sorry I blurted out your name when you came through the conference room door - it was sort of unprofessional. I don't really know - why, I did it either. Sorry if it was weird, for you," Reid said, clearing is throat in between words.
Ashley laughed, "Please. Everyone else chose to stare at me in silence. You, on the other hand, remembered me."
They smiled at each other, deciding they should probably get a move on, knowing that Hotch values punctuality.
I love Hotch, I really do. I hope that it is starting to move along a little bit now, since I added the case in, Morgan's internal struggle, etc. I do know where I am going with the case...pretty much so, but please know that writing mysteries and crime is not my fiction specialty, so it might seem neglected at times. I ultimately want to include this case in the piece until I no longer need it for structure, and then I will focus solely on drama - what I am most comfortable and at home with! I know that Seaver was never well-received (Seaver, received, wow). However, I hope you guys warm up to her, since she is at the forefront of this story. I don't even feel like we got a grip on her personality on the show, so I feel like I am writing her from scratch. And DO NOT WORRY - I have not forgotten about Spencer and Maeve. I'll leave it at that. Anyway, if you feel so kind, go leave me a review to ponder over, and I will see you with the next installment ASAP. x