Chapter 10
The next morning, the whole team was a little worried. They knew what was going on with Hotch and they were going to try their hardest to get used to the new Hotch, but they weren't prepared for who came into the bullpen. Hotch was actually smiling as he walked through the glass doors. Morgan and Garcia were next to JJ and them. They all exchanged glances as they watched their unit chief walk to his office. "Well he doesn't look mad to me," Garcia told them with a smile.
"Yeah, but Hotch smiling to himself is even more creepy than him scowling," JJ told them.
"Maybe he had a good morning," Blake mused.
"Remember what Rossi said. We're not supposed to compare him to the old Hotch," Reid pointed out.
"I'm not. I'm comparing him to yesterday," JJ told him.
"Well, let's just play it by ear and see how the day goes before any of us make any decisions. Hell, it might take him several days to actually figure out how he really wants to act around us. Let's all just play it cool," Morgan told them as he headed back to his office.
"If he smiles more, I think I'll like new Hotch more," Garcia told them with a smile and headed to her office.
Rossi noticed them and realized Hotch had made it in. He got up to go see how Hotch was feeling. He knocked on Hotch's opened door once and walked in without waiting for an answer. Rossi knew that Hotch had gotten over the anger. He watched him pick up the day's case file. "Wow. You actually look rested," Rossi told him with a smile.
"Yeah, I actually slept for six hours last night."
"So, how are you feeling?"
"I'm good, Dave."
"You'd tell me if you weren't?"
Hotch looked up from the file and locked eyes with Rossi. "Yes, Dave. I will tell you when I think I need a break," Hotch told him honestly.
Rossi nodded and smiled again. "Alright, I'll see you in the conference room," Rossi told him and left Hotch's office. JJ, Reid, and Blake all saw the smile on Rossi's face as he went back to his own office.
At 9:00 they had their case meeting and they were headed to Ohio. A serial rapist was wreaking havoc and they needed the BAU's help. They were only gone three days, and Hotch was fine until the trip home. Rossi noticed Hotch getting a little antsy, so he went over to sit beside him. "You ok?"
Hotch glanced over at him. "Yeah. I think so. I just feel like I have too much pent up energy."
"But you're not mad?"
"No, not yet."
"Is it coming?"
"I don't know. This is something new. Jesus Christ, Dave, what the hell else is gonna happen to me?" Hotch asked as his leg started bouncing rapidly.
"I wish I knew the answer to that, I really do," Rossi told him sincerely. He leaned closer to Hotch. "You think a drink would help? I still have that bottle hidden in the galley."
Hotch chuckled. "It might. I guess it couldn't hurt. I feel like a kid on a sugar high."
Rossi patted him on the leg. "I'll go get it."
The team looked worriedly at Rossi as he walked past, but his look told them that Hotch was alright. He filled a red plastic cup about half way full. He knew the team would guess what was in it, but it was still better then openly flaunting it. He handed Hotch the cup and he downed it. "Jesus Christ, Aaron," Rossi said quietly.
Hotch had always sipped his scotch before. Damn it, stop comparing him to before, Dave. Hotch sucked in a deep breath to help alleviate the burn in his chest. "Thanks," Hotch told him with a tilt of his head.
Rossi wondered what Hotch been drinking since his accident to make him able to chug the scotch so easily. "No problem." Within fifteen minutes Hotch seemed to relax. "Better?"
"Yeah."
"You picking up Jack on the way home?"
"Yep."
"Good." Rossi knew that if Hotch was picking up Jack, than Hotch was truly feeling alright.
XXX
Two days later, they got a case right in DC. There were several deadly carjackings that the police needed help with. The team drove their SUV's out to the scenes and the police station. They had one suspect in custody but he wasn't giving them anything to help find the other man who had been his partner. JJ joined Hotch in the interrogation room. Since Hotch was seen as such a bad ass by the unsubs he had dealt with since his accident, JJ decided she'd play the sympathetic mom role. After Hotch scared the shit out of the guy and left the room, JJ moved in and won his confidence. He rolled on his partner in five minutes. They both won the praise of the DC police and they suited up to go take down the partner.
They found the man in a hotel room. SWAT was already on the scene, but they hadn't breeched the door. "What's the hold up?" Hotch asked as they joined the officers in the parking lot.
"Damn fool has a genade," the lead officer told him.
"Has the hotel been evacuated?" Rossi asked with concern.
"Yes, but he won't even answer the phone," the man told him.
"Can your snipers get a clear shot," Rossi asked.
"Not yet, but they're ready if they get one."
Hotch started walking towards the steps leading to the killer's room.
