CM: BigBang 2011
Title: The Vortex of Friendships
Author: ice_ziggee
Beta: havenward
Word Count: 31.204
Pairings: Hothc / Reid
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Mention of rape, descriptive death, some swearing and fluff
Author's Notes: After I got this monster back from my beta, I had to rewrite some parts of the story that are therefore not beta-ed. The main theme of the story didn´t change but - o boy - was I struggling with this thing. Thank you for reading my fic, I hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: Criminal Minds belongs to and Ed Bernero, CBS Paramount Network Television and ABC Studios. Agent Jo Davenport, Dr. Anna Branton and their twin girls, Chris and Alex belong to me.
Summary: Hotch brings in a new agent to the BAU and the agent notices unusual behavior among members of the team. Some uncareful words start a chain of events that force one member of the team to decide if he should face his fears or walk away. Unusual relationship is revealed, unexpected friendships form and an astonishing arrest is made.
My beautiful art was made by kramskii.
Jo by ~Krimskii on deviantART
***
Chapter 1
There were only a few regulars scattered around the dinner. It was a small diner, located a few blocks from the Federal building and the agents at the BAU were frequent guests.
Hotch wasn´t sure if the mystery caller knew that, but he was here anyway if only to fulfill his curiosity. Looking at his watch, he noted it was still a few minutes before his meeting with a woman claiming to have a solution to problems they both had. The only problem Hotch could think of at the moment was the stacks of files in JJ´s office, waiting to be reviewed, organized and distributed among the rest of the team, or at least what was left of it. Prentiss´s ‘death’ had shaken them all hard. He and Garcia had taken on JJ´s job as he consistently refused to hire someone in her place, but Prentiss´s position, painfully needed to be filled. The waitress came over and he ordered coffee.
A woman in her early thirties, about 5’ 6”, with shoulder-length blond hair, walked into the diner. She discreetly looked around before making her way toward where he was sitting. She was dressed in jeans and a pink top underneath a black jacket. Her body looked fit and strong. By her side was a bag, the long strap hanging off her shoulder. But it was her face that caught his attention. She was attractive, with high cheekbones, a small nose and thin lips that at the moment were smiling at him. As she came closer he noticed faint spread of freckles over her nose and cheeks, and her bright blue eyes stared at him without hesitation and full of determination.
“Agent Hotchner,” she said and extended her hand toward him. “Thank you for meeting me. I´m Agent Davenport.” Hotch half rose, bewildered to meet another agent, but shook her outstretched hand. Her firm grip was not a surprise. The woman nodded as she took a seat across from Hotch and set her bag next to her. “I´m sorry for the secrecy, I needed to get you to meet me.”
She pulled a yellow folder with the FBI seal on the front out of her bag and handed it over to him. He put it on the table, next to the coffee cup, without looking at it. Agent Davenport looked him straight in the eyes, unfazed by the hard stare Hotch was giving her.
Hotch could understand how the slyness would tickle his curiosity, but he wanted explanations. “Agent Davenport,” he started, “you said you had a solution to a problem I´m unaware of having.”
She arched one eyebrow and became serious. “Alright,” she said without hesitation and folded her hands together on the top of the table, “I need a job and you need an agent,” she told him.
“I´m not hiring,” Hotch replied quickly and got ready to get up.
Agent Davenport didn´t move but kept her eyes on him, like she’d expected that reaction. “At least hear me out.”
Hotch considered her for a moment. She looked like someone who wasn´t spooked easily and clearly had nerves to pull this off. His gut told him he needed to listen to what she had to say before dismissing her. “Go on.”
“Three weeks ago, I resigned from International Operations Unit. I´m looking for a temporary assignment because I´m moving to Philadelphia in five months,” she started. “I know Assistance Director Strauss has been breathing down your neck to hire someone to fill your team and your workload had already increased significantly after Agent Jareau was assigned to Washington.”
Stopping, she let the words hang in the air for affect before continuing: “I´m proposing you hire me for four months, telling Assistance Director Strauss and your team I´m hired on trial basis.” Her blue eyes stared into his with confident. “You get AD Strauss off your back and a temporary agent to help with the case load. I get a job for four months, a crash course in profiling and maybe a letter of recommendation from the Unit Chief of the BAU.”
