Breaking the Rules
Chapter 1
by Deanne Stevenson
Aaron Hotchner lives in Huntington, an upper middle class neighborhood, near Washington, DC. He attends church regularly. He is a registered Republican. He waited to get married until he was established in his law career, and following a proper two year engagement. He is a soft-spoken, reserved man, who exemplifies traditional ideals and values. Several years ago, he gave up law to take a position with the FBI as head of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. He is not a man who breaks the rules. He upholds them.
On a stormy night in Seattle, Aaron lay atop his hotel room bed, eyes closed. The room was dark except for the flickering light of his television as he listened to the news. He was exhausted, emotionally and physically. He hated the case the BAU had been working on and was grateful it was over. They would be flying back to Quantico in the morning. Maybe the sun would be out in Virginia. It had rained most of the week in Washington.
Everyone on the BAU team was deeply affected by investigations involving children. The victims in this case weren't much older than Aaron's son. When he worked on difficult cases, it was comforting to him to call home to connect with the gentle part of his life. "Da-dee, Da-dee," his boy would say, gleefully, when he heard his father's voice on the phone. It reminded Aaron of why he went to work in law enforcement. It was for Haley and Jack. It was to protect what was normal and decent in the world. He wished that he could make Haley understand.
He started his FBI career at the Seattle field office. He still knew most of the people there. It was uncomfortable having to sidestep questions from his former coworkers when they inquired about his family. Except for Morgan, he hadn't confided to anyone that he and Haley were separated. Hell, he still had trouble believing it. Haley had packed up two months ago, while he was away on a case, and moved in with her sister.
"We have nothing to discuss," Haley told him, angrily, when he tried to talk with her. "You promised to quit. Then you went off to Milwaukee with the team. You made your choice, Aaron."
There was a file spread out on the table he should have been studying, but he didn't want to look at crime scene photos right now. He was still trying to shake the image of the kid they'd found this morning. It was a small boy, not more than four years old. His skull was crushed. He had been beaten and left to die in a muddy ditch. When JJ and Prentiss offered to break the news to the boy's parents, Hotch was relieved. He didn't have the heart for it, not for this one.
When they apprehended Charles Albertson, the psycho who'd murdered the child, and at least three others, Hotch took perverse pleasure in slamming the man to the ground as viciously as possible when he cuffed him. He was tempted to break to break his damn neck.
Aaron called Haley when he first got back to his room, but didn't get an answer. He wondered where she would be, so close to Jack's bedtime. More interesting, who is she with? He had suspected for some time that she was cheating on him. He left a message for her to call back. He hoped she would, but most of the time she didn't. He wanted to say "good-night" to his son, and make arrangements to have him overnight.
The television reporter was talking about the 2008 elections. Almost a year away, he thought, irritated, and it gets so much coverage. No matter who wins, they'll want to cut the Bureau's budget. They always do.
He was annoyed, too, when he heard a knock at the door. He thought his colleagues had gone out for dinner. They were talking about going to Chang's Teapot, a Chinese restaurant down on King Street. It was Haley's favorite restaurant when she and Aaron lived in Seattle. She loved Chang's sesame chicken. Morgan tried hard to persuade him to go with them, but he passed. The last place he wanted to go was Chang's. Hell, he'd be rotten company tonight, anyway.
Peering through the peephole, he was surprised to see an uneasy looking Emily Prentiss. He didn't know Emily well. She'd only been at the BAU for a few weeks. She was a pretty girl, with silky, black hair and large, dark eyes. She had a beautiful smile, although she was usually too uncomfortable around him to smile very often. It was no wonder, he thought. He realized he hadn't been very welcoming when she first arrived at the BAU and he felt a little guilty about it. Almost immediately, she'd impressed him with her competence and proficiency in languages.
"What is it, Prentiss?" Hotch asked, opening the door. The bright hallway light hurt his eyes.
"Uh…hi, Sir," she said, nervously. She was carrying a large bag with Chinese lettering on it. I brought you some dinner. She brushed past him, and entered the room before he could say anything.
She placed the bag on the table and switched on the light. "Sesame chicken, is that okay, Sir?" She remembered he had ordered it a couple of times. She began folding up the case file on the table. "JJ was just saying that we might not have to worry about this one. She spoke with the Wisconsin State Police. They have a suspect in custody."
"Prentiss, I really don't think…"
"I didn't know what you'd like to drink. I got a bottle of Moutai." She began taking things out of the bag. "I acquired a taste for it when my parents were assigned to the embassy in Beijing. It's made from wheat. Have you ever had it, Sir? It tastes similar to Saki."
Emily incessant talking betrayed her tenseness, but she didn't want to give him a chance to refuse. She felt badly for him. She knew he had been struggling with this case. Although no one mentioned it, it was clear that something was wrong between Aaron and his wife. He no longer called home during the day, and he spent most evenings in his office working.
Taking two plastic cups from the bag, she filled them with wine and handed one to her boss. He was still trying to protest," Prentiss…uh, Emily." He was surprised at her forwardness. She was usually so timid around him.
Emily sat down and began serving the food. She kept chatting. "I wouldn't have brought alcohol if we had to work in the morning, but I figured since the case is over…I have fried rice and egg rolls, too. I hope you're hungry, Sir. Do you want chopsticks or silverware?"
The food smelled very good, and Aaron realized he hadn't eaten all day. He sat down. "Chopsticks," he said, smiling slightly. He took a drink of the Moutai. It burned going down but was not unpleasant. He finished his drink, and she refilled his glass. Even if it did come out of a bag, Chang's food was as good as he remembered. He began to relax.
"So, what was it like living in China, Emily?"