"Hotch!" Morgan and Rossi yelled at the same time.
Hotch stopped about halfway up the steps and turned to look at them.
"You can't go in there! He's got a grenade!" Morgan told him as they ran up to him.
"Yeah?" Hotch asked. They could clearly see that he had no idea what the problem was.
"You can't go in there. It's too dangerous!" Morgan pleaded.
"I got this, Morgan, calm down." Hotch told him and started up the stairs again. Morgan looked at Rossi.
Rossi ran up and pulled Hotch's arm to stop him. "Hotch, I know you aren't feeling any fear right now, but believe me you should be."
"Don't worry, Dave. I'm not going to get myself blown up again," Hotch told him with a smile. Rossi shuddered, he had never seen that type of smile on Hotch face before. "Trust me, Dave."
Rossi took a deep breath. "Alright. All you have to do is get him in front of the window for the snipers to get a shot."
"But that would just take all the fun out of it," Hotch told him and went towards the room.
Rossi shuddered again; he wasn't sure if Hotch was joking or not. Morgan gave Rossi a look. "Let him try whatever he has in mind. Remember we agreed to let him be himself," Rossi told him as he watched Hotch enter the room without even drawling his pistol.
"Well, I just hope he doesn't get himself blown up. Not having any fear is going to get him killed," Morgan told him seriously.
"Hotch is too smart to let that happen," Rossi told him and suddenly the man that was holed up in the room came tumbling out onto the balcony. Apparently Hotch had thrown the man out of the room. Morgan rushed up and grabbed the man and cuffed him. Hotch came out of the room and tossed Morgan the grenade. Morgan caught it easily, and Hotch went down the stairs back towards the SUVs. Rossi looked at Morgan, and Morgan just shook his head.
As the team wrapped up the case, Rossi noticed Hotch getting more and more quiet. He walked over to Hotch and as soon as he saw the look in Hotch's eyes, he knew Hotch was trying to keep a lid on his anger. "What can I do?"
Hotch looked at him and Rossi knew he bit back a smart comment. "Cover for me. I've got to get out of here."
"How long do you need?"
"I'll see you in the morning at the office," Hotch told him as he turned to leave.
"How are you going to get home?"
"Don't worry about it. I'll be fine," Hotch told and started to walk away. Rossi caught his arm, but quickly let go and winced at the look Hotch gave him. "I've got to do something, Dave, or I won't be able to get Jack tonight."
Rossi nodded and let him leave without another word.
XXX
The next morning Hotch was getting ready while Jack was eating breakfast. The news was on the tv in the living room. Hotch froze when he heard a report. He walked out to the living room and listened as the reporter commented on five gang members who had been brutally murdered in the night. Cops had no leads and it seemed there were no witnesses. Hotch finished tucking in his shirt and walked back to his room with a smile on his face.
XXX
Rossi was also watching the news as he drank his morning coffee. The report of five gang members being brutally murdered didn't even catch his attention; they were always killing each other. He flipped the channel and didn't find anything else worth watching, so he shut it off and got up to get ready to leave for the office.
XXX
It was about a week before Rossi noticed Hotch's anger returning. They had just gotten back from a case and Hotch kept it well hidden, but when they asked him to join them for a drink once they got back, Hotch told them no and Rossi could see it in his eyes. Rossi pulled him to the side before he let Hotch get into his car. "Where are you going?"
"Not now, Dave," Hotch told him as he opened his car door.
Rossi stepped in front of the door so it wouldn't open all the way. "Yes now. What are you going to do?"
Hotch gave him intensified stare. "I'm going to blow off steam."
"How?" Rossi knew he was pushing his luck, but he really wanted to know how Hotch blew off steam.
"I'm not destroying any other room in my house if that's what you're wondering."
"Yet, I still saw your knuckles bloody after we were in DC."
"Don't, Dave. Now please move before I can't control myself anymore." Hotch's tone was deadly.
Rossi studied him for a moment and finally moved out of the way. He would find out where Hotch was going by other means. He watched him drive off and went back inside to talk to Garcia. They watched as Hotch drove home, and after an hour of him not leaving, Rossi decided to go check up on his friend.
Rossi pulled into Hotch's drive way and knew what Hotch had done. Since Hotch's car was gone, he knew Hotch had left his phone home on purpose. He smiled at Hotch's cunning, but was even more concerned about what Hotch was doing. It did scare him a little to think that Hotch was somewhere with no way to call for help if it was needed. It scared him a little more to know that Hotch wanted to keep whatever he was doing away from the prying eyes of the team and Garcia's tracing capabilities. Rossi decided he would just wait for Hotch to get home. What are you doing, Aaron?