Classified light- a criminal minds fan fiction

Surprising texts

"How long has he been in there telling her off? Surely he's gonna run out of air at some point" Rossi shook his head, walking over to the team with his coffee he went to get 15 minutes ago as they all tried to peak discreetly through the window of Hotch's office without him knowing as he continued yelling at Cameron.

"How is she just able to sit there and take it? I think I would have burst into tears by now" Garcia shook her head at Cameron's blank but still ashamed expression as she avoided Hotch's eyes.

"He shouldn't be yelling at her like that- it wasn't even a bad slip up, she just was stood in the wrong place, no one got hurt" Morgan sighed.

The team had been on 7 more cases since Cameron had joined the team. They knew nothing more about her, nothing more about why or how she was there- it was still a mystery why she was brought onto the team so fast in the first place. But the team were enjoying having her there, even though they were quite confused at how confused she herself was all of the time on cases.

During the last case, a kidnapping in Portland, Cameron made another confused mistake- of which she had been making many- but Hotch came down hard on her when she did. Other than telling her off when she messed up or making cold comments about her work, he didn't speak to her which the team found somehow worse. He was a man of few words, especially ever since he lost his ex-wife a few years ago, but he was especially blank and distant to Cameron who tried her best to be as kind to him as possible despite his bluntness.

"You could have gotten a child killed!" They heard Hotch's voice yell again.

"That's not fair or true- the kids weren't even there, we all knew that" Rossi shook his head. 

Morgan was studying Cameron's face which had remained blank until Hotch mentioned getting the kids hurt. He saw her wince slightly and shut her eyes before breathing and continuing to stare at the floor. Something about him saying that she could have gotten a child killed obviously hit her hard and Morgan couldn't just watch as Hotch told her off for something that wasn't her mistake.

"Hotch-" he knocked on the door and opened it before his better judgement took over.

"What is it?" Hotch snapped at him.

"It wasn't her fault. I thought I heard something round the back of the building and wanted to check it out but I left my position and Cameron took it up since you were adamant not to leave our positions open- she was just covering for me to make sure the unsub didn't get out of the building" he explained. 

Hotch paused with a tilt of his head; she hadn't told him that, she hadn't said anything, she had just sat down and taken his telling off like it was deserved when it clearly wasn't.

"Either way, she is her own agent and should have known better. She doesn't have a gun and should have known not to be left alone. It does not excuse it" he tried to sound as sure of himself as possible but he was doubting his words now that he knew it wasn't her decision or fault.

Why did she take the blame? Why did she look so ashamed still?

"No Hotch, that's not fair, she-" Morgan tried to say but Cameron stood up.

"Agent Hotchner is right" she said, both of the men looked confused at her as she tried her best to hold back her tears.

"What I did could have interfered and gotten... and gotten children killed. I am very sorry, I will pack my things and go. I am deeply, deeply sorry."

Cameron went to walk out of the office but felt Hotch's hand on her wrist, stopping her mid movement.

She looked back at him, his expression confused and full of curiosity but something else- a flicker of softness to his sharp features that baffled her.