A/N: This story idea sorta snuck up on me and I decided to run with it. It is set in early January of this year.

Chapter 1

Matt Taylor and Aaron Hotchner, in their respective homes, watched the school bus stop in front of their homes, taking their respective students off to school. Both of them kissed their spouse good bye, grabbed their briefcase and head out the door to Quantico and the BAU. At Quantico, Marine One, the green painted helicopter with the white top that served the President of the United States, lifted off.

A little before nine that morning, Matt answered his office phone in his usual manner. "Agent Taylor."

"Good morning Cob; Mat here."

"What's up Chief Cruz?"

"I've tried to call Hotch but his line is busy."

Matt slightly laughed. "He's dealing with an Associate Director. Our last case out, we stepped on the toes of two agents in her division to get our unsub. Hotch is very politely telling her that we occasionally do that to save lives before a serial killer strikes again."

Cruz laughed. "I'm glad it's Hotch and not you doing it."

Matt laughed more. "You know me. I don't do the political bullshit that well. I keep telling Aaron to let Dave handle that."

"Oh god no," Cruz said. They both shared a deep laugh. "Matt does it look like you'll be going out this morning?"

"Aaron or I haven't received any emails from Garcia about possible cases so I think we're all doing our usual FBI drone paperwork today."

Cruz softly laughed. "Usual briefing at ten?"

"That's the plan sir."

"Thanks Matt." The call ended. Matt shook his head, got up out of his desk chair and grabbed his coffee cup, heading for the breakroom.

Reid and Morgan watched Matt pour some decaf coffee and then add his usual amount of milk. "Man, how can you call that a cup of coffee," Morgan asked.

"It's roughly thirty five percent coffee; sixty five percent milk," Reid added.

"Nice job on the simple math Agent," Matt smiled at Reid. "Maybe you should expand your horizons and go for a Master's degree." Morgan smiled with a laugh.

"Very funny," Reid said.

"Doc, basic Marine training. You get taught early and often to shoot at the easiest target. You set yourself up with generic math instead of your usual preciseness; to two decimal points," Matt smiled.

"Yes you did Pretty Ricky," Morgan laughed.

David Rossi, like always, sauntered into the bullpen through the glass doors. Morgan shook his head. "You'd think he owns the place."

Matt smiled at him. "He sorta does." He followed Dave up the steps to Hotch's office. Rossi always stuck his head in Hotch's office if the door was open. Matt pushed Rossi in more and entered as well. He looked at Hotch. "You get the fire put out?"

"What fire," Rossi asked.

"The one you set off Dave," Hotch said.

"You did step pretty had on those two agents' toes on our last case," Matt said.

"God damn right I did. Our profile worked and we found our unsub. I'm not going to play 'let's go easy' because of some damn political connections. Our job is to develop a profile and catch unsubs."

Matt looked at Hotch. "The Big Dog does have a point."

"Which I politely explained to Associate Director Johnson," Hotch said. Dave started to open his mouth. "Damnit Dave; we get your no playing politics. Don't drop the female boss line."

Matt smiled and looked at Hotch. "Since you were on the phone, I got a very cryptic phone call from Cruz." The two senior agents looked at him. "He wanted to know if we had any cases that looked like we might be going out. I gave him my report. And then he asked if we were doing our usual briefing at ten. Four years later and he doesn't know our in office routine?"

"He's upper management kid," Rossi said. "The only routine they know….."

"Is when to take their morning dump," Matt smiled. "I served in the Marines too Dave." They both laughed.

"By the way Hotch, I told Cruz that Dave should be in charge of handling all the political crap of your job." Dave snickered deeply.

Hotch looked across his desk. "You two done?"

Matt looked at Dave and winked. "Hell Hotch, if you'd like I'm pretty sure Big Dog and I could do Abbot and Costello's who's on first routine."

"All over that," Rossi smiled.

"Both of you get the hell out of my office," Hotch growled. The two left, smiling at each other.

Emily grabbed another file off her stack and looked at the two of them. "Needle work done for the morning guys," she laughed. She got two thumbs up from the senior members of the team.

JJ pivoted in her desk chair as Reid sat down in his. "You guys earned your big fancy offices for the day," she smiled. Dave and Matt pointed at her with smiles entering their offices. Prentiss, JJ and Reid shared smiles, digging back into their paperwork.

