missing piece, aaron hotchner

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟔: 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞

TW: case talk (rape, knives)

I shuffled hurriedly across the FBI building, launching into the open elevator, and pressing the button to go to the sixth floor in quick succession.

As the doors began to close, I leant back onto the grey wall, trying to steady my breathing, running my fingers through the knots of my hair.

Of course I would be late on my second ever day, of course, typical. It wasn't my fault though, actually that's a lie, its completely my fault. After the late night I had with Colette, I didn't go to sleep until a stupid time, and was so tired that I forgot to put my alarm on; and was woken up by the chaotic thumping of people running up and down the stairs outside my room as Emmy got ready for her online class. The community college was nice enough to broadcast them for her a couple of times a week, understanding her situation with Colette.

Now, I am half an hour late, and stressed. I didn't even know if we had a case today, if it was just paperwork then maybe I could slide in, and no one would know any different.

The doors opened, and I straightened up, walking out of the elevator and through the glass doors of the BAU. I looked around, the team weren't there, then my gaze rose to the roundtable room, where the team all sat around with files in their hand.

"Shit on Aladdin's carpet." I mumbled as I kept my head down, stepping up the stairs and towards them.

The door of the roundtable room was open, which made this even more awkward, with Derek trying to conceal a smile as I got to the entrance of the room.

"Agent Dawson, you're late." Hotch reprimanded, without turning around to look at me.

I wonder around the side of the table and sitting in the empty seat next to Rossi, picking up a file.

"The Queen is never late, everybody else is simply early." I countered, opening up the file and scanning the pictures of dead women which adorned it.

I heard a snigger from Derek, then looked up to Hotch, whose face was stretched out in a frown. The lines across his forehead deep, the look in his eyes telling.

I cleared my throat, "Yes, I'm late, sorry Agent Hotchner, you aren't early."

My gaze crossed over to Derek, who was trying to conceal his laughter, and I continued, trying to alleviate some of the stress I was feeling, "So, what we got today?"

"There's no time to go over it again, you will have to get briefed on the jet to Florida." Agent Hotchner responded, "Wheels up in ten."

I slumped back in my chair as he left, closing my eyes and running my hands across my face.

"Good luck, kid." Rossi spoke as he walked past me, patting me on the shoulder.

"If your goal is to get fired in your first week, then you really are making progress." Derek attested from where he now stood opposite me, "I mean it's impressive."

I groaned, "How did I manage to let that go so incredibly terrible."

"I think being late started it but quoting The Princess Diaries didn't help." JJ responded with a laugh.

"Why do I do this to myself?" I murmured, "I mean, how hard was it to get him to like you guys?"

"He didn't like me to start with, he thought I was after his job. But he got over it, he's just a moody bastard until you get to know him." Emily offered.

I shrugged, "I don't think he's a moody bastard, I made him smile the other day, I was very proud of myself."

JJ grinned, "If you made him smile, then he likes you more than you think."

I smiled softly at that idea.

~

I read through the file properly while we were on the jet, it seemed like a somewhat simple case.

"So, we have six victims, which firstly is a lot. They were killed in pairs, in each pair there was a blonde and a brunette, both women in their early twenties. There's no doubt they are all surrogates." I stated, "There was no sexual assault, but they were both hurt pretty badly, cut, beaten up, and then killed with a slit to the throat. Anything else I need to know?"

"Well, according to the police on the crime scenes, the first and last scene were extremely different, there was an obvious devolution." JJ responded.

I hummed in agreement, "Did we get a good look at victimology?"

Derek sighed, "All of the girls were students at varying colleges in the Florida area, all popular, like to party, makes them higher risk, but they still did well in terms of grades."

I nodded, getting my phone from my trouser pocket, and sending a quick text.

Me: How's Coco doing?

Emmy: Think she's better now, no signs of fever

Me: Good, good. Hope school is going alright.

Emmy: Who knew that the human body had so much going on inside it, pretty amazing.

Me: Yep, biology then today?

Emmy: My favourite, maths next though, kill me now

Me: Wouldn't want to be you!!

Emmy: ha. ha.

I put my phone away as some turbulence hit the jet, making us shake slightly in our seats. I grabbed onto the side of the table and caught Spencer's coffee from spilling over opposite me.

"How did you do that?" Spencer asked quizzically.

I shrugged, "Must have been my spidey-sense."

He chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee as I laid my head back onto the seat. Letting myself listen to JJ and Emily's conversation next to me as I went through the case in my head.

We are going to presume male, only they usually show this type of anger, the way these crimes have been committed shows some power assertive behaviour, as well as possible borderline personality disorder. Let's not forget the obvious, he's a sadist- but not a sexual sadist. That is what's interesting, usually these types of crimes have some sort of rape component, but these don't. Maybe he's impotent? That's a possibility we will have to investigate.

The plane shook again, my eyes opening quickly as my grip tightened on the table.

"If this plane crashes, then I give up with life, how much shit can God expect me to deal with" Emily muttered as she held onto the armrest.

"Just make sure you don't lose your shoe." I responded quietly, settling back down in the chair.

"Huh?"

I looked to her, "Seriously? Do any of you guys watch television?" I asked as I looked around the jet, seeing empty faces all around.

"You're all unbelievable." I laughed, shaking my head.

"Dawson, focus on the case." Hotch spoke from next to Rossi, on the two-seater, "But you would be the one dying here, you're in the back of the plane."

I smiled, "Maybe it was meant to be."

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Derek asked from next to me, I looked at him with a shrug, then back to Agent Hotchner who sat staring at the files in front of him.

I furrowed my brows, maybe he was oblivious to the reference?

Was he actually just plotting my death by plane?

Huh. Maybe I should be the one keeping my eyes open wide.