7 cases in 6 months. That's how many cases had been solved since George Foyet had escaped prison. As much as the team only wanted to focus on Foyet, they couldn't. In fact, Strauss only allowed Cassidy back onto the field if the BAU agreed not to focus entirely on Foyet. So, after solving a case about two brothers - one dominant brother, paralysed and one submissive brother, developmentally disabled - the team returned home, none of them predicting what would happen next.
Hotch entered his apartment, setting his keys and bag down after turning off the alarm. He was calm. He was relaxed. All he wanted to do was get changed and lay on his bed.
As he poured himself a drink, he felt like he wasn't alone. As he removed the glass from his lips, he turned around, seeing Foyet dressed in all black, with a mask covering his face.
"You should have made a deal." He growled before pulling the trigger of his gun. Hotch didn't flinch. He had heard a gun going off so many times that unless it was aimed right at him, he wasn't scared, so he didn't flinch.
"Is this part of my profile. You can't show me fear?" Foyet asked, tilting his head.
"If you don't see fear, maybe it's because I'm not afraid of you." Hotch kept himself calm.
"You said that like you actually meant it. How's my friend Agent Morgan?" Foyet chuckled.
"Are you here to kill me, or are you here to play games?" Hotch asked, confused.
"You tell me. Enlighten me about my behaviour." Foyet removed his mask, revealing a wicked smirk. Hotch acted quickly, using the glass in his hand to briefly knock Foyet off balance.
A fight ensued. Foyet punched Hotch, causing him to fall to the floor. Hotch tried to reach for his weapon, but Foyet kicked Hotch in the stomach, resulting in Hotch rolling around on the floor, trying to breathe.
"So tell me, would I use this?" Foyet revealed a knife, which he happily stabbed into Hotch's chest.
———
CASSIDY
Another case had emerged. JJ had taken the lead when Hotch didn't show up. After calling Hotch multiple times and leaving multiple messages, I decided that it would only be right to go and check up on him.
"Hotch? It's me...Cassidy." I knocked on Hotch's apartment door, having given Spencer a call on my way over. When I couldn't hear footsteps, I pulled out my phone and dialled Hotch's number, confused and concerned when I could hear his phone ringing from inside the apartment.
My concern for Hotch only grew when I opened the door, realising that it was unlocked. I went inside, my heart dropping at the sight of a huge blood stain on the white carpet near the table.
Grabbing my phone, I dialled Garcia's number.
"Overtime shift. Penelope speaking." I exhaled with relief, hearing my favourite tech analysis speak.
"Garcia, it's Cassidy. I need you to listen really carefully. Something's happened to Hotch." I put my phone to my ear, trying to calm down.
"What do you mean, something?" I could hear the panic in Garcia's voice.
"I don't know. I'm at his place. He's not here, but there's blood." I looked around the room.
"Oh, my god." Garcia was clearly trying not to panic.
"I need you to send police and FBI techs here right away. Everyone available." I kept myself calm, using breathing techniques that Spencer had taught me.
"Uh, do we need an APB?" Garcia asked.
"Only on Hotch. I checked out front. His car's still here." I exhaled.
"Someone took him?" Garcia continued to question me.
"I don't know. There's blood, but I can't be sure whose it is. Just get people here." I shook my head, beginning to pace.
"Okay, I'm sending an army." Garcia reassured me.
"Garcia, I'm gonna have to tell Spencer because he and I were going to help identify a pattern with the unsub, but you can't tell the others. They cannot be distracted." I instructed.
"Okay. Okay." I imagined Garcia nodding before the line went dead.
———
I stayed behind at Hotch's apartment. I dialled Spencer's number, exhaling when I heard his voice.
"Hey, my love. Everything okay? Why aren't you here?" Spencer asked, confused.
"Should you really be calling me that when you're at the potential victim's house?" I chuckled.
"Don't worry. He's upstairs. Said he needed to take a small break. What's up?" Spencer asked, reminding me about my actual reason for calling.
"Look, something's happened to Hotch. There's a huge blood stain on the floor and Garcia's got FBI techs and police coming." I informed Spencer.
"Oh, god. O- Okay. Is there anything that stands out, apart from the huge blood stain?" Spencer asked, concerned.
"There's a huge hole in the wall. Probably a .44, but there's no blood or tissue spray around it." I shrugged my shoulders, sending an image of the hole to both Garcia and Spencer to be sure.
