Keeping Her Safe

Leaving on a Jet Plane.

After five minutes of debating within herself, Sera had stepped out of her office with her keys in her hand. 'I can drive you,' Hotch offered when he saw her hesitating.

'Oh, no. It's okay thanks. I can ask someone else,' she quietly responded. 'My meds don't let me drive for twelve more hours or I'd take myself,' she added.

'We're headed out together. And there were a few more questions I wanted to ask you. If you're up for it,' Hotch offered while staring into the bullpen where everyone else was wrapping up their calls home or emails that needed to be sent.

Hands clung to the railing as Sera and Hotch looked at the team they were meant to be in charge of. 'Okay,' she hummed. 'I'm sorry for being mean,' she quickly added in her airy voice.

'What's bothering you?' Hotch asked.

Sera calmly shook her head, refusing to entertain a response as the morning flashed through her mind. 'How is Jack?' She chose to ask instead.

'He's good. The teachers have said that he is ahead of all his classmates and he is getting better at football too,' Hotch responded slowly. 'He still mentions you. He asks me if you're still happy,' he confessed.

Somehow, the statement sent Sera's heart into her stomach as it sank through her body. 'I am sorry if you have to lie to him because of me,' she breathed. 'Let's get going. My bag's in my car,' she then added.

Walking away, the pair were slow, nodding to the team in passing, before they stepped into the lift. 'Something serious must have happened for her to pick a fight like that,' JJ remarked.

'Did he trigger something or was it that man this morning?' Prentiss asked.

Shrugs were returned, and a moment later, the team headed out together. However, as they got into the parking area, Sera and Hotch were seen talking as they climbed into his car. 'What do you mean they're cutting more of our budget away?' She asked before the door closed.

'I mean,' Hotch began from the back of the car as he pushed her bag into the boot along with his. 'They were warning us that this could happen but this is sooner than it usually is,' he explained before slamming the boot shut.

With his door open, Sera and Hotch could easily talk. 'Have they lost their minds? Please tell me that you at least bitch-slapped them,' she responded.

'Not all of us resort to violence like you do,' Hotch corrected while walking around to the driver's open door.

'I gently punched your chest once because you were being a dickhead,' Sera retorted. 'Now get in and close the door before I go deaf again,' she hollered while scanning her phone.

As the team heard the polite, jovial conversation, they silently began to question if Sera was mentally troubled, but they didn't dare ask in case they were right. 'I'm coming. And that was not a gentle punch,' he responded as he pulled his coat off.

'Agent Hotchner, do I need to remind you that my face has a purple line down it because of you?' Sera sternly replied.

'It's not my fault you're jumpy,' Hotch defended as he finally sat in his chair and slammed the door.

From the edges of Rossi's car, the team sent concerned glances to the two agents who were quickly driving away. 'Sometimes I wonder if they're not falling in love, but mentally deranged,' Prentiss grumbled.

In the warming car, Sera pulled the mirror down and began dabbing green makeup over the purple line that was slightly raised. 'Are you trying to make it look worse?' Hotch asked.

'Oh shut up,' Sera chastised. 'I was knocked out for nearly a minute, and you keep acting like the injured party,' she harshly stated.

'I thought I killed you. I was still half-asleep, you have no clue what that feels like. At least you got a minute more sleep,' Hotch retorted.