Chapter 11

Doctor Cavanaugh raced into Hotch's room and immediately went going the beeping machine, pressed several buttons until the beeping stopped. "Agent Hotchner, what happened?" he asked, concerned. Hotch closed his eyes momentarily and swallowed, struggling to get his breathing under control.

"Agent Hotchner, breath for me," Cavanaugh said placing the flat part of his stethoscope against the agent's chest.

"I'm….okay…." Hotch managed to whisper once he got his breathing under control and breathed for the doctor. Satisfied but still a bit concerned, Cavanaugh draped the stethoscope around his neck.

"What happened?" he asked again.

"I just…saw something on television that upset me," Hotch explained hoping Cavanaugh would not pursue things.

"You mean that news broadcast just now?" asked the doctor grimly. He noticed Hotch turn his head away from him and gaze out the far window without replying. The doctor sighed. "We saw part of it on the television near the nurses' station. For what it's worth, agent, I don't think you're guilty; but that's only my opinion." He sighed. "Your breathing seems to have returned to normal so I'm willing to believe the difficulty had more to do with the news broadcast than something physical. But we'll still keep watch just to be certain."

Hotch turned his head and faced Cavanaugh. "Thank you," he said.

Cavanaugh smiled and patted Hotch's shoulder before he left the room. Alone again, Hotch stared at the ceiling thinking. If the reporters were gathered outside the offices at Quantico, he was positive others were gathering outside Haley's sister's home watching and waiting for information or to swoop down on whoever stepped outside the house. That also meant Jack was being subjected to harassment for which he felt awful; and he would be forced to remain inside the house and unable to go outside and play like a normal child. How could anybody expect a little five-year-old boy to understand any of this?

But what troubled him the most was that Desmond had said an 'unknown source' had telephoned the station earlier. That told Hotchner somebody had leaked information possibly for the express purpose of slandering him even more. And despite Rossi having doubts about him, he truly believed the older agent would not stoop to this level. Therefore, the only remaining possibility was one Hotch didn't want to consider but knew he had to. And that was that someone in either the FBI or the BAU was setting him up. But he knew everybody on the other teams in the BAU and they were friends; maybe not as close friends as those of his own team, but friends nonetheless and coworkers. It grieved him to think it possible that one of them might be responsible for what's happening.

"Where did they get this?" Rossi asked Garcia angrily after she had raced downstairs to let the team know about it. They were now all watching the broadcast, stunned.

"I have no idea, sir," Garcia said nervously.

"Somebody leaked information," Morgan glanced around at his teammates with narrowed eyes. "Somebody who's doing everything he can to make Hotch look guilty."

"That's not all he's doing," Rossi added miserably. "With this broadcast, he's making it appear the FBI is covering up the fact that one of their own could be guilty. And you can bet your next paycheck Strauss is watching this and will have something to say as well." Rossi looked around at the Prentiss. "Emily, since JJ isn't here, I need you to contact CNN and speak to our contact there. Find out who leaked this story to the news department. Threaten them if you have to. If we can get a name we might be one step closer to finding out who our UnSub is."

"You got it," she replied going through her Rolodex to find the phone number.

But Rossi, Garcia, Morgan and Prentiss weren't the only ones watching the newscast.

Agent Crown, who had returned to his own office upstairs after interviewing Agent Morgan, was also watching the broadcast and two things immediately worried him. Just how did CNN get the story? And who leaked it to the press? He knew his partner was interviewing someone in one of their interview rooms and immediately headed in that direction to find him. It didn't take him long as he found his partner in the third interview room with someone he thought looked familiar but right now couldn't place. Both men looked up when the door opened.

"Mort, sorry for the interruption. Can I see you for a moment. We may have a problem."

Glancing at Anders, Downer got to his feet. "Sorry," he apologized. "I'll be right back," he added before leaving the room. Neither agent saw Anders grinning like a Cheshire cat knowing exactly what the 'problem' was. I wish I could see your face right now, Aaron, he told himself crossing his legs and folding his arms. I bet the look on your face would be priceless right now. But as the saying goes, 'you ain't seen nothing yet.'

