"sad memories are bad but good memories are the worst" - Unknown
It had, unfortunately, been a dark and stormy night. In the back of the mind, Calamawy wasn't sure if the cliche setting made the situation better or worse. She'd felt paralyzed with - no, not fear - anger. Months of hell had led to this standoff and she'd been feeling vengeful.
If only her body had aided her in her mission to take down the traitor and his monster, but she'd felt deafened by her heartbeats and breathing. She'd been losing lots of blood. She'd been losing sight of her targets.
There'd been faint bang, and whizzing whistle sound. Calamawy knew that sound too well; she'd shot 2 shots in return. She'd felt a force push her, and her feet had slipped. Before she knew it, she was falling over the decayed railing.
Calamawy woke up with a jolt.
'First the whole dark and stormy night thing and now the nightmares; when did my life become such a cliche-filled over-dramatised cheap cop show,' She thought to herself as she turned over in bed to look at the ceiling. 'And what's wrong with drama, Karla?' her late grandfather's voice sounded in her mind. 'You've always been too hard on yourself, ya rohi. Nightmares are normal'
"Nightmares are my normal," Calamawy muttered to herself as she got up and started going through the motions of her morning routine. It's been 11 weeks since the nightmare ended, and today was the final meeting of the Internal Review Board Hearing. Calamawy already knew the verdict since day 1; nonetheless, the higher ups liked to be cliche, too. 'You know how I feel about that word, Karla,' her grandfather's voice chided in her head. Calamawy just sighed. "Get on with it, Calamawy," she muttered.
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"Ah, Agent Calamawy, right on time as always," Barton's smarmy voice greeted.
"Yes, and yet, you feign surprise," Calamawy's uninterested monotone snarked, "where is everybody?"
"I'm afraid today's meeting is just us two," Barton's tone was peak polite professionalism, but there was glee in his old, pathetic eyes. A glee that put Calamawy on edge. She raised an eyebrow in question, but he just gestured for her to take a seat.
As each took their seat, Calamawy decided to cut to the chase: "Am I being terminated?"
"You've always been quite impatient," Barton chuckled in response.
''Oh, how I hate you, Barton," Calamawy thought as she gave her boss an unimpressed look.
"No, Agent Calamawy," Barton continued, " The situation isn't that easy. You're being transferred."
"Transferred?"
"Yes, given how hard and true you've given yourself to Interpol during your time here, especially these last few months, we've managed to pull some strings. Get you transferred to the US," Barton spoke with a hint of benevolence, "The FBI in particular," he nodded.
Calamawy saw through the bullcrap: Interpol wanted to get rid of her, but she was 'too dangerous' if left unmonitored; therefore, a transfer made sense. But the fucking FBI?!
"Why?"
Barton let out an unbelieving, slightly offended, scoff disguised as a laugh, " 'Why' ? What do you mean why? Agent Calamawy, you should be grateful," his faux friendliness dropped, "After this disaster, you're lucky we've been so gracious, considering your past and behavior."
Calamawy raised an eyebrow in skepticism, "You're sending me to the FBI, that's eight thousand kilometers. Are you that scared of me?"
Barton snorted, "You've also always been arrogant," he said under his breath. "Agent Calamawy, this is the best option you have right now, otherwise; you will go to prison."
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Calamawy paled slightly at his words, but tried to hide it. Too late, Barton saw it and smirked in victory, "Yes, that's right; you're indebted to Interpol, to me, Ms. Karla Calamawy. I gave you a career 10 years ago, even though you deserved to go to prison, and here I am doing it again."
Calamawy bit the inside corner of her mouth. She hated how arrogant Barton sounded, and she hated that he'd earned it. He was telling the truth. The young woman sighed in an effort to calm her bruised ego before evenly talking: "So.....the FBI?"
Barton smirked and shifted slightly in his seat, and Calamawy swore she could hear his mind that moment thinking "Good girl". "Yes, the FBI. Particularly, the Behavioral Analysis Unit."
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SSA Aaron Hotchner had always known how necessary and vital things politics and bureaucracy were, especially in law enforcement. He'd known that it wasn't always black and white; politics bad, action good. He knew that. However, he still hated it with a passion.
His hatred and frustration were quite evident in his body language as he made his way to Chief Section Erin Strauss, clutching a folder of paperwork in his hand. Pre-approved transfer of a new agent paperwork. Just when he thought that Strauss was on their side, she went and did this.
"Ah, Agent Hotchner," Strauss pleasantly greeted from behind her desk, "can I help you?"
"Yes, actually. I believe there's been a mistake," he handed over the folder for her to look over, "I found this on my desk."
Strauss barely glanced at it before closing it and handing it back, "No mistake. The BAU is getting a new agent."
"At this time?" Hotch raised an eyebrow. The team was still reeling from Prentiss's return and the Doyle fiasco; now was absolutely not the time to bring a new member into the mix.
"I know what your team is going through, and I'm sorry, but the world doesn't stop spinning just because we need time, Aaron. You of all people know that."
"Yes, but this isn't the world spinning. This is you going over my head to approve of a new agent's transfer."
"Need I remind you that I outrank you, Agent Hotchner," Strauss's previous warmth dropped from her tone, before she sighed. "Look, I am sorry for going over your head, but this was necessary. I honestly believe this can be good for you."
Hotch looked skeptical, "How so?"
"All that's happened with Agent Prentiss; it's tainted your team members' relationships with each other, your trust in each other. Maybe a new member is what your team needs now," Strauss spoke softly, almost maternally in description of the team. It was enough to disarm Hotch a little.
"Or it could be the straw that breaks the camel's back."
Strauss sighed again, "Alright, yes, it could, but I'm still asking you to give this a chance."
Hotch shook his head in frustration, he couldn't just allow a stranger near his team right now, not when they were all so vulnerable and hurt. That was when Strauss cut in:
"Agent Prentiss lied to your team. You and Agent Jareau lied to your team. Ried didn't request reinstatement to the BAU. The camel's back is already broken, Aaron "
Hotch froze for a moment. There was something about having hard truths bluntly stated instead of danced around with cushioning words that paralyzed people, even Hotch. Strauss looked momentarily sorry, though not guilty, for saying what she'd said.
"You've always said that your team can't function without trust. Well, that trust's broken and you're going to have to rebuild it. What's one more person to rebuild it with," Strauss slightly shrugged.
