Hotchniss

1 ( While Everyone Slept)

Aaron Hotchner is an enigma.

He pushes the people he needs the most away. In his desperate acts of self-preservation he only hurts himself more. As if comfort must come with pain. The sad part is it seems that that is the only comfort he receives, pain.

"You can tell me." Hotch watchs his youngest agent with a careful eye. "Anything."

Reid drumbs his fingers on the table," it just... it's not right."

Hotch closes the file in his lap," how so?"

Reid wipes his eyes with his tissue," it's just... you saw him, Hotch. He was just like me, down to the hair color. What if I... you know the profile, that could be me. All because of my father and then my mother. I just, I don't want to be like him. I don't want to hurt people. It's just the profile. It's right and all because we can't chose our families." Reid's eyes beg for Hotch to say something, anything. The young agent's eyes search for something in the older agents. "We have profiles. All because we can't chose our families. I don't want to be a profile, Hotch."

Hotch leans forward, his perfect red tie folds over, and looks Reid in the eyes," you're right." Hotch's hickory colored eyes comfort Reid in a strange way, a way he's actually grown used to. "We all have a profile. Don't you see? Morgan should have been isolated. Hateful and spiteful. He should hate cops and he should be on the streets, but he isn't. Emily should be a Democrat, a damn good one too. She should have some high and mighty job that her mother bought her. She should be in D.C. with perfectly manicured nails and pearls, but she isn't. JJ should be a professional soccer player or a stay at home mom. Yet, she too, isn't. I... I most certainly shouldn't be here." Hotch gently puts a hand over Reid's bouncing one," do you understand?"

Hotch glances around the jet, taking in his sleeping team," and I believe you're partially wrong." Hotch checks once more to make sure the others are asleep," you don't get to pick the one you're born in to. You can chose the one you love."

Reid lets Hotch's words settle in.

"He's right," comes a soft female voice. The dark brunette comes out of the jet kitchen with three mugs of coffee. "Although I don't think either of you really picked us. We kinda picked you."

She seats down two mugs in front of them," then again did any of us chose to be apart of this dysfunctional family?"

"Garcia," Hotch says taking a drink from the coffee.

"So true," Emily laughs taking a drink of her own coffee.

Hotch has to force himself not to smile at just the sound of her laugh. Since when has she had this affect on him? She's his friend.

"I uh.." Reid stands up and pushes the coffee away. "I'm gonna go lay down."

Emily teases Reid's long hair," get some sleep, Reid." Emily slides in to Reid's seat.

"He looks up to you, you know." It's not a question, more a statement. Something to ponder on and make you question everything thing you've ever said or done.

"Not his wisest choice," Hotch swallows his bitter coffee, just the way he likes it, and opens his file back up.

"How?" Emily asks stirring her coffee thoughtfully. "Jack looks up to you."

Hotch glances at her and then he glued his eyes back to his file," he's my son. He doesn't know any better. Plus I suppose he's inherited the inherent belief that all people are good until they prove they're not."

Emily takes a small sip of her coffee," I wonder where he would acquire that sort of thinking."

Hotch stays silent for a moment thinking about how much Jack really is like him.

"It's a great way to think," she says softly sipping her coffee. "I just hope nobody ever takes advantage of that."

Hotch silently wonders how much this women cares for his son. How much she cares for him as well.

"I hope maybe someday he'll find someone who can... protect him from that." Hotch finds his attention wondering away from finishing his file.

"I'm sure he'll find someone." She wraps both hands around her mug.

"Yeah. He'll find someone."