Previous part of Pull Me Through.
***
There was no way that Hotchner could help feeling torn as he watched Elle walk out of his office for the last time. He actually felt hurt that she had lied to him, lied to the team- yet that thought just as quickly dissipated and the replaced with the fact that he had just lost a bright, very promising member of his team. In essence, he had lost Elle. Lifting his gaze towards the open blinds, he sighed as he watched Elle, who confidently lifted her overnight bag, slung it over her shoulder and walked to the elevators. The whole scene was reminiscent of the countless times they would leave Quantico in a rush against time to catch an un-sub, or assist in solving a case. It was then he recalled how cohesive he and she had worked together, how well and amazingly quickly she had managed to fit herself within the team's existing framework- he then stared at her now empty desk; and Gideon's words finally sunk in, washed themselves over his already dark mood. She's innocent until proven guilty.Hadn't Elle's actions been enough evidence? Hotchner thought back to the day Gideon had first uttered the phrase and how he couldn't help but wonder if Gideon had been naïve in his seemingly blind belief that she had been innocent. His eyes swept back to his desk, rested upon her left behind firearm, identification, and pass card- and he began to question himself. With a soft snort, he quickly gathered the discarded items and carefully placed them into a labelled storage box. She will be back for these, he thought, stood, picked up the box and made his way down what now felt a hollow hallway to the locker where the box would be catalogued and its contents done with as needed. It felt incredibly odd that he let his feet guide him back to his office via a different, yet familiar route- one that led him directly through the bullpen and past the group of desks which belonged to his team; Morgan's, Reid's, and Elle's; now void of anything that had made it hers- the only thing that remained was intangible. The only thing she had left behind in her wake had been the memories.
Hotchner paused when he noticed the envelopes that sat on Morgan and Reid's desks- their names neatly written in Elle's elegant penmanship and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. And one for Gideon, he thought- above all, he at the very least was most deserving of an explanation. However, Hotchner had felt that a farewell in person would have been a far more honourable method. He took a breath and took the short stair case two steps at a time and re-entered his office to pack the needed files into his briefcase to look over later that evening at home. It was only for a moment, yet when his fingers brushed against Lee's case file, he stared at the cardboard file and decided that it required further investigation; then placed it on top of the other files. As he left his office he turned out the lights and closed the door, then headed home.
Tendering her resignation wasn't on the top of her list, but somehow Elle had managed the feat of staying strong while leaving the BAU for the last time. Yet at the same time emotions stirred within her that she hadn't thought possible; anger towards her team for not being there for her, fear of what once had made her whole, and emptiness for losing a part of herself that she had thought made her who she was. Have I made the right decision? She pondered at an intersection, watching as a mother and child crossed the wide street. Is it too late? She then turned a corner. I've endeared the first of however many evaluations they wish to put me through, she changed the radio station and let her pride suddenly take over.
"How could Hotchner not believe me!" she huffed as she guided the car into the underground. She entered her flat, removed her shoes, let the bag fall from her shoulder to the marble tiled floor. With a loud sigh, she turned on the lights as she walked into the living room and turned on the radio; the music soothingly fluttered about the otherwise empty space caressing her tattered nerves. On her way back to the kitchen, she paused to check the water for the flowers that proudly stood in the vase given to her by her cousin Sharon- a wonderful reminder of happier times; times when her world actually made sense. It was then that the red flashing light on the answering machine caught her eye and she pressed the play button on her way to the refrigerator in search of something edible for dinner-even though, in truth, she wasn't particularly hungry.
"Hey Elle, it's me again. Call me on my cell." Gideon's voice caught her attention and she seriously considered picking up the telephone to call; yet her independent streak won the fight and instead she popped the leftovers from the previous night into the microwave. Perhaps things could have been different, she mused and turned to set the table as memories of dining with Gideon played in her mind like a film and reminded her how close they had become. Tomorrow morning I will figure out what the rest of my life holds- until then, she raised her glass to the air sealing her internal deal.
It was then that the telephone rang and she immediately felt that it was Gideon on the other end- the team must be back at Quantico by now. I know, I know, she rolled her eyes, I can't hide from him forever; she sighed and quickly picked up the phone before the machine picked up the call.
"Hello?" she inquired nonchalantly, as if she hadn't been expecting his call.
"Elle, I've been trying to get in touch with you." He didn't sound like himself; she picked up on something different in his tone. "Is it true?"
"Is what true?"
"Hotch told me that you quit."
"Yes." She lowered her voice and he nearly missed her reply. "Gideon, if my own team doesn't trust me, doesn't believe me when I tell them the truth how do you think that makes me feel?" she had to know, had to question him.
"Well Morgan, Reid, and I trust you." He said simply.
"Hotch thinks that I murdered Lee in cold blood." There was a sharpness that unsettled him.
"Did he accuse you of being untruthful?" he put the ball squarely into her court.
"Come on Gideon! He didn't have to." He heard her sniffle. "It was written all over him; it was on his face, in his eyes and his body language. Jason, we've worked together for a little over a year. Both you and Hotch know my track record- how could you ever think that I would pull the trigger if I didn't feel that my life was in danger?" she took deep settling breath in an attempt to regain her composure. It hit him in that moment that this was the most she had probably ever said about the incident.
"Elle, I need to see you. I know that you're upset and I'm offering you my ear. Honey, I'm here for you." She heard something beyond his usual warmth in his tone, and knew that there was no way that she could ever deny him; yet she couldn't say anymore. "Elle, are you still there?"
"I'm still here." She thought for a moment. "What about desert at a restaurant of your choice?" she suggested with the hope that he would pick up on her hint.
"Sounds like a plan. Do you recall where we had desert on the way to my place after you were released from the hospital?" she heard the smile reflected in his tone, and could picture it on his face.
"Yes." She replied.
"Meet me there in say twenty minutes."
"I'll be there." She cradled the receiver and prepared to meet Gideon.
It felt so incredible to be home, so good to be spending time with his family- forget about work for a brief moment of pure bliss. After spending some quality time with little Jack, Haley took him upstairs to bathe and get ready for bed, while Hotchner returned to the kitchen and started with removing the dishes from the dishwasher- putting them away and then quickly finished tidying up the kitchen. A wide smile at the result he then moved into the living room and began to pick up the toys that he and Jack had been playing with; putting them into the plastic bin that neatly fit into the closet. With a content sigh, he then returned to the entry, where he had left his briefcase. He really hadn't wanted to ruin a near perfect evening, yet at the back of his mind the Lee case poked him- he needed to know. Settling himself on the sofa, he turned on the lamp, pulled out the file, and began to thumb through its contents. His thick eyebrows shot up here and furrowed there as an abundance of inconsistencies appeared to run rampant throughout the report. His breath caught in his throat as it finally dawned on him that Elle had indeed been truthful.He read through her recount of the events that lead up to the shooting and while he stood on the other side of the two-way mirror felt emotionless, and yet when he thought back to the expression on her face when he and Gideon arrived on the scene- he quickly realised that it had indeed been one of sheer shock, not an easily faked mask.
"Honey, are you okay?" Haley's soft voice travelled from the bottom of the stairs, and he had been surprised that he hadn't heard her. He lifted his head and turned himself on the sofa to see her. "You seem very distracted." She added, consumed more like it, she thought and made her way to him. She settled herself beside him, sunk into the comfort of the sofa, and snuggled into his side. "If you need to talk?" she paused and tiled her head up towards him then rested her head on his chest. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head, then rested his chin upon the spot.
"Something isn't right. I'm just unable to see what it is exactly." He said and slowly exhaled.
"Aaron, I know that I'm not supposed to get involved in the cases that you're working on. However, in this case, perhaps I can help?" it was then she recognised the subject. "Is this about Elle?" she inquired and watched as his features darkened. She had seen that look when he had forgotten about Jack's appointment, and knew in an instant that it was indeed a 'family' issue. "You said yourself that she ran."
"Yes, that's true." They sat in silence for a moment while he seemed to be soaking in the information. Hotchner then leaned forward, placed the open file on the coffee table, and then sat back. "I found her at her father's grave." He sighed heavily. "This doesn't make any sense. If Elle had the back-up that Callahan claims to have been there for her, there was no way that she would have shot Lee." His face suddenly light up. "She wouldn't have had the chance." He tilted his head in thought, the light caught his dark hair and Haley couldn't resist running her delicate fingers through his soft locks as she too thought. She then sat up.
"If this is Lee." She grabbed the television remote and placed it on the coffee table, "and this is Elle." She added and placed his pen in the approximate location where Elle would have theoretically stood. She stopped then reached for the coasters, which she scattered around the 'scene'. Hotchner raised an eyebrow as he followed her setup of the 'scene' and couldn't help but smile.
"Well, the only logical explanation, and this is of a purely tactical point of view, is that the back-up had been instructed to stand down." He paused. "Callahan said that she was in this unmarked car, which is over here."
"Aaron, wouldn't that also mean that she would have had the same vantage point as Elle? And therefore, she would have been able to assemble her story around Elle's?" he nodded.
"From what Elle said that night. Callahan had approached her to go undercover and shake Lee up a bit, possibly into a confession."
"All this after Elle had lost confidence?" she shook her head. "That doesn't seem right."
"Well, I believe having her in the home caused her to relive the experience she had when she was shot, which resulted in her initial over reaction to the situation." He stopped himself. "I knew better than to let her go out into the field undercover. I knew that something was upsetting her. I suppose Callahan had offered her the second chance she thought she had needed to prove herself." He pulled out another sheet from the file. "This is Elle's account. And this." He went through the pages until he located the one he needed, "is Callahan's. This page contains the transcript from the wire.
"Ah, I see." Haley plucked the sheet that contained the conversation between Elle and Lee and quickly skimmed through it. "Well from this alone, it doesn't really appear that he had or hadn't actually confessed to raping those women. To me, it just sounds like Elle trying to get him to talk, you know? See what she could get, if anything, from him. Look here- he says to her thank you, you have made a lot of women very happy. Isn't that as good as a confession?"
"In which case, that means that she didn't go there with the intent to murder him." His expression dropped. "She felt as though we. More to the point, I didn't have her back, yet Callahan's team merely used her to do their dirty work."
"Is there any way that you can prove it?"
"I was one of the best District Attorney's, was I not?" he smiled brightly and she kissed his cheek.
"That you were, and now you're not only the best profiler, but you're also the sexiest." With soft fingers she brushed his hair away from his eyes and kissed him once more. In his moment of Eureka! He nearly jumped.
"I need to see about pulling a few favours from my contacts in Ohio. Go over some of Callahan's other cases and see what's been going on. She had, after all, been a little over confident that Elle would have her badge back before the next morning. How else would she have known, if she hadn't done this before? I need to tell Gideon."
"Honey, it's late. Don't stew about this. Call him in the morning." She sighed and attempted to give him a stern glare.
"I know. You're right. You also know that Gideon will be telling me that he told me so, until the day I get Elle to come back to the BAU." Haley's smile increased in illumination and she kissed him sweetly, he in turn tenderly captured her honey lips with his own.
***
In the weeks that followed Elle's resignation, Hotchner found himself in the exact position Gideon had warned him to avoid- that of allowing his emotions to drive his actions with the absence of reason. Originally, Hotchner had wanted to let Gideon in on his hypothesis; however, after discussing it with Haley and still not feeling that he had sufficient evidence to support said hypothesis, he began the process of pulling favours that he had nearly forgotten to obtain as much information on Callahan as humanly possible. He had contacted several individuals whom he had worked with in the past to gather, fax and or courier him any and all particulars on Callahan- he felt oddly like that of a private investigator, engaging in such secretive behaviour. What he would find exactly, he was unsure; yet he hoped that it was the answers he sought. During the hours that he was on the clock; he worked feverishly with the team- their most recent case involved the kidnapping of three teenage girls, in a small football town. His off the clock hours, whenever he was able to steal a moment, were filled with going over the countless files pertaining to Callahan's many and rather impressive accomplishments with a finer than fine toothed comb. The immediate red flag that caught his attention was the large percentage of the suspects that were either convicted, or ended up dead- the latter appeared to him to be far more common.
With a sigh of near exhaustion, he settled himself on his bed, surrounded himself with a handful of files, picked up his bright yellow note pad and rested it on his thigh; he then jotted notes here and there in blue ink. Burying his head in yet another thick file, Hotchner nearly jumped at what should have been an expected knock on his hotel door. He quickly closed the open files and shoved them aside just out of view, stood and straightened his tie, then went to the door.
"Gideon." He said and the seasoned profiler, with his arms full of files, entered the room. "I was." He couldn't look Gideon in the eye.
"You were just in the process of going over the case files again, I suppose." Gideon said, finishing his thought- Hotchner noticed that there was an enthusiasm in his tone that he had felt had been missing over the past few weeks
"Actually I was just getting started." He directed Gideon to the small seating area where the files sat untouched. Gideon looked over the files and then turned his eyes towards Hotchner, his gaze serious.
"No you weren't. Is there something that you would like to discuss? I've noticed that you haven't exactly been yourself lately."
"I've just had a tremendous amount on my mind." He sat and let his fingers brush against one of the files. Gideon joined him and placed his armful of case files on the table between them.
"Is everything okay? Jack and Haley are well I hope."
"Everything is fine at home. I couldn't possibly ask for more." He replied and looked down at his folded hands, his wedding band shimmered as it picked up the soft light from the lamp.
