chapter six / season three, episode three.

PATRICK WALKER WAS DEAD.

You don't know who that is. Amelia didn't until the call came in for a body, found by a runner, was called in at a lake. Patrick Walker was a man of routine, whose landlady had reported missing shortly after the hotline had opened due to the fact he never went against routine.

Now, Patrick was dead.

He was drowned, and just another body and another fear added to their unsub's list.

Spencer joined Hotchner to align himself with Amelia's theory. Yesterday, the boy genius had not been so sure but today it was as clear as day what connected these victims; that a man who they trusted to help overcome their fears betrayed them, and sentenced them to a death by the one thing they feared most.

Spencer was now the one to defend Amelia's theory against Derek and Emily while the girl was... well, the Doctor didn't quite know where she was. "Look at the MOs of the victims, what do they all have in common? They could all be classified as 'anxiety disorders'."

Amelia came running in at the word anxiety, had you ever heard of something some perfectly timed?

Spencer looked to her, as if he was waiting for her to interrupt him but she instead shook her head with a smile and encouraged him to continue.

"It's right out of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. It lists five subtypes of phobias."

"It's about the fear," The unit chief said, turning to the board, "These people are killed by their fears."

Derek and Emily were now on board, and JJ had secretly been on board with Amelia's theory the whole time, so the two agents at the scene would look for further evidence while the agents at the station would listen to whatever information Amelia had spent time collecting.

Time which looked as though it had been all night.

Agent Hotchner wasn't happy with that, especially when he could tell the girl hadn't been sleeping in the first place.

"Sir," Hotchner cringed, he wished she'd call her Hotchner instead, "You told me to go away and think about what type of job the unsub had and at first I was really overthinking it,"

Was that hard when it came to Amelia?

Plus, Amelia had spent the majority of the night declining calls from that same forsaken unknown number.

But, when she finally thought about going to bed she found herself wide awake thinking about Gideon. So, instead she got out of the nice bed and focused on the task set by Agent Hotchner.

"And it's not going to be something like manual labor or something like that, he doesn't get his hands dirty." Amelia shook her head, "And at... around five in the morning it was glaringly obvious his profession."

"He's a psychiatrist. It's the only thing that makes sense, I mean the whole fears thing!"

Her unit chief nodded his head, JJ smiled brightly and Spencer was agreeing with her in his own way.

Although JJ asked the question no-one wanted to, "How do we narrow that down?"

Amelia sighed, "It was five in the morning by the time I'd figured that out, JJ, I had to get some sleep in... sorry."

The blonde shook her head and rested a reassuring hand on Amelia's shoulder, "Hey, don't apologize, we know what we're looking for now, Amelia, that's closer than we were yesterday, isn't it?"

"Yeah..."

"So, don't apologize for having to get some rest and making a dent in the profile." JJ didn't even look at her unit chief before making her next offer, "Now, get in the break room and have some breakfast and a cup of coffee, maybe treat yourself to a nap."

A nap?!

Not only had Agent Hotchner gone crazy but it seemed JJ was following after him.

Spencer withheld his laughter at Amelia's facial expression.

"She's right," Hotchner said, turning around the face his agents, "I can't permit you into the field until you get some form of rest or break."

"I got like, three hours of sleep, I've done negotiations on less." Amelia told them, while Aaron believed she had the stamina to do that he also looked out for the well-being of his team better than Amelia's old chief did.

Aaron also didn't feel like throwing members under the bus when it suited him.

Another difference between the two.

Spencer decided Amelia wasn't going to give it up anytime soon, so he decided to lead the way to the break room and entice Amelia there with her favorite packet of biscuits.

She wasted no time in sitting down at the table and getting a paper towel to put Spencer's portion on it before eating them from her own hands.

Spencer filled up a cup of coffee for himself.

Amelia frowned in concern, "You know how you said people can't explode from caffeine, are you sure you aren't going to be the first...?"

Spencer turned around to face her with furrowed eyebrows, "Is that a new, covert way of asking me if I'm okay?"

"No..."

