ALEX | a. hotchner (sequel to BLAKE)

9

We had just finished the case with Andi and just thinking about what those women had to go through made me sick to my stomach.

"You okay, there?" Derek asked.

"I need a drink," I answered.

"After that beating, I could use one too," Derek chuckled.

"Well, I almost got my brains blown out," Dave chimed in, "I need seven."

Hearing everybody being in such light spirits calmed me down a bit, but I could still feel my hands twitching, aching to punch something.

"Hey, Alex!"

I looked up and saw Andi waving me over, she had been talking to Aaron by the glass doors. I passed him on my way over to her, considering saying something, but when he looked at the floor and didn't meet my gaze, I decided against it. He hated me, I just knew it. He knew that I was still in love with him and he found it weird, he wanted nothing more to do with me. I fought the urge to burst into tears as I approached Andi.

"What's up?" I asked.

"I thought you would like to see this," Andi said and handed me her phone. I scrolled through the pictures, each of them showing Andi with different kids. "These are all the kids that we have saved," she explained.

"Wow, this is amazing," I looked closer at the pictures, there were a lot of them.

In all the photos, the kids would hold their hands in front of their eyes like goggles, thumb to finger.

"Why do they do that with their hands?" I asked.

"It's so the traffickers can't identify them, find them and kidnap or kill them," she breathed heavily.

My heart felt heavy and if I had been alone in my room, I probably would've cried. I wasn't saved when I was younger, but I was so glad that these kids were.

"Thank you, Andi, I needed that," I smiled and gave back her phone. "Uhm, we're actually heading out for drinks right now, if you'd like to join us?"

"I would love to, but I have to get back to my office," she smiled apologetically.

We said goodbye to Andi and headed down to the cars. Spencer had offered to be the designated driver, I called shotgun. Aaron had turned down the invitation from Dave, he was going home to Jack.. To Beth.

"Hey, Spencer," I said, gaining his attention. "Can I take you up on your offer and talk to you about Aaron?"

He cleared his throat, "yeah, of course," he looked at me and then back at the road.

"This is going to sound stupid," I breathed, tapping my fngers on my leg, "but do you think he's ignoring me?"

"Oh, yeah, he's definitely ignoring you," Spencer nodded his head.

I groaned and leaned my head back against the headrest, "really?"

"I think he's still a little bit mad at you," Spencer slowed down and parked the car about a block from the club.

"What are you talking about?" I frowned and unbuckled my seatbelt, "he's moved on."

"You know, the biochemical impact and bodily stress of heartache is a real injury, and it needs a proper recovery plan," he said before stepping out of the car. I frowned and did the same.

"So what?" I walked beside him. "He's still recovering?" I asked quietly, not wanting the rest of the team to hear.

"Uhm.. I don't think I can answer that question," he stuffed his hands in his pockets and began to walk faster.