Disclaimer: Bahumbug! I don't own Crminal Minds, which is cool. Or you know... not.
"FBI! Stop!"
There was something so maddening about foot chases, and as Aaron Hotchner rounded the corner on the old pier people still seemed surprised to see them coming. He had a mind to shoot his gun into the air so everyone would drop, but knew that he would have to file a report as too why he fired the gun. 'So people would get the hell out of my way' wasn't an option on the bureau list. So he stuck with yelling 'move', and weaving his way through people.
Morgan's footsteps were heavy behind him and a little way behind them was JJ,
The ocean to the right, the bustling highway to the left, Hotch was wondering where this guy was going when about a hundred yards ahead of him, Morgan and JJ the guy stopped at a corner on the pier and looked around.
"This is the FBI Heart, you have nowhere to go." He said, and finally as he and Morgan pointed their guns at the man, who held a squirming boy with one arm and pointing a gun at them.
"I ain't going back to prison." Hotch noticed that panic and dread filled his eyes, and total and udder terror was written on his face. Hotch would feel sympathy for him, but that all ended when he'd grabbed a young boy and used him as a hostage, and shield.
He hated it when people used and abused children, but he knew he had to lie, to make him think that he wasn't going back to jail, so he wouldn't hurt the now crying boy.
"Heart, just put the kid down, and we'll talk. Holding him hostage isn't doing anything to help you, so just let him go."
Out of the corner of his eye he saw JJ stop several feet away from him, and also point his gun at heart. The bystanders were finally getting the idea that maybe they should get out of the way, and they slowly trickled away, still watching what was going on.
"Come on man, just put the kid down." Morgan's voice was commanding, and Hotch's heart started speeding up as Heart was slowly moving backwards. As one, the three of them took a step closer gun still raised and pointed. Hotch sincerely hoped that the guy wouldn't do anything stupid as the only noise being made was the traffic passing by behind them, and the waves lapping against the pier's support below.
The moment dragged on, and finally Heart acted and threw the boy still flailing into the ocean and took off.
Morgan fired one shot, and took off after him but Hotch and JJ ran to the railing and looked over the edge and to the twenty foot drop below. Panic welled in Hotch's heart as the boy hadn't resurfaced. Long seconds later his head bobbed up, but it quickly went back under and reacting on instinct, he ripped his Kevlar vest off, dropped his gun and Blackberry on the old wooden planks and climbed over the railing.
He vaguely heard JJ yell his name, but it was lost in the rushing wind and the sound his body made as it came into contact with the water.
Swimming to the surface, he fought the undertow in the surging current and finally broke the surface, filling his lungs with air; he searched for any sign of the boy.
"Fifteen yards to the left!" JJ's voice reached his ears and he looked up and met her eye, following her arm which was pointed to his left. Turning quickly he saw the boys head appear and quickly disappear again, and he wasted no time in swimming over to him.
Diving under, he felt himself pulled by the current, and his muscles screamed in agony as he finally reached the boy and struggled to get them both to the surface. It had been a while since he'd swam in anything, and fighting the ocean was quickly draining him, and the boy who was fighting against him wasn't helping.
When the broke for air, both he and the boy gasped for air and a fist made contact with the side of his head, springing stars in his vision. Getting a tight hold on the boy, he tried to yell at him to stop when they were both submerged again and copious amounts of salt water filled his mouth. He fought down the urge to gag as they once again resurfaced.
His forehead was burning something fierce, and he could see the kid's lower lip quiver. "It's okay, you're safe." Though the kid's hands were still fisted and he looked at Hotch with extreme distrust, he still clung tightly to him.
"Do you know how to swim?" The boy shook his head, and as they bobbed in the ocean, Hotch fought the current to keep them from crashing into the under pilings of the pier.
"Can you hold tight to me then? I'm a good swimmer." The boy nodded vigorously, and promptly wrapped his arms around his neck, almost cutting off his air passage.
