deep end, cm [ 1 ]

016. the tribe

Elle and Jessica notice Penelope walk into the bullpen and they go over to her.

"What are you doing out of your bunker?" Elle asks the blonde.

"I was on my way to file the things that I... file." Penelope says, barely even looking at them. They follow her line of sight to where a blonde man is. Noticing them, he walks over.

"Excuse me." He says.

"Hi." Elle greets.

"Hi." Jessica gives him a small wave.

"I'm--"

"Sean." They hear Derek say as he walks over. "Hey. Derek." He shakes Sean's hand. "You must be looking for your brother."

"Yeah." Sean nods.

"Right this way." Derek leads him to Hotch's brother.

"Brother as in... that's Hotch's brother?" Elle asks.

"Maybe Hotch is adopted." Penelope suggests.

"Somebody's gotta be adopted." Jessica says. "You think Hotch wants a sister-in-law?"

JJ joined the three and they're all at Elle's desk, the three informing her of Hotch's brother. Elle is sitting in her chair and Penelope is sitting on the desk while the other two are standing up.

"Here he comes." Penelope quietly says when she notices the door open and Sean walks out.

"That's Hotch's brother?" JJ questions.

"Uh-huh." Penelope nods. JJ glances between him and Hotch who is standing on the upper level with his hands on the railing.

"I don't see it." She says.

"I know, right?" Jessica whispers.

"Sean, listen to me. All I'm saying is you're 25 years old." Hotch says.

"25? That's the perfect age." Jessica whispers.

"Oh, please, like you don't already have a guy in mind." Elle scoffs.

"I can have options." Jessica states.

"You know what, don't profile me, Aaron." Sean orders before walking away.

"Now, I see it." JJ notes.

They look at Hotch who has an angry look on his face, it now directed at them. Elle gets up and walks away and JJ walks off. Jessica lowers her head as far as it can go, scurrying back to her desk. Penelope malfunctions.

Hotch goes back into his office, shutting the door behind him.

"Who's the other guy?" Spencer asks.

"What?" Jessica turns to him.

"Elle said you already had a guy in mind. Who is it?" Spencer asks.

"You, uh... you don't know him." Jessica says. "Coffee?" She asks, her voice cracking, and she quickly grabs her mug, rushing over to the kitchen area.

Spencer's face remains in its confused, scrunched up position. Penelope looks back at him, gaining a deadpan expression once she sees his look.

"Oh, Lord." She mutters.

+++

Hotch, Gideon, Spencer, and Jessica get to the crime scene and walk over to the sheriff.

"Sheriff, I'm Special Agent Hotchner." He informs, shaking his hand. "These are Agents Reid, Taylor, and Gideon."

"I was hoping there were more of you." The sheriff says.

"The other agents went straight to the station house to look at the victims' files. Has forensics had any luck?" Hotch asks.