"Damn!" Downer swore in a low voice turning his back after his partner had told him about the newscast. He rubbed the back of his neck before turning back to his partner again. "Any idea who leaked the info to the media?"

"None," replied Crown standing with arms wrapped around himself as a thought suddenly occurred to him. "Mort, this leak does raise a possibility that we have to consider."

Downer eyed his partner. "You mean the possibility that someone may have leaked the information on purpose to put the heat on us and the FBI to arrest Aaron Hotchner."

"We at least have to consider it," said Crown.

"I agree. Unfortunately, supposition isn't what the Bureau's going to be interested in when we conclude our investigation," Downer said. He then let out a deep breath. "Talk with the reporter who broke the story. See if you can find out who his contact was and let me know. I want to finish up with Agent Anders of the BAU." He shook his head sadly and eyed Crown. "I'm afraid he's got some damaging information on Hotchner."

Crown bit his lower lip. "How bad?"

Downer exhaled through his nose. "Combined with everything we know so far, it could put Hotchner in prison for sure."

Crown sighed and sadly. Things were not looking good for his friend of two years, but despite their friendship, he had a job to do and would do it no matter what. "Also, since we can't speak with Agents Reid and Jareau until tomorrow, once we're both done, we should speak with the families of the victims and show them a photo line-up including Hotchner's photo and see what happens."

Downer nodded. He didn't like it either. "I agree. I don't like it, but if any of the victims id Hotchner, he's just about had it. We also need to speak with his wife and find out exactly why she left and took their son." He folded his arms and looked at his partner's distressed face. "What are you thinking, Jared? Talk to me."

Crown exhaled through his nose. "I'm not sure yet, mind you, but it almost sounds like Hotchner is two different people. One being the one he presents at work, and another outside the job."

Downer arched an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting Hotchner may be suffering from a dual personality?"

"I don't know. But I think it's important that we have him undergo a psych evaluation just to be sure. If there's an underlying problem caused by the stress he's under from everything, he may not be responsible for what he's doing. And if there is no underlying problem, then that could rule out any attempt of an insanity defense later."

In disgust, Rossi switched off the television before tossing the remote on the table. Sitting down, he ran both hands down his face letting out a deep breath. "This just keeps getting worse and worse every minute," he mumbled tiredly.

Garcia, her eyes bright and lower lip trembling, ran her tongue over her lips nervously. "Why would someone want to humiliate Hotch like that?" she asked. "I mean…" she wiped at her eyes with one hand. "What I mean is….what would be the reason behind telling the whole world that Hotch is guilty of something he didn't do?"

Morgan shrugged. "Best guess? I'd say he wants to put the pressure on the Bureau to arrest Hotch to show it's not covering things up because he works for them."

"Oh God," Penelope stammered leaning her head on Morgan's shoulder; he wrapped his arms tightly around the tech analyst attempting to comfort her as best he could. "Hotch is innocent and somebody's out there purposely trying to destroy him. Morgan, what are we gonna do?"

Morgan let out a deep breath. "Whatever we have to find the son-of-a-bitch who's doing this. Believe me when I tell you, baby girl, whoever it is will not get away with it."

Just then, Prentiss reappeared with an exasperated expression on her face.

"Well?" asked Rossi.

Prentiss practically fell into a chair and exhaled through her nose. "I spoke with our contact at CNN. Seems somebody called the news department and asked specifically for Carter Desmond. Only other thing he could tell me is that right after that phone call, Desmond made another phone call and asked someone to pull the tape of the FBI's press conference of a few days ago about the child rapist. I also left a message for Carter Desmond to call us back as soon as possible." She shook her head sadly. "Anybody hear from JJ or Reid yet?"

"Not yet," Rossi replied. "I hope they're having some luck finding some proof of Aaron's innocence."

"What if they don't?" asked Penelope looking up at the elder profiler as she wiped at her eyes.

Rossi let out a deep breath. "Then I'd say Aaron's gonna need a miracle."

Erin Strauss was leaning back in her plush chair watching the newscast as well with folded arms and a grim expression. She also wondered who had leaked the information to the media; but more importantly, she had to think of what the Bureau's response would be to the insinuation that it was covering for one of their own agents who could be guilty of a heinous crime.

