I finally decided to write a sequel to the "Through the Streets of London". I couldn't stay away from my hobby, finally! Heheee! However I can't promise when the updates are going to come.

The story is connected to my previous one but it can stand alone as well. I keep my Gloria character in my stories, so anyone new around should have a read through my other story for the character's introduction.

This time I will not stick with Hotch's point of view.

I DO NOT OWN CRIMINAL MINDS.

I DO OWN MY IMAGINATION AND MY CHARACTER.

The title is derived from the song "What you did in the dark" by The Fallout Boy. (I DON'T OWN IT!)

The story moves to US and the whole team will be involved but it starts just like the previous, with a discussion between Hotch and Rossi… Enjoy!

Watermelon's Pen 8-)

WHAT YOU DID IN THE DARK

You can move away of what you did, but you are never able to move away of what you are able to do…

Strange incidents are taking place in Washington. They seem random but some international information proves otherwise forcing some agents to use skills left behind and rather forgotten…

Chapter I

Late May 2013

"If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience." ~ George Bernard Shaw

"You are still here?", Rossi's surprised voice came from the slightly open door of Hotch's office dragging his attention away from the folders he was reading.

It was getting late but Hotch was still in the BAU, thing that was getting too rare those days and Rossi noticed it. Hotch had the best reason to go home always on time. Emily had come back to US for almost one month and a half. Their family and their extended BAU family were complete again. They had their friend around and Hotch had the woman that he loved beside him. This had caused a great shift in everyone's mood. It even made easier to overcome the tragic events that had taken place, like Reid's girlfriend's loss. It had happened while Emily was still away but at least now he had her, too, around to help him. The poor kid couldn't catch a break. Hotch, like the others, hoped that the young genius was able to move on but he could understand from experience that he was going to need time. During that late evening Hotch had other things to bother him, though…

"What's keeping you here, Aaron and you aren't with your beautiful woman and son at home?", David carried on entering the office.

"I just had to have a look through these files.", he answered leaning back to his chair as Rossi took a seat opposite him.

"New case?"

"Not exactly. Just from some recent incidents in the area.", Hotch clarified.

"Oh right. Erin said that the Director is concerned about the increase of the crime rate in DC."

"It seems like you are more informed than me.", Hotch eyed his friend.

Since Christmas, he hadn't figured out what was going on with Rossi and Strauss. He was sure that his friend's tendencies to play around had given some ideas to Strauss but Hotch still didn't know what had actually happened. Only those last days he had noticed some tension between these two and Hotch didn't need to be a profiler to suspect that this tension had to do with another person's arrival along with Emily's…

"I talk to people.", Rossi smiled deciding to ignore Aaron, "Did you find anything suspicious?"

"Not really. They look like random events."

"And probably they are. The Senator is just driving the superiors crazy because her plan to fight crime doesn't succeed."

"It is a possibility."

"So how is it going at home?", Rossi winked.

"Well, adapting.", Hotch replied neutrally.

Rossi observed him in an investigative way. It wasn't difficult for him to see that there were some problems that bothered his younger friend and Hotch wondered for one more time how had come for him to be known as the hardest to read around and at the same time to be so transparent to his old mentor. The truth was that nothing comes easily and, indeed, there were some things that weren't going too smoothly at home. Nothing had to do with him and Emily. Everything was beyond fine as it concerned their actual relationship. They were getting along like they had been together for a lifetime. The problems had to do with the job. Emily was trying to adjust again to a new position and for some reason she was facing pressures. It seemed like she had thought that it would be easier but there were some difficulties in the way and for some other reason she wasn't discussing them with him.

"You loved each other for years, Aaron. You can face the world.", Rossi smiled knowingly.

Hotch's lips turned upwards generously. Yeah, he was sure of that.

"How is it going with your 'friend'?", he asked to change the subject.

"She's adjusting, too. She has some difficulties to share things. To tell the truth she always reminds me of someone…", Rossi eyed him with meaning.

Being sincere Rossi should admit that Gloria's resemblance to his old mentee was one of the things that made her catch his attention in the first place. Even if she was more talkative than Hotch, to an experienced profiler and a man that knew a thing or two about women it was clear that she was hiding hard matters, she just wasn't doing it in silence. Her latest confessions only had assured him.

"You have your way to make her sharing to you easy.", Hotch replied rising his eyebrow teasingly, ignoring Dave's subtext.

"I don't hug men but my hug can be really helpful, you know.", Rossi joked proudly, a warm smile on his face and a cute picture in his head.

"The mental image of whatever you are doing with a female version of me is something that I don't really need right now, Dave.", Hotch laughed. For sure he didn't, he thought!

"Yeah! You shouldn't!", Rossi laughed, even if the picture in his own mind wasn't like the one in Hotch's, but after his face turned skeptical, "Aaron, the girl is too young for me."

