It turns out Morgan does have something, the bartender recognized each of the victims. He hadn't noticed whether they all spoke to the same person but he does remember seeing two of the victims, including the most recent, speaking with a man who had bright red hair. They had the bartender set up with a sketch artist while JJ said up a press meeting to present the sketch of the unsub to the public.

It's a breakthrough they needed and Aaron knows they're all glad for it. Aaron finds Spencer in the break-room scarfing down pasta salad, neither of them had eaten dinner and it's nearing eleven that night. Aaron grabs a fork and sits next to Reid, stealing a bite from his salad.

"Hey." Spencer greets him, pushing his salad closer to Aaron so it's between them.

"Thanks, I'm starving." Aaron says, shoveling another bite into his mouth. "You're exhausted, I can feel it."

"I'm not the only one." Spencer returns, looking at Hotch with a raised brow.

"Yes, well, JJ is setting up a press conference for the morning so until then there's not much more we can do here. I'm sending everyone to the hotel to rest, we'll come back to it in the morning. I need to stay a bit longer but you go ahead and catch a ride with one of the others, I'll join you once I'm done."

Spencer nods, covering his mouth on a yawn. "Alright, I'll get going."

"K, get some sleep, I'll try not to wake you when I get in." Aaron says, squeezing Reid's shoulder.

He's tempted to lean in and kiss the other man goodbye but he doesn't want to cross that boundary while they're at work. It was bad enough he caved to his desires the night before while they were on a case but he wouldn't while in his work place.

Spencer leaves with Morgan and Hotch is left with JJ to finish up, it doesn't take too much longer for them to finish and it's a quarter to midnight when they leave the station together in a car.

"So what was it like?" JJ asks out of the blue.

"What was what like?" Aaron asks, confused by the question.

"Imprinting, I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't be asking, it's personal."

"It is, but that's alright, I don't mind. Honestly, I really can't describe it, it's like nothing I've ever felt before." Aaron says, at a loss for words to describe the feeling.

"When I was a little girl I used to imagine myself imprinting with my soul mate, I loved watching the movies and hearing all of the stories." JJ says, sounding wistful.

Hotch smiles, imagining JJ as a little girl pretending to imprint. "I think a lot of people fantasized about imprinting."

"What about you?"

"It crossed my mind as a child but I never gave it any serious thought. I was focused on school and aside from a brief separation during college I had been with Haley since I was a junior in high school." Aaron explains.

JJ seems like she wants to ask about Haley but decides not to and Aaron is glad she doesn't, thinking about Haley is still difficult. He misses her, he knows it will fade but he and Haley had been together for a long time and even had a child together, those feelings don't just turn off.

Hotch pulls into the hotel parking lot then and parks the car, removing his seatbelt and turning towards JJ.

"The movies and stories only really show one side of imprinting, they romanticize it. And while they're not necessarily wrong about that part of it the truth is it's not as easy as they make it out to be. They don't show the awkwardness and difficulty involved with suddenly being bound to someone you know nothing about or how it can disrupt your life." Aaron says, and he knows he must be tired because he wouldn't be telling her any of this otherwise but it feels good to get it off his chest, and he respects JJ, trusts her to keep this conversation between them.

"I guess I never really thought about that part of it." She says honestly. "Do you regret it?"

"No." Hotch answers without hesitation, he may mourn the loss of his marriage but he can't regret his relationship with Spencer.

"I'm glad, Spencer's a good guy, he deserves to be happy. So do you." She smiles at him before getting out of the car and Hotch follows suit.

He's glad to be heading to bed, exhausted from the day and ready to collapse. He's silent as he walks into the room, turning on one of the lamps so as not to wake Spencer. He goes to set the case files on the desk when he notices a handwritten letter. It's on stationary that Spencer must have brought with him and Hotch is just starting to skim it when he realizes it's a letter to the younger man's mother. He stops, not wanting to invade Reid's privacy. He's never spoken about his mother, the only thing Aaron knows is that his father left when he was young and his mother was a professor, other than that Spencer generally avoids the topic of family.

Aaron figures he'll open up about it when he's ready and while he's tempted, Aaron knows reading this letter would be crossing a line. So Aaron sets the paper down and instead gets ready for bed, dressing in a pair of sweatpants, deciding to forego his t-shirt before climbing into bed. He's careful getting in, not wanting to wake the other man.

