CHAPTER 24
For the last 20 minutes as he sits in the lobby of the director's office, Dave Rossi rubs the bruises forming on his hand.
He had watched as Strauss came in and look at him intently before disappearing into the director's inner office. He had heard yelling coming from the meeting that was going on in there along with his name yelled several times.
Just a couple of minutes earlier, Donaldson had suddenly opened the door and glared at Dave as he walked past him and out of the office. Dave had glared right back at him while internally pleased to see the bruise forming around Donaldson's eye.
Dave was pulled out of his thought when he heard his name. Looking up, he could see an annoyed Strauss standing in the doorway of the director's office, gesturing for him to come.
Dave walked slowly into the office and sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk that the director gestured to as Strauss sat down in the one next to him. As soon as they were seated, the director leaned forward, resting his forearms on his desk as he said, "Agent Rossi, I'm going to get right to the point. Assistant Director Donaldson has made some troubling allegation against you. Allegations that if true will not be ignored."
Dave sighs and nods before saying, "Understood Director."
The director had been Dave's Unit Chief on his first assignment after graduating from the academy. Throughout the years, they had stayed in touch as assignments and promotions had taken them in different directions.
The director looked at him and frowned before continuing, "we noticed when he was in here earlier, the assistant director appears to have been hit in the face. He stated that you are the one that hit him. Is that true?"
Dave looked down at the floor before looking up and meeting the director's eye and said firmly, "It is."
The director widened his eyes at the admission before exclaiming, "Why David, what possessed you to strike him? You are a senior agent. You know better than to hit a superior."
"I had my reasons." Dave answered. Experience told him based on the look on the John's face that he needed to tread carefully.
However, it hadn't even been an hour yet since he and Emily had received the DNA results. They had only had a few minutes to talk before Donaldson had interrupted them and started hurling accusations. Dave didn't know how Emily wanted to handle telling people at work outside the team. He didn't want to say anything without taking to her about it first. For now, he would accept the consequences for hitting Donaldson.
The director continued to glare at Dave. Strauss, who until this point had quietly observed the interaction looked over at Dave and said sternly, "and just what are those reasons Dave. Donaldson wants you fired. If he takes this to a review board it may just happen."
When Dave did not respond to her, the director used both hands to bang on his desk before stating angrily, "then I will need to assume that what he told me is correct then. And it's not just you that he wants sanctions against after this incident. He also wants them against Agent Prentiss."
Dave's head shot up at the mention of her name and he answered forcefully, "leave Emily out of this."
The director shook his head as Rossi's glared at him as he stated, "no Dave that's not how it works.
We had a frank discussion before you came out of retirement about the changes in fraternization rules and what would be expected from you. You stated at then that you understood and would follow these rules.
But now we have come to learn that you are having obviously questionable contact with another agent. First last week sneaking into a conference room and then today in a hallway when you kissed her.
And as if that isn't bad enough it is with someone married to one of your team members and is young enough…." He stopped his train of thought but it was too late. Everyone in the room knew what he was going to say. They all also knew why it was a sensitive subject for Dave.
After several minutes of complete silence, he looked him in the eye and said bitterly, "just say it John. She's young enough to be my daughter." Dave paused and took a deep breath before continuing, "you are way off base with the accusations. And for the record, the kiss today was on her cheek. If you need to verify it, I'm sure there is a surveillance video that you can check."
The director was beyond relieved to hear Dave's denial of an intimate relationship with Agent Prentiss as he could also see was the case with Erin Strauss. The potential ramifications of such an indiscretion had started to fill his mind starting with the implosion of Dave's team.
He had been shocked when Donaldson had made the accusation. Hotchner's BAU team was known in the Bureau to be very close. In all the years he had known Dave and all of his faults, he couldn't believe that Dave would cross that line.
However that did not solve the issue at hand. Looking at him irritated at the continued avoidance of answering the questions, the director said firmly, "if I'm completely off base, then tell us what is going on before Donaldson's accusations gain momentum." He paused before continuing, "he wants to investigate not only the two of you individually but also your team. Additionally, he is calling into question Agent Prentiss' promotion since you suggested her for the position."
Dave looked back at him wide eyed. This was worse than he thought.
Much worse.
He couldn't let the whole team suffer for a lapse on his part. Dividing the current team had been discussed in the past in passing. However now that there were several new profilers trained, a review board could easy recommend forming new teams.
And for Emily an investigation could damage all the career advancements she had made. Yes, he had recommended her however that was because he knew, as her mentor, she could do the job. Strauss had fully supported the recommendation. The only one with negative comments on her performance since she started to lead her team was Donaldson.
Dave stood up and started pacing the room as he said, "That rat bastard. Since he's become assistant director, he has been after the BAU, my team and especially Emily." He stopped and looked at both of them, "you know that. You both do." Both the director and Strauss looked at each other and nodded as he said that.