Amelia didn't realize Spencer could even hold a frightening gaze, but he did in that moment causing her to relent.

"Yes..."

Spencer took the seat opposite her after washing his hands and ate the biscuit at the top of his little pile created by Amelia, "I'm good, Amelia."

And now Amelia held a frightening gaze, and Spencer was going to have to remind himself to never lie to Amelia again.

"He left me a letter, some form of closure." He paused, trying to decide if Amelia was someone he wanted to open up to - and she was. "Just like my dad did when he abandoned me and my mom. And Gideon... he was this amazing profilier with so much courage."

"So, why leave a letter? Why just leave and not give us the opportunity to ask him questions?"

"Do we not deserve that opportunity?" He furrowed his eyebrows.

Amelia put her biscuit down, quickly washed her hands and returned back to the table with her hands palm up, offering them to be held by Spencer's own hands.

Even if it was the quickest hand wash he'd ever seen, Spencer still placed his hands in the comfort of her palms.

And again Amelia was the person to make other people's sharp edges blunt - whilst continually ignoring her own that stabbed her in the side over and over again.

"Gideon did have a lot of courage, Spencer, he'd threatened unsubs most of us wouldn't even imagine coming within ten feet of, but Gideon..."

Amelia sighed, "He's scared, he's really scared. And he can't be himself, because he doesn't even know who he is anymore, he lost all faith in profiling and himself. Jason can't bring himself to be here."

"And he told us that. He wrote you a letter, and I bet that feels like some massive stab in the heart to you, but even if he was scared Jason wouldn't just do that for no reason." Amelia squeezed his hands, "Maybe he wanted you to be able to hold your piece of closure, or wanted something familiar of his to read over when you miss him."

"I don't know." She removed one of her hands to point at herself, "That's something only you know, only something you can figure out."

"And, you know what, I bet you don't want to figure it out." She laughed under her breath, "Because all you feel is angry at him. And when you're not angry at him, you're sad."

"But, to let go of the anger and to let go of the sadness you need to read that letter in that smart little brain of yours and realize why you got a letter." Amelia wouldn't wish that upon anyone, she knew she wouldn't be able to do it if it was her.

But, if Spencer wanted real closure and real acceptance it's a step he'd have to take.

"You can be angry and sad forever, stick his head on a dart board and throw the darts at him. Or, you can read that letter over and over again until it feels like a broken record and have some acceptance, recognize that he's gone and that it's okay, and everything will be okay."

Spencer squeezed her hands, "Because the world moves on, right?"

Amelia regretted the words that fell from her lips days before.

She shook her head, "No, no."

Spencer scrunched his face up in confusion, and that was saying something.

"I shouldn't have said that, that was wrong." Amelia paused, "The world doesn't need to move. We do."

"And I'm not saying it needs to happen over night, it just needs to happen when you're ready."

Ready. When you're ready. Spencer didn't know when that would be, he'd have to read this letter until his head hurt.

Amelia noticed some form of apprehension within him, and she squeezed his head again, "Spencer, it does not have to be today or tomorrow, when you're ready to move on you'll know."

"When you say move on, do you mean like... just forget him...?" Spencer seemed timid, and Amelia had never seen him like that before.

Amelia shook her head instantly, "No. Don't forget him, Spencer. Don't feel like you have to forget him to move on. You just... you have to accept that he's gone, but you're allowed to miss him and grieve him even if he's still alive, he's just not here."

Spencer nodded his head, "And that's okay."

Amelia smiled at him, "Exactly. That's okay."

"Thank you." He whispered.

"Don't thank me, Spencer. Just know my door is always open if you want to spend the night going through photos of him or talking about him." She offered to him, "And... if you want I'll make soup or...!"

"That's kinda the only thing I know how to make, I don't have much time to cook so soup'll have to do."

Spencer removed his hands from hers, to wash them and eat from his stack of biscuits, "Gideon told me you make some interesting soups..."

Amelia's eyebrows furrowed, "Did he say they were bad?"

"No..."

Amelia pointed a finger at him, "Don't lie to me, Reid."