"Any idea how he got out?" Spencer questioned, clearly just as confused as me.
"If he was shot, there are no drag marks. But a body could have been wrapped in something." I shrugged my shoulders.
"And Bureau techs are on the way?" Spencer double checked.
"Any second." I nodded.
"All right, um, write down everything you see, and we'll profile from your notes when you get back." Spencer spoke.
"How's Dr. Barton?" I asked, concerned.
"There's a huge list of cases to go through." Spencer exhaled.
"Okay. Don't worry about here, I've got this. Just stay focused." I spoke.
"All right, you too. I love you." Spencer spoke, trying to remain calm.
"I love you too." I spoke, exhaling. I pulled my phone away from my ear, hanging up.
As I waited for the techs and police to arrive, I did exactly what Spencer said. I remained calm and I searched Hotch's apartment with gloves on, writing down anything and everything that stood out or could be of importance.
One thing that stuck out to me was Hotch's day planner, specifically the address section. One page was missing. The page with all of Hotch's contacts who had names starting with B was missing.
The moment the police and the FBI techs showed up, I gave them instructions and allowed them to get straight to work. One of the police officers stopped to talk to me, but halfway through our conversation, my phone rang.
"Talk to me, Garcia." I quickly answered, hoping for some good news.
"Okay. I called hospitals to see if Hotch had gotten himself admitted to an emergency room." She started.
"And?" I asked, confused.
"He's not listed as a patient, but someone dropped a John Doe off at St. Sebastian Hospital, and that someone's name was FBI Agent Derek Morgan." Garcia revealed, clearly confusing both of us.
"It doesn't make sense." I shook my head, trying to understand how this could have happened.
"I know. Do you think they got their credentials mixed up?" Garcia suggested.
"The Reaper." I gasped, the reason clicking in my head like two puzzle pieces fitting perfectly together.
"Foyet took Morgan's creds." I spoke to Garcia, scoffing.
"Why would he drop him off at the E.R.?" Garcia asked, confused.
"What hospital did you say again?" I asked.
"St. Sebastian Hospital." Garcia spoke, sounding worried.
"I'll call you with an update when I get there." I started walking out of Hotch's apartment, ending my call with Garcia.
Soon enough, I was standing beside Hotch's hospital bed, the nurse holding a chart.
"He was stabbed 9 times, but no major arteries were hit. It's a miracle he's alive." The nurse smiled, looking at me.
"When will he wake up?" I asked, concerned.
"The anaesthesia should wear off within the hour. But he's bound to be out of it." The nurse informed me.
"Okay. May I stay here?" I asked.
"Of course." The nurse nodded before she walked out of the room, leaving me to pull up and chair and sit down, hoping that my uncle would be okay. We may not have seen eye to eye on most matters, but I desperately wanted him to be okay.
———
GENERAL
Spencer laid on the grass outside Dr. Barton's house, a gunshot wound in his leg, after being shot by the unsub. Dr Barton offered to help him, but Spencer insisted that he go and make sure that his son was okay.
"You okay?" Emily, JJ, Rossi and Morgan ran up to Spencer, worried.
"We need to get you to a hospital." Morgan insisted. Spencer winced in pain, holding his leg.
"Call Cassidy." Spencer spoke, trying to ignore the pain in his leg.
"Where is she?" Rossi asked, confused.
"Something's happened to Hotch." Spencer couldn't keep this from the team. They needed to know.
Soon enough, Spencer was on the way to the hospital and the team were arriving at Hotch's hospital room, Cassidy going to meet them outside the room. She was a bit concerned when she didn't see Spencer with them.
"He still isn't conscious yet." Cassidy exhaled.
"You sure it was Foyet?" Rossi asked.
"He had Morgan's credentials." Cassidy nodded.
"Did they catch him on the security cam?" Morgan asked, confused.
"You could see him dropping Hotch off, but the camera's only on the entrance, so I have no idea what direction he went once he left the hospital." Cassidy explained, crossing her arms.
"It doesn't make sense for him to have brought Hotch to the E.R." JJ scoffed.
"We know Foyet gets off on power and control. Maybe what he wants is for Hotch to know his life was in his hands." Rossi suggested.
"He could do that without risking the hospital." Emily shrugged her shoulders.
"Agents, he's waking up. Remember, he's weak. Don't push him." A nurse alerted Cassidy and the team. They walked over to him, watching as he opened his eyes.
