Work Text:
Another year, another FBI mandatory team building event. As usual the BAU are on a case the day of the actual activities and cannot attend. Which means they get to do their own team building activity when they get back. This time the make-up activity is Penelope’s choice. She convinces them to do an escape room.
Since they are a team of highly intelligent FBI agents, they decide on an escape room place that promises more difficult puzzles in their rooms. Spencer is not convinced it will take the two hours you get given.
They decide to do the escape rooms in two teams. Sort of a friendly competition to see who completes it first. So that each team gets a certified genius Penelope and Spencer are on opposite teams. Morgan and Emily are on Penelope’s team. Rossi complains loudly enough about not wanting to do an escape room that he gets put with Hotch and Spencer. Morgan maintains since Spencer has an eidetic memory it’s only fair that Penelope’s team get the extra person so JJ ends up there.
Hotch, Spencer and Rossi solve their room in just over twenty minutes. To be specific they solve it in twenty-three minutes and fourty-seven seconds.
Rossi complains it was a waste of money. Hotch just shrugs at him “it’s supposed to be a bit of fun Dave”
“It would be fun if we went to a nice Jazz bar. A better use of money too.”
“Well if you can convince Strauss then you can pick that when it’s your turn.”
They spend another twenty minutes waiting for the others to solve their room before Spencer decides he needs coffee. It takes a little convincing for Hotch to agree that the other team won’t be done before they get back but Spencer has the advantage of them not actually being at work meaning he can flirt his way into it. It’s almost inevitable that if Spencer makes Hotch blush hard enough he'll agree; it helps that Rossi teases him about the blushing.
Getting coffee takes them twenty minutes. The others are still in their room when they get back.
Hotch looks at his watch “What are they doing in there?”
“Hopefully solving it so we can leave”
“Dave”
“Come on Aaron, you seriously want to sit here for another hour?”
After a lot more waiting around Spencer and Rossi manage to convince Hotch to go get ice-cream. For as much as the unit chief grumbles about leaving again he still goes to get it and comes back with three cups.
What the other team is doing is arguing mostly. It had started out fine. Penelope and Morgan had been doing their usual flirting and the first two puzzles got solved with minimal issues. The problems arose with the third puzzle. Morgan and Emily disagree on the solution, neither of which is correct, and get into an argument. Penelope tries to mediate but isn’t really all that successful, while JJ quietly works on the solution.
After fifteen minutes and no resolution to the argument JJ started making pointed comments about how help would be great.
Emily and Derek decide to try solve the puzzles individually. Which also means who can solve it first while trying to sabotage the other. Penelope tries to get them to talk about it and make up. JJ wants to bang her head against the wall.
They run out of time and don’t solve the room.
When they get to the waiting area Rossi is doing something on his phone and Spencer is draped across Hotch eating a little pot of ice-cream; it’s fudge by the looks of it which means it’s actually Hotch’s ice-cream that Spencer has acquired. JJ briefly wonders how often Hotch gets to finish his own ice-cream because she knows Jack likes to steal it from him as well.
Upon seeing them Rossi mumbles “Finally.” A sentiment JJ has to agree with.
As soon as Morgan notices Spencer he says “What the hell man you got ice cream without us”
“You were taking too long”
Hotch smirks “Maybe I should send you guys to the team building seminars after all”
JJ decides to walk at the back of the group on the way out. Rossi hands her what’s left of his coffee with a “You look like you need it.” She really does. When she takes a sip and realises there's alcohol in it she’s even more grateful.