#Jack Callahan | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

toasttt11 · 2 months ago

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extreme aggressor

season one, episode one

Nicolette and Spencer Reid sat next to each other on their couch in their apartment with a blanket over them that Spencer has knitted them as they both read different books about physics, they had just swapped books.

Nicolette ran her eyes over the last line of the book and shut it close. She gently tossed her book onto the coffee table leaning her head on Spencer's shoulder as he continued to read his book.

Nicolette and Spencer may both complete hate physical touch with anyone else but with each other they have always liked it and it didn't make them uncomfortable.

Spencer's hand naturally went up to the tips of hair as he gently fiddled with it as he finished up his book, Nicolette slowly closed her eyes and began following asleep on his shoulder, just as one of their phones went off.

Nicolette opened her eyes and reached for the phone on the coffee table answering it, as Spencer looked up from his book.

"Reid.” She coldly spoke into the phone, listening to the other side of the phone before she nodded and hung up.

"Time for work." Nicolette sarcastically commented with a joking smile to her twin, Spencer chuckled at his sister and took her hand to stand up.

—

A door was heard opening in Gideon's classroom, the room turned to the door and saw Nicolette and Spencer walking in.

Nicolette wearing black pants, black blouse, tan leather jacket and black combat boots.

Spencer was holding a file held it up to Gideon.

"Excuse me." Gideon told his class and walked to the twins following them out of his class.

Nicolette, Spencer and Gideon walked down the hall in the Bau.

"They're are calling him the Seattle Strangler. 4 victims in 4 months." Spencer explained looking at the file showing their new case to Gideon.

"He keeps them alive 7 days. The Handle serves as a Crank." Nicolette finished explaining, as the trio continued to walk down the hallway.

"Allowing him to control the rate of suffocation." Gideon told the two.

The twins looked at him in unison guessing, " To prolong it?"

"To enjoy it." Gideon replied back, correcting the twins slighty. "Seattle’s hit a wall?" Gideon asked as they contained their walk through the halls.

"Physical evidence is nonexistent. There are no tangible leads." Spencer told him as they stopped walking in the hallway.

"And another girl is missing." Gideon said as he grabbed the picture and began walking into his office.

"I look the case file over. I'll get some thought to you ASAP." Gideon told the twins he has mentored for years as he began to read the through the file.

"You're gonna be with us in Seattle ASAP." Hotch interrupted Gideon as Derek and Hotch walked into the Office.

Derek looked over at Nicolette and sent her a small smile hoping for some attention but barley getting a nod of acknowledgment from her back before she immediately turned her attention away from him.

Gideon looked up from the file and stared at Hotch for a long while before taking off his reading glasses walking closer towards him.

Derek held up a photo of the a victim handing it to Gideon, "22-year old Heather Woodland."

"Before she left for lunch. She downloaded an email with a time delayed virus attached. The killers Virus wiped her hard drive and left this on the screen." Hotch filled Gideon in completely as he handed him a photo that had words on it.

"For heavens sake catch before i kill more i cannot control myself For heavens sake catch before i kill more i cannot control myself For heavens sake catch before i kill more i cannot control myself For heavens sake catch before i kill more i cannot control myself"

Gideon looked up at Hotch after he read the photo, he then turned and walked towards his wall that had a photo hanging on it with the same words at the photo from the case.

"He never keeps them more than 7 days,which means we have fewer than 36 hours to find her." Hotch informs him looking at Gideon piercingly.

"They want you back in the saddle. You ready?" Morgan asked looking at Gideon with a raised eyebrow.

"Looks like medical leave's over, Boss." Spencer spoke up looking hopeful Gideon would finally be back.

Nicolette raised an eyebrow at Gideon.

"They sure they want me?" Gideon questions not believing they want him back after the incident that happened on the last case he was apart of.

Hotch nodded in a reassuring manner, "The order came from the director."

"Well, we'd better get started." Gideon stated rather determined.

"His first victim was 26-year old Melissa Kirsh. Stabbed wounds. Strangulation." Spencer read off the case file to the team as they all sat on the jet.

Derek spoke up looking confused, "Wait, Wait. Back up. Back up. He stabbed her... and then strangled her to finish her off?"

"Other way around. Why do you think her started using the belt with the second murder." Gideon disagreed with Derek before looking towards the Twins specifically in question.

Spencer hesitated for a second which caught Nicolette attention who spoke up from across the table sensing her brother did not want to say it, " Strangulation with your bare hands is not at easy as one would believe. He tried probably found it took too long." Nicolette blunty informed them.

"So he stabbed her instead." Derek realized, Nicolette nodded towards Derek in agreement.

"And he realized it would he hours cleaning up the blood." Hotch explained agreeing with them.

"Next time, Our boy's got a method— the belt." Derek added onto the others statements.

"He's learning, perfecting his scenario. Becoming a better Killer." Gideon told them.

The team all were doing their own things on the plane. Gideon is looking out the window in the plane deep in thought, Hotch is working on different case files and Spencer is reading some books. Nicolette is sketching in her notebook when Derek sat down next to her, though she doesn't look up at him when he does.

Derek pulled out a case file but Nicolette felt his many glances at her, "Yes Morgan?" Nicolette coldly muttered, still finding him just as insufferable as the day she met him.

"Nothing Nico." Derek just shrugged acting innocent, even though he is still puzzled why she still seems to barely tolerate him, he only flirts with her a few times, a day.

Nicolette looked up at him and glared, "Don't call me that." Nicolette has always despised the nickname Nico. Derek is always trying to call her Nico and she hates it.

"Alright." Derek backed off knowing she has a few knifes on her that he does not want to be on the wrong end of, but that doesn't mean he will stop calling her that.

Spencer looked up from his book sensing Nicolette's annoyance towards Derek, He slowly shook his head before looking back at his book.

A dog barked straight at the Spencer Reid who quickly flinched back, Nicolette had a small smirk of amusement at seeing another dog not like her brother.

"Sandy, no, no, no. I'm so sorry sorry." The brother of the victim quickly apologized to the three of them.

"No it's ok. It's what we call the Reid Effect." Hotch told them man, "Happens with children too."

Nicolette smirked slighty looking at her brother and he fondly rolled his eyes.

"I'm Agent Hotchner, They are special Agents Reid." Hotch informs the man.

The man looks at the twins incredulously, "You look to young to go to have gone to medical school."

The twins both let out a laugh, Spencer's was awkard and Nicolette's was a fake chuckle, both having heard the sentence already hundreds of times.