"Where am I?" Hotch asked, his voice raspy.
"In the hospital." Cassidy smiled.
"How did I get here?" Hotch exhaled.
"Foyet drove you." Morgan explained.
"Can you remember what happened?" Emily asked, Hotch slowly recounting what happened when Foyet confronted him.
"What did he take? The Reaper always takes something from his victims. Do we know what he took?" JJ asked, concerned.
"There was a page missing from your day planner in the address section, the Bs." Cassidy exhaled.
"What did he leave?" Hotch asked, taking a moment.
"I don't know." Cassidy shrugged her shoulders.
"He also leaves something with his victims." Hotch closed his eyes.
"I looked over your whole apartment. Nothing felt out of place." Cassidy admitted.
"Where are my clothes?" Hotch asked as Cassidy grabbed the plastic bag with all of Hotch's belongings in it. He searched through everything. He stopped when he pulled out an FBI badge with a photo of Haley and Jack neatly tucked inside.
"Haley's maiden name is Brooks. I always listed her in the Bs in my personal information in case it fell into the wrong hands." Hotch took a moment to breathe.
"He knows where they live." Hotch exhaled.
———
"Haley's not answering." JJ panicked as she, Rossi and Morgan made their way to the SUV parked outside the hospital. Emily and Cassidy stayed with Hotch.
"Garcia." Morgan dialled Garcia's number.
"Right here." She spoke.
"I need FBI S.W.A.T. deployed to Hotch's old address. Do it now." Morgan demanded.
"Oh, god, do you think he's going after Haley and Jack?" Garcia sounded panicked.
"I don't know. Just send a S.W.A.T. team. Tell them to wait for instructions. We're on our way." Morgan asked.
"Consider them there." Garcia spoke before the call ended.
"We need to be prepared for what we might find. Foyet kept Hotch alive. He wouldn't do that without a reason." Morgan warned.
———
The team, plus S.W.A.T. entered the house, finding Haley safely up in her room.
"What are you doing here?!" Haley asked, confused.
"It's okay. Everything's okay." JJ calmed her down.
"What's going on?" She asked.
"Is there anyone else in the house?" JJ asked, Haley shaking her head.
"No, there's no one here." She insisted.
"Haley, where's Jack?" Morgan asked, confused.
"He's at a friend's house for a play date." Haley spoke.
"We need to get him back here. We'll explain everything." Rossi reassured Haley.
"Where's Aaron? Where's Cassidy?" Haley asked, noticing that it was just JJ, Rossi and Morgan at her house.
"He's in the hospital. Cassidy's with him." JJ spoke.
"W- What?" She croaked out. Morgan could see the tears forming in Haley's eyes.
"Haley, please. Call for Jack. Tell them I'm on the way to pick him up. I promise you we'll explain. Call for him right now. Text me the address." Morgan instructed as he left the room.
"Tell me what happened to Aaron." Haley asked.
JJ and Rossi explained everything to Haley, about Foyet and about Hotch's injury. They also explained what would need to happen now that Foyet knew where they lived. As for Morgan, he brought Jack home safely, giving Cassidy a call on the way
"Is this really necessary?" Haley questioned, worried.
"I'm afraid so." Rossi nodded.
"For how long?" She asked, confused.
"I don't know." Rossi shrugged his shoulders as the three of them heard Jack.
"Mommy! They let me turn on the siren!" Jack ran into the room, a huge smile on his face.
"Wow, that's so great, baby! Did you have fun?" Haley asked as Jack nodded, giving her the biggest hug.
"I'll help start a bag in Jack's room." JJ smiled.
"Okay." Haley nodded, allowing JJ to get past.
"How many times did you run it? How many times? 3?" Haley smiled as she let JJ take Jack to his room.
———
CASSIDY
"You were at my place, right? Could you tell how he got in?" Hotch asked as I shook my head.
"I'm not sure. Do you want to talk about what happened?" I asked, concerned.
"I don't know. After he stabbed me the first time, it all goes blank." Hotch shrugged his shoulders.
Emily, Hotch and I watched as Haley walked into the room. Cassidy embraced me in a hug, before Emily left, leaving the three of us alone.
"How do you feel?" She asked, clearly worried.
"I'm gonna be okay." Hotch nodded.
"Did they explain to you what's happening?" Hotch asked, watching as Haley exhaled.
"They said the Marshal Service is taking us straight from here and putting us into protective custody." Haley started to cry.
