HOTCH
"I'm gonna take her home with us," JJ told him quietly. "The others are coming as well." The invitation in her voice was clear, but Hotch shook his head.
"I have some things to finalize here," he replied. "I have to call his mother, then coordinate with the NTSB for updates." JJ's hand was warm through the sleeve of his Oxford.
"Come over after," she pressed. "None of us should be alone." He finally nodded his consent and watched as she walked back over to Garcia. Her arms came around the tech easily, and Will helped to lift her from her seat. The entire group shuffled out of the conference room as one unit, leaving Hotch standing at the board.
His thoughts swirled out of control, and not for the first time he wished Gideon hadn't disappeared. The responsibility that had fallen so suddenly on his shoulders had never felt heavier, and he moved with leaden steps to his office. He found Fran Morgan's number in Derek's personnel file, and his fingers were shaky as he pressed the buttons.
"Hello?" The voice that greeted him was soft and strained, as though the person on the other end was trying to keep her emotions in check.
"Mrs. Morgan? This is Aaron Hotchner." He needed no further introduction, and Fran Morgan broke down into sobs at his words.
"I didn't want to believe it," she choked. "My baby boy."
"Ma'am, I am very sorry for your loss." The words were rote, a repeated mantra he'd said so many times. He always meant them - losing a loved one was the worst possible feeling - but he wasn't sure what else to say, or how to ease the grief that the woman was obviously feeling.
"He spoke about you often. All of you," Fran said. "I just can't believe..." She stifled a sob again, and Hotchner felt his own throat tighten.
"If there is anything I can do for you or your family, don't hesitate to call me. Anytime, it doesn't matter." It was the best he could do from so far away; it felt like a drop of water against an inferno.
"I appreciate that," she breathed. "Thank you for calling."
"Of course," he answered. "We're all still trying to come to terms with it ourselves."
"How is Penelope?"
Hotch smiled at her motherly concern despite the situation. "Devastated," he said honestly. "We all are. Derek was such a huge part of our lives, and a wonderful man. Everyone will miss him terribly."
"Thank you," she sniffed. "I'll be sure to let you know about...about funeral arrangements. He'd wanna be buried with his daddy." Her breath hitched again, and Hotch pressed his lips together to keep his composure. "You go be with your family, Agent Hotchner. Tell them how much you love them."
"I will. Take care." The line disconnected, leaving him feeling empty. Her words echoed in his head, and his fingers were dialing another number before he could stop himself.
"Hello?"
"Haley," he replied shortly.
"Aaron, what's going on? What's wrong?" He felt his heart lighten at her words; she could always read him so well, and even after their separation she could tell something was off from just one word.
"It's Derek," he told her, trying to keep his voice steady. "His plane crashed in West Virginia. They're still searching for survivors, but..."
"Oh my God, Aaron. I'm sorry." She and Derek had gotten on from day one, and he knew she would be reeling.
"Thank you. Listen, I know it's not Friday, but do you think I could have Jack for the evening? I just...I need to..." Words failed him as his emotions swelled, and he heard her soft noise of sympathy.
"Of course," she agreed immediately. "I'll call Jessica and let her know you're on your way."
"I should be there in an hour or so. I have one more phone call to make." He flipped through his old fashioned Rolodex until he found the name he was looking for. "We're all going to JJ's this evening, but you can reach me on my cell if you need me."
"Take care of yourself, Aaron."
"I will," he told her. "Thank you, Haley."
It took him almost ten minutes before he felt in control enough to place his last call. Several years ago he'd worked a case with the National Transportation and Safety Board, and his contact still worked as a high level administrator at their regional office in Ashburn, Virginia.
"Dan," Hotch didn't waste time when the line connected. "This is Aaron Hotchner."
"Aaron," the man on the other end greeted. "I'd start with pleasantries, but it sounds urgent."
"It is." Hotch took a breath, then continued. "One of my agents was on the flight that went down in West Virginia."
Dan swore softly under his breath. "I'm sorry, Aaron."
"Thank you," Hotch forced his own emotions to the side and focused on the reason for his call. "Listen, I understand you and your team have things in hand, but if you could keep me apprised of any updates about the accident it would mean a lot to me."
"You got it, Aaron. As soon as I know something, you will." Hotch had only met Daniel Heffield once, but the clean cut retired Air Force Colonel had been open and friendly with everyone he met. If he said he'd stay in touch, Hotch trusted him.
"I appreciate it, Dan."
"How are you holding up?"
"Honestly it hasn't really sunk in yet. My team is shaken up; Morgan meant a lot to us." Hotch hated speaking about his agent in the past tense, but the reality of the situation was that no one had survived. Teams had been combing the area for hours, and so far no one had been found alive.
"If there's anything else I can do for you or your team, let me know." Dan repeated his condolences once more before disconnecting, leaving Hotch in silence in his office. The day had taken its toll on him, and he was weary both physically and mentally. As he gathered his jacket and keys his desk phone rang shrilly, and he answered out of habit.
"Hotchner."
"Agent Hotchner, this is Melanie at the switchboard." Hotch's mind recalled the girl's face immediately. She had been a dispatcher with the Annapolis PD back when a series of murders had plagued the city. The suspect had called the police three times in one week to report his own kills, and Melanie Stewart had been the unlucky person on the other end of the first call. After that, he'd refused to speak to anyone but her. Hotchner had utilized her rapport with the unsub to lure him out into the open, and when she'd applied for a job with the FBI he'd happily been one of her references. "I have a woman on the line who said she needs to speak with someone who deals with mass murderers. I immediately thought of you."
He really didn't want to deal with a new case right now, but he was confident he could route her to another team. "Thank you, put her through." It rang once before connecting.
"This is SSA Aaron Hotchner," he began. "Who is this?"
"Are you an agent? You catch killers?" It was a young woman's voice, he guessed no older than thirty. Her voice trembled with grief, but beneath it Hotch could identify relief and surprise. She hadn't expected to reach him so easily.
"My team deals with a variety of cases," he explained. "What is your name?" He really didn't have time to play games, though he tried to stay calm and professional on the phone.
"You heard about the crash in West Virginia?"
Her question erased all thoughts of propriety from his mind. His voice was harsh and cold as he replied. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but that is not -"
"It didn't crash," she interrupted.
"I'm sorry?"
"I mean, it did crash," she hurried on. "I'm sorry, it's just..." she stifled a sob, then continued on in a whisper, as though she didn't want to let anyone else hear. "What I meant was...it wasn't an accident."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I will never post spoilers for my own work (i.e. "Character Death" or "No Character Death"). I have received a couple of PMs asking me if Morgan really is dead (and how they weren't going to continue reading if he was) and all I can say is this story is what it is. Each and every story on this site is unique, and many of them contain wonderful plots, dialogue, and other story elements. There is a lot of talent contained in this site, and if you're clicking on stories just because there's a note that says "No Character Death" in the summary then you are probably missing out on a lot of fantastic reads. I will tell you that at this point in writing the story, I did not know if Morgan was dead or alive. I had an idea where I wanted this story to go, and that idea morphed and twisted during the course of writing, as stories do. I do hope that the story is intriguing enough to keep readers around, but if you're looking for a clear cut "dead" or "alive" then alas, you will be disappointed. I will not say.
As always, thank you for taking the time to read and - for those select few - to review. Feedback is appreciated, and encouragement is always welcome.