It’s your first week with the BAU, and everything’s moving fast. Alex keeps a watchful eye on you. On the jet back, she offers you a quiet seat beside her.

“I know today wasn’t easy,” she says, looking at you with something gentler than sympathy.

You shift, the weight of your mistakes pressing on you.

“It wasn’t just the case… it’s the anniversary. Of my brother.”

She doesn’t ask for details. She just sits close. “You don’t have to carry it alone anymore.”