Never Together Nor Apart

[Chapter 75]

[JJ is 26 weeks (6 1/2 months); Lily is 28 weeks (7 months); and Alana is 5 weeks (1 1/4 months)]

Hotch's POV:

"Em, I can stay home for another week, Morgan is doing just fine leading the team," I assure her.

"Aaron, I'm okay. I know it was a rough time, but I'm doing better now. Rebecca is wonderful, she really has helped with coping. I promise, you can go and I'll be okay," She kisses my cheek.

"Even if nothing had happened, Alana is only a month old. We barely have her on a feeding schedule," I add.

"What more do you want me to say, Rebecca said it would be good for you to go back to work. I need to have healthier habits, and you going to work would help me be more independent," She explains.

"I just don't know if I'm the one that's ready," I admit.

She sighs, pulling me into a tight hug.

"We'll call every night, when you land, during lunch, whenever you need. I have no obligations so my schedule is flexible to whenever you need me," she rubs circles on my back.

"I know, you're right. It's just gonna be hard not waking up to see your beautiful face and our little girls smile every morning," I groan.

"Yes, because my eye bags are gorgeous," she rolls her eyes.

"You look amazing," I remind her.

"Stop stalling, you're going to be late. Now go save some lives," she kisses me on the lips quickly.

"I wasn't stalling, I was being truthful," I remark before kissing Alana's head.

*time skip*

"Hotch, we're meeting at the airport, we have to get to California quickly," Morgan calls.

"What's going on?" I say confused.

"We'll brief on the plane... it's good to have you back though," he hangs up.

*time skip*

"This is Orange County, California. Ten days ago, Judy Hannity, a real estate worker and a mother, was shotgunned on the 91 freeway," Garcia states over speaker.

"She survived this?" JJ states astonished.

"Barely. She's paralyzed from the waist down. The second and third victims are both D.O.A. there were different vehicles for each shooting. A small black SUV, a black sedan, a white sedan, no makes, no plates," Garcia reports.

"No solid witnesses?" Morgan questions.

"The first solid witness described the shooter as a normal guy, middle-aged white guy in an SUV," Garcia answers.

"She gave that description but she couldn't remember anything else?" I ask.

"Isn't that consistent with trauma?" Kate questions.

"Uh, actually, no. Trauma victims usually remember everything or nothing," JJ explains.

"So wait— the third victim was shot last week, we just got the phone call today?" Reid interrogates.

"Until the third shooting, the locals weren't convinced it was a serial shooter. There were different cars, and the first shooting there was a different weapon," Garcia replies.

"It's the same weapon," Dave corrects.

"The shot pattern in the second and third one are much wider though," Reid states.

"He sawed off the shotgun. It's the same shooter. He's evolving, and quickly," Dave explains.

"The media has already dubbed him the Road Warrior," Kate reads from the file.