"Why couldn't you have told us about the retest, Hotch?" Morgan asked harshly. He backed down when Hotch gave him a look that seemed to say, With all the stuff you did in January, you really want to go there?

"I didn't want to-" Hotch answered. Ho rolled his eyes and loudly butted in, "Hotchner, you have five seconds to finish up your conversation before I start the clock!"

"I did this because I didn't want everyone to be distracted or-"

"The five of you bearing down on him while he got ready," Rossi finished for him, "Go do your thing, Aaron. I'll talk to them."

"Hotchner! Go!" Ho yelled and Hotch gave his team an apologetic look before taking off into the course.

Forty minutes later and after three more trips through the course, Hotch walked over to his teammates, all waiting over by the SUVs. "Guys, I'm sorry. I just-"

"Rossi explained it….and we understand," Prentiss replied, "I'm happier that you're retesting."

"Thank you. Thanks for explaining it to them, Dave."

"Always a pleasure," Rossi pointed to the SUVs, "Alright, little ones, the field trip is over. Back to work."

Saturday ,September 22 - FBI Academy- Hogan's Alley- Test Day

"Ready?"

Hotch stood on empty field for the FBI Certification test, clad in a Kevlar vest and a jacket. The weather was just about forty degrees, also giving Hotch a clear day to test on. The physical test was to clear Hogan's Alley in an approved time. Behind him, Ho stood ready to test him with Rossi, who served as support. The rest of the team was at the office, on Rossi's orders.

"Set?"

Hotch loaded his firearm and started creating a tactical plan. He had done this course dozens of times over the past month. You can do this. Let's go.

"Go!" Hotch sprinted towards the first part of the exam, clearing a bank during a "bank robbery." He chose to enter the maintenance door and found himself in a dark back room.

Work back to front. You saw the blueprint- robbers would head straight for the safe which is towards the front of the bank. He cleared the back room in less than a minute before moving onto the hallway. Suddenly, two shooting range targets popped up in front of him, which he took out in seconds.

Outside, Rossi kept glancing between his watch and the bank. Hotch was still fine with time, but with being out of commission for months, Rossi wasn't sure how Hotch was going to react to the chaos of an FBI testing range.

"There he is," Ho suddenly said at the sight of Hotch running over the second half of the test; clearing an elementary school. He disappeared into the building before emerging seven minutes later with a focused, calm expression. Hotch sprinted back towards Ho and stopped in front of the young agent. Ho clicked his stopwatch and checked his tablet screen, which had recorded everything that Hotch had done in both buildings.

Rossi and Hotch exchanged looks before Ho said, "Congrats. You passed."

Still catching his breath, Hotch said, "Thanks."

"Hotchner, I have to say," Ho's expression softened, " I know that I was rude to you during the case in Knoxville, but these past few weeks, you've impressed me beyond belief. I wish you the best." Ho reached out his hand for a handshake.

Is this really Ho? Hotch eyed Ho in confusion before taking the handshake. "Again, thanks."

Ho smiled and walked away; Rossi waited until the agent was out of ear shot before asking Hotch, "What did you do to him?"

Hotch laughed. "What makes you think I did something?"

"Because there's no way that Ho could be that nice."

"Ha, no, I didn't do anything," he patted Rossi on the back, "Come on, I have my psych evaluation in an hour."

FBI Psychologist Dr. Arthur Jennings' office

"Well, Mr. Hotchner, I can see you did well on the physical exam this morning," Dr. Jennings said as he flipped through Hotch's paperwork.

"Thank you."

"Let's see, I have your notes from Dr. Ames at Quantico Medical Center and he has recommend that you be cleared for both office and field work. Just for my own sanity," Jennings placed two photos of a crime scene that the team had worked on the week before, "Tell me what you see." He watched Hotch carefully, looking out for any flinches or emotional reactions that would mark uneasiness around death.

Hotch took the photo in hand. " I see two dead women with throats slashed in a dumpster. Whoever had done this, had no remorse whatsoever-he tossed them like trash."

"I see." Jennings took back photos and slipped them into a file. "Ok and how are your eating and sleeping habits?"

"Good. I haven't had a nightmare in awhile now. I'm sleeping and eating regularly."

"Mood?"

"Good. I'm doing well."

"Good." Jennings closed his file and smiled, "Well, I don't see anything that concerns me. I'm clearing you for both the field and the office. What time are you meeting with the Director?"

"5:45."

"Good luck."

5:45pm- FBI Director's Office-Quantico, Virginia

"Are you ready?" Rossi asked while Hotch straightened his tie. The younger man glared at Rossi. "Dave, if you ask me again, I swear-"

"Hey, I'm just nervous and excited for you, Aaron." Two agents walked past them with an awestruck gaze on Hotch. "Ignore them."

