"Aaron, we need to talk."

Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner was used to hearing those words coming from his soon to be ex wife, Haley. But usually he could hear the anger dripping from her tone of voice, this time however she just sounded defeated like she had given up. Aaron knew that as long as she was angry that there was still hope for them that she still had some sort of feelings for him. "What's wrong Haley? Is Jack alright?" He asked unconsciously gripping the phone tighter in his hand.

"He's fine, I just need to get to the bottom of all this, we need to make some decisions."

"I know, I will leave here in a few minutes and then I will be there." He knew from past experience that saying he'd be 'home' would begin an argument that he wasn't in the mood to have again. Aaron slid the phone into his jacket pocket and finished up with the case file that he had been working on and then loaded the other ten or so into his laptop case to work on later. With a sigh he turned the lights out and closed his office door. He remembered not so long ago when he couldn't wait to get home and see Jack, hold Haley in his arms and remind himself that he really was a flesh and blood human being.

Seeing SSA Emily Prentiss sitting under her desk lamp in the almost dark bullpen he almost smiled. "Why are you still here?"

She started at the harsh sound of his voice in the silent room. "I uh I'm just finishing up this file and I will be done."

Aaron didn't like the way she nearly shied away from him, not in a fearful way but almost as if she didn't want to get to close or she might get burned. He tried to soften his voice when he responded. "Don't stay too late, I need you fresh in the morning, JJ will be briefing us first thing." She visibly relaxed and smiled at him

"I won't" He continued towards the hallway.

"Hey Hotch"

He turned back towards her eyebrows raised, not trusting his voice to be mild. She almost looked like she was surprised that she had spoken out loud and now that he was standing there looking at her she was trying to decided what to say. Emily smile sheepishly obviously coming to the conclusion that the truth was her best bet considering who she was talking to. "I'm here for you if you ever need uh well uh a women's point of view or whatever."

Aaron gave her a rare smile, "Thanks Em, goodnight." Aaron was still smiling when the elevator doors closed. Sometimes he liked to think that he was the only one who could read his coworkers minds, but Emily Prentiss had had hit the proverbial nail on the head. That smile disappeared when he remembered what faced him tonight. Haley had moved back in their home with Jack and Aaron had moved into an apartment near the BAU. Even in this pending divorce he was still giving up everything he could for people he cared for most. They had made a decision that the less this affected their son in his day to day life the better; it was probably the only thing that they had agreed on at all lately. He knew that she just wanted to not have to worry about him day in and day out, but he couldn't sleep at night knowing what was out there preying on children and wives just like his and not be doing something to keep them safe. Aaron knew that Haley couldn't truly understand that because he had never told her details of the monsters that he fought every day. Never let her know that he laid awake nights next to her listening to her breath knowing that the only way to keep the nightmares at bay was to keep his eyes open as long as possible. Then the nightmares had turned into vivid pictures that flashed before his eyes whenever he looked at the two of them reminding him of why he couldn't just walk away from the BAU.

He pulled the black SUV in the drive way but not all the way into the garage like had done so many times before and forced himself to walk up the concrete path to the front door. As he stood there waiting to be let into his own house he remembered the night he and Haley had moved in and she had giggled sweetly as he scooped her up in his arms and carried her over the threshold. It was all different now though. When the door opened a bundle of energy came screeching out and jumped into his arms.

"Daddy Daddy!" Aaron wrapped the little boy in a hug and closed his eyes savoring the way Jack felt with his tiny arms wrapped around his neck. Just as fast as he had gotten there Jack was down on the floor tugging Aaron through the door. "Comon Daddy see big tuck"

Haley spoke for the first time explaining that they had been out shopping and he'd gotten a new truck today. Aaron followed him to his room and sat down in the floor ignoring Haley standing in the doorway with tears streaming down her face. After a few minutes she left and Aaron convinced Jack that it was time for bed. They brushed his teeth and pulled on blue pajamas with bright red fire trucks all over them. It took three stories and a million kisses but finally those blue eyes began to close and Aaron tiptoed out and pulled the door closed behind him.

Aaron found Haley in the living room sitting on the couch with their wedding album open in her lap. He sat at the opposite end from her

"Aaron, I'm sorry I just can't keep living like this it hurts to much I think we are just going to have to make a clean cut and move on."

"Haley I don't want to do this, I don't want to leave and I don't want you and Jack to leave." He looked down at his lap debating what to say next, he knew that she wanted him to tell her that he would quit the BAU. He moved over so that he could pull her into his arms, she curled up in his lap like a child. "I'm sorry Haley but I just can't do what you want me to. I can't live with myself."

Haley pulled away from him, stood up and wrapped her arms around herself protectively. "Then you should go, I'm taking Jack to my parents for the week next week. Take whatever you want but just have it gone by the time we get back. I will go and talk with Daddy's lawyer while I'm there to have divorce papers drawn up."

Aaron got to his feet knowing that if he didn't leave now he would lose his resolve. He got to the front door and stopped and turned back to her, "I will sign whatever you think is fair Haley, just let me see Jack I don't him to forget about me." He could hear the vulnerability in his own voice and knowing that she was aware of his relationship with his own father that she would understand his need to be in Jacks life.

"Aaron all you have to do is make time."

The sarcasm was dripping off her words, but Aaron heard it as pain and didn't bite back. He just turned and continued back out to his car. As soon as he sat down and the silence wrapped around him and he could feel himself pushing the pain and if he was really honest with himself a little bit of anger from his failing marriage. Before he'd even gotten to the small apartment he now called home he had gone back to being Agent Hotchner, the stern faced profiler who almost never showed any type of emotion. Unlocking the door he dropped his things from the office on the floor and began peeling off his tie and white button down shirt. He changed into sweat pants and a grey t-shirt with the black FBI logo on the front. He knew without looking that the fridge was empty but opened it to look none the less. Aaron wasn't a drinker at home, the occasional beer out with hteam after a case was one thing but drinking at home alone was something totally different. He had seen firsthand what alcohol did to a family and being on the receiving end of what it turned his father into made it repulsive to him. If there was one thing that Aaron Hotchner had learned from his perfectionist abusive father it was that liquor made a man weak and if he was anything it was not weak.