"Hotch, I can tell when something is bothering you. We've worked together for over six years." Gideon paused and sat back in his seat, a tactic Hotchner knew was used to lull an unsuspecting un-sub into a false sense of security before pouncing on them.
"I've just been incredibly busy with something. When I've found the answers, I'll let you know." He blurted, figuring that a half-truth would be sufficient.
"Does this have anything to do with Elle?"
"Why do you ask?"
"It just seems to me that you haven't been yourself since her resignation."
"I never accepted her resignation." He protested almost in a huff.
"Perhaps not, but you didn't do anything at the time to prevent her from walking out the door. Besides Hotch, you can't blame yourself. She made her choice; you didn't make it for her. Don't take that burden on as well."
"No offence Gideon, but with all due respect, you haven't exactly been quite yourself since she tenured her resignation either. Did you receive a letter from Elle as well?" Gideon only sighed loudly with a nod.
"I did," he said slowly, "but I highly doubt it was any different than the letters she left for Morgan, Reid, J.J., and Garcia." He sat back and crossed his right leg over his left, resting his ankle on his knee. He also avoided sharing with Hotchner the nature of the letter in question, or the fact that he and Elle had maintained contact- he had offered to be a reference should she need it, which he had been certain she would not, as her file stood alone and spoke volumes on her behalf.
"Oh, I thought that she would have at least given you an explanation." His eyes shifted towards the window for a moment.
"I know that she's aware that I know." Gideon absently toyed with the corner of a file.
"You didn't come here to talk about Elle." Are you having trouble with something?" Hotchner quickly changed the subject. Gideon sat up in his seat.
"Well you see; the un-sub appears on one level to be incredibly organised- how else would he have been able to successfully achieve his objective; and flawlessly, I might add. I am still having difficulty with the fact that we have not been able to locate any physical evidence leading us to the victims- nor have we been contacted in any way."
"That was why I was beginning to wonder if he was sporadically disorganised, which might be an indication of a first time offender, or perhaps the involvement of a second individual."
"I had seriously considered both possibilities; however, somehow I highly doubt it." Gideon opened one of the files. "I do find it odd, at best that he was so easily able to abduct three teenage girls without any resistance. According to neighbours- there wasn't so much as a peep. A Mrs. Franks said she heard the car pull into the drive, low voices, and some laughter. Nothing out of the ordinary, so she went back to sewing."
"He must have had something up his sleeve that he was able to hold over their heads. Perhaps, they knew him? That could be his advantage."
"Right, maybe he was able to grab one of the girls first and use her as leverage." Gideon removed his thin wire glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose. "That would be the only logical manner if it were a single individual. Get J.J. to speak with the mothers. See if one of the girls had a boyfriend."
"So you believe that we're looking for one guy?"
"I'm not exactly sure. It is a small town and football is the dominate sport, these girls played soccer. I just have this strange feeling that I can't shake."
"Jason?"
"It's the same feeling that tells me that this case isn't going to end well." He added then closed the file that lay open across his thighs.
"Well other than soccer, the only common denominators we have to work with are."
"I'd say the fact that they were best friends" Gideon stated and made another notation on a piece of paper. "They attended the same classes, they studied together, they always ate lunch together, they practiced together, went to the mall together. It appears that they were inseparable." He paused.
"They come from good families." Hotchner finished Gideon's train of thought; he nodded his agreement and finished jotting a few more notes. "Do you think it's possible that our un-sub has already injected himself into the investigation?"
"It's a small town. Perhaps we've already interviewed him, I'm still not one-hundred percent sure though. In all seriousness, it's far too early to tell. Yet at the same time; time itself is a luxury that is quickly turning itself against us." Gideon began to collect his files and moved to stand.
"Are you leaving all ready?"
"Yeah, it's late and I think I've picked your brain long enough." Gideon paused, "besides, it looks as though I've interrupted something." He added and turned a quick nod towards Hotchner's 'hidden' files. Hotchner shook his head and walked Gideon to the door. "See you in the morning."
"Good night." Hotchner said and closed the door. He moved back to the bed and grabbed his bright yellow writing pad.
It was late, yet Hotchner couldn't stop himself from opening one of the files that had been couriered to him by one of his contacts in Ohio- she had managed to locate quite a bit of information pertaining to Callahan. He was pleasantly surprised by her academy records, tied for top in her class, she also had a plethora of service awards, her stats for number of arrests and subsequent convictions of her suspects was amongst the highest in the state. He thumbed through her academic career; her grades were top notch- it surprised him that she hadn't become a lawyer or an FBI agent. He skimmed the names and locations of all the schools she had attended; once again satisfied that her parents had obviously recognised the fact that she was a bright young girl and an even brighter young woman. He knew everything about her; he felt he couldn't leave anything to chance. He knew he would require a very in depth working profile. He worked long and diligently into the night, going over his notes from the previous night's model; and yet this evening's results were no different. No matter which way he looked at the situation, this road too guided him to the same conclusion.
Having gone over Callahan's cases one last time, he saw the similarities between over half of her cases and the William Lee case. The fact was staring him right in the face. Elle was definitely innocent- and now he had to figure out how to fix the seemingly large mess created by the distrust the situation had inflicted upon them. Damn Callahan, he cursed as he prepared the paperwork to have copies of her Internal Investigation reports sent his way. Once completed, he set them aside to fax the next morning and quickly gathered the files, placed them on the table and worked his way back to the bathroom, where he readied himself for bed. His last thought, as he lay back, letting his head sink into the pillow, was how to get Elle to return to the BAU.
It would appear that the team had exhausted each and every avenue- they had questioned everyone that they could think of. It's interesting how individuals deal with tense situations. As the minutes ticked into hours, the team knew that time was running out, yet tried to keep the façade of hope. The parents of the teenage girls; however, were not fairing as well and began to bicker amongst themselves, blaming the others for something that was completely out of all of their hands. J.J. had been standing off to the side, observing them as each tossed blame upon the other."Don't let this man beat you this way." She said finally and an odd silence fell around them.
"What do you want us to do?" Gill Seymour inquired as all eyes turned upon J.J.
"Listen to these agents, all right? They came here to help. Let them do that." She sighed.
"We're going to split you up, go over your histories and see if there's a name form your past in common." Hotchner piped in and turned towards Gideon.
"Probably won't be a casual acquaintance. He knows your secrets." In the background, they hear a lone telephone ringing and hear the officer answer. "It may be something you're not even aware of, or you may have forgotten."
"Agent Gideon, its Penelope Garcia from Quantico. She's says it's urgent." The officer, Tome Sikes, interrupts.
"Put her on speaker." Gideon pauses while the call is placed on speakerphone. "Go ahead Garcia."
"Brook Chambers' phone just switched back on." She sounded excited to have re-established some form of contact.
"Tell me you got a trace." Morgan was quick to interject.
"And a location. Downtown North Mammon, within a hundred metres of Main and First."
"That's right outside." Gideon snapped and made a mad dash out of the precinct. Everyone braced themselves, all hoping for the best, yet Gideon knew to also be prepared for the worse. J.J. followed closely behind, and they headed around the corner, while Hotchner had Morgan keep the parents at bay. It is indeed not what they hoped for. What greeted the agents was something out of a film. Two teenage girls, wrapped in woollen blankets; dragging their bare feet, yet trying to rush towards them. Gideon quickly dashed towards them- so did J.J; all the while, they heard the cries of the parents in the background.
"What's going on?" one voice demanded.
"Back up. Come on." They heard another shouting over the question. Hotchner stood somewhere in between so that he could see what was going on, and yet at the same time be available to assist Morgan.
"It's okay. We're with the FBI. Are you all right? Polly, are you hurt?" J.J.'s calm tone soothed the girl, who kept her head covered with the thick blanket. When she finally pulled back the blanket, J.J. nearly gasped at the pale face with dried blood splattered across it.
"She's bleeding." Hotchner comment quietly.
"It's not her blood." The other girl stated in a slightly shocked state and looked up at Gideon.
"Brook, where's Kelly Seymour?" Gideon inquired gently and watched as Polly rested her head on J.J.'s shoulder. They knew in that instant that they were too late and there wasn't anything that could be done for Kelly. Hotchner thought for a moment how such an ironically sick twist had been placed upon the traditional prisoner's dilemma.
On the trip back to Quantico, J.J. sat comfortably in her seat starring long and hard at the photograph that she held between slender fingers. The photo had been taken quite some time ago- when she was in high school and on the soccer team. She smiled to herself as she recalled that school year, how hard she had worked to earn the academic scholarship and winning the state championship had been the icing on the cake- she recalled how happy she had been sharing that moment with her best friends. Lost in thought, she didn't notice when Hotchner approached her.
"Can't sleep?" he inquired quietly and slid into the seat across from her. She let go of the photograph and it landed on the table between them. He picked it up.
"You can't imagine the pressures a small town creates." She stated simply and watched as his dark, thick eyebrows shot up in mock surprise. "To play to win, everyone pushing, everyone watching- I hated it."
"Why did you play?" he inquired tilting his head to the side.
"Athletic scholarship was the only way I was getting into collage. It was my only way out. Besides, a thick skin when it comes to pressure is a good thing in this line of work, right?"
"You did exceptional work the last couple of days." He complimented her and she smiled back almost shyly.
"Thank you. It's nice to be noticed." She replied and let her gaze fall upon the table for a moment.
"Yeah, we don't usually; do we?"
"Eh, it's all right. It's not why I do it." She replied.
"Have you ever thought about the classes, becoming a profiler?"
"No, no. I admire what you do, but I like my role. I like being the person the family can turn to; being the voice the poor, over-worked homicide detective can call when he runs out of leads."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"I thought everyone wanted to be a profiler.
"Sorry." She said and picked up a stack of folders that sat on the table. He watched her for a moment.
"What's all of that?" his eyebrows shot up.
"New cases. I have to figure out where we're going to next." She replied simply.
"Hey, wait a minute, we're the profilers. I thought we made those decisions."
"Sure you do." She replied with her best poker face and just as quickly broke into a bright smile, which Hotchner couldn't help but find contagious. Returning her smile, she was happy to see that he could be happy and wished that she could see that smile more often.
"All right. Well, I'm going to find someplace to get some sleep."
"Yeah, good luck with that." She replied as he rose.
"Thanks." He said moving towards the front of the plane, while J.J. closed the file and picked up her soccer photo once more before putting it aside.
Once they arrived back at Quantico, Hotchner hung back and watched as J.J. and Reid headed out talking in hushed tones; with Morgan not far behind. Everyone else had gone for the day, a regular occurrence it would seem, and just as predictable, Gideon remained as per the norm in his office, no doubt preoccupied with something. Hotchner found himself standing on the threshold and taking a moment to observe the older gentleman, who while reading through a report, reached towards the telephone. It became obvious that he felt a presence and paused- turned his attention to Hotchner."You look as though you need to talk." Gideon stated with a quick gesture for him to enter the seemingly cluttered office and have a seat. He sat and placed the file he had been holding on his thighs- all he could think of was how he was going to articulate his thoughts. "This must have something to do with Elle then. I haven't seen you quite like this before. What is it that has you so unhinged?" Hotchner knew that he couldn't stall any longer, so he took a quick breath.
"I was wrong." He stated simply. Simplicity always seemed to be the more comfortable method around Gideon. Gideon sat back in his comfortable, warn leather seat and rested his elbows on the chairs arms.
"Wrong about what exactly?" Gideon prompted. Hotchner's lips formed a tight line.
"Elle." He turned his eyes away and then met Gideon's warm gaze. "She was telling the truth."
"I know." Gideon replied softly, simply and merely tilted his head to the side, an indication for Hotchner to continue.
"You know?" a curt nod was Gideon's response.
"Aaron, how could I not? It's my job to know." He watched as Hotchner's eyebrows furrowed and he shook his head.
"And you let me."
"Seek the truth? Of course, its something that you needed to do."
"So what you're saying is that you've known all along. Not just that Elle was telling the truth, but that I was assembling the proof that supported her claim?"
"It was all about the timing." Gideon paused in his thought. "The night of the shooting, the look on Elle's face spoke volumes. No words can describe the absolute shock, and there was fear in her eyes. Later that night, I went to her room to talk to her. I knew that she needed someone to listen- someone to offer her a shoulder. She had indeed killed a man- Hotch it was in self defence. After all, she had thought that she had to make up for messing up our sting. When Callahan presented her with a second chance, she thought she would redeem herself in our eyes."
"If she only knew that she was putting herself in the position of being Callahan's fall guy." Hotchner uttered under his breath and Gideon saw how quickly his facial features softened.
"I did. I tried to explain that to her as well. When you make that kind of choice, there is no way of going back. Elle had a huge weight suddenly placed upon her shoulders- she was just ill prepared for it."
"You could have mentioned all of this to me. That you and Elle spoke; then maybe I would have understood your reaction when I told you she chose to run." He pursed his lips together once more. "Gideon, I'm sorry that I felt as though you believed her story too quickly. I suppose in many ways I'm just as guilty, if not more so than Elle."
"How so?"
"I too let my emotions overtake my reason. These past few weeks, I've spent countless hours digging and pulling in huge favours." He felt slightly foolish. "Here are the results of the fruits of my labour." He picked up the file and placed it on Gideon's desk. Gideon straightened himself in his seat and leaned forward to pick up the file. Opening the file, he quickly skimmed through Hotchner's notes- his eyebrows rose and fell and when he had been through the information, he sat quietly for a long moment.
