VIOLENT DELIGHTS, aaron hotchner

if you're too shy (let me know)

The Silencer commits suicide by cop two days later, even after extensive attempts to talk him down, in sign language by Blake and French by Juliette. The team to flies back from Texas Thursday afternoon, working on paperwork into the evening. Most of the team leaves for dinner, but Juliette stays at her desk, working on case reports for as long as she can.

Long after the sun's set, she looks up to see Hotch standing in front of her. "You know those aren't due today." He says, nodding to the papers.

"I know, I just thought I would get ahead." Juliette replies, not bothering to lie.

"Come on, let's go."

She brows furrow. "Where?"

"There's a diner not far from here, I know you haven't eaten." He offers. "Unless you're too tired."

"No, I'm fine. Let's go." Juliette swiftly packs up her tote, following Aaron to the elevator and out of the building.

They take his car, with the promise he'll drive her back to her car after dinner. The diner's hidden away, but captivating to Juliette. The exposed brick and effortlessly retro theme make her wonder how she's never heard of it.

So, after they order, she asks. "How'd you find this place?"

"Sean found it when he came to visit one time, they have great coffee."

"Sean's your brother, right?" Juliette asks again.

"Yeah, he is." Aaron shrugs. "Last I heard, he's a bartender in NYC."

"That's cool." She nods, but he doesn't continue. "You never talk about your family."

"Neither do you." He rebuttals.

"Touché." Juliette contemplates for a moment. "I believe you asked about my father awhile ago?"

"I suppose I did."

She leans back in her seat, as if she's getting ready to tell a war story. "Mon père immigrated from France when he was sixteen, so we pretty much only spoke French with each other. My mother's from Moscow, but she taught me English so I wouldn't be behind in school."

"That's fascinating." Aaron smiles, his chest filling with warmth as she speaks.

"It felt like we had our own secret code when I was little, he was my best friend. He was a cop in DC, which is why he started taking me to the range when I was eight." Juliette smiles, but it soon falters. "He was killed in the line of duty when I was thirteen, which is why I was talking with Morgan in Chicago."

His face falls. "I'm sorry."

Juliette shakes her head in dismissal. "Anyways, my mom was very focused on my education, so she was infuriated when I fell in love in law school, then when I quit my job to join the bureau. When I spoke to her last year, she'd left retirement to be a professor in Vermont."

Hotch nods along, but she continues. "This isn't me trying to pressure you into talking about your family, but mine's probably not much better."

He gestures indifferently. "It's not that I don't want to tell you about them, it's just not something I ever talk about. It's not something I'm proud of."

"Well, the 'I'm always here to talk' offer goes both ways here, and I'm not exactly in the position to judge."

Aaron leans back into his own seat, letting his unwavering posture wilt. "Both of my parents are from Virginia, so I grew up here. My dad was a lawyer, he's the reason I became prosecutor, Sean almost became one too."

He pauses, but continues after a reassuring nod from Juliette. "He was also an alcoholic who died of a heart attack when I was 28. I'm not sure why my mother stuck with him, but now I get a phone call a few times a year from whichever European country she's in."