A/N This carries on from after Missing In Action. Seems people wanted to know what happened next. Well here it is. Enjoy.
And thank you to my lovely reviewers. Hearing from you is so encouraging!

MIA - NEW BEGINNINGS
Chapter 1
Freedom

The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage." - Thucydides

Aaron Hotchner was coming home today, and everyone was excited. It had been four months since Mason Lowe escaped after torturing Hotch for months on end, and there had been no sign of him. There was a possibility that he was dead when the remains of a body were found in a burnt out car on the edge of the Navada Desert, but the body was too far gone for an ID and was being stored at the moment as John Doe 37744475.

But Hotch was coming home. Spencer had been home for six weeks, and had got the Museum ready for its opening; ready for him and Hotch to run it.

Spencer had found an apartment with wheel chair access for him, only temporary mind, until he was able to walk unaided again. He was making good if not excellent progress, and they were both looking forward to getting back to work, running the museum together until they were able to pass the physical for the FBI again.

Rossi doubted that that would ever happen, but he kept such negative thoughts to himself. Today was a good day, a positive day, and he intended for it to stay as such.

Hotch was coming home. Morgan took a BAU SUV to the hospital – the Potomac, where he'd been transferred after the eye operation (Which incidentally was a partial success – he would need glasses now, dark ones for the first year – but his vision was saved.) He sat in the SUV for a few minutes before he got out and went to collect him. Morgan had his doubts about this. The man had been tortured for thirteen weeks. Strauss expected him to bounce back like he had done before, but this time was different. Yes, he had been near death on other occasions, but the rapes – that was different. The mental healing might never happen, unless Hotch himself faced up to it, and stopped pretending it didn't happen.

With a sigh he got out of the car and made his way to the main entrance. Hotch was waiting for him, suitcase by his side, dressed in a navy suit jacket, jeans and plain white tee shirt and dark glasses. His hair was longer, but Hotchner-neat and brushed to the side. His nose was a bit crooked, but his face had filled out and has lost the emaciated look that had so shocked them all when they found him. He beamed at Morgan.

"Is the world ready for this?"

"Don't know about the world, Hotch. I sure am not!"

"I need to go by the pharmacy to pick up my meds." Hotch said. "That ok?"

He showed Morgan the prescription. Vicodin, no more than eight a day

Morgan grinned and picked up the suitcase.

"Let's get them. Which way is the pharmacy."

-0-0-0-

They picked up the meds and Hotch wheeled himself through the revolving door and out into the spring air. He had been allowed to sit in the garden some times, but this was different. This was freedom he hadn't had for seven months. It felt good. If he hadn't been stuck in this wheel chair, he would have taken his shoes off and run across the wet spring grass. As it was he took a deep lungful of free air.

"Ahh smell that grass, Derek!"

"I'd rather not or I'll be sneezing all afternoon!" Morgan laughed. It was a long time since he had seen Hotch so happy and relaxed.

But at the back of his mind was the niggling fear that the UnSub had escaped, and it was his fault. He felt that it wasn't over. Hotch didn't know that he had escaped that day. No one had lied to him; the question simply had not come up. He decided not to say anything today. If that one eyed sonofabitch came anywhere near Hotch, he'd kill him.

Morgan lifted him into the SUV and folded the chair, putting it in the back. He was pleased. Hotchner felt heavier and muscular. He slid into the driver's seat.

"You ok?" Hotch asked. "You look worried about something."

"No no, I'm fine. Just worried about you."

"Don't you worry about me, Morgan. I'm great. Where are we going?"

"First stop, your new apartment. Reid has furnished it with your stuff from the house. There wasn't room for everything, but if you need something that we didn't bring over, that can be sorted."

"Thank you." Hotch smiled. He thought of Emily, and smiled some more.

-0-0-0-

Emily was doing her headless chicken impersonation, getting everything ready. She had arranged for Jack to be there. It had taken a lot of persuading and bullying to get Haley to agree. She didn't like Jack being exposed to the dark dangerous side of his Daddy's work. But Emily skilfully painted her into a corner whence she couldn't escape, and she had submitted, albeit unwillingly. One of the team, probably JJ, was going to return him to California the following day.

Emily stood back and checked everything. The banner, 'welcome home Hotch', had been specially made – Hotch wasn't in the list of generic names – and it looked good. Spencer was adjusting it so that it hung exactly level, so that the 'h' and the 'o' of 'home' was at the lowest point. Everyone, including Jack, had streamers to throw. The apartment was immaculate. The fridge was full of beer, the pizza was in the oven, vol-au-vents on the plates...

