Brothers In Arms

Chapter 11

*Flashback*

When Josie opened her eyes, her vision still bleary, she still knew exactly who was sitting at her bedside.  His body language said it all; Hotch always looked so tense, his posture perfect, and his expression dark and stony.

"Did you get him?" She asked with a weak and shaky voice.

Hotch looked up from his phone and cracked the smallest of smiles. "We did," he placed his phone on the table. "No one touches any of my team members."

Josie smiled and nodded, "Thank you for staying. You didn't have to." As her vision cleared she saw his tie was loosened and the first two buttons of his shirt had been undone.

"I wanted to," he admitted. "So did everyone else but-"

"Their Unit Chief must have given them different orders."

"He did," Hotch chuckled. "They're keeping you over night as a precautionary measure." Hotchner said as he closed the curtain separating Josie from the bustling halls of the ER.

She began to nod but quickly stopped as her head ached and her dizziness intensified. "Better this way, I wouldn't trust myself at home alone."

Noting the absence of Josie's boyfriend but not commenting on it, Hotch moved closer to the bed. "I can stay if you'd like," he suggested almost timidly.

"That's very kind," she smiled, "But you don't have to do that. Go home to your family, Aaron."

Rarely did she use his first name, only when they were alone and an uncommon sense of peace fell over them.

"I want to," he chuckled sadly, "And, actually, Hayley left. She took Jack and filed for divorce. It's been a while I just hadn't told anyone until now."

"I knew you two had separated but I didn't know she'd filed." Sitting up, she forced a sad smile and took his hand in hers, noting the absence of his ring. "I'm sorry," Josie whispered.

He shook his head. "Don't be, I did this."

"Aaron Hotchner, doomed to wander the earth alone forever?"

Sitting up, his back against the chair, his eyes met hers. "Curse of the BAU, wouldn't you say?"

"Was I obvious or are you just that good?" Josie smirked as he lightened his mood and his chest puffed proudly.

"I could tell you weren't happy but you did just mention being home alone."

"It wasn't even the hours," she scoffed, "He works just as much. When he left he said I made him feel like less of a man because I carry a gun."

"Says a lot about him," Aaron said smugly.

Josie smirked and nodded but her eyes filled with tears. "Yeah, I know," she sighed, "And I tried to tell myself that but it still hurt."

"I'm sure it did," he wouldn't admit having been hurt by Hayley but Josie could tell he was.

"Do you have a problem with women in power, Strauss is your superior and she's..."

"Strict," Aaron said for lack of a better word. "But no I don't, I have a problem with women in power. Strauss herself is another issue," he said, his eyes flicking up to hers for a moment.

"It's just us," Josie said suddenly. "You can lighten up, open up, at least a little bit."

"I don't like Strauss," he said flatly. "Not because she's a woman, because she's duplicitous and ruthless."