unedited

TWELVE. LA PLATA

OVER THE COURSE OF TWO MONTHS, THE TENSION BETWEEN HOTCH AND DAISY HAD NOT SETTLED. They were at each others throats every chance they got, and once their hickeys faded, they had the freedom to talk shit to each other without raising so much suspicion. The team (besides Emily and Rossi) had forgotten about the awkwardness, and had just embraced the bickering between the two agents. 

Daisy couldn't help herself. There was just something about Hotch that ticked her off. Maybe it was how he hardly ever smiled - maybe it was the lack of emotion in his voice. No, it was the complete lack of trust he had in her. She wanted her chance to prove herself, though she knew it would take a while. 

"You know what," Penelope Garcia looked over at the agent, who was sitting on the floor of her 'bat cave', picking at a salad that tasted like nothing. Daisy looked up at her colleague, now used to not knowing what to expect. The woman was unpredictable, but had an extremely comforting aura surrounding her. As soon as the two had officially met, they were inseparable. "I think you two just need to do it."

Daisy's eyes widened. She hadn't told Garcia about her and Hotch, mostly because she knew the techie would tell Morgan, who would tell JJ, who would tell Spencer, and it would all come around full circle and be incredibly embarrassing. However, that didn't stop Penelope from 'shipping' the two coworkers. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"It's a classic haters to lovers," the bleach-blonde grinned mischievously. She was convinced that the two were meant for each other, and would never let Daisy forget it. Luckily she hadn't been there to see the evidence that there had been some interaction. "It's fate, you can't stop this kind of thing."

"I despise him," Daisy wasn't usually one for such words, but she felt the need to make her point clearer than it already was. "He treats me like I'm an idiot. He never lets me go out into the field, and he acts like he's the smartest man to ever walk the planet."

"He's such a nice guy," Garcia whined, throwing her hands up in the air. "You just have to get to know him!"

"Until he proves to me that he's not an arrogant prick, I'll give him a chance," Daisy shrugged, taking another mouthful of her salad. She pulled a face at the taste. "God, this is disgusting."

"At least you're eating," Garcia chimed, spinning around in her chair and tapping away at her keyboard. "You worry me sometimes, girl."

Daisy scoffed, though her lip twitched upwards a little. Garcia had been the only one to notice Daisy's unhealthy habits of forgetting to eat while working, lasting an entire day on an energy drink and a few snacks. She hardly slept as it was and was on her feet all day; it was a shock she hadn't passed out in the middle of a police precinct. So, Penelope made sure that she ate every time they saw each other, even if it was only for a few minutes.

Daisy sighed softly as her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and read the text message from JJ. 

Briefing room in five. 

Pushing herself up to her feet, she walked over to Penelope and kissed the top of her head. Garcia smiled and reached back, rubbing Daisy's arm softly. "Farewell, my brave knight. Be good. And if you can't be good..."

"Be careful," Daisy finished the sentence, calling out over her shoulder as she left the dark room. 

★☆

"Last night, La Plata County police received a call from a fifteen-year-old girl who claimed her church pastor has been sexually assaulting her, as well as numerous others," JJ pulled up a recording of the phone call, and the team listened to the frightened young girl. 

Daisy swallowed, her heart aching for the kid. But, she was alive. It was their job to save her and whoever else was being abused. She wasn't the only one who was feeling sympathetic - everyone in the room seemed to have an emotional reaction to the message. Well, everyone but Hotch. He remained expressionless as usual. 

"What do they want us to do?" Rossi asked, eyeing the files. 

"Investigate," Hotch replied, his hands laced together on the tabletop. "See if the allegations have any truth to them, and bring the abuse to a stop. Reid - you, Prentiss and Alvarez will go undercover to La Plata. The rest of us will stay here unless we're needed. Wheels up in twenty. Dismissed."

Daisy sat up a little straighter, a smile appearing on her face. Hotch looked over at her with a quirked eyebrow, unimpressed. She didn't let his attitude get her down though, she was just happy to finally be going out into the field. She'd been stuck at the police stations with Spencer on all the cases so far, and as much as she adored the dorky doctor, she yearned to be inspecting crime scenes and chasing down Unsubs with Emily and Morgan. 

"I wouldn't be smiling if I were you, Alvarez," Hotch gathered up his files as the team left the room. "This is a serious case."