Tightly wrapping one arm around the boy and holding him tightly to his chest, Hotch laid his body flat, to promote their buoyancy and started to paddle and kick their way to the beach through the pilings where he saw to rescue workers wading in.
All of his muscles screamed in protest as he manoeuvred them around the pilings, and as he tried to reach the ground with his feet and the water came to his rib cage, he stopped swimming and wrapped his tired arms around the boy who had started to shiver.
The EMT's disentangled the boy from him with some difficulty, and as he walked out of the ocean JJ wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and he felt his legs give way under him, the adrenaline that had coursed through him from the chase and the initial jump had faded and every muscle that he had screamed bloody murder.
"Are you okay?" JJ was kneeling beside him, looking concerned and a little angry.
"Yeah, no, I'm fine. Make sure the boy is all right." Even his voice felt weak, and his throat was dry and scratchy as he'd swallowed a lot of the ocean when the kid had clocked him on the side of the head.
"You are not fine. You're bleeding, you can't stand, and the boy is with the paramedics who are taking care of him." He wanted to laugh at her tone of voice, which strongly resembled the mothering tone she took with Henry and the commanding tone she used with the press. He was too weak to laugh.
"Morgan?" He asked, hoping that she would understand what he was asking, because even his thoughts were acting sluggish.
"Local PD caught up with the chase and they caught him, and he's confessing everything." JJ had started to rub his arms when, over her shoulder, he saw another ambulance pull up and two more paramedics run towards them.
When they got near them JJ backed off and was instantly on her phone making calls. He tried to wave the paramedics off, but his arms felt heavy, and as he tried to stand he sank back down to his knees, all of his strength leaving his body.
"Sir, just sit still."
"No, I'm fine." The words felt funny as they left him.
"Low pulse, respiratory rate is low."
"I think he has mild hypothermia."
Hotch felt indignant that they were talking over him as if he couldn't hear, but his body was shook by violent shivers, and suddenly he was on his feet two arms wrapped around his waist supporting him.
"Try walking. We've got you." His indignant mind stopped working and he tried to protest again and push them away, anger taking over.
"I'm fine." They didn't budge, but held tighter to him as he stumbled, and suddenly JJ was in front of him again.
"Hotch go with them. Prentiss and Reid will meet you at the hospital, Morgan is at the station with Rossi interviewing Heart and I'm going to go with the boy and his parents. Just be good."
"I'm fine." He meant it as his vision became blurry, and he was wrapped in another blanket and strapped down to the gurney in the ambulance. "I'm fine."
**
The man was as stubborn as he was attractive, and Emily Prentiss found that she was currently mad at both of those characteristics. Her heels echoed in the empty halls and as the antiseptic smell of the hospital overwhelmed her she rushed to the nearest nurses' station. She had left Reid behind with JJ and the boy that Hotch had saved, single mindedly moving to see him.
She hated being in the hospital, but even more than that she hated visiting someone in the hospital. A hand's on person, she liked to be able to do something to help, but in hospitals she was usually regulated to the sidelines and forced to watch someone else do the helping.
Standing at the desk waiting for someone to notice her, she heard his voice, and relief flooded through her. Once JJ had said the words 'Hotch' and 'hospital' her mind had stopped processing things as she grabbed Reid's arm and pulled him from the station towards one of their Suburban's.
Quickly she moved towards his voice, and walked into the room where he sat with a bright pink blanket wrapped tightly around his shoulders and another darker pink wrapped around his legs. His clothes had been discarded and bagged and a thermometer was sticking out of his mouth, but he was still trying to speak.
"Agent Hotchner, please just stop talking for one minute." The nurse sounded exasperated and Emily stifled that laugh that bubbled through her, knowing how the poor woman was feeling, as he once again tried to speak. "I'm fine." Though it came out 'I'm fime' and the thermometer dropped from his lips.
"Hotch. Shh." She moved to his side, relief flooding through her that he was indeed fine, at least outwardly. Except for the cut on his forehead above his left eye, and the shivers that still shook his body from time to time, he seemed to be ready to go.
