longsufferingly | (no subject)

Title: When I Call on the Telephone
Author:

poor_choices
Fandom: Supernatural RPS
Pairing: Adrianne Palicki/Genevieve Cortese.
Rating: PG-13.
Warnings: Mentions of serial killers, murders of children, and homophobia, but nothing explicit or on-screen.
Word Count: 2300.
Summary: Criminal Minds AU. Gen is the most awesome FBI tech analyst of all time, and Adrianne is her favorite.
Notes: I'm sure everyone is shocked this is happening. I know I am! Written for

strangeallure for

fandomaid! I hope you enjoy it :D Not based on any specific episode of Criminal Minds, so spoiler free. Title from REM.
Disclaimer: Lies and untruths.

"Genevieve Cortese, mistress of all knowledge, how may I direct your call?"

Gen can hear the smile in Adrianne's voice when she responds. "Hey, mistress."

"Mmm, I like the sound of that," Gen says, leaning back in her chair. It's no secret that Adrianne is her favorite; calls from her are usually the highlight of Gen's day. She thinks that might be sad. "Keep going."

Adrianne laughs, and Gen leans back, closing her eyes. She doesn't like when Adrianne's gone, away somewhere she can't see her. Sure, she can picture just what the other woman looks like, head tilted back, blonde hair in ringlets around her face, but it's not the same.

Favorite might not be a strong enough word. Or it might be the perfect one.

"Much as I'd love to dirty talk with you all day, I need some info, fast."

Gen sighs. "You're a heart breaker, Palicki. But you've come to the right place. What's up?"

The team's in Texas--San Antonio, where Jared's from, and he felt a little guilty to be thrilled to get home, under the circumstances. Gen almost wishes she could have gone with them, but--serial killer. She prefers to be a little farther away from that. "I need a list of men with criminal records who have gone through conversion therapy programs? Probably a religious summer camp, someone who'd be in his early twenties now."

"Christian?" she asks, starting the search. "Was their another victim?"

"Yeah," agrees Adrianne. "Hodge figured out a Biblical connection with the notes left with the bodies."

"Sounds like a blast."

"Like you wouldn't believe. Being gay in Texas is fun, being gay in Texas and tracking a closeted serial killer driven crazy by homophobia? I can't even describe the awesomeness."

"You holding up okay, honey?" Gen asks, gently.

"These are kids, Gen," Adrianne says, sounding worn out. "Kids who probably aren't even thinking about this stuff yet. They're just--they're wearing pink, or playing with GI Joes, and even if they are--"

"I know," says Gen. "You'll catch him." She smiles. "I've got fifty names, but only four in the San Antonio area. Any other way you want me to narrow it down, or should I just send them all?"

"Send them all," says Adrianne, with a heavy sigh. "We're missing something, I just don't know what yet."

"Hey, when you get back, drinks are on me," Gen offers.

"You are the light of my life, angel."

Gen smiles. "I know I am. Call me if you need anything else."

*

It's four hours later when the phone next rings; Gen's been keeping busy, working with other teams, researching other things, but half her brain is pretty much always with Adrianne.

It's stupid, she knows; Adrianne loves her, but Adrianne is gorgeous, all long legs, perfect breasts, athletic and flawless and charming. Gen isn't ugly, but she's a tech, the same nerdy girl she was in high school. Her glasses are too thick, and her hair never does what she wants it to, and she doesn't know how to be the kind of person Adrianne would actually want. Not when she can have anyone.

"Genevieve's House of Wonders, what miracle can I perform for you today?" she says, clicking the phone on.

"Hey," says Jensen, and he sounds tense.

"Agent Ackles, always a pleasure. How may I help you?"

"Ferris didn't want me to call yet, but--listen, Gen, the unsub took Palicki."

Gen freezes, hands stuttering on the keys. "What?"

"She had a hunch, I guess, went off on her own, and--"

"But--the unsub goes after kids. I--I have the case, it says children, generally preteens, not--where is she?"

"We don't know," says Jensen, firmly. "Look, Morgan and Jared are finalizing the profile for the press, me and Hodge are about to see what we can do to search, but you need to--"

"I'm setting up a track on her cellphone," says Gen, fingers flying. "It's off right now, but the second it turns on--"

"I know," says Jensen. He pauses. "We'll find her, Cortese. Nothing bad is going to happen."

