A/N: This one popped into my head late and I ran with it. It's a one shot with Hotch and my OMC Matt Taylor.
All rights as usual to the CM characters belong to Mark Gordon Production, CBS, and ABC Studios.
Chapter 1
The team was out on another case, now in its third day. They were all getting antsy and more than a bit pissed off. They were still behind their unsub. Matt finally shut them down at 9 pm after a day that started at seven that morning. Hotch nodded his agreement and they headed to their hotel.
Per the usual, Rossi had the adjoining suite with the king sized bed, while Hotch and Matt were in the other room, with double beds for each of them. And also as usual, Dave brought the scotch bottle along. Showing his frustration with the case, he railed against drinking 12 year scotch from plastic glasses. "Dave," Matt smiled. "We in the friggin' middle of nowhere and budgets are tight for these people."
"They still can't have a goddamn regular glass to drink out of," he snorted, pouring himself a second drink. Matt and Aaron looked at each other, nursing their own scotches. They both looked at their own plastic glasses and shook their heads in agreement with the long time agent.
Yet David Rossi killed his second glass of scotch in three gulps, shaking a finger at Matt. "You're rubbing off on me, you damn Irishman."
Matt smiled at him. "Get to bed old man." Dave growled at him as he headed to his room. "Why is this one eating his ass so bad," Matt asked with a whisper at Aaron.
Aaron smiled. "It's not this one in particular Matt; he just hates being behind our unsub." Matt nodded his head, studying Aaron for a second.
Matt and Aaron continued to watch SportsCenter on ESPN, catching up on the World Series. Dave snapped the light off in his room ten minutes later. Matt looked at Hotch again. Hotch met his gaze. "You gonna tell me what's going on?"
Hotch looked at his partner with a question. "What do you mean?"
"Aaron, I'm a profiler," Matt said. Hotch's head sprang up. "And yes, we've all agreed to not profile each other. But Aaron, I'm also your friend. Something has changed about you since your medical thing; care to talk about it?"
Hotch looked into his scotch glass. "Aaron, since you've re-joined the team, you've been BAU SAC, super-agent as usual; in the field," Matt added for emphasis. "But in the down time, you're more relaxed; loosening your tie and collar on the jet and even smiling and occasionally laughing. What changed? Talk to me."
Aaron took a sip of his scotch and shook his head. "Aaron, damnit, talk to me," Matt demanded.
"You wouldn't understand," Aaron said, trying to hide his feelings that he knew one of his best friends would read through in a heartbeat.
Matt studied him for a second more. "Ahhh, you got the surgery dream."
Hotch's head popped up at Matt, totally giving away his secret. Matt smiled. "Been there; done that. You can't believe what went through my head when I was on the surgical table in the desert."
Hotch looked him in the eye. "Shit Aaron, I was back on the farm again; and everything, and I mean everything, was not going right. Grandpa and I were baling hay and somehow I screwed up and my left arm got sucked into the baler. I finally was able to pull it out and looked at a bloody stub. That told me how close I got to dying." Matt shook his head and took a sip of his scotch.
Hotch looked into his glass again. Matt shook his head. "Aaron," he sharply said, getting his attention. Matt softly smiled. "Talk to me; I just told you; been there, done it." He smiled at Aaron. "Let me help."
Hotch shook his head softly and then looked at Matt. He told Matt his surgical dream. When he finished, Matt shook his head at him. "That part about Foyet sitting down and sharing his popcorn with Haley has shaken me." Hotch looked into his glass of scotch again.
"Aaron," Matt softly said, "talk it all out with me. I'm your best friend, along with Dave." Hotch took a second.
"I understand the Haley part Matt; she was basically kicking me in the butt to keep my promise to her and show Jack love; aka move on with my life."
"But," Matt prodded.
"Her approval of Beth was wonderful and it was," Hotch struggled with the words, "relaxing almost for her to see how much Jack has grown." Hotch hung his head again.
"Aaron, talk to me."
"Matt, if I give into that dream, I'm letting Haley go. In finality; I don't know if I can do that."
Matt smiled, taking a sip of his scotch. "That's why Foyet was there." Aaron scalded a look into Matt's eyes. "Aaron, it was Haley telling you that you can't control everything in your life. Hell, Aaron, I want that too. I want and pray every night that I can keep Abbey and the kids' safe; but there are just too many outside forces that can put a kink into our destinies. You and Jack suffered that more than anyone I know. We just gotta trust and believe in our faith. In the end, it's God's will." Matt looked at Hotch, who looked him back in the eye. "You got a pretty powerful message my friend; my advice, which you've already started to follow; run with it," Matt smiled.
"Matt, the ring she gave me at the end was not my engagement ring to her. I knew she liked silver. The solitaire diamond with the two diamonds on each side was not her ring. And the band was gold."
Matt smiled. "Oh, she was more than kicking your ass, Aaron," Matt smiled broadly. "She was sending you a clear message." Aaron blushed every shade of red possible. Matt laughed his gorgeous, infectious Irish laugh. Aaron looked at his friend and slightly laughed as well.
Aaron blushed at bit more, looking into his drink again. He took a sip as Matt did as well. "Yeah, maybe."
Matt shook his head. "OMG Aaron that was the clearest part of that. Like I said, I've noticed the difference in you; hell, we all have." Matt shook his head, taking another sip. Hotch looked at him with his firm, brown eyes. "The final step Aaron, with what Haley was trying to telling you, is solely on you my friend." Matt polished off his drink with a large smile. "I need to get to bed."
Aaron finished his as well. "So do I."
In the adjoining room, with the door open, David Rossi rolled over. "Thanks Cob," he said to himself as he smiled, and then he fell to sleep.
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A/N: Since this is a one shot, and done totally on a whim, my end of story shout outs are the same. All you loyal readers know the players that support my writing.
*Knightly bow*