TWO; NOT A PEOPLE PERSON

THE BEHAVIOURAL ANALYSIS UNIT WAS A GROUP OF WELL RENOWNED AGENTS. Daisy knew this because they once had Jason Gideon as part of their team. He was the best they would ever have; there was something about him that could scare criminals and comfort friends. She couldn't deny that there had been more than one occasion when he'd given her supportive advice and acted as some sort of paternal figure. When she learned what had happened to his partner, her heart broke for him. He was the last person to deserve something like that.

"You'd suit the role, Alvarez," Erin Strauss muttered, not looking up at the Cuban-American woman sitting opposite her. "You're one of my only agents who hasn't had to break protocol to do something stupid. That team could use someone like you."

"Ma'am," Daisy tried not to show her building frustration. "If I wanted the job, I would have accepted it when you first asked me. That was four months ago."

"Here's the thing," Strauss put down her file and finally looked up at Daisy. Her face was void of emotion -- something many people had gotten used to over the years. "I don't care. You have first hand experience with the things that they deal with, and after Gideon's...departure, they need some extra support."

"What about Rossi?" Daisy refuted. "I heard he joined the team after Gideon left. He's one of the best in the business."

"That he is," Strauss agreed. "But, I want you in there too. I need someone to keep an eye on those agents. They've had one too many screwups over the last few years, and I know that Aaron Hotchner's at the centre of it all."

"Aaron Hotchner?" The name sounded familiar. "Have I met him before?"

"Definitely," Strauss replied. "He's the dark haired one in charge. He never smiles."

"Oh," Daisy recalled briefly meeting a man of the same description. He had shaken her hand but not looked her in the eye very long; he had been on a phone call at the time. The blonde woman beside him had apologised, saying that he wasn't usually like this. "Yes, I remember him."

"Well, he pisses me off," Strauss admitted monotonously. Daisy couldn't help the tiny smile that threatened her lips.

"You're his superior," she commented. "Why don't you just let him go?"

"Believe me, I've tried," Strauss grumbled, before lacing her hands together atop her expensive desk. Daisy watched her with a curious expression. The older woman's left eyebrow had been twitching since the moment she stepped foot inside the office. She tried to hide it, but there were small scars under the pads of her thumbs -- possibly a nervous habit she hadn't broken.

"What do you want from me, Strauss?" Daisy inquired. "Well, I know what you want, but you know I'm not going to accept. So, why did you call me in?"

Strauss gave her a tight-lipped smile. "Because your position at the BAU has now been formally accepted by Agent Hotchner. You start tomorrow morning."

Daisy's jaw slacked in surprise. She leaned forward in her seat, while Strauss returned her attention to her file. The older woman once again had the upper hand. "No, I don't. I have three classes tomorrow, and-"

"That has been taken care of," Strauss cut her off, carelessly turning one of the pages in front of her. "I hope you enjoy your increase in salary, I know that sister of yours will."

Daisy fell silent. Her hands gripped the arms of her chair, and she gritted her teeth irritably. She then pushed herself up and stormed towards the door. Her hand wavered over the knob for a moment, and she turned back to the section chief. She swallowed her pride, and forced herself to hold her head up high. "Thank you for the opportunity, ma'am."

"My pleasure," Strauss didn't look up again.

★☆

"I gotta admit, I was surprised to get your call," Rhea Reeves slid into the booth of Grayson's bar, a wide grin on her face. Daisy looked over at her best friend with a smile, trying to force her anxiety back down her throat and act as if everything was okay. "What happened to your Tuesday night class?"

Daisy's fingernails tapped against her cold beer bottle. It was her third so far. "I'm not teaching anymore, Rhea."

Rhea's dark eyes widened. She leaned across the table and reached for Daisy's arm. "Is everything okay? Do you need anything-"

"I'm fine," Daisy shook her head, pulling away from Rhea. Her eyes were stuck on the menu attached to the table. For some reason the 'Tequila Tuesday' notice was more interesting than her current situation. "I'm, uh, being transferred to the BAU. I'm going back into the field."

Rhea suddenly understood the beer bottles and the dark rings underneath the agent's eyes. "I see. I thought you turned down the job?"

"I don't really have a choice," Daisy shrugged. "The money is better, and Beanie's bills are getter higher."

"Don't you have a friend who works in the BAU?" Rhea asked softly. Daisy nodded. "Well, it could be worse."

"I guess," Daisy muttered. She hesitated, before looking up at her friend. Rhea was one of the few good people left in the world. She had been there since college, and never once questioned calls at four in the morning. She worked at the local elementary school, and had put a roof over Daisy's head when things got too much to handle. She'd always been there, and Daisy often felt like she didn't contribute the same. "I'm scared, Rhea. The whole reason I left the field was because..."

"You couldn't save everyone," Rhea finished her sentence. "I know, honey. But what's the first thing you teach to those kids who want to be just like you? The best you can do is to find the person who did it so that no one else gets hurt. You're not God, Daisy."

"I know," Daisy tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She was silent for a few minutes, trying to make sense of her feelings before she was thrown in the deep end of mysterious crimes once more. She then looked at Rhea once more and smiled. "Do you wanna get drunk?"

"On a Tuesday night? Before you start a new job?" Rhea quirked an eyebrow. Then, she beamed. "I'm surprised you didn't ask sooner."

Two hours later, Rhea and Daisy were giggling as they walked towards the latter's apartment building. Men called their names and made lewd gestures, but one flash of Daisy's badge made their eyes bulge out of their heads and their feet carry them home.

"When was the last time you got laid?" Rhea asked, her voice slurring a little. She was lucky to have the day off tomorrow, but the same couldn't be said for the agent beside her. Daisy snorted at the question, and she sent her friend an unimpressed look. Rhea laughed. "I'm serious! You've been so grumpy lately."

"I've got bigger things to worry about," Daisy smiled, shaking her head. "And besides, I'm not a people person."

"Maybe that'll change!" Rhea exclaimed as they stepped into the lobby and headed straight for the elevator. "I mean, being out in the field is gonna take you to all kinds of places. You might meet a sexy thief would might..."

"Don't say it."

"Steal your heart." Rhea winked suggestively, and Daisy rolled her eyes despite herself. "C'mon, what about the guy in the BAU?"

Daisy snickered, pulling out her front door key. "Derek Morgan? Been there, done that."

Rhea gasped, her eyes widening. "What?"

"I told you about it when it happened," Daisy grinned. "He's hot, like...really hot. But the only reason we hooked up was because we'd both been dumped."

"Oh yeah," Rhea hummed as Daisy dragged her down the hall towards the apartment. "God, he was so pretty. You know, you could pull some real good ones if you actually tried."

Daisy groaned at the statement, opening her door and stumbling inside. "Did you hear that Stacey Lewburton got married? The one who gave me bangs while I was passed out in college?"

"Don't change the subject," Rhea smacked her friend's arm. "You gotta get your head out of your ass, Daisy. I can't take care of you forever."

"I don't need someone to take care of me," Daisy scoffed, kicking her shoes off. "Especially some man. I don't want to be someone's wife."

"I'm not saying you have to be," Rhea helped herself to a glass of water and a bag of sweet chilli chips. "But, you've got a whole lot of crap built up, and I know it's not just therapy that's gonna fix it."

Daisy pulled a face, taking Rhea's water and sipping it. She ignored her friend's protest as she stole the glass, walking towards her bedroom. "Goodnight, Rhea!"

Rhea groaned at the farewell. She now had the small kitchen to herself, but she was mostly upset about the fact that she had to get another glass of water.

★☆

:)