No-one had seen Annabel Bradey in a decade, that was until she resurfaced in SSA Aaron Hotchner's office in Quantico. She was carrying scars both physical and mental, but wouldn't share her story. Or at least not until everyone she loved was in dang...
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David Rossi stood in Aaron's office, waiting for him to return with the woman at the centre of their newest case. He was oddly invested in the woman's wellbeing, knowing that by helping her he would also be helping Aaron as well. Looking towards the door as the man walked in, a file in his hand and Annie following behind him. The Unit Chief didn't wait for the two to adjust as he began to discuss the case.
"I got Garcia to look into the internal investigation, she should have the information any time soon." Aaron stated, pulling two seats closer to the desk for his colleagues. There was a pause as he pulled a file out of his desk, placing it in front of the seated woman as he declared, "Until she brings them, I have complied all of the posts on the church's website from when it had first been published until now."
The woman opened the sand coloured file, becoming shocked by the amount of their lives that Gabriel had shared with the outside world. The first round of posts was filled with faces, some of which she recognised and others that she couldn't even recall, the dates marking the time before she joined the group. The faces that she didn't recognise caused her to become worried, as, from what she knew, people didn't leave the compound.
After a few minutes, she had gotten past the few years before she had met Gabriel and she found she was being stared at by a girl who wore her face. She was stood at the front of the church beside a younger version of her ex-husband, passive in his performance to his followers. She was smiling in each of them, her naivety causing her to see happiness and healing in his manipulation of her scriptural beliefs. However, the reality of her situation did not come apparent to her until she was faced with the image of the It wasn't until she saw the image of herself in a white dress that she was hit with the reality of her own situation.
For what felt like hours she stared at the printed image, a lifetime having passed before she noticed the text below that quoted Genesis 2:24 before it detailed the supposed divinity of the newlyweds. Annie couldn't think past the smile on her own face, it was real at that time and that's what had caused her to become tearful. Absentmindedly, she had picked out the post and disregarded the rest of the file, tracing her own features as she mourned her own innocence.
David placed his hand on her shoulder, squeezing slightly for reassurance as he heard the shaking of her breath and her attempts to hold back her tears. There were no words exchanged between the trio as Annie placed the paper back on the desk, allowing the remaining two agents to see the image that had caused her attention. Becoming aware of what had caused her to pale had not aided their understanding of her reaction, instead they had become more confused.
She shook her head slightly, pointing at herself in the photo, "Your wedding is supposed to be the day you look back on and can't help but smile."
"Someone should tell my ex wives that," David mused, causing Annie to smile as she stifled a laughed not pulling her gaze from the wedding picture. The senior agent noticed the reaction, taking the spare seat as he asked, "What do you feel looking at yourself?"
Annie took a moment before looking away from the picture and to David, "Pity, I feel pity." She paused, wanting to leave it there, but the agent was looking at her expectantly. There was yet another exhale from Annie as she prepared herself to explain, "The girls in these photos, she's a different person and I can't help but feel sorry for her. It's weird because, as much as I pity her, I'm also jealous. She's naïve, but it's the naivety that means she can be happy." She paused again, wiping the tears that had begun to form in her eyes. "She was so caught up in the moment, she doesn't realise what those vows mean and what she's agreed to."
"Everything that you have said is valid, Annie." Aaron explained. "But, remember, if you hadn't made those vows, you wouldn't have Elisha and Eden."
The woman looked up at him, shaking her head slightly, "I also wouldn't be in the position where I had lost both of them. If I'd never met Gabriel Martyr then things would be so different now."
There was a heaviness that filled the office following Annie's statement. David had grown to feel as though he was imposing on the couple as the ginger looked apologetically at Aaron, having realised how much the implication of her words had stung. There had been a Freudian slip, her hidden desire being found from the depths of her mind. She wanted a life that was better than the one she currently had, but that didn't mean that she didn't want Aaron. Though, her words had been shadowed with the possibility of an alternative meaning.
As he witnessed the silent communication between his friends, David realised that there was a dire need for them to be alone and understand what had been said and meant. For that reason, he shared a glance with both Annie and Aaron, muttering about how he was going to leave to get coffee. He placed his hand on the ginger's shoulder, squeezing slightly before he walked towards the door.
After David had left, Aaron moved to is seat, taking Annie's hands in his own. Meeting her gaze, he was shocked to see her chewing at the inside of her cheek, that habit being one he had watched her grow out of as a teenager. It was a mannerism that she had always hated, as it showed the moment when she became filled with a mix of anxiety and distain towards herself, that was why she had taken an active approach to stopping it.
Once Aaron had managed to compose himself, he asked, "When we were kids, you told me you believed everything happens for a reason. Good or bad, it's part of a higher plan."
"I was naive." Annie whispered, shaking her head at her own beliefs.
Aaron forced his gaze to the floor, "I never told you, but I started to believe it too."
Opposite him, Annie grew confused by the knowledge that Aaron had been a naturally born empiricist and that he didn't understand how what he and Sean were enduring could be part of a larger plan. He had made it extremely evident to her as they grew up, but they had never once let it come between them. There had been times when Annie had felt that Aaron was undermining her faith, and it had caused a temporary riff between the friends. However, not even a month had passed before they both returned to each other's sides. So, learning that Aaron had, at some point, agreed with her belief was more than a shock.
"I didn't tell you because of when I realised, I believed." Aaron explained, his voice dropping. "It was the night your parents died. I left my car keys at the dinner and you were late home."
"I was yelling at you; I thought my parents were going to kill me." She laughed slightly, having often forgotten the rest of that night. "The fact that you left your keys saved my life."
Aaron nodded, "It was that fact that made me consider that you were right all along."
"And now you're telling me this because you think everything that happened to me in the church happened for a reason." Annie muttered, looking questionably at the man. "How can any of what happened be necessary?"
"It wasn't," Aaron answered, not needing time to consider the question. "But, had none of that happened then what we have now, what you have with Jack, wouldn't exist."
She nodded leaning toward his as she stated, "You know I wasn't referring to that, right?"
"I do," he replied, smiling as she placed her lips to his. He moved his hand to the side of her face, smiling as he pulled away, "I think we should go back to work."
