"Jake you know he doesn't mean it right? I-"
"BUT HE DOES MEAN IT Y/N. SEE YOU NEVER WENT THROUGH THIS, YOU WERE ALWAYS DAD'S FAVO-"
"Oh come on Jake! I went through the same things and trust me, I was definitely not Dad's favorite. If anything you were his favorite! Just, please, can't this wait until I'm home for Thanksgiving?"
"Goodbye. It was nice talking to you Y/N."
"Ja-"
Beeeep.
How I wanted to chuck that phone across the room and scream into oblivion. It was the fourth time that month since Jake, my little brother, had called from California and complained to me about our dad's scolding's and their arguments. The phone rang again from across the room, and fuming, I picked it up and yelled into it.
"GOD DAMNIT JAKE IF YOU HANG UP ON ME ON-"
"Woah, it's Aaron."
A small 'oh' escaped my lips. Aaron. My boss. And boyfriend of 6 months.
"What happened Y/N?"
"Oh, um, nothing. Why'd you call me? Do we have a new case?"
I could practically hear his thoughts on the other end. 'Do I ask her what's wrong or do I let it go for now?' I prayed that he would choose the latter.
"We have a new case. JJ wants us all in for a meeting in 30."
"All right. See you soon."
---
"Hey Y/N! What's up?"
I sighed and tried to muster up a grin for Garcia. "Chicken butt?" I meagerly offered.
Garcia's playful grin left her face as she rolled over to me. "What's wrong girl?"
I shook my head, looking obviously at Hotch. Garcia nodded and mouthed 'after?'
JJ stood up and pulled up her slides.
"This is Miranda Jung, she lived in Mesquite, Nevada. Her arm was found near the 15 freeway and the rest of her body was found soon after. There were signs of bondage around her wrists, ankles, and neck. Local PD had a hard time identifying her due to the, uh, 'strange red dress' she was wearing."
"Alright, wheels up in 15."
Everyone, with the exception of Garcia, stood up and got their go-bags. As I was about to leave, Hotch grabbed my arms, an eyebrow raised. Everyone else quickly filed out of the room and it was just the two of us.
He patted the table and I slid onto it, a little ritual we did before talking about something serious.
"What's wrong Y/N?"
"Nothing's wrong. Stop profiling me. You of all people should know better." I bit back my tongue.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to be snappy," I said softly.
I could tell that he wanted to ask more, but he refrained and pulled me into a hug instead. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the team peeking in through the glass windows, but I didn't really care. I just inhaled the scent of musk and sage with a slight hint of burnt wood and mint. He stroked my hair and kissed the top of my head before giving me a small peck on the cheek.
"We'll talk later."
My mouth went into a straight line as I resigned to my fate.
---
"Oh god," I muttered as we got closer to the crime scene. The woman's body parts were laid out in the open for all to see as I silently prayed for her soul to find peace somewhere. I was an atheist, but I still needed some sort of spiritual knowledge that these victims weren't holding a grudge and that they were somewhere safe.
