Monday morning, he woke up with a spring in his step. Though Erin hadn't called during the weekend, he knew she wouldn't go back on her word and they would talk at some point during the day. Aaron unlocked his office and set his briefcase down. Opening it, he took out the file he'd been working on over the weekend and gave it one last look. Everything seemed in order, and he moved on to the next file.

Someone knocked on his door and he looked up to see JJ standing in front of his desk. "Yes?"

"I'll be briefing everyone on the new case in about thirty five minutes. Before that, Strauss would like to see you in her office."

His heart beat a little faster. "Did she say what she wanted?" he asked, hoping his voice betrayed nothing to her.

"No, Sir. She'd just like you to see her as soon as possible. If you don't mind my asking, what happened while I was gone? Penelope and Strauss are thick as thieves. I'd even say they're closer than her and Morgan." JJ took a seat and looked at him expectantly.

"Erin has opened up to Penelope for some reason unknown to me. I think Dave knows more than he's let on, but privacy is so very important to her that neither have revealed her secrets." He looked at her, trying to gauge how she felt about the revelation.

"Oh. Penelope's changed, too. It's more than just the pregnancy. She's quieter, as if she's seen one too many horrors. Were the cases that brutal while I was gone?"

"No, I think that has to do with Erin, too. It's something we've accepted. You will, too. Now, if you'll excuse me." He stood and smoothed his jacket, smiling slightly. As he left, he thought he heard JJ laugh lowly, but it turned to a quick cough, He walked slowly to Erin's office, his nerves almost causing his knees to knock. Which was silly, since he was a grown man and not a tongue-tied school boy.

Erin's assistant looked up from her computer screen. "Chief Strauss just called down to your office. You know she cannot abide tardiness."

"Agent Jareau had a pressing question. I came as soon as I could. Is she free?"

She nodded. "Yes. Though I must say she's in a mood this morning. It would have been better if you had come when Agent Jareau delivered her message."

"Thank you, Carri. I'll keep that in mind." Aaron went inside Erin's office, shutting the door behind him. Erin was bent over some paperwork, her pen moving rapidly.

"Please, have a seat, Agent Hotchner." He was startled by her tone and did as he was told. He waited for her to speak once more. Finally, she looked up and he could see the pain lurking in her eyes that she couldn't mask. He felt himself lean forward, awaiting her words. "I'm sorry, we can't do this."

"And what would this be, Erin?" The use of her name startled a half smile out of her that she was quick to tamp down.

"Any idea of an office romance. I'm not ready to do any of this. You must understand, Erik, Erik's…" Her voice broke off and she looked down at her desk. He watched her swipe at her eyes, longing to comfort her.

"I won't deny that I care for you, Erin. I can't lie, to you or to myself. We both know what it's like to experience great tragedy in our lives." She looked up at him once more and he sucked in a deep breath, Her eyes were so hollow.

"Aaron, please, leave it be. I can't feel right now. I can't. Penelope thinks I'm doing better, and she thinks by putting us together she'll magically fix everything. Yes, there is magic all around her, but that can't fix what Wyoming destroyed in me. There's not anything that can fix the brokenness in me."

Erin wrapped her arms around her waist, sucking in shallow breaths as she tried not to sob. He couldn't not go to her and so he stood and went to her side, kneeling next to her. "Erin," he said tenderly, touching her arm.

"What?" she asked, looking at him.

He reached up and brushed the tears off her face. "You're too far out."

"What do you mean?"

"Stevie Smith." She looked at him in confusion as he stood. "I won't give up on you, ever." He turned and strode out the door, closing it and then leaning against it as he struggled not to cry.

"Is there something the matter, Agent Hotchner?" Carri looked at him in concern, and he realized he wasn't alone in the room.

"No, I'll be fine. Carri, would you look after her? Call Penelope down about noon and go out to lunch. Here, take this." He handed her a few twenties, and she tucked them in her pocketbook.

"Is today not a good day then?"

All he could do was shake his head. "I should go, though. The team is waiting for me so we can brief this new case."

"Thank you for your concern, Sir. She needs more friends like you and Penelope."

His heart ached at her words and he nodded as he went out. Aaron had barely set foot in the bullpen when JJ came up to him, holding both of their go bags. "What's wrong?"