"If you don't have her in 24 hours, I'm coming to Texas."

Jensen, to his credit, doesn't argue with her. "We'll find her," he says again. "And if there's anything else you can do, you'll be the first to know."

*

In theory, Gen works nine to five; that's what they told her when they hired her, anyway. Nine to five, we don't really care what you wear, and you get to fuck around with the computers all you want as long as you do it for us.

It sounded like the perfect job, and she got to say she was in the fucking FBI. Which is badass.

No one ever mentioned that her coworkers--her family--would be going out and nearly dying. No one ever told her how much she'd care.

Gen naps under her desk, in her chair, catches a few hours when she can, but mostly, she waits, and she wonders when she can help.

Her phone rings again at midnight.

"Please have good news," she says.

"I knew you'd be awake," says Jared, softly. He's the press liaison for the team, and Gen wants him to be in the field, but she knows it's irrational. "We have a lead. But I need you to answer a question."

"Just tell me what to search."

"No, not a search. We think the unsub is one of the cops here in the Houston PD. Female, which was what we were missing in the profile. Listen--did Palicki say anything to you about her preferences? I mean, you guys were talking, right?"

Gen licks her lips, mouth dry. "Yeah, I--she did."

Jared lets out a breath. "Hey, that's okay. That's good news, okay? That means we've got her. That's how she knew. Ackles and Morgan are on their way to her house, but we need you to check if she has any other property. Anywhere else she could be keeping Palicki."

"On it," says Gen. She swallows. "Hey, don't hang up. Not til you have her, okay?"

Jared laughs softly. "Yeah," he says. "Okay."

*

Jared does hang up eventually, but because he needs his line free once he's out in the field looking for Adrianne, so Gen can't object. She isn't an agent who could help with this, much as she wishes she was at times like this. Maybe if she was, if she was there, her hands wouldn't itch like this.

Maybe she wouldn't be going so crazy.

"Jared!" she says, picking up her phone on the first ring. "Jared, what's going--"

"Hey, baby," says Adrianne, voice soft and raspy. "Good to hear your voice."

"Adrianne," Gen says softly, all of the adrenaline rushing out of her, replaced with exhausted relief. "Hey, how's my girl?"

There's a quiet laugh, and maybe she couldn't help in Texas, but at least she'd be able to see Adrianne's face. "I've been better. You still gonna buy me a drink?"

"As many as you want. Are you going to the hospital?"

"Just for a checkup," says Adrianne. "It's not too bad. Just--concussion, at the worst. She got me in the back of the head, but she didn't do anything else."

"No broken bones, no--"

"Nothing," says Adrianne. "By the time she got me, she just wanted to talk a lot."

"Talk?"

"Her Bond villain monologue. About sinning, and God, and her unnatural desires, and--she was fucked up."

"Was?"

Adrianne's voice is wry. "Ackles shot her."

"Tell him I'll buy him a drink too," says Gen.

Adrianne laughs, but it turns into a cough, and Gen's heart aches. "That's awfully bloodthirsty, sweetheart."

"She hurt you."

"Yeah," says Adrianne. "Yeah." There's another pause. "Hey babe, we're at the hospital. I gotta let you go."

"You're coming home soon, right?" asks Gen, voice rawer than she'd like.

"Yeah, Gen," says Adrianne. "I'll see you soon."

*

"I told them not to call you," Ferris says, when the team gets back. She must see Gen's face fall when she doesn't spot Adrianne, because she shakes her head. "Cortese, she's fine. She's staying in Texas overnight, she'll be back tomorrow. It's just for observation."

"She said it was just a concussion," says Gen, and can't help glaring at Ferris. "How could you even think of not telling me?"

"When's the last time you slept?" asks Agent Morgan. Gen scowls harder, and Morgan smiles. "See, that's why."

"Jeff," says Ferris, mildly. "He's right, though. I wanted you to know, but I was hoping we'd find her before we had to worry you."

"Find her without my help?" asks Gen, scowling.

"It wasn't a good call, and I'm sorry," says Ferris. "I'm glad Ackles called you, and I'm glad you found the unsub's other property. "We couldn't have done this one without you, kid. And I'm sorry we let it happen to her."

Gen frowns. "I don't know why you're apologizing to me," she mutters.

Jared wraps his arm around her and smiles. "You know why, Cortese," he says. "Come on, I'll take you home. You need rest."