"They're Ph.D.s. 3 of them." Spencer casually informs the man who looks shocked.

"Are you guys genius's or something?" The man questioned them both.

"I don't believe that intelligence can be accurately quantified— but we do have an I.Q. of 187 and an eidetic memory and we can read 20,000 words per minute." Spencer rambled stumbling over his words.

"Yes we're genius's." Nicolette coldly spoke up very gently cutting her twin brother off only because she knew he was awkwardly rambling because he uncomfortable not because he wanted to share a stat. Spencer gave her a thankful look.

Nicolette and Spencer both start walking around the house looking at different things.

Hotch quickly smiles at the man before talking towards the dog as he pets her, "Sandy, you get a-lot of attention, don't you?"

"Yeah Heather loves the dog," The man told Hotch. "I feed her when heathers away. Usually, She's fine, but... lately, she won't eat. It's almost like she can sense something's wrong."

"Not sense. Smell. Our apocrine sweat gland releases secretions in response to emotional stress." Reid pipped in before causally walking towards his sister who was looking at the car magazines deep in thought.

"Sandy's worried because she knows you are." Hotch reassured the man.

Nicolette kept looking at the magazines drop in though before she asked a question deep in thought, "David, does your sister drive a Datsun Z?"

"No, but she's in the market for one. How'd you know?" David questions Nicolette in who return held up the magazine.

"There's an immediate relationship established between a buyer and a seller. A level of trust. If i want to coax a young women into my car..." Nicolette spoke looking at the other two as she trailed off.

Hotch nodded coming to a realization, "Offer her a test drive."

—

"I'm going up." Hotch told Gideon while quickly walking on the stairs of the house up to where Nicolette was already.

Gideon walks into the house meeting Spencer, who quickly informs him, "There's no sign of the girl here. We can arrest him with probable cause, but we won't be able to hold him. Slessman's been at the top of the suspect list."

"Is that the mother?" Gideon asked Spencer, looking over at the woman.

"Grandmother. The mother died in a fire when he was 13." Elle Greenaway said as she walked over to the two of them, sending a soft smile to Spencer.

"Probably not the only fire in his childhood." Gideon muttered.

"Before his son of damn murders, David Berkowitz set a multitude of fires." Spencer tells them as they walk into another room, He smiled back at Elle having not seen her in a few months.

"Exactly how much is a multitude?" Derek questions back.

"According to his diary, 1,400 and-" Spencer began telling before Elle pipped in.

"88."

"Luring him our was your idea right? Greenaway?" Gideon stated looking over at her with curios eyes.

"Elle. I don't send a swat team into a house with children." She sternly corrected.

"Hotch says your background is in sex offender cases. What can you tell us?" Gideon questioned Elle.

"The last four murder show he's and anger-excitation rapist. He'll keep a victim for a couple of days. He probably records or videotapes them so that he can keep reveling the fantasy." Elle professionally answered back.

"You ok with Hotch being in on the interview?" Gideon inquired.

"I'd like him to lead, actually." Elle replied back nodding.

"Fine. But hold off." Gideon agreed. "Slessman's done time, and he knows the process, and all you will get now is a demand for a lawyer."

"Hotch lets check the garage." Gideon called up the stairs as he walked away.

Elle squeezed Spencer's shoulder giving him a smile knowing they would catch up more after the case but it was really good to see one of her best friends.

Derek narrowed his eyes at the touch knowing Spencer doesn't prefer touch unless it's Nicolette's but couldn't question it as Elle turned to him, and he teasingly told her, "Next time, show a little leg." Derek turned around and started heading up the stairs with Elle following.

"Morgan, the only time you're gonna see a little leg from me is when i'm about to kick your ass." Elle replied back to his comment while pointing a finger at him.

"I still teach hand to hand over at quantico. If you need a little brush-up training." Derek jokingly flirting with her.

"Seriously. I want the opening at the Bau. You got any advice." Elle asked completely serious, She wants to be on BAU because her best friends and family are part of this team and it would give her a chance to see them more.

"Just trust your instincts." Derek told her back, knowing they will help her the most in the job.

They heard the sound of a door opening at the end of the hallway, Derek and Elle turned there heads to see Nicolette walking out with a file in her hand reading not noticing the two of them in the hallway.

"Nico." Derek called out, Nicolette's head snapped up looking annoyed at the nickname before the annoyed look disappeared seeing the girl who was standing next to him, "Nico this is-"

"Elle." Nicolette interrupted him smiling slighty at her best friend, not knowing she was working this case too.

Elle grinned happily seeing her other best friend and pulled her into a quick hug. Nicolette squeezed her back before stepping back.

"You know her." Derek stated watching the two and now realized why Spencer let Elle touch him.

Nicolette just hummed, "There looking for you in the bedroom."

Derek simply nodded knowing she would not talk about it, "Thanks Nico.”

Nicolette rolled her eyes before responding back, "What did i say about calling me Nico."

"Not to." Derek spoke with a cheeky smile.

"And you still do. Shocker." Nicolette sarcastically replied back. Elle looked between the two and her lips pursed in a knowing smile, she had heard all about the "annoying" Morgan from Nicolette.

—

Derek walks into Richards bedroom looking around at everything in the room.

"Somethings not right about this." Derek muttered to himself as he continued to look around. "This is a boys room not a man's."

"Exactly what i was thinking." Nicolette told him as she leaned against the doorframe watching him.

Derek turned around surprised to see her standing there "How long have you been there?" Derek swears Nicolette is always silent like a Ninja.

Nicolette nonchalantly shrugged crossing her arms over her chest finding it amusing how easy it is to sneak up on him, "Awhile. You know for an FBI agent you are terrible at knowing there's someone behind you.”

"Your quiet." Derek weakly defended. Nicolette just raised an eyebrow and hummed, before turning around and walking out the door as Derek watched her leave.

—

Nicolette and Giedon listened to the conversation Hotch was having with e grandmother.

"Well, there was... there was this one young man. I think his name was Charlie." The grandmother hesitatingly told Hotch.

"Cross-Reference Charlie for the second unsub." Gideon told Nicolette.

Nicolette was already typing before he asked, "Already on it boss. Charlie is most likely Charles Linder. He was Slessman's cellmate and received a dishonorable discharge from the military."

"He's bigger. tougher. He could of protected Richard in prison. Where were they incarcerated." Gideon questioned her always asking the Twins questions trying to get them to be even better..

Nicolette quickly replied back, "Cascadia. Less than a mile from here."

