Agent No Smile

     I lifted my chin up and took a deep breath in as the elevator door slowly opened. The lobby area was mostly empty, only a few people were walking around, all with their faces in files, coffee cups in their other hand. I walked up to the glass double doors and pushed them open. 

     My entrance into the office space did not seem to bother anyone there, no one looked up or noticed my presence. At least, from what I could tell. I took the time to look around at, what would be, my new work place. The sound of chatter and papers being flipped filled the air along with the occasional phone ringing and the clink of coffee mugs meeting desk supplies. 

     I turned my attention to the offices up the stairs and turned towards them. The man over the phone told me vague directions to Agent Hotchner’s office, so I assumed that this was the stairs he was referring to. I found a simple name tag on a door with the name Arron Hotchner written in black. I knocked on the door and waited for a response.

 I lifted my chin up and took a deep breath in as the elevator door slowly opened. The lobby area was mostly empty, only a few people were walking around, all with their faces in files, coffee cups in their other hand. I walked up to the glass double doors and pushed them open.

    My entrance into the office space did not seem to bother anyone there, no one looked up or noticed my presence. At least, from what I could tell. I took the time to look around at, what would be, my new work place. The sound of chatter and papers being flipped filled the air along with the occasional phone ringing and the clink of coffee mugs meeting desk supplies.

    I turned my attention to the offices up the stairs and turned towards them. The man over the phone told me vague directions to Agent Hotchner’s office, so I assumed that this was the stairs he was referring to. I found a simple name tag on a door with the name Arron Hotchner written in black. I knocked on the door and waited for a response.

Aaron had been on the phone, double checking with Director Cruz when their new recruit would be there, when he heard a knock on the door. “I think that’s her,” he said into the phone, hanging it up and standing up to head over and open the door. 

“Ah, detective, right on time,” Hotchner greeted with a smile, moving aside and gesturing for her to come in and sit down. “I just have some things I’d like to go over with you before we officially start your first day.”

Halloween-y, horror and dark sentence starters for your sentencey needs.

“I can’t do that, Sean. Not right now. Not until I know that this area is completely safe.” 

There was no need to explain what he meant. It was clear that something had gone wrong in Aaron’s brain, because he was accusing his brother – the one he’d spent so many years protecting – of being unsafe. The gun was pointed right at him, and Aaron’s finger was hovering just over the trigger.

“I don’t have a good enough reason right now to drop the gun. You’re going to have to convince me that it’s for the best.” 

“There’s another way, Aaron,” he choked. “There’s another way, I promise. It. It doesn’t have to be like this, man…”

This was every nightmare Sean had endured; this was honestly what Sean had seen in his dreams, heard in those dark nights alone in the prison cells. Everything was pointing to Aaron reaching that breaking point, the snap before there was too much to handle. Eyes could only search desperately in Aaron’s own, for life. Something.

Anything.

“Please.”

He couldn’t think of anything else before he slowly began to approach his brother. Hands still out.

“Don’t do this…”

“Don’t tell me how it does or doesn’t have to be!” Aaron shouted, waving the gun around in his hand as he did so.

There was something in the back of his mind telling him that his brother was right--that this wasn’t the way to do things--but he ignored it. He knew if he let it take over, then he’d have to deal again with all the pain in the world and not knowing if he could keep his family safe. No. This was the only way to handle things, even if it wasn’t the best way.

“I’m sorry, Sean.” 

In his mind, this was how he made up for all the pain in the world. But then... Another thought came into his mind, and he decided that maybe this wasn’t how it had to end. Sure, he couldn’t protect his family all the time, but maybe they didn’t have to die. Maybe... Maybe if he left then Sean could protect Jack and they’d be safe.

“Take care of Jack for me.”

Halloween-y, horror and dark sentence starters for your sentencey needs.

“I can’t do that, Sean. Not right now. Not until I know that this area is completely safe.” 

There was no need to explain what he meant. It was clear that something had gone wrong in Aaron’s brain, because he was accusing his brother – the one he’d spent so many years protecting – of being unsafe. The gun was pointed right at him, and Aaron’s finger was hovering just over the trigger.

“I don’t have a good enough reason right now to drop the gun. You’re going to have to convince me that it’s for the best.” 

Who else had known about what had happened to his older brother- a hero to the man standing in front of him with hands raised and fear in his gaze. Did his team know what had happened? Anyone? What about Jack? Sean kept his gaze focused on his brother, soft.

“Come on. It’s over- I promise it’s all over. Just… just let me help you out.”

Gods, how was he supposed to do this? What if Aaron had shot him?

“You can’t help me, Sean,” Hotch retorted, his tone sharper than it had been previously. “There’s always going to be more of them. It never ends. What happens if another Foyet comes along and goes after you? Or Jack?” 

It was his biggest fear, though he’d never let it take hold of him this deeply. Now he was coming completely unhinged, and his mind was trying to make him do something that the old Aaron Hotchner would never think to do.