Suit and Tie

5.

Upon the team's landing in Miami, Hotch and Rossi had split you all up: Morgan and Reid were heading to the crime scene, J.J. and Prentiss were going to talk to the victim's families, Rossi was going to set up at the local police station while Hotch started on victimology, leaving you with...nothing. You had suggested assisting Hotch on the beginning framework of the profile, but he had sternly stated that he was going to start alone. So here you were, sitting in the waiting room of the Miami Police Station with a pile of files on your lap, determined to prove to Hotch that just because you were new, it didn't mean that you weren't useful.

Was he punishing you? After the bathroom on the plane -- rather, after what happened in the bathroom on the plane -- you had almost expected Hotch to be softer towards you. Instead, he was back to having the "I-could-care-less" attitude, his face back to a cold gaze that was impossible to read. 

Was it a mistake? Despite what he said, that he wanted you in the same way you wanted him, could that have just been a spur of the moment confession, something that he could change his mind on later?

You shook your head and adjusted in the uncomfortable waiting room chair in some attempt to bring your focus back to the files. Every so often, though, you caught your gaze wandering to a clock on the far wall. It felt like it had been hours since you landed, but the Florida heat had really only been with you for three-quarters of an hour. 

After a few more agonizingly slow minutes, Rossi came to get you. You followed him happily into a small conference room where Hotchner was at a table, open files and pictures scattered around him. There was a board behind him that had other pictures on it, but right now everything seemed mostly a mess. 

You took a seat across from him, not wanting to get too close, yet still wanting to be able to look at him. If he wasn't going to let you profile on this case then you might as well practice on him, right?

------

Slowly the rest of the team filed in over the next hour, all reporting what they learned during their investigations. According to J.J., each of the prostitutes families had said that the women were missing for several days before their bodies were found. 

"Why weren't they reported missing?" you asked, receiving a glance from Hotch in return, as if you weren't allowed to ask questions. You glared back at him, silently standing your ground.

"Evidently it was typical for these women to be missing for several nights at a time and the families didn't think anything of it," answered Emily. Though you hadn't known her for very long, you could tell she was sensing something between you and Hotchner. Despite your strong feelings towards him, both good and bad, you made a mental note to be more careful with your body language.

Reid and Morgan shared next, telling the team about the various details left at the crime scene. This killer was quite disorganized and Morgan was hopeful that there was some DNA left under the last victim's fingernails from where she had put up a struggle. They weren't sure why this murder was messier than the previous ones, so the team got to work on the profile, still sure that you were looking at a standard sexual sadist. 

"I'd like to go to the coroner's room to take a look at the last two victims," you said, confident that this unsub might've made a mistake on his first victim as well. "If that's okay. Sir." 

Hotch nodded at you, so you grabbed your bag and headed out, eager to be rid of the heavy air surrounding you in that room. 

After several paces down the hallway you quickly realized that you had no idea where the coroner's room was, and you had left so fast that you hadn't bothered to ask for help. You slowed, leaning against a wall to collect yourself and your thoughts.