or what, sir? |a. hotchner| ✔️

thirty

Everyone had been back at the BAU now. Spencer still using a cane, Hotch almost fully recovered. 

Spencer and I had just gotten back from a weekend of listening to lectures about how a serial killer is 'created'. It was scary, yet informative. 

The two of us were together almost every time we weren't working, whether it was going to a movie or the white bird or just sitting on the couch watching forensic files. 

He had finally started to get out of his funk, and I made sure it was staying that way. He'd been clean for a month already. 

We were now on a copycat case, one that involved an old unsub named Karl Arnold, better known as The Fox. He would kidnap and murder families that were planning on going on vacations, he was fucking psychotic. 

I hadn't seen Aaron in almost a week, the two of us too busy to even talk. Emily was supposed to go visit Arnold with Aaron, but she suggested I went with him. I didn't complain, I wanted to see him. Even if it was just at work. We stood in the elevator, a guard next to us.

I shook my head, "We have to be missing something. He had to have been sending Karl notes the entire time, there's no reason for him to have started abruptly a year later" I said. 

"Exactly, that's one of the first things we need to find out. But Karl has a big ego, he's gonna want to answer a question with a question" He agreed, "The first thing he's gonna want to know is why I'm not wearing my wedding ring. And then he will turn his attention to you" I wanted to laugh. 

Because I'm a female? Or because you weren't wearing a ring and decided to bring me along?

"So that's why you wanted Emily or I to come, because we're girls. He's going to try and pull a female into his fantasy with him, he'll tell us what he's thinking" I realized. 

He looked down at me, examining me as a small smirk appeared on his face. "You're really hot when you can read my mind" he whispered so the guard wouldn't hear him. 

I shot him a tight lipped grin, "Hmm, let's bring this up again tonight" I patted his chest twice, and the elevator door opened. We made our way to a second door, 

"Control, open on 16" The guard spoke, and a buzzer went off. "Keep your eyes forward," he ordered us, and we did so as we entered the hallway. Prisoners were hooting, laughing at, and catcalling me. I tried to hide my disgust.

"More than anything, he's going to want to see the images of the children. We can't give him that" I nodded, 

"Obviously. But we've got to give him something. He won't give us shit if we don't" I responded, neither of us looking at each other.

Then, there was a large bang on one of the glasses. I jumped, squeezing my eyes shut to try and hide the fact that it scared me half to death. 

"Garrett Pain" Hotch spoke, "Don't worry, it's reinforced glass" He tried to comfort me with his words, and I scoffed. 

"Easy for you to say, he ripped and ate 14 woman" I said, stopping in front of a door.

"Open on 15" The guard spoke again, and it opened. We walked in, revealing Karl Arnolds sitting there patiently, obviously waiting for us. 

"Hello, Karl" Aaron and I sat in front of him on the opposite side of the table. 

"Agent Hotchner" Karl started, and then he smiled brightly at me. I wanted to flinch but didn't, he was fucking disgusting. "I wasn't informed you were bringing in a, uh... they just said two agents" He examined every bit of me, 

"I'm agent--" 

"Veronica Black. I know all about you and your family" His words made me so uncomfortable, and Aaron noticed. He was trying hard not to get angry. We both seemed to ignore his words, other than my correction. 

"I'm agent Gordon," He parted his lips as if to 'ah' and he nodded, 

"I understand" 

"Karl, it appears you have a fan" Aaron cut in, opening one of the case files he was holding. This time Karl shook his head. 

"Admirer, not a fan. Big difference, right?" I was so sick of these murderers thinking they have so much control over everyone. It was pissing me off, but I had to play it off. 

I spoke up once again, "This isn't the first time you've been sent a letter by an admirer?" He shook his head once again, 

"I have many fans. Even my own website. Don't you? You'd be astounded At some of the questions they ask. I make a log of all of them. Would you like to read some?" I bit my lip, smiling and looking down. 

"I would love to" I lied. 

"You'd love to?" He asked again, and I nodded. I leaned a little closer to him over the table. 

Shutting him a bunch of seductive looks, I said, "Yes" 

"Maybe later" Aaron interrupted, putting his hand on my thigh. My eyes went wide for a split second, and then I sat back down normally. "Your admirer is taking wedding rings, Just like you. But maybe not for the same reason" He got back to it, but it took him a moment to take his hand off of me. 

"Like how you took all of mine" Karl started to look angry, but then calmed himself down "You took mine, but I see... You lost yours" He was staring at Aaron's hand. 

Aaron ignored his comment, "8 rings, 4 families. Or was it one ring for each family?" 

"How'd you come to lose your ring?" He then laughed, "Wait, don't tell me. A casualty of the job. No, no! I'm guessing it was you" His eyes were on me now, and I sat straighter. 

"My job is what put you in here" He started,

Karl ruddy cut him off, "True. But then, it's the children who suffer most. Wouldn't you agree?" He was still staring at me.  

"You'd know more about that than me" Aaron pointed out. 

This was going to be a long interview.

000

We stood in front of Arnold, and I was holding the case files. I shook my head at Arnolds words, scoffing. 

"No, Karl. We found the killer" I told him, "It had nothing to do with you. Your admirer is exactly like everyone who contacts you--lost. 

"My love, your guy is far from lost" He pointed out.

Aaron handed me another file, and I took it. "We're done" He started to walk out, but Arnold spoke again. 

"So is he" he started, pulling out a piece of small paper. "'Look at what I have done.' It's quite brilliant, you know?" I examined the paper, narrowing my eyes a bit. It was from his admirer. 

"We will find whoever sent you that" Aaron ensured. Karl laughed, dropping the piece of paper on the table. 

Shaking his head, he said, "No, agent Hotchner, I rather think he's already found you" He was speaking in riddles, I didn't understand what he was getting at. However, Aaron looked nervous. He ripped the files out of my hands, opening one at a time. 

"Sir?" I spoke, looking back and forth between Karl and Aaron. "Aaron" He was ignoring me, 

"I can't believe you can't see what he's doing" Karl commented, 

"Aaron, what's going on?"

"He's torturing him"

"Who?" I asked another question

"It's great to see you squirm, agent Hotchner!" Karl yelled.

Suddenly, Aaron threw a small journal on the table, and I glanced at it. There was a picture of Aaron in the newspaper, with Foyet's symbol in it. My eyes went wide, and Aaron rushed out of the interrogation room. I started to follow him, but I turned to look at Karl. "See you in hell" I spat, hurrying after Aaron.