Summary: Y/n was recruited to a private sector of the CIA called Division, a black ops group that recruits and trains individuals into becoming incredible soldiers for their missions. Years after it’s been dismantled she ends up at the BAU, but it would seem your biggest fear is coming true. Division isn’t over yet. Word count: 3.4 K
series masterlist
bau!reader + slow burn hotch 🥵
-
The team works together for the rest of the morning, still building a profile as best as they can on Division. Garcia has discovered a potential shell company that could be tied to land outside of El Paso. You feel steadier now than you had this morning. You feel lighter having everyone on the same page, and somehow they can all still make eye contact with you.
Every screen in the conference room flickers to black, the bullpen following suit a second later. All agents look around confused. The screens flicker back after a second, a frozen frame that dissolves into a grainy video feed. Simply a chair, table and a low light barely illuminating the room.
Garcia looks panicked, “I didn’t do that. This is not me, this is not my system-”
And then he steps into frame.
He looks older, and definitely thinner. But unmistakingly, it’s him.
No one even breathes. You nearly drop the white board marker in your hand, instead your grip tightens. JJ has gone pale, and Reid looks like his entire world has tilted. Morgan’s expression hardens and Emily swears out loud. Hotch doesn’t move a muscle. You do, you step closer.
Gideon looks directly at the camera.
“Hello, Aaron.”
His voice is calm and familiar.
“You managed to keep the team intact,” He continues with a small smile on his face, “Impressive. I always wondered if you could.”
No one answers. No one takes the bait.
Gideon’s eyes shift on camera, it’s obvious he must have a screen on you guys somehow too. You can tell he looks at you now. Your instincts make your skin crawl.
“Athena.” He calls.
Your hand tightens even more, twisting the marker and turning your knuckles white. Morgan takes a half step to shift in front of you protectively.
Garcia’s voice is shaking, “I’m trying to trace it, I’m trying, I’m trying-”
Reid whispers, “He’s on Division’s undetectable line, they have it back and functional.”
Gideon looks faintly proud, “Good, Spencer. Still the fastest mind in the room.”
Reid recoils as if he were slapped, he looks down to his hands that are folded in his lap.
JJ’s eyes water, “How could you?”
“How could I what?” He shrugs innocently, “Serve my country? Identify assets? Develop assets to neutralize threats?”
“You groomed children.” Morgan spits.
“I refined potential.” Gideon replies.
Hotch finally speaks up.
“You betrayed this team.”
His gaze returns to Hotch, “I never lied to you, Aaron. You never asked the right questions.”
That lands.
“That has to be eating at you now. How could you have missed it?”
Hotch’s jaw tightens but he keeps his voice level, “Where are the recruits?”
Gideon ignores the question and redirects his focus back onto you. His eyes fall flat as they take you in.
“I have to say, I’m disappointed.” He sighs, “You were my best work.”
You don’t flinch. You won’t give him the satisfaction.
“You made me a weapon,” You reply with a steady even tone, “I chose to become something else. I got out.”
A flicker passes over his face, honest for a split second. It isn’t regret, he would never be transparent with that. He’s studying you.
“You always were phenomenal at adapting.” He smiles, “But still you misunderstand your role.”
Morgan tries to step forward and block you completely from the laptop, “You don’t get to talk to her like that anymore.”
Gideon doesn’t even acknowledge him.
“To dismantle Division,” He continues, “you had to use all of the skills we gave you. We protected you, trained you, fed you, clothed you!”
Your voice remains cold, “I dedicated years of my life to doing the wrong thing for you. Taking down Division was the least that I could do.”
“Taking down Division? You exposed a facility,” He corrects, “As you can see, you did not dismantle the ideology.”
“Where is Percy?” Emily suddenly cuts in.
Gideon almost looks fond, “Still asking the wrong questions.”
Rossi looks like he could lunge at the screen in front of him.
Hotch speaks up again, “Why contact us?”
Gideon answers immediately and points to you.
“Because she’s looking in the wrong direction.”
Every profiler in the room catching the wording. Not we. She.
Your eyes narrow, “This is about me.”
“It has always been about you, you were never meant to join them. You were meant to lead. You were supposed to succeed us here.”
