SSA Scottley - A collection - S.R.

Remembrance of things past

"Yeah." She mumbled. Hotch leaned over the table to get a closer look at her.

"I do think you'll be able, Lily." He said, his voice laced with nothing but honesty. "As I said, you're smart. I don't even have to tell you how much. I'll give you a few hours to think, but if you do accept it, I'll help you adapt, I promise. You'll still do your job. You'll still profile with us, I mean, but instead of going to crime scenes with Morgan and Prentiss, you will be at the stations more often, so when the media does need attention, you'll be there. But you'll also be there for us. I promise you, Lily. If we ever have to make a decision outside the station, someone will call you to let you know."

"Okay." She nodded, biting her lip. "And I'll have to pick which cases we'll be attending first, right? And present it to you, like JJ did."

"Yes. I'll help you with that too, in the first times." Hotch said. "You'll also be the one with more contacts with the families and local officers."

"Okay." She nodded again. "Can I think about it?"

"Of course." Hotch said. "But I need an answer by tomorrow morning."

"Yes, Sir." She said, before getting up to leave.

She opened the door and as she placed her foot outside – causing the rest of the team to stare at her, of course – Hotch's voice rang again.

"Don't doubt yourself, Lily. Trust me, you'll do just fine."

She nodded, and closed her door. She walked to her desk, avoiding everyone's eye on her.

"What happened?" Emily asked.

"What did he want?" Penelope frowned.

Lily picked up her purse and go-bag, before turning to leave.

"You'll know tomorrow." She shakily said. "Good night."

***

Lily could barely sleep that night. She spent the whole time thinking if she should take upon Hotch's office. Deciding she wouldn't be able to sleep, anyway, she took a shower, changed her clothes, made another go-bag – just in case – and drove off from her house to Quantico.

Arriving there at five thirty, she wasn't surprised to see that no one was there already, so she waited in her car until six. Grabbing her purse, bag and coat, she took the lift to the BAU office and saw Hotch's room's door open. Of course he was already there. Lily placed all her things down by her desk and walked toward her boss' office.

"Hotch?" She called as she knocked on the door.

"Lily?" He asked, as he saw her through the gap she had just opened. "Come on in."

She smiled, as she sat down. He looked up at her, expectantly. With a deep breath, she started talking.

"I've thought long and hard about your proposition, Hotch." She finally admitted, as he nodded.

"And...?"

"I'll do it." She breathed out. "I'll be the BAU's liaison."

"Are you sure?" Hotch asked. He sure was relieved she had accepted, but he also didn't want her doing anything she wasn't comfortable with.

"Yes, I'm sure." She smiled. "But I'm gonna take up on that offer of help, yeah?"

Hotch chuckled, as he got up to shake her hand and guide her out of his office.

"Of course." He said, as he handed her some files. "But first, let's start easy. Pick one out of these. The one you consider the most urgent. When you're done, come back here and I'll talk you through it."

"Yes, boss."

As soon as she was out the door, Lily noticed Spencer, Emily and Penelope were already there, staring at her, as she came to sit in her desk, files in hand.

"You're not leaving us too, are you?" Spencer spoke up, as Lily frowned, sitting in her desk in front of his.

"Leaving?" She huffed, as she placed the files down. "No. Why would ask that?"

"I mean... You were talking with Hotch and with all that's happening with Chief Strauss we just thought..."

"Spence." She interrupted him with a smile. "I'm not going anywhere. Even more now that I just got... Hum... Promoted."

"Promoted?" Penelope chirped in. "Promoted to what?"

She smirked as she saw Hotch nodding to her from his office. She smiled at the three of them

"Say hello to your new liaison." She shrugged.

"You? But you're a Profiler." Emily frowned.

"Now I'm both." She said.

They all stared at her for a moment before turning to Hotch, who had already disappeared into his office again.

"Look, I know I'll never be as good as JJ, but..."

"We're happy for you, Lily." Penelope interrupted her, already knowing where that rant was going to end up. "We're even more thrilled that no one new is coming in. I mean... I loving meeting people, but no one can replace our JJ."

"She's right." Emily nodded, sitting down on her chair, beside Lily's. "We're happy. And now that you have double work, if you ever need anything, just ask."

"Why does she have double work?" Morgan, who had just arrived, asked.

"She's our new liaison." Spencer explained, with a smile.

"You're what? Doll, I can't believe it!"

Lily laughed. She was glad at least her friends accepted that okay. Now it was time to see if she was going to as well.