Criminal Minds: Danika

Haunted

Derek's POV:
I walk past Hotch's office again, wanting to know if he's in.

"He's not in yet." Rossi states from his own office and I walk over.

"What?" I ask.

"You've been walking past Hotch's office for an hour. Emily's picking him up." Rossi explains.

"Hotch told me he was cleared to drive." I say as I walk into the room.

"He is. She wants to do it." Rossi shrugs.

"What's going on?" He asks leaning back in his chair and I sit down across from him.

"He's only had a month off, Rossi." I sigh.

"Technically, 34 days." He counters.

"And you think that's long enough?" I question.

"You don't? Tell him."

"No, thanks. I like my job." I scoff.

"You like him more." He says and I gulp.

"What if he's got PTSD?"

"He was evaluated."

"Come on, Rossi, we wrote those questions. Hotch knows exactly how to answer them just like-." I start saying and then stop.

"Danika?" He asks and I gulp.

"I'm just saying...what if he's not ready." I get back on track.

"So what are you gonna do? Pick apart everything he does? How long should he be gone? A year? Two?" He asks.

"Every day that Foyet is out there, Hotch loses, and you know that."

"You know what that makes Hotch?" He asks.

"Distracted." I answer.

"Motivated." He counters and I get up to leave.

"Derek. He's coming back because he has to. He needs to know we've got his back."

"He knows that." I nod.

"Then we don't let him forget it." Rossi says and I clench my jaw and walk away.

I can't help but think how Danika took off after Foyet attacked her. He stabbed her the same type of way he did Hotch, but that's not all he did. He raped her too.

After we finally found out what hospital she was in, she had already been released multiple days prior. All she did was leave a note that said she needed to get some space from everything. The note assured us that she would stay on the move, not staying in one place for more than necessary.

If there's one thing I know about Danika, is that she's only found if she wants to be.

It was really difficult the first few weeks when Danika went to New York. That was after Foyet escaped prison, but even then, it was nothing like it was right after her and Hotch were attacked.

Coming back to the BAU and not seeing Danika sitting in her chair, tossing a ball in the air, or bugging Hotch in his office, felt like a slap in the face. It only got worse as we started the first case without them. The lack of witty and sarcastic comments, the little pranks she would play on us during a case to keep our spirits high.

It almost felt like she was dead. The only thing that reminded us that she wasn't was that Hotch was gone as well. But now he's back and it really does feel like she's gone for good. I know she's not, but it feels like she is.

————

We get a case in Louisville where three people were killed in a random spree at a pharmacy. We head on to the jet and everyone welcomes Hotch when he arrives. It feels odd without Danika laying down on the couch.