Hotch was in his kitchen, feeding his son Jack some Mac N Cheese when the phone rang. Haylee picked it up and walked over to Hotch.
"It's Morgan" Haley said sighing.
"Thanks. Yeah, what's up?" Hotch said taking the phone and walked into the lounge room.
"You know I wouldn't be calling you unless I was desperate" Morgan said regretfully.
"Still no Gideon?" Hotch asked worried.
"No, not a word. Reid's starting to worry about him and Lilith. He is blaming himself for Lilith leaving the team as well. JJ said they he kissed her before she started to retreat into herself. We really need you out here, man" Morgan said desperately.
"Morgan, I've already put in for the transfer. It's a done deal" Hotch said simply.
"No, you didn't. Not yet, anyway. It's not in the system, Hotch, not yet. Come on. You know this case. You could pitch in on just this one. We think he might be using his own kid to lure these women, man. He just picked up another one" Morgan explained firmly.
"Hotch!" Morgan snapped when Hotch didn't reply.
"I got to think" Hotch said hanging up while looking at Haley and Jack. Hotch sighed knowing what he needed to do and went upstairs to start packing.
"What the hell are you doing?" Haley snapped walking into the room.
"Keep your voice down. Gideon didn't show in Milwaukee and the team needs me" Hotch explained calmly while packing.
"I don't believe this" Haley said annoyed.
"Don't worry, it won't affect my transfer. I've been working on an existing case" Hotch explained.
"You're not working on this case" Haley snapped.
"I can't just switch
off my loyalty, Haley" Hotch argued.
"They suspended you for 2 weeks. Who are you being loyal to?" Haley argued.
"The team needs me" Hotch said simply.
"No, they need Gideon" Haley snapped.
"Do you know what this guy's doing to women in Milwaukee? He's using his son to lure them, he's holding them, and then he's cutting their hearts out" Hotch explained firmly.
"Aaron, stop! Don't make me the monster here. I feel sick about these women, but when this case is over, there will be another one. And another one and another one. It is never going to stop" Haley shouted.
"This is who I am" Hotch said simply.
"No... this is what you do" Haley begged.
"I'm trying to do the right thing, here and there, and I would really appreciate a little support" Hotch begged.
"That's right. 'Because you always need to be the hero" Haley said spitefully.
"Don't give me that" Hotch snapped.
"No. Obviously, a happy life isn't enough for you. Aaron, I need you to here" Haley said
"And I will be, as soon as this case is over" Hotch said grabbed his bag and suit jacket.
"Yeah, well, make sure you give your son a kiss before you leave" Haley spat as Hotch walked out of the bedroom.
…..
After returning home Lilith spent the next few hours curled up in a ball on the lounge. She was depressed about having to leave the team and that fact that Reid was no doubt blaming himself for it.
"I've screwed everything up with him" Lilith whispered to herself before someone knocked on the front door. She walked over and looked through the peephole to find Hotch standing there. She opened the door.
"Can I come in?" Hotch asked and Lilith nodded silently before letting Hotch inside.
"The team needs us. They're working on a case in Milwaukee. Gideon hasn't shown up, and don't tell me you quit or I put in for a transfer" Hotch explained making Lilith look at him confused.
"You put in for a transfer?" Lilith asked.
"They're both still hung up in the system, so technically we're in dereliction of duty by not being there" Hotch finished explained.
"I'm sorry, I can't go" Lilith said, her heart-breaking inside.
"Right. Sorry I barged in" Hotch said before going to leave but Lilith stopped him.
"Wait. Wait. Can I ask- why are you really here?" Lilith asked with a sighed.
"I told you" Hotch said making Lilith stare at him deadpanned. Hotch smiled weakly before turning to Lilith.
"I think Strauss came to you and asked for dirt on me" Hotch explained simply making Lilith tense up.
"Why would she do that?" Lilith asked emotionlessly.
"I think if you have your eyes on top leadership at the FBI, you want to know who might stand in your way" Hotch explained calmly.
