Tech Support
Nov. 18th, 2011 01:52 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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rarepairs_cmTitle: Tech Support
Author: AVFerreira (aka DarkSideO'Me)
Rating: FRT
Category: Friendship; Romance
Characters/Pairing: Erin Strauss; One-sided Aaron Hotchner/Penelope Garcia
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Word Count: 844
Summary: Sometimes all you need is the right tech.
Erin Strauss stared at her computer, exasperation etched in every line of her face. The bright red bar scrolling across the screen appeared to be mocking her.
She pressed Esc and waited. Nothing happened. She then repeatedly pressed Control-Alt-Delete to no avail. Alt+F4 didn't work either. Finally, she found herself stabbing viciously at the Menu Key. And still that red bar moved across her screen in supercilious serenity, as if to remind her of all the things she had no control over.
There was a knock on her door. She rubbed her aching head, and sighed. "Come in, Agent Hotchner."
The tall dark-haired man entered her office. For a moment, she thought he looked even more unhappy than usual, but when he looked up to greet her, his expression was as guarded and neutral as ever.
"I'm afraid there's been a problem with our meeting," she said, pointing to her computer screen. "All the information I need is in there. Ms. Garcia is supposedly our best analyst, do you think she can fix this for me?"
To her surprise, he smiled briefly. "Probably, but Garcia took a few days off. Our last case was… difficult. I'm afraid I had to ask far more of her this time than what's in her job description."
"You got to him before he killed anyone else. That's what matters." She looked at the screen. The red bar was still there. "We'll have to make do with the second best, then."
"I believe that would be Kevin Lynch. He's… with Garcia. They're off in a cabin somewhere, having 'some time away from all the gadgets' I believe she said."
Strauss eyed him with interest as she reached for the phone. "I'll just see who they can send. Hopefully we won't need to postpone the meeting."
"Wait," he said, reaching for his phone. "Let me try Garcia first."
"I thought you said they'd foregone all gadgets for their trip."
"I suspect that might've been Kevin's idea, but if I know Penelope…" And there was that smile again.
He set the phone down on the desk, and switched on the speaker. The phone rang twice and then Penelope Garcia's voice was heard speaking in hushed tones. "This better be good, my captain, or I am so sinking your ship! You're just lucky Kev went into town to get supplies."
"I'm here with Chief Strauss, Garcia. There's something wrong with her computer. A red bar keeps sliding across her screen."
"And you couldn't call one of the other techs?"
"You know you're the best…"
There was an irritated sigh on the other side of the line that sounded far too melodramatic to be real – though Strauss always had trouble telling with Garcia – and then the other woman started giving Hotch instructions on how to make that cursed red bar go away for good. She pushed her chair back to give him room, and watched him work, following Garcia's instructions and asking the occasional question or giving her information on what was happening with the computer.
Finally her screen was clear and Hotch was picking up the phone again. "Thanks, Garcia. Have a nice vacation; I'll try not to bother you again."
"Pft, you'll be calling again tomorrow; you don't know how to live without me."
He smiled once more as he switched off the phone and pocketed it. Three times in less than half an hour. Had to be some sort of record.
They settled down to their meeting, and with the computer now mended, things proceeded quickly. It was quite a relief when they were done; her headache was still troubling her, and she did not want him to notice how unwell she felt today. She had a suspicion he'd come to the right conclusions.
He was getting up to leave when her phone signalled an incoming message. She looked at it with pursed lips, but didn't pick it up.
"Is everything alright?" he said. "Have there been any new developments in that matter?"
Her first instinct was to tell him to remember his place and mind his own business. Still, she had come to him for help in the beginning, and she could hear genuine concern in his voice.
"My children have decided they want to live with their father. They went house-hunting with him today." She looked at the phone once more. "I told him he could keep our house; it'll be too big for me. He says he needs a new place where to build new memories."
"It's hard, being in love with someone who doesn't love you anymore."
She looked up at him. "So is being in love with someone who's in love with someone else."
He kept a straight face, but his eyes were down. "Some things can't be helped."
"Oh, but some things just need the right tech."
His eyes rose to meet hers, wide with shock. They held each other's gaze for a moment, and then they were both laughing, her headache melting away and leaving her feeling better than she had in weeks.
Author: AVFerreira (aka DarkSideO'Me)
Rating: FRT
Category: Friendship; Romance
Characters/Pairing: Erin Strauss; One-sided Aaron Hotchner/Penelope Garcia
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Word Count: 844
Summary: Sometimes all you need is the right tech.