Fifty minutes later, Cruz walked into the BAU Go Room and unlocked the door for two Secret Service agents to pull it open. Cruz smiled. "Welcome to the BAU Mr. President."

"Good to see you again Chief Cruz," President Obama said. "I'm glad we're finally able to make this work."

"Likewise sir."

"But why meet here," the President asked.

"Because sir, this is the team's Go Room." He waved his hand at the lockers. "Each of these lockers holds a team member's go bag and one personal luggage bag. While it starts with taking a case and their initial briefing, this is really ground zero for the team. From here, they head to the jet and start working the case."

Obama shook his head looking around while taking off his knee length wool winter coat. Cruz took it, opening Matt's locker and hanging the coat on a hook in the door. He showed the President Matt's go bag with his Kevlar, comm equipment and other various items the team put in. "And how many of them are spouses and parents," he asked.

"Four spouses with children sir," Cruz smiled. "One single parent with a teenage son." Obama looked at him. "Agent Prentiss adopted the boy after a case the team had a few years ago that she first met some years back when she was working at Interpol."

The President smiled. "I remember reading about that case. It got some attention on the Hill."

"Just a little sir," Cruz smiled. "Section Chief Strauss did a wonderful job backing the team on that case," he said leading the President out of the lockerroom to the bank of elevators.

"I also read the case file on Chief Strauss' death. That was a nasty one."

"Yes sir it was," Cruz said, pushing an elevator button. "Chief Strauss did a one-eighty in backing this team after SAC Hotchner lost his wife."

"The former Director briefed me on that one as well."

Cruz and the President got on the elevator with two the Secret Service agents. Cruz looked at them. "Just an FYI guys; they are FBI agents and armed. Their weapons will be available."

The lead Secret Service Agent smiled at the President and Cruz. "The jarhead that is the number two in the BAU I've golfed and drank beer with."

Obama smiled at Cruz. "I think we're good Chief." The elevator doors opened on the sixth floor. The Secret Service agents got off first and nodded the President off. Cruz followed him and went to the glass doors.

"Wow, that's impressive," the President commented at the BAU logo etched in the door. Cruz took the President quickly up the steps of the breakroom. His heads down agents in the Bullpen noticed and yet went back to work.

Cruz knocked on the door and opened it to let the President in the room. The team looked at the door, just finishing their usual bullshit session that Hotch allowed. Matt and Dave immediately rose from their chairs, with the team following their lead.

"No agents," Obama said. "Please sit. And I give you my deepest apologies. I've been trying to get down here to meet you all since I took office. But every time my schedule was clear to do it, you all were out on a case." The team still stood up.

"Hence your cryptic phone call kid," Dave whispered at Matt. Hotch and Cruz shook their heads with Cruz smiling as they moved to the Round Table.

"Mr. President, SAC Aaron Hotchner, Unit Chief of the BAU."

Aaron shook his hand. "Welcome to the BAU Mr. President. It's an honor to have your here."

"It's my honor to be here Hotch," Obama smiled, shaking his hand.

Hotch smiled. "This is Assistant SAC Matt Taylor," Hotch said gesturing at Matt.

"An honor to meet your sir," Matt said, shaking the President's hand.

"The honor is mine Colonel," Obama smiled.

Hotch introduced the rest of the team and the President warmly shook their hands, asking a personal question of each. When he got to JJ, he smiled. "Do you have a current picture of your two boys?"

Garcia did two key strokes on her laptop and the latest picture showed up on the large screen in the room. Cruz and the President smiled at the picture. Garcia put up a picture of the growing Hank Morgan next; and then a picture of all the kids together at Dave's holiday party. The President looked at her. Garcia looked at Hotch, nearly mortified. "Your reputation precedes you Agent Garcia," Obama smiled. "The Director gave me the 411. With the excellent work you do backing the team, just keep rocking your look. All Michelle and I ask is that you don't hook up with our daughters," he warmly smiled at her.

"Roger that sir," Garcia smiled. "And thank your sir." The President gave her shoulder a soft touch with his large smile.

