No One's POV

To be honest, Aaron wasn't quite certain what day it was or at some points, even what time it was, only the light cast from the sun or the constant chatter from his team telling that the days were passing by; the days all began blurring together after Madison and Jack left, it was as if his very heart and soul had been taken from him and instead he was stuck in an endless tunnel in which he was slowly suffocating or drowning.

For him, life meant nothing without Madison or Jack.

Currently, Aaron sat and stared almost memorized at the pictures he had on his desk of Madison and Jack; one of just Madison, taken candidly at some point, probably off of his phone which he had printed out, the next one was Jack on his first day of Kindergarten, and the last of Madison and Jack together at the zoo, Madison was holding Jack in her arms, Aaron remembered the moment well, the moment he knew he was well on the way to being in love with her though their relationship had only just begun.

Aaron watched with a growing pit of sadness, depression, and longing in his stomach as Madison and his five-year old son boarded a military Boeing C-17, all set to take them miles away from him because a serial killer was hell bent on hurting them in retaliation of his own actions; their bags already safely stowed in the large cargo hold, and the engines already beginning to whirl and hum as they came to life, the sound nearly over powering as the wind created by the propellers roared through his ears.

"Hey, hey buddy…" Aaron kneels in front of Jack, his son's back pack strapped firmly to his back. "Now… I want you to listen to me very carefully, okay?" Aaron tells his son slowly, ensuring Jack was listening.

"Okay, daddy." Jack nods slowly, looking at Aaron solemnly.

"I want you to look after Maddie and your sibling for me, can you do that for me? You two are going to be together for a while… Without me. And you're gonna be the man of the house now… So I really need you to do that for me." Aaron tells his son.

"Okay, daddy. I can do that." Jack promises his father.

"Okay, okay. Good. And remember… Always remember, I love you so very much, Jack." Aaron replies again, his hands on his son's shoulders before he pulls Jack in for a tight hug.

"I love you too, daddy. I'm going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too, buddy. I'll see you as soon as I can." Aaron whispers before letting Jack go.

"I love you, Maddie. Stay safe. I'll see you as soon as I can." Aaron tells his girlfriend for the lack of anything else he can tell her, where his words and any other comforts he could offer seem to fall short.

"I love you too, Aaron. I will. You don't have to worry. Casey and the rest of the Rangers will be there. And I know you'll work hard to find Foyet." Madison offers, touching Aaron's hand that lies around her waist and squeezing gently. "This is for the best. I believe in you."

"I'll see you soon." Is all that Aaron has left to offer as Madison and Jack walk up the Boeing C-17 ramp, it closing shortly behind them.

"How's the Boss Man doing this morning? Has he come out of his office?" Emily questions with a slight tilt to her head towards Aaron's office.

"I haven't talked to him yet. I think Rossi is going to speak with him though." J.J. tells Emily as she holds her cup of coffee, the team taking part in their normal morning gossip.

"Yeah?" Emily questions.

"Well, it's been over two weeks. Not that he shouldn't miss Maddie… We all do of course… But… This isn't healthy. I don't think he's been home since she left." J.J. comments in a concerned tone, adding concerned glances towards Aaron's office.

"What's happening, pretty ladies?" Morgan strolls in.

"Morning Morgan." The two woman chime. "Just chatting."

"Yeah, about what?"

"Hotch." They both answer together.

"Ah." Morgan nods in understanding.

"Okay, this is enough, Aaron…" Rossi walks into Aaron's office, not even bothering to knock, and a no nonsense sort of tone in his voice. "If you don't want to go home, that's fine. But, you're not staying here any longer. It actually physically pains me to see you like this… Seriously… And, I say this with the best intentions. You look like a disaster."

"Thanks, Rossi." Aaron replies flatly, staring back at his closest friend.

"I'm serious, Hotch. Maddie wouldn't want this for you. You're losing sleep, focus… This isn't living. This- this isn't anything." Rossi sighs, his voice only a touch softer; he wasn't trying to be mean, but this was for Aaron's own good.

"Well, Maddie isn't here." Aaron replies rather harshly, his gaze almost defiant, but the first spark of something like emotion was in his eyes rather than the dull, lifeless look he had for over two weeks.

"She still wouldn't want this for you." Rossi offers. "None of us do. And, if you want to catch Foyet and bring her home and more importantly, back to you… You need to be at your best." Rossi tells his closest friend and boss, frankly not above emotional black mail to get Aaron to at least leave his goddamn office and get some sleep.

"Fine." Aaron finally replies after a few moments, his shoulders seeming to drop for a second as if in defeat or resignation.

"Great. You're coming home with me. Already got the guest room set up." Rossi replies, Rossi leading Aaron out of his office and towards the elevators.