SSA Aaron Hotchner is stepping down from his Unit Chief position for a 6-month period due to an assignment in overseas. To his temporary replacement comes SSA Alexandra Barnes, Chief of the Child Abductions Unit. Both Hotchner and Barnes have their...
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10 days. That's how much our good time lasted. We hang out almost all day, we went on a few dates while we were not on cases, I started sleeping a few hours more than used to and everything was amazing.
But today is Friday and it's Hotch's last day at the BAU. That means that he has to announce it the team and explain what follows.
He came by my office earlier to discuss and attempt to calm me down because he noticed how tense I was all day.
Close to the end of our shifts, he called everyone to the conference room for a quick meeting. Everyone took a seat and Hotch looked at me one more time before he spoke.
"About 3 months ago I was offered a 6-month long assignment overseas. As you know, due to events in my personal life, I am not considered as officiant as I used to be regarding leading this team"
"What are you talking about man? We are doing great" Derek says
"Strauss has been pressuring and questioning me. I figured I should step down for a bit and that offer came right on time" he explains
"So you're leaving?" Emily asks
"Yes. I will be in Pakistan for the next 6 months, beginning this Monday. But I am leaving you in good hands" he looks at me.
Everyone's eyes turn to me and I'm fighting the urge to look down. "Agent Barnes' transfer was for my position and after a month of working with the team, I can tell that she is going to do fine".
"Woah, you're telling us this now? And why bring an outsider in the team just for your place?" Derek argues
"Because she has the experience as Unit Chief and I didn't want to jeopardize the structure of this team" Hotch answers
"What about Rossi?" JJ asks and my stomach sinks. You too? Against me?
"Oh, he tried but I don't want to get involved" Rossi answers for himself.
"You had the opportunity to work with Agent Barnes, she got to know each one of you, she is trained and she is taking over in my absence. There is no changing that now" Hotch speaks again.
"Seriously? You fucked him so he'd give you his place?" Morgan asks me and my eyes go wide. All eyes are on me again. "Come on, you two think it isn't showing? Or we aren't listening? Some hotels have thin walls"
"The transfer was already--" Aaron starts to say but I cut him off
"Our personal lives do not concern you Agent Morgan. We keep both parts of our lives separate and I don't think you can disagree with us. For the last two weeks we didn't give you a reason to believe otherwise"
"Whatever. I'm going home" he says and leaves.
Silent follows. "Anything else?" Aaron asks.
"Have a good weekend" JJ says and leaves the room too.
Quiet... Aaron nods and us who remain stand up.
"Stay safe out there" Emily says and shakes his hand
"Thank you".
Spenser comes forward "There are four distinct seasons in Pakistan. March through May is a hot, dry spring period; June through September is the summer rainy season, or southwest monsoon period. So you are going during its hottest periods so remember to drink a lot of water"
"Thank you Reid".
"I'm not saying goodbye yet, I'll see you on Sunday" Rossi says and Aaron smiles.
"Um... Excuse me!" Penelope takes our attention. "Are we just going to ignore the fact that all of you knew about them and no one told me?" she asks, causing me to laugh.
"You will be the first one to know everything else. I promise" I say
"See? Thank you. And I'm sorry about Derek's behavior, he'll come around" she promises
"I know" I reply. I just hope it won't take him too long.
She walks to Hotch "Come home safely, sir" she says and hugs him
"I will do my best" he replies as they pull away. "Well, the meeting is over. You are free to go. Have a good weekend" he ends.
I walk out and he follows me. "Are you ok?" he asks as we walk to our offices
"Yeah, I'm fine. My place or yours?" I change the conversation
"We'll decide in the car" he answers and I smile.
We spent the rest of that day and Saturday together, cuddled in his couch or his bed. But on Sunday we had to get up really early because Aaron is leaving. Rossi is driving him to the airport and I can't join them because I have a meeting with Satan in an hour.
So I help them load the car as much as I can, stalling the goodbye. "That's all? Are you sure?" I ask him
"Yes, we went through everything 100 times" he reminds me as he takes my hand.
"Take my keys in case of an emergency. House, car and office" he says, dropping them in my hand
"Ok. I'll make sure to get your Porsche out every week" I reply and he laughs.
We stand there, looking at each other for a moment. Six months. We just began and he's leaving for six whole months.
Tears start forming in my eyes. "Hey, no, no. Don't do this to me" he says and pulls me in for a hug
"I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm crying. I knew this was going to happen" I try to knock it off but it just makes me worse
"It's ok. I'll call you every day if I can, and I'll try to make out a day or two so I can come back even for a few hours" he promises. I nod but a shakey breath escapes my lips.
He holds me tighter and I do the same. I don't want to let go. Am I... Have I already fallen for him so hard?
He pulls away just enough to see me and holds my face. "Everything will be ok" he says
"I hope so. Be careful, please"
"You too, Unit Chief" he says causing me to chuckle through my tears. "There she is!". He wipes my tears and kisses me.
He rests his forehead against mine and we close our eyes. I think that I am in love with you.
"Get some sleep every night, don't exhaust yourself with work. Those are orders" he says
"I'll do my best. And you'll do your best to come home whole"
"Deal".
He kisses me one more time and we let go. He walks away and gets in the car where Rossi has been waiting for him.
When the car disappeared in the distance, I started to walk back to my place. I changed and went to meet Strauss. She called in an emergency meeting last night but wouldn't give me the reason.
Turns out that someone snitched on me and Aaron. She gave me a whole speech about protocols, problems, etc. She is already trying to grasp onto every chance she finds to bring me down.
But with our past, she owes me too much to fire me over such a minor protocol violation.
Who could have snitched on us? I have a couple of people in mind...
