Losing Control {Criminal Minds X OC}

Part Two

The team gathered in the briefing room, and Garcia presented the case. After, the team had twenty minutes before they planned to leave. Every person left the briefing room except me.

"Arizona, can I speak to you for a moment?" Hotch asked as he entered the room. Truth was he had stood by the door for a few minutes once everyone left, but I didn't notice. I looked at Hotch and smiled. It wasn't like I could say no. "Sure, what's up?"

"I could ask the same about you." He laughed softly, and sat across from me. I didn't laugh. "We never really talked, at least not after you were completely settled into the BAU."

"What do you want to know, Hotch?" I questioned, exhaling, as I rubbed my forehead. So much concern. I am just about tired of it. First from JJ, and now Hotch. Even if he was my boss, I don't care much for the way I speak to him on this topic.

"I want.." he sighed. "I want to know what is going on. Tell me something."

"Okay, fine," I said and stood up. Pacing a bit before turning to Hotch. "I guess, I can say..."

"No." He interrupted, sternly. ".. tell me something you want to say. For the next few minutes, speak to me as a friend. Not your boss or colleague."

I wanted to tell him that I did not know how. It has been years since I had someone considered as a friend.

I never really had friends who would want to hear things about myself or my life. Taking a deep breath, turning to the window looking over the cubicles, I speak. "My team is a complete pain. They all want to be happy friends with each other. They want to pretend like no one truly wants the privacy they try to put in place. Privacy is something unknown to those kids." I could see the rest of the team pretending like they weren't looking at the briefing room window where I stood.

"We all have things we want to keep a secret, Arizona."

"So, it should be." I turned my head to Hotch, cutting ahead of his next statement. "No one is entitled to someone else's secret."

Hotch looked down at the table. "Some secrets need to be told. This team has been targeted by their secrets and truths." 

I scoffed, shaking my head. "When did Emily come clean about her past? How about Morgan?"

"You did your homework," Hotch noted, almost impressed. "But we can barely find anything on you.."

I smiled. "You can find things on me. You can, don't lie. You just can't find any trauma or anything negative to explain my behavior." Hotch sighed and checked his watch. I looked at the clock on the wall, "say it." Hotch looked out the window to the team, and then back to me. "I am giving you a choice. You can either join us on the case or you can stay back at the BAU. Or you can take time off."

"I think you and the team should decide. After all, it was your little meeting this morning that led to this." I leave the room, speed-walking past the rest of the team. Picking up my phone and leaving my keys, I left the bullpen.

Hotch watched Arizona walk out before leaving the briefing room and walking to the rest of the team. JJ gripped onto her necklace with one hand and held Emily's hand with the other. "How is she?" Hotch opened his mouth to speak but closed it. "I don't know. She thinks privacy should be maintained and that we are a jolly group." He sighed. Hotch looked at Arizona's desk and placed his hands on his hips. "I need you all to tell me if she should be on this case with us. I simply can not make that call by myself."

"Hotch, we can't do that either," Derek said.

"Should we just have her take a couple of days?" JJ suggested.

Emily shook her head. "That wouldn't do anything, as far as we know. What if we take her with us on the case and just supervise her? We can give her a vacation without giving her a vacation."

JJ laughed, sitting on the corner of the nearby desk. "I like that idea, but I am pretty sure her ideal vacation is without us."

"I think Prentiss is onto something. We can take her with us. One of us can share a room with her." Derek said.

Hotch continued. "We can have another agent come with us to follow her around."

Derek rolled his eyes, "I was getting to that but yes I agree." Spencer raised his hand for a moment to have a chance to speak. "Isn't that not right to do?" Hotch looked at Reid. Then Rossi reasoned. "We are doing this to help our friend, do you not want to help our friend? Huh, Doctor Reid." Spencer nodded his head.

"Okay, then. I will go find Arizona. Prentiss, choose an agent to join us." Hotch said, then began to turn away. He walked out of the bullpen, with Emily following behind him Emily had been lost in thought for a moment. Although it was her idea, it didn't seem right. "Hotch, wait. What if we just take her with us but keep her in the hotel unless one of us is with her in the night or mornings?"

"Hm," Hotch responded. "Work out that plan with the rest of the team while I go get Arizona."

And with that, he entered the elevator.

Despite Arizona being the unknown person, he knew exactly where to find her. In my short time at the BAU, it was a common place I would be.

The nearby froyo shop down the block.

Hotch and Arizona would often meet at the shop when Arizona first joined the BAU because Hotch usually had his son with him.

Sitting at a table in the back of the little shop, with my large cup of my favorite froyo, I watched Hotch as he walked in. "That was quick, what is the verdict?" I laughed softly and reached beside me for the small froyo container with Hotch's favorite froyo that I bought him. I gave him a small smile

"You are on the case, Arizona." Hotch opened his container of froyo. A smile breaks through his usual serious expression.

That smile is too good to be true.

"But.." I rolled her eyes and ate a spoonful of my froyo.

Hotch sighed, keeping his grin. "You will not be on the case at the same time. Think of it as a vacation. Except it is not a vacation. It's a vacation case."

"Babysitting?"

Hotch stuttered. I already could tell, he was confused about how I figured out his solution. "Well, yes. Arizona, I need to have you on the case.."

"But, I am not."

"I promise you won't be alone."

"Oh, great! Now, tell me who is my babysitter. Who is the lucky agent?"

Hotch ate a spoonful of his froyo. He didn't know, but he wanted to name a person. "You choose."

"Derek Morgan. You trust him. He is a good agent, maybe a better spy." I say, even when Emily was my first thought.

"Morgan, it is then." Hotch nodded.

I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Since that is over, tell me...how's Hayley and Jack?"