If Monday's were any way to gauge how a week was going to go it seemed like this week was going to consist of little sleep and everyone's temper being pushed to the limits. During our daily conference to determine if there were any cases that needed our immediate attention and of course there was one we all agreed on.

It appeared that a small, rural county in west Texas had a serial killer targeting men and shooting them execution style after forcing them to write letters to their families, most importantly their children.

"Is there any apparent connection between these men besides the way in which they're killed and the letters?" I asked trying to get a better feeling for the case. "I mean they're all of different ages, races, and hold different jobs. There is nothing else really that connects these three men."

"Wait a minute." Reid was flipping through the stack of papers in front of us. "There might be one thing."

"Do you have something, Spence?" JJ asked.

"Yes," he began slowly looking over at Hotch nervously and then to me, "They were all fathers that either walked out on their children or we're rarely there due to work."

"So what," Rossi started off, "This guy is trying to say that since you aren't there for your child you shouldn't be alive?"

I noticed Hotch flinch from across the table when Rossi came to his conclusion of what the UNSUB was probably doing, I had nearly done the same because that was basically what had happened to my own father. He had been killed because of what took him away from me for long periods of time.

After a second Hotch cleared his throat and started handing out assignments. "Alright, this is how we're going to handle this. JJ and Sam I want you to go to the station, Sam work on a geographic profile and JJ see what's being reported on this. Make sure no one picks up this connection between the men until we're absolutely sure. Morgan and I will meet up with the lead investigator at the last dump site. The rest of you will go meet with the latest victim's family."

"Excuse me." I got up and headed towards the back of the plane, not wanting to show the rest of the team how shaken up I was getting.

I knew this case was going to be hard on me but I was just going to have to work through it, I wanted the families of the victims to have the same peace of mind that I had knowing that the man who took my father couldn't hurt anyone else.

"Are you going to be able to handle this case?" Dave asked from beside me, I hadn't even heard him come to the back of the plane.

"What?" I asked sounding slightly dazed.

"I couldn't help but notice how you took my theory on the UNSUB. So, are you going to be alright? I know this one must be hitting awfully close to home."

"Yeah." I nodded; hoping that every time I said I would be okay it would actually start to become a reality. "Don't worry about me Dave, I can handle it. And for any reason I can't I'm sure either you or Hotch will notice and pull me off the case yourselves."

"You're right I will," Hotch said from behind me, nearly causing me to spill my coffee all over my blouse.

"See, Dave." I wiped up some coffee that had spilled onto the counter. "Hotch won't let me be on this case if it starts getting to me. Problem solved."

There was a silent exchange between Hotch and Dave that left me feeling like I missed an entire conversation, personally Dave shouldn't be as worried about me but rather Hotch since he's father that would be a target to this UNSUB.

/0/0/0/

Someone was screaming, I couldn't figure out where because it was pitch black where ever I was. Even though I couldn't see anything I felt oddly comfortable in my environment, I was just hoping they would reach me soon.

"Sam," I heard Aaron call out from somewhere in the darkness. "Sam, wake up."

Wake up? What kind of dream is this?

That's when I realized that I wasn't dreaming and that Hotch was waking me up, sitting up quickly in bed I came face to face with my boss. I was half expecting Aaron to be angry for waking him up with my screaming, but he wasn't. He was frowning deeply as he reached out for me, pulling me into a tight embrace.

"Are you alright?" Aaron asked as I buried my face deeper into his chest while he rubbed my back. The smell of his cologne still lingered around him, and mixed with the feel of his soft cotton t-shirt I felt my entire body relax against him. "Sam, it's alright."

I felt my face burn when I realized that I must have woken him up because the last thing I remember was that Aaron was working at the desk, still dressed in his suit; he was now dressed in a pair of flannel pajama pants and a dark green t-shirt, his usually perfect hair was tussled and messy. "Oh my god," I cried, trying to pull out of his embrace. "Hotch, I'm so sorry for waking you up. Oh god-"

"You just woke up screaming and the first thing you're worried about is that you woke me up?"

I sneaked my hands up between Aaron and myself to cover my face to hide any further signs of embarrassment, I felt Hotch's body tense up as the back of my hands gently brushed his chest.

