CHAPTER THIRTY: HOTCH ON-EDGE !

5x02
━━━━━━

CASEY WILLOWS WAS PRETTY ANXIOUS FOR TODAY. Half of the reason was because Hotch was coming back to the BAU after a month of a break. Everyone understood why his break was needed and all anyone could do was offer their whole support.

Casey was anxious for another reason, a reason she didn't want to mention to anyone... until today. She held onto her coffee mug and helped Reid over to Garcia's office. He was also back from his break and he was back to his job in crutches.

       The girl helped Reid sit down in his seat and Garcia sat in her seat and looked at Reid. "Does it hurt?" She asked. "It really only hurts when I think about it, which is pretty much all the time." Reid stated.

       Reid and Casey pay attention to the container in front of them and Reid opens it, revealing cookies and Garcia immediately stops the two from grabbing any. "No, no, no. Get away, you two. These are for Hotch." She takes the container away.

       "I get shot in the leg and I don't get any cookies." Reid pouts. "Yeah, shouldn't the two youngest members of the team get some damn cookies?" Casey questioned.

         "Besides, you know he's gonna hate the attention." Reid says. "It's cookies, not cake." Garcia puts out a bowl of lollipops for the two to grab. "He's probably gonna pretend like nothing happened, anyway." Reid speaks as he grabs a lollipop from the bowl.

           "Well, it doesn't mean we have to." Garcia says. "I think maybe we should." Reid speaks. "I don't roll that way." Garcia says. "I've been thinking about it and the entire time I've known Hotch, I don't think I've ever seen him blink." Reid admitted. "Oh, my God, you're right." Casey confirms. "I know. It's weird." Garcia says. "Classic alpha male behavior." Reid says, putting the lollipop in his mouth.

            "Do you think he stared down Foyet?" Garcia guessed. "Maybe," Reid shrugs. "It could be what saved his life."
            "Do you think he stared the whole time, like with each stab?" Garcia asks and Reid shrugged. "I have no idea." Garcia sighs, "Is he okay?"

             Casey decides to grab a lollipop from the bowl as Reid continues. "I wouldn't be, but... I'm a blinker."

             Casey begins to attempt to unwrap her lollipop all while holding her coffee cup under her arm and unfortunately spilling coffee all over her button-up. "Ugh!" Casey groans.

            "You okay?" Reid asks and Casey sighs, "Yeah, just-just peachy." Reid looks at the girl carefully. "You sure? You seem anxious." Reid told. Garcia nods her head towards Casey. "What's the problem, fair maiden?" She asks.

            Casey looks at Reid and Garcia and knows that she probably has to tell them eventually. She sets her mug down on Garcia's desk and unwraps her lollipop in her hands. "Hotch called me a couple days ago and he told me that he's making me an official agent... starting this week."

             Casey didn't know if she was allowed to tell Reid and Garcia the news, hence why she was anxious. Reid and Garcia exchange a look. Casey hadn't even finished her full training yet, but considering what happened with Hotch and Foyet, they figured that Hotch probably needed as much help as he could get around him.

            "Is that even possible?" Reid asks. "You haven't even had your full training yet." Garcia tells. "I know, I asked him the same thing," Casey said. She knew that Reid and Garcia were questioning if she was ready, because she was questioning the same thing.

           "He said he would sign off on it and that would be it. Turns out, Special Agent Casey Willows... she's a thing now."

            "This is a good thing, right?" Garcia asks.

            "Yeah, of course, but... am I ready? I mean, what if I mess up?" Casey was obviously having doubts about this. "You won't." Reid assured. "Have you seen yourself out on the field? If anyone can do it, it's you." Garcia tells. The two assure the girl and suddenly the door opens and in walks JJ.

             "Spence, Casey, there you are. Grab your go bags." JJ stated. "What's going on?" Reid asks. "Turn on the news." JJ looks over at Garcia. "Which one?" She asked. "It doesn't matter."

              Garcia turns on the news and the team looks at the headline for today. "Just after 8:00 this morning, forty year-old Darrin Call, a lifelong resident of Louisville, assaulted customers at the pharmacy on the corner of Main and Truxton Avenue. Eyewitnesses saw him walking east on Main Street minutes after the attack. He has not been seen since then."

               Casey's heart was now beating out of her chest. Her first case as an actual agent would start today. "We're going to Louisville." JJ said, walking out of the room while Casey helped Reid up out of his seat, both of them sticking their lollipops in their mouths as they head down to the jet.

JJ had been going over the case with Reid, Rossi, Casey and Morgan when Emily and Hotch had walked in. It had been a month since Casey last saw her boss. The last time she spoke with him was on the phone a couple of days ago. "Good morning." He greets his team.

"Good to see you." Rossi says. "You, too." Hotch nods. Garcia notices him on her screen. "You look well, sir." She says. "Thank you." Hotch then looks over at Reid. "How long do you have that?" He asks, noticing his crutches.

