New Hope

Chapter Thirteen

Whirring of a printer.

Clacking of keyboards.

Shuffling of files into manila folders.

The daily monotony of the FBI filled Zoraida's senses as she packed up, planning to leave the BAU three hours early this Friday afternoon. After two weeks spent at the FBI she got a sense of everyone's daily habits and routine from the team to three janitors. How they fit into the work flow here.

It took everything in here to smash the old habit drilled into her. Now that she is imbeded into their lives comfortably it's about the time she'd start snopping around. Noticing where they kept their more sensitive or important files. For Emily Prentiss it's the top left drawer of her desk. JJ the a locked file on her laptop.

After noticing these things it was hard for her not to act on the knowledge. To see what they are hiding. What information may be of use to the us goverment. Even though they are the us goverment.

Old habits really do die hard. She needed to get away and calm her warring mind.
Zoraida stood pulling her navy jacket on Redi stood at the same moment pulling the strap of his messenger bag on his shoulder. They looked at eachother in surprise.

Zoraida smiled lighthearted, "You leaving early too?"

"Yeah."

"Great. We can get lunch together." They smiled at eachother as Zoraida hooked her arm with Spencer's. She'd taken to doing this since he down graded to only one crutch a few days ago. Leaving his left arm free for her taking.

Waving good bye to the team the pair headed to the elevators. Zoraida opening the glass door and pressing the down button.

"Where are you going this weekend?" Spencer asked as they waited.

"Nothing exciting. Just down to Quantico to dictate my reports."

"I thought you sent that on Wednesday."

Zoraida nodded as the door opened and they stepped into the empty elevator. "I did. But that's just the basic stuff. The important things are almost never written down in the agency."

Reid nodded. "Does that really take three days? We are that interesting?"

Zoraida laughed at his cheeky tone. "Yes, but I have a couple of other things planned as well. Gonna do some looking for work clothes. Tired of wearing the same three blouses every day and shopping outside the city should be cheaper. I also want to meet up with an old trainer make sure my sparing skills are still up to pare. Should be a fun weekend."

Reid shook his head at her.

"What?" Zoraida asked as the doors opened and they stepped to the side to let more people in.

"Your idea of a fun weekend is going to another city and doing more work?" Now he's laughing at her. A warm coffee scented chuckle that had her blushing.

"Yeah okay maybe, but what's your big weekend plans?"

The elevator doors opened to the parking lot and they all filled out.

"Oh!" Reid perked up excitedly like a mercat on alert. "Professor James Fallon - a neuroscientist - is giving a lecture at University of California about a blind study he did of identifying serial killers with MRI scans. It's actually really quiet fascinati-"

Zoraida burst out laughing. Her head ducking as she leaned on his sweater cardigan clad arm from laughing so hard.  "What?"

"It seems we're both workaholics."

Spencer chuckled as they reached her car. "I prefer to think of it as an addiction to learning."

"Oohhhh." Zoraida looked up at him as she got her laughing under control. "Your cute Spencer."