Reality in the blink of an eye (Hotchner/Caderton) (Reid/Sinclair)

Chapter 31. The darkness and the light

Even after almost three weeks passed since the kidnapping, but none of this seemed real to Lora and Emilia. Of course there were good days, but they happened only when someone was there to distract them from their thoughts. The moment they stayed alone with their mind and their sick, dark memories...the hell reopened and caused them much more pain, reminding that all of that was real.

American author Dean Koontz once said: „Sometimes there is no darker place than our thoughts...the Moonless midnight of the mind" And he's more or less right...you can escape the places, run from the people, but at the end it's just you and your mind left, so your future depends only from you...if you'll give yourself a chance for a new beginning or you'll let the shadows from the past consume you?

Neither Lora or Emilia talked during that time. Of course they chatted with messages, but kept their distance from each other for a while. Spencer demanded for Emilia to move in with him, cause he wanted to take care of her all the time, she tried to argue at the start, but at the end gave up. Lora stayed at Hotch's house, but after waking up screaming at night, feeling the hands on her, even though it was Hotch, she imagined it as Jettey's, got out of the bed and grabbed the first thing that was next to her hand, which happened to be the scissors. It only took her a moment to realize where she is and that a man standing in front of her is Hotch. She dropped it on the ground, apologized and locked herself in the bathroom.

„Lora, open the door please..." – He knocked on the door and said softly.

„Sweetheart please...let me in" – He said once again, not hearing anything from the other side of the door, getting nervous, not being there with her. She was sitting on the floor, hands on her head, trying to clear her mind from what just happened and cried. About ten minutes later she opened the door and looked at deeply concerned Hotch, who scanned her fully up and down.

„....I'm sorry" – She said, not looking at his eyes. Aaron softly raised her chin to face him and slowly, while making sure that she's okay with it, pulled her into a hug. She doubted for a moment, but hugged him back. The comfort he offered her right now was all she needed. Feeling his warmth, his heart beating in his chest, his breathing. Lora relaxed in his hands, he clearly felt that and softly kissed her forehead. They sat on the bed, staying in comforting silence for a while.

„Do you want water?" – He asked her, she nodded. Hotch stood up and walked to the door.

„Aaron..." – She said his name sadly and he turned around quickly with a questioning look.

„Can I...can I sleep in the guest room for a while?...I just..." – She told him  without looking at his eyes.

„Not gonna happen..." – He said, while looking at her.

„Aaron...I could've hurt you..." – Lora tried to reason herself.

„You were sleeping...and you didn't hurt me. I'm not going to leave you...not today, not tomorrow...never...I love you Lora...I always will" – He said after slowly kneeling next to her. Aaron slowly brushed his fingers through her hand and stood up to walk to the kitchen.

„Aaron..." – She said again, he turned around.

„...I love you too" – Lora said and raised her eyes at him. Hotch smiled softly and walked to bring the water. He came back with a glass of water and gave to her. She put the glass on the counter and lay in the bed next to him. Aaron slowly wrapped his hand around her, softly kissed her cheek.

„You're safe here...I'm not going to let anything happen to you" – He said and put his head on the pillow, going back to sleep, but Lora was not worried about herself, she was terrified, that she'll be the one to hurt him, so she made sure, that she'll stay awake for the rest of the night...just in case.