Most of the members of the BAU team were just getting back from their lunch break when a woman with strawberry blond, almost red, hair walked into the bullpen. The woman was slightly taller than average and had skin and features that made it seem like she was made of porcelain. She was thin, but was also very curvy and attractive.
She looked a bit fragile, and very prim-and-proper, but this appearance was a bit ironic considering her personality. She was passionate, and committed to helping with an array of world problems that were important to her. She was stubborn, and more than willing to get dirty and work hard if it would help to improve someone else`s life. The woman looked half her age, despite her conservative clothing and prim-and-proper look. She walked up to Hotch`s office with an air of confidence that most people would never attain. She knocked on his door, but only waited for a moment or two before she walked into the empty office. He wasn`t back from his lunch break yet.
Rossi saw the entire team looking up toward Hotch`s office with curiosity. He opened his office door and looked over just in time to see the woman emerge.
"Can I help you?" he asked, sounding more demanding than polite.
"Dave?" she asked with a smile on her face, her voice wasn`t as soft as anyone would have expected from this fragile-looking woman, but it wasn`t harsh. It was a sweet and caring voice, sprinkled with intensity.
"Yes..." he thought for a moment. Who was this? "I`m sorry, I don`t-"
"Rowan." She was greeted by a thoughtful look, "I`m Aaron`s little sister. We met when he first joined the BAU."
"Oh, I`m sorry. I didn`t recognize you," he said, now sounding more friendly, "Aaron said you`ve been working in Africa."
"I was. I`ve been working for a human rights group in Darfur for the last five years. Just got back today."
"Why don`t you come wait with me until Aaron gets back from lunch?" he offered.
"Sure," she led the way into his office and didn`t wait for him to ask her to sit.
She smiled up at him as he followed her in, leaving the door open. He sat directly in front of her on his desk.
"So how have things been in the BAU? Aaron`s not too stressed, is he?"
"I don`t think so," he smiled at her. He had forgotten how beautiful she was; in fact, he wasn`t even sure he had noticed when he first met her. Back then he was still infatuated with his soon-to-be second wife.
"I heard you left the BAU for a while. I read half of one of your books, but I left it with a man in Cambodia who wanted to read it when I left for Ethiopia."
"Well I`ll have to get you another copy," he suggested.
She smiled at him, but didn`t say anything. Truth-be-told, she didn`t see much reason to learn about the psychology of criminals unless you work for the BAU, not that there was anything wrong with reading for fun, but she wasn`t all that interested. After all of the cruelty that she had seen, she didn`t want to spend her free time reading about evil people.
"So are you here for a vacation or permanently?" Rossi interrupted her thoughts.
"Permanently. According to my former boss, 'the organization can`t ensure the safety of such a reckless woman." She sounded incredibly bitter.
"Oh?" he looked at her questioningly, wanting more details.
She sighed, "They were... going to rape a little girl," she closed her eyes to get the image out of her head, "and when I stepped in, they went after me instead. She got away though, so it was worth it."
He shook his head sadly, "I`m sorry."
She shrugged, trying, like always, to make it seemed like it didn`t bother her.
"They said that I was a liability and fired me. So now I`m back here. Hopefully Aaron will let me stay with him for a while, until I figure out what to do."
She turned and saw Aaron walking up the few stairs toward his office; she stood up and smiled at Rossi one last time before going to meet her older brother. He looked shocked to see her, and seemed even more shocked when she ran up and hugged him before he had a chance to even process that she was there. He hadn`t seen her in years, and here she was, out of the blue. It wasn`t like her to call and warn him, but still it was a shock.
"Hey," he said, finally smiling. He led her into his office and closed the door. She asked about Jack and they talked for a while and then she repeated her story to him. His smile was replaced by a furious look and clenched fists.
"There were eight of them..." she added, "I couldn`t really fight them off. I mean, I tried of course, but I couldn`t. I don`t really know what I`m going to do now, but I was wondering if I could stay with you for a little while?"
"Of course," he replied.
She kissed him on the cheek. "So, when do I get to meet the rest of the team?"
He smiled weakly. He knew his sister, she wasn`t going to admit that what happened had affected her, but it had.
"Right now," he replied. He held her hand and saw her shiver at the touch. He thought that she should talk to someone, a professional, but he knew that she`d never go for it.
They walked out of the office hand-in-hand and got suspicious looks from the team. Once he introduced her as his sister though, everyone`s demeanor changed from curious to friendly. Morgan checked her out, which made her uncomfortable. She noticed that since the attack, she was suddenly uncomfortable with men looking at her. She mentally told herself to get over it, and to stop suspecting the worst in people.