Cruel - Criminal minds enemies to lovers

Deadly secrets (1)

The heads of the FBI walked into the BAU as the team filled out paperwork a few days after the court trial.

"What's going on?" Morgan asked Rossi as the officials walked into Hotch's office, shutting the door and pulling the blinds down.

"Is that the head of the FBI?" Emily said in shock, Reid only nodded as a response.

He hadn't spoken much since what happened, he was grieving the loss of a new friend but the team weren't allowed to take any time off- the head official's orders.

The team suddenly heard yelling from the office and tried to listen in.

"I am not making my team hunt her down again, they are too involved in this. They became her friends and have built a relationship with her which would disrupt our ability to work non-biasedly to catch her which is what you need to catch someone as incredibly smart and unpredictable as Athena. Find another unit to head this investigation" Hotch said sternly to the man sat in his chair.

"Agent Hotchner, I am not asking you, I'm telling you- this is an order. That woman injured over a dozen council-members and court officials in that room-" He began but Hotch interrupted.

"You and I both know that she could have easily killed them all but didn't, she made me and my team leave with the security so that there wouldn't be any serious casualties. She is a good person and I am not going to start a man hunt for her that could anger her and cause her to retaliate against my team just because you set her up" he said, the man stood angrily.

"Then give you badge and gun over. Either you and your team take this case, informing the press in the way that we want you to or you are all fired and can kiss any form of pension goodbye."

"You can't legally do that" Hotch said, standing his ground.

The man clicked and another man handed a file over.

"Actually, we can-" he placed the open file onto his desk "-we have permission from the president himself to put all our efforts into finding, imprisoning her and moving her onto death row immediately for her crimes and we have the authority to choose whatever team we know will work to do that. She has a connection to you all, you will be her downfall. And given what she informed the court about your past relation, you will take the case or you will be arrested for potential involvement in her planning of her crimes three years ago when you had 'relations' with her that night. Am I understood, agent?" The man said smugly,

Hotch paused before reluctantly nodding, knowing that he had no choice.

"Good, give him the requests we have. Use whatever tactics you need and think will work but we know that these will work as well. The press conference is the one thing we demand you do- twist the public against her, make her reveal herself, corner her, put her in the spotlight, make her slip up- hurt her" the man said to the officers around him as he got up and left.

"What was that about?" Rossi asked as Hotch brought them all into the briefing room 10 minutes later.

"Please take your seats everyone, including you Garcia" Hotch took the slide changer from her. She nodded, taken a back a bit since she always did the briefings PowerPoints. 

"We have been ordered to track down and arrest Athena by the head of the FBI and the government with orders to them from the president" Hotch said, his tone of voice sombre.

"What the hell Hotch?!" Morgan said angrily.

"We can't do that, she was our friend" Emily shook her head