Horatio sat at his desk, he was supposed to be writing on something, but all that got done was a few doodles on a notepad.

The feds were still down in the lab, and he was beginning to get impatient, he couldn't make them leave. Without retaliation. He had not seen Hotchner, for a while, and was wondering how his son reacted to him. Ryan knocked on the door and woke him out of his thoughts.

"What do you need Mr. Wolfe?"

"Do you when the Feds are leaving?" Ryan asked, avoiding the real question.

"No, I haven't heard anything. Why are you really here?"

"How is the kid?"

"I don't know that either." Ryan nodded and turned to leave. "Go find Stetler, and see what he can do about the Feds."

"What can he do?"

"More than I can."

"Okay." Wolfe nodded and trotted back down the stairs. Horatio gave up on the paper in front of him, and decided to see if he could find Hotchner.

000000

Rick walked back into the crime lab with Ryan, wanting to talk to Horatio, more than the Feds.

"If the chief is MIA, why did he bring me down here?" Rick asked Ryan, not really needing to.

"I don't know Stetler."

"Thanks," Rick sighed, and trudged up the stairs to Horatio's office. "He's not even in here Wolfe!" Rick yelled down, but Ryan had left. He grumbled to himself, and laid on the couch in Horatio's office, and waited.

00000000

"He's not happy with you, is he?" Horatio asked the tired agent outside the hospital room. He was sitting on the floor, back resting against the glass. Hotch looked up.

"No."

"It will probably take some time, you know." Horatio looked down on him. "It's almost seven you know, you should go get something to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"You will be." The golden light of morning warmed the side of his face. Hotch stood up slowly, knowing he was right. "My people are ready to give you the old heave-ho." Horatio said as they walked down the hall. "Feds make them nervous, but smart Feds make them sweat." Hotch almost smiled at that.

"Tell your people they'll be gone by noon."

"Are you going to take Jack home?"

"Only if he'll come with me."

"I'm sure he will, just give him time to settle down." They walked across the tarmac outside the hospital toward the Hummer.

"I heard Dave say something about your kid."

"Yeah, I didn't know he existed until a year or so ago."

"What has he gone through?"

"Foster care, Jail, working at the morgue, and now Afghanistan."

"What's his mother like?"

"Bi-polar. His life is the perfect recipe for a serial killer."

"Are you worried?" Aaron asked, concerned.

"A little bit."

"I can have someone assess him, if it would make you feel better."

"I'll think about it, thanks."

00000000000

The two men went back to the crime lab to eat. Horatio led him up to his office and was at first confused to see Rick in there, sleeping.

"Rick, get up." Horatio said loudly and kicked the couch.

"What?" He gave a start and sat up.

"Get out of my office."

"Why?"

"Because I told you to."

"But, you wanted me to come here."

"I changed my mind."

"I'm so confused." Rick shook his head and walked back down the stairs, still groggy.

"He seems like a nice man, why do you treat him like that?" Hotch asked once he was out of sight.

"It's a long story." Horatio shrugged and sat behind the desk.