She knew the chief of the Bureau would have to issue a statement in response to the accusations, and would want to speak with her before he did. She wasn't sure right now what she was going to say except she refused to allow someone the likes of Aaron Hotchner to not only taint the good name of the Bureau, the BAU and the other agents who worked there, but possibly destroy the image of both as well.

Strauss always suspected in the last six months that something had changed in Agent Hotchner; but never in her wildest imagination did she ever think it would be something like this. The agent must have suffered some kind of mental breakdown after his wife left him and taking their son; that had to be it. But the one thought she couldn't wrap her brain around were the rumors that Hotchner had possibly been molesting his own son. That she couldn't comprehend. She had seen the man two or three times with his wife and son when they stopped by the office and could see the love between father and son and that Aaron was a doting father. But then again, doting father or not, if the man was suffering from a break from reality, anything was possible.

Using the remote, Strauss switched off the television and tossed the remote on her desk. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose as the beginning of a headache reared it's ugly head. Then with a sigh, she set about preparing what she would tell the Bureau Chief, and once she discovered who leaked the information to the media there would be hell to pay.

"Mommy, can I go outside and play?" five-year-old Jack Hotchner asked looking over his shoulder at his mother while he stood in front of the window watching the crowd of men and women gathered outside his aunt's house.

"Honey, get away from the window," Haley said quickly grabbing her son's arm and gently pulling him away from the window. Picking him up in her arms she held him tightly as her eyes stared through the not so sheer curtains at the throng of reporters gathered on the front lawn of her sister's home. Vultures! she told herself. They smell blood and they're circling in wait. Oh Aaron.

She and her older sister, Jessica, had both watched the newscast and were appalled that anybody could possibly even hint that Aaron had sexually molested his son. Even the mere thought that he touched Jack inappropriately was ludicrous to both women.

"Look at them out there," Jessica said to her sister standing beside her gazing at the crowd outside, faintly hearing them shouting questions at the two women inside. She glanced at Haley. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, but I have to help Aaron somehow," Haley said with more determination than she felt. "The media is painting him as a child molester and nothing is further from the truth. Unfortunately, I can't take Jack to see his daddy." She gently rubbed her son's back in a circular motion as the little boy's head was on his mother's shoulder.

"I wanna see daddy," Jack murmured with his face buried in his mother's shoulder. "Can we see daddy?"

"I'm afraid small children aren't allowed in intensive care, Jack," Jessica said gently as she stroked her nephew's hair, smiling faintly.

"What's tensift care?" Jack asked.

"Intensive care is where somebody who is very badly hurt or very sick goes for awhile," Haley explained hoping her son would somehow understand to a degree.

"Is daddy in tensift care?"

"Yes, sweetheart, he is. That's why you can't see him yet. But if he has a telephone, I'll see if you can speak with him. Would you like that?" Haley said looking directly in her son's face. Jack excitedly nodded his head and smiled, then wrapped his arms around his mother's neck.

"I miss daddy," he said.

"I know you do, baby. So do I," Haley told her son. She then looked at her sister. "Jess, I need to call David Rossi or Derek Morgan. Their cell numbers are in the Rolodex. I'm going to need them to escort me to the hospital so I can see Aaron. I don't want to try and fight my way through that mob out there alone. Also, Internal Affairs will probably want to speak with me about why Aaron and I separated. Do you think you can watch Jack for me until I get back?"

"Sure," Jessica replied taking her nephew from his mother's arms and holding him tightly. She kissed him on the top of his head. "C'mon, sweetie. Let's go upstairs while mommy takes care of a few things. Okay?"

Jack looked at his mother over his aunt's shoulder, a sad look on his face. " 'Kay. Mommy, tell daddy it'll be okay."

"I will, honey. I promise," Haley said with a small smile as she walked over to the table with the phone sitting on it. She thumbed through the Rolodex cards until she found what she was looking for, and then pressed the proper numbers. Someone answered on the third ring.

"David Rossi."

