Payment
Chapter 1
Sean

I don't believe an accident of birth makes people sisters or brothers. It makes them siblings, gives them mutuality of parentage. Sisterhood and brotherhood is a condition people have to work at. ~Maya Angelou

Bending carefully, he picked up a chair that had escaped the destruction. He stood it upright and sat on it, nursing his bruised ribs. He felt sick with worry and fear. These men meant business, and when they said they would break his legs next time, he didn't doubt it.

He bent down with a groan and picked up the telephone. He dialled Linda, and tried to catch his breath while he listened to the ring tone. He hoped that she hadn't left yet.

'Linda...' he said as she answered the phone.

'Hey Blondie, what's so urgent that it couldn't wait until I got there?' the voice on the end of the phone said.

'Actually, Lin, I'm not feeling very well. Can I put you off tonight? I'll see you tomorrow instead.'

'If you're sick, let me come over and be your nurse. I promise you'll like it. I have a terrific bedside manner.'

'No don't come. It..... erm ...... might be catching. I'll call you tomorrow.' He hated to lie to her, but he didn't want her frightened

'Ok if you're sure. I love you.'

'Love you too, Lin. Bye.'

Sean put the phone down and dropped it on the floor. How the hell was he going to handle this?

He had bought the premises and converted it into a restaurant only three months before in what Linda described as pre-gentrified. Less charitable folk might have called it a slum. But Sean worked hard, and two months ago, he had opened the restaurant to front page banners in the local rag. It was his dream come true, until the gang started to demand money off him.

He had no money – every cent had gone into the business.

He stood up slowly and lifted his tee shirt, and studied the reflection in the broken mirror behind the counter. His ribs were red and beginning to show fist marks. Resignedly, he began to pick up the wreckage of his restaurant and wonder what the hell he was going to do.

-0-0-0-

Hotch absently rubbed at his leg while he looked through the reports of the last case. It was the only one since he had been back at work and the BAU was reinstated. His leg still hurt where he had been shot, but he wasn't about to let that stop him working. He was finally breathing through his nose now the swelling had gone down, and all the stitches were out.

He stood up and walked around his desk on the pretext of watching his team through the window. In fact he was stopping his leg from seizing up, something it did if he was still for too long.

He watched Reid. When they had both been so ill, Reid had told him that he was in love with him. Hotch had explained to him that that kind of love was not possible with him, but he had needed the comfort and so had let Reid hold him.

Since they had been out of hospital and back at work, though, Reid had kept his distance. Hotch was glad of that, although he was a little confused by it. He could only assume it was because there was never going to be the same in return. But he did catch Reid looking st him sometimes, and it broke his heart that he couldn't return the love he was getting.

Reid glanced up and caught his eye and as if as a punishment, he felt his thigh go into a spasm, and he grimaced as he tried to walk back to his desk. He hoped that this pain wasn't going to be permanent; it was too damned inconvenient.

Dave knocked on his door and he tried to walk back to his seat without limping.

'Come in.'

'I've got the rest of the paperwork, Aaron.......Is that leg still playing you up?'

Nothing got past Dave. Hotch was slightly irritated.

'It's fine.' he lied, reaching out for the files that Dave had brought in to him. Dave didn't say anything else. He just resolved to keep a close eye on his boss. Aaron could be stubborn sometimes, especially when it came to things that affected his fitness for work. There again, Dave knew he would never put his team mates in danger.

Hotch's phone rang, and Dave left.

'Hotchner.'

'Aaron, it's Sean. I need your help.'

-0-0-0-

Aaron put the phone down and called Dave, asking him to pop back to his office. When Dave arrived, Hotch told him about Sean.

'He's scared and needs help. I said I'd go up and face off these men, but I sure could do with your back up, Dave if you could come with me...........?'

'Are we driving?' Dave smiled. Hotch knew he could rely on Dave.

Hotch nodded. 'Would you drive, Dave? My leg is........'

Dave caught the keys out of the air and the two men went down into the bull pen to tell Morgan that they were off on a trip, and he was in charge. Morgan smiled happily.

Dave and Hotch took the elevator down to the car park, and they got in Hotch's own car, Dave in the driving seat. They had enough time to drive to Sean's Restaurant, or what was left of it. Hotch put a CD on and relaxed back to enjoy the ride.

-0-0-0-

Sean piled all the smashed furniture behind the bar, and what had escaped the fury of the visitors, he spread out in the space. He replaced the flowers and table cloths, but he decided not to open the doors tonight. He called his waitresses and put them off, and told the trainee chef not to come in.

Then he went upstairs to his little flat and ran a hot bath. As he sank into the steaming water, he thought about how good Aaron was, dropping everything and driving up to him. He really meant the apology he gave him after their argument at Quantico. He was a good older brother.

