He was tired, bone tired. San Fransico had taken it out of him. For once not even he had stayed to do paperwork. All he wanted was to go home to his fiancee. She would make him feel better. She always did.

He opened the door, and immediately felt safe and happy. The room was warm, not temperature wise, emotionally warm.

Haley walked into the living room a smile on her face. "Aaron. It's good you're home. Come on." She said taking a hold of his arm, she led him outside. She started removing her clothing. Hotch just stood there. "Are you going to join me, or do you want to satnd there all night?"

Hotch smiled and started removing his clothes. Naked they climbed into the hot tub. Haley glided over to Hotch. She kneaded his tired muscles.

Hotch let out a satisfied groan. He looked back. "Tell me about your day."

"Smith cast me again. I'm going to be Li'l Bit from "How I Learned to Drive"."

"That's an intense play. Is he going to have closed rehearsals for the rape scenes?"

"At the start yeah. It'll just be him, me, the guy playing Uncle Peck, and the stage manager."

"It's good you're working with Smith again. It will be good to have someone you trust at the beginning. Do you know who your costar is?"

"No. ... You don't mind me working with Smith again?"

"No. Why would I?"

"Well ..."

"Oh. You mean the fact that he is love with you. I haven't cared this entire time. Why would I start now? So he loves you. It just shows he's a smart guy. How could he not love you?

Haley smiled. Hotch fell silent. Melencholy settled over him.

Haley felt him tense up again. "Was it bad?"

"Yeah it was a bad one." He didn't elaborate. He never did. It wasn't a world he wanted her to see. The fact that he had to see it was bad enough. He wanted to keep it away from her.

"Is that why you're home so soon?"

"What are you disappointed?"

"A little. Usually after a case you spend a couple of hours doing paperwork. I had the milkman coming over in a little while."

"Sorry to disappoint you. I can always go out, He only need like what five minutes and then he's done? I could come back, finish what he started."

"Or you could stay. Be here from start to finish."

"I got to admit I like that idea better." He leaned and kissed her. His hand ghosting over her nipples.

/

Later after they had finished. Hotch held her in the water. He didn't say anything just held onto taking comfort in the fact that she was there and alive, and that he could touch her.

She didn't say anything for a long time. She knew this was more than just enjoying the afterglow, she knew he needed to do this. He didn't talk about the cases. She knew he was trying to protect her. That his world was a Pandora's box, and once you opened it the evils would be released forever, and she would never unleanr the horrors. But sometimes she wished she knew what he was going through. It was hard to help him, when she didn't know what was wrong.

Finally she broke the silence. "It was a really bad one wasn't it?"

He was silent for a few moments. Moments that stretched, and felt a lot longer than they actually were. "It feels good to hold you. To have you close. To be able to touch you."

She tuned and straddled him "I wish you didn't have to go through this. ... Maybe you could transfer out. Get a desk job."

"You want me to leave the BAU?"

"I don't want you to suffer. I can see what this world does to you. It eats you up inside." She put her hand on his face. "I just want what's best for you."

He smiled at her. He hoped the smile was comforting. But he was too tired to be sure. "This is what's best for me. This, what I do. It's who I am. Like acting is for you. You could be a director, and it would be fine. But you wouldn't be happy, because you are an actor. It's that one thing that makes you happy to work. That's what this job is for me."

She kissed him. "Ok. If that's what you want. But I think we should revisit this conversation again when we decide to start a family. Your hours suck. I can deal with it a lot better than most people since my hours as an actress aren't the best either. But if we want to have a family, I going to have to take less jobs, or maybe start directing or teaching. You don't want to miss all of your kid's life because you were chasing some bad guy in who-knows-where."

Hotch nodded. He hadn't thought of that. He would want to be there for his kid. He wanted to be there every step of the way. Granted he could show up once a week, give his kid a pat on the head, say "Good job," and still be a million times better parent than either of his parents. But he wanted to be a great parent. He would rather not be a parent at all, than be a bad parent. And what kind of parent would he be if he was never there for his kid?

Haley cupped his face in her hands. "Hey, you don't have to worry. You are going to be a great parent. You're not going to be anything like your parents."

Hotch nodded.

"Come on we have some wedding details to talk over."

They got out, dried off, and put on some clothes, and then walked into the living room. Hotch looked at the large white folder that had all of the details, thoughts, and ideas for the wedding. "Do you really want my help with this? Or do you you just want to throw ideas at me, and have me agree with whatever?"

"No. I want your opinion."

Hotch was skepical, but why not? "All right if you say so. Just remember it was your idea, later when you're mad at me because I don't want to do what you want to do."

"That won't happen sweetie. In the end you and I both know that you don't care that much and you're just going to go along with whatever sounds good. What did you say the first time we talked about this? My idea for a dream wedding would be on the beach at sunset. I would wear a simple dress of whatever color I wanted, you would be wearing a shirt and pants no tie. Our friends and family would be there. And there would be flowers although you weren't sure what flowers. But outside of that the rest didn't really matter to you as long as I was happy."

"Yeah that sounds about right. So again, what do you need from me?"

"Don't you want to be a part of the decision process. It's your wedding too?"

"Yes it is, but no offense, I haven't been planning this since I was five. I always figured I would show up, wear my tux, say my vows or 'I do', kiss the bride, and go on the honeymoon."

"Men," Haley said, shaking her head.

"What? Ask any guy. Well, any straight guy. They don't care about the details. All that matters is they show up, don't make a fool of themselves, and they marry a hot bride. And you my dear are so hot." He said with a smile as he crossed the distance between them, wrapped her in his arms, and kissed her.

"You do have a way with words."

After a few minutes they stopped kissing. Haley moved back to the folder. "Well if nothing else we should talk about the guest list. Is there anyone you want to invite?"

"Sean. Obviously. Uh... Our friends. ... The team."

"Are you going to invite her too?"

Hocth took in a intake of breath through the teeth. "Would you mind?"

"Look she's not my favorite person. But that's not what's important. The question is do you want her there? After everything, do you want her at our wedding? I don't want anything like what happened at her wedding."

"That won't happen."

"Do you want her there?"

Hotch could hear the fear in her voice. He could see the slight tremble. He stepped forward and enveloped her in a tight hug. "Hey. You don't have to worry abut her. I'm with you. I'm happy with you. I'm marrying you."

"You still have her tattoo." The words weren't cold or malicious. They were stating a fact that's all.

"... ... ... The tattoo is more than just about her. She is my past." He looked into her eyes. "You are my future."

Haley nodded. "You still haven't answered the question. Do you want her there?"

Hotch thought about it. Do I want her there? Do I want to put her through what I went through? How arrogant is that? She doesn't feel anything for me like I did for her. Do I want to put Haley through anything. This is supposed to be the happiest day of her life. "No. We don't have to invite her."

"Is she going to be hurt?"

"I doubt it. We are just collegues now. What we once felt for each other is gone. It's just ashes now."

"Ok. I think that's enough wedding talk. Let's go to bed."

"That sounds like a good idea."

A/N Let me know what you think, review.