Adeline had been out of the program for three months. Cleared for assignment and ready to just get back to work. Sure love was possibly making it's way into her life, but she just wanted to be back in the field. So when the call came, she jumped. Tu...
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"We got a lead," Hotch noted as the group reconvened at the police station. "Oley Maynor, town's pride and joy on the football team, but everyone thought he was too strong."
"And that's a crime now?" Adeline scoffed as she looked over the report on Oley.
"No, but secretly coming home after an institutionalization is concerning with the spree going on."
Hotch's face held a stern look, making Adeline zip her lips and nod. They began to pour over Oley's family members, realizing he would likely be with his brother at the butcher shop.
They approached carefully, heading to the sound of knives bashing against a wooden table. Adeline did her best to block out the rest of the sounds that came with it. The man Derek, Elle, and Adeline came across first was Oley's brother Jess.
"Put the cleaver down Jess," Derek ordered, stepping forward from the girls while keeping his weapons trained on Jess. Elle held her gaze on him as well, while Adeline began to sweep toward the back fridge. She assumed Jess had listened, because Derek didn't speak again.
"Where's your brother?" Elle asked, but her answer came from the sound coming from the fridge.
Adeline pushed in immediately, seeing Oley with his hood up and a hook in his hand. His face held a wide look of shock and fear at the sight of Adeline's gun and the rest of the agents behind her.
"It's okay Oley, it's okay," she spoke calmly as she displayed her hands to him. "We just want to talk, can you put the hook down so we can talk?"
"I-I didn't do nothin'!"
Oley took a step forward, forcing Adeline to reposition her gun on his chest to protect herself.
"I'm sure you didn't Oley, but we can't talk until you put that hook down."
Elle and Derek watched on, arms taught with anticipation. The two had always preferred more of a rough and tumble approach to getting suspects to cooperate. Especially with someone who could easily bash their heads in. But Adeline, she showed no sign of fear as she kept her gaze steady and warm on Oley. Derek could feel his own fear rising at Adeline's lack of emotion. What he didn't know, was that she was scared. But she had been through worse, de-escalated worse situations. Just stay calm, stay calm, stay calm, was what Derek would have heard if he was in her head.
A collective sigh of relief came over the group as Oley put down the hook, prompting Adeline to holster her own weapon. She greeted him kindly, shaking his hand and explaining who everyone was. Her kindness seemed to take everyone by surprise, her normal demeanor with the team had always been quiet, reserved, and sarcastic when needed. But this was the second situation she had been in where she treated a suspect like an old friend. It was beginning to worry Elle that Adeline may be too qualified for this job, if that was even possible.
"Oley, can you tell us why no one knows you're back in town?" Adeline questioned, keeping her tone as light as possible. She knew she was too close to be able to draw her gun and fire if she set him off. Something she was sure Derek realized as he had yet to take his hand off his holster.
