Full summary: Two women manage to turn Hotch's life around completely - not only does he see his long lost half-sister again, but he is also rather impressed when he meets his son's beautiful new teacher who has an effect on him that no woman has had before... This fic will basically just explore the relationships between Hotch and these two women. I do not own Criminal Minds or any of the characters, however Agent Nina Parker and Ms Isabella Bianchi both 'belong' to me.

About the OC's - I will try my best to not make them Mary Sues and develop them fully. I see Isabella Bianchi looking like Lana Parrilla (Once Upon a Time) and Nina Parker in my mind looks like Jessica Stroup (only with brown eyes. Why you ask? Because Hotch has brown eyes and I want them to have the same colour eyes.) Nina IS at risk of being a little Mary Sueish at the start because of the whole related to Hotch thing. However, since we don't really know all that much about his past or his family - only about Sean and that his father died - I believe that it is possible to add a half-sister and I do have a very good explanation for why they lost contact.

On the unsubs and murder locations - please forgive me if I make silly geographic mistakes, I have never been to the US, so I try to search as much as I can online.

DISCLAIMER: Not mine.

CHAPTER 1

Another year, another agent leaving the BAU. Where he sat alone in his office, the moonlight shining through his window, Aaron Hotchner was at his wits end – not that he would admit this to anyone. Kate Callahan's departure came as a shock, but at the end of the day it was what was best for her and her family – no one could blame her rfor going. This did not change the fact that the BAU had the difficult task of welcoming yet another new member to their tight-knit family. One chosen for them this time – apparently a newbie with little experience in the field, but a lot of potential if her lecturers were to be believed.

Before even glancing at her file, Hotch had had a bad feeling about this and the second he did so, it intensified – the second he noticed the name.

Parker, Nina.

Parker.

Nina.

Nina Parker.

In a gust of memories, a forgotten past came rushing back to him – guilt hitting him square in the chest.

"Aaron! You're home!"

He barely had time to get out of the car before a little whirlwind hit him, and his arms wrapped around the small body that launched itself into his arms.

"Hey kiddo! I take it you missed me."

Small hands framed his face and brown eyes searched his curiously.

"Will you play with me?"

"Of course. Whatever you want, Nina."

It was the last good memory he had of her. He was 14 when his father died, and she remarried the year he turned 16. He hated his stepfather – a large, rude man with a short temper and anger issues. He was lucky enough to be sent off to boarding school, only returning on vacations – watching quietly as his younger brother became quieter and broodier than he had ever been. His hatred for his stepfather was only pushed aside when his mother gave birth to a young girl – Nina. His sister, his everything. From the minute he held her, his heart belonged to the porcelain skin and too-big brown eyes. She was perfection and he would have given his life for her… Only, he left for college and his visits became less and less frequent until they stopped. For a while he still called on her birthday, took her calls on his and then… gradually it became less and less until they had no contact whatsoever. He never would have guessed that her employer file would land on his desk at any point in time and if he had had any say in it, she would work as far away from the BAU as possible. Unfortunately, he had given Cruz the go-ahead to hire any agent he saw fit and by the looks of it, the new young agent had more than successfully completed her profiling training. He had no professional reason to contest her hiring – and he highly doubted that Cruz would accept personal motivations if she truly was the best candidate. He sighed deeply and ran his hands through his hair – it seemed like he would no longer be able to run from his past. In a few hours, he would have to face up to guilt that had been building up for years and for the first time he would not be able to run from it. Hotch slammed the file shut with a deep sigh and leaned back in his chair, taking a deep breath as his door opened slowly.

It was time.

Neither Nina, nor Hotch mentioned anything about lost time or their family relation. Instead, they just sat across from each other awkwardly – each waiting for the other to speak. It was Hotch who spoke first, his hands shifting the file around on the desk.

"So… your profiling training looks good. Your teachers were impressed."

"Thank you."

"And before completing training, you were…"

"I worked for Scotland Yard."

That explained the faint English accent and he nodded to himself.

"So… why the BAU?"

"I've always been interested in the mindsets of people, in analyzing their behavior and finding the reasons for it."

"Why did you leave Scotland Yard?"

She hesitated before answering – two counts – and Hotch looked up curiously.

"Personal reasons."

"May I ask you to elaborate?"

The young woman pursed her lips, staring straight at him – with the too-direct stare they both inherited from their mother.

"Is it relevant?"

"Possibly."

"I don't think it is."

Hotch nodded and glanced down at the file before looking up at her again.

"This is a dangerous job."

"I'm aware."

"You're young. How does your family feel about you risking your life?"
"I don't know. The only family I've spoken to recently is sitting right across from me."

A long silence stretched out between them and they both folded their arms, avoiding the other's eyes frantically.

"You don't… you've lost contact with everyone?"
"You made your choices, Aaron. I made mine."