"The case has taken a turn for the worst. Two more of the missing were just found and the police want us on the ground as soon as possible." He nodded once more, his mind still on Erin.

Once they were in the air, he concentrated on what JJ said. He led the team in developing a rough profile and then sank back in his seat, closing his eyes.

Haley's face swam before him in the sea of his memory and he could feel the hollowness of her loss more keenly now than in these last few months. "Hotch, are you okay?"

He looked up into Morgan's eyes and saw him blanch at whatever was reflected there. "We are the hollow men," he whispered hoarsely, looking away from the man to stare out the window.

The brutality of what had happened to the two women at the crime scene sickened Aaron to the core. Rossi just sighed. "I think I know who the unsub is."

"Already?" Seaver asked, looking at him askance.

He nodded and pulled out his phone. "Hey, Kitten, I need a current address for Keith Johnson. I know it's a little vague, but he was the son of Martin, yes, that Martin. All right, send it to my phone as soon as you find it. And under no circumstances are you to tell Erin about this. I know you're not stupid, Kitten. I love you, too." Rossi hung up and rubbed his face, expelling a short breath.

"What is it, Dave?" Aaron asked, looking at his friend in concern.

"I-I can't be active on this case, Hotch. I just can't." He turned from the bodies and rubbed his eyes. "He's trying to outpace his father. If we don't catch him soon, two more women will go missing. I'm certain of it."

"How do you know this, Dave?" Morgan asked, turning from the victims as well.

"Strauss and I worked a case in Wyoming twenty three years ago where the unsub was kidnapping, torturing, and killing young blonde women. Things went south quickly and it ended with Erin watching victim seventeen's son murdered in front of her."

"My god, no wonder she's like she is," Ashley said lowly.

"I know. I don't think you ever recover from something like that. This case is a dead ringer for everything that occurred two decades ago. I'm too close to this, Hotch, I have to back off."

Aaron took a deep breath, staring without seeing at the ground. "I'll want you to consult on this though. I won't force you to live this nightmare once more."

"Thanks, Hotch." They all watched the older man trudge to the SUVs, an air of brokenness about him. Aaron couldn't help but feel once more that more happened in Wyoming than anyone was letting on.

After they'd consulted with police, Aaron led them to the police department where they set up. Big Sky didn't have much to offer, but they made do as best they could. Dave sat heavily in one of the chairs, staring down at his wedding ring.

"I know you'll need more than just my say that this is Keith Johnson. Have the ME do a rape kit on the women. If he stays faithful to his father, you'll find his DNA."

Once more, Aaron wondered about Dave's knowledge, but called the ME anyway, relaying the request to her. While they waited for some word to come, Aaron logged into his work email. His heart began to race a little when he saw an email from Erin waiting to be read. He clicked on the subject line (Stevie Smith) and saw just three words on the screen. "I am drowning," he read quietly aloud, touching his chest as he struggled to keep his composure.

Aaron knew that history repeated itself in often stunning ways, but this was too much. Dave was right, Erin did not need to know what was going on here in Montana. Quickly, he typed back, We can tread water together until we reach the shore once more. I'm perfectly content to be your friend. Aaron

Thanks to the fact that Martin Johnson's DNA was in the system, they got a ping off the rape kit information very quickly. It was enough to get a warrant from the judge and everyone, even Dave, rode out to Johnson's place. As SWAT surrounded the house, they could hear a young girlish voice screaming. Aaron nodded and they moved in.

"Freeze, FBI! Put your hands up!" The young man whirled around to look at Morgan, who'd shouted out the words, leveling his gun at him. Aaron was not surprised when Rossi shot Johnson in the shoulder, clipping him enough so that he went down, groaning.

Rossi's tears, though, shocked him. "The sins of the father," he muttered as he brushed past Aaron to go outside, away from all the commotion. Aaron followed him outside, joining Dave on the steps. "The nightmare never ends."

"No, we just chase it away for a while. I won't be mentioning the connection between Johnson and Wyoming in my report. She doesn't need the past brought up like this."

"Thank you, Aaron. We'll protect her." Aaron clapped Dave on the back and stood, moving to one of the SUVs. A trio of protectors for the one person he'd never thought would need said protection, and yet here they were. He would see this task through to the end.