"So what are you going to do about this?" Gideon inquired as he closed the file. Hotchner seemed to take a while to form the words.
"Attempt to speak to Elle and see if she will return to the BAU." As he made the statement, he realised how difficult a feat that would be.
"Then I'd say you have your work cut out for you." Gideon replied simply with a smile. Hotchner returned his smile and stood.
"See you Monday." He said before heading back to his office for his overnight bag, briefcase, and a few files to tie him over the weekend.
***
Even though Elle had turned in her resignation, she quietly kept in touch with the members of her team- in particular Reid, as Morgan had called to tell her that the younger agent had taken his lack of action as a contributing factor to her downward spiral. She assured him, just as Morgan had attempted the night on the return flight from Texas that none of what transpired in Ohio was his fault. Of course she had to enlighten him as to what had actually occurred that night so that he might understand the situation from her perspective. He had commented that that had perhaps been the reason Gideon didn't appear to be as upset as Morgan said that he had observed him in the past. After their heart-to-heart, Reid began to joint the small group at Morgan's place, when they weren't on a case, to watch a game, eat pizza and every other known junk food, as well as talk. To Elle, it felt as though in many ways she was still part of the team- that despite everything they had forgiven her, her secrecy in Ohio. All of which contributed to her beginning the process of truly letting go. So when invited by Garcia and J.J. to go out for lunch, maybe catch a movie, or shop, she felt excited.
Entering the restaurant, the trio waited for the host to seat them, Garcia chatted about her newest toys with an enthusiasm that Elle was happy to see. Even J.J. appeared to be quietly happy about something.
"So he finally asked you out?" she sipped her ice tea and J.J.'s face turned a lovely shade of pinkish red. She nodded her reply as the waiter returned for their orders. He was fairly tall, a bit on the lanky side, had the same coloured hair as Reid, and shockingly similar body language, except for the fact that the waiter was comfortable in his surroundings.
"Are you lovely ladies ready to order?" he inquired with his notepad and pen poised for their orders. "Perhaps you need some extra time?" as he tilted his head the hair that had been carefully tucked behind his ear became un-tucked, yet he ignored it. Elle glanced at Garcia and J.J. and smiled brightly.
"I think I'll have the grilled chicken salad." She closed her menu and he picked it up.
"Chicken penne looks really good. Oh and if I may, a side of garlic bread please?" J.J. allowed him to take the menu from her.
"I hear the quesadillas here are fabulous." Garcia flashed the young man a toothy grin, flirting with a quick wink.
"Making him work for his tip much?" J.J. joked and returning her smile, he took her menu and made his way to the kitchen.
"I can't help it if my feminine powers can be felt by all males." She quipped lightly. Elle picked up her glass once more and sipped the lemony beverage. "Someone looks as though she's swallowed the canary." Garcia added with a raised eyebrow and stirred her drink.
"It's nothing." Elle replied and managed to keep her straight face. "So what exactly are we shopping for?" she quickly changed the subject, feeling the blush that began to work its way to her cheeks.
"This was just a ruse to get you out of your clothes funk." Elle noted how Garcia's smile lit up her face and she couldn't help but feel happy.
"She's right Elle. You've been wearing those high necked tops far too long." J.J. added and their waiter returned with their orders.
After lunch, they spent the afternoon window shopping and Elle even picked up a few new tops that were reminiscent of her old style, which put J.J. and Garcia at ease. Usually, Elle didn't bother with trying things on, she knew her body and what suited her; however in this case, she thought it best, just to be sure she was ready. In the small room, she marvelled at how the scar had finally began to fade, at home, under the brighter lighting it always felt that the scar was as it had been the first night she uncovered it. When she emerged from the dressing room Garcia whistled and J.J. nodded her approval. She only hoped that she could maintain the positive attitude once she returned home. She had truly enjoyed spending the afternoon with the girls, doing girly things- interestingly enough, she had found it wonderfully refreshing the ease that they were able to talk about anything and everything that didn't have to do with the BAU. Granted, both Garcia and J.J. had wanted to speak to her about her decision- they knew that she would eventually open up to them. Both had quickly agreed prior to their outing not to poke or pry as it's fairly easy to have empathy for one being the subject of such probing. Instead, they resorted to teasing Elle mercilessly about her high collared blouses, which in turn resulted in the inevitable shopping spree.
Elle had enjoyed her afternoon out with the girls and upon arriving home, went to her bedroom with her bags to look at the items purchased. She opened one bag and laid the contents on the bed, a beautiful silky deep burgundy camisole, a luscious blueberry one as well and a light cream cardigan. Fingering the gold necklace she wore, she thought that she might wear the burgundy camisole with her long charcoal sweater and black jeans- casual and comfortable, just the way she always felt whenever she was with him. A quick glance at the bedside clock caused a cringe, I'm running late, she thought and quickly slipped the silky material over her head and pulled the camisole over her torso, making sure that it slipped underneath the waistband of her jeans. She plucked the sweater from its hanger in the closet and pushed her arms into the sleeves, tuning them up. Her reflection caught her, freezing her in place in front of the full-length mirror and she examined the reflection staring back at her. Her now chin length hair had been straightened for a change, her makeup minimal- just as she liked it, enough to add a natural glow. He would be arriving any minuet and when her eyes fell upon the scar, she couldn't stop the involuntary shudder as it worked its way throughout her body- as much as she felt the afternoon had helped her in moving on, it would always be there to some capacity-an ever so constant reminder of what she had endured. It figures that I don't have time to grab something else, she cursed under her breath as she must have stood in front of the mirror for a good five minutes trying to be firm in her decision. It's Gideon, after all. He's made it perfectly clear that such superficial things don't bother him, yet this is one thing that still bothers me, she shook her head and dashed to the bathroom to brush her teeth.How strange, she thought. He's never late; she spit toothpaste into the sink and ran the water through the toothbrush- a gentle rap on her door caused her to quickly place it in the holder on the marble countertop. Expecting Gideon, she had left the door unlocked.
"Come on in Gideon, its open." She called and turned towards the towel, dabbing the water from her lips. "I'm just about ready to." She trailed off and froze in her tracks. He stood in the entry, a soft expression on his usually rigid lips. There was an awkward silence between them, tension making it worse as neither knew exactly what to say, Elle only managed to blink a couple of times in disbelief.
"I tried to call." He stammered and then ran a hand through his thick dark straight hair. "Either you weren't here, or you haven't received your messages. I had considered the fact that you could very well be avoiding me all together." He took a sharp breath.
"Hotch." She broke in as she found her voice.
"It's obvious to me that you weren't exactly expecting me. However, I- we need to talk." He said and she gestured towards the living room with her hand. He couldn't help but notice that she wore a v-neck silky camisole under her long charcoal sweater and he was somewhat put to ease that she was getting better, which only made the reason for his sudden arrival easier to get to. He followed her lead into the fair sized living room and took a seat on one of the chairs. Elle sat on the sofa waiting for him to say what he had to say. He paused, nay stalled for as long a moment as he could manage without looking too obvious. He finally took that last breath that he hoped would give him a smidgen of courage. "Somehow I thought that Gideon would have talked some sense into you." He began lightly. She leaned forward that placed her elbows on her thighs. "I just thought that he would have had you change your mind about the BAU."
"We don't talk about the BAU." She looked down at her hands, her slender fingertips pressed firmly against each other. She sighed wistfully at the thought of happier times, a time when she felt her life had meaning.
"Elle, I'm really sorry for doubting you." Her face suddenly lit up. He had spoken the words she had longed to hear ever since that night. The words she had somehow hoped he would have said the night she turned in her effects. She looked down for a moment as if studying the carpet and then turned her gaze back up toward his dark eyes.
"Thank you Hotch." She replied and let the smile she felt tugging at the corner of her lips present itself. "It really means a lot to me that you're here."
"I honestly don't think that you understand." He shook his head, more out of surprise for the ease with which she appeared to accept his apology. "Callahan used you to take the fall so that she could get the credit for plucking another bastard off the street."
"I know. I kind of figured that out when Lee turned around with a gun and no one appeared." She reached out and placed a hand on his arm. "At the time I couldn't come to you with the theory; most of it was circumstantial. When I think about it, it was all in the timing, which really sucked. I admit that I wasn't really ready for the filed. I thought that that case would remind me who I was, who I am- yet I panicked and messed the whole thing up. When Callahan approached me with the whole wire with backup idea I thought that I could redeem myself in your eyes. However, you being Hotch, there was no way that I could get myself off the hook you so quickly placed me on."
"Elle, I know I said it before. I have seen hyper vigilance before and with all due respect, at the time you happened to display many of the signs."
"Hotch- all I wanted to do was my job. Get Lee to confess. At the time I reacted, hell the fact my shot was so good still surprises me to this day. Right now I cannot think of what if, because in truth I will never know. Had I not reacted so quickly, it could have been me lying half dead, or dead on the pavement." She shook her head, her chocolate espresso locks bobbed slightly against her chin. "You know as well as anyone on the team that I would never have gone to him with the intent to kill. In fact, I had been assured of the backup, even saw it myself, which now that I think about it was probably just a ruse as well." She sighed heavily.
"You were cleared and indeed innocent, please don't second guess yourself. He had a gun, if you hadn't fired first, you're probably right- he would more than likely taken the shot had you given him half the chance."
"Once again, I suppose we chalk it up to experience, learn from it and slowly move forward." She offered a smile and he nodded.
"Now all you have to do is come back." She sat back and rolled her eyes.
"I knew there had to be a catch." She punctuated her thought with a sharp exhale. "Hotch, I've thought long and hard about it. I honestly can't promise you that I'd ever be a hundred percent."
"Elle, we need you on the team." He held out the file he had with him. "Besides, I never truly accepted your resignation." She sat up, leaned forward and accepted the file. "I'm not saying that you have to answer right now, you can take whatever time you need. I'd love to hear that the ring of your telephone brings you to life once again. If not, I understand- Gideon not so much." His eye twinkled and Elle had to laugh. "I should let you in on this; however, a new agent has been assigned to the team in you absence. Please keep in mind that neither Gideon nor I had anything to do with it and are working to rectify the problem."
"Seriously?" her face suddenly dropped, her eyes seemed to grow dark and she turned in her seat with the knock on her door. "Gideon?" she called.
"I'm so sorry I'm late. Traffic was horrible." He said and closed the door behind before removing his shoes and heading to the living room.
"Gideon?" Hotchner's eyes widened in shock, "well this could prove difficult in getting her back on the team." He added with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh, Hotch, I didn't expect to see you until Monday morning at the briefing." Gideon froze- he suddenly felt like he had been caught doing something wrong.
"You're right. I just came by to give Elle the paperwork to rejoin the team."
"Oh really?" he replied as though hearing the idea for the first time. Hotchner stood and made his way towards Elle.
"We'll keep in touch." He said and she nodded, then stood and walked him to the door. "Pease, reconsider. We need you on the team." He added as she closed the door behind him. Locking the door to prevent further interruptions, Elle sighed heavily and pressed her back against the door for support. Gideon rose from the seat he had taken and met her in the foyer.
"Elle?" his voice soft and gentle in her ears. She couldn't say anything, she pushed herself off the door and dropped the file on the hall table and let him catch her in his arms. "It's okay. You don't have to come back if you don't want to. I'm not going to force you."
"I've already been replaced. You don't need me." He gently lifted her chin to look in her eyes.
"I need you." He said simply and kissed her forehead. "You're an amazing asset to the team, you think outside of your prescribed box, and you're incredibly easy on the eyes."
"You never said anything about a new girl."
"We don't talk about work, remember?"
"Right, but something like that is serious." She shook her head.
"Honey, Hotch probably told you that neither of us had anything to do with her joining the team. Hotch is working to have her transferred to another BAU team, and if not BAU- a team she's better suited for. It's that simple. Well, it probably sounds far easier than it is." He paused in thought. "Hoch may have allowed you to walk out of his office that night, but he really couldn't accept your resignation."
"Really?" she cocked a brow and he tried to distract her by lovingly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Really." He took her hand and they went back into the living room. "As for our plans tonight?" he smiled brightly. She grabbed at the top of her long sweater and held it across her chest in a self-conscious manner. Gideon's expression changed and she realised what she had done. "You have nothing to be self-conscious about around me." He placed a comforting hand on her knee. She looked at him for a long moment.
"I thought I had begun to move forward."
"You have. More than you know." He winked at her and stood, figuring that they should go before she changes her mind and changes her outfit. He was enjoying how the soft femininity of silk greatly contrasted with the black jeans.
"What?" she inquired as she picked up her purse from the hall table and they headed out.
"Oh nothing." He grinned mischievously.