"He didn't say they were bad, he just said they were questionable." He admitted, that was the last time he'd lie to Amelia.

"I've made those soups for loads of people; my mom, Clara, Jason!"

Amelia's eyes widened as Clara's name fell from her lips.

Spencer's eyebrows furrowed, "Who's Clara?" With the mind that he had, he - of course - remembered a news article he'd read months ago (a few months away from being a year ago) about a Clara, in Seattle, who's life had ended during a negotiation which was later revealed to be a decision by the unit chief who then decided to undermine an agent in his unit.

The agent went unnamed.

Spencer didn't know the connection between Amelia and Clara, but he now grew concerned that Amelia was that agent.

Amelia's phone rang, allowing her the opportunity to not have to answer Reid's question and instead avoid the Clara topic.

Amelia grimaced at the Washington number, again, "I've really got to take this, if I don't take it they won't go away."

Amelia was not going to answer the call but at least pretend so that Reid would not ask further questions.

The man nodded his head, taking his biscuits in his hand and standing up, "I'll let you answer that call and get some rest."

Amelia was not going to answer the call and she definitely not going to get any rest.

But, what Spencer or Agent Hotchner didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

✺

It was safe to say Aaron Hotchner was more than displeased when Amelia Levine made her way back into the room the BAU occupied no less than an hour later after having been sentenced to a break.

Did she have F.O.M.O, or something? (Hotchner was a little confused on what the acronym stood for but had heard Garcia use it before)

The phone was already connected to Garcia and the room had fallen into a silence, "Has sleeping beauty awoken? Is my, beautiful, Amelia there?"

"Hi, Penelope!" The girl greeted with more enthusiasm than anyone else had seen in the past three days.

Penelope would believe it to be the fact the girl had actually gotten some sleep while the rest of the people in the room knew it was Amelia putting on a display for Penelope.

"You'll be pleased to know whilst in your beauty sleep, we found our creep, he goes by Dr Stanley Howard. And you will just not believe this guy, Amelia." Penelope frowned, wishing she'd have more time to speak with her friend over the phone, "But, I bet you've got to go with Hotch, text you later!"

Amelia nodded even if Penelope couldn't see and turned to her team, minus Emily and JJ who had already left the room to talk to Stanley Howard's family.

Amelia wished she hadn't turned around due to Hotchner's glare.

Maybe he needed the break and not her.

"Quick, Levine." He said, rushing her out of the room as Derek and Spencer were already making their way out, Calvert just watching how the team interacted. "I want to talk to you on the way there."

Amelia was just bursting with excitement! (Not)

The only reason she rushed down to the car was because she was afraid that Hotchner was going to have a full blown breakdown if she didn't get to the car in 0.2 seconds.

The whole way to the address they were being sent to Amelia had to listen to him talk about how important breaks were and how if she ever needed one, he would always allow her to have one and that she didn't have to feel guilty for it.

Amelia wasn't quite sure why her unit chief was so certain on giving her a break, she didn't need one.

When they finally reached their destination, Hotchner had been the first out the car and had opened Amelia's door for her.

The man went from lecturing her to being an absolute gentleman.

She wasn't quite sure how he did that.

"Thank you." She whispered, making sure only he heard as they grouped up with Derek and Spencer.

"He wasn't luring victims to an empty lot." Derek observed as they opened the fence to an empty lot where Stanley's building had once but was long gone.

Agent Hotchner was already on the phone. "Hey, Prentiss, we're at the office. The building's gone." He walked away, speaking to Emily over the phone, the rest following after him and piling back into their cars.

Commercial property downtown was the location Emily had managed to learn from Stanley's wife, who seemed to be in reasonable disbelief that her husband would lie to her like that.

They're all like that, Mrs Howard.

A bit cynical for a woman who hadn't even been married, Amelia...

Hotchner's fingers tapped on the steering wheel, "If he's here, are you prepared to negotiate with him?"

Amelia looked at him with bewilderment, she thought he would've done that but instead he was trusting her with it.

Amelia didn't know if that was progress or fucking scary. If the unsub ended up taking his own life, Amelia would consider all chances blown with fully gaining Agent Hotchner's trust.

