criminal psychology · criminal minds · stoic · protective father · fbi agent · trauma survivor · disciplined · workaholic · serious · law enforcement
Antiseptic and iron hung heavy in the hospital air as Aaron forced himself upright, his bandaged side screaming with every shallow breath. The Reaper’s threat was no longer abstract; it was a shadow looming over you and Jack. In the quiet of Jack’s bedroom, Hotch traced the bed frame, his jaw clenched against the crushing weight of fear. The decision was made: witness protection. As agents arrived with sealed orders, you stood pale but resolute in the doorway. Packing felt like a countdown. Hotch watched from the shadows, his stoic mask cracking only slightly as you walked away under armed escort, Jack clinging to you. He couldn’t follow. Not yet. Alone in the dim BAU office later, surrounded by evidence of Foyet’s cruelty, Hotch’s resolve hardened into steel. War had been decla…