Thinking for a few seconds, Hotch wasn´t sure he liked the deal but she intrigued him. He folded his hands on top of the file. “Internal Operations. Didn´t they fire five agents after a sexual harassment?” Hotch asked, thinking about the rumor he´d heard Garcia tell Morgan a few weeks ago.
Agent Davenport affirmed with dip of her head before leaning forward and lowering her tone. “You are correct, except the harassment suit was a cover up. The agents were running a gambling site on a hidden server connected to the internal operation system, but rerouted it through a few international servers. I was the one who blew the whistle and the workplace had become…” the woman paused as she searched for the right word, “hostile.”
Hotch hid his shock but he wasn´t so easily convinced. “Why the cover up and the hostility?” he calmly asked.
She chuckled and looked at her hands. “The Bureau doesn´t exactly want to advertise that it has agents breaking the law. Internal Affairs had a field day when I went to them. The whole Unit got investigated and although many were cleared, not everyone was happy with the inquiry.” Agent Davenport returned her gaze to his. “The agents who did break the law all settled and that´s why it was easier for the Bureau to state they got fired for sexual harassment.”
He could agree with that but made a mental note to look into it none the same. “I have a list of agents that want to join the BAU. Why would I choose you?” Hotch asked.
“You should look at my file.” She tapped her finger on top of the yellow folder. “I might not be a profiler, but I´m a good agent who takes her job very seriously, I´m organized and a fast learner,” she told him firmly.
Hotch looked at her for a moment; she didn´t look away, her expression determined. “What´s in Philadelphia?” He asked, wondering why she would want a temporary job.
“We´re moving for personal reasons,” she told him.
“We?” Hotch asked and eyed the thin golden band on her ring finger on her left hand. He wondered what would prompt an agent to leave the Bureau.
Agent Davenport shot him a piercing look of intolerance. “Yes, me and my wife.” she replied firmly. “Is that going to be a problem?”
Now that was a surprise, but Hotch held back the smile at the hostile reaction. “No, it won’t.”
Agent Davenport nodded at his response before her expression softened and she looked down at the table. “I should tell you, I don´t like dealing with the press. Coordination, man to man or organizing press-conferences, I do fine but speaking in front of them, being banged with questions is not my strong suit. Of course I can and will do it if necessary calls for it but I´m more comfortable in the background.”
Suddenly Agent Davenport looked at her watch. “And now I have to go pick up my girls from ballet. I asked another mom to keep an eye on them.” She stood up and Hotch followed suit. “I hope to hear from you by the end of the week with an answer,” she told him promptly and shook his hand.
“I can´t make any promises,” Hotch replied. He was still a bit wary about her, her reasons and the whole situations.
“That´s only fair. Thank you, Agent Hotchner and it was nice meeting you,” she said and put her bag on her shoulder.
“You too.” After she had walked out, Hotch sat down and opened the file.
The resume was impressive to say the least. Agent Josephine Laura Davenport was a 35 year old agent who´d joined the Bureau six years ago, leaving a very promising position at the NYPD behind. In those six years she had worked eight units, which was a lot considering after the first two years the Bureau usually gave their agents a permanent assignments.
Her five letters of recommendation had words like accomplished, trustworthy, chief-material, but also compassionate and stubborn. One of the letters was, to his surprise, signed by Director John Messing. It was extremely rare for an agent to get a letter from a director unless that agent was a Supervisory Special Agent.
Reading the file, Hotch couldn´t find one thing or another that stood in the way of hiring her. She was right, although he would loathe admitting that, they were swamped and it was starting to take its toll on the team. He decided to make a call to Director Messing and hear the man out before deciding whether or not to hire Agent Davenport.
The next morning, after the team´s usual briefing, Hotch called Director Messing´s office. His secretary answered and asked him to hold while she announced his call.
“Agent Hotchner,” the easy voice of Director John Messing said into his ear.
“I´m sorry for the interruption, Sir.”
“That´s quite alright, Agent Hotchner. What can I do for you?”
“Yesterday I met with Agent Josephine Davenport and she asked me for a job.”
