8-BIT
Sitting in his office, Penelope couldn't help feeling like she was somehow abandoning the team, but after what happened with Derek, she couldn't stomach doing this anymore. Exhaling slowly, she watched as Hotch sat across from her, and the way he was staring, she knew he knew.
"Sir," doing her best to keep her emotions in check, "I love you, I love this team, but I can't take it anymore." Placing her letter of resignation on his desk, she slid it in front of him. "Please, don't hate me." She said, her voice shaking with the emotions she was struggling to hold in.
Frowning a bit, he should have expected this, Derek was like her brother, and he was sure if it wasn't for their relationship, she would have left long ago. Carefully picking up her letter, smiling that it was on a pink hued piece of paper, that was something that he would miss greatly. "Garcia, you know I could never hate you, no one could."
Placing it down, "However, you are an extremely valuable asset, would you be opposed to training your replacement before you go?" While there was no one that could replace Garcia, he hoped for someone that would have a fraction of her skills, and he knew if she trained them in how the BAU worked, the transition would be easier on the team as a whole.
Nodding her head profusely, "YES, OMG yes." Pulling up her tablet, "I have a suggestion," pulling up her information. "Her name is Savanah Knight, she's an MIT graduate, she's an amazing hacker, and a friend." Placing it in front of him, Garcia hoped that it would be enough for him to at least call her in, while she didn't want to do the job herself, she would want the person stepping into her place to be able to be a part of this family.
Hotch looked down at the information in front of him, it was impressive, but it begged the question. "How do you know her?" he asked, curious about where they would have met.
Shrugging, "We first met through the Dark Web. A few years ago, you had me hunting for the pedophile ring, she happened to be in there, and we became friends." Seeing the curiosity in his eyes, "She is my only friend outside of the BAU that just understands the tech side of me."
"And what makes you think that she would be a good fit here?" While on paper she had the skills that they would need, but Garcia wasn't easily replaced. He needed someone that would be able to do the job, not cause issues with the team, and be able to handle the long hours.
Giving him a small smile, Penelope couldn't really answer that, "Well, for one she has a stronger stomach," but she knew that he was looking for more information. "But honestly, I think it has to do with her dad, he was a first responder, a fireman, I think. She always talked about wanting to put her skills to use."
Looking over her shoulder, she could see the rest of the team watching them, shaking her head, profilers, one would think that they understood subtly. After she left Hotch's office, she knew that they were going to pounce, "Sir, I know that you need to interview several people, but I'm telling you that it would be a mistake not to at least speak with her."
He could see that she was adamant about this, "OK, I will call her, schedule an interview, but no matter my choice, will you stay for the month making sure that whoever is able to work with the team?" Not that he could force her, but he hoped that it would make the transition easier on the team.
Chewing her lip, Penelope nodded, "Sir, regardless of your choice, I will make sure the person that's coming to work with them is a halfway decent replacement." she said, her voice teasing.
Aaron couldn't help but shake his head, "Garcia, no matter what, there will be no replacing you." Moving to stand, "Do you want to the tell them, or would you prefer it come from me?" he asked her, knowing how sensitive she was to the things around her.
Smoothing down her outfit, "I will, it's not going to be easy, and a lot of sad faces, but if I don't tell them, it's an insult." Giving him a small smile, "Plus, you have a lot of paperwork to get to." Her eyes landing to his desk.
Shaking his head, "That is a never-ending mountain." Stepping a bit closer to her, "Your friend, is she as colorful as you are?" he asked, a little curious about the woman.
Garcia couldn't help but laugh, "Sir, no one is as colorful as I am, but she's not a robot either. Honestly, she reminds me of a less awkward Reid." Making her way towards the door, Penelope looked back at the man, "I know that there are a million things that need to put in place, but Savanah is amazing." With a final nod, she made her way out to the bull pen, knowing that her family would be waiting for her.
Rubbing his face, Hotch found himself looking at her file, everything that Garcia had ready for him to review, it was impressive. Graduated top of her class at MIT in 2009, she was 25 years old, only child, father was a fireman, mother was a teacher. She had a 171 IQ, so it explained why she was able to graduate so early, but it was her picture that made him really take the time.