You can taste bile in your mouth at the implication. Percy’s roses. Amanda’s taunts. Sending Daniel to deliver the message. Gideon’s call. This is all extremely personal.
“Although,” He continues, “it isn’t lost on me that you left Division just to join my own former team.”
“You think she would come back to you?” Hotch questions.
Gideon doesn’t flinch, “She already knows how this ends.”
For the first time since the call interrupted them, Aaron looks to you rather than his tablet in front of him.
“I find it funny that all of your best and brightest have abandoned you. What does it say about your development, cultivating our success when Nikitia, Michael, and I have all left you.”
That strikes a nerve.
“You won’t have my patience for long.” Gideon growls, “Soon, we disappear for a few more years again, without a trace. Without you.”
The feed glitches. Gideon’s final works are saved for you.
“Come home, Athena.”
The screens all go back to black, before returning to what they were originally on before the breach. Out in the bullpen agents look confused, unaware of the situation at hand. The team in the conference room doesn’t move a muscle.
Hotch stares at the screen for a long time before he turns back to the team.
“That was not Jason Gideon,” His voice measured with control, “That was the unsub using his face and his history as a weapon against us.”
He looks back up to you.
“We profile him like anyone else.”
Reid nods immediately and Morgan cracks his knuckles before settling back into his seat. JJ straightens her posture, and you relinquish your tight hold on the marker.
“They’re accelerating.” Reid comments, he’s already writing something quickly in his notebook.
“We need to find their site now.” Emily insists.
“Or their next mission.” Rossi adds.
Garcia nods, “Whatever it takes. I will burn down the internet if I have to.”
-
Prague, five years ago.
According to the forged passport, the nanny agency, and identity card you were named Elena. You were given a new assignment to nanny for an American family living in Prague. Division was concerned about the father leaking information and wanted intel.
The wife trusted you easily, thankful for another set of hands to help you out with the two kids. Living in a foreign country was hard, so hiring a live-in nanny was ideal for them. Ideal for Division too. You had been with them for three weeks. It was long enough for you to establish routines, find blind spots in street surveillance, and earn being added to the drawings on the fridge from the youngest child.
In three weeks you had managed to worm your way into their family. This is why Percy assigned it to you. The father was an economic analyst who was quietly passing intelligence and you needed to find out where the information was going.
You sent over everything you had gained, Percy immediately reaching back out once you had confirmed who he was working with. You excused yourself to a walk so you could answer his call.
“Excellent work.” He praises.
“What’s the next objective?” You question.
“Elimination and extraction.”
“The children?” You ask.
His voice careful, “Collateral damage.”
Something cold crawls up your spine. They didn’t need the kids, this isn’t operational. Your throat was instantly burning.
“Understood.” You manage to spit out before hanging up.
You have done a lot of awful things for Division over the years. Seduction, assassinations, kidnappings. But they had always been targets. This was a family. An ordinary, gentle, and unsuspecting family. Do they have to pay the price of their father’s mistake?
You won’t allow that.
It took the rest of your walk to plan a scenario that Division wouldn’t question, and you needed enough time to get them a fresh start. That meant a burner cell phone, four passports, and four go bags.
You told Division you would stage a car bomb in order to take them all out. It was dramatic, but you made every detail textbook. Percy would be pleased. You altered the route slightly to avoid Division’s mobile surveillance and buy you a small window. It was their only chance.
You had ninety seconds to convince them to give up their lives and get in the secondary vehicle you had stolen. The children trusted you completely, that was the worst part. You had done every part of the job perfectly.
You slam on the brakes, it won’t be long until Division catches up.
“You all need to get out,” You turn to look at the husband, “Your family is being watched for your involvement with leaking economic foreign intelligence.”
He gulps.
“What are you talking about?”
“Elena?” The mother questions, her eyes wide with fear as she looks at you.
“My name is not Elena.” You confess, she covers her shock with her hand over her mouth. She pulls both of her children closer to her chest.
“Do not stop for anyone,” You insist, “Do not speak to anyone, drive straight to the embassy of this country.”
You hand him the stack of passports all with new identities, one for him and three others.
