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THE WEEKEND is a relief for Stella, the first time since she started at the BAU where she'd been counting down the minutes. In the wake of her first use of lethal force in the BAU, she'd invited her twin brother to stay with her for the weekend, hoping that Atlas's bright disposition will help relight the spark of her own brightness. She'd been able to put on a show during work hours, but going home had been harder, the quiet becoming suffocating.
Still, she's the one of the last of her colleagues in the bullpen to head home. She trudges up the stairs towards Hotch's office and knocks lightly. He calls for her to come in and she opens the door, closing it behind her again as she walks in.
"Hi, I've got my last files of the night," she says, handing them over when he reaches for them.
"Good," he nods. "Take a seat, Stella."
She hesitates before sinking into the seat, knowing exactly what this conversation is going to be about. He signs off on her files before leaving them to the side.
"How are you doing?" he asks, his attention diverted entirely to her.
"Uh, good. Better," she amends after a second. "I think I'll feel back to normal after the weekend. My brother's coming over."
"That's Atlas, right?" Hotch asks.
A smile spreads across Stella's face. "Yep. I shared a womb with that boy and regret not having absorbed him every day of my life," she sighs fondly. Hotch raises an eyebrow, amusement colouring his features ever so slightly. "He's arriving tonight and we'll probably head over and see Juliette and the kids at some point too."
Hotch fixes his stare on her for a moment. "If you're not feeling completely back to normal after the weekend, that's okay you know."
"I know," she nods. "I'm just not going to rush it. It happened and I'm going to have to deal with it. If that includes getting wine drunk and binge watching crappy TV with my brother on a Friday night, then that's what I'll do."
"Alright," he relents. He passes over the files and she takes them with a smile.
"Have a nice weekend, Hotch" she bids before leaving his office, closing the door behind her and making her way straight to the elevator, waving goodbye to Emily and Derek, the last of the group to be in the bullpen.
She stops by the store before heading home, buying ingredients for dinner for the two of them and picking up all of their favourite snacks and drinks. She carries the bags out to her car, placing them firmly in the boot before checking the time and realising that Atlas's plane will be landing any minute. He had elected to take a cab from the airport to Stella's, so she doesn't stop to worry about how he's going to get to hers. She drives herself home, unpacking the shopping and doing the last bits of cleaning and making sure the guest room is all set up. A knock at her door sends a thrill of excitement through her and she almost runs to the door, unlocking it and pulling it open. The sight of her brother makes her smile widely. He puts his bag down in order to pull her into a tight hug.