"Let's go." Gideon told her as he started to walk to the door, Nicolette followed right behind him grabbing her leather jacket off the chair on the way out.

—

"Anyone can tell us more about slessman." Gideon asks as Nicolette walked with him into the prison on her phone.

"Tim Vogel was the security guard covering Slessman's block. That's him over there. I'll get him for you." The Warden told Gideon pointing towards a man.

Nicolette hung up her phone before walking over to Gideon, "That was Hotch. Linder's name came up on a police report."

Gideon raised an eyebrow, "And?"

"He's dead," Nicolette bluntly told him, "Car accident, 2 months ago."

—

"To bad you guys came here for nothing. I mean talk about scum. I can't remember how many times i put Linder in solitary for causing trouble with us," Tim Vogel spat as he used his keys to open a door while Gideon and Nicolette followed him, "You think the inmates woukd try to stay on our hood side, right? Especially since half our job is protecting them from each other."

Nicolette eyed Vogel suspiciously when he specifically said "protect them."

"You protect them?" Gideon asks just as suspicious of Vogel, sharing a very quick glance with his mentee.

"If your a little white guy? Especially in a prison like this." Vogel whispered out.

"Lindera's 6'4" You talking about Slessman?" Gideon inquired.

Vogel nodded back, "Oh, Yeah."

"Thanks for your help." Gideon spoke as he and Nicolette looked at Vogel’s keys.

—

"He befriend Richard, Protected him, made him feel like he owed him." Gideon told Nicolette as they walked outside the Prison towards the car.

"He fits the Profile. And did you see them?" Nicolette easily replied back.

"The Keys." Gideon answered her question, she hummed in agreement as they got into their car.

A bright orange Volvo P1300 pulls out of the prison parking loot and onto the the road.

"Hotch i just found your leverage. His name is Timothy Vogel." Gideon said into the phone as he sat in the passenger, While Nicolette quickly pulled out and followed the car.

—

"Boss, there's something off, we're gonna need to pull him over." Nicolette told Gideon as she continued to tail the orange car.

Gideon knew Nicolette was right but he wanted to test her as he always does, "You wanna stop him, you give me a reason."

"His behavior. When we left him, he was nervous, unsettled. But now he's stopping at every stop sign. He's using his blinker at every turn. He's slowing at yellow lights. This is not someone who is rushing to kill and dump a body." Nicolette nonchalantly listed, Gideon felt a sense of pride at her intelligence.

"Ok. Do it." Gideon replied back. Nicolette quickly put on the sirens pulling over the Orange car.

The two of them quickly got out of the car with there guns drawn towards the car.

"FBI. Put your hands up where we can see them!" Nicolette coldly called out, "Put your hands through the window now!"

The man slowly put his hands out.

"With your left hand i want your to open the car door from the outside." Nicolette coldly told the man. The man slowly open the door getting out, Nicolette quickly grabbed him putting him on the ground with her gun facing his back.

"It's not him." Nicolette said annoyed as she stood back up.

"Where is he? Where is he?" Gideon sternly questioned.

"I don't know!" The man desperately said.

Gideon asked still pointing his gun at the man, "What are you doing driving his car?"

"He came up to me in the garage after our shift ended. He asked if he could borrow my truck." The man quickly explained to the other two.

"He dumping the body." Nicolette quickly realized.

"What's the make? What's the make?" Gideon angrily questioned.

The man anwsered back, "Dodge Dakota!"

—

Nicolette and Gideon pulled up to the shipyard, slipping there jackets on as they got out of the car, both pulling out there guns.

They soundlessly walk across a bridge.

Gideon and Nicolette continued soundlessly walking on the shipyard with guns still drawn, Nicolette was a bit behind Gideon covering him from behind him.

"Listen to me. You need to wait for backup." Derek sternly told Nicolette, once she answered the phone.

"If we wait, the girl is dead." Nicolette stubbornly told him back through the phone as she continued walking.

"And if we had waited in Boston— " Derek quickly began saying.

"I can't. I trust my instincts." Nicolette cut him off before hanging up on him. Derek rubs a hand down his face in frustration at her stubbornness.

Heather screams as Vogel grabs from behind pointing a gun at her.

"Stop. Stop." Gideon yelled holding his gun at Vogel.

"Get back! I'll shoot her." Vogel yelled back holding a gun at a crying Heather.

"I wouldn't. If u were you, if sun the gun at me. You shoot the girl, you got nothing." Gideon calmly spoke.

Vogel snapped, " Get... back!"

Vogel didn't see Nicolette sneaking up on him with her gun aimed at straight at him.

"Shoot me instead. Come on. What, are you a lousy shot?" Gideon insisted putting his hands up his gun not aiming at Vogel anymore, knowing Nicolette has got his back, "50 feet away. You got a perfect shot. Shoot me."

"You think i'm stupid." Vogel questioned him still holding a struggling, crying Heather.

"I think you're an absolute moron," Gideon causally told him, "I know all about ya, Tim. You're at the gun 5 times a week. You drive a flashy car. You stink of Cologne, and you cant get it up. Not even viagra's working for ya. You know what that tells me? That tells me that you are hopelessly compensating, and it's not just in your head. It is physical. What did the girls call you in high school? What'd they come up with when you fumbled your way into some girls pants, and she started laughing when she got a good look at just how little you had to offer?"

"Shut up!" Vogel screamed in anger, Gideon's words going to his head.

Gideon throughly ignored him, "Short stack? Very little Vogel? I got it. Tiny Tim." Gideon smiled mockingly.

Vogel pushed Heather away aiming his gun towards Gideon, Nicolette quickly saw this and didn't hesitate to shoot him right into the forhead, Vogel's bullet hit Gideon on the top of the shoulder making him fall back from the force.

"Gideon!" Nicolette called out worriedly, she quickly ran up to him, "Are you ok?

"I'm fine, Go look after the girl." Gideon reassured her, Nicolette nodded not before casting one more worried look at Gideon before jogging towards Heather.

—

Nicolette helped the paramedics get Heather onto to the gurney, before hearing her name being called by her favorite voice.

"Cole!" Spencer Reid called out worriedly quickly rushing towards his sister once he saw the back of her head and her long curls.

Nicolette turned around to see Spencer rushing towards her, "Hey Spence—"

She was quickly cut off by Spencer hugging her tightly, Nicolette although confused hugged her brother back.

"What's wrong Spence?" Nicolette softly asked her twin brother once they pulled away.