“Your death will be on the news later, do not dispute it. This is what’s buying your safety, you need to lay low.”
You hand him the car keys belonging to the car parked right next to where you stopped.
“Go, now.”
They all scramble to get out of the vehicle, the mother stopping to take your hand in hers.
“Come with us.” She pleads, pulling you towards the car.
You shake your head, “I was never here.”
The youngest child hugs your knees before her father hauls her away in the car. It nearly breaks you, but you stay calm and continue driving their family car. You leave them in your rearview, and shortly after that Division surveillance van reappears and you continue the planned route.
You carry out the rest of the plan, including leaving behind DNA of them that you had gotten from the house. You don’t have bodies to dispose of, so the car bomb is going to have to cover up most of the evidence for you.
The second the mission is complete, Percy sends you a single message.
Well executed, Athena.
They had no clue this was the start of change for you. Division’s care no longer provided blinders to what you were doing. This was the first time you had ever defied one of their orders. This is when you found out that you could lie to Division and get away with it.
-
The team doesn’t recover quickly from Gideon’s call. It hardens over the group, everyone returning to their desks for the rest of the afternoon. Everyone has other files they should be working on since they have technically been pulled off the Division and Texas files. You don’t move, your mind is running faster than the room.
Morgan calls across the bullpen, “Y/Ln, you good.”
You nod, “Yeah.”
You continue to stare at the report you haven’t read. Gideon’s words still ringing in your head the way he wanted them to. Come home, Athena.
Everyone working on their other cases reminds you that there are other bad things going on in the world that Division has nothing to do with. You don’t know if that’s supposed to make you feel better. Rossi is up in his office going through cold case files. JJ, Emily, and Morgan are all contacting the local PD’s for their cases to advise next steps. Reid is working on a geographical cluster, circling various spots and taking notes. You continue to stare ahead, files open and your computer flashing at you to do something, anything.
The team can hear Hotch’s phone ring from the open door to his office, heads snapping up. It makes everyone flinch as if Gideon would be reaching out again. Hotch checks it before answering.
“Strauss.” He eventually greets.
He answers, listening.
“Yes, ma’am. Understood.”
He hangs up and gets up from his desk, putting his suit jacket back on. He looks out over the team, noticing the attention that he already has.
“Strauss wants to see me. I’ll be back in a little bit.”
His eyes fall to you once more, a silent check in, before he leaves the office. The bullpen falls back into the same dull hum as before. Everyone jumps back into their work without another thought otherwise.
The chime of an email coming through has your posture straightening. You open it, hoping for anything that would distract your mind for even a minute of peace.
No subject. No sender.
Attachments are liabilities. We taught you that.
One file attachment is also on the email that you can’t help but open. You wish you hadn’t. It’s a picture from this morning, it looks like it was taken from across the street but it’s clear as day. Jessica’s car in the driveway, you crouched down giving Jack a negotiated hug before he left for school. Hotch standing behind you and Jessica holding the door open.
They were watching you at Hotch’s house. They knew you stayed there. They knew about Jack.
You look out to the rest of the room, from here you can see the photo of Henry framed to the side of JJ’s monitor. Morgan leans back in his chair, still holding the phone to his ear. Reid has a stack of papers as tall as the cubicle wall that he’s flying through.
They will use them. You know they will. Division specializes in weaponizing attachments, and since growing close to this team you’ve given them an endless supply. You won’t let them become collateral damage, and you won’t ignore this message.
You stand suddenly, your chair dramatically stuttering behind you.
“Woah!” Morgan covers the mouth of the phone, “You good?”
You grab your purse, but leave your work bag under your desk.
“Yeah, I’m going to get an iced coffee,” You force a smile for him and JJ when she looks up, “If I don’t get real caffeine soon I’m going to commit a federal offense.”
Morgan snorts, “Bring me one.”
“No promises.” You call over your shoulder without looking back.
No one looked worried, and that almost makes it worse. You make it to the elevator without looking back. Your hand is shaking while you press the lobby button. You could still turn around, you could still go back. You won’t.