“Ahh, Jo! She makes quite an impression, doesn´t she?” The Director said fondly.
“Yes, you can imagine my surprise finding your letter in her personal-file.”
“Jo is a very promising agent with a bright future inside the Bureau. If she is asking to join your team, you should thank your lucky stars and say yes. She has helped me numerous times and has come through every time.”
Hotch frowned, even if he knew the Director couldn´t see him. “She sounds like a saint.”
Messing chuckled quietly. “She´s far from it. She´s headstrong, has a temper and sometimes she can be sassy. But she´s fair and knows how to pick her battles. She´s an exceptional agent.”
“Thank you for your time, Director,” Hotch told him with a smile.
Hotch sat in his office, his elbows resting on the desk and his hand clamped together in front of him. Something didn´t feel right about her but it was a good solution for his problems. Temporary agent wouldn´t make his team feel as betrayed but they were all over worked and needed someone fast. Agent Davenport seemed to be good but was she too good to be true?
***
“You´re welcome,” John said and hung up the phone. He turned toward the woman sitting before him. “I think you´re in,” he told her.
Jo stood up, walked over to the window with concern written on her face, looking out without seeing the view and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don´t think I can lie to Agent Hotchner.”
Director Messing joined her and gently tapped her on her shoulder to gain her attention. “You can´t tell him, Jo. The suspect could have a mole inside the BAU.”
“They´re profilers, they´ll know something is up,” she argued quietly as she turned around and leaned against the window sill.
“And we´re counting on it if there is a mole. Your team´s assignment is to find evidence against the suspect. Bringing Agent Hotchner up to speed might hinder us catching the mole. For all we know, he might be it.” John told her sincerely.
She looked at the older man and opened her mouth to protest, but he raised his hand to stop her. “I know it´s unlikely, but we can´t be sure,” he continued patiently.
Jo looked across the room in thought. “I hope you´re right,” she finally said.
John grinned. “I know I am. I have my best agent on this and I´m behind you, Jo, one hundred percent.”
Jo laughed softly and let her arms fall by her side.
***
Ch: 2
Author: ice_ziggee
Beta: havenward
Word Count: 31.204
Pairings: Hothc / Reid
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Mention of rape, descriptive death, some swearing and fluff
Author's Notes: After I got this monster back from my beta, I had to rewrite some parts of the story that are therefore not beta-ed. The main theme of the story didn´t change but - o boy - was I struggling with this thing. Thank you for reading my fic, I hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: Criminal Minds belongs to and Ed Bernero, CBS Paramount Network Television and ABC Studios. Agent Jo Davenport, Dr. Anna Branton and their twin girls, Chris and Alex belong to me.
Summary: Hotch brings in a new agent to the BAU and the agent notices unusual behavior among members of the team. Some uncareful words start a chain of events that force one member of the team to decide if he should face his fears or walk away. Unusual relationship is revealed, unexpected friendships form and an astonishing arrest is made.
My beautiful art was made by kramskii.
Jo by ~Krimskii on deviantART
***
Chapter 1
There were only a few regulars scattered around the dinner. It was a small diner, located a few blocks from the Federal building and the agents at the BAU were frequent guests.
Hotch wasn´t sure if the mystery caller knew that, but he was here anyway if only to fulfill his curiosity. Looking at his watch, he noted it was still a few minutes before his meeting with a woman claiming to have a solution to problems they both had. The only problem Hotch could think of at the moment was the stacks of files in JJ´s office, waiting to be reviewed, organized and distributed among the rest of the team, or at least what was left of it. Prentiss´s ‘death’ had shaken them all hard. He and Garcia had taken on JJ´s job as he consistently refused to hire someone in her place, but Prentiss´s position, painfully needed to be filled. The waitress came over and he ordered coffee.
A woman in her early thirties, about 5’ 6”, with shoulder-length blond hair, walked into the diner. She discreetly looked around before making her way toward where he was sitting. She was dressed in jeans and a pink top underneath a black jacket. Her body looked fit and strong. By her side was a bag, the long strap hanging off her shoulder. But it was her face that caught his attention. She was attractive, with high cheekbones, a small nose and thin lips that at the moment were smiling at him. As she came closer he noticed faint spread of freckles over her nose and cheeks, and her bright blue eyes stared at him without hesitation and full of determination.
