Hotch couldn't stop thinking about everything that transpired over the course of the past 24 hours. His son had made him call Amalya, and not only did she come, but she spent the entire day – and night – with them.

Waking up to her in his bed, groggily checking her phone, her hair falling every which way, her eyes still clouded with the last remnants of sleep and her voice huskier than usual when she first spoke, was making it harder for him to keep the lines where they need to be. He was falling for her, of that he was sure, but he had to reign it in.

He noticed how the pillow she slept on now had a faint smell that was different. He guessed it was from her hair products.

She had forgotten the groceries she got from Ayşe's in her hurry, and he knew he had to give them back.

He would need to bring them over to her apartment, to avoid raising the suspicions of a few sharp-eyed profilers.

At least, that was what he was telling himself.

He was driving Jack over to Haley's, after the 5-year-old asked to go to his mother's that morning.

"Daddy, can Amalya come today too?" Jack asked from the backseat.

"I'm afraid not, buddy. She has to work." He informed him.

"Does she have to go?" Jack whined.

"Yes, buddy, she does." Hotch said.

"But you're her boss, can you tell her she doesn't have to?" Jack suggested, and Hotch couldn't help but chuckle.

"That's not how that works, buddy." Hotch replied, "and besides, you're gonna have fun with Mom today," he tried to change the subject.

"Do you have to work too?" Jack wondered.

"No, buddy, I don't." Hotch told him.

"Can you stay?" Jack asked.

"If you want me to," Hotch answered.

"I do," Jack told him.

"Then I'll stay," he assured.

That seemed to help, and Jack went back to watching things go by his window and left his father to his own thoughts.

Thoughts that were mainly about a certain brunette.

He pulled into the driveway in front of the Brooks's residence and smiled when he saw Haley open the door and come out to meet them.

"Mommy!" Jack cheered from the back, and Haley smiled at him.

"Hi, baby. Did you have a good time with Daddy?" she asked, as she opened the door and released him from his booster seat, before picking him up.

"Yes, and with Amalya too," he informed her enthusiastically.

"H-hey, you got her name right. Good job," she encouraged, as he hugged her.

"Ayşe Teyze taught me," he told her, and she frowned. She set him back on the ground when he wiggled out of her arms. She looked questioningly at Hotch.

"The owner of the Turkish place Amalya loves. He's been there before and wanted to go again. She's an older woman who adores Amalya," he explained as he walked behind them towards the front door, "and him." He added.

She looked back towards him and frowned at the weird look he had.

"Hey, buddy," Jessica greeted once they entered the house, "did you have fun with your dad?" she asked, and he nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah?" Jessica emphasized cheerfully, "what did you guys do?" She asked.

"Amalya took us to Ayşe Teyze, and she gave me coloring books. Then back home, we watched movies together, and Amalya even danced with me to the songs," he recounted happily.

"Sounds like you two had some fun," Haley chuckled, as she eyed the suspiciously-silent man standing next to her.

"Amalya even sat with me while Daddy read me a story," Jack announced, and Hotch winced internally.

"Did she like your room?" Jessica asked.

"I forgot to show it to her," he replied, "I slept in Daddy's bed," he stated nonchalantly, and Hotch wanted the earth to swallow him when two identical smirks turned towards him. He wordlessly moved around the Brooks's sisters and headed for the kitchen to get what was now his fourth cup of coffee.

Haley signaled for Jessica to watch Jack who had gone for his toys before she followed him.

"Where's Ray?" he asked her when he turned around to face her, coffee in hand.

"He had a bit of a rough night, he's still sleeping." She told him, that gleam she had in her eyes, that he knew so well, annoying him.

"So," she clicked her tongue, "Amalya saw your room yesterday," she teased, and he groaned.

"Don't," he sighed.

"What?" She asked innocently, "I didn't say anything."