Spencer's on his side, facing away from him so Aaron slides across the mattress until he's sidled up behind Spencer, his front to the younger man's back. Aaron feels Spencer stir in his arms as he pulls him close.

"Aaron?" Spencer mumbles, voice thick with sleep.

"Shh, go back to sleep." Aaron whispers, placing a light kiss to Spencer's neck.

"Mmm." Is Spencer's only response before he relaxes back into Aaron's chest.

He squeezes Spencer tightly to him, snaking his hand up Spencer's shirt to rest against the warmth of his stomach before he finally settles in to sleep.

His dreams are filled with images from the case they're working, pictures of men strangled to death. Suddenly he's no longer seeing images of men he's never met but pictures of Spencer. He tries to tell himself it's not right, Spencer doesn't fit the victimology, he's too young, not blonde enough. It doesn't help though because the images don't change and Spencer lays there limp, bruises along his neck standing out against his pale skin. He hold Spencer's body, squeezing him, he tried desperately to feel for their connection but it's gone, ripped from his body.

"Aaron, you need to wake up!"

Aaron jolts awake at the sound of Spencer's voice, his breath is coming in pants and it takes him some time to focus in the dark. He takes a moment to calm himself down, to remind himself that it was just a dream and Spencer is beside him, very much alive, and this time when he searches for that spot inside of him Spencer is there, the connection still intact.

"Aaron, are you okay?" Spencer asks, worry clear in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a bad dream. I'm sorry I woke you." Aaron apologizes rolling onto his back and rubbing at his eyes.

"It's okay, you don't have to apologize." Spencer says, resting his hand on Aaron's chest. "I get them sometimes too...do you want to talk about it?"

Aaron lets out a breath before he answers, turning to Spencer as he does. "It was you…I dreamt you were one of the victims in our case and I was too late to save you. I couldn't feel you, the way we can feel each other and it was terrifying."

Spencer doesn't say anything, just takes Aaron's hand and squeezes gently, cuddling in close to Aaron. He seems hesitant at first but Spencer tilts his head up to kiss Aaron softly on the mouth. The kiss isn't heated the way a lot of their kisses have been, meant to comfort rather than arouse and it helps keep the images from his dream at bay.

They part and Aaron sighs, "I honestly never realized it was even a fear of mine."

"Given the nature of our work and the amount of danger we'll both be in it's not surprising. The thought of you being in danger or becoming a target is terrifying to me too." Spencer admits, tucking his head into Aaron's shoulder.

Aaron presses a kiss to Spencer's forehead, breathing him in. He can tell Spencer wants to ask something that he feels nervous about and Aaron has a pretty good idea what it is. "I know it will be difficult to knowingly put you in those situations on a regular basis but I won't let our personal relationship affect how I treat you in the field."

"Thank you." Spencer whispers, pressing his lips to Aaron's chest. "I mean I didn't really think you would, you're like the consummate professional, but I couldn't help but worry. If our positions were reversed I'm not sure I'd be able separate our personal relationship from our work relationship."

"I'm sure you could if you had to." Aaron tells him, running his fingers through his hair. He looks over to the clock, checking how long before they had to be up. "We have less than an hour before we need to be up. Not much use in going back to sleep, we could get an early start." Aaron suggests.

Spencer grunts in response, wrapping his arms around Aaron and squeezing before burying his face in Aaron's chest while shaking his head. Aaron's laughter fills the room and he squeezes Spencer back.

"You knew the hours when you accepted the position." He teases, sneaking his hand up the back of Spencer's shirt.

"Doesn't mean I'm used to it." Spencer mumbles.

"Well you're going to have to get used to it, and fast." Spencer lets out a yelp as Aaron squeezes his side and Aaron rolls them over. He takes Spencer's lips with his own, kissing him deeply before pulling away. "C'mon, you can have the first shower."

"I'd rather just stay here kissing you." Spencer whispers, leaning up for another.

"You and me both." Aaron chuckles, taking his lips again. "I'll make you a deal, we catch this unsub first…" Aaron starts, trailing kisses down Spencer's neck, relishing the younger man's moan, before he continues; "And I promise not to let Garcia's hard work in getting us this room go to waste. How's that sound?" He whispers, voice thick with his own arousal combined with the feel of Spencer's coming through the bond.

Spencer nods his head jerkily, eyes closed. "That, yes, that sounds good. More than good."

"Good, now get up." He pats Spencer's thigh and starts to get up before changing his mind, grinning as he leans back in. "And Spencer...you might want to make it a cold shower." He says in the most serious voice he can muster while pressing his thigh against Spencer's arousal.