-
Hotch scans the bullpen the second he gets back down on their floor after his meeting. It was short because it didn’t go well, Strauss is fully convinced that you're compromised and should be put on temporary leave until things settle down. He had to fight to keep you with the team, emphasizing how they could lash out if you were removed. You’re obviously the focus of their attention and tossing you out to the wolves is the last thing he would do.
He knew it by the pit in his stomach before he could find you at your desk. Empty. His pulse spikes.
“Where’s Y/n?”
Morgan doesn’t look up, “Hunting down caffeine.”
Hotch immediately turns to look into his office and the air leaves his lungs. Your badge, credentials, and gun. Lined up perfectly on his desk like evidence.
“How long ago did she leave?”
“Maybe five minutes?” JJ shrugs.
“Four minutes and twelve seconds.” Spencer corrects which causes the rest of the room to roll their eyes.
Hotch sprints for the stairs, pushing the door open before calling over his shoulder, “Tell Garcia to track her cell phone immediately.”
He doesn’t wait for the reaction of the team, but he notices Morgan take off in the direction of her lair. He knows you aren’t just stepping out for coffee. You’re leaving. The elevator is too slow, and the stairwell leads straight to the parking garage. He takes them at a pace that would normally have him tripping, but he can’t help himself.
He bursts out of the door, your car is about to pull out of its spot. The engine already running.
“Y/n!” He yells, hurrying his pace to block your car before you can pull out of the spot.
You shake your head, tears rimming your eyes.
“You can’t run.” He huffs, still out of breath.
Slowly, you open the door and step out with your keys still in hand. Hotch comes around to your side of the car.
His voice is sharp with panic, “You don’t get to disappear.”
“I’m not disappearing, I’m getting coffee-” You don’t even know why you try the lie. He knows you better than that, and if he got down here that quickly you aren’t as good at hiding things from him as you thought.
“You don’t typically leave your badge and gun behind to get a coffee.”
“I can’t stay.” You finally admit.
“We’re a team.”
“That’s exactly why I need to leave.”
“No.” His voice drops immediately, taking a step closer to you to box you in against your car, “You don’t make decisions out of guilt and call it strategy.”
“I’m not willing to risk any of you.”
“You don’t get to decide what risks we take. That’s my job. This is what Division wants, they want you isolated.”
“I can’t let Percy go free.” You shake your head.
He carefully reaches out a hand to steady you, brushing a piece of hair behind your ear before settling there cupping your face.
“Then we stop him together.”
You exhale shakily, “That’s why I have to go. They will use you. They will use all of you, so I’m taking that option off the table.”
Silence stretches between you, his heart still racing. The garage feels electric with him still so close, his hand still in your hair.
“I’m sorry, Aaron.” you whisper.
“Come back upstairs.”
“I can’t.”
“Y/n-”
You pull him into a kiss that is anything but hesitant. It is far from careful or professional, but everything that you have buried due to years of working together. The fear, anger, and relief all crashing together at once.
Hotch staggers back a step under the force of it, totally surprised. It takes him a few seconds to kiss you back, but once he does you can feel him pouring every ounce of himself into it. You press deeper and back him onto the stranger’s car parked next to you.
He kisses you deeper. He swears he could you anchor you there, if he holds onto you tight enough you won’t be able to leave. Your hands are expert and move too fast for him to register the click.
“I’m so sorry.” You cry.
He looks down. Handcuffs. He’s secured to the door handle of the sedan he’s leaning against.
“Y/n.” He warns as you step back out of his hold, your expression growing more sad.
“I’m sorry.” You repeat, you don’t even try to stop the tears as you back up to your car. You cry openly, but your voice remains steady, “I love this team too much to be the reason they get hurt.”
“You won't.”
“You don’t know that.” You shake your head sadly.
“Y/n.” He tries your name again.
“I’m sorry.”
You open the door to your car and sit down, Hotch rattles his handcuff against the door handle. The car roars to life when you start it, and you force yourself to look ahead. The tires squeal behind you as you leave him, he’s still shouting your name as you go.
Hotch’s chest is heaving as you round the corner out of view. For the first time in years, Aaron Hotchner is losing control.
AN// omfg you guys are gonna KILL ME over that cliff hanger. SO excited for what is still to come 🤭
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