Donaldson had gone on record multiple times doubting the usefulness of profiling referring to it as voodoo. He had not been supportive of expanding the profiling training program unlike the director and had wanted to dismantle the BAU instead. He had repeatedly stated that the manpower and budgetary resources should be utilized differently.
It also wasn't a secret that Donaldson had been difficult with Emily. They, along with everyone else, had seen it in meetings and anytime he spoke of her. It had never been enough for a censure but the negative vibe was something they had both picked up on in the interactions.
Still standing Dave walked up behind the chair he had been sitting on and rested his hands on the back of it. "Emily was and is the right person for her job. On more than one occasion, you have mentioned to me personally how well she is doing in it." Dave exclaimed.
He wouldn't risk a review board inquiry into her job performance. She had been through enough the last few weeks.
The director sighed before nodding as he said, "I know that however a review board may see things differently especially in light of these allegations." He paused before looking directly at Dave and saying, "I'm going to ask you again Dave - what is your relationship with Agent Prentiss?"
Dave sighed as he realized that if it wanted to prevent this from spinning out of control he would need to share the test results he and Emily had just received today. He wasn't ready to share them with anyone until the two of them were able sit down and talk. However now he felt like his actions has forced his hand.
If he walked out without saying anything, there was a significant risk that it would be too late to stop the investigation even if it was only in a day or two later.
For himself, Dave would accept the consequences. He screwed up and no matter how good it felt in that moment, he regretted the way he had handled the confrontation with Donaldson.
But he couldn't jeopardize the BAU, the department that he had co-founded and took part in making it what it was today.
He also refused to risk what could happen to his team during an investigation. Not to mention what could happen to Emily's position.
No he needed to let John know now and hope he could prevent things from progressing to a review board investigation.
Dave walked around the chair and sat back down in it. Looking the director straight in the eye, he said, "she…. she's Sophia, John."
The director immediately froze and look at Dave wide eyed before glancing over at an equally shocked Strauss before he exclaimed, "What?" as Strauss said, "How can that be?"
Dave leaned forward in his chair, resting his forearms in his legs as he answered quietly, "she is."
The director eyes wildly vacillated between Dave and Strauss who also had a look of shock on her face. Focusing his glaze on him, the director stated forcefully, "Dave, Sophia is dead. You accepted that years ago."
As the words came out, the director consider what was going on with his old friend. This had to potential to be much worse for the Bureau than the fraternization claims that had brought all of them to this conversation.
He was worried. He was worried about Dave's mental health status. He was also worried that Dave was suddenly chasing this ghost again after years of not speaking of her.
Additionally he was insisting that a fellow agent was his long lost daughter. A fellow agent with powerful parents. Unsure how she was reacting to the declaration, the director immediately decided to ask Strauss go speak to Agent Prentiss as soon as possible.
Dave shook his head and stated bitterly, "over the last week, I have come to see that accepting that was one of the biggest mistakes of my life."
Dave paused and took in the looks of complete disbelief on their faces. He took and deep breathe before saying calmly, "It's her, John."
Dave watched as the director and Strauss looked at each other seemingly have a silent conversation. Frustrated that what he was saying wasn't getting through, he turned to Strauss and said, "Erin, help me out here. You know what's been going on with Emily over the last few weeks."
Strauss looked back at him momentarily stunned before saying, "yes I do Dave but I don't know anything about her being Sophia."
"STOP!" Both Rossi and Strauss stopped and looked at perturbed director who was not use to being the last one to know something as significant as this. "One or both of you need to fill me RIGHT NOW in on what is going on. Start talking. One at a time."
Strauss and Dave look at each other and nod before Strauss starts with "did you hear that Ambassador Prentiss passed away a few weeks ago?"
"Yes, of course. Horrible car accident." the director comments while nodding. He had sent agents to Boston to help with the investigation of the accident.
Dave continued, "after the funeral, Emily found out that she was adopted. She hadn't previously been told this information."
Strauss nods before saying, "this is what I know. Aaron came to me a few weeks ago. When he looked at her adoption papers after she gained access to them, he noticed that her adoption was handled by McRae and Howard."
As she said that both Dave and Strauss saw the director pale and sink further into his seat. After a couple of silent minutes, he quietly said, "Shit." before slowly turning to Strauss and asking, "why was this brought to your attention at that point?"
Strauss nodded however before she could say anything Dave answered, "Emily wanted to know about her background. The team had offered to help in our off hours. But we needed the records from the prosecutor's office."
Strauss continued, "I became involved when the prosecutor's office balked at releasing the records. They are preserving them as it is still an open case. I worked with them in negotiations to have the records restricted to a workroom on the 6th floor with badge access to only those working on Agent Hotchner's team. It was also agreed that his team would pass on any findings that could help with further prosecutions..."