Spencer shook his head, "Nothing i was worrying over you." He heard an FBI agent had gotten shot over the radio and was worried.

Nicolette softly smiled before giving his hand a small reassuring squeeze understanding where he is coming from.

—

Derek sat on a crate with Hotch standing next to him at the shipyard watching Gideon walk by them.

"So what kind of report do they want on him?" Derek curiously asked, he knew Hotch was overseeing Gideon for the board.

"I suppose whether he's fit to be a field agent," Hotch replied back, "You know, Hayley and I were looking at a baby names book. Guess what Gideon means in Hebrew."

"Mighty warrior." Spencer and Nicolette casually pipped in, in unison as they walk toward them.

"Appropriate." Spencer said as they walked by Derek and Morgan.

Derek just chuckled sharing a look with Hotch.

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codename-mom · 5 months ago

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Paternity test

Summary: Aaron has doubt about Jack being his now he is nine and still doesn't look like him. Dave tries to find a solution to reassure him, but it can be a double-edged sword.

Characters: BAU team (Callahan era) + Jack Hotchner

Contents: TW mention of Haley's cheating, alcohol, anxiety and I think that's all.

PS : English is not my mother language so they are necessarily mistakes. Sorry about that.

___

Jack finished his exercise and looked up at his father. He hadn't moved an inch since he himself had sat down at the living room table to begin his homework. The giant was concentrating on his computer screen, eyebrows furrowed, lips pursed, his right hand regularly twitching, as it always did when he was deep in thought. The little boy got down from his chair and walked towards the sofa, his heart pounding. He wasn't afraid of his sire, but he still impressed him a little.

“Dad?”

“Yes, Jack,” he answered without looking at him.

“Can you check if it's okay?” he asked, placing his notebook on the armrest.

“I'm listening,” affirmed Aaron, his attention still fixed on the monitor.

“It's not math, it's grammar.”

The titan immediately ceased his activity and turned his attention back to his pocket roommate. Jack smiled at him, sketching a discreet chuckle. Then he picked up his notebook and read his lines in silence under the toddler's worried gaze. His father spoke much better than most of his teachers and other parents, and he had told him many times that knowing how to write properly would be an asset for his future life. In fact, the boy could feel the pressure on his shoulders as the director's brown irises leapt from one word to the next. It was hard to tell from his unexpressive face whether he was satisfied with his work or not.

“Reread the third sentence,” he said, finally giving him back his possession.

“What did I miss?” he interrogated him, disappointed that he hadn't got it right the first time.

“I don’t know, think.”

His ascendancy rarely made it easy for him to understand his mistakes. For many things, he let him analyze, study and dig for himself, before providing the explanation he needed, when necessary. For others, he readily agreed to teach him what he knew, just as he also took the time to listen to the results of his own discoveries. Jack loved these moments of exchange between them, and cherished them all the more as his father wasn't often at home. And when he was, he sometimes carried on with his duties as branch manager, forgetting about his offspring. Which he appreciated less and less.

“What are you doing?” he questionned as the colossus fell back into his trance.

“Research.”

“For work?”

Aaron didn't react on the spot, squinting his eyelids, before suddenly flinching as he met his gaze.

“… What? No, I... he stammered, his pupils shifting from him to the screen. I’m actually looking for a new place to live.”

“Why?”

He hadn't expected this.

“Because this one isn't very practical for either of us. Especially now that you're older.”

“Why?”

“You need a bigger bedroom, and I need an office where I can work without blocking your access to the living room.”

Instinctively, he looked towards the corridor at the end of which was his den. When he'd had to move in for good, he'd had a hard time adjusting to the old-fashioned decor, the noisy surroundings and the smallness of the place. Now he knew all its nooks and crannies by heart and felt at home here.

“Where are we going?” he worried instantly.

“Not that far, don’t be afraid. I'll make sure you stay at the same school so you can keep your friends, Aaron declared with a smile. And, in any case, we can't go too far away. I have to stay close to Quantico and I can't make your aunt travel miles for you.”

His father's large hand passed through his hair and lingered on his cheek. The FBI agent was smiling in a very exceptional way, but the whole physiognomy of his face, usually hard and cold, changed all at once. All the sweetness in his heart seemed to emerge from its hiding place and envelop him tenderly, soothing him instantly.

“Did you find something?”

“Not yet. But maybe you could help me, he asserted, looking at him. After all, you have a say in it, since you'll be living in it.”

Forgetting his English exercises altogether, he climbed onto the sofa beside him and pressed himself against his arm.

“What should I do?” he inquired, delighted to be able to support him.

“Look at the photos with me and tell me what you think. Would you?”

“Yeah.”

“So correct your third sentence and we'll take care of this.”

“Okay,” he yielded, picking up his notebook again.

Later, on a Monday, Dave invited himself into Hotch's office to let him know it was time for lunch. But as soon as he saw his drawn features and low expression, he knew something was wrong. He approached and shouted:

“What’s going on? And watch what you say.”

His superior had a nasty habit of insisting that everything was fine, when it absolutely was not. A protective reflex that had already played many tricks on him. But the manager didn't fight. He sighed and settled back in his seat, pushing back the folder in his hand.

“…This weekend, Jack and I visited several homes. The other one's getting too small for the two of us, and I need a more suitable workspace than the living room,” he explained as Rossi sat down opposite him.

“Sounds like a good idea. But I have the impression that the hunt wasn't a good one.”

“In fact, one of them might do the trick, but... - he hesitated – that's not really the point. I didn't really expect to find the gem right away.”

Given the high demand and indecent real estate prices in the capital, it would indeed have been naive to think you'd hit the jackpot on your first try.

“So why the long face?”

“Because of the reaction of the real estate agents when they saw me arrive with Jack. You… you should have seen their faces.”

Surprisingly, Aaron wasn't looking at him, his irises turned to an invisible spot on his desk. He looked defeated.

“Well, what?” his mentor said impatiently, perplexed.

“None of them thought for a moment that that kid with me was my son, he revealed, staring at him at last. And even when Jack called me “Dad”, they still had their doubts.”

“Aren't you being a little dramatic?”

With his former disciple's tendency to see the glass as half-empty, the former retired doubted the accuracy of his statement.

“No. Many asked to see Jack's identity papers, even though they were of no use in completing the application files.”

He had to admit that this supported his hypothesis and he understood better why he wasn't particularly happy. He dared to put things in perspective:

“At least they check.”

“Dave, these people were convinced I was a pedophile looking for a new hideout!” snapped his wounded interlocutor.

