𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀 𝙂𝙊𝙀𝙎-ˡᵘᵏᵉ ᵃˡᵛᵉᶻ

one

SADIE LAYS IN BED, GAZING AT
the dark ceiling with closed curtains, resisting the morning light. A soft sigh escaped her lips, marking another night with barely an hour of sleep.

Sweaty and haunted by nightmares, she reflected on the fact that normal sleep had eluded her for years, especially since the breakup. Before, with Luke, she found solace in his arms, a sense of safety that kept the nightmares at bay.

With a groan, Sadie sat up, shaking her head, determined not to dwell on memories of him. "Come on, it's been two years," she whispered to herself, trying to push thoughts of Luke away.

In the shower, Sadie washed her soft skin until her fingers traced the scar on her shoulder, a painful reminder of her mother's anger. In her clueless past, her mother's temper flared at the slightest provocation.

Recalling a day from her school years, Sadie returned home, visibly upset about a test. Her mother, sensing her distress, demanded an explanation. When Sadie confessed her test results, her mother's fury erupted, and she pinned her daughter to the bed, subjecting her to a brutal beating.

Soft cries echoed, heard by Sadie's father, who, back then, did nothing to intervene. It was a time before he left her mother, leaving Sadie to deal with the pain alone.

As Sadie washed her hair, she closed her eyes momentarily. In that darkness, haunting eyes seemed to stare at her, overwhelming her. Startled, she opened her eyes abruptly, crying out softly as soap stung her eyes.

"Fuck..." she groaned, finishing the hair wash before tending to her irritated eyes. After stepping out of the shower, she examined her reflection in the tiny mirror above the sink. Red eyes stared back at her, a temporary effect that would eventually fade back to normal.

Sadie dried herself off, opting for a black shirt and jeans. With a touch of concealer and blush, she ensured she wouldn't appear ghostly, completing her makeup with a layer of mascara.

Completing her routine, Sadie headed to the kitchen in search of food, but finding none, she chose to skip breakfast once again. Putting on her jacket, socks, and shoes, she let out a sigh of relief upon leaving her house. Making her way to the car, she prepared for the day ahead.

Entering the office, Sadie noticed Aaron Hotchner just arriving. He took off his jacket and settled at his desk in the office. Sadie made her way to her desk, placing her bag down.

Fortunately, Spencer arrived soon after, greeting her with a delicious coffee, a morning routine she cherished.

"Good morning, Spence, and thank you," Sadie greeted him with a smile as he handed her the coffee. Spencer, in turn, returned the greeting, opening his bag to return the book he had borrowed. "What did you think?" Sadie inquired softly, accepting her book back.

"I liked it. And I really liked reading your annotations," Spencer replied, eliciting a smile from Sadie. "Well, I'm glad you liked it," she said, and Spencer nodded in appreciation.

As the rest of the team trickled in, exchanging morning greetings, Sadie noticed Jj's tiredness and Tara's cheerful demeanor. Penelope entered, radiating happiness, while Rossi, the last to arrive, muttered a tired "morning" as he made his way to his desk.

After Derek Morgan's departure from the team, there lingered a noticeable emptiness. While Sadie understood and was genuinely happy for him, there were moments when she missed his presence, wishing he were still part of the team. These conflicting feelings sometimes left her grappling with an internal sense of guilt.

"I heard we might be getting a new colleague," Penelope shared as she entered, relaying the tidbits she had gathered. "It's not confirmed, but it seems like someone from the FBI's Fugitive Task Force might join us to assist with the Scratch case," she concluded.

Sadie held her breath for two reasons: first, her intense dislike for Scratch, who had played a dangerous game with her and Hotch; second, the unsettling thought that the potential addition from the FBI's Fugitive Task Force could be someone she had worked with before leaving, particularly during the difficult time when she and Luke had broken up.

"Weren't you with the FBI's Fugitive Task Force team, Sadie?" Jj's question snapped her out of her thoughts, prompting Sadie to exhale. "Yeah, I was," she replied with a nod.

The team then noticed Sadie didn't want to talk about her time with the FBI's Fugitive Task, so they stopped asking.

Sadie stood up and walked towards Hotch's office. She wanted to know if there was any progress in catching Scratch.

"Morning, Hotch," Sadie mumbled as she entered his office. He looked up and replied, "Morning. Need something?" She stood by his desk and asked, "Any news on the escaped prisoners?" Trying not to make it too obvious, she was mainly interested in Scratch.

"Five have been caught, no Scratch," Hotch replied. Annoyed, Sadie briefly closed her eyes before looking at Hotch. "We're getting help to catch them. The FBI's Fugitive Task has already helped us catch two of them. I want you guys to meet him later today," Hotch explained, noticing Sadie's frown.

Thinking it was about Scratch, Hotch reassured, "We will catch him, Sadie." She smiled softly, nodding. "We will," she agreed.

Sadie leaves the office and heads to the bathroom. She found it hard to believe he could be joining. With numerous agents available, it couldn't possibly be him. She kept reminding herself of that fact.

After regaining composure, Sadie returned to her desk and delved into her paperwork. Over the next two hours before lunch, she focused on completing as much as possible.

During lunch, Spencer and Sadie opted for coffee and food together. Their bond was close; when Sadie first joined, Spencer engaged her with random facts, and she found comfort in listening. Unlike others, Sadie paid attention to Spencer, valuing his knowledge. The two were like siblings.

The two walked back to the bullpen, but Spencer noticed Sadie wasn't really listening this time, sensing that something was amiss. "Sadie," he said, and she hummed in reply. "Are you okay?" he asked, prompting her to look at him. "Yeah. Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" she responded.

"You haven't been listening to a word I've said, and you keep on frowning," Spencer pointed out. Sadie sighed, and he continued, "It's about that person helping us from the FBI's Fugitive Task, isn't it?" Making a slow nod, Sadie confirmed it. She hadn't shared the details about Luke with anyone, but she trusted Spencer.

"Luke Alvez," Sadie uttered his name. "He's my ex. We were together for a year." Spencer inquired, "Did he break up with you?" Sadie shook her head. "I broke up with him. He told me he loved me... and I was scared," she revealed, prompting Spencer to nod. He pulled her into a hug.

"Why were you scared?" he asked within the embrace, but Sadie just sighed. "I... I'll tell you another time," she said, not ready to share that part of her story. The two let go of the hug, exchanged smiles, and then made their way back inside the bullpen.

As they walked in, Jj spotted them and smiled. "There you two are! Hotch has somebody he wants us to meet," she informed, leading the duo to the conference room.

Upon entering, Sadie's heart took a turn. She couldn't hear what was being said; her focus solely on him, and he noticed her too.

A/N:
I honestly don't really like this chapter since everything is going so fast but I just wanted to get this finished. I will edit this soon.