A/N: This fic is the product of a challenge I have been issued by editor frog, LT and tearbos. They did NOT make this easy for me, but I will do my best and here is the first chapter of "The Good, The Bad, The Annoying"! And be warned: this story will be insanely evil and painful and.. and.. well.. -evil smirk- You read yourself.
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"In three – two – one – go!"
The single shot from the starter pistol echoed through the woods of remote Alabama as the 18 groups of federal agents picked up their equipment, setting off on their hike. They were to travel through the forest in pairs, having been teamed up randomly within their sections. 22 miles of medium-to-rough forest was to be covered within the next 36 hours, and the first team to arrive at the rendezvous point would get a week's vacation in Hawaii, with all expenses to be covered by the United States government.
The purpose of the hike was simple--to strengthen the sense of team spirit within the branches as well as build bonds between the agents, hence the random teaming. But naturally, the reward awaiting the winning team would act as a catalyst for most of the agents. A week's vacation was something not many of the field agents had been treated to in a very long time. So naturally, the competitive smell lay thick in the air.
All the teams had been equipped with the exact same tools and essentials. Enough water to last the pair during the hike, but not nearly enough food. Should they be hungry they could try to catch fish, pick berries or perhaps trap an animal. They had been provided with means to cook, a small pot and a pan, along with forks and one sharp knife.
The only thing they had been allowed to bring along themselves had been clothes of choice, all other objects and essentials had been included in the backpacks given by the organizers.
A map with the start and finish marked out, along with a compass was handed out to each team, and it was made very clear that this was the one thing they absolutely weren't to lose. No cell phones were allowed, no battery operated devices such as MP3-players or GPS-devices were allowed during the hike.
And so they were off, venturing into the deep forest of Alabama.
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"Did you know that Alabama was the home of the first open heart surgery?"
Reid had already begun his babbling and spewing of facts as early as in the first 15 minutes after the starter pistol sounded. The enthusiastic young agent struggled with his heavy backpack while stumbling along the rough path which seemingly had no edges or end.
Rossi seemed less than amused with the fact that he had been teamed up with resident genius. He saw the next 35 hours which lay ahead of him, filled with useless nonsense and babbling, and sighed resignedly.
"Really?"
"Yes!" Reid was obviously ecstatic that someone actually asked him a follow-up question in return to his rambling. "In 1902 Dr. Luther Leonidas Hill performed the first open heart surgery in the Western Hemisphere by suturing a stab wound in a young boy's heart. The surgery took place in Montgomery, Alabama!"
Rossi groaned silently. 22 miles in the forest with no one but his team's boy wonder by his side. He had a feeling this wasn't going to strengthen their bond, but rather increase his need to strangle the young agent. He didn't even finish his train of thought before he once again heard the young man's eager voice a few feet behind him.
"Alabama is the only state with all major natural resources needed to make iron and steel. It is also the largest supplier of cast-iron and steel pipe products, and..."
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Emily was rather happy with her teammate. Seeing there hadn't been enough agents from the BAU participating in the exercise she had been teamed up with a field agent from another branch. JJ had been excluded from the wilderness experience due to her pregnancy, and therefore there had been a lack of agents to complete the teams.
Brad Rowlings of the Counterintelligence division had been assigned her partner for the duration of the hike, and Emily had no objections. Brad was a very good looking man, looking like he could carry her throughout the entire hike. But she was not about to play the damsel in distress in front of another agent.
Anyone knowing Emily knew she was as tough as nails, and preferred to sort things out herself rather than asking for help. But at the moment, the 48 pound backpack was doing a number on her back. She wondered what in the world could be putting all this weight on her, but then realized that it was the numerous bottles of water. No need to worry about dehydration.
She struggled along with the heavy backpack while chatting with the handsome, and strangely enough, also intelligent agent beside her. Brad was proving to be rather refreshing company while on the hike from hell.
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Morgan and Hotch had taken to running the moment the starter pistol sounded through the cool forest air. They had their sights set straight on the week on Hawaii, and there was not an agent in the forest who would stand in their way.
They had already mapped out their course and stuffed the map back in Hotch's backpack while Morgan held the compass tightly as they jogged through the rugged wilderness.
"If we shift our course six degrees to the northwest we'll avoid a nasty climb, Hotch." Morgan pulled the map back out as they jogged along, holding the compass at its center.
"You afraid of a little climb, eh Morgan?" Hotch smirked as he jogged along side his subordinate. However, here in the forest there were no subordinates and superiors. Just field agents competing for a prize, and bonding together.
"It's not the climb that bothers me, it's the 55 foot drop we have to face after the climb that kinda bugging me. But if you're up for it..." Morgan shot a challenging look at Hotch, who actually smiled at his partner.
"Are you?"
Morgan laughed, and hurried his pace, outrunning his slightly older teammate. Hotch followed him, not quite catching up, but not falling behind either.
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"...and also, the state has designated two official fish. The fighting tarpon, a silvery game fish that can reach 100 pounds, is the official saltwater fish and the largemouth bass is the official freshwater fish, and..."
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After a two hour hike, Emily and Brad decided to take a pause. Winning the competition wasn't the most important thing on the agenda to them, but rather getting there in one piece. And besides, the hike turned out to be a very good thing.
Brad had caught Emily's eye from the moment they shook hands, and throughout the 3 miles they had covered in the last few hours, she began feeling the same vibes from him. It was the small things; the way he sometimes touched her elbow or arm when he talked to her. The way the left corner of his mouth was constantly a bit higher than the right.
And not to mention the way he had placed his right hand on the small of Emily's spine as they turned an unseen corner of a cliff.
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Out of the three teams containing members of the BAU, team Hotchner and Morgan had covered the most ground. In 2 hours they had gotten through 4 miles of partially impenetrable forest and one majorly daring cliff climb.
They were now walking at a quick pace, determined to snag that prize. They chatted about different things, none of which connected to their line of work. Football and women were high on the list of subjects discussed, and they began feeling like ordinary men instead of agents out on a hike in the forest.
But, they reasoned, that was probably the whole idea of the hike all along.
"Hey Morgan, are you sure we're on the right route?" Hotch wiped some sweat off his brow as they trudged through the forest.
"Yeah, we diverted from the route by six degrees, and then shifted about a mile back to get back on. We're good." Morgan took a sip from a bottle of water, then hooked it back on his belt.
The two kept their pace as they ventured deeper into the merciless Alabama woods.
Unbeknownst to the two agents, the six degrees they had diverted from the original course had in fact not been reclaimed, as Morgan had accidentally held the compass upside down. They were now more than 18 degrees off course and headed straight into the deep impenetrable Alabama wilderness.