***
Of all the experiences she had in her life- that of uncertainty had to be the oddest. The simple fact that she had achieved what she had worked so hard for- becoming a member of the FBI's BAU. The cards alone were never stacked in her favour. Firstly, the number of applicants who apply to the unit alone was also staggering, and secondly, she was female and out of the thirty members of the BAU- two were woman. Strangely enough, none of that seemed to matter, as any uncertainty of her future had been soothed by the quiet, comforting calmness that spending time with him provided- he had an odd ability to balance her, ground her, all the while allowing her to feel happy within her own skin once more. She set aside earlier thoughts in an attempt to shed reason into the equation; reminding herself that she knew far better than to have invited him up to her flat- had been well aware of the fact that in doing so, the dream would have to end. It was, after all, inevitable. Especially if he happened to stay the night, which with the first rays of morning's light, he would be forced from her bed, pulled away from her, sent out into the unknown and right into the awaiting arms of whatever danger lurked, long thought artfully concealed within the darkness of the places we usually don't think to look. Despite the logic that screamed out at her, they stood in the hallway just outside her door. She held her keys in her hand, while he ever so patiently waited, in fact had managed to pull her into him and pressed himself against her back- content to nuzzle her neck in a playful manner in a wild attempt to distract her- something he had always been exceptionally good at. After two 'failed' attempts, she slipped the key into the awaiting lock with a soft giggle and opened the door.
First to free himself from his bomber jacket, he hung it along with her coat in the nearby closest as she closed and locked the door behind them. She ignored the nagging reason, the last wisps that had lingered in the back of her mind- she smiled contently and allowed herself to be literally swept off her feet.
"Hey! I thought that we had agreed to have tea." She protested in between kisses and trying to catch her breath, her lips brushed against his teeth but neither of them seemed to notice as he continued to ravage her soft lips with his own. Finally lacking sufficient oxygen to think, Elle had to break the kiss- only long enough to fully catch her breath. "Gideon! What has gotten into you?" she looked up into his beautiful contemplative brown eyes and noted how they were accentuated by the dim light in the entryway and she thought sparkled with mischief.
"Nothing dear." He tried to disguise his intent with sugared simplicity and an impish grin. In another attempt to distract her once more, he generously kissed her. In response, she gently pulled back and made a face that only he would ever get away with calling cute; and she made her way to the kitchen to prepare the tea. "Please allow me to assist you." He said coyly and ever so obviously pretended that the kitchen was smaller than it truly was and made every effort to brush himself against her as she danced around him to get the mugs from the cupboard and he retrieved the milk from the refrigerator.
"Excuse me." She whispered as the kettle began its announcement that the water was boiled. He smiled and leaned himself against the counter watching her as she gracefully poured the water over the tea bags in their mugs- adding milk, she stirred while he put the milk away. They then moved into the living room, where they arranged themselves as closely as possible on the sofa; enjoying the soothing silence shared between them. Elle cradled her mug in her hands and gently blew over the rim, attempting to cool the tea enough to sip. She thought for a moment and realised that it had been a good three weeks since Hotchner had barged into her flat with the suggestion and paperwork to have her rejoin the team. She had only seriously thought about it off and on- each time arriving at the same conclusion and felt that it was indeed time to actually discuss it with Gideon. Breaking the silence with sigh to indicate that she needed to talk- needed him to listen. He felt her weight shift as she turned herself within his embrace so that she could face him.
"Jason, I've been thinking." His smiled brightened.
"Is this a good thinking, or?" his eyes began to twinkle and matched his grin. Finding him utterly contagious, she returned his expression and playfully tapped his thigh in a 'what do you think?' manner before turning serious.
"Don't do that! This is serious." She couldn't stop the giggle that then escaped her lips. He always loved how melodic and infectious her moments of happiness were. "Do you and Hotchner still want me back on the team?" she tilted her head in question and lowered her eyelids, watching him from underneath long, thick, full lashes- he leaned towards the table and picked up his mug, took the first sip and bobbed his head yes. "Really Jason- that despite everything that." She looked down at the mug encircled in her hands. He gently took her mug from her and set on the table.
"Look at me Elle. I know that I haven't said it, which has been because of our agreement that the BAU remain the furthest topic of discussion." He looked at his feet for a moment and then looking up at her; he cupped her cheek gently. "Things haven't been the same since your departure." He then dropped his hand towards her shoulder and ran his fingers warmly down her arm, letting his hand rest on her forearm.
"Yes, but what about Emily?" her smile faded slightly.
"What about her? She can easily be transferred to another team. BAU or not, she's a bright young woman with an equally bright future." He paused, "that is if she doesn't get herself killed in the process."
"Impatient is she?"
"Not as much as another agent I recall." He winked. "Besides, it would give me an excuse to see you on a daily basis, not stealing precious moments here and there, in between cases." He then took her hand in his and she mused at how well they folded, merged together; their fingers intertwined so easily and naturally- just as things had become between them. She lifted her eyes and met his, and he took in how her face beamed.
"Gid." She caught herself, "Jason, you do realise that it's still quite a lot to consider. Even if I did return, there's complications galore." She looked down again.
"Well at least you're considering the possibility." He paused and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, she leaned into him- fitting nicely into him. He kissed the top of her head and sighed. "Whatever you decide, you'll tell me right?" he felt her nod her ascent. "I just don't want you to think that Hotchner and I are pushing you into something that you're uncomfortable with." She could sense his expression change and turned her head up to look at him. Unable to fully find her voice to even agree to think about his suggestion, she nodded once more- after all, she had only begun to truly realise that time had finally began to take its course and the emotional wounds had slowly begun to heal. The physical scar may never fade completely, but she decided that she wouldn't let it stop her from being herself- doing what she wanted. She gently moved to lean towards the table to pickup her mug and take another sip. Setting it back on the table, she placed her elbows on her thighs and resting her head in her hand, messaged her temples.
"I really hope that you understand that it really isn't that easy." She had found her voice, although her tone was soft, it gently caressed his ears and he couldn't help but tenderly cup her soft cheek with his large hand. She returned her eyes to meet his caring gaze, his face softening, his brown eyes sparkled in the light and in that moment no words were necessary- they reflected the appropriate sentiment. In that moment she somehow knew that no matter what, no matter which road she chose, everything would soon be all right- that somehow everything would return to normal.
"Well then," he took a deep breath and let it out quickly, "keep in mind that you haven't been away that long." There was that spark in his eye again, which touched her heart and she nodded before gently breaking free of his tender caress. Standing, she collected their mugs and went to the kitchen to rinse them out and set them on the countertop. Gideon remained on the sofa and enjoyed how her arms felt wrapped lovingly around his ever-strong shoulders- she kissed the top of his head and rested her chin within the warm, soft crease at the base of his neck.
"And tomorrow is another day. Monday, in fact." She whispered in his ear, the heat of her breath sent a pleasant shiver down his spine,
"I have an early day." He sighed loudly as he stood. "I'll call you when I know what the situation is." He said before stealing another kiss. He grabbed his jacket from the closet and quickly slipped his arms in the sleeves. Elle managed to get a hold of his scarf and playfully draped around his neck- pulling him close for a proper good night kiss.
"Remember to keep yourself in one piece." She whispered and watched him walk down the hall towards the elevator. Returning to the kitchen, she thought for a long moment and found herself carefully considering the pros and cons of returning to the BAU. She had originally thought that Gideon had said what she had needed to hear, yet then wondered if what he was saying held another meaning. She paused at the sink and then opened the dishwasher, adding the mugs, she checked to see that it had enough dishes to run the load through- she measured the correct amount of powder, tipped it into the reservoir, closed it and turned the dial. I have spent a good year and half as a member of a team who has worked tirelessly to rid society of those who prayed upon the most innocent- but the conversation she had had with Hotchner, not six months into her officially joining the team washed over her like a memory long forgotten. She moved to the living room and sat herself in the comfort of her favourite arm chair, the heavy drapes wide open- she looked out at the beautiful purple hued night sky and the bright stars that shimmered. A lone plane cut through the sky and left a ripple in its wake.
--Flashback--
It appeared to Elle that Max Ryan held Morgan, J.J., and Reid captivated by yet another Jason Gideon story. Elle glanced over the rim of her mug and found herself wondering if she would eventually end up like Ryan- retired, slightly bitter, and quite possibly alone. If that was all the job had to offer in the end- if the only satisfaction was that she knew there was one less bad guy out there terrorising the innocent. That wasn't good enough for her. She rested her mug on the knee that she had brought up towards her chest and finally spoke.
"You know he has no one. No family." She stated under her breath, just loud enough for Hotchner, who sat beside her on the sofa with his nose jammed in the file, to hear as she absently played with the string of her tea bag. She let it slowly sink to the bottom of the mug and then pulled it back to the surface, allowing it to bob about and sink to the bottom once more. Hotchner lifted his head from the file.
"Who's that?" he inquired as if he hadn't known- then again, she could in many ways just as easily been speaking of Gideon.
"Ryan. Technically he's retired- but he hasn't seen his kids in years." She pulled the string of the tea bag once more, shifted and tucked her feet underneath herself, before turning to face him.
"Divorce in not uncommon in the BAU." He replied as he sensed where she was leading the conversation. He figured that she had already spent a great deal of the flight home mulling it over in her mind.
"You know the other night when you called-Saturday night." She paused for a moment. "Did you think it was weird that we all were able to just drop everything and go to the office? That we are available to you anytime you call, day or night?"
"No, not really." He replied and cocked his head to the side.
"How do you do it? How do you do this job and have a wife and a baby?" he thought for a moment before answering. It was obvious to her that he wanted to carefully formulate his answer.
"Well," he paused briefly. "When I'm with them, I try and focus a hundred percent of my attention there- and when I'm with you guys, I try and do the same. It's about priorities Elle. It's about setting and keeping them." He replied. It had sounded far too simple an answer in her mind, far too obvious and slightly methodical- one that had no doubt been carefully formulated and very well rehearsed; it felt as though he were still in the process of tying to convince himself.
"I'm just so scared that I'm going to turn into that guy over there. One day look up and see that my life has passed me by while I was chasing monsters." She sighed loudly and pursed her deep berry coloured lips together.
"It's hard. This job will eat you up- if you let it." He said in a firm, yet gentle tone.
"So what do I do?" she inquired and tilted her head- he watched as her espresso hair fell over her shoulder and caught the dim light, showing off the natural red highlights.
"Find a way not to let it." He replied simply and turned to look at her once more as laughter erupted behind her. Following his gaze, she turned her head to catch Gideon red with embarrassment of yet another story.
--"Find a way not to let it." She repeated to herself, repeated to the empty room. Her lips curled at the recollection of how happy the job had made her, once upon a time. That once upon a time, she hadn't thought twice about what she did, how it filled a void that always seemed tucked within her, and helped her make sense of herself and her role. She stood and walked to the window. It felt odd to make sense of something, to justify a decision by simply evaluating her relationship with Gideon. She knew that neither of them would become Ryan, so long as they sought the balance between work and living- everything would be all right; eventually. Yet she was also aware of the fact, perhaps all too well, that nothing in this life was ever that simple. There were always various factors that would or could jump into the calm waters, causing ripples in even the most solid of relationships. Elle had already seen that with Hotchner- the stress of the job was probably a contributing factor to Haley's bed rest. How had she handled the now knowing? Elle herself had only been away from the BAU for a good month and a half, all the while maintaining contact with Gideon. It was only recently that they began to explore the potential of a relationship. Not taking anything for granted, she had long known how she had felt about him- and now, lucky for her, she knew how he felt about her. Yet now she slowly began to wonder how her rejoining the team would affect their relationship. Would it be strengthened because of mutual understanding and bindings of trust, or would it be shattered to pieces as she had seen with other agents- a cold chill ran down her spine at the realisation at what was truly at stake. She then wondered if he had already thought it through.
***
With thoughts of the previous evening's conversation in his head, Gideon arrived at Quantico surrounded by an air of satisfaction-a noticeable spring in his step, should anyone have been present to witness it. He was glad to have arrived early enough to have a moment to himself, a moment to savour the tea he had been nursing from the café around the corner from his home and fully appreciate the calm before the inevitable storm- it was Monday morning after all, and case briefings were the norm. He entered his office, managed to shrug out of his jacket and hung it on the coat rack behind his door along with his scarf. Settling himself into his comfortable well aged leather chair behind his desk, he found the only un-occupied space for his paper cup. He thought to call her then; however, the file that rested on top of a pile of books begged for his attention and he suppressed a sigh as he reached out towards it. Opening the familiar flimsy, tan file, he thumbed through the contents in an attempt to quickly familiarise himself with the pending case. It felt strange how the cringe ran down his spine and rested at the bottom of his feet. It was obvious to him that it was far too late for the victims contained within the file he held between worn, callused fingertips. Despite the dark; however, he usually attempted to see the light and hoped that they would be able to assist in the apprehension of the un-sub before that individual struck again.
He tilted back in his seat, crossing his right ankle over his left knee and then placed the open file onto his lap, cradling it slightly. He sensed someone just outside his door, yet said nothing. He continued to view the contents, review the information- she watched as he rested his elbow on the arm of the chair and then ran a hand down his face with his classic heavy, deep in thought sigh. He hadn't known exactly how long she lurked outside his door, only that the gentle brush of delicate knuckles against his metal doorframe wasn't a surprise and he glanced up to greet her, her arms wrapped around a stack of thick files, with a warm smile and a curt nod. She had always been a breath of fresh air, gracefully fluttering about the office- always helpful and incredible kind hearted and genuine. Today, she could sense his happiness bubbling below the surface of seriousness the open file no doubt placed upon his rugged features. She entered his office, her blond hair hung straight around her shoulders- neatly framing her face. She quickly went through the files she held and found the one she wanted.
