"we have multiple things to discuss." hotch begins.

"okay, like what?" i ask.

"let's start with this. morgan told me about the fight that you and dr. reid got into. if this is going to affect your work in the field, let me know now."

"no, it won't affect my work. i feel like a do a pretty good job of keeping it professional." i answer.

"okay, now let's get to the other thing. a note was laying on my office desk when i got here a few minutes ago. you might know who this is." he hands me the note.

stella,

i'm back. you know who i am. just wait until the snow falls.

my jaw just about hits the floor as i look at hotch. "this, he, oh my god."

"stella what is it?"

"the snowman." i shakily answer. "he's back. oh my god hotch he's going to finish what he couldn't all those years ago. oh my god."

"stella, calm down. tell me what happened."

"the serial killer, the snowman, killed my entire family, but i got away. he stopped killing after he killed my family, i'm assuming because he didn't kill in a 4 person sequence. i broke his pattern. looks like he's back to finish the job." i mumble, a tear rolling down my cheek.

"we are taking this case, stella. please, don't worry. we will get him." hotch assures me.

i nod in response.

"alright, go work on your files. i'll call you back in later if i get more information." he finishes as i am already leaving the room.

i walk to my desk and set the note in my purse and then speed walk to the restroom, ignoring everyone's questions and stares.

i run and lock myself in a stall, and just let it all out. the fact that this man, who i thought was out of my life for good, is still out there, and coming after me, i can't handle it.

"stella?"

i hear a voice come from the bathroom. emily opens and shuts the door. "stella open the stall."

i slowly open the stall door and she looks down at me, sitting on the toilet seat, my face covered with tears with hints of mascara in them.

"stella what happened?" emily says, kneeling down next to me and rubbing my back.

"a-a man is after me. he wants to kill me. it's the same man who killed my family." i say in-between loud sobs.

emily's face drops and she pulls me into a hug. she doesn't really know what to say. i don't blame her, i wouldn't either.

i pull away from the hug. "please don't tell anyone. i don't want to seem like i can't function. i don't want people to look at me differently." i say, turning to the mirror to wipe my tears.

"don't worry, i won't say anything." she reassures me. i nod.

"i'll be out in a few minutes. you can go." i form a weak smile and look at emily. she nods and heads out back towards the bullpen.

i stare at myself in the mirror, and take deep breaths. they could definitely hear my sobs, but i'm going to act like that wasn't me.

i walk out of the restroom with my head hanging high. and just as i am about to reach my desk, my foot gets caught on someone else's foot, i think it was anderson's. i fall to the ground, my knee banging the floor.

ever get that feeling where you're about to cry, but you're holding it back until someone asks if you're okay? that's how i feel right now. jj and anderson leaned over to ask if i was okay, and the tears just came rolling again.

"i'm fine guys, i'm fine." i say in an irritated tone. i look at emily and see her mouthing at them to stop. i slowly get up from the ground and limp my way to my desk chair. i watch as my knee turns purple, and feel my cheeks turn bright pink and feel everyones eyes on me. i just bury my head in the files.

soon, everyone has left except for spencer and i.

"stella.."

"spencer, unless it's something nice, don't say it." i snap.

"i just want to apologize. i shouldn't have accused you of that. it was very, uh, wrong of me." he was stuttering. he stutters when he's nervous.

i turn to him. "did you tell hotch about what happened last night? AND morgan?"

he sits in silence for a second, then answers. "i told morgan because he's my best friend, and i didn't tell hotch any details, i just told him about our argument."

i sigh. "alright, whatever. i'm not one to hold grudges, so can we just forget that happened? go back to being nice colleagues?" i ask.

"yeah, i would like that." he answers, cracking a small smile.

i smile back. just as i'm about to turn to my files, he comes over and sits on the edge of my desk. he grabs a piece of his hair and moves it away from his face. "i hope you don't mind me asking, but why were you crying earlier? and why did hotch yell at you?"

i stare at him, eyes turning glossy. "he's back."

"who's back?"

i dig the note out of my purse and hand it to him. he recites it out loud, and then looks at me.

"stella, i-"

"i know. you and the team are going to make sure nothing happens to me, blah blah. i know the speech."

"i was actually going to say that my door is always open if you don't feel safe at your apartment. just let me know in advance and i'll leave it unlocked for you."

i smile at spencer. "thank you for the offer. i may or may not take you up on that."

"i hope you do." he mumbles.

"what?"

"oh, uh, nothing." spencer smiles.

i smirk at him. i definitely heard him. he gets up and walks back to his desk, gathering his things.

"want to walk out together?" he asks me.

"i have 2 more files to do. don't wait up on me." i respond, and he nods and walks out the glass doors.

about 30 minutes later, i finish my last file and drop them off in hotch's office. i gather my things and head for the elevators.

when the elevator door opens, i see a note on the ground, and i pick it up.

stella,

watch your back, i'm coming for you.

-snowman

i cover my mouth with my shaking hand. just as i'm about to head to hotch's office to show him the note, i get a text from spencer.

spencer: did you just knock on my door?