Arresting and Arrested | Aaron Hotchner

CHAPTER FIVE

Me and Aaron have been dating for 3 months, and to say I'm surprised none of the team has clicked on is an understatement. I wake up in Aaron's bed and turn over to face him and notice he's already awake. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't catching real feelings for this man. I catch myself zoning out and thinking of him multiple times a day. We are getting in great, we have been spending most nights at each other's houses, going out for diners and connecting on an emotional level as well as a physical one. I get out of bed and make my way to his bathroom when I hear him on the phone, I take a step closer to hear what he is saying
"I know, I know. I'm going to tell her" I freeze. Is he talking about me? I don't hear what the person on the other ends says but he replies laughing "haha yeah, okay I'll see you later." Turning around he sees me, with tears in my eyes I ask "who was that?" He hesitates for a moment, a moment too long. Nodding, I start walking backwards and collecting my stuff and putting it into my go bag "it's okay. I understand. You don't need to explain. I'll see myself out" by the time I'm out the door I hear footsteps behind me "Lottie, wait! Please, I can explain." Without stopping I continue on my way opening my car door, holding back the tears that well in my eyes "it's okay. We.. erm.. we weren't even that serious, it's no big deal. I'll see you at work" I close the car door and drive away. As I pull into my apartment car park, the tears are freely flowing down my face.

I know we weren't serious, we handing had that discussion but u wasn't seeing anyone else and I thought there was a mutual understanding, I guess not. I wipe my face and make a promise to myself not to let him see me affected.

Arriving at the bau, I make my way through the bullpen, spotting Rossi in Hotch's office before they both turn and look at me. Okay, they're definitely talking about this morning, probably lapping it up, making me fall for him and then shattering me. JJ comes walking in holding a folder up "sorry guys" we all groan, standing up making our way to the round table.

Taking a seat Penelope starts "okay, we have three dead. Josh Peterson, Christopher Kane and Benjamin Hutton. They were all beaten beyond recognition. I'm no profiler but the guy or gal who did this was angry."

We continue talking about the case before being dismissed "Agent Jones, can I see you in my office for a second." It want a question and I make my way to his office, I close his door behind me "is this is about this morning, I'd rather have this conversation after the case" I state "Lottie, please hear me out, it's not what you think" I stay silent waiting for him to continue "I was on the phone to Rossi" I look up at him, making eye contact with him for the first time since this morning. "I was asking for him advice. A couple weeks into us seeing each other, I met this woman, Beth, while training for the FBI triathlon." He explains slowly, "we, erm got close."
Having heard enough "okay I don't need to hear the rest. It's okay I'll get over it, over you. I'll be fine. I hope you and Beth have a good... whatever." I state walking out of his office, passing everyone in the bullpen and going into a bathroom stall. I give myself five minutes to cry, get all my emotions out and then never think of it again. Until I jump into Rossi on my way out. Rolling my eyes I ignore him and carry on my way, with him following he says quietly "he's really torn up over this, you. Give him a chance to explain" Shaking my head "he got himself in this position David. I'm done, I've heard enough." Scoffing slightly I turn towards him "out of everyone, I thought you would have told me. Not let me get attached just for him to turn around and ruin it." With that I grab my go bag and make my way to the jet, I take the seat furthest from Hotch which happens to be next to Emily.
"Are you okay? I saw you go I to the bathroom before, you looked upset" facing her and deciding I need to talk to someone, I start telling her about me and Hotch, right up to this morning.
"He cheated on Em. I was honeslty falling for him. How good of a profiler must I be if I had no clue that the guy I had been dating was lying to me for months and I had no idea" I say, letting every thought out.
"Hey no, this has no reflection on your profiling skills. It's all on him. I can't believe he would do something like that" laughing sarcastically"yeah me neither"

We have been in Illinois for 3 days and we are getting closer to finding the unsub but we can't find the connection between the victims. I ring Penelope "hey P, do any of the victims have criminal records?" "No criminal records, my love but they do have something in common." "What's that Penelope?" "They were all brought in for questioning for different murders. Multiple times, they just couldn't connect them to the crime scenes." Taking a closer look at the information she sends me "so they're all serial killers, who ended up being killed in a brutal attack." Turning the the team they shave the same expression as me, Hotch is facing the whiteboard before speaking up "he somehow knows these men are serial killers before us and they take the law into his own hands" shaking my head "I don't know if it's just that, these attack are brutal, angry, personal. I think something happens to this man or someone he cares about for him to suddenly flip a switch and go all serial."

We found him, our unsub was a man names Alan Carter, a serial killer who hunts serial killers. 4 months before he started killing, he daughter was the victim of an attack and according to all the records Alan blames himself. Sarah, his daughter, was working the night shift at a diner, Alan was meant to pick her up after her shift but he fell asleep, noticing the time when he woke up he made his way to the diner, hoping she was still there. When he arrived there was police lights flashing, with a gnawing feeling he made his way over. It was Sarah, he had been attacked when she started walking home after her shift. She was beaten, sexually assaulted and left for dead. This was his trigger.