Everyone within the team could feel the tension between Cassidy and Hotch. Whether it was glances that lasted a little too long, or the fact that Hotch would begin talking, only for Cassidy to interject and speak.
Out of everyone, Spencer seemed the most suspicious, wondering if Cassidy and Hotch had met before, or if they had some sort of relationship prior to Cassidy joining the BAU.
His suspicion only grew when Hotch pulled Cassidy into the conference room within the precinct that they had found themselves in.
"Hotch, whatever reason we're meeting in here - away from the team - can't it wait? I was busy." Cassidy rolled her eyes as Hotch exhaled, rubbing his forehead in frustration. He had never met anyone so frustrating, and he worked with David Rossi and Spencer Reid.
"Listen, Cassidy, I don't appreciate being interrupted every time I try to talk. For the past hour, you've done nothing but undermine me." Hotch glared at Cassidy, who shook her head.
"I wasn't undermining you, Hotch. I was simply explaining something that would've taken you ages." She smirked, crossing her arms.
"This, right here, what you're doing right now, is something I will not tolerate within my team." Hotch sternly shook his head.
"How else am I to prove that I belong in this team? I'm not here to undermine you, Hotch. I'm here simply to do my job, and you're making me out to be the enemy who's trying to take your job away from you." Cassidy groaned.
"Cassie, you can prove yourself, just don't use me to do it." Hotch insisted, Cassidy laughing.
"Don't call me that, Hotch. If you'll excuse me, I think Reid is waiting for me outside." Cassidy remarked before she opened the conference room door, leaving Hotch alone.
"Everything okay? You seem more tense than before." Spencer noted, glancing up and down at Cassidy.
"Is Hotch usually paranoid?" Cassidy questioned, glancing over at the conference room.
"Ever since Strauss tried to replace him as the BAU's Unit Chief, he's been a little cautious of new members. Give him time, and don't give him any reason to consider you an enemy." Spencer chuckled, handing Cassidy a marker, so they could start the geographical profile.
———
(3 Days Later)
With the latest case solved, the team headed back home, Cassidy receiving a message that made her roll her eyes.
A.H: My office. 15 minutes.
Reaching the 6th floor, the team reunited with Garcia, who happily let them relax. The moment Cassidy put her bag onto her desk, Hotch exited his office, gesturing for her to come up.
The team watched in confusion as Cassidy walked up the steps and walked into Hotch's office, the door shutting.
"A closed door meeting? That can't be good." Morgan exhaled, everyone sitting down.
"Does anyone else want to know what they're talking about?" Garcia questioned.
"If he closed the door, it means that he doesn't want us knowing. I suggest that we all go home and leave Cassidy and Hotch alone." JJ recommended as the team nodded, grabbing their bags.
"Spence, you coming?" JJ asked as Spencer stood up, but didn't move.
"Yeah. I just...forgot something." Spencer lied, watching as the team left the bullpen, allowing him to quietly walk up the stairs.
Spencer wasn't the type of person to eavesdrop, but he knew that he couldn't leave without knowing why Cassidy and Hotch had been so tense around each other.
CASSIDY
"Hotch, can I please go home? I'm tired and I know that I need all the sleep I can get before you end up calling us back for another case." I groaned, sitting down.
"Cassidy, we need to talk." Hotch sat at his desk, intertwining his fingers.
"Can it wait? I'd rather not be here at 2 AM, which, considering the time right now, is soon." I rolled my eyes.
"I need to know exactly what your intentions are, Cassidy." Hotch insisted.
"Excuse me? I have no idea what you're talking about." I laughed, confused. Was he really insisting that I couldn't be trusted?
"Strauss wouldn't allow two people who are related to be on the same team." Hotch admitted.
"You're kidding right? Please tell me you're kidding!" I stood up, feeling extremely upset.
"Cassie, the sooner you tell me your intentions, the sooner you can leave." Hotch leaned back.
"Jesus, Hotch. One moment I'm Cassidy, then the next minute I'm Cassie. Make up your mind!" I scoffed.
"When Strauss went over the list of applicants, what was my name?" I questioned, Hotch rolling his eyes.
"Cassidy Marlow." He shrugged his shoulders, confused.
"Exactly. She wouldn't have necessarily figured out that my name is Cassidy Hotchner. I haven't gone by that name since I was 18." I admitted, sitting down.
"I have no intentions, Hotch. I'm only here because I'm hoping to become a skilled profiler. I just want to use the skills - some of which you taught me - to find and apprehend unsubs." I stood up.
GENERAL
"You may be my uncle, Hotch, but from now on, only refer to me as Cassidy or Marlow. You lost the right to call me Cassie the moment you disowned my dad at my 16th birthday party." Spencer heard Cassidy before he realised that Hotch's office door would open up any second. He quickly raced down to his desk, grabbing his bag and jacket. He looked up to see Cassidy angrily and hastily exiting Hotch's office.
"What are you still doing here? It's almost 2 AM." Cassidy asked as she looked down at Spencer, who smiled.
"Oh, I thought that maybe I would wait for you? It's not exactly fun walking out of the FBI building alone." Spencer cleared his throat.
"You didn't have to wait for me. I was just discussing something with Hotch." Cassidy exhaled, feeling her heart rate slow down.
"It's no problem." Spencer waited for Cassidy to grab her stuff before they walked to the elevator. As they walked, their hands briefly touched, sending a spark down both their spines.
"You know, I never would've guess that Hotch was your uncle." Spencer spoke, causing Cassidy to tense up, feeling her heart rate speed up.
"Not a word to anyone. The last thing I need is people thinking he's biased because I'm his niece." Cassidy glared at Spencer, who nodded, clearly understanding.
As they stood in the elevator, waiting to reach the ground floor, Spencer glanced at Cassidy a few times, a smile on his face.
He was thinking about Cassidy. Not only at the fact that he had slept with her only 3 days ago, but also that she was Hotch's niece. That's when the realisation set in. He had slept with the boss' niece.
That's all he could think about as he and Cassidy got into their respective cars, heading home.