A/N
Title: All For Him
Author: Ihli
Rating/Warnings: M/Explicit Slash, Smut
Pairing: Hotch/Reid
Summary: Aaron Hotchner cared about three things, his son Jack, his job at the BAU, and Spencer Reid. Now he is forced to choose two out of three. Sequel to Reality TV. Slash!
Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds or any of the characters I just like to play with them sometimes. I promise to put them back where I found them.
Hello All, I got lots of requests to write a sequel to Reality TV. It's a hard story to follow. I can't exactly have the boys kidnapped by another unsub for eight episodes of fun. I spent a lot of time considering what might happen next for the boys and this idea formed. I hope you enjoy it. Please review, they are my inspiration.
Thanks to FuchsiasAttic, RogueStorm84,and Mandabear99 for Beta'ing this chapter! All mistakes are mine.
Thanks to Darlene10104 for a "reality" check.
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Pretty much all the honest truth telling there is in the world is done by children.
Oliver Wendell Holmes
"Thank you for coming Agent Hotchner." Jack's school teacher, Mrs. Grange, welcomed the stoic Agent and indicated he should sit.
"My pleasure, what can I do for you?" He tried to keep his face relaxed. He knew his serious glare could be intimidating.
"As you know, Jack has been having some trouble at school in the last few weeks." There was concern in Mrs. Grange's voice.
"I got the note you sent about Jack hitting Clark. Was there more?" Aaron had spoken with Jack about the incident. He hoped Jack hadn't continued to be physical when he had issues. He tried to stress the importance of using his words.
"Unfortunately, yes. I need to ask, has something changed recently at home?" Her soft eyes led him to believe she was sincerely interested.
Still, the question made Hotch feel uncomfortable. That was not a question he was expecting. "Can I speak to you in confidence?"
"Yes, of course," she said in an encouraging tone of voice.
"I recently entered into a relationship with a longtime colleague of mine. The relationship started under unusual circumstances to say the least. It's someone Jack has known his whole life. I ask you not to say anything because there are policies against romantic relationships at work. I didn't think Jack had a problem with the relationship; he seems happy when he spends time with us."
"I suspect he is happy with the relationship. Is your partner's name, Spencer?" She said kindly, the open expression on her face leading him to believe she didn't judge.
"Yes," Hotch answered stunned that she knew.
"That explains a lot. Jack knows this is a secret, doesn't he?" Again Hotch was stunned by the kind look in her eyes.
"Yes, as much as is age appropriate. At least, I thought I explained it to him in a way that is age appropriate." His eyebrows were drawn down in concern. Had he said something that was too grown up for Jack, confusing him? It was always so difficult to know how much to say when speaking to him.
"I'm sure you did fine explaining it to Jack. However, I believe the fact that this is a secret is what's bothering Jack. He's afraid he will say something wrong that will get you and Spencer in trouble." Her expression continued to be open and showed her concern. Hotch could tell she wanted to help and found himself feeling glad that this woman was Jack's teacher.
"Why do you think that?" he asked. He wanted to be sure he understood.
"He said so. The other day, I found him playing by himself. This is not unusual; all kids need some alone time. However, Jack has been doing that more and more recently, isolating himself. I went to ask him if he wanted to join one of the games. He said 'They're playing family. That's too hard. I could get Daddy and Spencer in trouble.' Then he slapped his hand over his mouth. That's when I decided to contact you."
"I had no idea it was bothering him." Hotch felt awful. These had been such happy weeks for him and his son had been suffering because of it.
"I believe that's because he does like Spencer and he clearly loves you. He enjoys the time you are probably spending together. He knows he's safe when he's with you. It's when he's away from you and in a situation where he might reveal this secret that he gets uncomfortable and acts out. He doesn't want to let you down."
Aaron was relieved he had told Jess the truth so at least Jack could be honest when he was with her. But he knew he couldn't leave Jack with this burden.
"Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I will let Jack know that I talked to you about Spencer. That way he will feel free to talk to you. Maybe it will help him at school. In the meantime, I will see what I can do from my end." Hotch was determined to help Jack.
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As Hotch left the school he was lost in thought. He knew without doubt that something had to change. Jack was his son, his highest priority; there was no question about that. But what could he do? He could quit his job. Then the FBI would have no say over who he dated. Haley always wanted that but Hotch knew Spencer wouldn't want Hotch to give up the job he loved. Being an FBI agent was part of who he was. Spencer would never want to be the cause of him losing that.
He could transfer to a group that was far enough away from Spencer that it would not be considered fraternization with his co-worker. But he had tried that too. He loved being in the BAU; his whole team, not just Spencer, was his family. The thought of being separated from the people who meant the most to him was painful. Equally, the thought of Spencer leaving the team left him with a sinking feeling in his stomach. Spencer was an integral part of the team, the family. He didn't want to "break up the band."
Then his mind went to the worst place of all. He could end the relationship with Spencer for the good of his son. His heart ached at the thought. How could he consider such a thing? How could he not consider it?
This situation as it stood was hurting Jack. Something had to change. But what? Aaron felt like he was being split in three. He didn't want to choose between Jack, his team, and Spencer.