A/N: After watching Riding the Lightning again on ION last week, this story thought struck me. This one shot addresses some of the issues between my OMC Matt Taylor and Jason Gideon.

And yup, I'm posting another story while I've got one currently going. I broke my promise to myself. Again. This writing business is making me lose my mind. ;)

All of the original CM characters mentioned are the rights of Criminal Minds, CBS, ABC Studios and Mark Gordon Productions. And a shout out to Simon Mirren, the writer of Riding the Lightning. The OMC is all mine.

Chapter 1

Jason Gideon walked into Aaron Hotchner's office, and as usual did not sit down in one of his two chairs facing his desk. He did his usual pacing. "Jason; what's wrong?"

"The kid agreed with me Hotch."

"Excuse me Jason; you want to clarify that for me?"

"You know; the kid at the end; next to my office."

"Jason, that's no kid in that office."

"Yeah, yeah Hotch I know. I got the memo from the Bureau higher-ups. And the new Section Chief; Strauss, I think."

"Jason, 'that kid', aced the profiler's classes and exams. And his tactical skills are needed in this unit. That's why I selected him to sit in that office." Gideon stopped pacing and looked at Hotch.

"You recommended him?"

"Yes, I did."

"Why? He has no profiling skills."

"But he shows all the aptitude to getting there, and I was ordered by the higher ups to get a point person that could cover this team on tactical. Quoting the Bureau memo I received, 'you are to place a person in that post that can handle tactical first, and then profiling skills second.' I followed that order and selected, in my opinion, the best person for job."

"You didn't run it by me?"

"I didn't have to." Gideon looked at him. Aaron Hotchner fully and absolutely respected Jason Gideon. He, along with Max Ryan, and the real founder of the BAU, David Rossi had started the Unit. Rossi, heads down with the profiling business, had pulled in Ryan. Ryan had pulled in Gideon. David Rossi, in later discussions with Hotch as he was mentoring Hotch into the Unit, had told him that he thought the student of Ryan's was too wound up, but gave in to Ryan's assessment because, in Rossi's words, 'he had an excellent mind and the potential to be damn good'. Aaron toyed with the thought of sharing that with Gideon and then decided not to. "It was my decision as Unit Chief."

Gideon looked at him. "And they automatically made him Assistant Unit Chief?"

"That was the job and title the higher ups designed. It's just not tactical."

"Yeah, he's doing the logistics job JJ used to do with jet," Gideon commented.

"Jason, it's much more than that. You don't know what he does to assist me. Yet Matt's biggest job is tactical. If you didn't notice in the last case, Matt took a bullet in his Kevlar for Reid."

Gideon shrugged. "He's a Marine; it in his nature."

Hotch shook his head. "Back to the top of this discussion; you need to talk to him."

"What?"

"Jason, you need to sit down with Matt and talk to him. You can't understand why he backed you. Ask him why."

Gideon just walked out Hotch's office and went into his, shutting the door. He sat down at his desk and thought about the conversation. Maybe Hotch is right; we've butted heads so many times already. I need to know where he stands. He got up from his desk, opened the door and went down the catwalk to Matt Taylor's office.

As he passed the windows, he saw him heads down in some case files with a Bureau laptop on his desk. He approached his open door and shrugged at his open door policy. He knocked on the door and Matt looked up from his files and laptop. "Hey Jason; need something?"

"Mind if I sit down," he asked motioning to one of the chairs in front of his desk.

Matt shook his head and smiled. "Make yourself at home." It was the first time Gideon had been in his office

Gideon got straight to the point. "The other night, I thought you we're going to pull the pin on me and not back my decision with Sarah Jean and her son and go over my head. Why didn't you?"

Matt sadly smiled. "I'm a parent, like you." Gideon burrowed a look into Matt's eyes. Matt looked him back in the eye. "Would you give your life to protect your child?"

"Absolutely."

"So would I," Matt said, pointing to the picture in the shelves behind his desk of him and Abbey's two month old twins. "I've got two of them to protect; which is one of the reasons why I wanted this job. I want to be able to look my son and daughter in their eyes when their old enough to understand and tell them that daddy goes away to keep the monsters away from them."

Jason smiled. "I remember those days as a young father. You'll do anything to protect you child. But I know you're a man of faith Matt. You didn't think Sarah Jean was committing suicide?"

Matt shrugged. "That thought did cross my mind," he admitted. "However, in the end, I could understand her decision. She wanted to protect Riley from the legacy of his father. She knew he had a family that loved him and he was so well adjusted. As my grandma used to say, 'don't upset the apple cart'."

Gideon shook his head in appreciation. "Grandma meant something to you."

"Grandma mainly, with grandpa backing her, kicked my ass into the man I am today," Matt smiled at the memory.

"How so?" Matt recounted how he went to live on this grandparent's farm in Wisconsin, after starting to get in trouble on the streets of Chicago.

"You're a Chicago boy," Gideon questioned with a smile.

"Yup," Matt smiled back. "But a northsider." Gideon, being a White Sox fan, was raised on the south side of Chicago.

"So a Cubbies' fan?"