"Gideon, I thought that you would want to look at this. We've been asked to assist the Virginia Police Department with a case that has taken a rather interesting turn. I've already spoken to Hotch and he agrees that this case is a priority." She placed the file on his desk. "Are you all right?" her eyebrows furrowed and she tilted her head- the hair behind her shoulder fell forward. He closed the file in his lap and looked up at her. "I suppose you've spoken to Elle then?" he nodded slowly, deliberately. "When is she due back?" hope filled her voice.
"I'm not sure." He replied and opened the new case file. His eyebrow shot up, nearly meeting his hairline. "This looks like it would be right up her ally though." She took a deep breath. "If Elle returns, it has to be on her own terms. Right now, it's an issue of trust."
"Oh, I see." She replied, "Hotch wants to meet in the conference room in about ten minutes or so."
"Thanks." He returned his attention to the file, skimming through the contents- already formulating a profile, he grabbed a pen and a nearby pad of paper and began to jot down his thoughts.
The team assembled in the conference room, each ready to hammer out how they would deal with their most recent un-sub. Thorough careful calculation, it was quickly determined that he was well beyond an organised individual. Gideon remained quiet, Hotchner noticing this also held back- it was almost as though Gideon had been evaluating their team, more to the point, evaluating Prentiss and how well she interacted with the team and how well-thought out her input was. J.J. stood at the front, remote control in hand, flipped through the many images while they deconstructed the case. Hotchner took Gideon's silence into consideration while he found himself watching her. From what they knew, she had just under the required field experience, which didn't necessarily hinder her as far as being a member of the team. However, he always read her as appearing far too eager to prove herself, far too eager to prove that she belonged to the team, far too over zealous- and he and Gideon both felt and were all too aware that it was this attitude; that same over zealousness that could potentially get a field agent killed. This last thought over-shadowed her question.
"It local PD believes that they have a suspect. Then why ask for our assistance?" she repeated her inquiry. Hotchner uncrossed his arms before answering.
"Just because all evidence points in one particular direction, it doesn't mean that individual is their suspect. There have been many cases in which judgement has been clouded with the desire to close a case. Tunnel vision can happen to the best of us." He added and glanced over towards Gideon.
"Going over the file, I don't feel strongly enough that this guy, Frank Jewel, is our un-sub. He's far too disorganised and if you happen to have gone through the time-line, he doesn't fit that- nor does he fit into our profile." Prentiss nodded and wrote something on her note pad. Garcia sat quietly, her flamboyant dress the only indication of her presence. She could hardly bring herself to look at the crime scene photographs as Morgan spread them out on the table in front of him.
"There isn't enough in these photographs for us to fully conclude that he is an organised killer. Hell there isn't enough here for me to get an actual feel for his behaviour." His comment broke through the silence and all eyes focused on him. "I'd like to spend a bit of time at the last crime scene. As far as they know, this is the primary crime scene?" J.J. nodded and tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear.
"So far as they concluded." She replied and placed the remote on the top of her stack of files that sat on the table. "He's fairly systematic in the placement of his victims. Very meticulous in what he leaves behind, if anything." She added and her expression darkened. Hotchner seemed to pick up on the pattern. "I think we've seen this before." She crossed her arms tightly across her body in what appeared to Gideon an attempt to cease the shudder that probably ran down her spine. "Perhaps this is the work of a copy-cat?"
"Or the police had the wrong guy from the get go." Gideon thought for a moment; newspaper articles and televised broadcasts went through his mind as he sat back in his seat. "We'll meet downstairs in thirty." He lingered while the rest of the team disbursed, finally leaving him alone with Hotchner.
"Jason, are you all right?" he stood firmly in place and Gideon could only sigh and shake his head in response. Hotchner never liked his moments of quiet contemplation- it had never been a good sign.
"Just feeling a little torn- is all. It'll pass." He pushed his chair away from the table and stood. His expression remained unreadable, another bad sign, which worried Hotchner that Gideon was hiding something from him.
"Something isn't right." He added over his shoulder and headed to his office. He didn't have much time to himself; quickly collected a few files and picked up the phone- dialling her number from memory.
"Hello." Her voice immediately brought a smile to his lips.
"Elle, it's me. Listen, it's an at home case." He paused just long enough for her to interrupt him.
"Are you all right?" he didn't answer right away.
"Once this case is over I'll be a lot better." He replied honestly- and you're back on the team, he thought as he stood and pushed the chair back in its place behind the well utilised desk. "I'm not sure how long the case will go, but I'll keep in touch." He added and she heard the abruptness in his tone. Agent Emily Prentiss, deep blue power suit, crisp blouse underneath her well-cut blazer and every strand of hair in place stood at his door. He turned towards her and held up a hand.
"Sure Gideon, no problem. Let me know if you need anything. Talk to you soon."
"I'll call you later tonight." He added in a hushed tone before cradling the phone.
"Sir, I." She stopped herself in mid thought. He moved briskly through his office, grabbed his jacket and indicated her to follow. "I found several cases that mirror this one. I don't know if it helps." She held the obviously well-organised file in her hands and they stepped onto the elevator. They rode down in silence and met with the rest of the team in the parking lot where they divided themselves into two groups and drove to the police station.
Gideon hung back and watched as the team exited the SUVs, headed up towards the precinct chatting about the facts- working though the various scenarios. He watched as Prentiss continued to shove her thoughts and opinions on the motivation of the un-sub, not acting so much as a member of the team, rather it would appear, attempting to lead it- this unsettled him, but he also knew the difficulty in being the 'new kid'. Morgan always had an odd way of initiating the newer members of the team, with Prentiss; however, he was different- it was obvious to Gideon that he had difficulty in warming up to her. Perhaps it was because while she was overly active in the process, she also maintained an odd, closed posture that could easily be misread as uninviting. Hotchner glanced towards the board where J.J. stood working through a few points.
"I definitely have enough for a press conference; however, I'll hold off until we have a definitive working profile. I don't want to jump the gate here."
"Very good, I'm confident that we'll have that shortly." Hotchner replied and the team assembled in a group amongst the officers attending the briefing.
"We are dealing with a possible copy-cat, who has perfected his craft well beyond the original offender." Hotchner began and waited while a few officers scribbled notes and others maintained eye contact- nodding his or her understanding. "The kicker is to re-establish the pattern- that may allow us to head off this un-sub." Hotchner stood straight and gestured for an officer to ask a question.
"We've gone over the case file with a finer than fine toothed comb and haven't been able to head him off." He closed his small spiral notebook.
"What makes you think you'll get him before he strikes again?" another piped in.
"Probably because he hasn't received the attention he craves. He wants recognition for his work. The media hasn't given him nearly as much coverage as David Brown, for example. Brown's crime scene had been splashed across television screens for weeks before he was caught in Georgia. J.J. will be holding a press conference- this will be the beginning of his end." Hotchner crossed his arms across his chest. Prentiss joined him at the front of the room.
"By giving him what he craves, the probability of his making a mistake increases." She stated flatly, "and when he does, we'll be there." She added and the officers disbursed, quietly discussing their rounds and the routes that they would be taking. The sight where the bodies were located was always the same; surely if they had enough undercover, someone would catch him.
Gideon continued to keep back from the investigation, Morgan noticing his lack of passion sat himself in the vacant seat. He leaned in towards the seasoned, usually difficult to read profiler.
"I know that coming from me, it isn't the same. Gideon, if you need someone to talk to, I'm here." He raised a well-groomed brow and sat back. Gideon's gaze didn't change, he finally licked his lips and nodded his thanks and they watched J.J. as she and the lead detective Fuller exited the station, quickly becoming of interest to the media already gathered outside the precinct.
They worked late in the evening, the team going over the crime scene, over each and every significant characteristics of said crime scene- all working very well together. Gideon's cell rang and he dashed out of ear shot before answering- he didn't need to be profiled by a member of his team.
"Gideon." His tone was professional, as it always had been whenever she called him.
"Hi, I guess you're still working on the case." Her voice washed over him, calming his very raw nerves.
"We are. J.J. did the press conference for the dinner hour news. About two and a half hours ago."
"I saw her. Reminds me of the William Winter's case." She sat back on the sofa and twisted the telephone cord deliberately between her fingers.
"That's it!" Gideon exclaimed.
"What?"
"I knew that this case reeked of an old case." He paused and ran a hand through his closely cropped hair and sighed loudly. "The only problem is that we have to wait until this guy makes his move."
"Why not retrace Winter's pattern, see if this un-sub is following it exactly, or deviating." She continued to play with the cord.
"I could kiss you." She heard the smile in his voice, heard the burst of happiness that broke him from his slump.
"Later tonight?" she teased- in response she received a throaty laugh. "Well happy un-sub hunting. If you haven't eaten, drop by my place on your way home. I made your favourite."
"Really?" an eyebrow shot up and he thought for a moment. "I suppose there really isn't much that we can do at the moment. I'll check in with Hotch and I'll call you when I'm on my way. I have to go back to Quantico first to pick up my car." He paced between the trees.
He arrived at Elle's for a casual eight o'clock dinner- bottle of fine wine in hand. She opened the door and greeted him with a tender kiss before helping him out of his jacket and hanging it in the closet. Soft music played in the background and the scent of beautifully melding spices fragranced the air. They returned to the kitchen where she quickly checked the progress of their meal. Gideon found the wine glasses and the cork screw; poured the aged wine into the glasses and handed one to her."Thank you." She held out her glass and they gently clinked them before taking the first sip. It had never been his intension to break their understanding- that they wouldn't discuss anything pertaining to the BAU, unless it was to discuss her possible return. However, this evening seemed different- Elle seemed different. He hadn't said anything, but silently appreciated the silky camisole with a black open shirt over top- thankfully she hadn't done the buttons up to her chin. She appeared more confident, more comfortable with herself, and happy to open the conversation to their case- possibly sensing his need to talk. She sipped her wine and pondered their situation. In her mind everything pointed in one direction.
"Jason, isn't it the anniversary." She broke their comfortable silence, turning towards him; she placed her wine glass on the counter. "Either this un-sub is the original, or he is celebrating the work of another by carrying on the tradition." She grabbed the spoon and dipped it into the sauce, then scooped some to taste. Holding the spoon out towards him, he leaned into her and let her spoon feed him.
"That's amazing." He smiled brightly, wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into him and began to lightly kiss her jaw line, down towards the base of her graceful neck. She finished preparing their meal and they sat at the table, candles lit, fresh flowers, and more wine. Continuing to discuss the case, they worked through possible reasons; Elle even got up and grabbed a pad of paper to make some notes. She may not have the case file, or the Winter's file, for that matter; however, she did have the ability to help create a far more detailed working profile. Raising her glass to her lips, she tilted her head to the side.
"To catching this copy-cat un-sub." She sighed and they continued their meal; the conversation moving away from the BAU.
"I was wondering when you might be free to join me on a weekend away at my cabin." Gideon's cabin was the one place he felt his happiest and there were very few whom he had ever invited up there- very few he ever shared his whole self with; he had always thought it to be far too revealing. Elle looked up from her plate and just beamed. "I realise that winter may not be the nicest time to go up."
"Jason, you act as if I'm unfamiliar with the concept of roughing it." She pushed her chair away from the table and began to clear away their dishes. "While I tidy up, feel free to take a look at my notes, maybe something will help you with your case." She made her way to the sink and began to rinse the dishes, then placed them in the dishwasher. He had been stealth like in his approach, and had managed to wrap her up within a warm embrace, which she easily melted into.
"Elle," a light kiss was placed on the back of her neck that sent a shiver through her, "I don't," and another kiss, "feel like," he turned her within his embrace, "work right now." He whispered and stole yet another kiss. She returned his butterfly like kisses with passion filled kisses of her own. Playing with the buttons on his shirt, they moved towards the bedroom.
Morning roused her from sleep and she felt the warmth of the body that still lay beside her. He hadn't risen as yet, had contented himself with watching her sleep. Knowing that he had a case to work, she moaned and threw the blanket and sheets aside- before getting out of bed, she kissed him tenderly.
"I'll make the coffee, will you have something to eat before you leave?" she inquired, cinching the tie of her navy blue satin housecoat. He watched her with a wide grin, checked the time and nodded. "There's shaving cream and a razor in the vanity." She added before leaving him to ready himself for another day. He ventured into the adjoining bath and closed the door behind.
He emerged with a fresh perspective and found Elle at the kitchen table reading the paper and drinking coffee.
"What's this?" he read the head line and cringed. "They get a story and run with it, don't they?" he sat and she let the paper fall to the table and they ate.
"Please take my notes with you." She watched as he took his plate to the sink and returned to table. He pressed his lips to the top of her head and reached over her shoulder for the notepad.
"Thank you. I'll see you again tonight?" she smiled and nodded. "Have a good day." He got his jacket and she walked him to the door, grabbing one last kiss before closing and locking it behind him.
The precinct was a buzz with officers discussing the various cases- more so their copy-cat, as once again over night the un-sub had struck. It was a university student who had stayed late with her research team and their professor to complete the preliminary work for a study they were conducting. As the news travelled around them, the media carrying on the loudest buzz- the team worked alongside the police, hoping that they would catch him before another young woman fell victim to the un-sub."Sir, I think you'll want to see this." Prentiss arrived waving a tape. Both Gideon and Hotchner looked her way and she popped the tape into a nearby VCR. Prentiss had procured the security tape from campus security and they had been lucky to have been able to follow their latest victim to their un-sub. "Do you think Garcia can use this to get us a better shot of the un-sub?"
