Saving Agent Hotchner | 1

1. Knowing the signs

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When you first met Unit Chief, SSA Aaron Hotchner at age 27, you instantly identified the wedding ring on his finger. You also saw the family photos of him and his wife, who you quickly learned was named Haley. Shortly after joining, Haley visited the BAU with hers and Aaron's new-born son in a stroller.

Introducing yourself to her, she explained that you reminded her of her sister, Jessica, as you were both headstrong and independent - according to Hotch. You liked Haley. She was sweet, a great mother and an excellent wife. The few times that you interacted with her, she was very caring.

In the 2 years that you had worked with the BAU, you had watched Haley and Hotch live their life as a happy family with Jack. Hotch would call Haley all the time when you and the team were on cases. He'd receive photos of Jack every few days, all of which he loved and often shared with the team. Hotch was overall very happy with how his life was going. He had a great family, a good well-paying job and friends that he could depend on.

But, all good things must come to an end. Unfortunately for Hotch, he had no idea that his marriage would be the thing to end in his life. None of you did. You were the first to notice things about Hotch's personality and behaviour that had changed.

The first time you noticed the changes, it was during one of the cases the team had been assigned. 2 hours before getting onto the jet, you accidentally overheard Hotch telling Haley that he would be home so that they could get some new family photos with Jack. Then, on the jet, Hotch called Haley and explained the situation. Judging by the look of disappointment on his face, Haley had just expressed her sadness that Hotch would most likely not be home for the photos. While on the case, Hotch's phone went off several times, but he didn't answer any calls or even reply to any of the messages that Haley must have been sending him. He only called her back once the case was over.

Over the next few months, Hotch became more serious than before. He'd turn off the ringer on his phone so that he wouldn't get any calls from Haley. He wouldn't say a word about her. When Emily asked if Hotch had any plans with Haley for their anniversary, he looked between her and the file in his hand before saying "no".

This concerned the team, knowing how much Hotch loved Haley and loved Jack. They eventually started noticing the same changes that you had, which prompted Hotch to try and fix whatever was wrong in his marriage - considering he didn't like the idea of his team knowing that Haley was falling out of love with him.

Days after the team started noticing the changes, Hotch quickly turned his behaviour around. He talked to Haley all the time again. He answered her calls and replied to her messages. It was like he'd finally had enough and wanted to try and be the husband and father he wanted to be.

After that, everything was fine. Cases were being solved as normal - although cases involving children hit harder for Hotch. Haley and Jack visited the BAU a few more times and they even attended gatherings that occurred due to special occasions.

Unfortunately, you knew deep down that Hotch was only keeping up a façade and so was Haley. When they were around you or the rest of the team, they acted like a happy family, but you had a suspicion that behind closed doors neither of them were friendly. That's when you noticed the late nights starting. Before, Hotch would go home to his wife and child, even if they weren't in the best place, because he didn't want to be separated from his family, but now, Hotch spent more late nights at the office, always using paperwork as the excuse, even though the pile on his desk barely showed 4 files.

That's also when the separation occurred. Every so often, you watched as Hotch drove East of the FBI Academy, rather than the North - which is where he and Haley lived with Jack. This suspicion was confirmed when you drove to your apartment, watching as Hotch pulled into the parking-lot of a nearby motel that happened to reside just down the road.

This lasted for a year. Not wanting to cause any unwanted pain for Hotch, you kept your findings a secret. Not even Hotch knew that you were aware. He'd say something to the team when he was ready, which meant that you weren't going to say anything.