Matt shook his head. "Actually, a Braves fan; Grandpa was a huge fan of the Braves when they were in Milwaukee. When they moved to Atlanta, he followed them." Matt laughed quietly and shook his head. "He had this big-ass radio antenna on top of the farmhouse so he could pick up an Atlanta radio station to listen to games every night. I played baseball, so I'd listen in with him." Matt laughed more. "And guess who he chased up onto the two story farm house to get the antenna back up when a summer storm blew it over?"

Gideon laughed as well. "He meant a lot to you."

"Jason, he taught me the life lesson that I have tried to live by, and will 'till they bury me into the ground." Gideon raised an eyebrow. "Laddie," Matt said, mimicking his grandfather's Irish accent, "you don't demand respect, you earn it."

Gideon smiled. "Sounds like a good man."

"He was." There was a huge, palpable pause.

Gideon broached the big gulf between them. "I haven't earned that respect from you, have I Matt?"

Matt looked him in the eye. "As a profiler? Jason you've had my deepest respect before I walked in the door."

"But…."

"As a team member, honestly, no you don't."

"Why not?"

"You're not the boss anymore; Hotch is."

"I know that."

"No Jason, you don't; you still give out orders to the team. 'Wheels up in….' assigning who goes where and does what. That is Hotch's call, not yours." Gideon stared at him. "For this team to be a cohesive team there has to be one boss. I'm a Marine. The chain of command is sacrosanct. You don't get that."

"What do you mean?" Gideon asked a bit angrily.

"To make a team work as one, there can only be one boss; one commander; one leader. This team has two; and because you've worked with Morgan and Reid before Hotch became the SAC, they buy into it. And Elle, trying to make herself part of the team, has followed their lead. So has JJ. However, this Unit cannot be a total team until it answers to one voice and one voice only. That is why I took a bullet in my Kevlar to save Reid's ass. Hotch and I told him one thing; you told him another and he followed your order. That would have got him killed if I hadn't stepped in." He pointed to the picture again of his children. "It was this close," Matt said, showing his fingers merely millimeters apart, "of leaving my children without a father because he blindly followed your orders. Instead, I got sore ribs for three days." Gideon just looked at him.

"Don't get me wrong Jason; that is part of my job. I understand it and so does my wife. That is what the Bureau expects me to do. 'Protect that team at all costs' are part of my orders. I follow orders. But I will not have a member of this team put in harm's way by the actions of someone that is not in charge. I'm in charge of the tactical calls so that doesn't happen. You hung me out to dry; you put me in that position; and my wife, our children and me." Jason Gideon was thunderstruck.

"Jason, I know what happened with Adrian Bale. I've read every report. I'm not questioning you on that or calling you out; please understand that. My assessment to the Bureau of that situation was middle of the road. I could completely understand your reasons for your call. I can also understand the Bureau's position. I told them that and made no stand either way." He let that settle with Gideon.

"What I am questioning is whether you are going to be a member of this team, in your position as Senior Profiler, or are you going to try to be the Unit Chief that you are not, and hang me out to dry again. I need to know," he paused. "I owe it to my wife and kids to know where you stand." Matt looked him in the eye. "If I'm ordered to put my butt on the line for this team, I have a right to know all the risks."

Jason Gideon shook his head. "I didn't know the full involvement of your orders."

"Only Hotch does; and we would highly prefer it's kept that way."

Gideon nodded his head. "I have full buy-in. And I give you my solemn promise that I will not go over your head again in a tactical decision." Matt nodded his head in acceptance to that promise.

"As far as the giving orders part," Gideon smiled like he only could, "it's just second nature to me. I know Hotch is in charge. But I was SAC of this Unit after Rossi left seven years ago. That's a long time being in charge. I could say 'force of habit' but I know where you're coming from. I'll try to do better, but I can't give you any guarantees," he shrugged.

He looked Matt in the eye. "Can we call a truce?"

Matt gave him the big Irish smile. "Sure; as long as you don't cross the boundaries of that truce." Gideon looked at him. Matt smiled larger. "I know that's not going to happen. Just don't hang my ass out to dry again."

"I won't Matt." Gideon got up from the chair. Matt rose from his desk chair and offered him a handshake which was quickly taken. Gideon looked him in the eye. "You are a goddamn cobra."

Matt smiled. "Yup; that's me."

-00CM-

At his usual time of four-thirty, Matt made his way down the catwalk to leave the BAU. He was in at eight in the morning. He made no excuses about his eight hour day. Hotch knew differently and let him go. After the kids were down for the night, Matt Taylor put in another two hours, minimum, working from home. I should learn that Hotch thought.

Hotch whistled at him to stop in his office as he went by his office windows. Matt walked in. "How'd the chat go with Gideon?"

Matt smiled. "We've got truce."

"A truce?"

"Yeah," Matt smiled. "He doesn't hang my ass to dry any more, and I just grind my teeth at his lack of respect for the chain of command."

Hotch shook his head. "Have a great night with Abbey and kids Matt."

"Hotch, get the hell home to Haley and Jack. I make it work. So can you."

Aaron smiled. "Thanks Matt; for everything."

Matt pointed at him. "Boom boss." He smiled and left the doorway of Hotch's office that his body frame filled and went down the steps to head home.

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A/N: All my usual shout outs! You should know them by now.

*Knightly bow*