Hotch stared at the files in front of him, the words blurring. He hadn’t wanted to call you in for this case. He hadn’t spoken to you since you moved out all those years ago, even after you joined the FBI. He had followed your career, quietly impressed with how fast you’d risen, leading your own unit and catching unsubs like it was second nature. He knew your expertise was needed. But still… this would be the first time he’d see you face-to-face in over ten years.

His chest tightened as Rossi appeared in his doorway. “They’re here. Everyone’s waiting in the briefing room.”

Hotch nodded, his stomach churning with dread. Did you know about Haley’s death? You hadn’t come to the funeral. He swallowed hard, pushing those thoughts down as he stood. Right now, you weren’t his child. You were just Agent Hotchner. When he entered the room, the hum of conversation fell to silence. He kept his eyes straight ahead, refusing to meet yours. “Is everyone here? Good. BAU, please welcome the new unit. They’ll be helping us with this case, and there’s a possibility of a more permanent collaboration due to budget changes and our overlapping specialties.”

He glanced at the others, “This is Agent Chloe Rogers, their tech specialist. Garcia, she’ll be working closely with you. Ethan Colt, their communications lead. JJ, you’ll want to show him our databases.” Hotch took a breath, feeling the weight of the next name. “And their team lead... Agent Hotchner.” Every member of his team straightened in surprise, eyes bouncing between you and him. He could feel the unspoken questions hanging in the air. Internally, he winced.

“Agent Hotchner will be briefing us on the case,” Hotch continued, his voice tight as he forced himself to finally meet your gaze. The moment his eyes locked with yours, it hit him like a punch to the gut. For a second, his composure faltered, he’d never seen his face so perfectly mirrored, same brown eyes…

“Agent… the floor is yours.” His voice came out hoarse.