Temporary -An Aaron Hotchner Story-

10

We board the jet and I see that the only seat left for me to take is at the table across from Aaron.

 Emily and Rossi snicker as they grab their coffee watching us from the corner's of their eyes.

 "So he did this to you" Aaron asks gesturing to my stomach and I shake my head "He managed to turn my...partner and then he did this to me" while exchanging a worried glance with Emily. "Who was your partner" asks Spencer and Emily answers for me "Jared Newsome. Former Interpol Special Agent" so Rossi asks "He's in the wind" but I correct "He's dead" hearing the gunshot echo through my thoughts. 

Everyone's eyes are on me and I know that for the sake of this case I can't keep anything a secret, or it'll come back later and bite me in the ass. 

"Jared was my husband" I admit with an apologetic look at my brother who's eyebrows raise as he thinks of the question to ask. "We got married on a ferry from Athens to Mykonos. The only witnesses were the people on board" I explain to my brother but he just comments "You always were immensely secretive" and I just chuckle nervously feeling Aaron's analytic gaze on me.

 "Everything else is in the statement I gave my superiors, but I thought you'd need that information before it showed up in a more unpleasant way" I tell the team and Morgan asks "Unpleasant how" but Aaron answers for me "If we have Arabietti within our grasp he's going to try and manipulate her into making a mistake by bringing Jared into this" dragging my attention back to him. 

He looks back over the case file but my eyes rest on him as I find myself admiring Aaron Hotchner yet again after spending a steamy night in his bed. His groans reverberate in my mind exactly as they did that night and I nearly whimper from the sound as the flashbacks come to life and I can almost feel him between my legs. 

I cross my legs barely brushing my heel against his shin and I see his muscles tense almost immediately. It brings a smirk to my face as I go over the folder in front of me and Emily asks "So, we're assuming the real Paul Everette is dead" so I nod "It's most likely" and Spencer asks "But why hide out with Manzoni? It doesn't really match his profile. He'd be too proud to ask for help." 

I know the answer to this question. 

I asked it myself. 

"He identifies with Manzoni. Interpol ran him out of Genoa in 1987 and he came here to build himself up in Hell's Kitchen. I can't be certain, but if I know Arabietti as well as I think..." I start but Emily finishes the statement "He's going to want to take it from Manzoni." Morgan asks "Do you think he'll try and strike a deal" but I respond "I'm counting on it" and Rossi looks to me in confusion "He's going to try and get off by offering me Manzoni's entire operation as long as I leave him to rebuild his empire in Hell's Kitchen." 

Rossi studies my expression until he asks "Do you have the authority to do that" and I just stare at the file in front of me knowing I have the authority to do that and much more, but I already know what I'm going to do. 

"That's such an Interpol response" Rossi whines as I smirk into the case file and I see Aaron stifle a laugh as he sits in front of me. 

"So what is this, some kind of thirst for vengeance" he asks and I feel the attack behind his words as everyone turns their attention to him "That's what it seems like to me." He's trying to get my guard down so he can profile me. 

"Yeah" I respond bluntly and the response catches him off guard "Because of him the man I thought I loved stabbed me twice missing my spleen by 2 centimeters. I almost died on the operating table and I was in recovery in the hospital for about a month. Now, I'm on medical leave for 6 months and that doesn't include the time they'll hold me under a microscope watching for any form of long-term psychological effects that might affect my work. So, yeah, it's somewhat of a thirst for vengeance."