Wherever You Are

Wherever You Are Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

Understanding

(Hotch's Point Of View)

I look up at the car, it's Strauss's car.

"Get in." she looked ticked off, and her eyes were dark, she didn't look at me as she said it.

"Why should I?" I ask, wiping away the last tear from my eye.

"Because I said. You should be at work."

I looked at her. "You can't really say you followed me because of work."

She shook her head. "That's what I thought."

"Please. Get in. Your not supposed to be out here. You should be resting.

I looked down at my shoes. "Why do you even care." I cringed, my leg was starting to hurt again.

"You know why I care." she looked at me now and didn't look away. "In." I got in slowly, the pain displayed on my face.

She gulped "You scare me." she shook her head "Your so stubborn." I buckled my seatbelt. "I know you don't have on your brace, and you didn't take those pain killers." I rolled my eyes.

She laughed a little, then stopped. "How many times did you read that letter?"

"about 80 times."

"hum." she looked ahead at the road. "I am... sorry."

"I know."

"You don't forgive me, your still angry."

I didn't know what to say to her. "I know why you did it. And I know you must've had a hard time not telling me. For gosh... So many years. You should've told me. Hailey would've ... Wanted to know. You tried hard to get me out of this job... You've completed broken me down before. But I understand..."

"You do?" a corner of her mouth went up.

"I forgive you."

She smiled and looked ahead.

"I'm sorry you can't even imagine-" she looked worried again, I had to make her understand she was forgiven, she had her reasons and after everything she put me through, I can see a change in her. Her eyes are brighter now, her smiles are real, and I think telling me lifted weight off her shoulders. She looks so happy, and for anyone who saw her before, her face wasn't so serious, I think she's happy now.

"I know what it's like to be sorry." she looked at me.

"Not to my level."

"Yeah... Even deeper."

"No..."

"Yes. When Hailey died..."

"That wasn't your fault."

"It was my fault I got my credentials almost taken away-"

"That was MY fault." she looked upset again.

"What's in the past is in the past Aaron you can't dwell on it." she looked stronger when she said it. We pulled up outside a large house.

It was white, and the trees surrounding it were large and tall. She went up to the front door and put in the key, and once inside, she disarmed the security, then armed it again.

I walked around the living room. It was large and open, I looked at the fireplace, there was a picture

Of me and her laughing. I cringed at the thought of it all, I couldn't believe it.

"It's hard to believe I know." she was standing behind me.

"It's just..."

"I know... It's been so long."