The building in which they had arrived to was a ruse, something Howard decided to make his customers believe they were apart of something legitimate. But, the BAU had been able to see through it and through him.

That's why when Amelia, Derek and Hotchner took the East side of the plot, the woman's heart began to race when she saw him heading up a flight of stairs - no doubt to the top of a building, that he could jump off.

Amelia led them up the stairs but did not yield her weapon, the last thing she wanted to do was shoot Stanley - not when they wanted him alive. Holding a weapon at him and trying to negotiate would just make him want her to kill him.

Amelia wasn't going to let him get away with that.

Derek and the unit chief were close behind her, but neither of them were as fast as her up the stairs. (And that was saying something when your competition was Derek)

At some point, Derek and Hotchner slowed to inform Spencer that they had gotten Howard and what building they were at.

Amelia was instead, raising her hands up as if to show Stanley she was no threat to him. "Dr Howard, I'm Amelia, would you prefer if I refer to you as Doctor or as Stanley?"

She shut the gate at the top of the stairs as if to separate her from the agents with their guns raised.

"It doesn't matter, you're not getting me to come down."

"I need to know, Doctor Howard, so that I can talk to you as if we're just two civilians." She offered, taking a step closer to the staircase next to her that would give her access to rooftop he stood on.

Amelia hadn't played this role in so long that she felt sick to her stomach, having to talk to the Doctor as if they were just two normal people.

Stanley Howard had killed almost fifteen people.

Amelia Levine... she didn't have enough time to describe all the things that might be wrong with her.

"Don't come any closer." Stanley warned, taking his eyes off the drop below him and glaring at Amelia.

Amelia nodded, keeping her hands raised, "I'll stay here, if you take a step back, Stanley." That was risky, Amelia didn't know if that was the right thing to say to Stanley.

She needed to be more careful.

Stanley shook his head.

Amelia decided they need to focus on something other than the drop and distances between them, "Do you know why we're here today, Stanley?"

"Because of me." He eyes looked up ahead of him.

Amelia needed to get a move on.

Amelia nodded her head, "That's right, you were taking away their fears weren't you? Trying to make them better in the name of science?"

"That's right."

"Do you want to end such a... a legacy," Amelia felt the world boil on her tongue, "like this? If you take this way out, Doctor Howard, we can't talk about your findings," He looked down at her, "We won't be able to take a step forward in science, with you at the helm."

Amelia hated the fact she had to praise this man for killing fifteen people. For taking advantage of them when they thought they could come to him for help.

"Is that what you want?" Amelia asked him, taking another step up towards him, "You want all this to be for nothing? You want those fifteen murders to be for a body that becomes nearly unrecognizable the second you hit the ground?"

"What's your greatest fear, Amelia?" He asked taking off his glasses.

Amelia knew he was getting ready.

"If you want to know, Doctor Howard, I need you to take a step back." She doubted if that would even work.

"I think you have many; the fear that you aren't good enough, the fear you can't save everyone or, perhaps, the fear that everyone won't like you." He told her.

She probably had a lot more than that.

Amelia was glad she wasn't paying him $100.

"That's a talent you've got there, Doctor Howard, are you really going to waste it?"

When Amelia came into this conversation she weighed the likelihood that she actually got Stanley Howard down from the ledge he was so sure to jump off, and the odds were not in her favor.

"There's nothing left to waste, my job is done, Amelia." She hated the way her name fell off any unsubs tongue.

It made her shiver and feel as though it was tarnished.

Amelia looked back to her unit chief, as if to ask him if she should run up those stairs and try to stop him from the inevitable.

Agent Hotchner shook his head.

He recognized that his agent had talent, amazing skills that he'd put to use in the future but to use them now, would be a waste.

Stanley Howard was not worth anymore of Amelia Levine's words.

Agent Hotchner had decided that long before Amelia came to the conclusion that it was over.

And Amelia only ever came to that conclusion the moment Stanley Howard's body hit the ground with a thud.

