Present Day
Y/N
You stood in front of the small mirror that rested near the front door. Adjusting your collar, you looked down at your watch, noticing the time.
"Jack! Avery! C'mon, you're gonna be late. Let's go!" You called out, watching as Jack and Avery grabbed their bags from below the kitchen table, chucking them over their shoulders.
"Good luck today. You're gonna be amazing." Aaron smiled as he wrapped his arms around you for a brief hug and kiss.
"Thank you. We'll see you at 4." You kissed him back before ushering Jack and Avery out of the house.
———
4 Months Ago
You sat - alone - in Dr. Samson's office as she finished typing up a report. Once she turned away from her computer, she had a smile on her face, making you nervous.
"For the past 6 weeks, today being 7 weeks, you and Aaron have had both one-on-one and paired sessions with me and after Aaron's final one-on-one session with me, I found that the common hope for both of you seems to be quite simple. Aaron wants you home more often so you won't miss your kids growing up, and but you don't want to leave the BAU, as you love your job there. Am I right?" Dr. Samson asked.
"Yes, I guess you are." You nodded.
"Well, I have been doing some research and I think I might have a suitable solution to your issue." Dr. Samson handed you a college pamphlet.
"I don't understand." You furrowed your eyebrows.
"That college is 20 minutes away and - for the past few years - has offered a course on criminal profiling. I honestly believe that you'd be the perfect teacher for this, as you've been a profiler for 8 years and you've grown your skills being surrounded by some of the best profilers in the country." Dr. Samson explained.
"I'm not so sure about this. I mean, I've thought about teaching, but I'm not entirely okay with being a full-time teacher." You shook your head.
"I understand, but luckily for you, I wasn't finished. I do believe that you'd be the perfect teacher of this course, but I also took your love for the BAU into consideration. Which is why I talked to your boss, Emily Prentiss, and we both agreed that you could be a full-time teacher, but also a part-time consultant for the BAU." Dr. Samson chuckled.
She could see your confusion, so she continued.
"You would still be a profiler for the BAU, but instead of travelling across the country with your team, you'd be consulting on cases with them from the comfort of your office at the college, or from your office at home. Only if you choose to take the teaching position, of course." Dr. Samson finished.
"Do you believe that this is the best solution?" You could feel your heart racing.
"I do, yes." Dr. Samson smiled.
"Aaron and I have a lot to talk about. Thank you so much for your suggestion." You gave Dr. Samson a light hug before leaving her office, marking the end of your last session with her.
Returning home, you pulled Aaron into your bedroom while Toby napped in his nursery.
"So? What did Dr. Samson suggest?" Aaron asked, curious.
You told him everything. You handed him the pamphlet, watching as he looked at it while you talked.
"Are you considering Dr. Samson's suggestion?" Aaron sat down.
"I actually am. She told me that she thinks I'd be the perfect teacher and if I got a reference from Emily, who seems on board with the change, I'd have no trouble getting the job." You nodded.
"This job would mean you're home more often." Aaron smiled.
"Yeah. It's a good solution for us. I just, need a little time to consider everything." You agreed.
"I'm not sure what there is to consider, but I'll let you think. It's ultimately your choice...not mine. But on the plus side, it's good that Emily is on board." Aaron put down the pamphlet and pulled you in for a hug.
———
Present Day
You had dropped Jack and Avery off at school for the day.
As for you, today was the first day of your new career. You had taken Dr. Samson's advice into consideration and eventually, you applied to the college, getting the job pretty quickly. It did help that Emily had sent over a detailed reference sheet, making my application quick. Luckily, as you'd remain within D.C., you only needed to succeed with the psychological evaluation to be allowed to work cases again.
Getting your psychological evaluation signed off took just over 3 months, as you had a bit of trouble coming to terms with your kidnapping and torture. But, once the nightmares stopped and you developed calming techniques, you were back to working cases, albeit remotely.
At 8:30 AM, you were sitting at your desk, helping the BAU with their newest case while you waited for your first class of the day to start.
"Last night 3 teenage girls went searching for the Tall Man. It's a regional ghost story." JJ started, clearly a bit unnerved.
"According to the survivor recovered this morning, they found him." Penelope continued.
"She looks like she went through hell. She say what happened?" You asked, looking at the information on one half of your screen.
"That would be Ally MacReady. And according to her, the Tall Man held them and cut them repeatedly." Penelope told.
"That is consistent with the legend. So the Tall Man is your classic don't-go-into-the-woods dare. Survive the night, you survive him. He catches you, he cuts you until you reveal your deepest secrets." JJ continued, avoiding the images on the screen behind her.
"Let's go back to the victims for a second. Did they sneak out or did their parents know?" Matt asked.
"They told their parents that they were going to a party, and they actually did." Penelope looked down at her tablet.
"Okay, so then off the bat we have two theories about the unsub. One is that he knew they were planning this. Which puts him in the girls' inner circle. Or two, he waited in the woods opportunistically." Tara suggested.
"But that strategy only works if he plays the odds right." Rossi added.
"So how far reaching is this ghost story?" Spencer asked.
"Maybe I can answer that. The story JJ grew up with, it's gone viral, and the photoshop work is on fleek." Penelope exhaled.
"Tall Man is a story. What happened to these girls is real." JJ clenched her jaw.
"The first 24 hours are crucial in an abduction case, and we are now down to 18. Let's move." Emily instructed. You looked up and noticed the students starting to pile into the classroom. You shut your laptop and waited for the room to quiet down.
Once everyone was in their seats and ready, you started.
"Hello everyone. I am your new Professor, Y/N Hotchner. Welcome to the course on Criminal Profiling." You watched as a few students grabbed their laptops, while others grabbed their pen and paper.
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...