"But--"

"Your girlfriend won't be back until tomorrow, Cortese," Jensen adds. "Get some beauty sleep."

"Hey, she doesn't need beauty sleep," says Hodge, which makes Gen smile.

"Thanks for the support, Aldis," Gen says, batting her eyelashes.

Jared rolls his eyes. "You're gorgeous," he agrees. "Come on, Cortese."

Jared doesn't quite tuck her into bed when they get back, but it's close. She's glad he doesn't stay to make sure she gets some sleep, because despite her best efforts, she doesn't get a wink.

*

"Uh," says Hodge, "I hate to break this to you, Cortese, but I dunno if the beauty sleep worked."

Gen scowls at him. "You are no longer my favorite. You have turned on me."

"I was never your favorite," Hodge points out. "Palicki's had that tied up since before I met you. I never stood a chance."

"Screw you all," says Gen darkly, and stalks toward her office.

"Hey, babydoll, don't be like that," says Adrianne, and Gen spins around about ready to kill her for not calling the second she got back, but the feeling disappears as soon as she sees Adrianne. She looks tired too, worn out like she didn't sleep last night either, propped up against the door just a little, but fine.

Gen doesn't plan it, but she pretty much hurls herself into Adrianne's arms, which is in retrospect stupid. Luckily, Adrianne catches her and doesn't fall, and Gen just wraps herself around her, burrowing in close.

"Hey, babe," Adrianne says softly. "I'm here. I'm okay."

"You can't just get kidnapped by psycho killers," says Gen fiercely, burying her face in Adrianne's neck. "You know you aren't allowed to do that. I have told you many times that's not okay. I made a power point."

"I know," says Adrianne. Her hand is in Gen's hair, stroking gently. "I'm sorry. I'll never let a police woman come up behind me and knock me out again."

"Don't be a jerk," Gen mutters, pulling back to scowl, and Adrianne just leans up and kisses her, like it's nothing. Gen kisses back--how could she not? Adrianne Palicki is kissing her, slow and easy, like they have all the time in the world.

It seems like a lifetime passes before Ferris clears her throat, and Gen pulls back, shocked. Adrianne is grinning like everything good in her life so far hasn't compared to this.

"You could at least go into Cortese's office," says Ferris dryly. "If you're going to blatantly ignore fraternization protocol."

"Good suggestion, boss," says Adrianne brightly. She doesn't let Gen go, just slides an arm under her and carries her into her office, and Gen buries her face against her neck so she can't see Jared smirking as they pass.

Adrianne goes for another kiss as soon as they're inside, but Gen pulls back. "Adrianne, I'm not--" she licks her lips. "What are you doing?" she asks, softly.

"I spent the last day with a woman who went homicidal because she couldn't accept who she was and what she wanted." She smiles. "It seemed pretty stupid to not just go for what I wanted."

Gen's heart flips over. "And that's me?"

Adrianne laughs, and this time Gen doesn't pull back when she goes in for another kiss. "You're the mistress of all knowledge and ruler of the universe," Adrianne teases. But her smile softens, and the next kiss is slower, more tender. "You have to know I'm crazy about you, sweetheart."

Gen flushes. "Yeah," she says. "Me too."

Adrianne puts her down and kisses her forehead. "I've got paperwork. But tonight--you're buying me a drink, and I'm buying you dinner."

Gen grins. "That sounds like a date."

"Astute observation," says Adrianne. "Have a good day, baby."

Gen grins. "I'll be thinking of you the whole time."

Adrianne blows a kiss on her way out; Gen doesn't stop grinning for an hour.

*

"Hey, Cortese," says Jared, sticking his head in to her office.

"What?" asks Gen, slightly disappointed he's not Adrianne sneaking in for a pre-first-date quickie. Hey, a girl can dream.

"We've got a case," says Jared. "California."

"Now?" asks Gen. It isn't quite a whine. She hopes.

"Yeah," says Jared. "Serial killer in San Francisco. Wheels up in forty-five, and Ferris wants you on board."

"She does?" Gen asks, surprised.

"She says she wants you on the ground, I think our fearless leader secretly just wants you to get laid," says Jared.

Gen flushes. "Please never say that again."

"Your girlfriend volunteered to drive you home to get a bag. You coming?"

And, really, there's only one answer to that. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."