Protect This House

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds. Totally wish I did. But Unfortuantelt it belongs to CBS. I just like the use it as a plaything.

This is our house. Everything you have trained for your entire life has prepared you for this moment. It's us versus them. All they wanna talk about is how big they are.

Who is gonna protect this house?

-UnderArmour

"Haley, I have to go. This is my job now. No more nine to five. Okay, I'm sorry. You knew this was coming," Aaron said packing his Go bag.

"I don't understand why you would leave Crisis Negotiations and SWAT behind for this? How long are you gonna be gone?" Haley asked following him back and forth across the room.

"I'll be back when this case is over. I don't know how long that'll be. A couple days, a week, maybe." Aaron Hotchner zipped up his duffel and head over to the nightstand and punched the number code into the safe and removed his gun and holstered it. "I promise I'll be back sooner than you think. Everything will be back to normal."

"Everything was normal when you were in Crisis Negotiations. Everything was normal when you worked for the D.A. This… Aaron, this isn't normal!"

"You'll get used to it, and it will feel normal." He kissed her forehead. "I need to go. Stay safe. I promise you'll get used to it." He walked out of the bedroom and down the steps to the front door.

Haley stood there for a second before chasing after him, stopping at the top of the steps. "Aaron!"

He turned around and looked up at her.

"I'm scared," she said "Who's going to protect this house?"

"It'll be okay. Nothing will happen. I promise," he said, and turned around and walked out the front door.

FBI Headquarters

Quantico, Virginia

"So, Hotchner, how'd the little lady take the news?" asked Jason Gideon.

Hotch sighed. "Not well, but better than I expected."

"Well, FYI, the BAU isn't exactly known for making happy families. C'mon. We got a plane catch."

Aaron Hotchner sat on the plane staring out the window, he glanced over at Gideon reading some Salinger novel. "Hey, Gideon, what did you mean by the BAU isn't known for making happy families?"

"Look around you Hotch. You don't mind if I call you Hotch?" Gideon said peering over his glasses. "Rossi, over there, is on marriage number three. Struass, her and her husband barely even talk to each other. Ryan, his wife left him fifteen years ago. Johnson, his fiancée is afraid to marry him, and me well, Sophie left me a long time ago. Long story short, if you really want your marriage to work, you better either have a very understanding wife or get the hell outta her quick."

"Haley's not like that. She'll start to understand. Even if she doesn't right now, she will. Haley and I love each other."

"For your sake, Hotch, I hope so."

Hotch returned to looking out the window, Haley's voice running through his head.

When are you coming home? This isn't normal! I'm scared…