“Aaron…”

“And, at the same time, they have good reason to think so,” he continued, looking downcast.

“Why?”

The novelist had no idea why he would say such a thing. He was used to hearing him self-inflict a multitude of imaginary defects, but this one was beyond comprehension. Especially as there was nothing innocuous about it.

“Look at him, Hotch resumed, flipping the frame on his desk. Look at him and tell me where I am.”

A frozen Jack on glossy paper gave him a radiant smile, his straight, light hair waving in a passing breeze.

“He’s still a child, Aaron.”

“He's nine! the ex-prosecutor reminded him. It's high time he showed some of his father's physical traits. Except he doesn’t. Jack, it’s clearly Haley and... someone else.”

“Don’t say that.”

“So, tell me! Tell me what he took from me.”

Uneasy, Rossi lowered his eyes to the toddler's portrait and carefully observed his eyes, nose, ears, chin... Apart from the color of his irises – which could also be his mother's – it was difficult to identify his sire's features. However, the elder felt that the kid was still too young to express all his genetic characteristics. Besides, he didn’t like what it implied.

“See. Even you can't answer that.”

“You realize you're implying that Haley went elsewhere.”

“But she went somewhere else, Dave, he asserted without preamble. One… one day when I was unusually at home, someone called. I picked up the phone and nobody answered. There was a silence and then they hang up. Right after that, someone called on Haley’s cell phone. I didn't make the connection with Jack this day, but now it's so obvious that he's not mine.”

The BAU co-founder realized that it had been eight years since his opposite had kept his wife's betrayal to himself, and he was touched that he hadn't been in the loop at the time. Why hadn't he told him about it? He'd been living with this memory for almost a decade, and it must have crushed his self-esteem when he realized that Haley hadn't had the respect for him that he'd had for her in the twenty-five years they'd been together. A memory that continued to undermine even now.

“Aaron, maybe it was someone who had the wrong number.”

“When you get the wrong number, do you just hang up?”

“… No,” he conceded, honest.

“You apologize and explain that you made a mistake. Haley didn't ask for a divorce because I was never around, but because I was too much and had discovered the truth.”

Dave easily perceived the anger rolling through his veins. Even after so much time, even after everything that had happened, he was still furious. The question was, against whom? The most likely answer was: his partner at the time. But Hotch was a complex person who had very little regard for himself, and his eldest wouldn't have been surprised if he resented him too.

“Wait, that doesn't mean that Jack isn't yours. It's playing with fire to have a child with someone other than your husband.”

“Except when the husband doesn't want children.”

Taken aback by this outburst, he widened his eyelids, questioning the giant with his eyes.

“She wanted that kid so badly; she could have done just that. And, once pregnant, she did what it took to convince me to take the plunge.”

He glimpsed a side of Aaron's private life he'd never known about before. The couple he had formed with Haley at that moment had seemed so harmonious that he hadn't questioned further why they had remained childless for so long.

“For… for years, she had put her desire for motherhood on the back burner, but suddenly it became urgent. She put me on the spot for it, he added, his eyes shining. And, as luck would have it, it worked the first time. Normally, it takes several attempts to make it work, even for couples who have frequent relations. But not us. I'm sure of it now, she was already pregnant and I find myself raising someone else's kid.”

“Hold on, Aaron. Breathe. All this is just speculation.”

He ignored all the statistics that ran through his brain about the number of tries one had to go through to get it right – even more so when the mother-to-be was in her forties – just as he refrained from bouncing on the fact that Haley had obviously taken advantage of her husband's unconditional love for her to finally accede to her request. Even if the evidence seemed to be mounting, he couldn't overlook the fact that he didn't hold all the cards and that, even if she had gone elsewhere, there was no proof that she had played him to such an extent.

“What are you going to do anyway? Abandon Jack?”

“No, he retorted immediately. I… I can’t do that. He… he’s not to blame. And… if I couldn't be his biological father, I could always be his... his legal guardian.”

Dave was struck by the sadness that emanated from these last words. Even if he hadn't actually experienced it, becoming a father was an incredible opportunity, a stage of life like no other. All of a sudden, you found yourself propelled into a completely different dimension, where care freeness disappeared, replaced by a constant attention to detail. One was brutally invested with a long-term mission, which consisted in bringing an innocent and pure being to become strong and skilful enough to survive the ferocity of life; all without turning them into a bloodthirsty and cruel monster. Becoming a father meant making millions of sacrifices and compromises every day for the sake of a single individual; it meant facing up to fears and repulsions, ignoring fatigue, silencing anxieties, mastering annoyance, monitoring one's own behavior, weighing one's words and being able to give it all up when necessary. All this without even knowing if the child will return the favor one day.

Being a legal guardian was a soulless legal term for the fact that you were just a name on an administrative document.

“But, you know there's a way to check if there's a genetic link between the two of you.”

“I won't do a test,” rebelled Aaron, adamant.

“Why not?”

“No. Imagine that... that he really wasn't mine. What should I do? Tell him nothing, at the risk that he might discover the truth later? Telling him the truth and destroying his mother's image and the pretend balance we've both managed to achieve? I… - he sighed. At least, at the moment, I'm still left with the doubt that he's mine.”

Rossi left the office and joined the team gathered in the corridor, ready to go down for lunch. Their brows furrowed as soon as they noticed their superior's absence.

“Isn't he coming with us?” worried Penelope.

“No. He’s… he’s cogitating.”

“What? What's that supposed to mean?” grumbled Derek, unsettled.

“Cogitate comes from the Latin cogitare, which means... began Spencer, before all eyes turned to him. That wasn't what you meant, was it?”

Morgan shook his head jaded, but said nothing.

“Aaron thinks Jack isn't his.”

“Again?” exclaimed JJ.

Everyone stared at her, surprised.

“I'm sorry, but this idea has been on his mind for some time now, she justified herself, a little embarrassed. Everyone tells him that Jack looks like his mother and never like him. After a while, I can see why the idea would catch on.”

“When they're born, babies resemble their sire so that the latter can attach more easily to the newborn and thus provide it with all the protection it needs,” declared Reid, perhaps a little too cheerfully.

“Who did Jack look like when he was born?” bounced Kate, who didn't even know what the child looked like now.

The two blondes glanced at each other awkwardly and replied in unison:

“… Haley.”

“Wait, interjected Derek, suddenly enthusiastic, Jack has brown eyes and so does Hotch.”

“Around eighty percent of the world's population has brown eyes.”

