꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎
after joining the bau, madelyn mortier's hazy past clears--allowing her a fresh start. she endevers in this newfound family but will the demons of her past seep back in to destroy it? can she start anew and put aside her ghosts to focus on...
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╭──╯ . . . . . VIOLENT DELIGHTS ܴೈ
✧.* ONEERTAXEA . . . . . ╰──╮
february 16th, 2010
months have passed since haley and jack were placed in witsec, and hotch has only recently returned to work. every day, we see how much he struggles. he doesn't think we notice—the late nights spent in his office, the files on foyet that he goes over again and again, long after the rest of us have gone home. but we see it. i see it.
this morning, jj texted the team about a new case, so i arrived early. as i step into the bullpen, i notice my team gathered in an unusual formation, all sitting and staring up at hotch's office. "hey, what's the show?" i ask, setting my bag down on my desk. morgan tilts his head toward the office. "strauss is in there. she's been with hotch for, like, twenty minutes now."
i glance up, squinting at the sight of his closed blinds. "his blinds are down," i say, crossing my arms. "his blinds are never down." as if on cue, the door to his office creaks open. we all scatter, suddenly very busy with whatever files or keyboards are within reach. i see strauss emerge first, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. to my surprise, she heads straight toward me. "agent mortier," she says, her tone cool and commanding. "a word."
i glance at the team. jj's brow furrows; morgan looks up briefly, his concern evident. swallowing the lump in my throat, i nod and follow her out to the hallway near the elevators. every step feels heavier than the last. once we're alone, strauss turns to face me, her sharp eyes pinning me in place. "as you're aware," she begins, her voice edged with barely restrained irritation, "agent hotchner's situation has placed immense pressure on this team—and, by extension, on me. the director expects results, and i cannot afford any additional complications."
"understood, ma'am." i reply, though my stomach twists at where this conversation seems to be headed. "you're the newest member of this team," she continues, her tone growing sharper. "and while i appreciate your contributions thus far, i need to be very clear—there is no more room for mistakes. not from you, not from anyone. is that understood?" the words hit harder than i expect. i nod stiffly. "yes, ma'am. understood."
"good." her gaze doesn't soften. "agent hotchner already has enough to contend with, and quite frankly, so do i. do your job, agent mortier. and do it flawlessly." without waiting for a response, she steps toward the elevator and presses the button. i stand there, her words echoing in my ears. when the elevator arrives, she steps inside, giving me a curt nod before the doors slide shut.
i remain in the hallway for a moment, the weight of her expectations settling over me like a storm cloud. no room for mistakes. flawless. it's not exactly a pep talk, but with strauss, i suppose it never is. i take a deep breath, steadying myself before heading back to the bullpen. the tension from my conversation with strauss clings to me like a second skin, and i'm sure it shows in the tightness of my expression. as i approach, morgan looks up from his desk, raising an eyebrow.
