And If I Fall, Let Me Part II: After The Rain - A. Hotchner x OC & Jemily

Love is pain

Laura Kavanaugh's Office

Laura Kavanaugh's office was a lot nicer than hers, Alex thought to herself. On the other hand, she didn't have to deal with corporate law all day long.

"If you're looking for a grieving daughter, I can't help you," Laura Kavanaugh snapped at them, unsurprisingly. Alex and Hotch exchanged a look.

"I take it you and your father didn't have a good relationship?" Hotch asked, his voice a lot calmer than the one of Kavanaugh's daughter. A snort came from the lawyer.

"If you can call shipping me off to rehab with fourteen, before putting me in a camp for misbehaved youth, then an all-girls catholic boarding school somewhere in the woods a relationship, sure. I hated my father, and he knew it."

Alex squinted her eyes at her. "For someone who went to rehab with fourteen, you had no problem getting into law school."

Leveling a cold look her way, Laura shifted on her couch. "It has to have its good sides to have a connected father, right? But I worked my ass off in school, and now I'm here. And thank God I don't have to call every two months to thank him for the opportunity anymore."

Wow, that was a new level of anger, Alex thought to herself. She had thought that Katie, growing into her prime teenage years now, could be angry. It was a far cry from that.

"Can you think of anyone who would've wanted to hurt him?" Hotch added, leaning forward a little. Another snort.

"Tons of people, but not of one who would actually do it. He was a politician, you ought to have a lot of enemies with that."

"What about someone looking for revenge? Was your father responsible for something bigger, like a destroyed existence?"

Laura shook her head after taking a few seconds to think. Sighing deeply, Hotch looked at her.

"Look, we understand. Your father was a horrible man. We don't want you to relive that. But we also have two more dead bodies, and there will probably be more."

The redhead, for the first time, nodded with a bit more sympathy. Hotch went on.

"Was there someone who knew, or lived with you through these times? When your relationship has been particularly bad? Did someone know how he treated you? You must've had a close circle of friends, especially back then?"

Picking up on what Hotch was getting at, Alex leaned in. "Someone who even might've gone through the same thing?"

Laura shook her head. "Not really. My friends all knew back then, but I didn't have the feeling someone particularly cared. If you're at rehab with fourteen, you probably don't have the healthiest friends," she gave back dryly. Exchanging another look with Hotch, Alex nodded.

"If you can think of something, let us know."

Handing her his card, he got up. Laura lead them to the door, her cold demeanor back on her face.

"I still think he got what he deserved," she said. Somehow, Alex couldn't find the energy to disagree. It left a bland taste in her mouth.

***

Jenny Collier's Office

Jenny Collier looked at them with a lot less anger, and a lot more grief than Laura had. Her black hair was pulled into a tight bun, the business dress and high heels finishing off the outfit. They had played the same game, with different, but no satisfying answers.

"Our relation was great," Jenny blew into her tissue, "I can't imagine someone wanting to hurt him."

Taking her hand in hers, Alex looked into the red-rimmed eyes.