There it was – finally. The first hint of his abandonment of his baby sister and Hotch leaned forward slightly.

"Nina…"

"Aaron, I'm not here because of you. This is what I want to do with my life. If you don't want me here, I'll leave. But I'm not going to change careers because it might be dangerous."

"I'd prefer it if you were safe."

Nina folded her arms with a smirk, her dark eyes challenging him.

"It's too late to care about my safety."

Aaron nodded stiffly, unwilling to explore the familial bond when she was all-too hesitant to do so. He simply held his hand out towards her, squeezing it in a firm grip.

"Well… Welcome to the BAU, SSA Parker. I hope you'll be happy with us."

Perhaps she might have responded – had it not been for the sudden ringing of his phone. Aaron glanced down at his cell with a frown – it was rare that he be bothered through the day. The number was familiar however and he waved Nina off with a quick greeting, pressing the phone against his ear.

"Hotchner."

The voice on the other side was melodic and warm, but sent frightening shivers down his spine.

"Mr. Hotchner… This is Ms. Bianchi from Augustine Elementary… I'm phoning about Jack…"

He didn't give her time to finish her sentence, Haley's lifeless body flashing before his eyes and quickly being replaced by the image of an equally lifeless Jack.

"I'm on my way."

He moved as if caught in a daze, just quickly stopping next to Derek Morgan.

"I have to go, I'll be back soon. The case files are already in the conference room, we have a new agent – keep an eye on her. Garcia will brief everyone."

He was gone before Morgan could question him, racing to the school as quickly as possible.

The second he saw Jack, Hotch felt his heartbeat stop for a second before it sped up significantly. He rushed forward blindly, falling to his knees next to the sullen boy with the bright bruise decorating his left eye.

"Jack…"

"Sorry, daddy."

Shame tinted his son's voice, and he leaned forward – scooping him up in a hug.

"What happened?"

The click of heels against tile alerted him to the presence of someone else before Jack could answer and he looked up, with a frown. She ignored his apparent irritability and held her hand out to him courteously.

"Mr. Hotchner?"

He took her outstretched hand in his, enveloping her petite hand in his own.

"Yes. You must be Jack's new teacher."

"Isabella Bianchi. Come in, please."

He followed her inside quietly, taking his time to study her as she shifted objects around on her desk before folding her hands and facing him.

She was petite – the top of her head barely reaching his shoulders despite the ridiculous heels she had on her feet. He expected that she chose her footwear to make her appear taller, to gain authority that her size diminished. Her nails were clear – unpainted, showing she worked with her hands often. Gardening, he guessed, and her lips were a bright red. The black dress she wore had no pockets and she did not have a handbag with her, leaving her phone in her class he assumed. Something he appreciated – showing that she found the meeting with a learner's father took priority. Hotch shook his head as if to clear it and glanced back at his son, his tone drained.

"What happened?"

It was the teacher who answered reluctantly.

"There's a boy in Jack's class, it seems as though the two of them had been having… problems… lately. Today, unfortunately, it escalated."

Hotch pursed his lips irritably. Despite the woman's obvious attractiveness, there was no way he was going to stand for any incompetence.

"To the point where my son got beat up. It's not the first time he's been bullied here."

The teacher did not flinch at his harsh tone – she simply lifted a brow and stared at him blankly.

"In all fairness, Mr. Hotchner… It seems as though Jack was the clear winner in that fight."

Hotch glanced at his son who shrugged guiltily, before looking back at the pretty teacher.

"Who started it?"

"I did, daddy."

This time, his son did not give the teacher time to answer first and Hotch frowned, looking at the innocent face so close to his.

"Why, Jack?"

"Lucas was mean to a girl daddy and I wanted to get the bad guy. Like you. He was also mean to Miss Bianchi and I didn't like that."

"Jack…"

Hotch looked up at the quiet woman across from him, speechless.

"I don't know what to say…"

It appeared, however, that Hotch did not need to say anything as it was his son's teacher who knelt down in front of the duo, taking Jack's hands in hers.

"Jack… Why didn't you tell me that's why you hit him?"

Jack simply shrugged and buried his face in his father's shoulder again. This time, however, his teacher would not let him – she tapped his chin lightly and shared a luminous smile with him when he finally looked at her.

"Thank you for defending me, Jack. I appreciate that… But you have to know that even though Lucas did a bad thing, it does not make him a bad guy. Okay?"

"Okay, mam… But what about the bad men daddy catches?"

A quick look passed between the two adults and the teacher nodded when Hotch flashed his badge.

"That's different. Sometimes people do so many bad things that they stop doing good things… and then one day, being bad becomes who they are – they can't be good anymore, they can't stop themselves… and then daddy has to catch them."