"I'm not really sure," Reid admits. "Welcome back." Hotch nods, "Thank you." Hotch looks over. "Any other attacks?" He asks JJ.

"Um, no, not yet." JJ says. "Call's proven hard to track. He's never had a driver's license, so he's most likely still on foot." Reid stated. "Or public transportation." JJ adds.

"He's not gonna take the bus. His face is everywhere." Emily says. "Has anyone found a stressor?" Hotch asks. "He just lost his job," Garcia speaks. "He's worked at a factory since 1990. Made appliances since forever and not a single promotion."

"That's a long time to be bitter." Morgan comments. "Or he doesn't care." Casey adds. "Not if he's got a family to feed." JJ tells. "Actually, he's of the hermit variety. As far as I can tell, he's got no one. No wife, no kids, no parents." Garcia informs. "Nothing to live for." Morgan added.

"So why hasn't he killed himself yet?" Hotch asks. "Sprees usually end in suicide. If he's got nothing to live for, why hasn't he ended it?" Reid adds on. "Because he isn't finished yet. We know he has displaced anger. He took it out on the first victim."

"Well, the stock boy represents someone. We need to know who. Is he military?" Hotch asks. "Negative." Garcia answers. "Well, he's lashing out for a reason. This guy's got anger, endless targets, and a gun and he's just getting started." Hotch says.

"JJ, Reid, you two will go to the PD. Rossi, Prentiss, you two investigate Call's apartment. Morgan, Willows and I will go to the crime scene. I trust you all know Casey's new presence on the team as an agent so she'll be out on the field with us for this case." Hotch explains and Casey nods as everyone looks at her.

Casey sighs and looks out the jet window. She just hoped this case was gonna go well, at the very least.

━━━━━━

       Casey had been at the pharmacy with Morgan and Hotch and both Morgan and Casey are talking to the pharmacist. "Mr. Call was always so quiet. He's been coming here for years." The woman told.

"Had he ever had a run-in with the stock boy?" Morgan asks. "John was new here," says the pharmacist. "I waved him over. I didn't know what else to do. No one else was helping."

"He didn't turn violent until you gave him his prescription?" Casey asks. "Well, it wasn't his." The woman admitted. "You handed him a bag." Morgan stated. "It was somebody else's. I just wanted him to calm down."

Hotch walks up to the three. "JJ's press conference is in five minutes." He tells. "Hotch, we might have something else here. Why didn't you give him his own medication?" Morgan questions.

"Well, he didn't have any refills left." The woman told. "For what?" Casey asks. "Uh, alprazolam," She said. "But, uh, he used to be on thiothixene."

"He was on an antipsychotic?" Hotch quesrions. "Well, that's why I wanted him to calm down." The pharmacist says. "You said he used to be." Casey stated. "How long has he been off of them?" Morgan questions. "At least a month." The woman says and Casey looks over at Hotch once he takes a deep inhale and already looks irritated.

"And when were you gonna tell us this?" He questioned. "He's armed, he's delusional. Who's his doctor?" Hotch questioned. The pharmacist looks up at the stand where the computer was supposed to be. "Uh... I don't remember. My computer."

Hotch scoffs, "Great." The pharmacist apologized and Hotch pulls out his phone and walks away. "I apologize for him." Casey tells the woman. "Hotch." Morgan calls. "Call JJ and tell her about the meds." Hotch ignores Morgan. "This is not her fault." Morgan tells.

      "Morgan, he's in a psychotic break. It changes everything." Hotch tells and Morgan speaks low. "You want to talk about this?" He asks. "No! I want to find him. Garcia, He's been off his antipsychotic for a month. What else did you miss?" There is a pause. "Well, find them. Find everything."

       Hotch walks off and both Morgan and Casey exchange a look. Was Hotch even in the right headspace to still be here? Maybe he needed longer than a month.

       Call had committed another murder — this time, his own therapist and another patient. The team had finally gotten info on Call and they had headed towards the PD to get the info.

      "Call is wearing Cipolla's clothing." Emily informed. "You think he's lucid?" Reid asks. "No, mostly likely he's just freaked out." Emily says. "Either way, we should update the public." Morgan says. "You should be there, too." JJ says, looking at Lieutenant Mitchell. "What is this?" He asks, looking up at the boards.

       "Call's timeline." JJ informs. "He left Louisville?" Mitchell asks. "Three times." JJ nods. "Always came back to the same ten-block radius."

       "Why?" Mitchell asks. "Victims are often drawn to the scene of their first trauma. Part of him wanted to escape, the other part probably struggled to find answers." Reid answers. "Was he hospitalized?" Hotch asks. "Uh, 1985 for two years." JJ nods.

        "Yeah, and again in '95 for a few months, both at the state facility in Fayette County." Garcia continued. "You know he doesn't drive. You think he'd walk all the way out there?" Mitchell questions. "He's desperate. He'll find a way." Rossi nods. "Well, then I'll tell the sheriff in Fayette."

