Pairing: Rossi/Hotch (M/M) hand, wooden cooking spoon

[In collaboration with Elenalovly, AO3.]

Plato wrote, "We can easily forgive a child who's afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light."

Quantico, Virginia

Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU)

Federal Bureau of Investigation

It was a few days after the team had finally captured and shot the unsub from the bank robberies in L.A. Aaron couldn't stop thinking of the families ruined by Sheppard. His thoughts went to the bank manager who was forced to reenact Sheppard's own sick past out with his family. He supposed he didn't blame the man for erasing the tapes, but he wondered how they would go on with their lives.

Aaron had been pleased with Derek and Spencer's behavior on the trip. He sometimes wished though that he had a bottle of alcohol in his desk drawer, rather than the small wooden paddle that he had used on Derek. Aaron almost cracked a smile imagining that, but he would never drink at work. It was clearly against the rules.

"What in the world are you still doing here?" Dave Rossi thundered as he came to Aaron's open doorway.

"Dave? What are you doing here?" Aaron sputtered. He looked at his watch and cringed. He was dead.

"It's 3am and your wife has been calling! You should have gone home hours again. She's worried sick," Rossi scolded. The older Italian American man was steaming mad.

"Sorry, Dave. I had my cell phone off. I'll call Hayley now," Aaron replied calmly.

"I was at home and I told Hayley that your ass would be home within the hour," Dave informed him.

"Oh, it won't take me that long. I was just finishing up some paperwork here," Aaron offered.

"First of it, you did the paperwork on the plane. And second of all, I meant that I was gonna bust your butt for pulling this crap again. That's what's going to take some time, capisce?"

"Wait? No, you are telling me to go home, but then you want to keep me here for that? No way.. I am the boss now, Dave. If I want to stay, I stay...If I want to go, I go," Aaron said with an air of confidence. Dave couldn't just spank him anytime he felt he needed it. Aaron was a father now, married. A grown-up.

"I want to know why you are still here, Aaron?" Rossi attempted.

Aaron looked down at his file folder and made some notations, effectively ignoring Rossi, or so he thought. He exhaled in relief and decided he was in no rush to leave, Hayley was probably asleep by now.

Rossi left and came back a moment later holding a large cooking spoon.

"It's a little late for one of your cooking lessons, Dave," Aaron smirked. He did enjoy Dave's cooking, but he wasn't in the mode for the man's antics or to be bossed around. Aaron was the boss, he thought as he stood up and shoved his paperwork into his leather bag.

"Stand up," Dave insisted in 'the voice."

Aaron froze. "Dave, come on. You can put that thing back. I made a mistake. I should have gone home..."

Aaron had felt one of Dave's infamous wooden spoons on his bottom before. It then dawned on him that this wooden spatula that Dave was brandishing would probably sting like the dickens. His hands shot back to protect his rear end. Dave was not backing down. He had a temper and was best not pushed to the brink. Aaron was getting nervous. Afraid, even.

"Come over here," Dave said from the very same couch where Aaron had paddled Derek. Aaron started to weep softly and back up behind his desk.

"No, Rossi. Please, give me another chance. I'm sorry I was rude. I'm just tired. I don't need a spanking," Aaron declared.

With each step, Rossi thought that Aaron Hotchner needed this spanking more than anything else.

"Get your behind over here now or you are not going to sit for a week!" Dave warned in a low voice. "You are long overdue. If you can dish out a paddling, then you can take one."

Aaron was now clutching his rear and backed up to the wall, crying in fear. Dave sighed and got up and went to where Aaron was cowering. He reached up and grabbed him by the ear and marched him back to the couch area. Dave had sometimes given Aaron the dignity of being able to bend over a chair or even his own desk when he had to discipline him. His little display of defiance earlier was going to cost him. He held on tightly and then put Aaron Hotchner right over his knee. Aaron gasped as he braced himself with his hands on the floor. He was being treated like a little boy, not like the boss of the BAU.

Without the benefit of a warm-up, Dave began to crack the spoon over Aaron's snugly fitting black slacks in a flurry of motion. Dave let Aaron kick and tap his feet into the carpet as his upper body rested on the couch. His left arm clamped around Aaron's waist and pulled him in closer as he tried to flop around. Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap!

Aaron was yelping and owwing at each swat, but Dave ignored it.

"Think about Hayley and Jack waiting for Daddy to come home while you are pissing away the night here alone? What is wrong with you, Aaron? You better start talking or these pants are coming down," Dave warned.

Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap!

"I don't know what's wrong with me. The case! It j-just g-got to me," Aaron whimpered. "Ouch! Please Dave that thing hurts!"

Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap!

"I know it does, how do you think my mother got me in line? Now, how did the case get to you?" Dave asked with another flurry of cracks.

"I d-don't k-know," Aaron screamed. Dave leaned up Aaron and unbuckled his dress belt and pants just enough to slip them down to his ankles. He hastily leaned Aaron back over his lap and started whacking the flat spatula over his boxer shorts.

"Since when do you wear boxers?" Dave mused.

Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap! Whap!

"Hayley b-bought them for me. She thought they were n-nicer than briefs," Aaron sobbed. "She's a good wife."

"Yes, she is," Dave retorted. "But I feel like you are more a briefs guy, aren't you. Take down these boxers."

Dave stood up Aaron and tapped the spoon against his other palm when Aaron tearfully bared his own bottom. The rule was if he disobeyed during a spanking, he got a worse licking the next day. Dave did not play around when he was in spankin' mode.