"And I get to go undercover, without you," she sighed happily, tucking her folder under her arm and reaching for her drink. "It's a dream come true! Hopefully you won't miss me too much while I'm gone."

Hotch's lips pressed into a thin line. "On the contrary. It'll be the quietest couple of days I've had since you arrived. Feel free to take your time on this one, we could all use the break here."

"Admit it," Daisy's hand rested on her hip. "You're gonna miss seeing this pretty face whenever you do something stupid. Who's gonna call you out on your bullshit while I'm gone?"

"Watch your language," Hotch muttered blankly. 

Daisy stuck her tongue out. "Watch your back."

Hotch looked up at her, far from enthused. "I'm terrified. Go get ready for the case, agent. I'll see you when you get back. Hopefully you don't turn your paperwork in late this time, but who are we kidding here?"

Daisy's eyes narrowed, and she felt her blood boiling inside her. She reached forward and pulled Hotch's pen from between his fingers, flinging it across the room. It was a childish move, but a small victory. She didn't say another word as she flew out of the briefing room, not wanting to hear anything else the man had to say. 

★☆

Once Daisy stepped out into the hot Colorado sun, she felt a little more exposed than usual. She hated the heat - it reminded her of summer, and she hated summer. She'd always been one for the cold - it made her think of home, when she and Beanie would push each other into the snow, take their family dog sledding and shovel the roads for their neighbours. 

Looking out in front of her, she took in the large complex with American flags and solar panels dotted among shrubs and weeds. She could see the gigantic cross on the far corner, and she tucked her hands in her pockets, not a fan of what the signs were pointing towards. A secluded group in the middle of nowhere with an abundance of children and a clear obsession with the church? 

Sitting on the steps was a man in his thirties, with an unsettling confidence exuding from him. He had a horseshoe moustache and rugged brown hair. It had clearly been cut by someone who wasn't a professional, but he didn't seem to have an issue with it. He sat with round spectacles on his nose, as though he'd been waiting for the agents to arrive. 

"I'm looking for Mr. Benjamin Cyrus," Nancy, the police officer who was accompanying the trio called out to the man. She had been nothing but accommodating to the agents, and had followed every instruction. 

Daisy stood near Spencer as they approached the man. There was something off about him, it was clear to see from the start. Daisy didn't trust him, and she knew her colleagues didn't either. It was how he held himself - how he came to greet them alone - how he wasn't jumping to prove that he wasn't a sexual abuser. His plan of action was to remain cool, calm and collected. Daisy wondered how long he could keep the charade up. 

"You found him," he muttered, a slight twang to his voice. 

"I'm Nancy Lunde," Nancy gripped her briefcase tightly. From her tightened posture, she didn't like the look of the man either. "We spoke on the phone regarding the allegation."

The man, Benjamin Cyrus, took his glasses off and got to his feet. He walked towards them slowly, as if his time were more important than anyone else's. "Savages, they call us. 'Cause our manners differ from theirs."

"We didn't come here to hear you cite scripture, Mr. Cyrus," Nancy remarked quite bluntly. 

"Actually, it's Benjamin Franklin," Spencer piped in. Nancy sent an unimpressed look his way. Daisy tried to hide her smile. 

"This is Emily Prentiss, Spencer Reid and Daisy Alvarez," Nancy ignored the comment and nodded towards the three coworkers. "They're child victim interview experts."

"How far from God's word must we have strayed for there to be the need to invent a job called 'child victim interview expert'?"

Daisy squinted slightly in the sunlight. "I think we can all agree that we'd rather not have to be here."

"So do we," Cyrus's eye twitched. "But you are welcome, nonetheless. The children are in the school, as I indicated."

Emily thanked him, she and Nancy walking up to the building, while Daisy stayed with Spencer. The doctor was staring at Cyrus curiously. "You're using solar power?"

"Yeah, we're completely self-sufficient," Cyrus nodded, appearing proud of himself and what he had created. "Electricity, food, water. Ben Franklin said, God helps those that help themselves. You look surprised."

Spencer shook his head. "No...impressed, actually."

"Thank you," Cyrus hummed, though he didn't smile. 

"For what?"

The man turned to follow Emily and Nancy. "For admitting that."

★☆

:) ?