David was a ladies' man but he was a little bit traditional in some ways. Being almost twenty five years older than a woman wasn't something that could leave him unconcerned, even more when he knew that it wouldn't be just a fling or an adventure and seven years ago it was different, much different…

"Dave, she isn't a girl. She is a woman that has faced some quite tough issues and she is bonding with you.", Hotch stated.

"And what if I am just the only one available for her to lean on at this time?", Dave answered thoughtfully, managing to share his worry.

Hotch was for short surprised. He had never seen his friend questioning himself when it came to a woman. The few times that Hotch had seen them around each other, since she and Emily came from England, he could say that Gloria was very comfortable around David and leaning to him enough for Morgan to increase quite noticeably his teasing about Rossi still having his way with the ladies. All of the team, Hotch included, didn't know exactly what was going on and they didn't even know what had happened between these two, years ago, as well. But this concern from Dave's part, from whatever else it was derived, could have meant another thing. Hotch's friend had some seriously deep feelings running for the woman…

"She is talking to you when she isn't used to. This signifies something.", Hotch said, his mind going to his story with Emily.

How many times had he wished he had noticed the signs in her behavior before she had left for London? However, he was happy now even with the recent problems. Thanks to the universe they had made it. But they could have gained more time together and made less mistakes…

"What's going on Aaron? Emily does really good to you!", Rossi laughed, "I am normally the one giving this type of quotes.", avoiding to continue with the topic.

Aaron didn't need to know the rest of the story that puzzled him. David wasn't the type to be too cryptic with these stories but with that one he was feeling weirdly and there was something that he didn't want to admit even to himself.

Hotch smiled. Emily's mention distracted him from trying to discover something about his friend's mysterious ways.

"She does.", he admitted.

"So go home and stop bothering about normal stuff happening in the streets.", Rossi said, rising from the chair, "Good night, Aaron.", he added exiting the office.

"Good night, Dave."

Hotch followed his friend's advice. When he arrived at his house, Jack was already in bed and Emily was waiting for him to eat together. The discussion over the food was about regular stuff and Jack's day at school. Jack had been really used to have Emily around. She had the motherhood in her too naturally and the boy really loved her. Hotch had missed that family feeling too much and during this last time he had it again in his home, like many-many years ago and even better he dared to admit. Emily understood not only what he was facing but also that he loved what he was doing. Deep down he knew that she would never have Haley's reactions to the rough schedule of his job. She had a tough one, as well, fortunately without the same weird hours and this maybe could make things easier in case of extending the family, a matter that Hotch loved to think about, but he wasn't planning on raising the subject too soon. She needed her time.

That night, however, Emily seemed more stressed than normally and was checking her phone frequently.

"Sweetheart, what's going on?", Hotch asked finally touching her hand.

"Something has come up at work, Aaron. Don't worry.", she said simply avoiding his gaze.

"I have understood that for some days.", he spoke calmly, "Emily, you should take it easy."

"Look who is speaking.", she replied back abruptly standing up to put the dishes in the dishwasher.

"Emily…", Hotch said taken aback by her harsh reply, standing beside her.

"I'm sorry", she continued rubbing her forehead.

What was going on wasn't his fault and she burst her stress to him. What was really going on was too serious and maybe it needed to take actions that she didn't even want to think about. She had come back to finally have a normal life. 'They' had come to US for that reason and if what she feared was real, this couldn't happen. She hugged him looking for that magical power, that he had, to offer her safety, even if she knew that, if he was aware of what she might need to do, he wasn't going to take it with no trouble.

"I love you, Aaron.", she whispered.

It was a very common quote between them, but Emily at that moment needed him to hear it again.

Hotch returned the hug concerned, landing his lips on the top of her head, wishing that whatever was bothering her wouldn't last.

"Em, talk to me.", he murmured.

"You will be the first to know, believe me.", she answered quietly, "But let's go to bed for now.", she gave him a short smile and a kiss on the lips.

It was almost four o'clock in the morning when Emily's phone on her nightstand rang, wakening her up. Emily untangled herself from Aaron's arms, who woke up, too. She sat up, leaning to the headboard of the bed, feeling his eyes observing her.

"Yeah.", she said to the caller, "Are you sure, finally?", she carried on not giving time to the person on the other end to greet her back.

The voice that came from the device was known to Hotch who was able to hear, too.

"I am not. But he is.", Gloria answered over the phone.

"If you can look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow and which will not, speak then unto me." ~ William Shakespeare

First chapter and first spoiler maybe you already guess it from the description: The files that Hotch was reading and Emily's problems are connected.

What's the case? What will Emily have to do? What will Hotch's reaction be? How will they try to avoid it? Will they achieve it? And what's going on with Rossi? These are some of the things that we will discover in this fic…

Leave a word and maybe the update will come sooner! :D