"No, he didn't want to come," the father of three sighed, pulling into the doctor's office's parking lot, seeing his ex's boyfriend's expensive car sitting in the very first parking spot. "I left him with my brother."

Emily covered her ear with her hand as she tried to block out the other agents around her. "He doesn't even know Sean, Aaron. Do you know how cranky he'll be if Sean forgets even one thing in his routine?"

Hotch grunted, throwing his car in park and hopping out of the driver's seat. "We can't coddle him, Emily."

"There's a difference between coddling and nurturing."

"And obviously we need to have a discussion on it." Shaking his head, Hotch made his way toward the office. "Everything is fine, and we'll talk about it later, alright? I'm heading into Ali's doctor's appointment now."

Emily refrained from rolling her big brown eyes, seeing the director of the FBI ushering all the agents back in from their break. "Ok, I'll talk to you later."

"Bye." Hotch walked into the office shoving his phone in his suit jacket pocket, looking around the waiting room to try and find his sick little girl sitting in one of the chairs.

Walking up to the front desk, the Unit Chief set his hands on the counter, making sure the nurses would notice him. "Hi, my name is Aaron Hotchner. I'm looking for my daughter Alisanne, she has an appointment for a vaccination."

"Oh sir, she's already inside. Room four."

Hotch nodded his thank you to the younger woman, walking back toward the pediatric rooms and peeking his head in to see if his daughter was there.

"Sir," the doctor piped up, looking away from his patient, "family only."

Alisanne's head popped up from Castle's shoulder and she cried, her hands reaching out for the familiar man. "Daddy!"

Hotch didn't even glance toward the author standing beside the nurse's bed and swept the four year old into his arms. "How are you feeling, AliBear?" He ran his fingers through her curly hair and kissed her forehead. "Your mommy told me you felt bad."

Alisanne pouted, holding on tight to her father's shoulder. "I got sick, papa."

Castle stood back, watching the doctor start to clean the young girl's arm. "She got sick in the car on the way here."

Hotch smiled into his daughter's hair, proud of his little girl for getting back at the author for him without even realizing it.

"Alright Alisanne, it's time for your shot."

The doe eyed girl cowered into her father's chest, crying into the lapels of his jacket. "Daddy no!"

"Remember Doctor Brodeur?" Castle nodded to the young girl. "Remember how she would sing that song to make the shots feel all better? You want to sing that with me?"

Alisanne snuggled deeper into her father before nodding her small head.

Hotch listened to his daughter whispering the lyrics along with Castle as the doctor plunged the needle into her tiny arm, the little girl in his hold not even flinching at the prick of the needle. Waiting until the bandaid was set to her skin, the father of three hiked her up on his hip and hugged her tight. "All better?"

"All better," she nodded, kissing her father's cheek before lying her head on his shoulder. "Can we go home? Je veux dormer."

Nodding, the Unit Chief smiled to the doctor beside him. "We're all set?"

"All set. Just bring in your son in about a week for his, alright?"

Hotch walked out of the office with his daughter tight in his arms, doing his best to ignore the younger man chasing after them.

"Hotchner!"

The Unit Chief rolled his eyes before turning around. "Let me put her in the car, will you?"

Castle stood silently by the SUV, watching as his girlfriend's ex strapped the four year old into her car seat. "You forgot her bear," he nodded, offering the toy to the older man. "It's her favorite."

"I know," the older man chuckled. "I got it for her."

"You know, Emily didn't say anything about where Alisanne was to go after her appointment."

Hotch hardened his gaze on the younger man, shutting the car door once he knew his daughter was all set in her seat. "Well she's my daughter, and her brother is in my care as well, so I'm taking her home."

Castle frowned. "I don't know who you think you are but I-"

"I'm the twins' father," Hotch growled. "Who do you think you are?"

The author stepped forward. "I'm the man who has been in their lives for years," he scoffed. "Where were you? Were you there when Marc broke his arm? Were you picking up the twins and their mother from a restaurant when they thought they were being followed? Or were you here in the U.S all protected in your home with your family?"

"They're my family!" Hotch bellowed, stepping forward and glaring hard at the author who had the audacity to question him and his parenting. "How in the hell was it my fault that she kept them from me? How was it my fault I knew nothing about them before now? Tell me how it's my fault she didn't give me a single call to tell me anything about them!"

"She was on the run!"

Hotch's skin turned a beat red as his anger boiled. "And who the fuck are you telling me how to parent my own children?"

"I was the one there for them," he hissed. "I'm the one in Emily's life, not you."

The Unit Chief turned, yanking open his car door and pointing an accusing finger at the younger man. "We'll see about that."