This was the part of the job that Erin always hated. She needed to have a heart to heart conversation with Emily in order to touch base with her, and get her to see that it was so important that she gather information on the team so that she could build her case a little more fully for the Director. Things had nearly come to a head while the team had been working to clear Jason's name, and while it had come to a conclusion, it was not one that reflected well on the FBI in general, and her department in particular. Director Shepperd hadn't seemed too put out over that, since Jason had been cleared, which rankled her more than she cared to let on, though she knew that David could read her heart and knew that she was stewing about it.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, she glanced at her watch once more, wondering what was keeping Agent Prentiss, and she shook her head as she tried to focus on the report she was currently drafting for the Director, knowing that it would be nearly impossible for her to remove all of the biases she had against Aaron and Jason. Still, she barreled forward, knowing that she needed to get this worked on before she had her little discussion with Agent Prentiss. Things were already thorny between them, as the woman had taken to the team so easily, and as a result had been loathe to spy on them for Erin. Which was a good thing, she could admit that to herself. It just didn't fit into her plans for what she believed to be necessary to avoid Alpha imploding at the seams.
"Chief Strauss, Agent Hotchner is here to see you."
Erin frowned deeply as she looked up at Helen. "I wasn't expecting him."
"I think that was the point of his coming here. He wants to throw you off balance."
Nodding, she drew in a deep breath before sliding off her reading glasses and setting them aside. "If Agent Prentiss arrives while Agent Hotchner is still here, distract her. I'll need a buffer of time between these two visits."
"Of course." Helen gave her a tight smile before leaving the office, pulling the door closed behind her. Erin listened to the low sounds of her addressing Aaron, using the brief seconds to prepare herself for the encounter to come. Then Aaron was stalking into her office, closing the door firmly behind him, a stony look on his face. "May I help you, Agent Hotchner?"
"I've been reviewing your evaluations of myself and my team. You are still hellbent on tearing us apart, aren't you?"
Her cheeks blazed with anger at the tone of his voice, and she had to swallow back the urge to reply back with just as much venom in her voice. "I'm sorry?" she finally bit out, her eyes narrowing as she regarded the way he paced back and forth in front of her desk.
Those seemed to be the entirely wrong words to say, as he launched into a diatribe about how wrong her assessments of Alpha were, his voice controlled but infuriated as he refuted every single observation that she had made. Erin found her throat tightening from the effort to keep from yelling at him to stop, but then he started laying into her, trying to profile her and her family. "And it is no wonder that you have a picture of your son holding our daughter front and center on your desk. You favor your son because he is a constant reminder to you that once upon a time you were faithful to your husband, until you cuckolded us both with some bullshit story that David Rossi fathered our daughter."
Unable to hear any more bile drip from his mouth, Erin shot to her feet and slammed her palms on her desk as she shouted, "Agent Hotchner! That is more than enough! If you cannot be civil to me, then you need to leave this office right now. Quit trying to make the truth fit your narrow definition of the word. David is Elise's father, he has been raising her since she was born, and while I know he is your best friend, he is my partner. Do I make myself clear?"
Aaron's nostrils flared dangerously before he gave her a sharp nod. "As crystal, Erin. Just know, that I have my eye on you."
"Likewise," she shot back as she watched him stalk from the room, closing the door with enough force to rattle the pictures on her walls. Letting out a long breath, she sank back into her chair and buried her face in her hands, trying to find her calming center. A sharp knocking on her door caught her attention a few moments later, and she looked up before saying, "Come in!"
Helen slipped into her office and gave her a sympathetic look as she approached her desk. "Is everything all right, Erin?" she asked once she had reached her side, and she nodded. "Are you certain? I could hear Agent Hotchner haranguing you for three minutes straight. I'll tell the Director that, if you need me to be a witness."
"I think everything will work out, Helen. Just, keep watch for Agent Prentiss. I need to center myself before I can even think about talking to her." Helen nodded before reaching out and patting her shoulder gently.
As soon as Helen was gone, Erin called up her emails and began to read through some of her personal correspondence, smiling at the letter her mother had written, taking a moment to reply to her before returning to the report she was writing. Twenty minutes later, Helen was knocking on her door once more, and she knew that it was time to talk to Agent Prentiss. Getting up from behind her desk, Erin went around to sit against the front of it, knowing that it was a power move, hoping that it would unnerve the woman enough to get her to agree with what she was about to ask. "Enter."
"Agent Prentiss is here, ma'am."
"Thank you, Helen," she replied as she crossed her ankles and allowed the cool mask that she wore around everyone in the office to slip into place. Agent Prentiss walked in with a slightly tentative air, and she allowed a small smile to soften her features as she gestured towards a chair in front of her, watching the woman nod before taking a seat in it as Helen closed the door. "Agent Prentiss, I'm certain that you're probably wondering why I've called you in here today."
"Yes, Ma'am," she replied, her voice quiet, almost meek, and she tried not to smirk.
"Your team is in serious trouble, and it is going to fall to us to keep it together. I know that you have had issues with reporting back to me anything out of place, but now is not the time to even consider having such qualms. Had what happened with Agent Gideon gotten out to the press? You would be using your mother's influence to get you another job as the rest of the team was farmed out to different departments. This situation has become much more serious, and it is past time that Agent Hotchner and Agent Gideon find a new position in the FBI. And you are going to help me see that that happens."
Agent Prentiss swallowed thickly as she shifted her gaze away from Erin, as if she thought that by meeting her eyes she'd be more likely to say yes. Clearing her throat, Erin leaned forward, getting into her peripheral vision, and the woman's shoulders slumped a little as she met her gaze once more. Nodding twice sharply, Agent Prentiss rose to her feet and exited her office as quickly as possible, closing the door behind her. As Erin allowed herself to relax, she found herself left with the distinct feeling that this was far from over and wondered what would happen next.