"They're here!" Rossi yelled, bursting through the door. "They're in the elevator!"

"Ok! Shush everyone!"

The key sounded in the door, and Morgan pushed it open. Hotch wheeled himself in and smiled broadly at the banner.

"Welcome home, Daddy!" Jack said, and threw streamers over him. "Why are you in that chair?"

Hotch lifted Jack onto his lap and kissed him. "Daddy's legs aren't very strong. But they are getting better now."

"You can take off your glasses Daddy. It isn't sunny in here."

"Daddy needs to keep them on for now, son." Hotch laughed and held the child tight. "I've missed you Jacky."

"Missed you too, Daddy."

Suddenly there were streamers all over him and people cheering him. Someone handed him a beer, and although he was supposed to avoid alcohol on his medication, he took it anyway. He didn't intend to drink it. He took a plate and a slice of pizza. He smiled to himself. Emily had told him that the new adjective 'hotchnerized' had entered into the BAU language to describe his cooking. This was perfect. Not one of his! He took a bite.

Emily came and knelt in front of Aaron's chair, leaned over and kissed him.

"It's good to have you back, Aaron. This lot will be gone soon. They know you will be tired, but they wanted to welcome you home and eat the food!"

"It's great. Reid's idea?"

"Actually it was. How did you guess?"

"And Reid hung the banner too. It wouldn't have got that perfect on it's own!" he laughed.

Emily started to get up. Hotch caught her arm.

"Emily, when they go, you don't need to go to do you?" he said. "It would be nice if you would stay, just for a little while."

"Sure I'll stay. You don't want time alone?"

"I don't think so. So you'll stay?"

Emily nodded. JJ was standing behind her, awaiting her turn. She hugged her boss and kissed his cheek.

"Good to have you back, Hotch."

Rossi was sitting by him. He put his hand on Aaron's arm. "I'm looking forward to the time I can step down, Aaron. We want you back in the driving seat again. When you are ready."

"Thank you, Dave. Means alot."

Reid sat on a chair next to him and told him about the museum.

"It's in a converted Dutch Colonial, close to the FBI. They've put an elevator in for you, and the opening day is tomorrow. The job is ours until we say we don't want it – when we start back at the BAU."

"Sounds wonderful, Spencer." Aaron enthused. "We open tomorrow?"

"Afternoon, two o'clock. It's going to be fun!"

There was a happy atmosphere in the apartment. Rossi noticed that Hotch was getting tired.

"We're all going now. Let you get some rest." Dave said.

"Call any one of us, day or night, if you need anything." Erin said.

Hotch smiled at her. Things were certainly different now Dave was on the team.

Gradually everyone left the apartment; Emily and Hotch were alone.

"I need to sleep, Emily, I'm sorry."

"I know, Love. May I help you?"

"Please."

She wheeled the chair to the bedroom and lifted Hotch out of the chair. With her arm around his waist, and his over her shoulder, he turned and sat on the bed. Slowly and carefully she undressed him to his shorts. She took his glasses and folded them on the night stand. She covered him with the quilt. Then she undressed to her underwear and slipped into bed beside him. He held her close and she rested her head on his chest. She kissed his chest lightly.

Goodnight, Sweetie. It's good to have you home."

He leaned down and kissed her hair. "It's good to be home."

He felt her breathing slow as she fell asleep, he looked at the ceiling, pushing sleep as far away as he could. The thought of sleep terrified him. He stayed awake listening to her gentle breaths for a long time. He remembered hearing the birds sing to herald the new day before he finally slipped into the dark and terrifying night mare world where he walked in his sleep. A world where shadow demons raped him and curled around his skeletal body like an evil sucking smoke. He woke an hour later screaming, and Emily held him as he realised once again that the dreams couldn't hurt him any more. She held him until his tears ran dry and he calmed and fell asleep again.

"I'll always be here, Love. I will always be here to hold you..."

-0-0-0-

Three doors away a man laughed.

"You will always be there, but he won't."

He was disappointed that they had gone to sleep. He was quite looking forward to listening in on their love making. Although watching was better. But the screams and tears more than made up for it. So he was damaged after all. There was a legacy from Waylon and Harry. Good. The murdering bastards were not going to get away with killing his cousins. They were good men – Harry had a child who had lost her Daddy. Hotchner had a child too. How would the kid feel when he had killed Hotchner.

He smiled again. There was no hurry. He'd waited this long for him to come home. He could play a few little games before he killed him.