"... then 5 days ago, when we were discussing a break that Dr Reid made, the name of Emma's mother was mentioned as connected to Emily's file." Dave interrupted before pausing while looking down. Looking back up at the director, he said, "She sold my baby, John after Emma died. She sold Sophia to those bastards. They changed her birthdate and where she was born before they sold her to the highest bidder. That's why I could never find her." Dave paused again before continuing, "I talked to Aaron later that night and he was with us when I told Emily the next morning.
What you mentioned earlier about us being seen going into a conference room together." Dave paused and the director nodded before Dave continued, "that was later the same day that I told her." Dave paused again before continuing, "she had come to me after talking to her attorney. He had suggested we have a DNA test done as she would need one if for any reason she went to court. We were just trying to have a private conversation."
The director nodded before saying, "that was what I was just going to ask- have you verified any of this?"
"I was going to suggest one to her as well after talking to Katie Cole. As much as the documents suggested she was my daughter, there were several demographic changes. Katie had also mentioned that DNA results were needed in court when they tried the original case. We went down to Evidence Processing that afternoon. There didn't seem to be any point of delaying it." Dave stated.
"Have you gotten the results yet?" Strauss asked quietly.
Dave nodded and took a single piece of paper out of his jacket pocket and held it with his hands in front of him as he stared down at it. He then looked up and said, "yes. That is what we had just received and were discussing when Donaldson came up to us today."
He gently unfolded the paper and slowly handed it to the director who adjusted his glasses before looking down at the document which he could immediately see was a Evidence Processing report with a FBI logo on the page. On closer examination he read that the probability that David Rossi was the biological father of Emily Hotchner was 99.9999999997%. He looked back up at Dave with a look of shock on his face and Dave said quietly, "It's Sophia."
The director handed the report to Strauss to look at as he said, "Dave, I don't know what to say. This is amazing after all this time."
####
After discussing the results among the three of them, the director took a deep breath as he contemplated getting the meeting back to its original purpose. Clearing his throat, he waited until he had Dave and Strauss' attention before saying, "Dave while I believe we will all agree that there were extenuating circumstance, the fact still remains that you hit Assistant Director Donaldson. Publicly. I can't ignore that." He pauses before continuing, "you are suspended without pay for 30 days."
It was close to what he had suspected. Dave sighed before nodding as he said, "Yes, sir. And Emily?"
The director gave a small smile before saying,"Agent Prentiss or I should say Agent Hotchner as Erin mentioned a few minutes ago that is what she prefers now, as far as I can see has done nothing wrong. There was no fraternization and as we have the surveillance video if needed.
I will talk to Donaldson. I'm certain that he won't want to pursue any further action against either of you once he hears that there is audio of the confrontation today including what he said to Agent Hotchner right before you hit him."
Dave nodded and the room was quiet until Strauss said, "use the time Dave. Get to know your daughter. And those beautiful grandchildren. You have been waiting for this for a long time."
Dave nodded before sighing, "yeah I have. I wish we had been able to talk more after we left Evidence Processing today before Donaldson sent her away and dragged me up here." He paused and sighed again before saying, "I just hope I haven't blown it with her."
Strauss nodded and said, "I don't think you have blown it though you may need to do some grovelling for a while. She is a smart, strong and independent woman who is more than capable of taking care of herself." She paused and gave a small smile before continuing, "I believe that is very close to what you told Aaron when we all met when they were seeking permission to stay on the same team when they started their relationship. You need to respect that as well."
"I know and I will try. This is all so new."
"Talk to her Dave. Plead temporary insanity. Promise to try and never do it again. Don't tell her that you never will again because well, as a father, you always want that option. And that way you won't be lying." He pause before smiling as he said, "just promise me, if you do hit someone again, please don't have it be another agent. At least not until after I've retire."
Dave smiled at the advice both had just given him. He knew both were speaking from experience with two of Strauss three children being girls in their early 20s while John had three daughter in their mid 20s to early 30s. "I promise I'll try John."
The director chuckled and shook his head while Strauss laughed at his comeback.
The director grew serious again as he said, "Dave, I'm sorry that she wasn't found earlier. Several of us keep looking, at least for awhile but we never found anything."
Dave looked up at him surprised, "Even after what Director Hughes said to me and the ultimatum?"
The director slowly nodded before he said, "yes, probably shouldn't be admitting this as the current director but that ultimatum was unnecessarily harsh. And it was to you not us."
"Katie mentioned something about it when I saw her a few days ago. I never knew that she or any of you keep looking." Dave replied.
Strauss smiled before she said, "there were several of us. Katie, the two of us, Cooper and Gideon. All of us at the time had small children at home. We couldn't imagine what it was like to not know where one of them was. We didn't say anything because we didn't want to get your hopes up. Things were difficult enough as it was."
The director took a deep breath before he said, " there was disagreement in the likelihood that she was still alive. We were looking for something. Anything that would have given you answers so you could have closure. I'm glad you finally have answers."
AN: I imagine the John in this chapter is the man that Reid spoke to at the beginning of Elephant's Memory. In chapter 25- conversations happen