Her eyes were a soft green, her hair seemed almost red in the picture, but it was her smile, open and friendly. That was something the team would need once Garcia was gone, she was the light that helped through the dark times or when the cases were just too much. Picking up his phone, he dialed, almost expecting her not to answer, but to his surprise, she picked up after the second ring.
"Hello?"
"Good evening, my name is Aaron Hotchner, Unit Chief of the BAU, Penelope Garcia gave me your contact information." He couldn't help but wonder if Garcia already alerted her to the prospect of the interview.
Savanah couldn't help but blink at her phone, she knew that Pen said that she was ready to step away from the BAU, but that was a conversation that she had with the woman the other night. Clearing her throat, wondering why he would be calling. "Oh, OK, is Pen OK?" wondering if something may have happened to her friend.
Hotch smiled into the phone, "She is fine as far as I know." Wanting to get to the point, "She has submitted her resignation and suggested that I speak with you about being her replacement." Taking a moment, doing what he could to formulate his thoughts, "I would love for you to come in tomorrow, if you have the time available?"
Looking at her watch, it was almost 10pm, it really didn't give a lot of time to prep, but if Pen suggested her then she would at least go. "Of course, I could be there as early as 8:30am, but my schedule is flexible."
Opening his calendar Hotch could see that he didn't have an impromptu meeting tomorrow, but with the BAU, you never knew what kind of case you'd get. "8:30 is perfect, I would get here a bit earlier, it can take a bit for guests to get through security." Typing up an email, "I'm sending you instructions on where to go, how to get in, and what I would expect you to bring."
Hearing the ding, Savanah opened her tablet, seeing that the email was indeed detailed. "I got it, thank you." Taking a moment to think, but honestly her brain was a little fried from the surprise call. "I will see you tomorrow morning, Agent Hotchner."
Chuckling a bit, Hotch could tell that she was nervous, but it was to be expected. "I look forward to it Ms. Knight." Disconnecting the call, he found Rossi walking into his office, "How'd the team take it?" he asked the man.
Plopping down in front of him, "Aaron, they took it well enough, but it's going to sting for a while." Hell, he grew to love that girl, but it wasn't hard to do, she had such a big personality. "Already looking for a tech?" he asked, knowing that he walked in on the tail end of a phone call.
Sliding over the tablet, "Garcia suggested her. They met on the web but became friends in the real world. She's impressive." Hoping to get his opinion.
Rossi looked over her file that Garcia prepared, "You're right, she's impressive." Putting it down, "You know, I'm sure it would mean a lot to Garcia if you really did consider her friend." Leaning back in the chair, "She's going to worry about this family, and if she's trying to put someone in her place, it's her way of keeping us safe."
"I know. It's why I'm bringing her in first thing in the morning." Looking at his watch, he knew that he needed to get home to Jack, "She'll be here at 8:30, a second opinion wouldn't hurt." Knowing that Rossi would give her a fair shake, but not make it easy on her.
Moving to stand, Rossi walked with Aaron to the elevator, "You know, I think that's going to be a great idea." Smirking as the doors closed and the elevator brought them down towards their cars.
JJ watched as Garcia paced back and forth, "What are you so nervous about? Aren't you the one that recommended her?"
Fidgeting by the elevator, she couldn't help but be a little anxious, "I did, but you know, she's my outside of work friend, now possibly going to be doing my job, and spending time with my family. I never really thought of my two worlds really meeting." Feeling her phone, even more anxious about the text saying that she was in the elevator now.
Wrapping her arms around her shoulders, "Take away the feelings for a moment, is she capable of doing this job? Do you think that she would work well with our team?" she asked her, hoping to get her to focus on anything but her nerves.
Garcia stopped smiling when she found JJ's big blue eyes staring back at her, "I really do. She's an amazing hacker." Looking around, hoping that no one would hear her, "I would almost say better than me." Shivering that she would admit that out loud.
Covering her mouth, JJ couldn't help but chuckle, "I will never repeat such things." she said, giving her a wink. Looking over her shoulder, she could see that Spence, Tara, and Rossi were watching them intently. "How'd you convince Hotch to bring her in?" she asked, a little curious about the whole thing.
Leaning onto her shoulder, Penelope just smiled, "Please, who could say no to this face?" Hearing the doors ding, she could feel her heart beating faster, "OK, please give her a real chance, because I won't be able to leave if I can't trust the person to do my job."
