out of the woods x hotchniss

eleven

hello HELLOOOO. oh it's good to be back and updating once again. i've missed this🤭

friendly reminder, i'm still in university and taking summer courses sooooo the only two books i will be updating is rumor has it and this one. everything else will be on pause🥰

also quick psa: thank you to my beautiful love, martina, for be such a beautiful inspiration for my hotchniss writing. you're my favorite person in the entire world and a truly brilliant editor. i don't know what i'd do without you. now stop being rude🙄

happy readings and stay safe besties! -salem🤍

TW: swearing, fighting
word count: 3391

•

Penelope: "Time is an illusion." Albert Einstein.

Eighteen years later:

"Why do I feel like all of us are about to have our hands swatted with a ruler?" Derek asked as he sat down in his seat at the round table. JJ sighed softly as she clasped her hands in front of her on the table.

"I heard from an agent on the fifth floor that Strauss and Hotch really got into after we came back from Flagstaff. She was chewing him out about how he let the unsub and another victim die when 'we did nothing,'" JJ said and shook her head slightly.

"I mean, what did she want you guys to do? Kill the unsub yourselves?" Penelope said and looked around the round table.

"She's just looking for anyway to humble Hotch. The two of them have had this argument forever now. She wants to make sure he doesn't get in her way of getting to the top of leadership in the bureau," Derek said and tapped his knuckles against the table. "It's one thing to be disappointed about the outcome of a case, but it's personal to take away someone's badge and gun without hearing what happened in the field."

"I just hope nothing happens to him," Spencer said as he fidgeted with the watch on his wrist. "I'd hate for the team to get broken up over Strauss."

"The team getting broken up?" Penelope asked and furrowed her eyebrows. She glanced around quickly at Spencer, JJ, and Derek. "Nobody mentioned anything about—"

"The team isn't getting broken up," JJ said as she grabbed onto Penelope's hand. "Strauss is just going through an ego trip. The bureau needs this branch."

"Right. Right, because killers exist and someone needs to stop them. The three of you being superheroes is needed," Penelope said and curled her fingers around JJ's hand. "I'm just really scared. It seems different this time."

"Nothing is going to happen," Derek said and nodded his head encouragingly at Penelope and the rest of his team mates.

"Uh oh," Spencer said as he looked over JJ's shoulder and noticed Hotch and Strauss walking into the bullpen. The four team members all sat up straight as they waited for the two higher authorities to walk in.

"Good morning agents," Strauss said as she walked into the room, files in her hands, and heels clacking against the floor loudly. Aaron followed shortly after, shutting the door in case a screaming match busted out. He made his way to the empty seat at the roundtable between Derek and Spencer. "How are we feeling?"

"A little on edge," Spencer said weakly. Strauss immediately turned to him and cocked her head to the side. "Ma'am."

"We just don't want to see anyone go from the team," JJ said and kept her eyes down on the table in front of her. "This is a family."

"A rogue family," Strauss said as she grabbed one of the files from her pile and opened it. She set it down on the table before sliding it in the middle. She did this over, and over, and over again. "Las Vegas, Randall Garner. Instead of talking down the unsub in a calm matter, he blew himself up with SWAT and the rest of this team in that building. Marvin Doyle, shot by Aaron Hotchner. William Lee, shot, presumably, by Agent Elle Greenaway before her termination. Frank Breitkopf jumped in front of a train in front of all of you, which lead to the departure of Agent Jason Gideon! You look at me and tell me this isn't a rogue team."