Writings On The Wall - Aaron Hotchner [1]

II - NEW BEGINNINGS

CHAPTER 2
(NEW BEGINNINGS)

"Alright, team," Hotch said, redirecting the conversation. "We've got a case in Phoenix: a series of kidnappings—three victims in the last month, all young women. They share a similar profile, and it's our job to find out who's behind this." As the team reviewed the details, Josephine listened intently, piecing together the connections they were drawing. Her instincts kicked in, and she scribbled notes, eager to contribute, but she sat quietly because she was nervous about speaking up in front of a group of people she had just met.

"Everyone, this is Josephine Gustin," Hotch announced. "She's going to be joining the team from Chicago, she was previously a Chicago PD police officer before catching the eye of the FBI" Hotch said introducing her to the team. "Nice to meet you," a man said as he walked over "Derek Morgan" Derek said as placing his hand out for her to shake with a warm smile. "We could use some more muscle around here."Muscle, huh?" she replied, raising an eyebrow. "I'm more about the brains than the brawn." I said which made the other blonde chuckle underneath her breathe, JJ chimed in, "We could definitely use both.

I'm JJ, by the way. If you need anything, just ask. "Thanks, I appreciate that," Josephine said, feeling a bit more at ease as everyone introduced themselves to her. "Josephine, what do you think?" Reid asked, his eyes bright with curiosity at the new member of the team. She stood there for a moment nervously before she looked up at Spencer who was waiting for her to answer. Josephine stared at the screen for a second before speaking "Given the timing of the kidnappings, it's possible the unsub is escalating. There may be a specific reason for the age and profile of the victims—maybe he's targeting someone from his past?"

"Good insight," Hotch acknowledged. "We'll dig deeper into the victims' backgrounds." As they delved into the case, Josephine felt herself becoming part of the team, their collective energy igniting her passion for the work. The more they uncovered, the clearer the picture became.

Hours passed, and as they wrapped up their session, Hotch turned to Josephine. "You did well today. Ready to head to Phoenix?" Absolutely," she replied, her determination fueling her confidence. The flight to Arizona was filled with tension and anticipation. Josephine sat next to Reid, who eagerly shared his insights into profiling which made her her eyebrows raise he never seemed to stop talking about random facts "is he always like this" Josephine asked which made everyone chuckle " Yep, and this is only the beginning" Derek said as he leant back in his chair with a huge grin on his face.

"Every detail matters," he explained. "Even things that seem insignificant can be crucial in understanding the unsub." Josephine nodded. "I agree. Patterns often tell us more than we realize." As they landed and headed to the precinct, Josephine felt a sense of purpose. This was her chance to make a difference, to apply her skills in a way that mattered, she was often over looked within the Chicago Police department for her skills many distrusting her.

In the briefing room, local law enforcement shared their findings, and Josephine felt her mind racing with possibilities. She proposed a strategy to approach the victims' families, focusing on the emotional impact of the cases. The team rallied around her idea, their synergy palpable.