As much as JJ didn't want Garcia to leave, she could understand, it was surprising to her that she lasted as long as she had. "Hey, we love you Penelope, and if you think she'll be a good fit, you know that we will give her a fair shot."
Before she could respond the doors slid open and standing there was her friend. "Savvy!" Pulling her into a deep hug, "Did you have any trouble getting in? Issues through security?" she asked in rapid fire.
Hugging her back, Savanah couldn't help but smile, there really wasn't anything better than a Garcia hug. "Hey Pen." Stepping back, "No trouble at all, everyone was polite." Looking over her shoulder, she found a blonde staring at them, "Pen, who's this?" she asked her.
"Oh right, sorry." Stepping aside, "Savvy, this is Agent Jennifer Jareau, JJ for short. JJ, this is Savanah Knight, but I call her Savvy."
Extending her hand, Savanah liked the woman instantly, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Pen talks about her team all the time."
Taking her hand, "Nice to meet you as well, she speaks very highly of you." Taking a moment to really look at her, smiling at what she saw, 5'4, rose gold hair, pale green eyes, and pale skin. But it was her clothes, while she was toned down from Garcia's normal attire, it was still a lavender purple dress.
Savanah could see that she was being sized up, but that wasn't really a surprise, Pen has been working with this team for almost 11 years. "Well, that's good." Glancing around, she could see a few people standing opposite the glass doors, giving them all a small wave, "I'd love to meet everyone, but" looking at her watch, "I have about 10 minutes until my appointment with Agent Hotchner, I'd rather not be late for that."
JJ nodded, "That's not a bad idea, Garcia, how about you run interference with the team, and I'll take her to Hotch's office." Indicating for the woman to follow, she carefully maneuvered her through the bullpen, smirking as the team watched her, one way or another they were going to corner the poor girl.
Tara watched as JJ walked her towards Hotch's office, her eyes never leaving hers until the door shut and JJ made her way back. "Garcia, tell us about your friend."
Leaning against one of the desks, Penelope went into detail about Savvy, smiling as each one of them lit up at the prospect of getting to know her. That was all she really wanted, was to make sure that when she left that they wouldn't feel like she abandoned them.
Savvy looked around the office, her eyes settling on one of the pictures on his desk, it was of a young boy and who she assumed was his mom. But if she remembered what Pen said, his wife was murdered by a serial killer a few years back. Blinking rapidly, she found his deep brown eyes watching her, it was clear he was observing her.
Hotch could see that she was a bit nervous, "What has Penelope said to you about her job here?" he asked her.
"She said that her job is to dig into the lives of the people that you interview, hack into social media outlets of victims, and pretty much find everything that she can to help you narrow down your suspect list and find connections with the victims if there are any." She knew that there was far more to it, but that was a brief description that she was sure that Pen was allowed to tell her.
Putting down his pen, Hotch really looked at her, he could see that she had a decent understanding of the job. "Garcia said that you met each other in the dark web, why were you looking into a pedophile ring?" It was imperative that he knew everything about her.
Swallowing a little spit, Savanah just blinked for a moment, a little surprised that he would ask, and that Pen would mention it. "Uh, my father his best friend is a Captain with the Fredericksburg PD, he asked me to help do a trap and trace on a suspect." Adjusting herself, she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous, "I'm sure if you call, he'd be able to verify what I'm saying."
Sliding a piece of paper over, "Name and number, please." Nodding to her as she did so, "I'm sorry to be so abrupt, but it's imperative that anyone that comes into the unit is here for the right reasons. I hope you understand." Not that he really felt he owed her an explanation, but he felt that she was warranted a little bit of information.
Savanah smiled up at him, "I get it, techs like me are gatekeepers for a lot of information, you need to be able to trust that I'm not selling secrets or anything."
Aaron could only nod, "That's true." Checking his watch, he knew that he had a few more interviews before he made his decision, but he liked the girl well enough. "You seemed surprised that I called you, did Garcia mention this job to you before?"
Shaking her head, "No sir. A lot of the times we got together, we talked about tech, and what's new on the Dark Net. But the last time we had dinner, she said that it was getting too dark, and she was debating on getting out." Feeling like she was leaning forward too much, Savanah let her body relax just a bit and leaned back, "I can't imagine the things that she's had to see or do within her job capacity, but I admire her for using her skills for the greater good, that is something that I would like to do in some way."
