Sincere Apologies
Chapter 1:
Aaron Hotchner finished up Darrin Call's case summary. He heard a knock at the door. Assuming it was his friend and colleague, David Rossi, he let him in.
"Come in," the unit chief waved him in.
"Aaron, we need to talk," Rossi started.
"Dave, I know what we need to talk about," Hotch argued through gritted teeth.
"Hey, we're not talking as Hotch and Rossi, we're talking as Aaron and David. And, quite frankly what you did was STUPID!"
"Dave, I know that," Hotch replied, edgy.
"No, you don't know that!" Rossi argued, "if it had been Morgan or Prentiss, you would've chewed them out. For God's sake Hotch, are you trying to kill yourself?"
"But Darrin will always be haunted by the memories of his father."
"That's why he's getting help, Aaron. What about Jack? Did you ever think of him?"
Hotch groaned. Rossi struck a nerve and he was right.
"Haley needs you too. We can't save everyone, Aaron."
"I'm sorry," Aaron Hotchner sighed in defeat. This time he meant it, " I wasn't thinking straight. I've been on edge since, since..."
"I know, and we will get Foyet. You don't have to do this alone." Rossi patted Hotch's shoulder.
"Thanks. Oh no!" A realization hit the stoic unit chief.
"What is it?" asked Rossi, ever the concerned friend.
"I snapped at Garcia!"
"Aaron..." Rossi trailed off, trying to be the voice of reason.
"It wasn't her fault she couldn't find the medication. I gotta go!" Hotch scurried out the door.
Meanwhile, Garcia was putting her cookies neatly in a box. She wanted to give them to her boss ever since he got stabbed by that madman, George Foyet. Garcia heard a knock in her office.
"Enter mortal!" she exclaimed.
"Garcia, it's me," stated Hotch.
"Coming sir!" She handed him the box of cookies.
"Garcia, are these cookies all for me?" he asked.
"Yes, they're my grandmother's snicker doodles recipe."
"Garcia, I want to say I'm sorry."
"For what?" Garcia's moth was full of cookies.
"For snapping at you a couple of days ago. I didn't mean to insinuate you weren't good at your job."
"Oh, Hotch, all is forgiven."
"Are you sure?" He knew how fragile the technical analyst was.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Just promise me one thing sir."
"What is that?"
"When we find Foyet, let me do the honors of stabbing him with his own knife! Nobody messes with my bossman and gets away with it!"
"Garcia!" he exclaimed. For someone so light and bubbly, she could tap into that dark side if she got pissed off.
"Then, you must promise me something: Take the cookies. All of them." He gripped her shoulders and made her look at him, "You did all we could ask of you on this case. You didn't miss anything..despite...what I said. You deserve to be on this team. Don't let me or anyone else tell you otherwise. If I do it again, you have every right to speak up."
"Oh, Hotch," she said with a few tears rolling down her eyes, "you won't. I'm sure Rossi gave you a good chewing out though." She chuckled.
"Yeah he did."
"Are you coming over to Rossi's tonight? The team is going to have a little cookout."
"No, I'm sorry. I can't be there. There's one more person I need to apologize to."