Jack nodded at this and Hotch flashed a grateful smile at the teacher. He stood slowly, Jack still clinging to his neck.

"Thank you for phoning me, Miss Bianchi. And for…"

Her bright smile stopped his words and she held her hand out for him to shake once more.

"You're welcome. And it's good that he wants to be like his dad."

"You think so?"

Without wanting to, a bit of insecurity seeped through Hotch's tone and Isabella squeezed the hand that still covered hers.

"I do, Mr. Hotchner. You've done a good job with him, Jack is a good kid."

"Thank you, mam. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome. You're raising quite the gentleman."

"I will make sure to teach him not to defend ladies with his fists unless it cannot be avoided."

Her hand found and squeezed Jack's shoulder and she looked at him with a grin.

"Probably a good idea… Lucas Matthews is twice his size and he did not hesitate. I'd hate to think what the other boy would have looked like if he was a bit smaller. Quite a brave boy you have."

Hotch could not stop a small laugh as he looked down at his son.

"I agree – Jack is a brave little kid. However, I contribute his bravery to the fact that he defended you and a little girl rather than the fact that the other boy was bigger."

"Oh?"

"It requires bravery to do something no one else around you is doing. That was admirable. The part where you used your fists, however…"

Jack took a step closer to his teacher, avoiding his father's strict eyes.

"Sorry, daddy."

"You will apologize to this boy. Understood?"

He nodded and Isabella sent him a final smile before placing a hand on Jack's shoulder and looking down at the boy.

"You ready to go back to class, buddy?"

"Yes, mam."

The boy ran off excitably – no doubt to apologize to the friend he had assaulted – and Hotch looked at Isabella gratefully.

"It was nice to meet you. Thank you for the call."

"You're welcome. I should be getting back to class…"

Hotch nodded, the buzzing of his phone in his pocket alerting him to the fact that he was in for a very long day.

"I should go too… I have a lot of bad guys to catch."

"Good luck with that. I hope you get them all."

She was gone after a quick nod and he looked at her retreating form with a small un-Hotch-like smile before getting into his own car and driving away.

The smile disappeared the second he stepped foot into the BAU offices – the grim faces of his team once again emphasizing that he was not in for an easy day. He moved into the office swiftly and Garcia broke off mid-sentence when she noticed him.

"Sorry I'm late everyone. I hope you've all met Agent Parker. Garcia, what do we have?"

"Right, sir… I was just telling the team. Five women have been found mutilated… literally mutilated… in Texas over the last two months."

Hotch frowned irritably.

"Five murders in two months? Why are they only calling us now?"

"Until now they didn't connect the murders… The M.O was completely different, victimology is all over the place…"

"So what made them connect it?"

Penelope hesitated, pressing a button to display a photo of a beautiful brunette.

"The last victim… Richard Dawson… they found the I.D card of the first victim in her… well, on his body."

"The only link?"

Penelope scrambled, shaking her head.

"No sir… there were small… tokens… of other victims all over him. It's like…"

It was Reid who completed her sentence, confusion evident in his voice.

"It's like the unsub wanted to be found out…"

Hotch nodded, the trademark frown between his eyes and JJ looked from one to the other.

"You think he wants to be caught? Have you ever seen anything like this?"

It was the new agent who answered, her eyes downcast and her tone contemplative.

"I have. In London a few years back – the culprit suffered from IED, he wanted to be caught."

"IED?"

It was Garcia who asked, Reid who answered.

"Intermittent Explosive Disorder. It's quite unusual, falls under the category of Impulse Control Disorder… people who suffer from it literally can't help themselves, they just… snap."

Nina nodded in agreement and Morgan looked at her curiously.

"So how did you catch the guy?"

"Eventually… his loss of control increased, his violence escalated to the point where he found it more difficult to hide…His attacks became brutal, and with the brutality it became sloppy – he started leaving clues that he wasn't aware of along with those he left on purpose. It's not a case I'd like to see repeated, to be honest."

"How did it end?"

For the first time, Nina looked up – meeting Morgan's eyes dead on.

"He committed suicide by cop… and he took three agents with him."

The mood around the table dropped immediately and Hotch shook his head, pointedly avoiding Nina's gaze.

"It's not necessarily the same situation. There are a number of possibilities that we can look into – as soon as we're there. Wheels up in thirty."

He nodded once before making his way to the office, a confused Nina looking at the man next to her.

"Wheels up?"

Reid smiled sympathetically, his eyes lingering on her perhaps a second too long.

"We're flying to Texas in half an hour. There's a lot of travel."

Nina slammed her file shut, her lips pursed in an anxious smile.

"Apparently. I'll just… get ready."

She left without another word and Morgan shrugged, his eyes following her as she walked out.

"Strange day."

The rest of the team nodded absently before leaving – each one already busy with thoughts about what awaited them in Texas.