RUNAWAY
CHAPTER NINETEEN...!

❝ SEASON THREE ❞

"It wasn't the outcome we had hoped for."

"It wasn't the outcome you had hoped for? That's your answer to me?" Strauss questioned Hotch, after the team had come back from a case in Arizona.

"Yes ma'am."

"Give me your badge."

"Ma'am?"

"You're suspended for two weeks without pay. Pending an investigation of your conduct. And Agent Hotchner? If it were solely up to me, you would never get these credentials back."

"Always a pleasure."

───

       "JENNIE?"

Jennie's eyes slowly opened to the sound of JJ walking up to her. The teen had spent the morning in Gideon's office, waiting for him to come, but ended up falling asleep. He wasn't answering any of his calls, so Jennie got slightly worried.

"Agent Gideon's still not here? Ive been calling him, he hasn't been picking up."

"Have you been here all night?"

Jennie shook her head, "I just wanted to talk to him. The house has kinda been filled with some tension with my dad being suspended. I just wanted to get my mind off it for a bit."

"Here?"

"Yeah, uh, Agent Gideon hasn't been back to his apartment since, uh─"

JJ nodded in understanding, knowing it was about a previous case, so Jennie didn't have to continue, "Right."

There was a short silence that grew between the two, before Jennie finally sighed, "Well, I guess I'll come back later. I promised Jack I'd teach him how to play soccer this weekend so─"

JJ laughed, as the teen got up from her seat. The blonde placed a hand on her shoulder and looked at Jennie, "Call me if you need anything, okay?"

The girl nodded, giving JJ a smile.

"Thanks."

───

"Sorry to interrupt." Emily spoke up, as she walked into the room that held both Hotch and Strauss, "Sir, I've decided to resign from the FBI effective immediately."

"I don't understand."

"I'm taking the foreign service exam. With my connections, uh, I stand chance of landing in the state department."

"Prentiss, I think that's a mistake."

"Well, don't try to talk me out of it. Garcia saw my name on the list and she already tried. If she can't talk someone out of doing something, no one can. Sorry for the interruption. But, sir─ it's good to see you back. The team needs you."

───

        AFTER Hotch's two week suspension, Strauss was enforcing a transfer. She insisted it was better for people who work for the Bureau to work under people who weren't Aaron Hotchner or Jason Gideon.

And although Aaron made his transfer final, it didn't last long.

Because when Jennie came home, she saw her father looking over a case in the living room.

"Hey dad." Jennie spoke, hopping onto the side of the couch next to him.

"Hey, Jennie." He mumbled, the sound of him typing on his laptop airing through the room.

"Oh, is this that Milwaukee case? Penelope told me about it. This unsub is─ something else."

It was just then when Haley came down stairs, to see her husband looking over a case. It was evident she was pissed.

Like, really pissed.

"Uhm, hey, where did you say you kept my old soccer ball again? Jack's been asking to play." Jennie asked her dad, as she got up from the couch.

"In the garage. Top shelf."

"Thanks." Jennie gave Haley a small smile, before walking upstairs to get Jack.

However, it was quite clear that the only reason Jennie Hotchner left that room so quickly was because she knew Haley and her dad were going to be fighting at any second. Jennie could see it in Haley's eyes. She just knew there was going to be an argument.

It was getting harder to just sit through their arguing, so Jennie went up stairs, and hopped they would stop soon.

───

     "WHAT the hell are you doing?" Haley barged into her and Aaron's bedroom, to see him getting ready for work.

"Keep your voice down." Aaron told her, "Gideon didn't show in Miwaki. The team needs me."

"I don't believe this─"

"Don't worry, it won't affect my transcript, I'm working on an existing case."

"You're not working on this case!"

"I can't just switch off my loyalty, Haley."

"They suspended you for two weeks! Who are you being loyal to?"

"The team needs me."

"No, they need Gideon."

"You know what this guy is doing to women in Miwaki?"

"I don't wanna know─"

"Using his son to lure them. He's holding them, and he's cutting their hearts out."

