"Mr. Hotchner, this is Noah, Jack's teacher. If you could please come in for a parent teacher conference as soon as possible today, we need to discuss some worries I have with Jack."
Aaron listened to the voice mail, twice now, barely catching the...
"If I could go back and change the past Be a little braver than I had And bet against the odds Would I still be lost?"
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Aaron was scared. He had stopped banging on the bathroom door an hour ago. His knuckles were bruised, a bit of blood on his left hand. The profiler wasn't even sure what happened. One minute they were having a moment and the other she was crying and locking herself in the hospital bathroom. Why? He just wanted to know. Aaron had never seen the woman so vulnerable, she was a spit fire. He was terrified, in all honesty.
The hospital door opened sharply and Aaron watched tiredly as Jenna sat down her Guess purse by the door, her eyes filled with worry, "Where is she?" The school teacher pulled her hair into a bun, her face full of concern for her bestfriend.
Aaron sighed, his eyes watery but he knew Jenna wouldn't notice, "The bathroom. I didn't know who to call, Spencer said you guys were close." Jenna nods, walking past him, knocking on the door gently.
"Noah? Honey can you open the door?" All the school teacher received was a muffled sob and a thump. "Noah, come on. Open the door." With a dejected sigh after trying to get the door open for about five minutes, Jenna turns back to Aaron, "I don't know what to do sir. We're best friends but she's never even cried in front of me. Her moms in Mulan and won't come back for this and her dads well, her dad." Anger and resentment was clear in the woman's voice and Aaron understood that feeling as he felt it every time someone brought up Noah's father.
He nods in understanding when a thought dawns on him, "David. I'll call Dave." It was an understanding on the team that the two were close and that Noah saw David as some sort of father figure to the girl. It'd be smart for him to call Dave and see if she would respond to him at least.
Jennas eyes sparkle with unshed tears, "Mr. Rossi would–"
The doors slams open once again, a tall skinny blonde making her way into the room, "Where the hell is she?" Her voice was sharp and to the point, "Where is my big sister and why the hell is their a man in her room?" Aaron furrowed his eyebrows, noting that this girl was the only family member that Noah liked as she had a photo of the two of them on her desk.
"She's in the bathroom-"
"Oh Jen, thank god." The girl walks over to the school teacher, heels clicking across the polished hospital floor, "I came as soon as I got the news. Dad mentioned it so casually, like she couldn't have died. That earned him bad press and me a hangover. I got on the nearest flight I could but it got grounded in Florida and I rented a car. Had to drive the rest of the way, and then the nurse said that Noella-"
"Marina, just get her out of the bathroom." The girl nods, and knowing her sister stubbornness and brief friendship with a razor blade, kicks open the door with little effort, confusing the federal agent.
Noah sat on the floor between the toilet and the counter. The girl had her knees up against her chest and was staring at the wall in front of her with a blank expression. She was crying though, at least she was. Marina was angry their father had taught them not to feel as she could see the battle in her sister eyes.
The younger sister didn't hesitate to fall onto her knees in front of her sister. Marina tucked the wild brown hair behind Noah's ears and cupped her face gently, "I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner Noella, I came as soon as I could. Why didn't you call me? After the whole– I would have came." Aaron's watched from the doorway as Noah continued to just stare at the wall, it was like she was completely detached.
"Noella."
Nothing. Marina glanced up at the man, "You. The fuck are you?"
Aaron maintained eye contact, "Aaron Hotchner, I'm in charge of her case. I'm also–"
"Jacks dad, I know. Come here. She likes you." Aaron could feel a blush rising but ignored the feeling and bent down beside Marina.
The second he was in front of Noah she reacted. Shoving herself into the wall behind her, she started crying again. Silent, terrified tears and she stared at Aaron. She was fighting trauma and reality and it broke Aaron a bit. She wanted him but something was holding her back.
"Noah, tell me what's wrong. Let me fix it." His words were gentle and he held his elf back from touching her, scared it would make her more scared of him.
Her brows furrowed in pain, "I can feel him. I can feel him everywhere. His hands, they won't go away. I can feel him Aaron and I can smell him." She was choking over her words, her hands gripping her sisters tightly turning the housewife's hands white but Marina didn't flinch, she just held her sisters hands.
Aaron nodded, "Alright. Is it the hospital? My cologne?" That for a nod, "Okay." The cologne was expensive, imported, a gift from Sean. Maybe the could track the fucking bastard. "This is your sister. She's right here. I'm going to go take a shower and I'll be right back." She grubbed his arm tightly when he went to stand up. "Right back I promise. And then I'll stay okay? I'll be right back." She was staring at Aaron with a pained look. He tried his best to ignore it and laid a gentle kiss on her forehead causing Noah to close her eyes.
Marina watched he leave then turned back towards her sister, "Let's get you out of this bathroom yeah?" Noah didn't answer but Marina didn't care. "Jen, help me would you? Thanks." Both girls lacking a mother figure had soon became the figure for each other. Well, Noah became the mom for Marina. In fact, Marina had only seen her sister cry one time before this moment and it was when their father told the police chief that her rape never happened.
"Honey, Noah." Noah glanced at her sister, worry swarming her eyes, "Baby–"
"Dad knows him."
"What?"
"Dad, he knows the guy. We know the guy. I want to tell Aaron but I – Mari I know him. He can come and get me. He could take me."
"Honey, no ones going to let that happen. You need to tell Aaron that you know the guy personally, that can help the case. Dads never done anything for us that deserves you protecting his rapist friends."
Noah nods, "I lied to him though. Why did I lie to him? He doesn't deserve that. Why did he have to smell like him?"
Marina doesn't say anything, just pulls her sister to lay with her on the hospital bed. Jenna comes and lays on the other side and the room falls into silence. It was a couple minutes before Noah fell asleep.
Jen glances up at Marina, "Do you think she'll be okay?"
Marina doesn't answer, just lays her head onto her sisters and closes her eyes, "I hope."