Derek and Agent Hotchner peered over the railing of the stairs to see the blood that poured out onto the pavement from his skull.

Amelia looked down at her feet in shame.

It was weird to her that since joining the BAU, two cases which she had been apart of had ended in suicide and both times she had felt as though she hadn't done enough to save them.

Had she, somehow, gotten terrible at negotiating since leaving the department?

Derek led the way down the stairs, after all they still had a victim on the scene - the where was just something they didn't know.

Amelia had planned on getting Stanley off the ledge and then sticking Hotchner in his face to earn the whereabouts of where Missy Cassell was.

It would be pretty hard to do that now that the doctor was dead.

Agent Hotchner waited for Amelia to descend down the stairs.

She hadn't moved, yet.

"Agent Levine." He said, hoping that would push her down the stairs (Not literally)

Amelia nodded but her feet didn't move the floor.

"You nearly had him." Amelia didn't believe him, "When you called this his legacy, no matter how disgusting the word was on your tongue, you nearly had him."

Amelia turned her head slightly to face him, "Nearly isn't good enough," she said, going to start descending the stairs before turning back around to him, "Sir."

Agent Hotchner was going to speak but she started making her way down the stairs very quickly, in hopes to avoid whatever he had to say. (Or whatever scolding Amelia thought he might shout at her)

"We found Missy Cassell's car in a parking lot next to the building." Calvert informed them as they stood around the body but Amelia refused to look down at it. "Howard's is around back."

Amelia was filled with that terrible feeling; hope. That maybe, just maybe, she could find his last victim and save her.

"Before he jumped, he said your biggest fear was not being able to save everybody," Hotchner said out loud, looking at Amelia who did not look back at him - even if he ignored the other two things she was apparently afraid of (It was terrible how correct Stanley had been)

"Hotch, this guy wasn't well in the head," Derek pointed at the dead body at their feet, "You know that."

"I know that." The unit chief nodded his head, "But, what I think he meant was that she's here somewhere."

A door opened and Reid came running out to them, pausing at the body before them before quickly blocking it out, "I went through all of his journals and I found Missy's. She was going on a cave diving trip. She wasn't scared of the water, but she was terrified of the walls crumbling down on her."

"So, what's she afraid of?" Calvert asked.

Amelia sighed, "Being buried alive."

Hotchner crouched down beside the unsub's body, "Guys, look at the dirt under his nails. She's got to be close."

"Is there a basement?" Amelia stole the question right out of Hotchner's mouth and he knew what she was doing; hoping that she could make up for one 'failure' with one save.

He got it.

But he just wished Amelia didn't have to feel that way, he wished she didn't assume that he was mad at her or anything like that.

They'd have to work on that.

Calvert nodded and led the way to the basement and Amelia felt the hope ignite in her when they entered the basement that had no lights on but when torches were turned on revealed a fresh out, with empty packets of soil surrounding it.

"Over here!" Amelia shouted, grabbing their attention.

The unit chief was the one who began digging the pit with his hands, Amelia at his side helping him.

Spencer was holding a torch.

And Derek got to helping them.

An arm which wore a watch was soon revealed in the pile of soil. "Oh, my God." Derek whispered.

"Be careful, that's her head." Hotchner warned them as they dug around her.

Amelia stepped back when she realized the two men (eye roll) would pick the body up out of the soil. Although, Amelia was glad they had offered to pull the body out of the soil, Amelia wouldn't feel too proud of herself if she ripped the victim's limb off 'cause she pulled too hard trying to prove herself.

Even if they had pulled her out of the pit of her worst fears, she was not breathing and the paramedics were called immediately.

But, it didn't take long for Missy to start coughing and come back to life.

At least Stanley Howard didn't win.

✺

Amelia kept her distance, afraid of what Hotchner might say, or if the team will offer her condolences and say that Stanley was always going to jump.

To Amelia, it didn't matter that the odds were against her - everyone could be saved and Amelia could always do something about it.

She hadn't done enough to get Stanley off that ledge and get his victims the right justice.

That in itself was a mood killer, even more so when you've had three hours sleep in the last twenty-four hours; which means you crash the second your head hits the headrest on the jet.