With his pants and boxers now around his ankles, Dave moved back and put Aaron completely over his leg. There was barely enough room for him to fit his long legs on the couch so he had to bend them. Rossi knew this was a more 'comfortable' position but would require Aaron to stay still.

"You are getting 20 more good whack on your bare tush. You keep still and take them. I want you to think about why you are over my lap getting the spatula right now. We are going to discuss it when we are done," Rossi insisted. He tapped the spoon on Aaron's slightly pink bottom.

"Okay," Aaron whimpered, he couldn't help but clench his cheeks. He knew the last ones were always hard.

Pop! Pop! Dave walloped the wooden instrument from cheek to cheek and then paused. Pop! He gave Aaron a third whack on the center. Then, he brought the spoon down to Aaron's tender sit spots for each pops each.

Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack!

Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack!

Dave paused and inspected to make sure he wasn't bruising the young father. The spatula was leaving red marks, but that it was it. Aaron could take the last seven. He went back up and popped Aaron's cheeks in hard and slow strokes that caused Aaron to howl and wiggle his bottom.

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

"Dave, please," Aaron begged. "I can't..."

Aaron did not try to cover his throbbing rear with his feet. Dave hated that and would automatically give him another spanking for that.

Aaron felt Dave rubbing his punished behind and then he helped him to stand and pull up his pants. Dave then opened his arms to Aaron. As always, Aaron sobbed into Dave's shoulder and apologized for misbehaving again.

"You made a mistake and now we are going to go face your wife. She's angry, but I think you can make it up to her. She loves you, Jack loves you, I love you, and so does the team. But no more of this crap. You are better than that," Dave said as he rubbed Aaron's back and patted his rear.

"But my car...," Aaron tried.

"I'll take you home and pick you up tomorrow," Dave promised.

Hotchner Residence

Hayley opened the first door the instant Dave and Aaron got to it. Dave and Aaron had had a long talk about Aaron's fears and the case. Aaron had to admit he felt might better and he felt silly for his behavior tonight. Plus, his bottom still stung fiercely and he squirmed the whole ride even with the padded seats in the car.

"I thought you were dead," Hayley sobbed. "You wouldn't answer."

"I'm fine," Aaron said. Hayley pulled the men into the foyer of their home. She turned Aaron to the side and gave him a light spank on the seat of his slacks. Aaron had seen her pop Jack just the same way a few times when he wasn't listening to his mom. Though the soft blow could not have impacted through his diaper, Jack always wailed as if Hayley was beating him senseless. He was a sensitive boy.

Aaron gasped, "Owwww. Dave already..."

"Already what?" Hayley demanded, snifflng. Aaron opened his mouth but no sound came out.

Dave put a hand on Aaron's shoulder, "Take down your pants and show her."

"Show me what?" Hayley asked.

Aaron unbuckled his belt, unzipped his slacks, and then lowered his boxers to right below his scotched cheeks. Dave had really set his bottom ablaze with that thing.

"You got a spanking? From Agent Rossi? Well, good. Because Dave, I was going to find a divorce lawyer. This better never happen again, Aaron. Do you hear me?" Hayley insisted. She put a hand on Aaron's buns and could feel heat radiated off of them. "Good job, Dave."

"Thanks. I think he learned his lesson. But in case he didn't, I brought you a gift," Dave smiled, handing Hayley the flat spatula. "Also, good for making risotto when you aren't using it as a paddle."

Hayley took it and kissed Dave on the cheek, "Thank you. Or grazie. And I appreciate you bringing him home."

"Anytime, mi'lady. You two sleep well," Dave said. He hugged them both and when back into the night. He looked back and saw the couple heading upstairs, hand in hand.

Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU)

Federal Bureau of Investigation

"Hotch, have a seat, man. You're making me nervous," Derek admonished.

Spencer immediately spewed, "Did you know anxiety disorders and anxious temperaments run in families? Studies also show that individuals who are genetically predisposed to anxiety are at a higher risk of developing anxiety after exposure to traumatic or stressful events."

Emily smiled, "Yeah, I think we get that. I have to admit, he's driving me crazy, too. Sir, could you please stop blocking the screen?"

Hotch gulped and started to make up an excuse. Rossi cleared his throat.

"We're a team and a family here. Aaron isn't sitting today because he got a very hard spanking from me last night. I have warned each of you of what happens when you try to avoid your punishment. Aaron was also spanked for disrespect and disobedience. That's all you need to know," Rossi shared.

"Aaron," Spencer quipped. "It's like when your parents start using your middle name when you are in trouble."

J.J. scolded, "That's Hotch to you and I don't think it's funny. You have come pretty close to a warm butt yourself lately."

Spencer flushed and looked down, "Sorry, Hotch."

Hotch was also blushing, but he doubted his face was redder than his behind was yesterday. Derek looked at him and smirked.

Dave noticed and stood up, "And any of you making fun of him or acting up is also going to go over my lap for some behavior modification. And you will also not sit comfortably as well? I love all of you kids and would die for each and every one of you, but we have important work to do. Do you all understand?"

"Yes, sir," Emily squealed. The others nodded.

"Good. J.J., carry on," Dave added. But J.J. was fishing something out of the supply closet. It was a cushion.

"This might come in handy," J.J. offered, handing it to Hotch. He took the cushion and used it to very gingerly sit down.

"I'm good now," Aaron Hotchner mused, as he and Dave exchanged a warm smile.

J.J. clicked her remote and violent images filled the screen.

"Here we have a serial rapist operating in Dayton, Ohio at Holy Trinity University, a bible college...," J.J. began.

The team was on to catch the next unsub. and nothing could stop them.