"It's possible." Morgan said taking a good look at the couple on the screen. "It's really blurry." He grinned.
"What?"
"Garcia always loves a challenge." He added. "I'll call my girl and we'll have someone get that to Quantico." He flipped open his phone. "Hey doll, we need your magic touch." He said in his most flattering tone.
"Oh really?" he could hear the gentle keystrokes, like music in the background. "What are we talking about?" she reframed from her usual banter.
"Garcia?"
"Yes Morgan." She paused and turned her attention to one of her various monitors. She had the Winter's case up and was going through the plethora of reports concerning that un-sub. "What do you have for me?"
"Prentiss, being her ever so persuasive self got last night's surveillance tape from the university campus security." Morgan explained their situation.
"Not a problem. Once I get the tape, I'll have an actual face to put a name to." She turned to another monitor where the latest news cast was running.
"Thanks sweetie." He cooed and she perked up.
"No problem hot stuff." She paused for a moment. "The tape?" she inquired as she jotted a note on a hot pink Post-it.
"Is on the way." He said and tossed it towards Prentiss to take to Quantico. She caught it and literally flew out the door.
***
It was only a matter of time before the team closed in on their un-sub. Garcia, as per the norm and as per Morgan's request, worked a little magic and it wasn't long after, that they had the name and address. All that remained was to pick him up before he lured another woman to her slow and painful death. Armed with that information a powerful surge of energy made its way through the precinct as Gideon stood at the helm, file in hand; poised to hammer out a plan of attack. Ideas were quickly tossed about like a ball in King's court and they quickly assembled their teams. The BAU would lead, hopefully take him by surprise and quietly- while Virginia PD followed and, if the need arose, make the arrest. Everyone appeared to be satisfied with the plan and divided themselves into teams accordingly- the pairs filed out to their cars and headed to the address double time.
The officers blocked off the street, which would prevent a possible car chase, the remaining swarmed the outer perimeter, and the BAU grouped themselves at the front door. A sprinkle of lights illuminated various windows- an indication of someone present within the home. Giving the signal, Prentiss rang the doorbell- after all, there was always the off-chance that their un-sub wasn't home and they didn't want to frighten those who were. Soft muttering could be heard from the other side of the door, something akin to cursing whomever it was that they had forgotten their keys. The chain left on, the pale face of an elderly woman could be seen in between the door and frame.
"Can I help you miss?" her voice raspy, yet warm despite it's sharp edges. Shocked, Prentiss smiled sweetly and nodded.
"I was wondering if Alexander King was here." She produced her wallet and flashed her badge quickly.
"What did he do this time?" she uttered under her breath, "hang on." She added and closed the door. Gideon heard the metal on metal as it rubbed together, then the metal against wood as she re-opened the door. "If he isn't doing one thing, it's something else." She looked out onto the street. "Well then, it must be pretty bad if the FBI is on my doorstep." She rolled her large green eyes.
"We just have some questions that he may have the answers to." Prentiss kept her calm façade, her face as inviting as she could manage.
"He said that he was meeting up with some friends on campus- something about a pub night." The older woman took a sharp breath and sighed. "I'm sorry that I can't be of any help. If you leave your card, I can ask him to give you a call when he gets in." she leaned against the doorframe for support. Prentiss glanced over towards Gideon for a nod- something to indicate that she was doing the right thing.
"Here's my card." She handed the woman the card and watched as she wobbled slightly and closed the door tightly- the sharp sound of the chain heard once more before Gideon spoke.
"She's telling the truth. I highly doubt that she would know the horrors." He sighed and headed towards the SUV. "Emily."
"Yes sir." She replied and lengthened her stride to match his.
"We're going to the university. Check out this pub night. Who knows, we may actually get lucky." She climbed into the passenger seat and closed the door with a thud.
"Gideon, are you sure that she's ready for this?" Hotchner whispered. Reid and Morgan had already headed towards another SUV. Gideon thought for a moment.
"If not, she'll never be ready." He replied simply. "Besides, you and Morgan will be following and we'll have two uniforms for back up."
"I'm still not comfortable with that. I'd rather you take Morgan."
"Trust me." Gideon said and got into the driver's seat. Starting the SUV, he waited for Hotchner and the rest of the envoy to ready themselves, then put it into gear and navigated through the streets to the university.
"Sir, what if we're too late? What if he already has his newest victim? Shouldn't we split up and have a team check out the dump site?" he thought carefully for a moment.
"Call Hotch and tell him that we're going to the dump site." He instructed and she quickly pulled out her cell phone. He heard her side of the conversation and could very well guess Hotchner's reaction- never a good thing. Passing by the university, Gideon pulled down the street that led to the nearby park- then pulled the SUV over.
"Sir?" Prentiss turned and glared at him.
"I don't want him knowing that we're on to him. The moment he sense us, he'll run." Gideon had witnessed it many times before- run or worse, and he didn't want to think of that at the moment, he had to remain focused.
He got out of the SUV and his eyes immediately rose to the moonless sky. With a quick nod, he headed towards the park's entrance with Prentiss following closely on his heels. The paved path was flanked with high lamps that cast an eerie, ghostly, yellowish tinge to the pavement. Approaching the last of the lamps, the ominous glow captured Gideon face, deepening the wrinkles that softened the once sharp features. It seemed as though they collectively held their breath and turned off the path most travelled; and cautiously headed towards the sound of the flowing river that ran through the park. With no lamps to shed their odd glow, Gideon and Prentiss would have to allow their eyes to adjust to the near blackness that seemed to close in around them- as even the diamond-like stars could not poke through the muslin-like clouds that moved across the vast, deep, rich, royal night sky.
Not liking the fact that they hadn't waited for backup, Prentiss drew her firearm. A loud snap immediately caught their attention and with a sharp gasp, Prentiss spun around to greet whoever it was with her gun.
"Easy." Gideon whispered. Cocking his head, he turned his ear towards the near pitch darkness as if listening to something that she couldn't quite hear, and tuned, straining to hear- the sounds at first were faint. The thumping of heavy footsteps combined with the scuffling sound of shoe soles against the ground of a heavily wooded area. Gideon motioned with a quick hand gesture in the direction of the sound, which suddenly ceased. With her gun poised to fire- covering Gideon, she followed suit and they continued to carefully follow in the direction the sounds had been heard. As they approached, the distinct sound of soft whimpers grew louder. Gideon brought his index finger to his lips and she nodded her understanding- he then retrieved his firearm and motioned for her to ready herself to pounce.
"FBI!" Gideon hollered- the shadow seemed to ignore the fact that he had two guns drawn on him; he merely pulled the woman off the ground to her feet by her hair and turned around to face the agents; pressing the knife against the young woman's throat- dangerously close to the jugular. Her breathing was short gasps of fear, the whites of her near bugged eyes picked up a touch of the sliver of moonlight that had managed to break through the thick cotton candy-like clouds.
"One step closer and she's as good as dead!" the gruff voice of the un-sub shouted back at them. Prentiss watched as Gideon stepped back and slowly placed his firearm back in the leather holster that resided on his right hip, and then just as slowly raised his empty hands.
"Sir?" she looked at him puzzled.
"Just trust me." He whispered. It was one of his favourite methods to catch an un-sub off guard- a tactic he had used with Elle on her first case.
"Let the girl go." Gideon's voice remained calm, despite the fact that it sounded hollow in the night. It was still just the two of them and Prentiss didn't trust the un-sub as far as she could spit. Put my gun away, I don't think so; she thought and continued to cover Gideon- placing herself in a strategic position.
"I mean it! One more step." He shook slightly and the girl continued to mummer- to quietly beg for him not to hurt her. Lucky for her they had arrived when they had, or else she would most likely be experiencing a slow and dreadfully painful death. She tried to pull away from him, but he kept an arm tightly around her waist. Gideon took a deep breath and heard Prentiss' soft voice- probably speaking to Hotchner; making him aware of their situation.
It felt as if time stood still. Waiting for one of them to move, waiting for the climax and conclusion of the stand off. Gideon wasn't sure exactly what the outcome would be- at this point, he could only hope for the best. This situation bore the unmistakable imprint of the Vogel case in Seattle, yet he knew that he couldn't use the same formula. In this case, he had to let the un-sub believe that he, indeed held the power; this would hopefully allow him to catch him off guard and save the victim.
"So what is this? You're not creative enough- smart enough that you had to steal another's signature?" he knew the words would throw him off- he knew that taunting the younger man would eventually provoke a response, yet he stood firmly in place with the young woman wrapped tightly within his strong arm. "Winter's at least managed to 'have' his intended victim; right now you must be mighty frustrated."
"Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh is that what you think? Then why don't you tell me." Gideon could hear the commotion not far behind him and was happy for the approaching backup- all that remained was to keep the victim alive until they caught up. The clouds seemed to part once more and for a moment he and Prentiss caught sight of the blood that ran down her slender neck, working its way towards her shirt. She tried to squirm within his arm, not doubt against the pain, in an attempt to free herself; however, there would be no satisfaction and the closing clouds cast them back in an odd shadow like darkness. Gideon kept his hands up where they could be seen, Prentiss still held her finger ready to pull the trigger if the need arose- and the team closed in around their un-sub, who was now breathing in nervous, short gasps of breath that escaped his slightly parted lips and created a condensation filled cloud of smoke.
"What do you think the papers will say? You're just a lowly copy-cat, paying homage to his favourite serial rapist/murderer and nothing more. You won't receive the same level of recognition. That is, of course, assuming that's what you're truly after." His words were sharp and biting, hitting each and every nerve that ran through the un-sub's body- finally finding and striking the last one.
"You bastard!" the un-sub literally threw the young woman at Gideon and somehow in doing so, managed to grab Prentiss- he held her gun under her chin. Gideon brushed the hair away from her face and heard loud footsteps behind them. Hotchner grabbed her and picked her up, carrying her towards the awaiting emergency vehicles.
"Gideon!" it was the first time she hadn't referred to him as sir and his head snapped up in response. He could see the contrast of the gun against her pale skin and took a deep breath.
"Now Alexander, don't do anything stupid." Gideon maintained his calm exterior, even though a shiver ran through his body.
"So you do know my name?"
"I do, and from where I stand, its check in three, possibly checkmate." Gideon paused and took a hesitant step forward so that he could see the younger man's face. He had assumed that Prentiss had been trained in hand-to-hand, so he wasn't really too concerned with her not being able to take care of herself- it was; however, an unsteady un-sub with a gun pressed under the chin of one of his agents that upset him. He wanted to calm the situation without further bloodshed.
"Let her go." Gideon took another step towards Alexander.
"Get back or I swear I'll blow her head off!" he yelled and Gideon could sense the terror that her rigid body language revealed. Gideon stood firmly in place.
"What do you think you'll accomplish in killing an FBI agent? You do that and we get you, you'll never see the light of day."
"I'm already screwed." He shouted back. Gideon took that and advanced another step. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO COME ANY CLOSER!!!" his voice boomed and everyone heard the shot as it cracked through the air. Prentiss had somehow managed to shift her body weight and slam him to the ground, quickly cuffing him while others closed in. In the scuffle no one noticed Gideon drop to his knees as he clutched at the burning sensation in his left shoulder.
"Gideon!" Morgan and Reid ran as fast as they could to his side while Prentiss handed Alexander to the awaiting officers. She hadn't noticed that the stray bullet, the bullet meant for her had found a target. Turning towards the source of the new commotion, Prentiss grabbed Hotchner and they tried to help. Hotchner immediately had the paramedics informed of the situation. Reid had pulled off his sweater and was pressing it against the gushing wound, trying to stop the bleeding long enough for help to arrive.
Gideon had been laid out on the ground and could only see the looks of shock and concern on the faces that surrounded him- his team. He tried to reach up, but his arm refused.
"Elle." He whispered quietly before a wave of dizziness combined with nausea; he closed his eyes against the pain and all went black. The paramedics stabilised him and loaded him into the ambulance ready to take him to the hospital. Hotchner stood with his team and watched.
"Alexandria Hospital is where we're taking him. Agent Hotchner do you want to ride with us?" one of the paramedics called to him. He turned towards his team.
"Meet me there." He said in a surprisingly calm tone. They nodded their ascent and quickly made their way to the SUVs. Reid sat silently in the back seat and wrung his blood covered hands, wishing it had been a nightmare- he'd wake up soon enough.
"Why did he call out for Elle?" Morgan said under his breath as he sped down the streets.
"I don't know." Prentiss replied and rested her head on the head rest and closed her eyes against the bright lights of the street lamps and other traffic.
Meanwhile in the ambulance, Hotchner watched as they kept Gideon stable and tried to think positively.
"Elle." Gideon's voice was weak and quickly brought Hotchner back to reality. He reached out and placed a comforting hand on Gideon's other shoulder. "Tell her I'm okay?" he then murmured something completely incoherent and Hotchner sighed quietly as he felt the ambulance slow to a halt. They whisked Gideon away to be assessed and Hotchner pulled his cell from his pocket. It had been a while since he had called Elle and wasn't completely sure if she hadn't changed her number- he had to at least try and get in touch with her.
"Hello?" her voice was soft- she was probably expecting Gideon's call. He paused and cleared his throat.
