Author's Note: Thank you all so much for the kind words! It is very important to me to stay true to keeping these guys in character, and I agonize over making sure they only say what they would actually say, and do what they would do. Thank you, thank you! 3

"Hi Hotch!" Garcia called, waving at the screen on the wall. Aaron had washed up a bit before calling in, trying his best not to look sick, as if he could fool everyone, especially as he sat in front of them wearing a hospital gown. He looked around at everyone in the room and gave his team a small smile.

"Hi guys," he said softly, adjusting the laptop in front of him against the glare of the sunlight coming in through the blinds. His room lights were still dimmed, and his head still ached, but he did like the small bit of sunlight. It reminded him that the world was still out there, waiting for him.

"How are you?" JJ asked, cocking her head to the right and looking up at the face of her friend. He shrugged his shoulders slightly.

"On day four in the hospital," he replied in his usual dry drawl. "I might be able to go home tomorrow evening."

"You're feeling up to that?" Morgan asked, always the pragmatic one in the group. Aaron stayed silent for a moment, not really knowing how to answer. He didn't know. He was ready to leave, to be in his own bed, but without the IVs and constant monitoring he didn't know how he'd be feeling and it worried him a little. He decided to take Rossi's advice, and let them in, just a little.

"I don't know. But I want a shower, and to sleep in my own bed." Morgan nodded in understanding. He'd been there before, he knew what it was like. Feeling like you're well enough to get on with things but knowing that wasn't exactly true. Being antsy to just get moving again, get back to work, not have people waiting on you and worried about you. He could see his boss struggling with this meeting, he could see the discomfort in his usually cold brown eyes. It took a lot for Hotch to be here now, vulnerable in front of them.

"Well, I'm staying with you when you do get home. I've already moved in so there's no telling me otherwise."

"Morgan, I outrank you," Hotch began, shooting Morgan a glare that would rock any normal person to their core. Morgan just smiled defiantly.

"Only here, boss. Out there…it's an even playing field. My toothbrush is already in your bathroom, nothing you can do about it. If you can prove to me that you're fine on your own after the first night, I'll go. Otherwise you're stuck with me."

Hotch squirmed a little, but resigned himself to the fact that he'd just have to kick Morgan out of his place later. "It's really not necessary, Morgan, but thank you. It is appreciated. So, tell me what you know about your UnSub so far…" He'd had enough of talking about himself. He could hear Rossi clear his throat, a warning from the side of the table, but thankfully Reid chimed right in and pratted on about the case, giving every detail they knew so far so Rossi couldn't get a word in edgewise to stop Aaron hearing about the case.

"Three bodies in the last week have turned up in the Potomac river, each with the same markings and cause of death – shot in the back of the head, execution style."

"What do you think we're looking at?" Hotch asked, furrowing his brow. He could feel Rossi's eyes on him, but he did his best to ignore it for just a few more minutes.

"Looks like hired hits, but it's sloppy. This UnSub is going to a lot of trouble to make law enforcement see what he's doing…" JJ said, looking at her case file. Hotch nodded in agreement, raising his hand to massage his temple lightly. Dumping bodies in a highly visible location, without weighing them down – he wanted them to find the bodies.

"Vigilante?" he asked, finally looking at where Rossi sat. Rossi raised an eyebrow, watching his friend struggling a bit. He knew the schedule, it had to be time for meds soon.

"That's what we're exploring right now." Rossi said sternly. "I think that's about enough shop talk for you, Hotch. You should get some rest. We want you back at 100%."

"Dave…" Hotch began, but he knew he would get nowhere so he stopped his protest. Dave could just as easily turn off the monitor as listen to his plea. Pick your battles.

Hotch sighed. He could hear the doctor and nurse outside his door and knew it was time for their hourly round on him, and he'd be going for some imaging tests soon. "I think my time is up anyway," he said, watching as the nurse entered his room and flipped on the light without warning. He squinted and turned away from the harsh light, stabbing pain shooting through his head. Quickly, he lifted his hand and shielded his eyes, blinking against the pain. The nurse saw his look of distress and panic came over her as she rushed to switch the light back off.

"I'm so sorry! I wasn't even thinking!" she said hurriedly. Aaron just smiled at her, then at his computer screen.

"I'll see you all soon," he said quickly, shutting the chat off and closing his lap top before his team could comment on what they'd seen. He lay back against his pillow, shutting his eyes against the sharp pain in his head that was easing up by the minute with the darkened room. His light sensitivity seemed to be the only symptom that was hanging on for dear life.

The team all felt so much better, having seen their fearless leader after a long few days of worry, but they knew it would still be a while before he was back to himself. The room felt less tense after the monitor shut off, like they were almost back to normal.

"He looks good," JJ said, smiling at Rossi. He nodded, in that knowing Rossi way, and smiled.

"Not too bad," was his reply.

"Are you going to visit him tonight?" Garcia chimed in quietly. "Maybe we could send you with goodie things?"

"I'll be joining him for dinner tonight," Rossi replied, nodding. "It might be better, though, to send the goodies to his apartment. I'd wager on them discharging him tomorrow as long as all of his scans are clear today."

Dinner with Rossi. Hotch was slowly eating a piece of plain toast, the first food he'd had to chew in nearly a week. It was unpleasant at best, but it made him feel encouraged at least.

"How were your scans?" Dave asked, taking a sip of his iced tea. Aaron swallowed the dry toast and sipped a bit of water.

"Everything looked good," he said, tearing off another bite with his fingers first. The bread was so dry it crumbled between his fingertips. "They're going to keep me on fluids overnight, but unhook me tomorrow morning and see how I do all day on my own. They took out my catheter after the scans came back clear…" he muttered, putting the toast into his mouth.

"That's great, Aaron. Are you able to go for a walk? Perhaps we could walk outside and you could get some fresh air tonight?"

Aaron nodded, choking down his last bite of toast. "Yeah, just have to let the charge nurse know. I can have visitors tomorrow, but I don't want any. I just want to go home."

Dave nodded knowingly. "Understood."

The air outside was crisp, the sky dusky. It was nearly 8pm, the sun was down but the light wasn't extinguished yet. The sky had a deep blue and purple hue to it and Aaron thought it was maybe the most beautiful sky he'd ever seen. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs to the brim, and let it out slowly. He wore a robe over his hospital gown, wrapped tightly around himself, and no slip hospital socks. It was a far cry from his usual attire.

"It's a beautiful night," Rossi began, his hands shoved into his pockets. "A bit chilly, but beautiful."

Aaron just nodded silently in agreement, staring up at the hazy moon. His last night in the hospital and he finally felt human again. The two men stayed outside for what felt like forever, until a nurse came outside to tell them their time was up, Aaron had to get back to his room. They slowly walked back to his room, and once inside Rossi helped get Aaron settled back into his bed and took his leave of his friend for the night.