Aaron laughs as Spencer groans, swatting at his shoulder before rolling out from under him and making his way to the washroom. Aaron stretches out on the bed, ignoring his own erection as he hears the shower start up. He takes the time to relax for a moment, it feels good to flirt with Spencer, to playfully tease the other man in a way he hasn't been able to do in a while. He thinks about what it'll be like when the case is over and they go back home. He thinks about being alone with Spencer in his home and he's not sure that he'll be able to abide by his own rule regarding intimacy with Spencer inside his and Haley's house now that he knows how the other man feels and how he sounds in the midst of pleasure.

It takes only a moment for him to make a decision before he's grabbing for his phone and dialing Haley's number. He knows if she isn't awake her phone will be on silent so he's not worried about waking her.

"Hello?" She answers on the second ring.

"Hi, Haley."

"Aaron? Why are you calling so early?" She asks.

"I needed to speak with you, how are you and Jack?" He misses Jack, hasn't seen him since the day he imprinted.

"We're doing well. What did you need to talk to me about?"

"I wanted to talk about the house, you and Jack can come back this week as soon as I get back from this case."

"You found an apartment already?" She sound surprised.

"No, not yet, but I've decided to stay in a hotel until I do." He assures her, looking towards the bathroom when he hears the shower turn off and Spencer moving around.

"Aaron, you don't need to stay in a hotel, I can stay with my sister until you find a place."

"Jack should be in his home, and I don't mind, it shouldn't be long before I find a place to live." He tells her, omitting that part of the reason for his decision has to do with Spencer.

"Alright, if you're sure." She doesn't sound certain about his decision.

"I am, and Haley, I'd like to see Jack when I get back, I need to, just for a little bit." He hopes she'll understand, for Jack's sake he doesn't want an ugly custody battle between them.

"You can take him for some time." He can hear her let out a breath on the other end. "Is um, is Spencer going to be there?" Her pitch goes higher on Spencer's name and Hotch can hear her upset at the thought.

"I would like him to be, he's going to be a part of Jack's life and I think it would be good for Spencer and Jack to meet as early as possible."

She's quiet for some time before answering. "I want to meet him then." Her voice wobbles and Aaron can tell she's on the verge of tears.

"Haley–"

"No Aaron, if this man is going to be a part of my son's life then I need to meet him. I won't budge on this." Her voice is firm this time and Aaron knows she won't waiver.

"Alright, I will talk to Spencer about it and we will set a time when we get back." He concedes.

"Thank you, Aaron." She says before ending the call abruptly.

He sets down his phone and looks to where Spencer's hovering in the doorway fully dressed, hair still damp.

"You uh, you want me to meet your son?" Spencer's voice comes out nervous. "I-I didn't mean to listen in, I was just, I just heard, and I um…" Spencer trails off and looks to the floor.

Aaron gets up off the bed and crosses the room to Spencer, resting his hands on Spencer's upper arms. "Hey, it's okay, and yes of course I want you to meet Jack. What's wrong?" He asks when Spencer still avoids his gaze.

"I, the thing is that I um, I'm not really good with children, I don't have a lot of experience and animals don't even seem to like-"

"Spence? Spencer it's okay, you'll be fine. Jack's only six months old, he'll warm up to you quickly." Aaron assures him, rubbing Spencer's arms.

"Actually at about six months old most children can recognize others so to him I'll be nothing more than a stranger." Spencer says, very matter of fact.

Aaron chuckles and shakes his head. "In any case, we'll figure it out, so stop worrying, okay?"

"Okay, I'll um, I'll try not to. I'll try not to worry." He sounds unsure but he gives Aaron a shy smile as he leans into Aaron's touch.

"Good, I'm going to go take my shower now, you should finish getting ready."

He gives Spencer a quick kiss before making his way into the washroom, shutting the door before stripping down. He leans his head against the tile wall of the shower, water turned so hot it's almost scalding, and takes a moment to think. If Spencer is this nervous over meeting his son, he cringes at the thought of what the younger man's reaction will be to meeting Haley.

He tries to remind himself that Haley is a good person – she knows Spencer had as little control in imprinting as anyone else – but people aren't always rational when they're hurting, and she is. He'll have to talk to her beforehand to get a better understanding of her feelings towards Spencer going into the meeting, the last thing he wants is for his bonded to bear the brunt of Haley's hurt and anger.