"She said yes to staying for the story before Jack asked if he could sleep in my bed, she couldn't really back down without breaking her earlier promise to him," he quickly elaborated. Though he realized that he was speaking too quickly, and judging by the arching of Haley's left eyebrow, she noticed it too.

"Aaron, there's more to this story," she urged. She could tell he had something on his mind, something his mind was already working a mile a minute over. But as the ever-tight-lipped man she knew he was, he needed the push to open up.

He sighed, as he walked over to the kitchen table, and set his coffee mug down, before taking a seat himself. She followed his lead, and moved the seat next to him so she would face him before she sat down herself.

"When I looked up after I read a couple of pages, she was fast asleep with Jack nestled into her arms."

Haley's eyebrows almost disappeared into her hairline. "She fell asleep in your bed?" she asked slowly, and he nodded. "Please, don't tell me you woke her up."

"I didn't have the heart." He spoke softly.

"So, she spent the entire night in your bed?" Haley asked once more.

"Yes."

"And where did you sleep?" she inquired. She was sure she already knew the answer to that judging by how he was acting but she wanted him to say it, just so he can't claim she assumed anything.

"I didn't want Jack to wake up from a nightmare in the middle of the night and not find me," he lied, and she saw right through it.

Haley smiled. "So, you both slept in the same bed?" She confirmed, and when he wouldn't meet her eyes, she knew her answer. "And now, you're freaking out." She stated, matter of fact.

"I'm her boss, Haley. This is a massive issue…..an abuse of power on my end," he said in an exacerbated tone.

"A-an abuse of power?" Haley repeated, and when he nodded, she chuckled. "Aaron, does Amalya strike you as the kind of person who would put herself in a position she's uncomfortable in simply because you're her boss?" She asked him. "Does she strike you as someone who would let someone bully her into doing something that'll make her uncomfortable at all?" She added after he didn't answer.

"Aaron, she knows you're not that kind of man. You're not the man who would take advantage of her in any way, because of the power dynamics between you both." She explained. "And besides, that woman went over Strauss's head for JJ's sake; if you were that kind of man, my money's on her in that showdown," she quipped and he smiled hesitantly.

He didn't answer her. Deep down he knew Haley was right, but he was spinning out. Why else would she stay?

Haley knew him well, she knew he was spinning out, and she also knew that what she said didn't help calm his frantic thoughts. "Aaron, for someone like Amalya, falling asleep in your home, in your bed isn't an easy feat. It's not that she's not uncomfortable, she feels safe. She feels safe enough that she let her guard down, and she was able to let go enough to fall into a deep sleep in a bed that wasn't hers, in an apartment that isn't hers. She trusts you, she feels safe with you."

"That's a given, otherwise, we can't work together. If she didn't trust me and the team to have her back, she'd get herself or one of us killed out there." He refuted.

"That's different. That's work. She can trust you all she wants out in the field, to have her back in the field, because that's part of the job for all of you. She knows that, and she does that everyday. But for her to fall asleep in someone else's home and bed, she has to trust them and feel safe with them on a personal level. Amalya trusts Aaron. Not Agent Dawoud trusts Agent Hotchner." She elaborated.

"Courtesy of Sokolov's first lieutenant."

Her words, and the sight of the wound on her back were unknowingly confirming Haley's words. She wouldn't have showed him the wound, she wouldn't have told him about the stabbing. Those were personal to her, and were shared in a personal setting, not a professional one. None of the those things had any bearing on her ability to do her job, nor would they affect her currently, or the team.

"Look, I'm not saying you should go confess anything right now," Haley interjected into his silence, "not until you sort out your feelings, and is sure you are ready to put in the work into the relationship, especially one that involves a team member. What I'm saying is, stop denying having those feelings; figure them out; and then have a conversation with her about it. Like adults."

"You don't know that she feels the same. Feeling safe with me is not the same as having those type of feelings for me." He pointed out.

