All These Scars... (A Criminal Minds fan-fiction)

Chapter Nineteen

Hotch's POV:

     Even though i told Rossi I was going to search for a replacement agent after Alex's funeral, I decided to look for one earlier. Not only would this give me something to do while the rest of the team was recovering, but it would get all of us back to work faster. Alex's family had already arranged her funeral in several days, and I was dreading it. I hate funerals.
    And I felt like replacing Blake so soon was wrong, but no one can actually replace her and I knew she knew that. I was going to miss her, just like I missed all of the other fallen agents I had crossed paths with, but Alex was more than just an agent. She was a friend.
    There were several candidates to choose from: there was a young man fresh out of training, there was a young woman, also, who was fresh out of training, but she seemed more experienced, and there was two men and a woman who belonged to different units and requested a transfer after Blake's position, unfortunately, opened up.
   I started by interviewing the older candidates who are already agents to the FBI. But they all were the same.
    "Why did you want a transfer for this position?"
    "Well, sir, I want to be apart of the best team in Quantico and I believe I can contribute greatly."
    That was the most common answer.
    "Why did you request to transfer to this unit?"
     "Agent Hotchner, your team needs me."
    That was also a common answer that always made me laugh, actually.
   "What is your reasoning for your transfer request?" 
   "Well, because I'm good at catching bad guys."
   This one wasn't as common, and I was always surprised when people used such a vague and tasteless rebuttal.
    None of them stood out to me, and even thought they were experienced, they didn't quite have what we needed, so I thanked them for their time and sent them on their way.
   I interviewed the boy next.
   His name was Joseph Knight, and his training and test scores were rather impressive. He was very good with a gun, skilled in combat (which is helpful in some situations, the ones we are always thrown into) and seemed to have the entire textbook memorized.
    Although he was new, brand new, I gave him some thought. But I still had one more person to interview.
   Her name was Brooklyn Davis, and her background was even more impressive. Her test scores were perfect, she was very well trained in combat, with weapons and negotiation tactics. Her file said she did some special training in Russia for several years and had an IQ of 183. Another Spencer Reid, almost.
    I almost thought about hiring her without interviewing her first, but then decided that's not exactly fair to everyone else, so I called her in.
   Soon after the boy left, I was greeted by bright brown eyes and a warm smile that greeted me with a hand shake.
   "Hello, Agent Hotchner, it's a pleasure to  meet you," she beamed and I returned the gesture. 
    "I'm sure you've been filled in on our current situation, and that we have limited time so I'd like to get started right away," I told her as I picked up her file.
    "So, Brooklyn, why did you choose to put in for a position here, instead of another unit, especially when you're just starting off?"
    "Agent Hotchner, it's no secret I am one of the best, and I don't mean that to be all high and mighty, but you have my files right there in front of you. I have put in years and years of work and study for this moment. For this job. I have put in 110% just to get here, and I plan on putting just that much into this job. Sincerely."
    "Indeed you have. I see you have committed to 4 years of training in Russia. Please inform me on what type of training you endured."
   "Well, I was basically staying in Russia with my distant family after my parents passed away, and there I found a real interest in learning. Not just about science and nature and literature, but physically. That's when I was enrolled in a type of 'school' where hand-to-hand combat, use in various weapons, survival and critical thinking could be taught. The school was more of a military bootcamp, but I learned my schooling and fighting skills there," she smiled when she finished.
    "So, at this military base camp you learned all of this and was taught? Do you have a high school diploma?"  
    "Yes sir, it was an official school in Ukraine. I even know the language, which was a necessity if I was going to live there, but I also know many other languages such as Spanish, French, Ukrainian and several more."
   "Interesting. And when was it that your parents passed away?" I asked.
   "Well, my parents passed away when I was seven years old, and I lived with my oldest brother, who at the time was twenty-three, until he passed when I was ten years old. From there, I lived in a foster home until I was contacted by my distant relatives in Russia at the age of twelve. Once I was sixteen, I was sent back to America to finish out high school because the school I went to did not go all the way up to 12th grade due to budget cuts."
    "And who did you live with while you were sixteen?"
   "Well, sir, unfortunately I was forced to move back in with my foster parents until I turned eighteen, but once I turned eighteen I went to college, got my bachelor's degree and have been in training to apply for a job here ever since."
    Everything seemed to add up, and her training and "experience" was impeccable.
   "May I ask how your family members passed away?" I asked, cautiously.
   "Yes sir, my mother and father were murdered in a home invasion, along with my sister, who was sixteen at the time. She hid me away in our safe room, but went back upstairs to grab a phone to dial 911, and she never came back down," her eyes were sad when she told the story, but her voice remained strong. "And my oldest brother, he passed away in a car accident. Drunk driver."
   "I am very sorry for your losses," I condoled.
    "Thank you, sir. But you should know that losing them has shaped me to be who I am today. Losing the ones I love, losing the only people I ever knew tore me apart, but they're the reason I chose this career path. I want to help others. I want to help other children and loved ones out there not have to go through what I did, and I want to help prevent their suffering. I am meant for this job, sir. If you hire me, I will not let you down. Not only will I be helpful to you guys, I know you guys will also help me."
   I was convinced. Everything she said was genuine, and she seemed perfect for the job. I hired her on the spot, hoping the rest of the team would accept her into our family, even right after the loss of another.
   
Rossi's POV:

  "You hired her right on the spot?" I spat.
  "Dave, you've seen her background, you've looked through her files. This girl is amazing," I retorted.
    "I know, Aaron, but don't you think it's a little too soon to have already replaced our friend?"
   "I miss Alex just like you, but right now I have to think of what's best for our unit. Getting a replacement sooner will allow us all to get back on our feet sooner," he reassured me.
    I knew Hotch was doing what he thought was best, but a part of me wasn't ready to let another agent take Blake's place in the bullpen.
   The next few weeks would kill me. Alex's funeral, Diana Reid's funeral, a new agent and the rehabilitation of the whole team, not just physical but mental rehabilitation.
I think a part of us all died when Alex did, but some of us lost more than others, and I wasn't sure if they would make it.