"Elle, it's Hotchner." His tone gave the reason away in an instant.
"This is bad isn't it?" worry replaced softness and she took a sharp breath.
"Gideon's been shot and he was asking for you on the ride to the hospital."
"Where?"
"Alexandria Hospital." He replied and stood just outside the emergency door waiting for the rest of the team.
"I'm on my way." She cradled the phone and gathered her purse, keys and coat before heading out the door.
***
In a dream-like state, the team found themselves surrounded by a thick cloud of near deafening silence- when it should have been a happy time, not a bitter-sweet conclusion to their case. On one hand, the un-sub had been apprehended, which was always a good thing; on the other, they found themselves helplessly awaiting news of Gideon's condition. Usually the apprehension of an un-sub gave the team a brief moment to catch their collective breath prior to receiving their next case- a momentary pause, a sigh of relief, a quiet celebration prior to the inevitable storm. However, in this particular instance, this case refused them such luxury- as recent events overshadowed the bright side and an incredibly eerie sense of déjà vu had worked itself into their veins like ice water as the team unintentionally took over a small lounge in wait.
To Morgan's surprise even Garcia, who liked hospitals about as much as the gruesome photographs and audio/visual files she had been subjected to had arrived- sticking to his side like glue. Sensing her discomfort, he placed a warm, comforting hand on her back and she responded by leaning into his caring caress. None of them could ever forget the last time they had felt so incredibly helpless- it had been when they had nearly lost Elle. In this case being able to actually band together, yet having no actual power to do anything only fuelled their collective feeling of fear and anxiety. Despite their darkest fears, an unspoken understanding ran beneath the surface- they all knew that he would pull through; they could be as certain of that fact as they all knew how incredibly tough he was.
Hotchner rubbed at his eyes and glanced up at the clock before excusing himself from the tired, down faces of his team mates- citing the need for some air. The automatic glass doors parted and a gust of winter wind nearly chilled him to the bone as it caressed his exposed face and neck. He stood in defiance against the cold with his hands shoved deeply in his coat pockets just outside the large sliding doors- taking much-needed, deep, controlled breaths. The sharp ring of his cell phone tucked safely within his suit jacket was ignored as he couldn't be bothered; his dark gaze fixed upon the lone woman who walked briskly towards him.
"How is he?" her voice was small and slightly unsteady, filled with emotion and mixed with concern. He shook his head and took another deep breath.
"Gideon is still in surgery- I'm so very sorry Elle." His eyes focused on the wet pavement that caught the shimmer of the bright lights and then with another deep breath, fixed his intense gaze back upon her- she watched as the hot exhaled breath turned into a puff of condensation-filled smoke in the crisp night air. She tilted her head to the side and the soft glow caught her eyes and revealed the pinkish tint around the lower eyelids- he quickly concluded that she had been crying and somehow had managed to pull herself together. "If it's any consolation, Gideon was right. It was checkmate for us. Alexander King is now in police custody and facing a plethora of charges." He waited to see her reaction to the news, hoped that it might have an impact; yet it truly hadn't done much in the sense of removing the dazed expression that had etched itself upon her face. That mixed with something that he could tell went far beyond concern. Hotchner knew that he had always been good at his job; however, Elle had somehow managed to be a mystery to him. Tonight, possibly for the first time, she had let her guard down just long enough for him to get an actual read on her- something that he had not had the opportunity to achieve when she was on the team, as she had nearly been as successful as Gideon in maintaining a guarded front. She silently ran a comforting hand down his arm in understanding and he responded by pulling his hands out of his pockets and wrapped an arm around her slumped shoulders. Elle allowed herself to lean into his embrace and they stood in a shared silence- a silence that granted the complexities of the current situation to disappear and be replaced with a moment of simplicity that wrapped itself around them like a soft blanket of reassurance. Maintaining the silence, Hotchner led her through the automatic doors towards the elevators.
When they entered the lounge, Elle was greeted with various soft words of comfort as she and Hotchner sat amongst the team as Father Time dragged the second hand around the clock- ever so slowly ticking the minutes into hours. No one dare move from their place; except for Prentiss, who stood off to the side with her arms folded tightly across her chest. She was the only one who paced from one side of the room to the other. Hotchner looked around at the faces that illustrated the various stages of near exhaustion and decided that it was for the best to request that they go home and get some rest- something that should have been done hours ago; now it was time to formalise it.
"There really isn't much that any of us can do, except wait. You've all done an outstanding job- I think that it's best that you guys go home and get some rest. Once I speak with the doctors, I will call you with the outcome." He gestured for them to file out. It seemed as though it took a few minutes for his words to sink in and finally, they nodded their acceptance and huddled around Elle once more before filing out.
Hotchner's chiselled features softened as he watched the yawn Elle had tried to suppress make its presence known. He closed the gap between them, carefully reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze, letting her know that he was there if she needed him.
"Elle." She turned her face to face him. "You know for a fact that Gideon's going to get through this. He's stubborn as all get out." His voice was a soothing wave in her ears- she hadn't been used to hearing him speak with such a calming softness that she couldn't prevent her head from mindlessly bobbing in agreement. She knew, after all, that he was right.
"Thank you." She attempted to smile, but her glossy raspberry lips refused the order. "I really appreciate your calling me." She in turn tapped his knee gently and both heard someone clearing their throat, looked up in unison at the doctor who stood in the doorway, signing some paperwork for the nurse that stood waiting behind him.
"Agent Hotchner?" he inquired and Hotchner turned his attention towards the doctor with a nod- his bangs fell over his forehead. The nurse took the binder as the doctor placed the pen in its place in the pocket of his white coat. "I'm Doctor McAdams. Agent Gideon is out of surgery and in recovery under observation. He will be moved to his room within a few hours. I am pleased that the surgery went as expected and he should make a quick recovery."
"Thank you Doctor McAdams." Hotchner said quietly; the doctor nodded with a warm smile and left him with Elle- relief quickly replaced the worry on her face. Smiling, he turned to her.
"Hotch you really ought to go home. You need your rest. Besides, Haley's probably beside herself freaking out that you're not home." She said and was finally able to smile through the fear, yet tears of relief welled up in her eyes. "I'll stay with him until he wakes. Your family needs you." They stood and she steered him towards the elevators. He paused in his long stride and turned to her.
"Elle, are you sure? I mean, I can wait with you until they move him-if you want. Just let me call the team and let Haley know that everything is going to be just fine." He didn't hear Elle's protest; he walked with purpose down the long, lightly lit, quiet hallway towards the public telephone. He picked up the receiver and started to dial a number- all Elle could do was watch in wonder as she pressed herself against the painted metal doorframe for support. Man is fate a twisted son of a bitch; she mused bitterly and turned, rolling herself off the doorframe and plunked herself in one of the empty chairs.
"Elle?" a soft, gentle smile on the young nurses lips.
"Yes?" she replied looking up at the nurse.
"He said that you were beautiful, but his description hardly did you justice. Agent Gideon has been asking for you for quite some time now." Her voice was quiet and calming, she led them down the hallway towards Gideon's room. "One at a time please, he's still quite groggy." She smiled once more and headed to the nurses station. Hotchner motioned for Elle to go first- after all Gideon had been asking for her. She nodded wordlessly. He observed her as she squared her shoulders and with one last deep breath, entered the lightly lit room.
As she took the first steps into the room, an odd felling crept though her. Is this how he felt? She wondered if his feelings had been mixed with a generous sprinkle of fear as well. With her senses on overload; every sound appeared far louder than it truly was. The sharp staccato sounds of various monitors that broke through the silence accompanied the pounding of her heart as it beat frantically in her chest as if attempting to escape. She timidly approached his bed and paused at the foot for a moment, just observing the expanse of his broad chest as it rose and fell to its own steady rhythm. The involuntary sigh seemed to meld with the existing sounds around them and she allowed herself to take another, more confident step towards him. It greatly pained her to see him lying on a hospital bed, a light blanket over him, amongst the numerous tubes distributing medications; and wires that recorded his vitals. She tenderly reached out for his hand and ever so gently, as if it may break, picked it up and pressed her lips against the soft skin of his knuckles. He stirred slightly at the sensation, yet found it difficult to speak as his mouth was uncomfortably dry.
"Elle?" his voice sounded weak. He fought against heavy lids in an attempt to open his eyes- yet they refused him. "Elle, is that you?" he said with a bit more force, his voice raspy in her ears and his parched lips formed a smile that only increased in wattage as he won the fight and his eyes focused upon her. He squeezed her hand and she responded by leaning in towards him and lovingly kissing his forehead.
"Jason, don't speak." She cooed with her forehead pressed against his, they're noses also lightly touching. "I'm here." She slowly unwrapped one of her hands from his and affectionately caressed his cheek with comforting strokes. "Hotch is here too, if you'd like to see him. They wouldn't allow us to visit you at the same time because you're supposed to be resting." She said quietly and he managed to reach up and capture her chin with cool clammy fingers.
"That would be nice." He managed quietly. Nodding quickly, she left him for a moment to where Hotchner patiently waited outside his door. Just a scratch my ass, she thought.
"How is he?" Hotchner inquired softly so that Gideon wouldn't hear.
"What can I say? You were right." She beamed and grabbed his arm for support before he went to visit his colleague- his friend.
When Hotchner finally emerged from the room, he found Elle crouched against the wall, her elbows resting on her thighs and her head in her hands, with eyes closed. While waiting, she had probably pressed her back against the wall, using it for support and sunk down so that she sat on her heels.
"Jason's asking for you." He held out a hand, which she accepted and he assisted her to her feet in one fluid motion.
"You're going home to get some rest right?" she cocked a brow and he nodded his agreement. "Good." She quickly hugged him, past forgotten, and returned to Gideon's side. She gently brushed her fingers along his forehead and then sat in the chair beside him. Reclaiming his hand once more, she held it tightly within her own.
Unbeknown to the team, news of Gideon's condition quickly spread like an uncontrollable wild fire. The team had been given time off to nurse the emotional wounds sustained as a direct result of the outcome of their last case. Ironically, they had all agreed that they would spend that time visiting Gideon. To their surprise, they found Elle curled up in the obviously uncomfortable chair beside his bed holding his hand and cradling her head in the crook of her arm. Not to their surprise, Gideon, who appeared to watch over her as she slept, was in exceptionally good spirits. Against Gideon's wish, Morgan gently ran his fingers along her back, waking her- in response, she nearly jumped out of her skin."How long have you been here?" Hotchner asked from his place beside Garcia. She slowly lifted her head, her hair falling into place around her shoulders. Not realising that Gideon had contented himself to watching her sleep, she shook her head. "Did you even go home?"
"No." she replied groggily and stretched the stiffness from her muscles. "Congratulations by the way for taking down that un-sub." She smiled and stood.
"Why don't you and I grab a coffee?" Reid inquired lightly and she nodded her reply with a grateful smile.
"Have a nice visit. I'll see you guys in a bit." She picked up her purse and followed Reid out of the room; that seemed to come alive with conversation, to the cafeteria. They placed and paid for their orders at the counter, the lady behind the till pleasant like most of the hospitals employees. They entered the bright space and found a table for two beside one of the large, floor to ceiling tinted windows.
"So when are you coming back?" Reid asked as they took their seats. The corners of her lips fell into a frown.
"You don't waste any time do you?" she tilted her head.
"Sharp shooter, remember?" he gently blew over the rim in an attempt to cool the steaming liquid enough to drink. She smiled at the memory and mirrored his actions.
"Well other than when I have actually given it any thought, I haven't exactly had the time." She replied and after taking the first sip, placed the paper cup on the table in front of her.
"Apparently Emily is in the dog house." Reid offered her a bone.
"Really?" her eyebrow shot up in interest and resting her arms on the tabletop, she leaned forward.
"I guess Hotch and Gideon didn't have a chance to tell you."
"Tell me what exactly? That it was because of her that Jas, uh Gideon got shot." She quickly corrected herself.
"Well, yes there is that, but there's far more to it than meets the eye." He looked down into the coffee cup in an attempt to avoid Elle's intense stare. "Apparently, she's under review for her actions. It would seem that there has been another instance." He paused in thought for a moment. "In any case, if all goes badly, which I suspect it will, she will be removed from the team." He looked away for a brief moment to cover the indifferent expression he couldn't prevent.
"So in essence Reid, what you're saying is that it looks as though there will be a vacancy on the team in the relatively near future." Elle's expression changed, softened ever so slightly. In response, he nodded and smiled brightly. "Don't you dare even think it!" she shot back at him playfully and he faked a wounded look. He held up his hands, his long fingers spread appearing far leaner than they truly were.
"Okay, okay, I don't if you don't wish me to." He paused. "Last I heard she's been in meetings with all the big shots. I suppose we'll be informed of their decision once its reached." He finished the last gulp of coffee and watched as Elle did the same before he took her cup and tossed it, along with his own in the garbage. "In any case, I hope that you'll be starting as soon as possible." He laughed when she nudged him and they made their way back upstairs to Gideon's room.
