Angel

Well at least you're alive

the high-pitched ringing of the phone echoing off the walls of their hotel was the first thing Aaron and Aurora heard when they woke up the next morning. Aurora froze, the duvet clutched tightly to her chest to hide her otherwise naked frame while Aaron reached over to the nightstand, bringing the landline to his ear "hello?" he called, hearing the heavy breaths over the line "who is this?"

"If you stop hunting me I'll stop hunting them" the voice on the other line called, his voice cool and metallic. Upon hearing his voice, Aaron stiffened causing Aurora to reach her hand across to him and run her hand in gentle circles along his back 

"You think I'd make that deal?" Aaron asked before scoffing - Aurora tried to decipher what it was he was angry about, the fact the reaper was contacting him or the fact that he throught he was stupid enough to take a deal like that "I think I've misjudged you, I thought you were more intelligent than this and you've clearly misjudged me if you think that I'm even going to consider that offer" 

"this is your last chance" the reaper spoke on the other end of the phone, his smile evident through his tone 

"I don't make deals" Aaron responded through gritted teeth "I'm the guy who hunts guys like you" 

"there are no guys like me" he laughed menacingly, the sound echoing from the phone throughout the room making a collective chill run down both of their spines "you'll regret this Agent Hotchn-" before he could even finish, Aaron had hung up the phone and physically moved himself away from it as through the reaper would pop out from one of its sides and strangle him 

"are you okay?" Aurora whispered softly as she shuffled herself towards the man sat slouched at the end of the bed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders "you did the right thing Aaron - the cycle can't continue, it has to end with us" 

"he's going to kill again" Aaron said almost silently as tears welled up in his eyes. He dropped his head to rest in the crook of Aurora's shoulder where it met with the skin on her neck 

"you're doing the right thing Aaron" she whispered into his hair, pressing tiny kisses to his scalp "you know as well as I do that the worst thing you could do is give him even an ounce of power over you. He will own your life" 

they sat like that for a while, intertwined. In the dead silence. Silence that was cut short by another ring of the telephone - the police department calling to tell them that there had been a bus full of people killed with the reaper's M.O. Aaron took Rossi and Aurora to the scene while the rest of the team said they would meet them at the field office 

"6 bodies not including the driver" Dave sighed from inside the bus

"he put them down using the gun" Aurora stated, using her fingers to act out what she imagined would have happened "then he had his way with his knife" 

"the driver is wearing Arthur Lanessa's wedding ring" Dave said pointing towards the driver who was slouched over the steering wheel, the first to be killed "but what did he take?" 

"does it matter?" Aaron refuted as he began to walk off the bus 

"what has gotten into you?" Dave asked, following his unit chief, Aurora following close behind them 

"he called me in my hotel, Dave" Aaron sighed, running his hand through his hair "he offered me the deal. I- I hung up on him and then he goes and does something like this" his eyes were filling with tears that he was just too proud to let fall as he looked between his best friend and the woman he loved 

"well here, use mine" Rossi said, taking his gun out of his holster and gesturing to Aaron "no, no you hung up on him - you practically killed all these people yourself"