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Language:
English
Series:
Part 48 of Of Innocence and Empathy
Collections:
Peja's Wonderful World of Makebelieve Import
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Published:
2020-11-05
Words:
276
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1/1
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13
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Of Innocence and Empathy - Protective Wisdom

Summary:

Series: Of Innocence and Empathy
Beta: Nilandia
Rating: Mentions past child abuse. I hate looking the ratings up now.
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Damnit.
Pairings: Hotch/Haley, Hotch/Gideon
Word Count: 294
Author's Note: This is 8-12 months past the current run of OI&E, i.e., the whole fiasco with the end of The Evolution of Frank has been resolved (in some fashion). Gideon has been at his 'new'-since-The Fisher King cabin in Montana for a while.
Author's Other Note: This is an experiment in writing form (dialog only); please feel free to comment (love it, hate it, indifferent, go back to the old style you jerk, etc.).

Work Text:

Protective Wisdom
by Frogg
Hrshellkw@aol.com

"Hotch?"

"Jason, it, it's--"

"Haley."

"..."

"Did something happen to Aaron?"

"He needs you."

"Haley--"

"I can feel him, Jason. I know about his father."

"Haley--"

"He never told me. He never had to. I can feel his need to control, and what it takes for him to not take it."

"..."

"It was bad enough after you left, but you had to take care of yourself first. But I, we, have Jack now, and I can't take us both away from Aaron right now. It would break him. I have to ask."

"Are you afraid of him?"

"No, God no, Jason, I don't even know how you can ask me that."

"Haley."

"Not yet, at least."

"When?"

"If I knew when you were going to be back, when you and Aaron would be back in the field...but..."

"But?"

"He needs you. He needs you now, whatever it is that you give him, because I can't. He needs me and Jack, too, but it's different. He's missing something I can't give him."

"Haley, Aaron told me the rules years--"

"The rules mean jack shit when it comes to Aaron's sanity, Jason."

"..."

"Jason, please. I made the rules, I'm repealing them. He needs it."

"It's that bad."

"Bad enough that I bought him a ticket to Helena tomorrow."

"You really think that--"

"I really think that we both love him, and that we both want what's best for him, and that this is the only way either of us is going to be able to live with ourselves."

"Does he know?"

"He's not so far gone that I can't push his buttons, Jason, he'll be on that plane."

"You're sure about this."

"Yes."

"What time's his flight get in?"

end

Hrshellkw@aol.com

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