“Reid, I'm trying to make a case for Hotch, he growled, letting his shoulders fall back. Don’t help me there.”

Dave refrained from hammering the point home by reminding the ex-policeman that the boy's mother also had brown eyes.

“Sorry, but the only way to be sure Hotch and Jack are related is to have them take a DNA test,” the multi-graduate defended himself.

“He doesn’t want to.”

“Why?”

“Because without it, he still has the illusion of being his father.”

His reply cast a chill over the assembly. The few snatches of a smile that remained disappeared in a flash, and discomfort seized everyone.

“It's so sad,” commented Garcia, tears welling up in her eyes.

“At the same time, I've always thought Jack had a false air of Sean about him,” said the ex-officer liaison, in a very small voice.

“Seriously?” choked Rossi, blown away by this thought.

“It's true that it could explain the hair color,” supported the technician, who didn't dare meet his gaze.

“Who’s Sean?”

Attention turned to the newcomer to the team, whose embarrassment had given way to confusion.

“He's Hotch's younger brother, Spencer explained. They don’t look alike at all.”

Which was saying a lot. As tall as each other, the resemblance ended there. Aaron was as dark-haired as Sean was blond, and his dark irises were set against a much more attractive blue-gray. And then there were their differences in character: the former's straightforwardness didn't go at all well with the latter's carefree attitude. While both had criminal records, the elder had settled down before he came of age, while the younger was multiplying offences now that he was an adult.

“Hotch took from his mother and Sean from his father,” continued JJ, helping her colleague understand the situation.

“How likely is it that Hotch passed on his own father's physical characteristics to Jack?” suggested Kate, very seriously.

“That’s a good question. If we assume that his mother's alleles are all dominant...”

“We're going to do a DNA test,” proclaimed Rossi, cutting Reid off who was, in his opinion, putting a little too much effort into this sordid calculation given the context.

“What?” croaked the group, bewildered.

He'd expected this reaction, but the Las Vegas native was right: it was the only way to get to the bottom of the story.

“At least we'll know for sure.”

“How do you plan to do it? Derek questioned, eyebrows furrowed. Recovering Hotch's DNA shouldn't be a problem; all you have to do is steal his mug...”

“The DNA of all FBI agents is recorded in the national database so that it can be discarded when analyzing crime scenes.”

“Thank you, Reid.”

“You're welcome,” replied the latter, as cheerful as his colleague was weary.

Morgan sighed and resumed:

“How do you plan to get Jack's DNA?”

“JJ, I thought I'd put you to work.”

“Me? Gasped the interested party, unsettled. But… how?”

“You could organize a brunch with Will where you invite them both. Henry and Jack will be happy to play together, and Aaron won't suspect a thing.”

He'd come up with this plan in the very short time between their conversations, but it seemed feasible. And, by leaning on the young woman, he thought he wouldn't arouse the giant's natural distrust, which, after their conversation, might put distance between the two of them. If only to avoid being told to do the test over and over again.

“Are we talking about the results? Intervened Penelope. What are we going to do once we get them? We're not going to tell him that Jack isn't his, even if it were true.”

“Of course not. The whole plan relies on him not knowing about the test. In fact, if it's not in his favor, we won't tell him anything – and he'll keep hoping he's his real father – and if it is in his favor, we'll be able to prove to him that Jack is really his, he unrolled before adding. And he'll be too relieved to give us the hell for doing the test behind his back.”

The profilers and the analyst watched him as if they'd just suggested bungee jumping off the Empire State Building on a windy day. They, who were so quick to pounce on the slightest crumb concerning their superior's intimate life, retreated with great strides when he offered them a scoop on a silver platter.

“Not all at once.”

They exchanged questioning glances, then JJ spoke again:

“Okay. I’m in.”

“Thanks for your support.”

As agreed, JJ invited the Hotchners, father and son, to lunch at her home one weekend, and she met Dave in his office to entrust him with the few hairs she'd been able to remove from Jack's jacket. That same evening, the agency's eldest went to the analysis laboratory, where he knew one of the employees. The woman in question was a little younger than he, and they had seen each other on occasion outside of the professional context. Intelligent and endowed with a certain charm, she didn't shy away from propriety. In private, at least; at work, it was a different story, and he was going to have to convince her to help him despite the unofficial nature of his request.

“Hi, Dave, she said with a smile as she saw him enter her den. What brings you to this part of the world?”

“I’ve got a favor to ask.”

“I thought so too,” she ironized, resting the notepad in her hand on the bench behind her.

“I'll need to look for a DNA match.”

“Which file is it for?” she inquired, activating the nearby monitor.

She settled down on the stool, ready to launch a computer search so that she could attach the results to the ongoing investigation. Rossi couldn't lie on this point, but he was equally put off by the idea of unpacking Aaron's intimate life to this scientist who was a stranger to the titan.

“It’s… confidential.”

“Are you serious right now?” she retorted immediately, swiveling her seat in his direction.

She knew perfectly well what this formulation meant.

“I can’t tell you more.”

“Then, I won’t do anything. These machines are worth a fortune, and we don't run them for nothing.”

He then realized that there must have been some abuse lately, and that the laboratory workers were being watched. He didn't know how it all worked in practice but wasn't surprised to hear her put the financial argument of the procedure on the table. However, he didn't trust those online sites that offered DNA tests for a fee; just as he couldn't see himself contacting an analyst in whom he didn't have absolute confidence. The hostess stared at him, waiting for further explanation.

“Okay, okay, he yielded, raising his hands in front of him. I have a friend who's convinced his kid isn't his. I'd like to prove him wrong for once.”

She frowned.

“You know this kind of bet is a double-edged sword?”

“If he's right, he won't know.”

“But you’ll know.”

“I'll deal with it, he swept with his most casual air. How soon can you get me the results?”

He handed her the sample taken by the former liaison officer. She took it and sighed, before giving him a discreet smile.

“I’ll give you a call when it’s done.”

“Thank you.”

“Wait until you get the results before thanking me.”

A week passed, during which a certain tension gripped him from morning to night, and he was relieved to see a message from the coroner appear on his phone screen. He didn't yet know what she had to tell him, but the simple fact that his mission was progressing soothed him. He left Quantico earlier that day to see her. She was in the same place as last time and handed him an unmarked envelope.

“So?” he inquired, curious all the same.

“I'll let you find out. All I can tell you is that the father has a record.”

