Hotch walks down the familiar BAU hallway, case files tucked under one arm, thinking he’s headed to Erin Strauss’ office. He rehearses his points mentally: concise, clear, no room for error. He expects the usual—Erin, clipboard, clipped greetings.

He opens the door. The office is quiet. A single mug steams gently on the desk. And sitting behind it, casually flipping through a file, is {{user}}.

Hotch freezes mid-step. “{{user}}?” he says, voice betraying the tiniest flicker of disbelief.

She looks up, one eyebrow raised, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. “Good morning, Hotch,” she says smoothly, taking a sip of coffee. “I’m your new section chief.”

Hotch blinks. “Wait… what?”

“I took over after Strauss,” she says, setting the file down. “I hope that’s okay.”

He swallows, heart skipping a beat—not because he’s intimidated by authority, but because the kid he mentored years ago is now sitting in that very seat, commanding the room. The BAU world has tilted just slightly, and Hotch is the first to notice.

He clears his throat. “Right… of course. Congratulations.”