***
From time immemorial, the pesky rumour mill has always appeared to be a rather interesting entity- which just so happened to be in full force in the circulation of Gideon being shot; and just as quickly his swift return. Of course, he would not officially rejoin the team in the field until he was completely medically fit; however, his input would no doubt be instrumental to the team's upcoming cases. He sat at his desk catching up on the numerous files that had piled up- cases long forgotten; memories, both good and bad, rushed to the surface nonetheless, making it feel as though it were only yesterday. One case file in particular, a case that had somehow managed to tuck away, in the far reaches of his mind had made its way to the top of the heap. The Garner case still required a complete report, which he had thought long taken care of. He was slow and deliberate in his movements and finally flipped the file open- his eyes fell upon the crime scene photographs of Elle's flat and he let the deep sigh of his mistake escape his lips- that miscalculation nearly cost her, her life and he still felt terribly responsible for the events of that night. Knew that had he gone a different route, not allowed himself to become as drawn into the sick game of their un-sub, none of what transpired would have and Elle would never have been shot, would never have just up and left the team without so much as a goodbye.
It was so easy for her to wear a mask- easily shielding any emotion that she may have been experiencing as she stood and stared at the desk that had been given to her on her first day. Once the initial shock had lifted and most of the dust settled, she now had to deal with the consequences of her actions. Now she only stared at the object in indifference. It had never felt as though it were truly hers- nor in truth had she made any effort to add a photograph, a mug, or anything for that matter that individualised it from the others in the bullpen. Yet it always felt as though Elle would arrive; and due to that return, Emily would find herself removed from the team. Never had she imagined that this is how they would resolve the issue; a transfer. It felt as though the empty box was mocking her and she stared it down. However, she soon realised that there would be very little to place within and she quickly removed anything that did belong to her before closing the lid tightly. She fiddled with the contents of the file before placing it on top of the box and heading towards Hotchner's office. His door, as per the norm was open and she easily balanced the box between the doorframe and her slender hip before gently tapping the metal. He lifted his head in response to the sound, although expecting her arrival.
"Agent Prentiss." He beckoned her with a quick gesture and she actually found herself quickly looking about his insanely neat office before taking the first step.
"Sir, I have brought the paperwork for the transfer." She placed the box on the empty chair that sat in front of his desk and opened the file to pull out the various sheets that required his signature. "I just wanted to thank you for speaking so highly of me on my behalf at the hearing."
"Emily," he stopped skimming the paperwork and looked up at her. "You are capable of working with the BAU- you merely lack the experience. What happened wasn't completely your fault; and Gideon is well aware of the fact that you were only trying to help. You saw a window of opportunity and decided to use it. What you do need to learn is trust; and not just in your own instincts, rather the team with which you are assigned. That's one of the cornerstones of this team, and no doubt others." He said as he returned his gaze to the many pages, straightened them and began to sign. Once the last bore his elegant signature, he gathered them and held them out for her. "National Security Service will be lucky to have you." His comment held an honesty that helped in alleviating the sense of failure she felt.
"Thank you Sir."
"Emily, look back upon this as an experience. You've learned a great deal from it- that much is obvious to me. Just remember one thing." He paused and she looked down briefly before returning her eyes to his. "Please don't allow this experience to define you."
"Thank you Sir." She wanted to tell him that he was wrong-something prevented her from further discussion as she accepted the proffered papers and placed them back in the file before picking up the box and making her way to her new floor, making her way to a new bullpen, a new nest; and in many ways- a new beginning.
Gideon heard the gentle pitter-patter of rain as it was blown against the windows- he sighed at the thought of yet another rainy winter evening. Being that he was still recovering from his injury, Elle arrived on his doorstep with a bottle of fine wine in hand ready to prepare a succulent meal. Gideon had already dressed the table with fresh, crisp linens that were softened by the candle light and music that played softly in the background- a combination that created an enchanting ambience for two; that and the fact that it complemented the meal, the wine, and conversation beyond perfection. Once the dishes were cleared and the coffee made- they entangled themselves comfortably, yet carefully within the worn sofa cushions, which seemed to gently cradle their bodies, as they enjoyed a moment of mutual silence."What's on your mind? You've been exceptionally quiet this evening." Elle inquired as she shifted carefully so that she could sit face-to-face. She then tucked her long leg underneath her and leaned her torso casually against the sofas soft cushions.
"I've been thinking." She knew exactly what he had been thinking about; the wistful look that captured his eyes seemed to reveal all.
"Perhaps Reid's inquiry had been incited by you and Hotch?" a smile played with the corners of her deep glossy berry lips. He raised an eyebrow.
"Perhaps yes, perhaps no- that all depends on whether or not it was successful." His wink accompanied the mischievous smile that he could no longer hide from her. Absently, she ran her fingers through her hair and looked down briefly before slowly lifting her eyes up through thick lashes to meet his mock intense gaze- once her dark eyes locked with his, his heart began to melt. "I've always been good in not pressuring you to make a decision." He paused. "Tell me that you haven't thought about it- seriously thought about the possibility of returning." She reached out and tenderly ran her finger along his jaw line and allowed her hand to rest at the open top button on his deep burgundy shirt.
"Gideon, it really isn't that simple. It greatly complicates things. It's more a question of whether or not a relationship is appropriate. Whatever this is, I've been enjoying it immensely and I don't want to lose what we have in order to return to the BAU. It's an equal trade off." He could hardly believe his ears- how could giving something so important to her be equal in any way?
"Elle, honey, I've seen such a wonderfully amazing change in you. Whatever it is that you decide, I just want you to be happy." He gently took her hands in his and held them tightly for emphasis. "I recall a time when you were beyond happy. I always thought that the BAU was what made you so." He said softly.
"For a time, it was." She stopped herself from continuing, half afraid of the tears that might win over her. He shifted closer towards her and caressed her cheek as if to distract her. "I worked so hard for that sport, so hard to prove to you and Hotchner that I was worthy of it. After being shot and nearly dying, things changed. My perspective changed and when the whole Lee incident happened, I couldn't help but question so many things. Not just myself, but the team as well." She covered his hand with hers and brought his palm to her lips. "For the first time in a long while, things are starting to make sense." She added.
"Hotchner is well aware of this- us; and I'm fairly certain that the team is as well. If you and Hotchner can resolve your issues- I know for a fact that what we have will always be safe." He illustrated his point by gently cupping her chin and gingerly leaned into her and captured her lips with his. When they parted, he closed his eyes for a brief moment and winced against the sudden rush of pain to his shoulder.
"Just a scratch you say?" she teased and got up to go to the kitchen to get the bottle of pain medication that he kept beside the kitchen sink and was quick in returning with the bottle and a glass of water. "Here you go." She said softly.
"Thank you." He said quietly and quickly took the prescribed dosage. "I will feel better momentarily." He sat back into the sofa and crossed his right ankle over his left knee- a pose that she had grown accustomed to seeing from him. "As you know that spot has become available." He smiled and seemed to allow the hope be seen in his eyes, darkened by the shadow.
She stepped off the elevator and made her way down the familiar, ever bustling hallway towards the hub of the bullpen of the BAU. She may have only been away for several months, yet it felt as though she had never truly left. As a pair of agents exited, one held the tempered glass door open for her with a bright smile of recognition."Thanks." She said with a happy grin and then made her way towards Gideon's office. She stood at his door and watched him for a moment as he sat at his cluttered desk, sitting back in his worn leather chair with a book cradled on his lap- making notes on a yellow pad of paper that she couldn't quite make out from the distance. He seemed to sense her lurking in his doorway and lifted his head in acknowledgement. The smile on his lips only grew at her presence.
"Well hello there stranger. Do come in." he motioned for her to enter and have a seat- she actually had to move a stack of books from one of the old, worn, and slightly frayed leather seats. She suddenly felt like the student in the professor's office, Gideon seemed so overly authoritative sitting behind his well utilised desk. "I don't suppose that you're here about the vacancy." He removed his thin, silver wire glasses that were perched upon the bridge of his thin nose. She glanced down at her hands wondering how he had been the only one to ever truly be able to read her.
"I've given it a lot of thought since that night. I thought that I ought to speak with you 'officially' about it first before I speak with Hotch." She rested her hands on a file that sat on her lap.
"You've decided not to return." He seemed not to have heard her, his tone matter-of-fact. She almost couldn't look at him as she felt an odd rush of emotion as it ran down her spine. She didn't wish to stall, and knew full well that taking a deep breath or sighing would make it appear that that was what she was doing- yet how could he so easily draw the that conclusion. Fine, I'll play your game; she mused and collected her thoughts.
"I have just received an amazing job offer and it's far more than I could ever have hoped for." She artfully fumbled for the words and managed to convey the mock emotion to accompany them. He knew she was playing him, yet he played her game with one of his own.
"Elle." He paused as she opened her purse and took out an envelope. She held it out towards him and sat quietly watching as he opened it. Somehow he expected an explanation, yet what he found was exactly what he had hoped.
"Ja- Gideon, I hope that you will accept me as a potential candidate for the opening with the BAU." Her tone sounded official in his ears. He shook his head and smiled brightly.
"When is this official?" he inquired and pushed himself away from behind his desk and walked towards her. "After I." He whispered in her ear and she couldn't stop the blush that worked its way to her cheeks from her toes.
"Perhaps after." She replied and reached up, gently guiding his face towards hers, taking full command of his lips. "Okay, now." She straightened herself in her seat and he chuckled warmly.
"Am I right to think that you and Hotch have worked everything out?" she nodded. "Once you speak with Hotch; your desk is where you left it." He winked at her and she nodded her thanks. "I look forward to having you back on the team." He added as he returned to his desk.
"Thank you." She replied happily and stood. "Catch you later." She smiled brightly and headed towards the door.
Narrowly missing a collision with J.J. on her way to Hotchner's office, Elle caught her balance; however, she couldn't erase the smile that she wore.
"Welcome back." J.J. said with a happy grin as they managed to get by one another. "Oh and before I forget, there are several files on your desk that require your signature before you leave on the next case." She called over her shoulder and ducked into Gideon's office.
"Thanks J.J.!" Elle called after her and continued on her way.
"No problem." She poked her head through the open door. Elle walked briskly to Hotchner's office, realising that they had a feeling that she would return, J.J.'s comments finalising it, yet she had to prepare herself for the worst- that the opening had been filled and J.J. was unaware.
"Morning Elle." He lifted his head form the documents he had been reading. "I hope that you're ready to get back into the groove, so to speak." He looked down briefly and she was happy to hear that the spot was hers once more.
"I'm definitely up for the challenge." She replied and he motioned for her to close the door and have a seat.
"Good, I just wanted to let you know that while relationships within the team are generally frowned upon- seeing that circumstances are what they are- especially in this particular case, as I understand it started around the time you quit. I'm presuming that that won't be an issue."
"Not at all Sir; let's just say that I have taken your advice- I have prioritised. I've spoken with Gideon and we have ironed out the groundwork. Besides, you said yourself that there has to be a dividing line between the home and work- this, albeit a rather different situation, will not adversely affect how I do my job, nor will it Gideon. If I feel that dividing line is blurred in any way, I will of course discuss it with him and should the need arise, with you. Gideon has agreed."
"I just thought that I ought to let you know that the team is aware of your situation- not that they were told; however, in my calling you when Gideon was shot- it happened to be the icing on the cake, so to speak."
"I sensed that. I just didn't want to make an issue of it." She allowed her eyebrows to rise and fall to emphasise her point.
"No worries. The team is tight lipped when the topic of Gideon's shooting comes up, as much as they are with Prentiss' being transferred. The opening left by her transfer and your return has also sparked a bit of debate amongst some of the considered candidates."
"Please just tell me that."
"Your rejoining the team is legitimate?" she nodded. "You have nothing to worry about. The team is well beyond glad to have you back. Before I forget, this is all of the paperwork pertaining to your return. I need your signature here, here- and here." He pointed out the various places and she picked up a pen and quickly signed. "Once you get settled, we'll have our briefing in the round table room."
"Thank you Sir."
"Hotchner, or in your case, Hotch is fine." He smiled as she rose to leave. "And Elle?"
"Yes?"
"It's so good to officially have you back on the team."
"It's really the most amazing feeling to be back." She left him to his paperwork and made her way to the bullpen where Morgan and Reid sat with their heads together. Up to no good, she thought as they parted with her arrival- both smiling broadly.
"Hey Greenaway!" Morgan exclaimed and got up to pull out her chair.
"You better not be spoiling me now Morgan." She smiled widely. "Hey Reid." She added and her eyes fell upon the gold-toned nameplate bearing her name that sat proudly upon her desk. He knew, she thought for a moment.
"It's so good to have you back." Morgan said with a grin. Reid nodded his ascent and Elle shook her head.
"Guys, it's great to be back."
"BAU team- they are ready for us in the round table room." Hotchner announced from his office as he walked briskly to the conference room. Elle felt the unmistakable surge of energy and excitement as it coursed through her veins and in that instant she knew that things would soon be returning to what had once upon a time been 'normal'. The team quickly gathered their notepads and pens before heading towards the conference room and whatever case awaited their immediate attention. Another day, another case- yet having Elle back made things that much sweeter. The family was reassembled once more.
Fin
***
- Criminal Minds - home page
- New stories
- Reid/Morgan
- Reid/Hotch
- Reid/Gideon
- Hotch/Rossi
- Hotch/Morgan
- Hotch/Gideon
- Prentiss/JJ
- JJ/Garcia
- Prentiss/Garcia
- Morgan/Garcia
- JJ/Reid
- JJ/Morgan
- Prentiss/Reid
- Hotch/Prentiss
- Morgan/Prentiss
- Other pairings
- Gen stories