Which, in itself, did not exclude Aaron. Indeed, shortly after he and Gideon had decided to give the young prosecutor a chance to join the fledgling BAU, the HRD's vetting department had alerted them to the fact that he had a juvenile criminal record. He and his then accomplice had asked to take a look at it, only to discover that the obviously angry pre-adolescent had abruptly mellowed out three years before coming of age, never to leave the beaten track again. And apart from a few outrages against law enforcement officers, he had committed no crime that would prevent them from hiring him. But that didn't mean he was Jack's father, either; only that Haley had messed around with someone who hadn't been above the law at some point in her life.

“… Okay. Thanks.”

He started to walk away when the scientist called out to him:

“Hey, Dave! It’s not for free.”

“What do you want?” he replied, unsurprised by her remark.

“Look at the results first, then we'll discuss about it.”

Rossi's usual plan was to go home, open the envelope and pour himself a glass of twelve-year-old whisky to celebrate the fact that he'd been right, and could therefore reassure his superior and friend. But when he found himself sitting on his sofa, with that white rectangle in his hands, he couldn't go any further. What if it wasn't him? And what if Aaron's ex-wife really had slept with someone else to have the child she so dreamed of before she played her then-husband? Or, to put it more simply – and more commonly – had she had an ongoing extramarital relationship, forgotten to take her pill, or had unprotected sex and got pregnant afterwards? She would have backed her husband into a corner to cover her tracks. Unless she slept with both of them on the same day or within a very short period of time and didn't know which one was the father. There were so many plausible hypotheses that he didn't know which to believe.

He thought he could handle knowing the truth without blinking. But now that he was within a hair's breadth of knowing it all, he realized the implications and no longer felt as serene as he had at the start of his quest. Could he still look Hotch in the eye, smile at him, and joke with him and, above all, watch him interact with Jack knowing, in fact, that they were not related at all? How long could he keep this information secret? What would the agency director's reaction be when he heard that he was right and, what's more, that his mentor had hatched a whole plan behind his back and then kept quiet about it?

The next morning, he returned to the FBI training center with the envelope still sealed in his hands. The whole team was eagerly awaiting him, huddled together in the bullpen area while their boss held yet another management meeting.

“You've got them, haven't you?” Spencer hooked him up, impatient.

“It seems so.”

“So?” bounced JJ.

He didn't answer, staring at the mail as if it were about to start talking.

“You didn't dare open the envelope, did you?” teased Derek, with a smirk.

“I'd like to see you in my shoes, kid.”

“If that’s all it takes.”

Morgan took the document from his hands, gestured to open it, and then froze. Dave took the opportunity to say:

“Think about the fact that you'll have to work alongside him knowing the truth. And perhaps this truth will have the power to destroy what little self-esteem and self-confidence he still has.”

The ex-policeman rolled his eyes and sighed before handing over his property. The novelist could have savored this victory if it hadn't brought them back to square one.

“What do we do? Should we abandon the project?” suggested the Chicago native.

“I'd love to know the results, honestly, Reid admitted, but I don't want to hurt Hotch.”

“And, at the same time, continued JJ, if this test proves that he's Jack's father, it'll take a burden off his mind.”

“So, we come back to my question: what do we do?”

Everyone casted questioning glances at each other. They wanted to help their colleague feel better, but none of them wanted to be the bearer of bad news, let alone spend the rest of their lives with the weight of the truth on their shoulders.

“In any case, there's no way I'm opening this envelope,” said Penelope, moving away from the group.

“I'll do it, decreed Dave, cheerlessly. It's my idea, and it's up to me to accept the consequences to the end.”

“But if the results are negative, does that mean you'll be willing to take on the job of reassuring him again on the matter, when you'll actually know it's wrong?” pointed out Kate, dubiously.

“Ouch!” commented Spencer, his irises leaping from his female coworker to his elder.

He hadn't thought of that possibility either, but threw out:

“Somebody's got to open the damn envelope.”

“Is there a problem?”

The team gasped as they heard the cavernous voice behind them. They turned as one to see their leader standing beside them. They'd been so absorbed in their discussion that they'd stopped paying attention to their surroundings. Hotch looked at them blankly for a moment, then looked at the envelope in turn.

“What is it?”

“What? Ah! Stammered Rossi, unease. Uh… these are the results of a medical test I took.”

“A test? For what?” worried the giant, his eyebrows more furrowed than usual.

“No big deal. It's more of a routine check-up.”

He had tried to adopt his most detached attitude, but the expression on his interlocutor's face proved that he had not achieved his objective.

“Dave, would you tell me if something serious was happening to you?”

“Of course, Aaron. You’d be the first to know.”

The interested party seemed even more concerned, but the ringing of a distant telephone made him look up at his desk.

“I have to go. Don’t forget to keep me in touch.”

“Everything is fine, don’t worry.”

The BAU co-founder patted Hotch on the shoulder as he walked away from them, and they watched him climb the ramp to the walkway and disappear into his office. A general sigh passed through the federal agents' rib cages.

“Are your legs shaking too?” Garcia asked, leaning on the nearest piece of furniture.

“If it was just the legs...” confirmed the other blonde on the team.

“Well done, Rossi,” congratulates sincerely Derek, who didn't seem to mind any more than his comrades.

“Fortunately, he always worries more about others than himself.”

It would have been a lie to say that he'd thought about it when he came up with this justification, but fact was that the giant's altruism and empathy had made things much easier for him.

“We might have to open that envelope now,” Callahan snapped, curious in spite of everything.

“Wish me good luck.”

Dave followed in Hotch's footsteps, but continued on his way to his own workspace, next to that of the colossus in the suit. He sat back in his chair and placed the envelope on his desk pad. He was afraid. Afraid to open the envelope and learn the truth. Afraid of condemning himself to silence for an indeterminate time. Afraid of having to lie for the rest of his life about the true nature of the bond between his friend and the boy he hoped would be his son. Afraid to face Aaron's scrutinizing gaze every time his insecurities resurfaced.

He knew that the man behind the wall behind his back hadn't chased fatherhood – his difficult childhood hadn't encouraged him to extend the lineage – but that he adored Jack, nonetheless. More than that, the former pensioner was convinced that if the little boy hadn't existed, Aaron probably wouldn't have found the strength to overcome all the hardships he'd been forced to endure. Without the toddler, he'd never have recovered from the death of the only woman he'd ever loved. He hung in there because there was a four-year-old who needed him. Then, little by little, he had gained confidence in his new role as a single father and, year after year, he had even managed to overcome his grief to the point of getting back together as a couple.