Agent Hotchner thought the world had ended when he saw Amelia was fast asleep in a seat opposite Emily, who looked as though she was protecting the newest agent from any disturbances (Disturbances was a nickname for Derek Morgan who had thrown rubbers at Amelia for a solid three minutes before both Emily and JJ scolded him)

Agent Hotchner knew he had to talk with Amelia when they got back to the BAU.

And even if he didn't have to, he wanted to.

The agent had a lot to say. (Considering the past times he'd seen Amelia he was throughly pissed off and frightened. They hadn't exactly been the best emotions for her to meet him on.)

With a failing marriage and an empty home, Hotchner had to make his day somewhat enjoyable and if that meant Little Miss Sunshine could smile around him and act like her normal self, he'd be pleased. With the extra hours he was putting into his work, he'd need the smiles to keep him going.

He'd wanted to talk to her on the plane, but prioritized her well-being and knew Emily might kill him if he tried to wake her.

His office would have to do.

Emily had been watching Amelia in-between her shifts of sleeping. It was crazy how much someone revealed in their sleep.

First off; Amelia slept with clenched fists, like she was angry with herself so much so that she willing to let her nails dig into the skin of her palm as she slept through clenched fists.

Second of all; Amelia had not been sleeping at all, that much was obvious because Derek had been laughing very loudly at one point and Amelia, the notorious light sleeper, had not moved a muscle and the same thing had happened when her phone continually buzzed with a Washington number numerous times.

Emily had silenced the phone and memorized the number to ask Penelope to track it when they got back.

Regrettably, Emily had to kick Amelia awake when they touched down back in Virginia.

Prentiss expected Amelia to look as though she was ready to murder someone, but instead she just wrapped Emily's blanket tighter around her shoulders and made her way into the agent's SUV, with JJ in the back, to return back to the offices and hopefully get home quickly (to avoid the unit chief) and get a decent nights sleep.

(Only one of those things would be happening tonight)

Derek teased her in the elevator, "Don't you look snug in that blanket?" He plucked one of the pieces of rubber out of the wool.

Amelia rolled her eyes and kicked the back of his legs, "Careful Derek, we don't want the elevator to stop and hear some girlish screams now, do we?"

Emily smiled.

Spencer was just glad she wasn't bringing up his scream.

And JJ rolled her eyes that the children were bickering again.

Hotchner posed as if he was ignoring them, but it did bring the tiniest bit of joy to him.

Derek turned around in the cramped elevator, "Stop bringing up my moment of weakness in-front of everyone."

He twisted back round, "And it wasn't a girlish scream, it was a manly scream."

"It sounded like my grandma when an ant crawled onto her rocking chair." Amelia pushed him out of the elevator the moment the doors opened.

"I am going to report you for harassment of fellow employees if you don't stop pushing me 'round the place." He threatened, walking backwards and opening the glass door to the BAU with his back.

Thankfully, blocking the trio of people around Amelia's desk.

"I'll tell them you started it."

"Oh—!"

JJ sighed and flicked them both, "I'm going to report you both for being nuisances if you don't shut up." She warned.

Derek and Amelia fell into step with one another, Hotchner and Reid in-front of them still blocking whoever was in the office.

"Sorry, mom." They both grumbled with childish giggles soon following.

JJ looked at Emily with disbelief.

Emily held her hands up in innocence, "I didn't say it! Glare at them, not me!"

There was a gasp that sounded in the office, and anyone anywhere could recognize it as Penelope Garcia's famous gasp. "You're back! Thank goodness, where is the love of my life?"

Derek stepped out from behind Reid, "Right here, princess."

Penelope swatted him away, "Oh no, not you! Amelia, where's my ray of sunshine?"

Derek rolled his eyes but pulled Amelia out from behind her hiding place of the unit chief.

It was not the alarmingly bright Penelope Garcia outfit wore for after midnight that shocked Amelia and made her eyes widen, but the two figures of her Mom and Dad stood beside her desk.

The desk that had no pictures of them but only a picture of Derek Morgan as a seahorse.

