Chapter 4: Be that way

"His name was Paul," Rossi heard whispering among the team as he silently approached the bullpen hearing Reid, Morgan and Garcia talking animatedly. "Hotch was in the shower, and Paul has a room there, Jack calls him Uncle Paul," Rossi heard snippets of the conversation as his approach was noticed before everyone grew silent.

"Am I interrupting something?" He asked, noticing the guilty looks as they nervously exchanged glances just as JJ and Blake returned to the table.

"We figured out Hotch's secret. You probably already knew I'll bet?" Morgan announced, electing himself spokesman of the group as he looked at Rossi. "About Paul," he clarified seeing the senior profilers look of confusion.

"Guys, seriously, we leave you alone for fifteen minutes and now you're telling Reid and Rossi, why not put a notice in the office newsletter." JJ groused as she took her seat, letting her frustration at the obvious failure of the team to respect Hotch's privacy. All she earned for her trouble was a couple guilty looks before gazes shifted back to Rossi.

"It's really not that unusual for gay men to get married and have a family, either exploring their urges in secret or repressing them until a time they feel safe to do so," Reid broke the silence that had begun as he shared his own insight into the speculation that was brewing.

"Paul?" Rossi said slowly as he tried to put the pieces together. "You guys met Paul then?" He asked, continuing to move slowly so as to not give anything away.

"See I told you he already knew." Garcia taunted Derek as she turned back to Rossi. "Yes, he seems like a very nice young man, all we want is for Hotch to be happy, we don't care what he does in his private life." She assured him, hoping Rossi might be the vessel to convey the message back to Hotch.

Rossi listened as the story tumbled out along with various statements of acceptance from the team before finally holding up a hand to indicate he wanted to speak. "I think I should tell you all just a little more about Paul," He began as Hotch began to descend the stairs just in time to hear his colleagues words, a glower instantly forming on his face as he stared down his friend.

"Hey Hotch I was just getting ready to tell the team…" Rossi had stopped and turned when he heard his friends approach.

"I heard, my office Dave, now!" Hotch said as he turned, obviously angry as Rossi followed him.

The team watched through the blinds in morbid fascination as the men obviously argued, imagining Hotch's anger at thinking of having his confidence betrayed.

"Does the word confidential mean anything to you Dave?" Hotch spoke quietly but intensely as he narrowed his eyes at his friend.

"Yes, but I thought the team should know who Paul is, since Blake met him, they're a little confused." Rossi said diplomatically not sure how his friend would take the news of how they had assembled the pieces.

"If they have any questions they can come to me but I don't want you to tell them about him, that's not for you to tell?" Hotch ground out in his most fierce supervisor tone as Rossi nonchalantly raised an eyebrow.

"So that's how you want to play it," Rossi thought, nonplussed and just a little offended at the response he was getting. He felt a little of his own ire raise, not used to being treated like a rookie agent by his longtime friend. "Fine Hotch, I won't say another word." He agreed smoothly as he rose and moved towards the door in a conciliatory nature, hiding the smile threatening to form as he imagined watching the drama that was sure to unfold.

AN: Thanks as always for the reviews and feedback, I know the chapters are short but hopefully posting frequency makes up for that.