Chapter Text
August.
Aaron Hotchner knew something was awry when Erin Strauss approved his latest request for funds with a simple wave of her hand. It was never that easy. There should have been paperwork, several rounds of meetings, and then even more paperwork. That was how things worked at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, for better and for worse.
But Aaron also knew better than to count his blessings. They were all still recovering from the damage the Fisher King had wrought, none more than Elle. He could see it in the way her eyes darted at the smallest sound, knew it would take a long time before she felt safe again. She still had a few weeks before she was due to be back, but he privately doubted whether even that was a good idea. He had figured Strauss had recognized that fact as well and had granted them some leeway as a result.
All things considered, the arrival of Emily Prentiss early one morning took him mostly by surprise. He didn’t know what he'd been expecting, but it wasn’t this. Even down one field agent, his team had been doing perfectly well. They all missed Elle, but, as far as Aaron had noticed, none of them had let it affect their performance. If Aaron had a list of requests for the higher-ups, having an extra agent would be somewhere behind getting a new coffee machine.
Of course, the problem was that Aaron didn't get to make requests. So when Emily Prentiss showed up, bright-eyed and with a mandate straight from Erin Strauss, he couldn’t do anything but shake her hand and welcome her to the team.
“Thank you, sir,” she said, gripping his hand slightly tighter than was probably necessary. She was enthusiastic, he’d give her that.
Aaron decided then that this new addition might be just what the team needed. They didn’t need a new agent, but they could all use a little optimism, a fresh perspective.
“Just Hotch is fine,” he said. “Can I help you with your box?”
She refused, though it was clearly heavy. Aaron, recognizing all too well her resistance to accepting help, nodded and led her to the bullpen, giving her the tour on the way down.
“Agent Gideon’s office is here,” he said, gesturing to the office next to her. The door was open, but Gideon was working, so they walked past without an introduction.
Making a right after Gideon’s office, they descended the stairs. The other agents had begun to take notice of their guest, but Aaron paid them no mind. When they reached the first floor, he pointed at another door, this one closed. “Agent Jareau handles our incoming requests and deals with the media.”
Emily nodded, taking it all in with no small amount of wonder. Aaron let a smile hover at the edges of his lips. He remembered being awed the first time he visited the BAU. The profilers of the FBI had been the kind of legends he could believe in.
When the two of them arrived at the edge of the bullpen, Aaron came to a stop, feeling Emily halt by his side.
“Everyone, this is Emily Prentiss. She’s going to be joining us for a little while.” He wasn’t actually sure how long she was supposed to stay, but Emily didn’t try to correct him.
“Hello,” she said, lifting up her hand in greeting. “It’s lovely to meet you all.”
“Emily, this is Agent Morgan, Dr. Reid, and our tech analyst Penelope Garcia.” The three of them waved in turn, though they didn’t look particularly enthused by the idea of a new agent.
Morgan shot Aaron a look that seemed to say ‘What’s really going on?’ In response, Aaron gestured slightly at Strauss’s office. Morgan’s eyes opened slightly wider as he took in this new information, before motioning Emily over to join them.
She approached them cautiously, turning back to look at him as she went. Aaron gave her a quick nod and took that as his cue to leave, doubling back to JJ’s office.
He knocked crisply on the door, waiting for her ‘come in’ before pushing the door open. Her room was dimly lit, though her desk lamp was on. Aaron realized she had the shutters pulled down, obscuring the light from the bullpen. She didn’t look up as he entered, moving her pen quickly across the page.
“JJ, I just wanted to let you know that we have a new agent joining us.” Her head snapped up at his words, pen stilling.
“Has something happened to Elle?” Her voice was insistent, though she looked tired, dark circles around her eyes. Aaron hadn’t been lying when he said the team hadn’t let their performance drop, but their insistence on carrying on had taken a toll.
“No, nothing like that,” Aaron reassured her. He hesitated for a moment, before opting for the full truth. If there was anyone he could trust, it was JJ. “I wasn’t informed she was going to be joining us, but I will make sure that Elle is not replaced without her consent.”
JJ nodded, visibly relaxing, though the worry didn’t fade completely from her face. Aaron knew that she and Elle had been– were close, and her absence had been weighing particularly heavily on JJ. He had caught her staring into nothingness several times during meetings, her eyes suspiciously red-rimmed. If there was something he could have done, he would have offered, but Aaron suspected time would be the only remedy.
“What’s her name?” JJ asked, peeling a sticky note off of her pad.
“Emily Prentiss,” he told her, watching as she jotted it down. “I hope that she’ll prove to be a positive addition to our team.”