"While that's true, I think she does have feelings for you. I just think she's even more in denial than you are about them. And at least ten times more terrified of them." She stated, and he frowned questioningly at her. "I've had my suspicions for some time, but it was obvious yesterday. You're not the only whose feelings are blurring the lines."

By the time Hotch came back to the office, the team had wrapped up their latest case; and JJ had another one for them. His talk with Haley was still on his mind, and he had been mulling over it the past few days. Mulling over his feelings, trying to untangle his undying gratitude to her for saving his son from Foyet, from his actual feelings, from looking for signs she felt the same, and finally to what his next move would be.

He was worried things would be awkward between them after he woke up to her in his bed, but she didn't seem to let it slow her down. She was still the same with him; dragging him out of his office, offering to leave the tea and mint if he wanted to use them - an offer he actually took her up on - and simply gave her back the coffee because 'I prefer the one you make,' as he found himself saying.

But they hadn't talked about that morning.

One case turned to two, turned to three, until Christmas was around the corner, and they were wrapping up the paperwork on their last case before their break. He saw her coming up the steps towards his office, and frowned at the look on her face.

She looked apprehensive. And he quashed all the dark thoughts trying to creep out from the dark crevices of his mind.

"Hey," she greeted, as she walked into the office.

"Hey." He said back, "everything okay?" He asked worriedly, as he took the offered file from her, and added to the ever-growing pile on his desk, and eyeing the paper in her hand.

"Yeah, I'm just kinda frustrated with the timing of what I'm about to ask," she stated, and his frown deepened. "I know with JJ being on assignment right now, that we're all stretched pretty thin. And trust me, if this could be avoided, I wouldn't ask." She hastily explained.

"Amalya, just tell me what it is, and we can figure it out together," he encouraged.

She handed him the paper, "I will try to keep it shorter if I can, but I don't want to have to ask for an extension." She elaborated.

"Amalya, stop." He said gently, "you deserve a time-off. You've barely had any since you joined." He said simply, as he signed the request, and handed it back to her. "We'll miss you around here." He said truthfully.

"Me too."

She worked one last case with them after New Year's, before she said her goodbyes to the team and left. Hotch knew he may have lingered a bit longer than professionally acceptable, but it took all his strength to even let her go. He wasn't sure how he was going to go without her for nearly a month.

"Might want to use this time to sort out how you truly feel about her," Rossi told him as they parted ways towards their respective cars.

As the month went by, it became increasingly apparent that Hotch's mood was affected by Amalya's absence. The fact that Jack constantly asked about her wasn't helping either, but he was trying to hold it together in front of his son. They had spoke on the phone a couple of times, and he could hear how lighter her voice sounded, as well as the joy. He could almost see the sparkle in her eyes when he called her to wish her a Merry Christmas, since Copts celebrate on January 7th, and not December 25th like Catholics do.

"Any idea when she's coming back?" Emily whispered to JJ and Derek one morning after Hotch barreled through the bullpen with a barely audible and clipped 'good morning'.

"I looked it up on the system, and she should be back by the first of the month," Garcia responded.

"Can we call her back early with a fake emergency? Hotch won't last that long," Derek commented.

"Maybe it'll be the final push," JJ suggested.

January 26th, 2011

Hotch leaned against the back of his couch, drinking his coffee as he watched the news. The situation in Egypt had escalated beyond what most people thought would be a small protest, and he was getting increasingly worried for Amalya.

He quickly turned the TV off when he heard Jack's footsteps running up towards him, and turned around just in time to smile at his son.

"I'm ready, Daddy," Jack announced.

"You got your books and stuff in your bag?" Hotch asked, and the boy nodded. "Did you make sure you didn't forget anything?" He asked, and Jack nodded once more. "Okay, let's go." He said, as he walked back towards the kitchen to place his cup in the dishwasher, and start the cycle.

He walked back out, grabbed his gun out of the safe, took his go-bag and briefcase and headed out the door with Jack.

