тнe rυѕѕιan doll || spencer reid

SIX

At 2:37 PM that same day, the BAU arrived promptly in Arizona. 

Hotch dismissed them all in groups- Reid and Morgan to the PD, Rossi, Prentiss, and JJ to the highway where Susanna was found, and Giselle went with Hotch to the hospital to speak with Susanna. At first, Giselle was surprised that Hotch chose her to come with him, but then she realized that he needed to scope out her work ethic and see how she interacted with the victims. This wasn't a surprise to Giselle. When she was chief of her unit, she did the exact same thing. So she was determined to not let her nerves get in the way of proving her worth to her supervisor. 

As the two agents hopped in the black SUV to make their way to the hospital, Giselle noticed how Hotch never really spoke. Did he not trust Giselle, or was he just antisocial the same way that she was? The most likely option was that he was asserting his dominance as a supervisor to Giselle. He knew that she was used to being in charge, so he was most likely sending her a message. 

Well... that message was made crystal clear as the car ride progressed, because neither of the agent muttered a single word to each other. Nothing about the case, about work, or any of their fellow agents. The only sound that could be heard was the occasional clicking of the turn signal or the slight revving of the car's engine.

The fact that even Giselle, quite arguably the most antisocial and reserved person on the team, was feeling awkward spoke volumes about the tension that seeped through the car. She felt the sudden urge to say something, but she didn't let herself act on it. That would give him the power, and she wasn't going to deal with a power imbalance.

Giselle felt herself start to itch with boredom and discomfort as the car ride progressed. She wanted to speak, but she didn't want to give him the power. So instead, she used this time to profile her boss.

He was quite clearly reserved in his emotions and his manner of conversation. Even with the rest of the team, he didn't speak much and when he did, it was in a low, monotone voice that made even the most dominant of personalities submit. His cola-colored brown eyes were cunning and dark- leaving an impression with every single glance they made. Giselle knew that there must have been so much history behind those eyes... she couldn't remotely fathom the things they had seen. 

Hotch always dressed to impress. Giselle had never seen him in anything but a dark suit and a maroon or dark blue tie that was always fastened to the tightest of its ability. His dark hair was always cut neatly. There was never a hair out of place- not on his head nor his face. He was clean shaven, which showed that he cared about his appearance towards others. He wanted to be seen as in control and in charge to his team, his supervisors, and to his family. He was most likely a control freak- always wanting to make the decisions and call the shots for his team. This made him look like a clear drill sergeant since day one, and Giselle understood that deeply- considering she tended to be one herself. 

Giselle was unaware of the trauma that her boss had faced in his line of work or in his personal life, but it didn't take a profiler to see that it was there. His skin was aged past the number of years that he had been living- his eyes drooping with pain and regret. The lack of explanation to his actions showed that he didn't find it necessary to speak about the things he had accomplished. He preferred to let his actions speak for themselves, just like Giselle. 

Giselle would have continued to profile her mysterious boss, but her train of thought was cut off by his deep, demanding voice. 

"Hernandez."

Giselle turned to him, silently cheering for making him speak first.

"Hm?"

"Are you profiling me?"