"David, it's Haley."

"Haley? Are you and Jack all right?"

"We're both fine, thanks. But there's a mob of reporters camped outside my sister's home. Do you think you could come and escort me through this mob and to the hospital? I need to see Aaron and then speak with Internal Affairs about these rumors of him abusing Jack."

"You sure you want to speak with IA today?"

"I have to, David. Aaron is being accused of abusing our son and I will not allow such a horrid lie to be believed. You know he's a wonderful, loving father, and Jack adores him. I need to set the record straight."

There was a moment's pause on the other end. "Sit tight, Haley. Morgan and I will both be there in an hour."

"Thank you, David." Haley hung up the phone and let out a deep breath. Just then, the telephone rang again. Thinking it was David Rossi calling back about something, Haley picked it up. "Hello?" As she listened to the question asked by the person on the other end, Haley cursed out loud and slammed down the receiver.

"What happened?" asked Jessica walking back into the room in time to see her sister slam the receiver down. "Who was that?"

"Some reporter wanting to know if I had a response to the accusations of Aaron molesting Jack. I yelled at him to go to hell and hung up." Haley ran both hands down her face and sighed. She looked at her sister. "Where's Jack?"

"He's upstairs in his room playing with his toy soldiers. Did you reach David Rossi?"

"Yeah. He and Derek Morgan should be here in an hour to pick me up and take me to the hospital, and then take me to Internal Affairs to speak with whoever's investigating these charges against Aaron." But to herself Haley thought, Aaron, didn't they believe you when you told them?

A little past the one hour he promised, David Rossi, with Derek Morgan sitting in the passenger seat beside him, parked the black SUV at the curb outside Jessica's house. The minute both men got out of the vehicle, they were immediately surrounded by media who, once they spotted the FBI credentials clipped to the agents' jacket pockets, began shouting questions at them about the investigation and about Aaron Hotchner in particular.

Issuing 'no comment' to all questions fired at them, the agents finally made it through the throng of reporters and to the front door which Jessica immediately opened allowing the agents to enter the house amidst popping flashbulbs, then just as quickly shut the door behind them.

"Boy, that's some mob out there," Rossi commented exhaling through his nose. He and Morgan noticed Haley as she approached the agents. "You ready?" he asked her.

"Almost," Haley replied rubbing the back of her neck. With a sigh, she looked at Rossi. "Can I ask you something first?"

"Of course," Rossi said, seeing the odd expression on the woman's face. "Haley, what's wrong? What is it? If you're worried about Aaron's injuries, don't be. The doctor says he'll be all right. And as far as this current situation, we'll find the guilty party and clear Aaron."

"I know you will," Haley answered. "It's just….what I mean is, I don't understand why Internal Affairs is still pursuing Aaron after he told them where he was that night."

Rossi and Morgan exchanged confused looks before facing Haley. "What do you mean after Aaron told them where he was that night?" asked Rossi with narrowed eyes. "What night are you talking about? What was Aaron suppose to have told IA?"

Haley stared at both men with an incredulous look on her face. "You mean he didn't tell you?" she asked.

"I'm the only one who visited Aaron so far," Rossi explained. "What are you trying to tell us?"

"The night one of those little girls was attacked, Aaron was here."

"What do you mean he was here?" inquired Morgan.

"I mean he was here with me, Jack and Jess having dinner. He came to see Jack around seven that night, and Jess asked him if he wanted to stay and have dinner with us so he could spend more time with Jack, and he did. After dinner I let him give Jack a bath, tuck him into bed, and read him a bedtime story before he went left and went home."

All Morgan and Rossi could was look at each other with surprise all the time wondering why their Unit Chief never mentioned it either.

"What time did he leave that night? Do you remember?" Morgan inquired his interest more peaked than before. For the first time he felt a ray of hope.

Haley shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Do you?" she asked facing her sister.

Jessica folded her arms. "I'm not sure exactly, but it was sometime after ten p.m. After Jack was asleep the three of us sat and talked for awhile. Why?"

"Because Aaron never mentioned it to me when I spoke with him," Rossi explained. "And I think I know now why he didn't."