Sean hoped that the FBI badge would be enough to send the visitors away permanently.

He had a tiny spare room which he made up for himself, and got his own room ready for Aaron. Then he sat down stairs in the restaurant to wait for his brother. He was way too fired up to go to bed, and he wanted to be ready if anything else happened. They said that they were coming back for the money tomorrow just before opening. That gave Aaron about twenty hours to get there.

Sitting there in the darkness thinking of what he had got himself into scared him all over again. He realised that he had been relying on Aaron again, just as he had all the time they were growing up. If Sean was in trouble, Aaron sorted it out.

He remembered all the times he had been beaten by their Dad because he had taken the punishment for him. It felt as if it was happening all over again.

He went into the kitchen and looked around. At least they hadn't touched it. That was the heart of the restaurant. If they had trashed the kitchen, Sean thought that he would have given up.

He sat in the tiny office and watched some TV to pass the time, and imagined Aaron driving through the night to save his arse........ yet again.

-0-0-0-

'I know about Reid.'

Hotch looked at Dave in surprise. 'How do you know?'

'I'm a profiler, Aaron.'

'Is it that obvious?'

'Reid wears his heart on his sleeve, Aaron. It should be obvious to the whole team.'

Hotch went quiet, worrying about the young profiler.

'He'll be all right though, Aaron. You can stop worrying about him. He's stronger than he looks.'

Hotch smiled across at his friend. He was glad to have Dave with him.

They were just driving into the city. Hotch got out the Sat Nav and entered the zip code. As they drove into the part of the city where Sean lived, Hotch frowned.

'Dave this is awful. How could he have come to live here?'

'From what you've told me, he's very independent.'

'Yes, and that's what worries me. It must be bad for him to call me.'

'Here we are.' Dave said, pulling up into the four car car park along side the restaurant. 'Let's go and see what's happened.'

-0-0-0-

Sean froze when the door knocked. He thought it was probably Aaron, but he was nervous about opening the door.

'Who is it?' Sean called through the door.

'It's Aaron.' Hotch called back. 'Are you going to let us in?'

Sean opened the door and Aaron and Dave stepped into the little restaurant.

'Sean,' Aaron said, 'this is Dave. He's here to help.'

'Thank you for coming all this way, Aaron.' Sean gave his brother a tear filled smile. 'I really need your back up.'

'What time are they coming?' Dave asked.

'You have a few hours. How are you wanting to play this?'

Hotch was looking around. 'You let them in, we'll stay out of sight and we'll come out when needed. Don't let on we're here. We have the element of surprise.

Sean showed the two agents to the bedrooms. It was nice to have a few hours sleep before the confrontation. they needed to be fresh. Hotch and Dave both laid on the tops of the beds, fully dressed and armed, ready in case they turned up earlier, which was quite likely. Hotch massaged his leg to get the circulation going. It was stiff and painful after the long drive. But it wasn't long before both men were asleep.

-0-0-0-

'Aaron, wake up. There's a car just pulled up outside. I think it's them.'

Instantly alert, Hotch woke Dave and they went down stairs to where they had planned to wait. Out of sight but able to see everything that was going on. Sean looked back at them, and went to wait by the door.

Sean waited until they were hammering on the door, and then with shaking hands he unlocked the door. The door was forced open and Sean stepped back as they entered. There were four men, armed with baseball bats and clubs. Two of them grabbed Sean and another pressed his face close to his.

'Do you have the money?'

'Please, just give me more time.......please!'

'Ok, do him over.'

'Oh god, please don't hurt me!' Sean cowered in the grip of the two men holding him.

'I don't think so.' Hotch said, stepping out of his hiding place, his gun in one hand, his badge in the other. Dave followed him. They pointed the guns straight at the man who was about to smash Sean with the club he was carrying.

'Who the hell are you?'

'I am Special Agent Aaron Hotchner, and this is Special Agent David Rossi. I am Sean's brother, and I don't think you want to do him over really, do you?' Hotch said. 'Drop your weapons, and leave now.'

There was a clatter as they dropped the weapons they were carrying, and they backed out of the door.

'This isn't over!'

Sean closed and bolted the door the second they were outside.

Dave and Hotch lowered their glocks.

'You were wonderful!' Sean enthused. 'Although you did leave it until I thought they were going to kill me! Thank you, Bro, thank you David. I so appreciate that.'

'Don't get too excited, Sean. They said it wasn't over. they will be back, you can be sure of that. And now that have the element of surprise, as we have no idea when.'

'Let me get you a drink each.' he said, pouring scotch into three glasses. Dave, Sean and Aaron sat on the high bar stools and sipped their drinks. Sean was happy. Dave and Hotch were very worried.

This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.