“Agent Hotchner,” she said and extended her hand toward him. “Thank you for meeting me. I´m Agent Davenport.” Hotch half rose, bewildered to meet another agent, but shook her outstretched hand. Her firm grip was not a surprise. The woman nodded as she took a seat across from Hotch and set her bag next to her. “I´m sorry for the secrecy, I needed to get you to meet me.”
She pulled a yellow folder with the FBI seal on the front out of her bag and handed it over to him. He put it on the table, next to the coffee cup, without looking at it. Agent Davenport looked him straight in the eyes, unfazed by the hard stare Hotch was giving her.
Hotch could understand how the slyness would tickle his curiosity, but he wanted explanations. “Agent Davenport,” he started, “you said you had a solution to a problem I´m unaware of having.”
She arched one eyebrow and became serious. “Alright,” she said without hesitation and folded her hands together on the top of the table, “I need a job and you need an agent,” she told him.
“I´m not hiring,” Hotch replied quickly and got ready to get up.
Agent Davenport didn´t move but kept her eyes on him, like she’d expected that reaction. “At least hear me out.”
Hotch considered her for a moment. She looked like someone who wasn´t spooked easily and clearly had nerves to pull this off. His gut told him he needed to listen to what she had to say before dismissing her. “Go on.”
“Three weeks ago, I resigned from International Operations Unit. I´m looking for a temporary assignment because I´m moving to Philadelphia in five months,” she started. “I know Assistance Director Strauss has been breathing down your neck to hire someone to fill your team and your workload had already increased significantly after Agent Jareau was assigned to Washington.”
Stopping, she let the words hang in the air for affect before continuing: “I´m proposing you hire me for four months, telling Assistance Director Strauss and your team I´m hired on trial basis.” Her blue eyes stared into his with confident. “You get AD Strauss off your back and a temporary agent to help with the case load. I get a job for four months, a crash course in profiling and maybe a letter of recommendation from the Unit Chief of the BAU.”
Thinking for a few seconds, Hotch wasn´t sure he liked the deal but she intrigued him. He folded his hands on top of the file. “Internal Operations. Didn´t they fire five agents after a sexual harassment?” Hotch asked, thinking about the rumor he´d heard Garcia tell Morgan a few weeks ago.
Agent Davenport affirmed with dip of her head before leaning forward and lowering her tone. “You are correct, except the harassment suit was a cover up. The agents were running a gambling site on a hidden server connected to the internal operation system, but rerouted it through a few international servers. I was the one who blew the whistle and the workplace had become…” the woman paused as she searched for the right word, “hostile.”
Hotch hid his shock but he wasn´t so easily convinced. “Why the cover up and the hostility?” he calmly asked.
She chuckled and looked at her hands. “The Bureau doesn´t exactly want to advertise that it has agents breaking the law. Internal Affairs had a field day when I went to them. The whole Unit got investigated and although many were cleared, not everyone was happy with the inquiry.” Agent Davenport returned her gaze to his. “The agents who did break the law all settled and that´s why it was easier for the Bureau to state they got fired for sexual harassment.”
He could agree with that but made a mental note to look into it none the same. “I have a list of agents that want to join the BAU. Why would I choose you?” Hotch asked.
“You should look at my file.” She tapped her finger on top of the yellow folder. “I might not be a profiler, but I´m a good agent who takes her job very seriously, I´m organized and a fast learner,” she told him firmly.
Hotch looked at her for a moment; she didn´t look away, her expression determined. “What´s in Philadelphia?” He asked, wondering why she would want a temporary job.
“We´re moving for personal reasons,” she told him.
“We?” Hotch asked and eyed the thin golden band on her ring finger on her left hand. He wondered what would prompt an agent to leave the Bureau.
Agent Davenport shot him a piercing look of intolerance. “Yes, me and my wife.” she replied firmly. “Is that going to be a problem?”
Now that was a surprise, but Hotch held back the smile at the hostile reaction. “No, it won’t.”
