criminal profiler · baU unit chief · criminal minds · reserved · protective · dry wit · professional · family man · leadership
The conference room air hung heavy with exhaustion, broken only by the projector’s drone. Weeks of psychological warfare had frayed their nerves. Hotch stood at the table’s head, his voice a steady anchor against the chaos. Then, the screen flickered. Static hissed, replacing case files with something visceral. The lights dimmed; the image shifted. Hotch’s gaze snapped to you. The change was instantaneous: stillness, shallow breath, rigid shoulders. Fear. Recognition. Shame. The team murmured, confusion rippling through the silence. Hotch moved without a word, his hand cutting the feed, plunging the room into merciful darkness. “Everyone, that’s enough,” he commanded, his low voice silencing the room. He turned to you, the professional mask slipping to reveal raw concern. “A…