To reveal to him that Jack was not of his blood was to set him back almost a decade and annihilate all the efforts he'd made up to that point. It was tarnishing – ruining – the last nine years of his life, just as Haley had soiled their twenty-five years together by cheating on him and then filing for divorce. Dave hadn't been there for the birth of their child, but he'd been there for everything else, and he wasn't at all happy to destroy it. On the contrary, he really wanted to help his neighbor relieve his conscience of at least one of his anxieties. And for that, he had no choice but to throw himself into the lion's den.

He took a deep breath and picked up the envelope. So as not to back down again, he didn't wait to open it and extract the tri-fold sheet it contained. The paper was thick enough that nothing could be read from the outside. With his heart pounding against his ribs, he slowly unfolded the letter: first flap first, with the date, title, and laboratory logo; then the next two, clearly displaying the results. A long exhale escaped his lips.

A few moments later, the profilers saw their colleague cross the few meters separating his door from that of the manager. He had a serious look on his face. He knocked to signal his presence to Hotch, still on the line, who beckoned him in anyway.

“Listen, I understand your concerns, but my team is used to this kind of situation and... Yes, even agent Callahan… he affirmed, rolling his eyes. I don't think this information will be of any use to you... Very well, we'll discuss it in person... Of course… And I'll get back to you as soon as possible... Have a good day too.”

He hung up immediately afterwards and turned his gaze on Rossi, who was standing in front of him.

“Something tells me you're not going to answer them right away,” Dave said with a smirk.

“I have no idea why you would think that.”

“Intuition.”

They smiled in unison, then his superior became serious again.

“What can I do for you?”

“Read this.”

He placed the envelope on his desk.

“These are your medical results, he remarked, confused. It’s private.”

“You wanted to know if I was okay. You'll find the answer in here.”

“Why won’t you tell me?”

“Aaron, open this letter, please.”

Disconcerted by his insistence, the giant obeyed, not without some hesitation. His perplexity gave way to annoyance, however, when he read the document's subject.

“You did a DNA test?” he scolded, glaring at him.

“Keep reading.”

Hotch gulped. He was hesitating, logically. He hadn't asked to know because he didn't want to know. He didn't want to lose the person he loved most in the world. He didn't want to be reduced to a wallet on legs for Jack. Dave understood his reluctance, so he made sure to appear as relaxed as possible. Finally, the branch manager applied himself and unfolded the entire sheet. The features of his face suddenly distorted. Anger vanished and a daze overtook him. Then tears rolled silently down his cheeks.

“I’ll leave you to it. You know where to find me.”

Rossi left the office, leaving his tenant in shock, and rejoined the group that had gathered at the bottom of the ramp. Penelope had emerged from her lair and was watching him walk towards them, her eyes shining.

“So?” she asked, in chorus with JJ.

“It’s a boy.”

Relief and joy took hold of the whole assembly, which found itself smiling and colorful once again.

“Are we sure?” wished to clarify Derek.

“Yes, the match is there.”

“I've got to go and give him a hug!” stomped Garcia, tears of happiness escaping from behind her glasses.

“Penelope, give him time. He's got a few years' worth of doubts to sweep under the rug right now.”

“I'm so happy for him,” declared JJ, moved.

“Me too,” toped up Spencer, grinning from ear to ear.

“I don't know him as well as you do, but I must admit I'm relieved,” revealed Kate, who shared her peers' elation.

“Here he is!”

At the analyst's exclamation, all eyes turned to the manager's office from which Hotch had actually emerged. Letter in hand, he walked slowly towards them, a neutral expression on his face. The general jubilation subsided into discreet smiles. Their superior froze in front of them, and the tension spread to Dave and his neighbors. By having this test done without his knowledge, he had trampled on his privacy, something the giant abhorred. Whenever his men had started poking around in this area, he had always reacted very badly. It was probably the only thing that made him bang his fist on the table about them. Except that this time was different from all the others. He spread his arms and embraced his mentor, saying:

“Thank you.”

“Mazel tov,” exclamed the latter, responding to his embrace with a few friendly pats on the back.

“I'll never know how to thank you.”

“Stop doubting yourself.”

The titan smiled and detached himself from him, but not without keeping a hand on his shoulder. Rossi was delighted to see him so happy. He had succeeded in his gamble. His colleagues approached in turn, and Morgan extended his hand in the direction of the man he'd had to replace at short notice years earlier.

“Congratulations!”

“Thank you,” answered Aaron, squeezing his palm.

JJ was the next to congratulate him, but she allowed herself to give him a hug. Garcia then threw herself at him, her red cheeks bathed in tears.

“I am so, so, so happy for you! You have no idea.”

“Thank you, Penelope.”

Spencer dared an awkward embrace, offset by the radiant, confident smile that lit up his youthful features. Callahan waited for Hotch to face her before speaking:

“If all your affairs are resolved like this, I'll sign on for the next ten years.”

“I'll make a note of it, replied the ex-prosecutor, amused, before he regained his seriousness by enveloping them with his gaze. I… I should be mad at you for going behind my back, but...”

The end of his sentence disappeared into limbo, his smile revealing the depth of his thought. Dave guessed that he was a little embarrassed to be the center of attention, but that he wanted to share this moment of joy with them.

“Thank you.”

“You're welcome,” said Reid, proudly.

They all burst out laughing, dispelling the pressure that had been building up.

“How did you get Jack’s DNA, by the way?... Oh, the brunch,” he realized all by himself.

“Sorry,” apologized the culprit.

“Well done.”

JJ immediately blushed, touched by the compliment.

“Well. Clearly, I owe someone a meal now,” he stated as the team filed out of the open plan to retrieve their respective places, and he and Aaron returned to their desks.

“To who?”

“To the coroner who performed the test.”

“If that's all there is to it, just make an expense claim. I'll validate it with my eyes closed,” assured the colossus, ecstatic.

“It’ll be fine, he answered, laughing. Thanks.”

He squeezed the shoulder of his friend and, by now, official family man, before resuming his day's work. Curiously, despite the harsh news they received by email that day, the same calm smile remained on the lips of the BAU agents.

___

I'm still alive! Actually, I put my other works on hiatus just to write this for Father's day (which was last sunday in France), and I'm now back working on three CM AU at the same time. Yes, three. I'm crazy. XD

Well, I hope you've enjoyed your journey. ^^

PS: Yes, I know "Mazel tov" doesn't mean "congratulations" and Aaron knows it too, but Dave is always so cheerful when he's using it that he never told him that he's wrong. ^^;

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