Temporary -An Aaron Hotchner Story-

26*

WARNING: Chapter contains
public sex
slightly rough sex

Sloane and I are meeting for lunch today.

She's called every day since Emily's funeral; I'm pretty sure my snapping at Victoria was big news at the agency. Emily's death must also have been big news.

Aaron and Spencer are in North Carolina working a case and I've been trying to keep myself distracted. I went shopping on Saturday and I went to Jack's soccer game on Sunday to watch him play.

Aaron coaches the team.

Monday I went shopping, again, and today I'm having lunch with Sloane from my team.

Funny thing about Sloane, she was the least enthusiastic about my arrival at Interpol and somehow she's the agent I'm closest too. We got close after my first case in Belgium where we arrested a woman who was bombing blue 4-door sedans with plates starting in BKS because her son was hit by that type of vehicle. It hit Sloane a little too close to home and I seemed to be the only one who noticed.

When she was younger her brother was on vacation in Croatia and was run over by a car with his girlfriend. She was paralyzed from the waist down but, since he took most of the impact, he died en route to the hospital. Sloane was in college and her parents didn't tell her until she came home for the holidays 4 months later.

Sloane walks into the bistro and waves with a smile as she walks towards our table. I smile back as she greets "Boss, we've missed you" and I just chuckle asking "What, you don't like walking in my shoes" making her groan. She orders a white pumpkin chai latte, just like mine, and asks "How did you do it? It's like I finish a stack and then it comes back...threefold" but I shrug and remind her "You said you were up for it."

I have to admit. I miss work.

"No new cases" I ask and Sloane shakes her head "Victoria doesn't want us going anywhere without you, especially with the new girl" making me raise an eyebrow and Sloane tenses. "There's a new girl" I ask and she hesitates as she nods.

She said too much.

"Yeah, her names Kathryn. Kathryn Jacobs" Sloane introduces the girl and I suddenly feel uneasy as my palms start to sweat. "She replaced Jared" I note and Sloane nods with a sympathetic look in my direction as she puts a hand on mine but I just shake it off as best as I can. "In other news, rumor has it Monroe's got something to say to you" Sloane mentions and I start to worry "Chief Monroe" I ask and she nods.

Monroe is my former Unit Chief who was promoted to Chief of our D.C. Interpol office.

"Do you know what it might be" I ask her in concern and she taunts "Oh I don't know, maybe, the promotion you deserve" but I just roll my eyes. "I'm serious" she retorts and I just give her a look as the waitress takes our orders before leaving us to our conversation once again. "You took down Arabietti and Manzoni in a single day. If that doesn't scream promotion then I don't know what does" she compliments but I remind her "I could also be getting suspended for working a case while on medical leave" and she just shrugs it off "Victoria gave Erin the authorization. You should be fine." Her eyebrows raise and if challenging me to come up with something else and I do just that. "I went after Ian Doyle on my own and later yelled at our Director basically telling her to fire me" I remind her and Sloane nods once "Right, that" so I shake my head. "Well she really had no right to do that at Prentiss' funeral. That was an all time low even for her" she defends and I just shrug "I guess so, but it doesn't change the fact." Sloane shrugs nonchalantly "It's not her command. If you wanted to you could hunt Doyle to the ends of the earth without notifying her" and I can't help but admire her way of thinking.