"Where's the team?" Hotch asked, "They said they would be here."

"About that…I tried to bury them in as much paperwork as possible to hold them off for as long as possible. I didn't want them to crowd you."

"And you're doing so much better?" Rossi rolled his eyes and looked over to see the rest of the team rushing over.

"We're here! We're here!" exclaimed Garcia. "Did we miss anything?"

"Nope. They haven't called me yet."

"Hotch, we wish you the best of luck," Reid stated.

"Thanks, Reid." Across from them, Strauss stepped out of the Director's office and called out, "Aaron? It's time." Hotch turned and caught one last glimpse of his hopeful friends before walking into the office to hear the outcome of his recertification.

6:45pm

"They aren't done yet?" exclaimed Garcia when she saw that they had been sitting outside the Director's office for an hour. JJ giggled and said, "It is not a speedy process, Penn."

"Well, did it take this long when you first applied?"

"That was through the Academy, not from an absence."

"It took about twenty books, Baby Girl," Morgan interrupted. Garcia shooed him and continued, "I don't hear yelling so that's good. Right?"

"That's good, Penelope." She smiled when Allison walked over to the group. "Am I late? Did I miss it?" she asked.

"Nope, he's still speaking with Strauss and the Director," Prentiss told her, "He passed the physical exam and he did well on his psych evaluations, right, Allison?"

"Well," Allison said, her cheeks suddenly flushing a bright red, "I don't have any access to his files anymore because….we're dating."

"I knew it!" Garcia exclaimed. She turned to Morgan, hand extended, "Pay up."

"You betted on us getting into a relationship?"

Morgan growled as he handed Garcia, Prentiss, and JJ twenty dollars each, " Yeah, but we betted on when and I said at least six months after Hotch left the hospital. He's usually not the one to do stuff like that."

"Hah, well people change. It's-Aaron?" Allison stopped when Hotch stepped out of the Director's office with a stoic expression. He approached the group slowly; Rossi clenched his jaw when the Director walked past the group without saying a word.

"Hotch?" JJ asked. He took a breath and said smiling, "Officially as of Monday, I am Special Agent Aaron Hotchner."

"Oh My God! I'm so proud of you!" Allison exclaimed, pulling him into a hug and kiss. JJ excitedly hugged a laughing Rossi while Morgan and Reid high fived. Garcia stood next to a smiling Prentiss, trying her hardest not to cry from the excitement.

"Thank you," Hotch said, "I wouldn't have done this without any of you. I mean that."

"It was mostly you, man," Morgan replied. Prentiss rubbed Hotch's shoulder and exclaimed, "We should go out and celebrate!"

"Somewhere nice, of course!" Garcia suggested.

Prentiss also suggested, "Ooh, How about Helena's in Annandale? It's a top classy pasta restaurant!"

"That sounds good, but I'll have to meet you guys there. There's somewhere I have to go first," Hotch said. He kissed Allison on the cheek and started towards the elevator. Rossi called after him , "Aaron-"

"I'm alright, it's just a necessary pit stop. I'll see you guys soon."

Francis Cemetery- Haley Hotchner's gravesite

An unusual light snowfall had started on the drive over to the cemetery. Visiting Haley's grave at that moment felt right to Hotch; he felt as if he owed it to her. Once he arrived, the agent walked quietly to the gravestone where only a touch of snow had covered the base of the gravestone.

"Hi, Haley," Hotch whispered, shivering with both hands in his coat pocket. " It just started snowing today; I know that you always loved when it snowed. I, uh, got recertified today, "he pulled out his brand new badge, " I'm only at a special agent level, but nonetheless, I got my job back. I start on Monday and I'm…..I'm really nervous. "

He swallowed and placed his badge back in his pocket. "I'm actually scared. I…I'm scared that I'll lose control again or that they'll be another Foyet. I know that I can do this, it's just…wish me luck. I hope that I've made you proud these last nine months and I know that you'll be watching over me and Jack."

He closed his eyes and smiled at the thought of Haley's smile. I miss you so much, he thought before he turned away and walked backed to his SUV.

Helena's- Annandale, Virginia

"There he is!" Morgan exclaimed at the sight of Hotch nearly an hour later. The team and Allison sat at a large table near the bar; Garcia and JJ were drinking margaritas, Rossi was half listening to Reid ramble about soda carbonation, and Prentiss, with Allison's aide, was admiring one of the bar tenders.

"You guys started without me?" he asked, chuckling. He sat next to Allison and wrapped an arm around her. She touched his cheek, "Of course not. We just got thirsty."

"I see," he scanned the group and with a smile asked, "So who's paying?"