Hearing a knock at the door, Hotch indicated for Rossi to come in, "Ms. Knight, this is SSA David Rossi."
Turning her attention to the older gentleman, Savanah could feel her eyes going wide. She recognized the man from his books, but also Pen's description, moving to stand she extended her hand, "Pleased to meet you, Agent Rossi."
Taking a hold of her hand, he liked her instantly, she was a sweetheart. "You too. Has he scared you enough yet?" He asked her, wondering a bit about her personality.
Seeing Agent Hotchner smirk, she couldn't help but snort a bit, "No, not scared per say, mildly intimidated."
"You see, he's good at that," indicating for her to take a seat, smiling as she did so, "tell me kid, what makes you think that you'd be a good fit in the BAU?" Taking a seat in the chair next to hers.
Hotch watched how her eyes got wide at his question, but that was Dave, he wasn't going to sugar coat anything for anyone. Leaning back in his chair, he watched as she struggled to keep her composure but to her credit, she was doing well.
"Honestly, the only answer I can give is I want to do some good with my skillset." Tucking some hair behind her ear, "Plus, I mean being a G-man would be pretty cool too." Looking over at Agent Hotchner, pleased to see the amusement in his eyes, "However, I'm not sure I can pull off the suit and tie look, sir."
Chuckling a bit, Dave looked up at Aaron, giving him a nod, "Only Hotch here pulls it off so well, the rest of us don't look so stuffy." Smirking at his offended face, "Would you like a tour, get yourself acquainted?"
Nodding, "I'd love to, but I'm sure Agent Hotchner needs to interview a few more people." Looking over to the man, she could see his eyes soften a bit, "But it would be OK to be introduced to Pen's friends?" As much as she wanted the job, she wasn't going to push it either, but she had always been curious about her friends.
Aaron stood up, extending his hand, "I'll let you know in a few days on my decision. Seeing as we don't have a case yet, I have no issues with you meeting the rest of the team."
Gripping his hand firmly, Savanah smiled up at him, "Thank you so much for your time. Either way, this was by far the coolest interview ever." With a final look, Savvy let Agent Rossi lead her out to the bullpen, smiling as Pen pulled her into a hug.
"How'd it go? Was he nice? Do you think you'll take the job?" she asked in rapid concession.
"Breathe, Pen, breathe." Stepping back her eyes found everyone watching her, "I think it went well. He was polite and professional. And I would gladly take the job if it's offered, but he must interview a few more candidates first." Looking past her, her eyes found a tall black woman, a tall slender man with crazy hair, and of course JJ.
Extending her hand, "Hi, I'm Savanah, Pen calls me Savvy, you are?" Hoping to get some names out of them.
Penelope realized that she didn't even introduce them, "Damn it, sorry Savvy." Looking at everyone, pointing to them, "Dr. Spencer Reid, resident genius extraordinaire, you've met JJ, and David Rossi." Pointing to Tara, "This beautiful lady is Dr. Tara Lewis."
Taking her hand, "Pleasure to meet you." Looking over at the young doctor, "Pen mentioned that you don't shake." Giving him a small smile.
Reid liked her instantly, "No, too many germs." He said, feeling a bit awkward.
"Makes sense, but a fist bump has the lowest transmission rate." Savanah could see that he was a lot like her, a nerd. Looking over at Dr. Lewis, "Pen mentioned that you are the newest addition to the BAU, is it different from your previous assignment?"
Smiling down at her, "Before I would interview the killers after they were caught, but now I'm hunting them." Sitting down, "So, tell me, how'd you meet our lovely Garcia?"
Blinking rapidly, it was a humbling realization to be surrounded by some of the brightest minds in the world. "Wow, I have a million questions, but I'll spread them out, so you don't think I'm fangirling." Looking over at Agent Rossi, "Don't worry, I have a million questions for you too." Smiling as he snorted.
"As for meeting Pen, I was working with the Fredericksburg PD, my dad's best friend is a Captain, and he was needing help cracking the code for this website, and some of the best information is on the Dark Web." Looking over at Pen, "Well, we crossed paths as she was hunting for her thing I was hunting for mine, and I guess she recognized my coding and name, and we just began chatting." Sighing when she felt her arms wrap her arms around her, "And as they say, the rest was history."