He was a block away from Quantico when his personal phone rang, with an 'Unknown Number' as the caller ID.

"Hotchner," he said into the phone.

"Hey," she greeted softly.

His heart fluttered at the sound of her voice, while all the noises in his head just went silent.

"Hey, I was about to call you."

"Yeah, I figured I better call now, just in case," she alluded.

"It's that bad?" He asked.

"It's not going away easily this time." She told him.

"You're not coming back, are you?" He inquired.

"No, I am," she assured him, "just not next week. You're not getting rid of me that easily, councilor." She quipped, and he chuckled. "I just can't leave when the situation is this dicey. I don't want to leave my family in a vulnerable position."

"I understand," he said, "I'll extend your leave. Just keep me in the loop. I highly doubt the news is a reliable source," he joked and she laughed.

"They're definitely not. I'll check in with you frequently." She assured him.

"Just stay safe," his voice was vulnerable, but he didn't care. The mere idea of something happening to her terrified him.

"I will. Thanks, Aaron. Give Jack a kiss for me." Her voice was soft as well, but the worry wasn't as masked as she hoped.

He walked into the bullpen to an anxious Garcia standing by Emily and JJ's desks. Rossi was leaning against Reid's.

"Sir, the situation in Egypt…" he cut her off.

"I know, I just spoke to her." He declared.

"So, she's okay?" Derek asked as he walked up from behind him.

"Yes, she is. She pushed her return date until the situation is more stable so she doesn't leave her family in a vulnerable position. But she's safe, and she's fine. She promised to check in frequently as the situation unfolds." He summarized their earlier conversation for the team.

"We have a case," JJ declared.

"Ok, set up the conference room, and I will join you in a minute," he told her, as he headed towards his office. Rossi pushed himself off Reid's desk and followed him.

"What aren't you telling us?" Rossi asked, once they were inside Hotch's office.

Hotch threw his go-bag by his desk, and turned around to unload some files from his briefcase.

"Amalya wouldn't ask to stay behind if the situation was as simple as some protests, she's sensing something and that's why she's staying behind." He answered.

"And you're worried about her?" Rossi alluded.

"Of course, she's a member of this team. I'm the unit chief. Of course, I'm worried about her." Hotch was quick to elaborate.

"I don't mean is SSA Hotchner worried about SSA Dawoud? I meant, is Aaron worried about Amalya?" Rossi clarified, and Hotch scowled at the way he made the distinction.

"Dave, let's just focus on the case." He stated pleadingly.

Rossi didn't push any further, because he knew his friend. It was taking every ounce of self-control Hotch had not to spiral, and focusing on work would help channel all that worry into something useful since he was basically helpless in the situation.

After the debrief, he headed back to his office to call Haley and retrieve his go-bag. To his surprise, Agent Booth from Major Crimes was standing in his office.

"Booth," he greeted, his voice betraying his surprise.

"Hey, Hotch. Sorry to barge in like that, but the situation is kind of urgent." Booth spoke hastily.

"What's going on?" Hotch wondered.

"Haven't you seen the news?" Booth inquired, and Hotch shook his head.

"Remember the Gravedigger?" Booth asked, and Hotch nodded.

"She had a hearing this morning, if I'm not mistaken." Hotch responded.

"Yeah, she was supposed to. Except a sniper took her out on the courthouse steps." Booth informed him.

"And you need the BAU's help?" Hotch wondered, still not quite sure what the surly-looking Agent was doing in his office.

"No. But the shot that took her out is so-damned-near-impossible that only a handful of people can land it. One of those people is an agent in your unit," Booth replied, as he opened the file in his hand to read the name, "her name is…."

Hotch interjected, "Amalya Dawoud."

"Yes, exactly. I need to talk to her." Booth stated in a demanding tone.

Hotch was letting the aggravated tone Booth was using slide, because he was aware of the crimes the Gravedigger committed. And he knew that one of her survivors was Agent Booth himself.

