Off the map – Chapter Three
Rating: T
Twenty minutes later Hotch and Meunier walked out of his office to the elevator. The rest of the BAU team was working at their desks. When the two men walked past, all eyes were on them.
"I hope I was able to help you, Agent Hotchner." Meunier said when the elevator doors opened.
"We'll see. But thank you for coming by."
"No problem."
Meunier stepped inside the elevator.
The two men nodded at each other and the elevator doors closed.
Hotch took a moment before he turned around.
He hadn't given any definite answer about what he would do yet, but considering what JJ had told him and what he had heard from Meunier, and most of all what his own gut was telling him, he knew he was going to join Easter and Meunier.
He walked back to the BAU office. Morgan, Reid and Garcia were standing next to Reid's desk. They all looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and anxiety. They knew something was going on. Sooner or later he had to talk to them, but for now he just walked past them with a stern face. There was not much he could tell them anyway and the rest he had to figure out for himself first.
He went straight to his office and closed the door behind him. If he wanted to go, there were things to sort out and arrangement to be made. He picked up the phone and dialed the familiar number.
"Hello"
"Hi Jessica, it's Aaron."
"Is anything wrong?"
"No, everything is fine, but listen, there is something I would like to talk to you about tonight."
"Sure, how about you and Jack come over for dinner?"
"Great. See you later then."
"Bye".
He could only do this, if Jessica would take care of Jack. She always took care of his son when he had to go out of town for a case, but this was different. This time he would probably be gone for a few weeks.
He looked around his office. Morgan would have to step in as team leader. Hotch had no doubts that Morgan could do it. He had proven that before. He picked up a file from his desk. There were lots of things he needed to go through and finish before he could go, but at least, he didn't need to give Morgan the crash course on how to run the BAU this time.
At 4 p.m. Rossi came to Hotch's office. When he walked in he suspiciously eyed the file boxes Hotch had put out on the floor.
"I had a fantastic burrito for lunch, how about you?" he asked, fully aware that Hotch hadn't left his office for a lunch break.
"I had coffee." Hotch answered simply.
"Good substitute for food I hear."
"I have a lot to do."
"That I can see." Rossi gestured to the file boxes and papers that Hotch had piled up on the couch.
"Anything I can help you with?"
"No, thanks."
"Okay then." Rossi said, but didn't leave.
"Aaron, is there anything you want to talk about."
"No. How about you? Anything you want to talk about with me?"
Once more Rossi looked at him suspiciously. What did Hotch have in mind?
"No."
"Good."
"I guess I leave you to whatever you are doing here then."
"Dave, I know you are looking out for this team...and me, and I want you to know that I appreciate it. I know you will... " Hotch started, but didn't finish. He had been about to say be there for them when I'm gone. Instead he repeated:
"I appreciate it."
"You're welcome." Rossi said, puzzled by Hotch's words. He had suspected, that something fishy was going on before, but now he was sure.
For a second day in a row Hotch was the first to leave. When he had said his good-byes to Rossi, Dave had asked him if he had time for a drink before he had to go, but Hotch declined by saying that he was expected at Jessica's.
Jack had been thrilled to see his Dad come to pick him up from his day care instead of his babysitter or Jessica. He talked non-stop on the way to Jessica's house. Hotch only got a view words in. He silently savored this small moment of bliss.
As promised Jessica had cooked dinner for them. Since her husband Noah, was out of town, it was only the three of them. From the glances she gave him during the meal, Hotch could tell she was curious about what he wanted to talk about. After dinner Hotch allowed Jack to watch some cartoons giving him and Jessica room to talk.
When he and Jessica where alone in the kitchen loading the dish washer, he started to explain, what was on his mind.
"A friend of mine is currently in a complicated situation. She has to hide from someone who wishes her ill."
"Ex-husband?" Jessica asked.
"No. It's work related."
"Criminal then." Jessica knew what Hotch did for a living. It wasn't hard to guess that his friend would be law enforcement as well.
"Yes. Now yesterday I was asked join a team,that is going after the man."
"Go on."
"The problem is, I would have to go out of town for a while."
"How long?"
"I don't know. Maybe only some days, maybe weeks."
They sat down at the kitchen table.
"I don't know what to do." Hotch continued. "I want to help my friend, but I have to think about Jack first."
"He could stay with us, if that's what you're worried about." Hotch gave her a questioning look.
"Really. It wouldn't be a problem. I love Jack and Noah loves him too."
"It's not just that. I don't want Jack to feel abandoned. I don't want him to think, that I just go away and leave him here. I don't want him to think there is anything more important to me than him." Once more Hotch felt guilty just thinking about leaving his son for more than a week.
"I'm not going to lie and tell you that Jack wouldn't have a problem with it. He loves you just as much as you love him, of course he will be sad to not have you around."
Seeing how hangdog Hotch looked Jessica continued "But, I know you. You would feel miserable, if you didn't help your friend. You would blame yourself. My advice: talk to Jack. He is not a baby anymore. Explain to him that you are going to help a friend. Because that's what friends do for each other."
Hotch nodded. Jessica was right. He would feel guilty for leaving Jack, but on the other hand felt that he owed it to Emily to help her. She had become a good friend for him. Especially after Foyet had attacked him, she had gone out of her way to be there for him. He couldn't just ignore that, even when he currently had mixed feelings about her actions before her disappearing. He made a decision to talk to Jack later.
A good moment came, when Jack and Hotch where lying in Jack's bed later that night. Hotch had just read a story to his son and had put the book on the nightstand.
"Hey buddy, there is something I want to talk to you about. You and Marty are good friends, right?"