"And... what could I have told her?" Lilith asked shrugging.
"That one of my agents might have murdered a suspect in cold blood. Or another might have a serious drug problem which I didn't report, and if Strauss had any evidence, my career would be over. I think she put you on our team and expected something in return. And to your credit, you quit. Rather than whisper in her ear. Even if it meant hurting your best friend who you love and making him think that you left because of him kissing you" Hotch said firmly revealing that he knew that Reid kissed her. Lilith's lip trembled slightly at being told that Reid thinks she left because of him kissing her. She knew that's what he thought but hearing it out loud hurt her a lot more than she thought possible.
"I told you. I hate politics" Lilith said trying to keep her voice strong.
"Come to Milwaukee. I'll make you a deal. If your ready bag isn't here, packed, I won't bug you anymore. If it is, I want you on that plane with me. One more case" Hotch said grinning because he knew that she would have a bag ready.
"I already turned in my badge and my gun" Lilith explained.
"That's just hardware" Hotch said grinning.
….
"I have triple patrol in the area and I've got every available unit re-canvassing" Vic said as the team stood in front of the map, stuck.
"It's tough knowing they're out there and we're still a step behind" Morgan said annoyed.
"You know, it used to be a running joke that if you told people you were from Milwaukee, all they wanted to talk about was happy days reruns. And then Dahmer happens and they ask you about it as if it's the same thing. As if it's entertainment. But I was in that apartment" Vic explained sadly.
"Gideon, one of our bosses, says that there are things that attach to you that... you can never wash off" Reid quoted.
"All right- is it possible we're looking at this the wrong way?" JJ asked suddenly.
"What do you mean?" Strauss asked.
"Well, we're trying to zero in on the unsub. Now, you guys tell me, but... if he really is using his son, wouldn't the trauma manifest more clearly on the boy?" JJ asked making the team look at each other in shock.
"Can your analyst get a list of all the children in the area that we're targeting?" Strauss asked.
"Garcia can get you whatever you want" Morgan said before Strauss called Garcia.
"Talk dirty to me" Garcia said thinking it was Morgan. Morgan groaned awkwardly while JJ grinned amused.
"This is section chief Erin Strauss" Strauss said making Garcia pale dramatically.
"Ma'am, I think it goes without saying that I was expecting it to be someone else" Garcia said
"I need a list of every grade school in the third ward and Wauwatosa" Strauss ordered.
"Yes, ma'am. The third ward has one public grade school, but there appears to be 4 private schools that draw from that area" Garcia explained.
"And Wauwatosa?" Strauss asked.
"That would be 9, ma'am" Garcia explained.
"And how many students?" Strauss asked.
"3200" Garcia replied.
"Can you also get me a list of every guidance counsellor that deals directly with the student body in that area?" Strauss asked.
"Certainly, ma'am. And again, I'd like to a..." Garcia started to say before getting hung up.
"You need to present these counsellors with a profile of a troubled kid" Strauss said before leaving the team. JJ and Reid got into the car and started to drive.
"Are you okay?" JJ asked making Reid look at her confused.
"I mean, Gideon disappearing and Lilith leaving the team after…" JJ started to say but trailed off after seeing Reid's face.
"I thought I was doing the right thing by showing her how I really felt about her but instead I just made things worse. I've lost my best friend and made my best friend leave her dream job and the man I usually talk to about these things has disappeared. So no, I'm not okay" Reid said emotionally before composing himself as they arrived at the first school.
"The boy we're looking for is possibly from a single-parent home. He's sullen and withdrawn. He may have been caught stealing things from his female teachers. He's more than likely clinging to maternal figures in inappropriate settings- hugging the female bus driver, the woman in the lunchroom. His classmates might notice this inappropriate behaviour and tease him, which makes the boy incredibly angry" Reid explained to the counsellor and thus they got given a pile of files.
"That many" JJ said sadly.
"I'm afraid so" The counsellor replied.
"Well, thank you" JJ said before they left the school and continued onto the other ones.
…..