G-Man and Danger

Hotch glanced around the crowded Florida beach bar and thought about the events that had brought him there. They had been on a case in Mobile, Alabama. It was fairly straight forward, the profile had gone well and the unsub was behind bars. All in a days work for the team. It was wheels up in 30 and they had returned to the hotel to gather their belongings. Hotch was packing his go bag when…he stopped. He just couldn't do it anymore. He sat on the edge of the bed in the random hotel room and he just couldn't go on. It all hit him like a ton of bricks. The divorce, Foyet, Haley's death, Foyet… everything. He cradled his head in his hands and struggled to hold back the tears. He needed some time. Some time to himself. He was so fucking lonely.

"Hotch​" a voice called. "You about ready?"

He looked up as Dave Rossi pushed open the hotel room door. Concern flickered across Rossi's face when he saw Hotch.

"Aaron. What's wrong?" Rossi asked, crossing the room to sit next to him.

"I don't know, Dave." Hotch said. "I don't know. I just suddenly feel like I can't do it anymore. It just hit me all of sudden."

Rossi took a deep breath. He'd wondered when Aaron would finally break. He was actually surprised it had taken this long.

"Hotch," he said slowly. "You need to take some time for yourself. After everything you've been through? Everyone's been telling you that. Just go. Take a trip or something." his eyes pleaded with Aaron's.

Hotch nodded slowly. "I think you're right. I just can't get on that jet right now. I don't know why, but I can't."

Rossi stood up and walked towards the door, "Hang on Hotch, I'll take care of this right now." He leaned out the door and called, "Morgan. Hey Morgan. Can you come in here for a minute?"

Derek Morgan entered the room, "What's up?" he glanced at Aaron, "Hotch, what's wrong?"

"Hotch needs to take a little time off." Rossi told Morgan.

"Good." Morgan said, "It's about time. Take one of the Yukon's. Drive back when your ready. Take as much time as you need."

Hotch smiled up at his friends. "Thanks. I should be back within the week. I just need to get away."

"No problem Hotch" Rossi said, patting him on the shoulder. "You ought to head to Florida, it's not that far from here."

So that is how Hotch found himself sitting in this bar on Navarre Beach nursing a Jack on the rocks. He sipped on his second drink and thought about how he was feeling. Lonely. Guilty. Horny. He chuckled wryly at that emotion. Did he even have a right to feel horny? He still blamed himself for Haley's murder. But he had only been doing his job. It was his job to track Foyet. Stopping hadn't been an option. The truth was he and Haley had been divorced for two years before she was murdered and it had been a year since that had happened. Hotch hadn't dated or been with anyone it that time. Now he was so damned lonely he could barely stand it. He wanted to hold someone, damn it he was horny and he wanted to fuck. Plain and simple. He slammed back his drink, trying to wash these emotions away. He wasn't used to feeling like this, he wasn't used to letting his emotions control him.

He signaled the waitress for another drink, he was vaguely aware of the sounds around him. People talking, laughing, the sounds of the band warming up. He had no where to go, hadn't arranged for anywhere to stay yet, so he figured he'd sit for a while. This was as good of a place as any to sit and think. He was deeply lost in his own thoughts when he realized the band had begun to play. He hadn't even heard them start. He realized that they were playing Metallica's "Enter the Sandman"

'I know this song' he thought vaguely, glancing up to check out the band. He looked closer and smiled. His punk haired table mate was the bass player in the band. She was shorter then he had originally thought, not more then 5 feet and she was playing a bass, it was black and slung low on her hip. He watched in fascination as her fingers flew over the frets, her body rocking back on forth in time to the music. She was wearing a headset microphone and singing along to the chorus;

Exit light

Enter night

Take my hand

We're off to never never-land *

She was fascinating to watch. Hotch couldn't remember ever seeing anything so fascinating. The song ended and Jazzy rushed to the center of the stage.

"Hey Everybody! Welcome to The Crab Shack. I'm Jazzy D. and these are the Rainmakers and we're here all week. Hope you enjoy the show!"

* "Enter Sandman"  1991 Metallica, Music and Lyrics by: Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich.