or what, sir? |a. hotchner| ✔️

forty two

My heart sank as I stared at them. "I... I'm sorry?" I stuttered, trying to see if I had heard them correctly. My parents exchanged incredibly nervous looks, "It's gone? What do you mean, it's gone?"

"Someone robbed his grave, they left something" My dad revealed, handing a plastic bag for me. I took it from his gently, looking at the see through bag. It was a dirty, worn out piece of paper.

1/23/10

It was a date, the date Dean was murdered. But instead of 99, it was 10. 2010. "Let's... um" I shook my head, "Let's go to sleep? So I can bring this to the office tomorrow" I tried to stay calm, I needed to. I was weak, I was tired. I just wanted to be with Aaron, and I felt like every time I was starting to get happy, something would tear me down.

"I understand," My mother spoke as she got up. We said our goodbyes and we walked into separate bedrooms, and as soon as I shut my room's door, I started to cry.

This night was so special for me, because the man I had accidentally fallen in love with had admitted to loving me back. It was great, it was my dream come true. We could finally start to be a couple, one that was happy. And now my best friends body that we buried almost 11 years ago was gone.

I was just so incredibly tired, of everything.

But instead of going to sleep that night, I began reorganizing my room. I moved my desk to a different location and started taking old pictures off of my walls, replacing them with new ones I had gotten printed out a while ago.

I needed a fresh start, I needed everything to start over. I was in love with Aaron, I was back in Quantico. I was with my old yet new team, I was starting over. This was a new chapter in my life.

So when the clock hit 7:30, I changed into clean clothes and walked into my kitchen. There sat my parents in pajamas, sitting at my counter. I paused in front of them and crossed my arms. "So," I started, moving my shoulders a little as I tried to get comfortable, "I know this is a big deal, and I'm really upset. But I can't keep on thinking about Dean, and I think..."

I looked down, "I think someone who doesn't have a personal connection with him should look into the case. I'm trying to start my life again, away from Xavier, away from my hometown. And I can't do it with this on my conscious" I explained to them.

There was silence for a moment, until my mother put her hand on my arm. I glanced up at her, only to see she was wearing a tight lipped grin, one that was warm and comforting. "Of course. We just thought you should know, see what you wanted to do"

"We're glad you're starting over, and we're glad you're happy to do it for yourself" I nodded.

"Thanks, guys..."

000

I chuckled at a story my parents were telling me as the three of us sat on my couches, until we were cut off by my doorbell ringing. I narrowed my eyes and put my tea on the coffee table, getting up to go answer the door. I unlocked and opened it, and once I did, I wanted to slam the door.

Aaron, standing there in a grey sweater and dark jeans, his arms crossed. Not because he was angry, but because he seemed cold.

He smiled when he saw me, but he quickly noticed my worried face. "Veronica, who is it?" I glanced back at my parents, smiling nervously.

"Hold on" I told them, and then I stepped outside. I shut the door behind us, and the cold air hit my like a bunch of bricks. "Aaron, my parents don't know" I admitted, and he raised an eyebrow as his grin faded.

"You didn't tell them?"

I looked at him like he was crazy, "My mother would kill me"

"Why?"