NOTE: So, this is my first chapter typed from my new house. College is so wonderful! Anyway, here is the latest chapter. Enjoy~ Also, the full title is "Innocence: The Dragon Lady and the New Girl"

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Aaron turned the page again. This picture showed Sandra, belly getting rounder, (roughly six and a half months pregnant, according to the caption), hand across it, arm in arm with Nicholas. They'd apparently just gotten their food and asked a waiter to take their picture. Sandra's eyes told a different story than her smile did. Her eyes revealed a person wracked with a combination of grief, guilt and relief.

"What happened there, Mom?"

Sandra looked at the date. "This was just after Agent Seaver's funeral."

"Who's that?" asked Aaron.

"She's the team mate who died for real."

"What do you mean, 'died for real'?"

"You know Emily Prentiss, right?" The question was rhetorical, but Aaron nodded anyway, knowing it was expected. "When you were about five or six, there was an unsub named Ian Doyle. Long story short, she faked her death in order to help catch Doyle."

"What happened?"

"Well, the BAU, working with the CIA and her former Interpol team leader found Doyle."

"And then? Come on; it can't still be classified!"

Sandra smiled. "No, it's not. And I think you're old enough to know what happened."

Aaron returned his mother's grin.

"But not now. I'll tell you later." His grin faded. "Hold on, you didn't let me finish! I'll tell you soon. The full story."

"How soon?"

"Soon. For now, let me tell you what happened after Seaver's funeral."

*flashback*

The entire BAU team was put on a temporary suspension, pending an investigation by Section Chief Erin Strauss. The procedure was the same as they had done both when the Foyet case happened and when Emily "died". It was just as tedious, but much more grueling because it wasn't Hotch that was doing it- it was the Dragon Lady herself.

"Please say your name and rank, for the record," said Strauss, turning on the recorder.

"Supervisory Special Agent Sandra Shea Abner, Profiler for the Behavioral Analysis Unit, Quantico, Virginia."

"How long have you been a member of the BAU?"

"For six months," said Sandra.

"And have you worked with Agent Seaver the entire time?"

"No, Ma'am, I have not," replied Sandra. "Agent Seaver joined the team when I had been there for three months."

"And during that time, did you work with Agent Seaver directly as a partner in the field often?"

"As often as not."

"When you were partners, did you think that her judgment was up to Bureau standards?"

"Yes," said Sandra.

"You answered that awfully quickly, Agent."

"That's because I am certain of my opinion."

"Then why do you think she was killed?"

"I can't answer that question."

"Why not?"

"Seeing as how I wasn't actually there when it happened, I can only guess at what happened."

"Well, let's hear your guess."

"Agent Seaver and I got the locations of the Unsub, Amanda Jones from Allison York. There were two residences, and I took one address, she took the other."

"But you weren't alone, were you?"

"No, Ma'am. Each of us were accompanied by a D.C. Police officer. While on the road, I called Agent Hotchner and filled him in on what was happening. Once he understood the situation, he dispersed different members of the team to either one of the two locations."

"Who went where?"

"I went to the address on Fairmont Street, and once there, investigated the house with the officer and rendezvoused with Agents Hotchner, Jareau, Prentiss and Todd. Agents Hotchner and Todd stayed with the officer and Agents Jareau and Prentiss went with me to Agent Seaver's location."

"And then?"

"We got to the house, arriving just after Agents Rossi, Reid, Morgan, Glazer and Levin did."

"What happened to Agent Seaver?"

"I can only guess, Ma'am."

"Go right ahead."

Sandra nodded. "I assume she did the same thing I did with my officer."

"Which was...?"

"We talked strategy with the officers accompanying us."

"Go on."

"My officer and I divided up the house to investigate. I can only assume that Agent Seaver did the same." Sandra cleared her throat. "Since we found Agent Seaver's body in the basement, I can infer that she investigated there."

Strauss nodded.

"But the point is, we found the killers."

"But not without an agent and at least four of the Unsubs deaths! How do you feel about that? Specifically, Agent Seaver."

"She was a friend and a team mate. I took the loss personally." Sandra felt her eyes growing moist. She resisted the urge to cry. She took a deep breath.

"And do you feel that you can move forward with your work?"

"Absolutely."

"But how will you handle Agent Seaver not being there?"

"I expect I'll handle it just fine. The team is my extended family."

Strauss narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.

"We would deal with it like any normal family would."

"How?"

"By working through it together."

A few minutes later, Sandra exited the room with a sigh of relief. She turned to Prentiss, rolled her eyes and gestured back into the room with her head.

Prentiss stood and took a deep breath, expelling it all at once.

Sandra walked to her desk, collected her things and left the office. She took the elevator downstairs and found Nicholas just entering the front door.

He immediately spotted her and practically ran over. "There you are!" He hugged her tightly and kissed her head. "What took so long? I was beginning to think you'd ditch me!" Nicholas chuckled.

"Interview went long. Although I'd call it an interrogation. And I can't really ditch you, as you're my ride."

Nicholas laughed. "This is true." He led her out the door and into his car and they drove to their favorite Chinese restaurant, the Jasmine Dragon.

There, Sandra told him all about the interview, which she referred to as an interrogation. "I'm just glad it's over..."

"But what about Seaver?"

"I imagine the team will carry on." Sandra smiled. "As I said to the Dragon Lady, the BAU is like family and we'll work through this like any normal family would." Her eyes grew wistful for a moment. The next, they shined with her normal intensity. "Although why they had me deliver the eulogy, I'll never know."

"Maybe you were closer to Seaver than the rest? Or you could relate to her more easily?"

"I'm not sure." She scooted her chair closer. He hugged her waist and she rested her head on his shoulder, content to be there. Eventually, their food came, and they asked their waiter to take their picture.

Sandra put on a fake smile, knowing that every time she looked at this picture, she'd know that her smile was a lie.

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NOTE: So...did I write Strauss well? What do you think? Also, to clarify, the theme is "Innocence", but some might not see it. Just to let you guys know, the innocence here is Seaver. Strauss is basically accusing her of not having good judgment and she's innocent of not having bad judgment, if that makes much sence.