Erin Strauss stared at her computer, exasperation etched in every line of her face. The bright red bar scrolling across the screen appeared to be mocking her.
She pressed Esc and waited. Nothing happened. She then repeatedly pressed Control-Alt-Delete to no avail. Alt+F4 didn't work either. Finally, she found herself stabbing viciously at the Menu Key. And still that red bar moved across her screen in supercilious serenity, as if to remind her of all the things she had no control over.
There was a knock on her door. She rubbed her aching head, and sighed. "Come in, Agent Hotchner."
The tall dark-haired man entered her office. For a moment, she thought he looked even more unhappy than usual, but when he looked up to greet her, his expression was as guarded and neutral as ever.
"I'm afraid there's been a problem with our meeting," she said, pointing to her computer screen. "All the information I need is in there. Ms. Garcia is supposedly our best analyst, do you think she can fix this for me?"
To her surprise, he smiled briefly. "Probably, but Garcia took a few days off. Our last case was… difficult. I'm afraid I had to ask far more of her this time than what's in her job description."
"You got to him before he killed anyone else. That's what matters." She looked at the screen. The red bar was still there. "We'll have to make do with the second best, then."
"I believe that would be Kevin Lynch. He's… with Garcia. They're off in a cabin somewhere, having 'some time away from all the gadgets' I believe she said."
Strauss eyed him with interest as she reached for the phone. "I'll just see who they can send. Hopefully we won't need to postpone the meeting."
"Wait," he said, reaching for his phone. "Let me try Garcia first."
"I thought you said they'd foregone all gadgets for their trip."
"I suspect that might've been Kevin's idea, but if I know Penelope…" And there was that smile again.
He set the phone down on the desk, and switched on the speaker. The phone rang twice and then Penelope Garcia's voice was heard speaking in hushed tones. "This better be good, my captain, or I am so sinking your ship! You're just lucky Kev went into town to get supplies."
"I'm here with Chief Strauss, Garcia. There's something wrong with her computer. A red bar keeps sliding across her screen."
"And you couldn't call one of the other techs?"
"You know you're the best…"
There was an irritated sigh on the other side of the line that sounded far too melodramatic to be real – though Strauss always had trouble telling with Garcia – and then the other woman started giving Hotch instructions on how to make that cursed red bar go away for good. She pushed her chair back to give him room, and watched him work, following Garcia's instructions and asking the occasional question or giving her information on what was happening with the computer.
Finally her screen was clear and Hotch was picking up the phone again. "Thanks, Garcia. Have a nice vacation; I'll try not to bother you again."
"Pft, you'll be calling again tomorrow; you don't know how to live without me."
He smiled once more as he switched off the phone and pocketed it. Three times in less than half an hour. Had to be some sort of record.
They settled down to their meeting, and with the computer now mended, things proceeded quickly. It was quite a relief when they were done; her headache was still troubling her, and she did not want him to notice how unwell she felt today. She had a suspicion he'd come to the right conclusions.
He was getting up to leave when her phone signalled an incoming message. She looked at it with pursed lips, but didn't pick it up.
"Is everything alright?" he said. "Have there been any new developments in that matter?"
Her first instinct was to tell him to remember his place and mind his own business. Still, she had come to him for help in the beginning, and she could hear genuine concern in his voice.
"My children have decided they want to live with their father. They went house-hunting with him today." She looked at the phone once more. "I told him he could keep our house; it'll be too big for me. He says he needs a new place where to build new memories."
"It's hard, being in love with someone who doesn't love you anymore."
She looked up at him. "So is being in love with someone who's in love with someone else."
He kept a straight face, but his eyes were down. "Some things can't be helped."
"Oh, but some things just need the right tech."
His eyes rose to meet hers, wide with shock. They held each other's gaze for a moment, and then they were both laughing, her headache melting away and leaving her feeling better than she had in weeks.
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no subject
Date: 2011-11-18 02:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-08 12:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-18 02:29 pm (UTC)I love Kevin but unrequited Hotch is always adorable.
no subject
Date: 2012-11-08 12:33 pm (UTC)I rather like Kevin, and I do miss the way Kevin and Garcia were in the beginning, but I really don't feel Garcia is all that into him anymore.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-18 08:34 pm (UTC)~ sera
no subject
Date: 2012-11-08 12:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-21 07:21 am (UTC)I loved that the lack of gagets was Kevin: Garcia still had her phone, even if Hotch almost blew her cover. ♥
Garcia's banter was spot-on, as always. And Hotch would be all silently unrequited, even though Penelope isn't within his command structure.
Interesting take on what's been distracting Strauss lately.
DragonLady