BEGIN AGAIN | PENELOPE GARCIA

ZERO. WILLIAM HUNT

William Hunt had blood on his hands, it terrified him, he was used to see blood because of his previous job as a sheriff, but those didn't really matter to him, the people standing on the other side of the gun were criminals, they deserved it –or at least that helped him sleep at night– but her, she didn't deserve this, she was innocent.

"Is okay, let go." The woman said as she tried to gasp for air, her lips he had kissed so many times before were tinted a dark red, not from a lipstick she loved but from her own choking blood.

"No, you'll get help Melissa, they are gonna help you." William's hands pressed tightly against her ribcage trying to stop the blood from flowing out her summer dress.

"He's down Agent Hunt." A fellow partner with FBI vest said as he rushed from the kitchen to the living room. "First responders are here." Everything was like an echo for William, there was a soft piercing sound that made him shake his head a few times repeating the words to leave.

"Agent Hunt, we need to check for her vitals and stop the bleeding." A first responder kneeled beside him, her hand gently holding his to pull them away.

William didn't know what was happening, once second he was helping his wife then the next he was inside the ambulance making his way to the hospital, his phone rang repetitive and he knew who it was. He hadn't picked up his daughter from his mother's home, he didn't know if he could do it. Pick her up, tell her what had happened to her mother, she was only eleven, even though she is a smart kid, he couldn't do it.

At the hospital William stared down at his hands, officers and FBI agents stood with him, some asked questions about what had happened and others tried their best to keep William away from the reporters just for this moment.

"Dad?" William had his back towards his daughter hearing her voice made his knees crumble, suddenly he was on them sobbing uncontrollably. "Is okay." Luna Hunt said when she rushed to him, her voice just in front of him, William didn't need to look, he knew that Luna was on her knees as well with a sweet smile as she wanted to calm her father. William Hunt didn't understand how they would move on from this.

"I am so sorry Lu, I tried, we lost mom and it's because of me." William shouldn't be saying those words, even though Luna didn't believe it and that she knew what had happened.

"Hey kid, would you let me talk to your dad a few minutes?" That very familiar voice that helped him crack the case was standing beside them. "Can you wait with Agent Hotchner in the cafeteria?" The young kid said she would be coming back giving William a little moment of despair, he wanted Luna right here, holding him, he didn't his daughter to be away from him, he was scared.

"Will, I am very sorry for your loss." Jason Gideon gently pulled him up looking at him with a soft gaze. "She's a kid but she knows what happened, she'll be okay."

"Is she going to be okay Gideon? I don't know, Luna and her mom were inseparable." William controlled his erratic crying and changed it to a very soft cry that only came every few minutes.

"I think what she needs right now is you, have your grief take time off, then go back strong to your work. If you ever want to or need to get away from here because the memories are too strong, I'll make sure you have a place at the BAU, same position." Gideon had known William since a child, his father had worked at the BAU before he passed away due to health issues, he knew that Gideon meant every word.

"Will it ever get easier?" Jason Gideon nodded his head at him, telling him that if he wanted to it would be, walking away the agent gave William a moment alone.

Melissa was declared dead at 11:34pm, her burial was planned on Sunday morning, every family member and friend was there supporting the widow and child, Gideon was in between the crowd letting William know again that if anything he was just a phone call away. The BAU agents left on Saturday after clearing the crime scene at their family home but William and Luna didn't return until two weeks later, everything was the same, everything was in their place as if nothing had ever happened.

William Hunt wasn't the same after this. He took extra shifts, helped in cases he wasn't even supposed to do but always saying he knew more than the rest, which was true, but the lack of sleep was intervening with his thought process and problem solving. And like adding lemon to an open wound he spent those free night at the bar, drinking his grief away, coming home cautiously to not wake up his daughter, apologizing to his mother for staying too late.

Things came to a halt when he collapsed at the main office. Next thing he knew he was at the hospital needles poked into his veins and Luna Hunt sleeping peacefully on the couch. The thought of Luna growing up without his father began to haunt him, the words Jason Gideon had told him started to make sense.

His boss gave him a week vacation to regain his strength and when William came back a notice was given to him, a transfer. William didn't argue, he just thanked his superior and packed everything from his desk. Luna didn't want to leave, she had a life here, but she didn't say a word, she knew it was too hard already for her father, so the last thing he needed was her rudeness.

Quantico, Virginia. A new start. William had the same title in the BAU, Victim Service Coordinator. The only difference was that Jason Gideon wasn't there to thank for the opportunity.

Nights weren't easy, William wasn't going to accept that the nightmares still woke him up with sweat drenching over his forehead and his back. He couldn't do that, but he wasn't going to get help either, he would work on that himself.

Luna Hunt had it easier to move along, her charismatic personality allowed her to make friends easily, and to spend time out of her home she joined choir and soccer. William never came to one of her games, Luna never got sad about it, or at least she didn't verbally expressed it, it was weird that the only person who came and showed support were Derek Morgan or JJ, she liked that they were there when they could, she would asked about her dad and that would be all. Whenever Luna would see her dad was early mornings or late night almost 3am.

Things didn't really change for Luna when it came to family topics. Her father became a stranger, but she tried to not change, become something and hopefully, leave this place for college.

William Hunt wasn't the same and hell, he didn't know if he could ever begin again with his new life.