"Come in." JJ watched as Y/N walked into Emily's office. JJ stood behind the chair, leaning on it.
"I don't want to be Unit Chief, not like this." JJ insisted.
"Rossi's been in your shoes. And he told me that - for lack of a better word - it sucks. But you're gonna do just fine." Y/N smiled.
"Linda Barnes will try to pick us apart one by one. There have been people trying to pick the team apart since the doors opened. It hasn't worked yet." Y/N tried to clam JJ down.
"But Barnes has support all the way to the top." JJ shook her head.
"Look, Y/N, Rossi knows that I'm still trying to figure a way to go after her." JJ admitted.
"And you're going to do it by being the best soldier you can be. Don't rock the boat. Don't make waves. My guess is that's how she forced out Emily. And you won't be alone on this. We're gonna continue to do what we do best...work the cases, save lives. No one can argue with our results, not even Barnes." Y/N walked around and gave JJ a huge hug.
"That's one hell of a rally speech." JJ smiled, wiping a few tears from her cheeks.
"I may have gotten some pointers from Rossi." She chuckled.
"Look, why don't you go home, get some rest? It's been a rough night for all of us." Y/N insisted.
"Can't get any worse." JJ rolled her eyes.
———
The next morning, everyone - minus Emily - sat in the conference room, ready for their next case.
"Last night in St Louis, 4 roommates were killed in a rental home in what police are calling a robbery turned homicide." Penelope clicked a button on her remote.
"It's brutal." Luke nodded.
"Yeah. Looks like the two sides of his brain were fighting with each other. Left side wanted to rob the place, the right side wanted to cause some destruction." Y/N read the file in her hand while glancing at the photos on her tablet.
"Yeah, but both sides got exactly what they wanted. What was taken?" Tara looked up at Penelope.
"Nothing traceable. A computer, tablets, cash, jewelry, and the like." Penelope shook her head.
"How long was it before local P.D. called us in?" Matt asked.
"They didn't. I called and offered our services to them, because this is exactly the kind of case the BAU takes from here on." Barnes walked into the conference room.
"Maybe it's just me, but I need a little help understanding our new case selection criteria." Rossi questioned.
"We want cases with good optics that are also quick and easy to clear. Here we have 4 victims, young upstanding professionals, all of whom the public can emotionally invest in. The crime itself is contained, and the motive appears to be determined." Barnes explained, not seeming to notice - or just ignoring - the looks of distain on everyone's faces.
"The M.O. is pretty straightforward. Their hands and mouths were duct-taped and they were stabbed repeatedly." JJ nodded.
"I see the unsub left a knife. Were there any prints?" Rossi asked.
"Negative." Penelope shook her head.
"With this many victims, it could be a team." Luke suggested.
"You're right. Okay. Wheels up in 20." JJ exhaled, everyone getting ready to leave.
"Meet you on the tarmac." Barnes smiled.
"You're going into the field with us?" Y/N furrowed her eyebrows, concerned.
YOU ARE READING
Reconciling the Hotchners | 2
RomanceY/N and Aaron believed that their lives would slow down a little after Y/N remained with the BAU and Aaron left. But with a job as time consuming as working with the BAU, things fall through the cracks...problems arise. The BAU doesn't want Y/N and...