"Yes! He's my best friend!"
"Daddy has friends, too. You know, like Dave."
"Yes. I like Dave."
"One of my friends needs my help. You would help Marty if he has a problem, right?"
"Yes. I helped him find his soccer shoes, when he couldn't find them."
"You see, friends help each other. That's why I'm going to help my friend. But I have to go away for that for while."
"Like when you're working a case?"
"No, it's going to be longer?"
"Can't you help your friend from here?"
"I wish I could."
"But I don't want you to go!" Jack whined.
"I know. And I promise I will be back as soon as I can."
"You have to help your friend really, really fast, daddy."
"I try. And when I get back, I'm going to take some time off of work and we will do something together, something you can choose. How's that? While I'm gone you can think about what you want to do and when I get back you tell me."
"Okay."
"Good. Time to sleep now."
Hotch tugged the little boy in and kissed him good night.
"I love you, daddy."
"I love you too, buddy."
When Hotch arrived at the office the next morning, the first thing he did was to call JJ. He told her that he had given the offer some thought and that he had decided to do it, but only on his own terms. She was okay with it and would start on the necessary paper work right away. She would also make contact with Easter
Hotch got the text message twenty minutes later. Easter wanted to meat at a close by coffee shop at noon. It gave Hotch some more time to wrap things up at the BAU.
This time it was Hotch who was waiting for Easter. Easter scanned the room and when he spotted Hotch sitting on one of the tiny tables he acknowledged him and went to the counter to place an order.
Hotch wondered it Easter was ordering tea, but knew better. Easter might be British, but in this businesses you could only roll on coffee. Hotch remembered that Reid liked to drink tea, but then Reid was Reid. One of a kind.
Easter came over and sat across from Hotch. Drinking coffee, black.
"So here we are again, "he started.
"Cut the BS, Easter. If you want this to work, you better show me why JJ thought you'd be the right man for this. Here's the deal. I'm willing to join your team. I want to catch Doyle and get him behind bars again. You've got a hunch where Doyle is? It better be right, 'cause I'm only giving this three month. We don't have Doyle then, I'm out. Are we clear about that?"
"Very clear."
"Good." Hotch got up.
"I have to get back to the office."
"We're leaving tomorrow. I sent you the flight details." Hotch was about to leave when Easter asked:
"It is about you son, isn't it? The time limit?"
"If you had children, you wouldn't have to ask."
Hotch took some steps to the door, when Easter called once more.
"Hey Hotchner!" Hotch turned around.
"You don't need to bring these" Easter gestured to Hotch's black suit and tie.
Hotch didn't bother with a response. He just walked out.
When Hotch got back to the office, Strauss had left him a message that she wanted to see him. He went to her office and they had a short talk. She had gotten the message that his services were requested for a special operation, but that was all she had gotten. When she talked to him, she was clearly pissed off about being kept in the dark, but there was nothing she could do. Hotch explained, that he didn't know how long he would be gone, that Morgan would be team leader and that he would tell the team right away. Since there was nothing more to say, he went to the BAU office. He told everyone to be in the conference room in five minutes.
The whole team was waiting for him, when he walked in. They expected that they had a new case, but when Hotch walked in without a case file in his hand, they knew this meeting was about something else.
"Thank you for coming." He sat down. "Something urgent has come up. I told you about that other offices might be interested in your services."
"Oh my god! Someone is leaving!" Garcia burst out. The team exchanged apprehensive looks and then turned to Hotch, anticipating him to deny Garcia's surmise. They where quite surprised, when he said instead:
"You are right Garcia."
"But, who...?"Reid asked baffled.
"Me. I was asked to join a special operation. It classified, so there is not much I can tell you. What I can tell is, that this is only temporary. Morgan, you will be team leader in the meantime."
"But Sir, you said, you would stay!" Garcia said accusingly.
"I know, but I didn't know about this assignment then."
"It must be something pretty important, otherwise I can't see you giving up the BAU" Rossi observed.
"It is."
"When are you going to leave?" Morgan asked.
"Tomorrow."
"That's quite _ short notice!" Morgan called.
"I know. But I know you will be able to handle it."
The door opened and JJ stepped in. Now everyone besides Hotch was getting really confused.
"If everything works out, you will understand eventually. But for now, you have to trust me, that this is in the interest of everyone in this room.
Hotch looked at JJ. "Should I...?"
"Yes. Go ahead."
"Since the team will be one profiler short, there will be a new profiler on the team. Thanks to Dave it will be someone you know."
Hotch looked at JJ and smiled. Morgan and Garcia understood right away. Only Reid was not picking up on what was implied.
"Who?" he asked confused.
"Me, Spencer. I'm coming back." JJ said and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"I have some things to take care of, but I hope to make the transfer in the next two weeks." JJ looked in everyone's face,
"Okay. That's all." Hotch got up from the table.
"Morgan, I need to talk to JJ now, but I would like to talk to you about what you need to know, while I'm gone later."
"Sure."
Hotch and JJ walked over to Hotch's office. When the door was closed, Hotch asked:
"You think they are okay with this?"
"Sure. Taken aback, but okay."
"How about you? Are you okay?"
"Yes.
They talked some more about Hotch's mission and JJ joining the team. When they were done, JJ went to talk to the rest of the team, while she sent Morgan in to Hotch.
When Hotch left that night to go home he knew his team would be fine. It was one thing he wouldn't need to worry about. There were enough other things to keep him awake. Would Jack be okay? Could he work with Easter? Could they get a hold of Doyle? One thing so only appeared to him when he was sitting on the plane the next day: What would it be like to see Emily again?