A/N Are we flying by the seat of our pants with a VERY tenuous plot continuity? Yes. But is it somehow still happening? Also yes.

Faye stood in the bathroom buttoning up a clean shirt from her go bag as she stared at herself in the scariest part was over, right? At least so far? She'd told someone a part of it, she'd told Aaron. It was more than she'd done for ten years. At least he'd been the only one around when she'd shut down. It was embarrassing enough, and then to go nearly catatonic was just icing on the cake.

At least now that she'd choked down some peanut butter crackers JJ got from the vending machine and downed a bottle of water she felt more…well, less dead.

Someone tapped on the door and when she answered, Emily was there with a tight smile. "Wow, you look like shit."

Faye snorted with a laugh." Feel like it too."

"Okay, scoot." She waved Faye back so she could come in. "Let's see what we can do about this." She started digging around in Faye's makeup bag and pulled out her concealer.

"How much has Hotch said to you guys?"

"Enough to know this ex of yours better hope and pray he doesn't meet me in a dark alley. Look up."

Faye wasn't so far gone that she couldn't do her own makeup, but she was pretty sure both of them knew it wasn't about that.

"And I know whatever this guy did must've been bad if it hit you this hard. Hotch looked like he'd swallowed a crowbar when he came out of the office."

"Sounds like his usual self." Faye joked, making Emily smile as she reached for a makeup brush. "I mean I did almost puke on his shoes, I'd be grumpy too."

"He's just worried. We all are."

"I'd feel better if my ex had done anything illegal now. We can't arrest him for three text messages and the statute of limitations is up for everything he did when we were dating. At least anything I knew about."

"Oh I'm sure we can find something on this guy. If he's coming back for you he probably just broke up with someone, he's fishing for a new supply and you're an easy target. Maybe we won't be able to nail him on your charges but we might be able to get him on her's." She gave Faye a satisfied sigh and looked her over. "Much better."

Faye hugged her tightly. "Thank you."

"Listen, if you need to talk or anything, I'm here, okay?"

Another knock at the door came and Derek called through. "Hotch and Rossi want to see you when you're done primping."

"We'll be right out!" Emily called back. "Okay, you ready to kick some ex boyfriend ass?"

"I'm more ready for a stiff drink, but sure." She chuckled wryly, stuffing everything back into her bag and following Emily out.

As she threw her bag back under her desk, she felt like she was truly awake for the first time since…well, the night before. Eager to show how together she actually was and wipe away some of the palpable tension everyone had around her, she hurried up to the offices. Rossi was at his desk and Hotch stood with his arms crossed as if the action of sitting was just a bit too relaxed for the situation.

"Sorry to be the buzzkill of the morning." It was a joke, a bid to bring a sliver of levity, but it was a tough crowd and no one took the bait. She supposed in their positions she wouldn't have either.

"Let's just lay something out right from the start. You don't need to apologise for any of this." Rossi began.

Hotch closed the door and took the seat next to her. "In fact, we're glad you brought it to our attention so quickly. Garcia has already found evidence that gives us reason to believe he's more dangerous than we thought."

She tried to think of what that could insinuate. "More dangerous? Such as…"

Rossi handed her a print out. " Let me reintroduce you. Jeremiah Andelson. Apparently ATF and Counter Terrorism already have an eye on him."

Faye scanned down the page and the words that stood out.

Compound.

Weapons.

Pooling of wealth.

She looked up. "So either a militia or-"

"Or a cult." Hotch finished.

"Mother fucker." Leaning back in her chair she took a deep breath. "God, of course he'd pull something like this. He's had a decade to perfect a high control environment. Granted I didn't ever think he could stick with something long enough to start a cult but I guess we can all change."

"CT and ATF haven't been able to get much on them yet, they've kept their noses clean." Rossi continued.

"He always did, at least enough to go unnoticed. He flunked out of the academy but he still had a bunch of cop friends. I'd be willing to bet he's got the local precinct in his back pocket."

Stiff in his chair beside her, Aaron went on. "Him stalking you might be the evidence we need to start a full investigation into his operation, and you've got the most experience of all of us on cult behavior. But in order to do this, we'll need details. What he did, why and how you left, and what he covered up. Everything is going to go under the microscope."

"And I doubt we'll be able to keep this in house." Rossi added. "There's too many offices involved."

Regardless, Faye knew there was no real choice. She looked between them both, Rossie sympathetic and apologetic and Aaron, watching her every move. His hands were clenched in his lap.