"And Mr. President, this is Senior SSA David Rossi; one of the co-founders of the BAU," Hotch smiled. Matt smiled at the team for Hotch introducing Rossi last.

"It's an honor to meet you Agent Rossi," Obama said, shaking his hand.

"The honor is mine sir," Rossi said.

The President looked around the table and then at Cruz. "You weren't wrong about the weapons on display," he said. He smiled at Matt. "My lead agent says you've played golf together. Who won?"

Matt softly laughed. "With all due respect sir; the college kid running around with the beer cart."

The President smiled. "I hear that," he laughed with a point. He turned serious. "But I requested from Chief Cruz to be here in one of your briefings. I'd really like to see how all of you work."

"Take my chair Mr. President," Matt said, gesturing at the one he left. "I think better on my feet, pacing a bit anyway." The President took Matt's chair.

Morgan offered Cruz his chair. Cruz shook his head. "Thanks Derek; I'm like Cob. I think better on my feet."

As the rest of the team took their chairs, Obama looked at Cruz. "Cob?"

Cruz smiled, pointing at Taylor. "Matt is the team's cobra; he's head of tactical and can be quick strike, silently lethal."

"Deeply backed by Agent Morgan," Matt smiled at Derek. Obama nodded at the two men with a smile of understanding.

Hotch looked at Garcia. "Let's get started."

"Oh right sir," she said. She put the first case up on the screen.

"Not this one again Garcia," Rossi said. "I gave the detective my profile. It's a classic case of a son with a narcissist personality due to abuse from his mother. All he needs to do is check juvie records. This unsub will pop out if the detective follows my profile and recommendations."

"I agree with Dave," Matt said. "He sent it up to me as well. This case is just as much about a glory seeking detective that wants the press coverage with the BAU coming in to give him a hand that he doesn't need while we do our usual giving the locals all the credit. He's a lazy ass that wants us to do his job."

"But Sirs Rossi and Taylor, he keeps pounding me over the head," Garcia said.

Hotch looked at Matt. "Ready to do some Marine ass chewing?"

"My pleasure," Matt smiled.

"Woof woof Big Dogs," Prentiss smiled. Hotch shot her his glare.

"Hotch relax," the President said. "I get the humor in dealing with very difficult things. I wanted to see your team in action. This is giving me a real sense of how your team works."

Hotch shook his head. "With all due respect sir, you just opened Pandora's box with my team. They are more than good; they are the best with our tasked job. But sir, they are also the most snarky group you'll ever meet, dealing with what we do. Starting with the Big Dog," Hotch thumbed at Dave, "down to the brightly dressed technical analyst."

The President smiled. "I marvel at all of you and how you handle this job. Obviously a sense of humor is one thing."

The team all looked at Matt. "I am not saying a word."

"Chicken shit," Dave mumbled.

The President laughed, looking at Matt. "You're the buffer between the SAC and the snarks?"

Matt smiled. "No sir, I'm the one that leads the snark parade to get our straight arrow, Feeb poster boy boss to relax a little. And by the way sirs," Matt said looking at the President and then Cruz, "you're not paying me enough for that job." They both laughed along with the team.

Hotch smiled and looked at Penelope. "Garcia, can we get to the next case to show the President what we really do?"

Garcia smiled, clicking the remote over her shoulder. "Yes sir; but I'm not going to look at the pics; I'm just giving you the deets." She laid out the case.

"Who's keeping an eye on this one," Hotch asked.

"I am," JJ said. "Yes, we now have two victims in the Kansas City area. But what I keep bumping into is the period between kills. It was nearly eight months between the first two and now he's gone dormant again and it's been three months with nothing new."

"MO is the same," Rossi said, looking at his tablet.

"Yes Sensei," JJ smiled. "I noticed that." Dave pointed at her.

"He," the President asked.

"Definitely," Prentiss said. "The overkill completely rules out a woman."

"Go Reid," Matt smiled.

"Women are quick, efficient and most importantly, clean killers." He smiled at Rossi. "That is from your first book."

"Thank you Doctor for the plug to POTUS," Dave smiled. Obama did as well.

"But folks," Tara said, "this MO is spot on in both cases. The same type of blitz attack with the same weapon."

"Don't forget the rage in the kill," Reid added. "The first victim had thirty-nine stab wounds; the latest had fifty-six. That is an escalation."

