<The Barren Star> Aaron Hotchner fiction

I

Amelia stood in front of her closet, not sure what to wear to her first day at the BAU. Skirt would be good for a paper work day, but there was no guarantee that she wouldn't have to join the field. Suit pants would be okay, but not so suitable for chasing down an unsub. She had heard how high agent Hotchner's standard is for new teammates , and she needed something that would make her look professional and skilled.

Being transferred from the Interpol to the BAU was not something Amelia had expected, but she happily excepted the arrangement. She would've come back anyway, for the cold case of her parents, and being in the BAU might help her catch the man who had tore her family apart twenty years ago. She couldn't wait to start at the BAU, but first she had to decide what to wear.

In the end, she settled down for a loose white blouse with a  black turtle neck underneath it in case she had to go into the field. A pair of high waisted trousers and  black running shoes finished the look. She didn't really like heels so she chose something she could run in. After tying her hair into a low ponytail, she drove off into the breezing wind and cool sunlight of the morning.

Amelia arrived at the FBI building half an hour earlier than her meeting with agent Hotchner, so she decided to treat herself with some good morning coffee and a bagel with blueberry cream cheese. She savored her breakfast, enjoying the view of the city in the morning. After checking herself one last time, she walked into the building, went straight to her floor, and took a few deep breaths before pushing the glass door open.

She walked past some desks, seeing a black guy messing a confused looking guy's hair. Both of the man stopped talking at the sight of her. Knowing people here would be her colleagues in the future, Amelia gave them a small smile, waving her free hand.

"I'm looking for agent Hotchner." She said, voice hoarse from the dry air of the cold morning of Virginia.

As if Amelia poked a sour spot in him, the black guy's smile faded quickly. He stood and pointed at the first office upstairs, giving Amelia a brief nod. The younger guy behind him looked uneasy, switching in his seat and scratching his cheek.

"Thanks." Regardless of their strange attitude, she walked up the stairs, and knocked three times on the door.

"Come in." A voice of whom she assumed would be the one and only Aaron Hotchner sounded behind the door. Amelia pushed the door open and walked in, gently closing the door behind her.

"Have a seat." Hotch said, pointing at the seat in front of him while he kept working on the report mountain on his desk. "Just a minute." He said. Amelia could tell her new boss was trying to set his authority, which, according  to her observation, had everything to do with her sudden transfer. So he is protective of his team and controlling, she thought to herself, eyes skimming through the office, from the picture frame on the shelf behind him to his figure.She could also tell that he wasn't the type that just trust people with an FBI badge, that she had to earn his trust.

The one thing about Amelia which got her taunted a lot was that she didn't like fighting and competing for no reason. She had been labeled with "weak" and "has no gut", but everyone who knew her well would know she just didn't want to waste time on fighting over dominance or power. In her opinion, maintaining a healthy relationship and enjoyable environment were the key spirit of life. So she decided to sit there and wait patiently for him to speak. If authority was what he wanted, he got it.

After what felt like five minutes,  Hotchner finally looked up. He put his pen down, crossing  his fingers on the desk, looking Amelia straight in the eyes. He was surprised to find her not at all frustrated. Not one bit.

"I've read your files, you worked for the Interpol. If you don't mind me asking, why BAU?" He asked, the low tone was stoic but soothing, which Amelia found her self enjoying.

"I was going to apply for BAU after I graduated from the academy, but I didn't pass the paper elimination and got an offer at the Interpol, which I took gladly, hoping to accumulate some experience. My Interpol boss, Steven, kind of had a bet with me that if I got him the Barn house killer, he would help me transfer back to the BAU. I didn't expect it to be this fast." Amelia answered, avoided the main question while hoping her new boss would not keep digging. She knew he had her file, which most definitely would have her background including what happened that night. She was not ready to tell it to anyone yet.

Hotchner's eyes go back down to check her files once again. He appreciated her honesty about her boss helping her transfer back, but he also had to make sure she wouldn't focus on her own case and ignore the job or even violate the rule, which might led his team straight into danger.

"You understand you're here to work on the case we have, not to use us as a free resource for your own case?" He asked, noticing pain and hurt flashing through her frown. She quickly calmed down, of course, she must have seen this kind of question coming.

"I understand, sir. I'm here because I want to stop people from going through what I went through. If we have the chance to catch my parents' murderer, I would be happy to be the one to cuff him, but if we don't, I wouldn't violate the rule for my own revenge." Amelia said whilst observing Hotchner's expression, trying to pick up any micro expression. To her surprise, his deep frown loosened, a small nod showed his approval. Maybe it was a temporary one, but she could work with that.