Italics for thoughts and dreams. Sorry about that last chapter, I will fill in some of the blanks in this chapter. Also I know this is a lame subject but everyone gets to write what they want right? I own nothing.

He was walking into the empty bullpen of the BAU when he heard a crash. He raced to the source of the noise kicking down the door to his office and storming in with his gun at the ready. Susannah Regan was alive and sitting in a chair next to a long couch smiling at him. "Come in Aaron have a seat." she said as she fanned the smoke of burning sage towards him. He walked over to the couch and sat down. "Now Aaron, tell me about your father. Has he ever hurt you?" Aaron knew she was trying to manipulate him, but he didn't want to be caught in a lie so he stayed silent. "Aaron the sage makes it safe for you to talk..." Suddenly he was at home standing over a prone Beth laying in a pool of blood. Aaron looked down at his blood stained hands, to the knife on the floor and back at Beth. With a jolt he realized what he had done, "Beth! Beth can you hear me?" Aaron shouted at her as she remain unresponsive. "Did you see him? Did you see Lewis? Which way did he go?" Aaron demanded.

"Dad?" said his son Jack stepping into the black abyss that was Aaron's nightmare. Jack walked up to him and Beth. "Beth! Dad what happened!" asked Jack shocked and confused at the scene before him, racing over to Beth's dead body. Looking at his father and looking back at Beth terror filled his eyes. "Dad? What did you do? You killed her like you killed mom!" he screamed. "No Jack, it wasn't me I swear! I... he made me do it Jack you have to believe me!" cried Aaron. "Help!" Jack screamed and ran away from his father, "Someone help me please, he's going to kill me!" Aaron chased after him, "Jack quiet! Don't tell anyone what he made me do!" he said as he grabbed his son and pinned him to the floor. "You don't understand, I have to go find him and get him to admit he killed her before they lock me away forever. I'll never see you again..." Suddenly Aaron was holding the knife he used to kill Beth. "Let go of me! Someone help, he's going to kill me!" screamed Jack. "Shut up!" yelled Aaron as he drove the knife into his son's chest. A sickening scream filled the dark void of Aaron's consciousness, he heard a sharp beeping noise in his left ear. Someone was above him speaking in a low distant voice. It ensnared all of his senses and looking up he saw a blinding white light shining down on him.

"Mr. Hotchner can you hear me? If you can hear me squeeze my hand." said the intruder of his mind. Aaron tensed up as his eyes snapped open. A woman was standing over him with a light, shining it in his eyes. He became aware of a horrible pain in his chest. "Nurse turn that alarm off. Mr. Hotchner can you understand me?" she asked again. "Yeah." he said weakly in a cold sweat, eyes scanning the room for any potential danger. Noticing his surroundings he became calmer but miserable. 'How did I land myself back in a hospital?' he asked himself. "Are you in any pain Mr. Hotchner?" asked the woman who he now realized was a doctor. Memories came flooding back to him at once. Albuquerque, seven murders all committed by Conrad Wallace an orphan who preyed upon brown haired, green eyed women in their 20s resembling his mother who he blamed for his plight. His mother died two weeks before the third victim Maggie Reynolds was found savagely stabbed to death in her home. The team had touched down in New Mexico 14 hours later trying to find a connection with the victims and build a profile of their Unsub. Numerous interviews with friends of the victims revealed that all of the victims came from orphanages or group homes. Three days later Nicole Sutton was murdered and the team found that Sutton had lived in a group home for three years with a quiet and intelligent 12 year old boy by the name of Conrad Wallace. He was cunning and manipulative and managed to fly under the radar for four more days before he slipped up at Helen Smith's house; calling 911 and teasing the operators that he had killed seven woman and bragging that he could never be found. Garcia quickly traced his cell, found his location and sent the team to Laurie Jasser's house; his next intended victim. 'Did she die? Had they gotten there in time? What happened to Wallace and how in the hell did I manage to get shot? Where was his team, were they...'

"Mr. Hotchner!" said the doctor who looked like she had been calling his name for a while. "What?" he asked angrily feeling his already horrible mood deteriorate further. "Do you know where you are?' she asked while checking his vitals on the monitor. "In a hospital obviously." he said through clenched teeth, tongue dripping with sarcasm, "Did anyone come in with me?" "No but I'm assuming the FBI Agents who came later are with you." she said with forced kindness. "One of them has been insisting to see you once you're a bit better. His name is," she looked down at her tablet squinting her eyes, "Supervisory Special Agent David Rosky. Do you wish to see him when you are able?" she questioned. "It's Rossi, David Rossi and yes I want to see him. Now." he said with his last ounce of patience. "Mr. Hotchner calm yourself, you can see your friend soon. Are you in any pain?" she asked a second time. 'When is this woman going to stop asking stupid questions?' he thought angrily. "Yes. And if I have to tell you where..." 'you're not a doctor. And it's Supervisory Special Agent Hotchner.' Aaron finished in his head, growing tired of his own game. "My chest and my head." he answered dejectedly. "Do you know why you're here?" she questioned. A loud pop as he dove to the ground winded. He couldn't get up, more popping, someone's hurt. Trying and failing to stand up, hitting his head. Dave shouting at him looking into his eyes, Emily and Morgan. Not being able to breathe, white hot pain, hands covered in blood, Emily's face. The lines between reality and dreams began to blur, seeing the empty bullpen, Susan Regan, killing Beth and brutally stabbing his own son while he screamed.

"Nurse get McDavid in here now!" The room was filled with the sound of Aaron's heart monitor's blaring alarm and rapid beeping. Aaron was mildly aware of the world around him, lost in his own despair. It had been another close call, he could have died and where would that leave Jack and Beth? 'How can I keep doing this to my son? I could have a great life with Jack and Beth but I would have to leave the FBI forever.' he thought helplessly to himself. He didn't know if he could do it. His team were a part of his family and he didn't want to leave them or his job, even if it got him killed. He saw light flashing in his eyes as he was almost brought back to reality. "Mr. Hotchner can you hear me?" another doctor shouted as an oxygen mask was placed over his face. "What's wrong with him? Wake him up! I can wake him up, Hotch!" raged a deep voice. 'Was that Morgan?' His last thought before drifting into oblivion was why he had dreamed of murdering his own son.