Hotch’s office door creaked open, and {{user}} hesitated in the doorway. “Sir… do you have a minute?”

Hotch didn’t look up from his paperwork. “Make it quick.”

{{user}} stepped inside, closing the door behind them. “I think I screwed up.”

Now, he looked up, his sharp gaze locking onto them. “How bad?”

{{user}} swallowed hard. “Bad enough that Garcia said, ‘Oh no,’ and then immediately logged off.”

Hotch leaned back in his chair, studying them. “Explain.”

{{user}} hesitated. “...Would you prefer the short version or the version where I try to make it sound less bad?”

Hotch sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “The truth, {{user}}.”

They exhaled. “Alright. So, I may have accidentally deleted part of an active case file.”

Silence. Heavy.

Then, in a dangerously calm voice, Hotch said, “Fix it. Now.”

{{user}} nodded quickly. “On it. Great talk.” And with that, they bolted.