There was also something she needed to check on. "Have you seen the texts? The last one-"

Following her, Hotch interrupted. "I've already assigned an agent to Jessica and Jack. Luckily we have little reason to believe he's watching anyone but you."

Rossi smirked. "I'm a little jealous Jack didn't invite me to the aquarium too."

"You were busy cooking while he was teaching me about sharks, I had a leg up." She explained.

He may have come across like he was trying to move them along, but Hotch knew they needed to foster a blase attitude about the Baltimore trip and didn't mind the banter. "Luckily I think we caught this early enough that Andelson isn't prepared to commit violence to get your attention."

She nodded. "He's dumb, but he's not stupid. He'll at least pretend to think highly of the FBI and you by extension. He probably knows he'd get too much heat from doing anything to you. But none of that extends to me. In his mind I'll be malleable, incompetent. The weaker I am to him, the stronger he feels. It's his whole reality."

With a nod, Rossi added on. "I agree. We might be able to use that to our advantage later on." He then looked critically at the both of them and folded his hands on his desk. "Now. This investigation is going to turn your entire life inside out. So is there anything you want to tell me?"

Playing it off like a pro, Faye shrugged. "I have a stuffed cat named Moopsy that I sleep with sometimes?"

"Okay, let me rephrase my question. Is there anything you two would like to confess?"

Hotch maintained his stiff expression. "What are you implying?"

"I'm implying that our not so unknown subject is likely to be extremely possessive so if he's witnessed anything while watching Faye that might trigger jealousy, then someone on the team needs to know."

Anything would give them up. A single glance, a twitch. She had to be careful. "If he followed us to Baltimore and back, he might have taken it as Hotch and I being…involved. Jeremiah would accuse me of talking to other guys just for looking at my phone or checking my emails. He's definitely already jealous."

Narrow escape, but it sounded good.

Rossi looked tired. "Alright. Don't tell me. But Aaron, if you wanna keep this under wraps you've gotta stop looking at her like that."

"I'm not-"

"Quit while you're ahead, son. Is there any chance our guy has pictures of you two being…friendly with each other?"

Shit. The parking lot when he dropped her off. Anyone could've been hiding in the bushes or in the tree line and they never would've known. She should've told Aaron after they left the damned aquarium.

Hotch nudged her foot with his toe and cleared his throat. "There could have been, I walked her to her car when we got back and leaned into the window to thank her for coming. Depending on his line of sight, he could theoretically take it that way."

"He'll twist any situation to suit his ego. If he wants to believe Hotch and I are in a relationship, he'll convince himself we are." She was starting to feel like she was in the principal's office as Rossi's frustration grew.

"You two are killing me. Do you know that?"

"Look at it this way," She said humorously. "If we are, you have plausible deniability."

"You forget how much I enjoy the office gossip. Look, I'm going to go check in on Garcia and leave you two to get your stories straight before the whole team finds out and you have Strauss up your asses."

Once the door had closed again and they were alone, Faye side eyed Hotch. "Did you know he knew?"

He frowned. "No."

"We keep denying unless they have solid proof, right?"

"Agreed."

He adjusted his chair to better face her. "You'll probably get tired of me asking this, but are you okay?"

"About to dig into the most traumatizing years of my life in front of my friends, coworkers, and several government divisions? Not in the slightest. But there's not really anything we can do about that right now."

He glanced over her shoulder to check for anyone passing by the windows and let his guarded frown down a little. "Anything you need, if I can do it, I will. We're in this together, alright?"

"Okay." She said unconvincingly.

"I mean it, Faye. Even if I can't show it, I'm here."

"I just…" How did she say it? "I don't want you to…I don't know, think less of me."

She didn't think that was such a shocking thing to say, but his face said differently.

"You were preyed upon by a man whose self worth couldn't fill a teaspoon and you think I'm going to think less of you for it?"

"I'm not saying it makes sense."

"Faye, everyone on the team is an expert on human behavior. We know exactly how men like this operate and what they do to their victims. No one blames you for being caught in it."

Feeling the emotion welling in her chest she squashed it down with another joke. "Are you gonna Good Will Hunting me like Robin Williams next?"

The corners of his lips twitched. "Only if I have to."

"Good, cause I don't think I could handle that right now."

She stood up and smoothed down her pants as they headed for the door. He paused, his hand on the handle.

"If you need a break, or time to yourself…No one expects you to work this like a case, that's what we're here for. All you need to do is get through this. Understood, Bronson?"

Back into work mode. The routine of it was comforting. "Understood, sir."