"Aaron stop!" Haley screamed, "Don't make me the monster. I feel sick about these women. But when this case is over, there will be another one. And another one. And another one! It is never going to stop."

"This is who I am."

"No. This is what you do."

"I'm trying to do the right thing here, and there, and I would really appreciate a little support."

"Ohh, that's right. Because you always need to be the hero."

"Don't give me that."

"No, obviously a happy life isn't enough for you! Aaron, I need you here."

"And I will be here. As soon as this case is over. And in the mean time, you have support. You have Jack. And what about Jennie─."

"Oh, what about Jennie, Aaron?" Haley blurted, making Aaron tense up a bit. Haley sighed, realizing what she had said, "You know, it's been years. Years, and not once has she referred to me as her mom. It's always step-mom, or Haley, but never mom."

Aaron stayed silent for a moment, his eyes not leaving his wife, "Never talk about my daughter like that ever again. Because, if her biological mother taught her anything, it's that love must be shared with people who you can trust, and right now, there's very few that Jennie truly trusts. She's trying. She tries so hard to let you in. She wants to, but she can't right now."

"I know, Aaron. I know that."

Some more silence filled the room, before Aaron began to leave, "We'll talk about this later."

"Well, make sure you give your son a kiss before you leave."

"Make sure not to take your anger out on your step-daughter while I'm gone."

Aaron told that to her quietly, making sure Jennie didn't hear it. But Jennie heard it.

She heard all of it.

The entire argument. Start to finish. As she was on her bed, taking care of a wound that Jack got while playing soccer. She made sure to subtly cover his ears whenever Haley and Aaron got louder.

Aaron came to say bye before he left, but paused when he saw the sight of Jennie placing a small band-aid on Jack's knee.

"And─ There we go!"

"That's it?" Jack asked.

"That's it." Jennie grinned, throwing the paper from the band-aid away, "Didn't even hurt, right? You know, I once scrapped my knee when playing soccer too. I fell."

"Really?" Jack asked his bigger sister.

"Yeah, and you know what I did? I got back up." She told him, seeing Jack look up at her, "I got back up, and got back in the game, and gave my team a win. Kinda cool, huh?"

"Super cool!" Jack cheered.

Jennie giggled, before noticing her dad by the doorway of her room, dramatically gasping, "Jack, look who it is!"

Jack turned around to see his father, excited, "Daddy!"

"Hey, buddy." Aaron looked down to his son, ruffling his hair, "Hey, I gotta go real quick, but I'll be back home soon, alright?"

"Okay."

Aaron gave his son a kiss on the head, saying goodbye.

"Jen-Jen, snack time?" Jack asked, looking up at his older sister.

Jennie chuckled, "Sure thing, bud. Give me one second okay?"

"Okay!" Jack told her, leaving the room, to go downstairs. Jennie smiled, watching him as he left, before looking back at her dad. Her eyes furrowed, seeing her dad have this unusual expression.

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just─" Her dad paused, "You're a really good sister."

Her smile made it evident that she genuinely appreciated the compliment, but she still ended up making a sarcastic remark, "No duh."

Aaron chuckled, muttering 'come here' as he pulled her into a hug, pressing a kiss on her head.

"I love you, Jennie."

"Love you too, dad."

───

          A couple hours later, Jennie came into Haley's room, to see the woman smiling at Jack while the two sat on the bed.

"Hey, Haley." Jennie gave the blonde a smile, "You okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine, Jennie. Don't worry."

"Okay," Jennie began, "Well, dinner's almost ready if you guys are hungry─"

That's when the teen saw a hint of guilt on the blonde's face. She didn't think to question it until she looked to see an open suitcase that was pretty much packed.

Haley followed Jennie's eyes to the suitcase, now knowing the teen would connect the dots any second now.

"You're leaving?"

Her voice made it sound like a question, but Jennie knew for a fact what was happening.

"Jennie─"

Jennie couldn't help but be slightly offended. Not even because of the fact that Haley was planning on leaving, but the fact that she wouldn't even tell Jennie,  "Were you even going to tell me?"

"Jen-Jen─ I was. I promise, I was going to. I-I just didn't know how."

