Happy At Last | Aaron Hotchner x Reader

✰CHAPTER SEVENTEEN ✰

You had been back at work for several days now and you were so happy about it.

You loved sitting at your desk again and talking to your coworkers that you missed being around dearly.

A month is a long time to be away from work even if you were asleep for half of it.

You were working on paperwork when you received a phone call.

You didn't normal get these, but you answered "Hello, Dr. L/N."

"Hey there honey."

You're heart dropped to your stomach.

You looked around, wondering how he found out you work here.

He chuckled "Aren't you going to be polite and say hi?"

"Hi."

Another chuckled escaped his mouth "I just wanted to let you know, I'll be coming to that Quantico you moved to. I'll be visiting for a bit."

You swore to never tell him where you were.

How did he find you?

"I didn't want to intrude just yet, but since you got shot, I want to check up on you."

Damn it Penelope.

You knew she meant well, but she really shouldn't have.

He paused "And of course, I can't wait for you and I to have some special alone time like we used to."

Tears began to form in your eyes.

"Well, I'm just excited to be seeing you again. It's been too long since I've seen you! I mean for God sake I though my daughter would talk to me after she left. What has it been? 8 years?"

10 years, you wanted to correct.

It's been a decade since you escaped him and you wanted to keep it that way.

He continued "I can't believe I had to find out from that nice friend of yours, Penelope I think it was, that you got hurt!"

You shut your eyes tightly and clenched your free fist.

"Anyhow, I'll see you soon enough. Bye sweetie."

You slammed you phone back into place and ran out out the office and started booking it up the stairs.

It was a bit difficult since you were in black heels and a black dress, but you didn't care.

You made it to the roof and feel onto the floor, uncontrollably sobbing.

He did unspeakable things to you.

You couldn't have him coming back here, ruining it all.

You thought you had finally got away from him.

The only way you could fully escape was taking up a very time consuming job.

Doctor.

You told him medical school and the hospital would be your life now.

Now that he knew you worked for the FBI, he didn't feel as bad coming in and destroying everything you worked for.

Your good life, your career, your chance at a love life, anything that you wanted.

Gone.

That man would find a way to ruin it.

To ruin you.

Because that's what he did.

Hurt you.

He took pleasure in making your life a living hell and finding new ways to crush everything you worked for.

More and more tears fell as you remembered your old life with him.

You would get home, just trying to do your homework and sleep since you got none of that, but he would force you into his room.

He would do awful things to you.

You cried harder.

He would hit you if you resisted him.

That's why you were so hesitant to take this job since you knew you'd see stuff that you bring this out of you.

However, you were able to keep it down.

They were good profilers, but not that good.

This was locked deep inside of you.

Nobody, not even Emily, knew of the horror you used to face at home and you had hoped to keep it that way.

You had no clue on how you could fix this without telling someone.

How could you escape him without telling someone that you had been treated like the victims in the cases you looked at everyday?

You felt so helpless, sitting on the floor of the roof, crying your eyes out.

Maybe if he hadn't said anything about "special time like the old days" you wouldn't be so unnerved, of course you still would be, but maybe you could face him.

Now there was no chance.

He couldn't see you and you refused to see him.

"Y/N?"

You looked to the door from which you came out of to see JJ and Hotch standing there.

You looked away quickly.

JJ came running over and said "We came to find you for a new case. What happened honey? Did someone do something?"

"Do I need to kill someone?"

You shook your head and lightly chuckled "Sorry... I've just been having a real off day. I didn't mean to cry or anything, but I didn't want to go to the bathroom so I just came up here."

"Oh... Well we have a new case. How about we take you down to the conference room and if you can't handle it, we'll give you an out?"

You smiled and nodded "Yeah. That'd be great. Can you just give me a minute to compose myself? I'll be down in a minute."

JJ smiled back and got up before walking to the door.

You started to wipe your tears and mumble insults at yourself.

"What really happened?"

You looked up at Hotch, who had moved to JJ's spot, crouching right in front of you with a look of concern.

"Like I said. I'm having a bad day."

He chuckled and said "Since when do you take me for a bad profiler?"

You sighed, realizing that you couldn't keep everything in when he caught you crying.

You simply shook your head and replied "It's not important, okay? Just a silly family matter that I can deal with after the case."

Hotch looked at you with his eyebrows furrowed and you knew that he didn't believe you.

"Alright. If you need to talk about it, I'm here. And like JJ said, if you need to sit this one out, we understand."

Your eyes widened, knowing that if you weren't on the case that you'd be forced to see him whenever he showed up.

You swallowed hard and said "No... I'll be okay for it. I'm positive."

He gave a small smile and said "Okay. Just let me know if anything is wrong and I'll pull you aside and try to help in any way I can."

You returned the smile and thanked him.

He placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder and helped you up from the ground.

This was going to be a long case.

But you were gonna force yourself to get through it.

Whatever it takes.