Garcia couldn't help but laugh, "It was love at first code, if it wasn't for you, it would have taken me a whole 8 minutes trying to break the code, but you saved me and those kids."
JJ couldn't help but laugh, "8 minutes? How do you even live with yourself?" she asked, her voice teasing.
Pushing against her shoulder, "Sometimes it takes forever to sleep at night just thinking about it." Seeing Hotch pull someone into his office, "So, I have to get to work, would you like to grab dinner after my shift? Unless I'm living in my wonder cave?" she asked hopefully.
Kissing her cheek, "Pen, of course. Tacos?" Smirking as her eyes lit up.
"See, you know me so well. I love tacos." Turning to her team, "I love tacos, you know I love tacos."
David could see that Garcia had a lot of love for the young woman, which wasn't that surprising, once Penelope opened her heart to you, she loved deeply. Extending his elbow, "How about you allow, and old man escort you out of the building?" Hoping to get a few more minutes alone with the woman.
Without missing a beat, Savanah linked her arms, "See, this is what men my age are missing. Chivalry." With a final wave to everyone, Savvy let Agent Rossi lead her out of the BAU office and down towards her car.
"Tell me something kid," he said as he opened her SUV door. "What do you do now for work?" he asked her.
Turning on the engine, she let the A/C start to cool down her Tahoe, leaning against the frame, "I work for Samsung, I'm part of their development team." Looking up at him, "It's a good paying job, but I don't know, it's what I was expecting of my life, and honestly I have skills that aren't being utilized."
"So, you're looking to do something greater than yourself?" he asked her. Curious about her motives.
Nodding, "Something like that, yes." Looking up at the white fluffy clouds, Savvy couldn't help but feel a little at peace. "Do I want to be out in the field wielding a gun, no, hell no, but I want to take control of my life. My parents were loving, supportive of me, and even made sure I had the best education that they could give me, but they also planned my future."
Turning her eyes towards the man, she could see that he was watching her intensely, "This opportunity isn't just about doing what I want, but a real chance to be useful to the world around me. Does that make sense, or do I sound crazy?" she asked him.
Rubbing his goatee, Dave could see that she was committed to this, for her this wasn't a passing fancy but a real chance to do something different in her life. "No, kid, not crazy at all." Pulling out his business card, "You call me, if you need anything, got it kid?"
Savvy held the card like it was the holy grail, "This is by far the greatest interview ever." Slipping the card into her pocket, "Thank you, but I will let you get back to saving the world from the monsters."
Dave watched her as she drove off, hearing his phone alarm going off, shaking his head, it seemed like duty calls and another monster was in need of hunting.
Sitting down with her parents, Savvy watched as her parents' faces turned several shades of red, but after a while their faces finally returned to normal. "I know that you're not happy about this, but I need your support, please." Her voice pleading for them to understand that she wanted this more than anything else.
Running his hand through his hair, Jeff couldn't believe that they were having this conversation again, but hearing the words come out of her mouth just annoyed him. "Really, Savanah, I thought we discussed this? You are not built to handle such things."
"Jeff!" Megan looked over at her husband, "She isn't a child anymore." Looking over at her daughter, "Is what you interviewed for dangerous?" That was all she cared about, if her kid was going to be getting shot at.
"No, not at all." Sipping her tea, "All I'd be doing would be extensive research." Looking over at her dad, "I know you don't like the idea of me doing this, but I think I can finally do a lot of good." She knew it was like talking to a brick wall, but she had to try.
Exhaling, "Savanah, I think you have an amazing gift, but you're not built to see such tragedies." He said, hoping to appeal to her common sense.
Rolling her eyes, "Dad, where is your proof? Honestly, I'm a pragmatic person, not overly emotional, nor do I suffer from a hero complex." Knowing that this was going to be a fight regardless of what she said, Savanah knew that it was best to just drop it. "I love you both, I do, and I respect you. But if I am offered this job, I am taking it, I want your support, but if you can't give me that, well I'm sorry."
Slamming his hand on the table, "Savanah Rose Knight, I absolutely forbid this." He screamed, his eyes finding his wife shaking her head. "Megan?" hoping that he would have his wife's support.