"You are honestly one of the strangest women I know," he continued, Hotch was completely oblivious to the fact that I wanted to just crawl under a rock and die. "Believe me, I'm fine. It's you however that I'm worried about."

"I'm fine," I assured him as I broke out of his grasp, stumbling out of my bed towards the dresser only to have his strong hands grab hold of my hips before I hit the floor. "Hotch, what-"

Letting go of the edge of the dresser, which had been my source of balance for a few moments, I turned so I was facing him. However, my eyes were drawn to his hands.

"Hotch, what're you doing?" I asked my voice weak and shaky as I tried to push my feelings for Hotch back out of my mind, but our close proximity was making it hard to deny I had fallen hard for him.

"I'm worried about you Sam. It's not normal to wake up screaming, I just want to know you're going to be alright."

"Yeah, I'll be alright." My heart swelled in my chest.

My imagination was running wild as Aaron tilted his head down, his face so close to mine I could feel his warm breath caress my face. When I reached out and put my hands on his forearms the same fire and longing in his eyes was back that I had first witnessed while down in Florida.

I let out a heavy sigh I looked up back up to Hotch from under my lashes. "Thank you, Aaron."

"Sam," his voice heavy from exhaustion, but before he could say another word there was a light tapping on our door.

Aaron let out a frustrated groan before he turned and headed towards the door only to find Reid on the other side; Spencer didn't appear shocked that both of us were awake making me think that he had probably heard me screaming a couple minutes ago. However, seeing Hotch and I not in our usual office attire but dressed in pajamas, and especially me with tears streaming down my face had to have been an interesting sight.

"Sorry to wake you guys up," Reid said looking around Aaron for a second lifting an eyebrow at me before turning his attention back to our boss. "Hotch, there was another body found."

/0/0/

Later the same morning I was woken up by the beeping of my cell phone letting me know I had just received a text message, it didn't help that someone had turned off the alarm on phone so I could be back at the police station with the rest of the team.

'Good Morning, don't be mad I turned off your alarm. Please meet me at the station. Aaron.'

After getting ready in seemingly record time I looked over Hotch's message one last time I headed down the hall towards the stairs taking note of a dent in the wall, which strangely resembled a fist mark, that hadn't been there last night.

All of this led me to standing in front of Hotch at the moment being told I was out of the field on this case, if anything I was to be helping the officers on the tip line.

"After last night I realized that I made the mistake of allowing you to be a part of this case from the beginning," he explained, the look on his face let me know there was more going on than last night's bad dream. "Your past is affecting you more than I thought it would."

That was all that was going to be said about last night. There was no mention about what happened after he woke me up or what might have happened had Reid not knocked on our door. There was not even a word about how nothing was said between us after the team got briefed from the local sheriff and everyone went back to bed.

It was like nothing had ever happened.

But there was no way I was going to sit by and let this happen, I wanted to know if there was more to why I was being taken off this case, especially with the police finding another body in the middle of the night and no leads on the case. "With all due respect, sir, I don't think that's such a good idea," I fiercely protested. "We are no closer to catching this UNSUB than when we got here-"

"I understand that." Hotch held his hand up to stop me, the back of his hand appeared scratched and swollen. "Sam, trust me. For this case I need you to stay out of the field."

It wasn't that he wanted me to stay out of the field but that he needed it.

If I didn't trust Aaron we'd end up back where we were in that cemetery but I would find out why he needed me out of the field.

"Fine," I give in so I wouldn't end up in a screaming match with Aaron, with these paper thin walls I was sure several officers outside in the hallway had already heard enough. Just as I was about to leave the office and allow Hotch to get back to work I quickly looked back over my shoulder and with a hint of sarcasm said, "Nice bruised hand, seems like the wall won however."

I know most of you are probably still sobbing after this weeks episode of Criminal Minds...I know I am!

So...Hotch and Sam? What's up with Hotch punching a wall? Was it Sam's nightmare caused by this case or is it something more? What about Aaron pulling Sam out of the field? How many of you want to kill Reid right now? LOL All questions will be answered...just not right away!

Next chapter...the case continues...Sam and Reid talk...someone from Sam's past resurfaces!

I want to give a shout out to Pier In The Sky's story See No Evil...go read it and leave a review! It's a new story and I have to admit I love it so far!