When You Least Expect It | Aaron Hotchner

five

Olive

No matter how many times I find myself in a situation like this one, there's no stopping the adrenaline that pumps through my veins or the way my heart races in my chest like it's trying to win the F1 title of world champion.

While my gut was screaming at me, telling me that we've got our guy- and my gut is rarely ever wrong- my mind was still desperate for more concrete evidence so that we could pin this guy for good.

I stumble over my feet, keeping up the drunk act and resisting a shiver when the unsub- John, as he claimed his name was, which I called bullshit- leans in close to whisper in my ear, telling me that he was going to take care of me.

A shiver broke down my spine, filling the pit of my stomach with dread even though I was confident that I had the situation under control.

I let my head lol back, mumbling gibberish under my breath.

The unsub seems to be buying my act so far as he leans me against the metal wall of a trailer he'd led me to that was parked at an empty field not far away from Indulgence- which I thought was a pretty bold move- with an order for me to stay put.

I slouched against the cool metal as if I was barely able to hold myself up.

Once he had the door open, he grabbed me again, much rougher this time as if he had run out of the little patience that he possessed.

My stomach churns as we enter the space. Inside, sits a lone chair right in the centre of the room, much like one you'd find in a gynaecologist's office with metal cuffs at the hand and footrests. Various tools line the trailer walls, ranging from handsaws and whips to screwdrivers and nails- some even still covered with dried blood.

I made sure to angle the camera Mia had fixed into my necklace so that it captured everything as he pushed me back into the seat and got ready to strap me in.

He leans in when I let out a faint whimper, pretending like the severity of the situation was starting to sink in and starts stroking my hair.

"Shush, it's okay," He whispers, sending a chill down my spine that I don't bother to suppress this time around. "Things will go a lot smoother if you just be a good girl and listen to what I say."

I let out one last shudder breath before I completely drop the drugged-up act. "Really? It didn't look like any of your past victims had much of a good time."

Shock colours his features and he immediately reaches for one of the many blades that he set up on a tray by the chair.

My reflexes kick into high gear and I quickly disarm the man before he even gets the chance to fully recover from his shock.

He falls back onto his ass and I tower over him, staring down at him like he was the dirt beneath the strappy black heels that Mia had picked out for me earlier.

I kicked the blade out of his reach, making sure any weapons were out of his reach, before rearing back my fist and sending it flying into his nose with a sickening crunch. "That's for all the girls you murdered, you sick fuck." Straightening up, I put Mia's pair of heeled torture devices to good use and sent a rough kick to his balls that had him groaning in pain.

I was leaning down to cuff his hands behind his back as the door to the trailer burst open, revealing a sweaty and panting Agent Hotchner. I admit, a part of me had found the sight kind of hot. But the more logical part of me was just annoyed that he hadn't trusted me enough to handle this myself.

If it were my team, I knew they would stand down unless they had reason to believe that I was in distress. But here Hotchner was, looming in the doorway like some kind of avenging angel (or knight in shining Kevlar), and looking way too good for someone who was breathing as if he'd run a marathon, which pissed me off even more.

Reaching down, I unstrapped my heels, relishing the relief that filled me the moment I slipped them off. Listen, I loved my heels as much as the next girl, but these things didn't feel half as good as they looked.

Grumbling under my breath as I finally pulled off the remaining pair, I shoved them into Hotchner's chest as I squeezed past him out of the tiny trailer door. "Did my performance meet your expectations, sir?" I asked, my voice heavy with sarcasm.

I hear the snickers that follow as the evening breeze hits my face and I move past the rest of the BAU, leaving Hotchner

"Oh, I like her," One of them-Prentiss, I think- says, her voice heavy with amusement.

Glancing over my shoulder, I watched as Agent Morgan barged into the trailer and dragged out our bloody-faced unsub as I felt a presence settle beside me.

Adrian drapes an arm over my shoulder and smirks, "Well, that sure was eventful."

I rolled my eyes at his dramatic stretch which was followed by a loud yawn as if he was the one that had to entertain a deranged serial killer for the entire night and not me. 

Elbowing him in the side, Adrian doubles over dramatically even though I didn't even hit him that hard.

When we reach Adrian's sleek black car- my ride back to Headquarters for tonight- he tosses a pack of wet wipes at me and looks pointedly at my feet.

"Clean those nasty trotters before getting on," He demands, "Don't need you trailing dirt all over Kimmy." That's right, he named his fucking car.

I let out a heavy sigh but did as I was told anyway, sitting down in the passenger's side seat with my legs hanging out the side.

My ears prickle at the sound of heavy footfalls coming to a stop in front of me and I looked up with a raised brow.

"Can I help you, Agent Hotchner?" I asked as if his towering frame didn't stir up some nerves in me.

His hands were stuck in his pockets, something he does in an attempt to disguise his nervous tells, I've noticed. But it brought me some comfort knowing I wasn't the only one who was nervous in the other's presence.

"You did an excellent job tonight, Lieutenant," He says in a steady voice that emanates authority, "I apologise if it felt like I ever doubted your abilities."

His words shouldn't bring me as much satisfaction as they did. I'd learned a long time ago that I shouldn't equate my abilities to someone's approval, and yet here I was, preening under a simple compliment from a guy I barely knew.

I nodded, "I appreciate that, sir."

"Please, call me Aaron," He says, the corner of his lips tilting up into a small smile before he turns to leave.

I watched retreating form as he went, taking in his confident strides and the compelling way he carried himself.

"Ooh, Aaron," Adrian's teasing voice hits my ears like a bucket of cold water shocking my system awake and I turn to glare at him.

"Shut the fuck up and drive," I snapped, slamming the car door shut but it only makes him throw his head back in laughter.

The drive back was filled with Adrian's hideous singing, and all I could think about was the intensity in Aaron Hotchner's gaze when he looked at me.