Agent Davenport nodded at his response before her expression softened and she looked down at the table. “I should tell you, I don´t like dealing with the press. Coordination, man to man or organizing press-conferences, I do fine but speaking in front of them, being banged with questions is not my strong suit. Of course I can and will do it if necessary calls for it but I´m more comfortable in the background.”
Suddenly Agent Davenport looked at her watch. “And now I have to go pick up my girls from ballet. I asked another mom to keep an eye on them.” She stood up and Hotch followed suit. “I hope to hear from you by the end of the week with an answer,” she told him promptly and shook his hand.
“I can´t make any promises,” Hotch replied. He was still a bit wary about her, her reasons and the whole situations.
“That´s only fair. Thank you, Agent Hotchner and it was nice meeting you,” she said and put her bag on her shoulder.
“You too.” After she had walked out, Hotch sat down and opened the file.
The resume was impressive to say the least. Agent Josephine Laura Davenport was a 35 year old agent who´d joined the Bureau six years ago, leaving a very promising position at the NYPD behind. In those six years she had worked eight units, which was a lot considering after the first two years the Bureau usually gave their agents a permanent assignments.
Her five letters of recommendation had words like accomplished, trustworthy, chief-material, but also compassionate and stubborn. One of the letters was, to his surprise, signed by Director John Messing. It was extremely rare for an agent to get a letter from a director unless that agent was a Supervisory Special Agent.
Reading the file, Hotch couldn´t find one thing or another that stood in the way of hiring her. She was right, although he would loathe admitting that, they were swamped and it was starting to take its toll on the team. He decided to make a call to Director Messing and hear the man out before deciding whether or not to hire Agent Davenport.
The next morning, after the team´s usual briefing, Hotch called Director Messing´s office. His secretary answered and asked him to hold while she announced his call.
“Agent Hotchner,” the easy voice of Director John Messing said into his ear.
“I´m sorry for the interruption, Sir.”
“That´s quite alright, Agent Hotchner. What can I do for you?”
“Yesterday I met with Agent Josephine Davenport and she asked me for a job.”
“Ahh, Jo! She makes quite an impression, doesn´t she?” The Director said fondly.
“Yes, you can imagine my surprise finding your letter in her personal-file.”
“Jo is a very promising agent with a bright future inside the Bureau. If she is asking to join your team, you should thank your lucky stars and say yes. She has helped me numerous times and has come through every time.”
Hotch frowned, even if he knew the Director couldn´t see him. “She sounds like a saint.”
Messing chuckled quietly. “She´s far from it. She´s headstrong, has a temper and sometimes she can be sassy. But she´s fair and knows how to pick her battles. She´s an exceptional agent.”
“Thank you for your time, Director,” Hotch told him with a smile.
Hotch sat in his office, his elbows resting on the desk and his hand clamped together in front of him. Something didn´t feel right about her but it was a good solution for his problems. Temporary agent wouldn´t make his team feel as betrayed but they were all over worked and needed someone fast. Agent Davenport seemed to be good but was she too good to be true?
***
“You´re welcome,” John said and hung up the phone. He turned toward the woman sitting before him. “I think you´re in,” he told her.
Jo stood up, walked over to the window with concern written on her face, looking out without seeing the view and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don´t think I can lie to Agent Hotchner.”
Director Messing joined her and gently tapped her on her shoulder to gain her attention. “You can´t tell him, Jo. The suspect could have a mole inside the BAU.”
“They´re profilers, they´ll know something is up,” she argued quietly as she turned around and leaned against the window sill.
“And we´re counting on it if there is a mole. Your team´s assignment is to find evidence against the suspect. Bringing Agent Hotchner up to speed might hinder us catching the mole. For all we know, he might be it.” John told her sincerely.
She looked at the older man and opened her mouth to protest, but he raised his hand to stop her. “I know it´s unlikely, but we can´t be sure,” he continued patiently.
Jo looked across the room in thought. “I hope you´re right,” she finally said.
John grinned. “I know I am. I have my best agent on this and I´m behind you, Jo, one hundred percent.”
Jo laughed softly and let her arms fall by her side.
***
Ch: 2