"She didn't do it, Booth," Hotch told him.

"While I appreciate your professional opinion, but you and I both know that I will need something more concrete than your word."

"Not only would she never do something like this. She's also been in Egypt for three weeks, and she called me this morning to ask for more days off due to the current situation there. Trust me Booth, she's not your sniper." Hotch told him in an exacerbated tone.

"Right. You know I had to ask." Booth stated, as Hotch walked with him towards the door.

"Don't worry about it. Let us know if you need our help," he stated, as they both walked down the steps.

"Hey, Morgan," Booth greeted on his way out.

"Booth," Morgan called back, as he eyed Hotch warily. "What did he want?" He asked.

"Someone shot the Gravedigger on the courthouse steps this morning," Hotch informed them.

"What does that have to do with us?" Emily wondered.

"Amalya was one of the suspects." Hotch stated simply.

January 28th, 2024.

The case had wrapped up fairly quickly, compared to their usual. Hotch hadn't heard from Amalya yet, and he was increasingly worried. He had Garcia following the situation using any and all channels necessary, and she was keeping him updated. But as they loaded the boxes into the SUVs, he realized that he hadn't heard anything about it today, at all.

He called her as he got behind the wheel, with Rossi in the passenger seat, and Emily in the back. The other car had Morgan, Reid and JJ. The line rang longer than usual, and it made him frown.

"Hello, Sir," Garcia greeted apprehensively.

"Something is wrong," he stated bluntly, and he could almost hear her gulp.

"I'll patch in Morgan and the others," she spoke quickly, and his heart sank. He pulled the phone away from his ear and put the speaker on.

Once everyone was connected.

"Penelope, you're scaring us, beautiful," Morgan tried to remain calm, but the worry in his voice wasn't lost on any of them.

"It's now a full blown revolution. The masses clashed with police forces earlier today, and the number of people in the streets are now in the millions, and they're demanding the ousting of the current regime entirely," she started, and with each word, Hotch could feel his heart slow down.

"Did you try to get a hold of her?" Emily asked.

"I was about to, when they said that Egypt has gone dark, communication wise. The government in an effort to thwart the people, cut off the internet, and cellphone networks. There's no way to contact them except using old school landlines, but we don't have her number on file," Garcia explained.

"Garcia, you said the people clashed with the police. Any casualties?" JJ asked the question they were all too scared to even think about.

Hotch would swear his heart stopped beating right then and there, but the echo in his ear told him otherwise.

"Yeah, but the list is in Arabic, and we hadn't gotten that far in the lessons yet." Garcia rambled.

"Send it to me, I can read it." Emily interjected.

"Right away."

Less than ten seconds later, Emily's phone pinged, and she immediately opened the email. She quickly scrolled through the names, and the audible sigh she released was soon echoed by the team.

"You're sure she's not on it?" Hotch pressed.

"She has a pretty unique name. It'd stand out," she assured him.

"Sir, should I try to get her landline?" Garcia asked.

"No, this is an unfamiliar situation not just for us, but for the bureau as well, and I don't want to give anyone a reason to kick her off the team. I will see if Selim can help us keep tabs on her away from the official records."

The team spent the ride back watching the coverage of the unfolding situation, many channels were showing clips from earlier in the day. With each passing clip, Hotch was getting closer to crumbling.

The woman he loved was not only halfway across the world, but was now caught in the middle of a revolution that was seemingly not going to dissipate unless the regime succumbs to their demands and abdicates power. And there was nothing he could do to help her, or protect her.

Once again, the woman he loved was in grave danger, and he was utterly powerless.

Hello all,

Terribley sorry for the horrendous delay. Life keeps getting in the way.

As you guys can see, Agent Booth made a cameo. Bones is one of my favorite shows, and on a recent re-watch, I thought that it would be a nice crossover.

Let me know what you guys think.