Finding the Sun

Chapter 18

Thinking about it, Aaron wasn't sure he could remember Aster ever using a phone. He would have to ask her about that soon.

His thoughts were interrupted by Morgan, who had caught his boss staring at his phone again.

"Okay, Hotch. Come one, what's up?"

Hotch turned to face the man, straightening in his chair. "What?" he responded, in his usual monotone.

"Are you waiting to hear from someone or something? Do we have another case?" Morgan pressed.

"No. No case. Aster started at her new school today, is all. I don't want to miss it if she needs me." Aaron explained, not feeling the need to lie. Normally, he refuses to show any amount of what he perceives to be a weakness to the team because he doesn't need them worrying about their unit chief. He's learned more recently though, that he's an idiot. His team are expert profilers, they know when something is wrong, and not knowing just makes them antsy. He learned that with Foyet more than anything. When it came to his family, he could trust the team to do whatever they could.

Morgan frowned. "Are you worried about her fitting in, making friends? Or are you worried because of what's been happening with the case?"

Aaron remained silent for just a second too long.

"You said that Aster didn't know anything, that she wasn't friends with any of the victims. Are you really worried that someone might try something on her?" Morgan inquired, not so much out of suspicion of his unit chief, but concern for the teen.

"She doesn't know anything. " Aaron's reply was perhaps just a bit too sharp. He hastily added on to the end. "That doesn't mean I don't have to be worried. She's not connected to any of this, she didn't know the victims. But still, the only fact we have is that the unsub's victim pool is coming from Camp Delphi."

Morgan nodded in agreement. Hotch admittedly did have reason to be on edge, but Morgan felt something was off. Hotch's defensiveness, the way his hand tightened infinitesimally on the desk when he said Aster wasn't connected. Was Hotch hiding something? Surely not, not if it was about his daughter's safety. But the sharpness of his voice, the hesitation that was so uncharacteristic of the man. Morgan couldn't help but think...

...

After discreetly excusing himself, Morgan made his way to the coffee machine where Prentiss and Reid were talking. They turned to him when he approached, waiting expectantly for whatever he was about to say.

"Do either of you think Hotch has been a little off about this whole thing?" Morgan got straight to the point.

Prentiss raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "You mean the fact that his long lost daughter hasn't even been here a month and is already tied into a murder investigation? Yeah, Morgan, I think he's a 'little off'"

Morgan rolled his eyes. "No, that's not what I meant. And you know it."

Prentiss opened her mouth to undoubtedly make a smart-ass remark, but Reid interjected before she could. "I agree with Morgan. Think about it Emily, after Mr. Brunner and Aster's boyfriend came in for questioning, it's like they just disappeared. We barely even touched the surface of the usual questioning we would, and we still don't have an address for Camp Delphi. Surely, we should be trying to get in contact with other potential witnesses. Not only does this go against official protocol, but it's just bad investigative work."

Prentiss couldn't deny it, the kid had a point. The entire team had thought it odd that the only three leads they had were ushered so swiftly out the building, and had found it even odder when Hotch sent out a message letting them know that two of those witnesses had gone back to New York without ever following up with them.