"Haley, I'm sorry." Hotch exhaled, letting a tear slip.
"Do you know where they're gonna take us?" Haley asked.
"No, he doesn't. And that's the point. Hotch and I can't know where you're going. If you have any contact with anyone, then he could track you." I shook my head.
"Jack has school. He has friends. I have a job now." Haley cried a little bit.
"I know. And I'm sorry. We will catch him and you'll come back, and I promise that I will spend the rest of my life making this up to you." Hotch insisted.
"Are you sure that we're in danger?" Haley asked, confused.
"Yes." Hotch nodded.
"And what about you? Are you gonna be safe?" Haley asked.
"He wants to see me suffer. Knowing that my son is out there and that I can't see him is better than killing me." Hotch scoffed.
"What am I supposed to say to Jack?" Haley asked.
"Tell him it's a vacation and that it's not gonna be for very long." Hotch insisted.
"How am I supposed to keep him safe if there is no one I know to help me?" Haley asked, Hotch exhaling.
"You're not going to be alone. Cassidy will be going with you." Hotch announced.
"What? Hotch, no! I can't go with Haley and Jack. I need to be with the BAU, finding and taking down Foyet, for good!" I objected.
"Cassidy, you're my niece. You're Haley's niece and Jack's cousin. Foyet will target you as much as he will target Haley and Jack. The last thing I want is for you to be in the field with us and possibly get taken again. You're going with Haley and Jack. End of discussion." Hotch shook his head.
"You're not my dad, Hotch. What about Spencer? I can't just leave him." I shook my head in disbelief.
"I know that I'm not your dad. In fact, if your dad were here right now, he'd agree with me. But Cassidy. I am your boss. Which is why me telling you that you're going with Haley and Jack isn't a request. It's an order." Hotch held my hand.
"F- Fine. Can I at least say goodbye to Spencer?" I asked, Hotch shaking his head.
"Like Haley said, the Marshal Service is taking you, Haley and Jack straight from here and putting you all into protective custody." Hotch spoke. He looked really guilty, but we both knew deep down that it was for the best.
"Don't worry, Cassidy. We'll tell him what's going on." Hotch reassured me.
"Can you catch this man?" Haley held my hand, looking at Hotch.
"I will catch this man." Hotch reassured us.
"Jack wants to come in." I looked over, seeing my little cousin in the waiting area.
"I want to see him, too. I just don't think it's a good idea." Hotch shook his head, exhaling.
"Look, I know you're trying to protect him. But you both need this. Please." Haley insisted.
Hotch nodded as I brought Jack into the room. He gently got onto the bed and hugged Hotch.
"Did mommy tell you that you two are gonna take a trip?" Hotch smiled at Jack, who nodded.
"Yeah." Jack smiled back.
"So I'm not gonna see you for a while." Hotch tried not to cry.
"Why?" Jack asked, confused.
"Well, think about it like when daddy goes away for work. Only this time you and mommy get to go someplace, with your cousin Cassidy." Hotch pointed to me as I smiled at Jack, agreeing with him.
"But what do I tell you every time I go away?" Hotch asked.
"You love me." Jack nodded.
"More than anything in the world." Hotch smiled, placing a kiss on Jack's forehead.
"I'll see you three soon, okay?" Hotch asked as I lifted Jack off the ground, giving him a hug.
"Okay." Haley nodded, holding my free hand.
"You take care of mom and Cassidy, okay?" Hotch looked directly at Jack.
"Okay." Jack nodded before we walked out of Hotch's hospital room.
———
GENERAL
JJ, Rossi, Hotch and Emily watched from one of the hallway windows as Cassidy, Haley and Jack got into an unmarked black car with one of the U.S. Marshals.
"I just talked to Spence." JJ smiled as she, Rossi, Morgan and Emily walked back into Hotch's hospital room.
"He's gonna be fine. He's gonna have to be on crutches for a while, but he said kicking down doors is Morgan's job, anyway." JJ smiled.
"We'll get Foyet." Rossi could see the concern on Hotch's face.
"I promised Haley that we would get him, but the truth is, if he stops killing, we have no way of tracking him. He stopped killing for 10 years just for the pleasure of watching Shaunessy's life fall apart. What's Jack gonna remember about me in 10 years?" Hotch exhaled, starting to cry.
"Hotch, look at me. I'm telling you, we'll get him." Emily held his hand, reassuring him.