Conflicted (Flip Zimmerman)

51. The trial of Salem Rossi

*A/N: Happy Labor Day and Monday :) - Ren <3*

"Haven't you read my report a hundred times over?" You snapped at the committee. They exchanged exasperated expressions. "I mean that's why the BAU is here right?" you asked, tilting your head at them, "To watch my demeanor as I speak about that case?"

"This committee will not tolerate-" The director of the board tripped over his words. Strauss narrowed her eyes at you. The director glanced at the other members as if he was saying 'you've got to be kidding me' before looking at you and the BAU. "I will not repeat myself," he warned.

You sighed, fighting the urge to roll your eyes. Hotch looked over to you, waiting for your reaction.
The committee was being defensive and impatient; it was very unlike them. The former agents on the board were well known for their reputations. So the fact that your snarky comment was enough to set them off piqued your interest. For whatever reason, thinking like a BAU agent made you less nervous. You suddenly felt in your element.

"Fine," you said, holding up your hands in a sarcastic manner. You sat up and straightened your back before continuing. It seemed to calm the committee when they noticed you were willing to cooperate. You couldn't help but take yourself back to that horrid case as you spoke...

It was the second most confusing case the BAU had ever come across. Number one being the obvious, James Montgomery, but this one wasn't far behind. It started like how your cases always started, a string of murders and a clueless police department. None of the killings made sense. There were no clues, no connections, nothing to point you in any direction. The only thing that was similar was the victimology. They all came from money, had large homes, and expensive, luxurious cars. If it wasn't for these clues, your first guess would have been James himself. The brutality of each murder matched his signature, but something told you it wasn't him.

The style of execution wasn't the only thing that rattled you. The team was also experiencing new leadership. There was a shift among the ranks. The BAU needed a new unit chief, but instead of choosing someone from the team, they took a different approach. They chose Mateo Jones: leading member of the FBI fugitive task force formed by the Boston Office...and your ex-boyfriend.

For a somewhat long-distance relationship, things had gotten serious between you two. There was an instant attraction when you first crossed paths. The BAU needed help from the task force to catch a serial killer that had escaped from federal prison. You could always pinpoint the moment his eyes met yours, not because it made you feel all warm and fuzzy, but because his gaze was chilling, and a bit mysterious. He was rough around the edges, but you were always so understanding. You knew that he showed affection in different ways. Mateo wasn't like anyone you'd encountered. Little things set him off, his constant need to have control being a large factor in all this. You only excused his brashness because you were aware how stressful the job was. When you finally broke things off, he warned you how awkward it would be for the two of you if he were to get the promotion. Of course for Mateo it was "when" not "if", cocky bastard.

You couldn't help but laugh. He had no training with serial killers or any experience studying the way people think. To your dismay, you soon found Mateo standing in the middle of the conference room, awaiting his new team. A bone chilling grin stretched across his face as he knew he had gotten under your skin. The looks on your father and Gideon's faces was unreadable. Rossi had completely dismissed you when you tried speaking to him about the unit chief position. The job should have been his or Gideon's, even Hotchner's, but for whatever reason they picked an outsider with no experience. It never made sense to you.

It was only two weeks into Mateo's stint as unit chief that three agents decided to sit out on the case. Reid, Rossi and Emily all walked out of the conference room the moment Mateo informed them that he would be tagging along.