"I'm thinking maybe a reaction killer," Morgan said.

"I'm thinking the same thing," Matt said. Obama looked at Hotch.

"Reaction killers are ones that take a stressor from their day and act out."

"It could be an argument with a wife or girlfriend," Prentiss said.

"It could be anything," Matt said. "A stressor at work; something that happened in line at the grocery store. It's one of the hardest profiles to nail down."

"Especially with the cooling off period and no victimology," Hotch added.

"No victimology," the President asked him.

Hotch shook his head. "The first victim is a black male; the second is a white female."

Reid did his usual speed reading of his old school files. "The male victim though was slightly built; he only weighed one hundred and fifty pounds. And he did have long hair with a pony tail."

"And both victims were dark haired," Matt noted reading more.

Hotch looked at JJ. "How'd we get this case?"

JJ pointed at Garcia. "Pen picked it up through the similarities of the MO via COTIS."

"You haven't heard from the lead detective on this," Hotch questioned. JJ shook her head. "Then all we can do is keep this one on our radar."

Obama looked at him. "You can't do nothing more?"

"No sir; until the BAU gets an invite in by the locals, we cannot nor will not jump into a local case. And this isn't serial yet. There has to be three murders before we classify it as serial." The President looked at him. "The locals don't like the feds jumping into their cases. We don't go until we get an invite; or we notice a case like this one that crosses state lines. Then its federal jurisdiction and we can move in after the third murder."

The team continued the briefing for almost another hour. The President shook his head at the cases he saw. When they finished, the President looked around the table. "How do you learn all this?"

"Mr. President, it starts with Dave and Max Ryan, along with their protégé Jason Gideon that fought to start this Unit," Hotch said. "They believed they could profile serial killers. They've passed that knowledge down being mentors before they developed the curriculum of classes."

"Hotch was my first," Dave smiled. "We worked a case together on the west coast. Aaron was the Seattle field office agent that got assigned to a serial I had been tracking. He knew his stuff. I got him transferred to the Unit. Gideon mentored Morgan and Reid."

Obama looked at Matt. "I took the class load before I entered the Unit eleven years ago. Gideon was supposed to help me. But the two of us never got along. When Rossi rejoined the Unit, I got my mentor," Matt smiled.

The President looked at Emily. "I learned mine through Interpol; namely Agent Clyde Easter who was one of the first internationals that took the classes."

"Max did the Interpol sessions," Rossi said. He smiled. "He got to golf in Ireland on the weekends."

"He just recently passed didn't he," the President asked.

"In the middle of the fourteenth fairway in Arizona with a heart attack," Matt said.

"Just the way he wanted," Rossi commented. Matt pointed at him.

"Dr. Lewis," the President asked.

"I took the class load as part of my PhD. program," she smiled.

The President looked at his watch. He looked at Hotch. "I'd like meet your agents in the Bullpen," he smiled.

Hotch gave his rare smile. "They would be honored to meet you sir; and I'd be honored to introduce them to you. We don't do this by ourselves. They are the true backbone of this unit." The rest all nodded.

Just as Hotch finished the introductions in the Bullpen, delivery people started showing up in the bullpen. There was Chinese, pizzas and two large party sub sandwiches. The President smiled at all of them, including the team now standing in the bullpen. "This is on Michelle and me for the job you do," he smiled. "Dive in."

Everyone looked at Hotch and Matt. "With all due respect sir," Hotch said. "You and your kind wife bought – you're first in line. With our deepest thanks."

"RHIP sir," Matt smiled, waving the bullpen staff to follow the President to the buffet. "At least we'll get Hotch to eat some lunch." His entire BAU team smiled at the comment. The profiling team got in line last.

###

A/N: Abbot and Costello's "Who's on first?' routine is an old comedy routine. That's in black and white. Google or YouTube is your best option. "Needle work" is an expression meaning teasing. "The Hill" is Capitol Hill; meaning the US Capitol to politicians. Capitol Hill in Washington DC is actually a neighborhood around the US Capitol. Just a little tidbit for your next trivia party. ;) "Jarhead" (remember from previous Matt stories) is nickname for a Marine. RHIP is Rank Has Its Privileges.