        Casey couldn't help but get lost in her own thoughts as the team explains what happened to Call and how the timeline fit. Lieutenant Mitchell informed them of a killer that had murdered children and he pulled out the case file of the Hollow Creek Killer. Reid discovered that there was a survivor named Tommy Phillips and his family left Louisville after he told them where to find the bodies.

          Before the team could split up once more, Casey had decided to pull Hotch aside to talk to him. She was feeling very uneasy about her new position. She should be happy, jumping for joy, but did she exactly earn her role on the team?

         "Hotch, can we talk?" The man sighs and Casey looks around before looking back at her boss. "I just wanted to ask about me... becoming an agent. Is that still becoming a thing?" She questioned.

         "Why wouldn't it?" Hotch asked. "Well, I just... is this the right decision... for me?" Casey was always very hesitant when it came to correcting Hotch in anything and nothing made her feel even more anxious when Hotch looked at the girl and questioned: "Are you questioning my decisions for having you as an agent?"

          Casey furrows her eyebrows. "No, Hotch, not at all. I just... are you sure that... you're—" She didn't know the right wording for it. Obviously, Hotch wasn't ready to be out on the field, it was that clear, but who was she to question the boss' decisions?

        "Making the right decision? Questioning if I'm in the right headspace?" Now, he was putting words in her mouth and Casey shakes her head. "Hotch, that's not what I mean—"

        "Then, how do you mean it?" Before Casey could talk, Hotch's phone rung and he excused himself from the conversation. Casey watched as he, Rossi, Emily and Morgan left.

         Reid had noticed the look on Casey's face and decided to hop over to her. "You okay?" He asked as soon as he approached her. "Just wish that Hotch would bitch at one of you guys one of these days." Casey shrugged.

        Soon enough, the team had gotten back and Call had kidnapped a child and was calling him 'Tommy'. Going over the Hollow Creek Killer case, Garcia called and with that magic brain of hers, she had found Tommy Phillips. She sent the address and both Hotch and Emily headed there and had gotten back with more information.

        The rest of the team had been finding out about more of Darrin Call's life. "Guys." Morgan said, holding his phone up, indicating that he was on-speaker with Garcia. "Okay, so Doris Jarvis was married to Bill Jarvis. He owned a machine shop just outside the city."

       "That could be the secondary location." Reid speaks. "It closed in 1980. He hasn't done anything since. I guess he laid low. He had a red pickup until 1976 when he bought a black one. I know that because that's what he was driving when he was arrested for DUIs. He was locked up from '77 to '80 and I'm sending his picture now."

        The team examine the picture. "And that could certainly be Darrin Call's father." Emily stated. "Where's Jarvis now?" Hotch asks. "In the same house. 1457 Hitchens Avenue."

        "Let's go." Hotch told.

━━━━━━

After the case and Darrin Call had been caught, the team headed back to Virginia and some stayed to fill out their reports of the case. Since Casey was officially an agent now, she had to fill out her report in and hand it to Hotch. (Which was sort of hard to do because she wasn't on the best of terms with her boss, right now).

Casey's knuckles rapped on the doorframe of Hotch's office and Casey spoke. "May I come in?" She asked and Hotch nodded. "Yes."

Casey walked into the office with her heart in her hand. "Just wanted to give you my report for the case," She hands him the file and he looks it over. "Have a good night." She says and before she could walk out, Hotch stops her.

"Willows," He calls and Casey stops and looks at her boss. Hotch nods towards the seat in front of his desk and Casey takes it. Hotch takes a deep breath before speaking to the girl. "You do understand why I'm deciding now to put you on the field?"

Casey shakes her head. "Not really, no."

"It's because I believe you do well at your job," Hotch admits. "And that you deserve to be on the team just as much as anybody else. You're great at your job, Casey. And I want you to understand that that's why I want you to be a member of the team."

"But—"

"There should be no doubts," Hotch stated. Obviously, he had belief in her and she needed to see that for herself, as well. Hotch saw the potential in the girl and he could use that when the team finally caught Foyet. They needed someone like her on the team. "Is that understood?"

Casey thinks about what Hotch told her. She needed to find that belief in herself and she needed to see what Hotch saw in her. "Yes, sir." She nodded.

Casey stands up and begins to walk out of the office and Hotch stops her again. "Hey," He speaks.
"Goodnight, agent."

A smile creeps on Casey's face and she says: "Goodnight, Hotch."

this sucked but chile anyways-
sorry i haven't updated in a hot minute lmao
alsooo i need advice
i want to change the title of the book — again.
so i'm thinking about "halley's comet" because
1) i honestly think it resonates with spencer and casey and their relationship and
2) i've been binge-listening to billie's album AND OMG IM ADDICTED
anyways ily all sorry this sucked lmao
-mya <3

p.s. also casey's a baddie agent now 😁