Jennie's eyes couldn't help but start to water, as she looked at her step-mom,
"Have you even told dad yet?"

"Jennie, don't─"

"You can't just leave him like this─"

"Jennie."

"You can't just leave out of the blue─"

"I am not the bad guy here, Jennie." Haley made the teen girl go silent, raising her voice, "I am not the one that can never admit to when I'm being irrational. I am not that person, Jennie, he is."

"Haley, that's so unfair─"

"It's not unfair, Jennie, it's just how it is."

"Well, it's not like you walk around admitting that you cheated on him."

That made the room fall silent. Haley looked at the teen, with wide eyes, the tension in the room being thick.

"W-What?"

Jennie paused for a moment, her eyes sad. When she finally spoke, the teen's voice was soft, "He called once when you weren't home. He thought I was you."

Jennie sniffled softly, not making eye contact with her step-mom, "I never told you because I didn't want it to be true. But, seeing the expression on your face right now─"

Haley's eyes softened, as she walked over to Jennie, giving her a big hug. Over her shoulder, Jennie squeezed her eyes shut, before muttering, "Please just─ at least say we can still keep in touch."

"Hey, hey, hey─" Haley pulled back a bit, cupping Jennie's face in her hands, "This isn't over. Y'know? We'll still see each other. Jennie─ you're my daughter. I know, that's weird to hear, but you are. I'm not going to just─ abandon you. Okay?"

Haley pulled her in for another, long hug, and this time, Jennie's embrace was stronger.

She didn't forgive Haley, of course. She still had a resentment towards her for cheating.

But she hadn't felt this close to a mother figure in a long time. She needed this, just for a moment. She just needed to feel loved by the closest thing to a mother she could get.

─

          JENNIE needed some good news, and she needed it fast. Because so far─ it had been a real bad day. And the only person who really made her laugh that day was Jack, but Haley already left with him.

So─ she really needed some good news.

That need resulted into her riding her bike over to Gideon's cabin. No one in the BAU really went over there. No one except Jennie at least.

She hopped off of her bike, and went up to the front door. She gave the door a few knocks, waiting patiently outside.When she got no answer, she knocked again.

No answer.

She sighed, looking around to see if there was any trace of him there, before looking in the plant pot, reaching in to find a spare key. Gideon told her about the placement of the key a while ago, in case she ever needed somewhere to crash.

Unlocking the door, she stepped inside, being met with a dark room. Her steps were slow and quiet.

"Gideon?" She finally called out.

No response.

She spotted a lamp near the kitchen table, going over to turn it on. When the light came on, it felt as though so did a wave of realization.

Jason Gideon left.

She stayed in her spot, but her eyes continued to scan the room, looking around with concern.

And if it wasn't for the sound of crickets from outside the cabin startling her, she probably would've stayed standing there for a long time.

She trailed off, scanning the room again. She then spotted a something on the table
She stared at it for a second, Her breathing becoming a bit heavier.

It was letter addressed to Jennie.

Hesitantly, Jennie took the letter in her hands. She stared at the envelope for a moment, before ripping it open.

Jennie,

     I knew it would be you who came to the cabin to check on me. I'm sorry the explanation couldn't be better. And, I'm sorry that it doesn't make more sense. But, nothing makes sense, Jennie. I guess I'm just looking for it again. For the belief that I had back in college. The belief I had when I first met Sarah and it all seemed so right. The belief in happy endings. And I know, you're reading this, with little acknowledgment in that belief. It seemed to have gotten lost in the midst of everything that's happened to you. But, Jennie, in the past couple of years, you have grown more than anyone I have ever met. You've become this hardworking, talented, intelligent young girl. And because of that, I need you to promise me that you will try to find that belief again. Look for it, fight for it, and find it. Because you, Jennie Hotchner, are going to change the world some day. And I'm not sure you even know it yet. Fight for the happy ending, JenJen.

Love,
Gideon.

P.S.
I'll miss you a lot, kid.

AUTHOR'S NOTE. |

𝗐𝗈𝗋𝖽 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗇𝗍.
2414.