Savanah stood up, her body shaking with anger, "Let me be clear, I'm 25, I do not need your permission for anything." Looking over at her mom, "I love you, but I'm not a child and I sure as hell will not be treated like one. I'm going home, goodnight." Looking over at her dad, "You can either support me or not, but you are not dictating anything in my life anymore."
Jeff watched as his only daughter walked out of the house, her head held high. Turning his eyes towards his wife, "How could you not support me?" he snapped.
Standing up, her green eyes flashed with anger, "Because you're being a complete asshole." Running her fingers through her hair, "She's done everything that you've wanted since she was a little kid, always pushing her to do what you wanted, now it's her time to have her dreams." Standing up, she picked up the teacup that they were using, "I love you so much, but if you don't stop spewing that bullshit, you're going to push her away and I'll be damned if I lose my kid because of you."
Turning on her heels, Megan made her way up to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. As much as she loved her husband, her loyalty was to her kid, her beautiful special child. Jumping in the shower, all she could think about was Savanah, and how she always did what her husband wanted. While she knew that there was drama down this road, she was never prouder of her for finally standing up for herself.
Jeff stared at the empty space that his wife and daughter were no longer sitting in, placing his hand on his chin, he couldn't believe that they were both acting so irrational. However, the longer he sat there, the more he realized that there was a slight possibility that they could be right. Standing up, he made his way towards the guest room, plopping himself down on the bed he knew that he needed to take some time to really think about his next actions or he would lose not only his wife but his daughter as well.
Sipping her margarita, Savvy watched as Pen downed her shot, "Bad day?" she asked her.
Taking another shot, she looked over at Savvy, "No, not really, just nervous." Staring into her pale green eyes, "I want this to work out so much, I guess my anxiety is showing."
Placing her hand over hers, "Look, everything happens for a reason, and I think that Agent Hotchner and I had a decent enough interview, so don't worry so much, OK?"
"Savvy, you're an amazing person, I hope you know this." Exhaling slowly, "The worst part about my job is seeing all those images, it's like I need a mind scrubber, but I haven't found one strong enough." Looking up into her eyes, "As much as I want to step away, I can't in good conscience ask you to go through that as well."
"Pen, stop OK." Smiling up at her, "Is it going to be a cake walk, no, absolutely not, but I know myself, I have a healthy outlet for dealing with stress, and I'm not shy about talking to a professional if the need arises." Looking up at the waitress, Savvy handed her a card, chuckling a bit when Pen scoffed, "too slow."
Rolling her eyes, Garcia couldn't help but laugh a bit. "I trust you Savvy, but promise me one thing, do not stay too long. If you can't handle it, don't push yourself to stay like I did. That's my biggest regret, forcing myself to stay when I should have left years ago." As much as she loved the team, it wasn't healthy to stay out of love, especially when it was taking such a mental toll on her.
"I promise you, Penelope Garcia, if I am offered this job, I will never allow my stubbornness to keep me in a job that is affecting me emotionally as well as mentally." Which was the truth, as much as she wanted to be a badass super sleuth, it wasn't worth her ability to function as a person.
By the time she got home, Savanah was beat, between getting up at the crack of dawn, then dealing with her dad, and grabbing some drinks with Pen, she was more than ready to fall into bed. Jumping into the shower, she quickly washed her hair, scrubbed her body, and finally shaved herself. Stepping out, Savvy wrapped a towel around herself and flung herself into bed, she was almost asleep but the sound of her phone screaming at her caused her to groan.
"Hello?" she mumbled into the phone.
"Ms. Knight, sorry to call you so late, it's Aaron Hotchner with the BAU."
Perking up, "Yes, of course. Is everything alright?" she asked, slapping her face at such a ridiculous response.
Smiling into the phone, she was by far the best fit, not only her skills, but her natural caring demeanor. That was exactly what the team would need once Garcia stepped away. "Everything is fine. I'm calling to offer you the position as our Tech Analyst, if you are still interested."
Biting her lip, Savvy did everything she could to keep from screaming into the phone. She was finally going to prove to herself that she was more than just a highly paid computer geek, but someone that could do great things with her skillset. Now, she just needed to prove it to the rest of the BAU.