A Love Like No Other - Aaron Hotchner

Trusting Shadows

I woke up the next morning feeling both lighter and heavier at the same time. Lighter because of the conversation with Hotch - Aaron. I had never been good at sharing my struggles, but he made it feel like less of a burden. Yet heavier because that openness brought new fears. What if i leaned on him too much? What if i wasn't strong enough to do this job on my own?

I shook off the thoughts as i arrived at the BAU. The morning was quiet, with the hum of computers and faint murmurs of conversation drifting through the bullpen. I settled in at my desk, my fingers brushing over the new stack of case files. A reminder that the world doesn't stop for your problems.

By mid-morning, the conference room was buzzing with activity. The team was preparing to brief a local precinct about the case and the unsub's evolving MO. As i scanned over the latest reports, something caught my eye - a shift in the unsub's behavior. It was subtle, but unsettling. He was escalating.

"Hotch?" I called out, trying to keep my voice steady. He was reviewing the profiles with Rossi, his brow furrowed in concentration. When he turned to me, that familiar intensity was there, but not as overwhelming as it used to feel.

"Yes?"

"There's a change in his pattern," i began, flipping through my notes to show him. "He's speeding up. The gaps between abductions are getting shorter. It's like he's losing control."

Hotch took the file from me, scanning it quickly before looking up, his eyes narrowing in thought. "Good catch," he said, his voice low. He turned to the rest of the team. "Emma's identified an acceleration in the unsub's timeline. We need to factor that in before our next briefing."

The team shifted gears seamlessly, adapting to the new information. I felt a small spark of pride, but it was fleeting. There was no time for self-congratulation, not when someone's life hung in the balance.

As we prepared to head out to the precinct, i found myself in the elevator with Hotch. It was just the two of us, and the silence was heavy with unspoken thoughts. I wasn't sure if i should say something, or if it would seem like i was overstepping. I wanted to ask him how he always kept it together, how he could bear the weight of everyone else's problems on top of his own.

"Emma," he said, breaking the silence before i could gather my thoughts. "You did well back there."

"Thanks," i replied, my voice quieter than i intended. I cleared my throat and tried again. "It feels good to help, you know? To make a difference."

Hotch nodded, a small, knowing smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "That's what keeps us going," he said, and i could hear the weight of experience in his words. "But it's also what wears us down. You need to remember that."

I didn't know how to respond to that, so i stayed quiet. It wasn't until we reached the precinct that i realized he was trying to warn me - to keep me from making the same mistakes he had.

The precinct was buzzing with tension, the officers on edge as we briefed them on the unsub's increasing urgency. I watched as Hotch took control of the room, commanding attention with an air of authority that was both intimidating and comforting. He made everyone believe that there was a solution, that the team would stop this guy before it was too late.

I wished i could be that confident.

When the briefing ended, i stayed behind to go over the victimology again, trying to find connections we might have missed. I was so lost in my thoughts that i didn't notice when one of the precinct officers approached me.

"You're the profiler, right?" he asked, his voice startling me out of my concentration. I looked up to see a young officer - probably a rookie - staring at me with wide eyes, his uniform just slightly too big for his lanky frame.