JJ and Emily shared a look as the muscles in Amelia's back tensed.

Spencer heard the tapping of her fist against her thigh before he saw it.

And Agent Hotchner, well, he saw the corners of her lips downturn into a frown before she plastered a smile on it as Penelope dragged her towards them.

Hotchner was the one to turn around to his agents, "Everyone get your stuff together, quickly, I imagine that Amelia would like some time with her parents before work tomorrow at 9:30."

No, Amelia would not like that. Especially not when she undoubtedly in for a lecture after ignoring their calls all week and sending them a letter to explain that she had a new job in a profession they somehow hated more than negotiations.

Even Hotchner wasn't sure he believed the words that fell from his lips.

"Sorry, are you Agent Hotchner?" Amelia's Dad stepped forward, and the daughter was more than prepared to pull him back.

"I'm Thomas Levine, Amelia's dad, obviously," He and his wife giggled, Reid did too just so the atmosphere wasn't more awkward. "I checked in with Chief Strauss and I managed to snag my daughter some personal time off, if that's alright with you, of course?"

Amelia wanted to shake her head, plead with her eyes and have her unit chief tell them no! But her Mom was watching.

Agent Hotchner's thumb rubbed against the pad of his index finger.

He didn't like people going over his head, especially not an agent's parent.

"Dad—" Amelia tried to speak but was cut off by the simple action of her Mom holding onto her hand; something that made her feel like a child, permitted from speaking when the adult's were talking.

Aaron Hotchner noticed instantly. He was no stranger to that action.

He wondered if he and Amelia had been in the same boat.

Thomas placed a hand on Amelia's shoulder, squeezing it gently, "We aren't here long, and Mrs Strauss understands the importance of family."

The woman evidently portrayed her favorite child in her office.

"And my charms goes a long way," he smiled at the members of the BAU, "She said at least three days off, and I thought that was perfect for us to catch up!"

"We even got you a present from Barcelona!" Martha Levine was more than proud of the little gift she got for her daughter.

Amelia furrowed her eyebrows, "When did you go to Barcelona?"

Martha rolled her eyes, Amelia unable to tell if her own Mom was joking with her or not, "On that cruise, last month! We only got back a few days ago, can't you tell by my tan?"

"It's looks great Mom," Amelia's mom frowned at the dismissal, "Let me pack up my stuff and we'll go." We'll go before you manage to embarrass me or make Agent Hotchner kill me on site.

"Oh!" Penelope gasped for a second time, "I've got some cookies in my office if you want some while we wait! You can tell me all about baby Amelia."

Martha beamed and followed after Penelope, "I've got some pictures, if you'd like!"

Thomas kissed his daughter's cheek, "Don't take too long." He muttered before following his wife and the brightly dressed lady.

The second he was gone, Amelia turned to the members of her unit, "I'm so—"

The unit chief cut off her apology before she could really even start, "It's okay, Levine," It really was not! "Enjoy the time with your family, you deserve the break."

No she didn't.

The break made her look pathetic.

She didn't want this break, it had been ordered at the hand's of her Dad - who was known to be overbearing and threw in a smile here and there just to get what he wanted from people in higher positions than him.

Amelia loved her parents, she did. She seemed to be saying it a lot, as if it was to make it seem true but that was not the case. Amelia had joy in her childhood, she had laughter, she had tacos every Tuesday, pizza every other Saturday and her Mom took her to the park every Sunday while Thomas visited the...

Amelia wasn't quite sure what her dad did on Sundays but she was sure he met up with other dads and discussed whatever dads discussed.

Sure, Amelia had some blips in her childhood (mostly the whole having to be independent when all she needed was a little support and the lack of support in her career choices) but she got over them! (She had clearly not) They were merely just blips, they weren't detrimental to who she was today.

Amelia loved her parents.

She was just a little unsure if she would after this so called 'break'.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
amelia's parents are a little overbearing ‼️‼️ and hotch doesn't like that very much, he's already perfect for amelia

and i'd even say they had some progress in this episode before i wiped it all away