He rolled his eyes at her words and started to protest again, when she stuffed the thermometer back into his mouth and placed her finger on his lips like she'd seen him do with Jack to stop his words.
"Just one minute." He nodded smally at her whispered words, and suddenly the moment was too intimate. Their eye's held and as the nurse worked on his opposite side taking his blood pressure and heart rate, Emily's own heart rate increased.
Something had been happening between them lately and Emily was feeling the weight of those possibilities descend down on her. She knew that anything between them would be wonderful, for she had in fact had these thoughts and feelings for some time, but now that he was reciprocating her looks, she was scared.
He was an amazing man; everyone said so, an even better father and a great friend. He was respectful, worth of respect, loyal, honest, kind, caring, loving and most rooms surrendered their attention when he walked in. These things alone would have been enough for her, but on top of all that, he was downright attractive. His hair, which was usually impeccably combed and styled, was dishevelled and tufts were sticking out every which way, added to his overall attractiveness.
Swallowing thickly she dropped her finger from his lips, while her eyes dropped to them. A flash of them rolling through sheets and running her fingers through his hair. Closing her eyes, she swallowed again, and jumped as the thermometer beeped loudly. Hotch jumped with her and the nurse swooped in beside them and pulled it out.
"94. Wait a few more minutes to get dressed, and keep the heating pad on. Let's raise your temperature a few more degrees."
In totally un-Hotch fashion he just nodded, and accepted the additional pink blanket that was wrapped around his shoulders. Emily watched the nurse leave, and turned back to look at Hotch. His eyes were still heavy with weariness, and as she peered into their chocolaty depths she felt herself slowly moving towards him.
His eyes fluttered closed and just as she was about to touch her lips to his the door flung open, and this time she jumped away from him, the blush warming her cheeks from embarrassment rather than passion.
"Hey Hotch. Here is your go bag; I grabbed it from the hospital. JJ gave me your gun and your phone, they are in the bag. Oh hey Emily." Emily watched as he toured the room in a quick circle, and placed the leather bag on the bed beside Hotch.
When she had jumped away from him, Emily slowly started moving away from Hotch, hoping that Reid wouldn't notice what he had just barged in on, now she stood at the end of the bed, covertly not looking at Hotch. She could still feel his breath play against her lips, and the electric current that had coursed through her as she stood beside him still tingled her arms.
Silence fell about the room as Reid rocked on his heel and cane and looked between them. As she met his eyes, a sigh of relief coursed through her as she realised that he had no idea what he had interrupted. Shifting her eyes to Hotch she offered him a small smile as he shrugged of the blankets around his shoulders.
"Well, now I need to get dressed." His voice was small, and his eyes moved between the two of them quickly before landing on hers.
"Oh right. We'll be waiting in the Suburban for you." Reid turned and walked out the door. Emily thought he was gone when his voice filled the room once more. "By the way Hotch, pink isn't really your best color."
Hotch dropped a soft chuckle, and Emily turned to face him, surprised that he had laughed like that. Their eyes connected and for the briefest second all that she had been feeling in the past few years for this man combined and the world stopped.
Tearing her gaze away from him she moved to the door and started to close it behind her, when she had something she needed to say.
"Hotch?" She began softly.
Their eyes connected again, and butterflies started flying around her stomach, "Yeah?"
"Reid's right, pink isn't really your color." He smiled again, and with her joke out of the way, she said what she really wanted to. "I'm getting kind of tired visiting you in the hospital."
With that she left, clasping her hands in front of her, both cursing and thanking Reid for barging in on them. Kissing Hotch would have been a mistake, absolutely wonderful, but a mistake.
**
Since Haley's death Hotch had really come to appreciate the weekends. Yes there was still paperwork and a beeper hanging over his head, but he got to spend the whole day with Jack, which was something he had missed greatly.
Though it was Saturday, and usually Saturdays were reserved for Dad and Jack time, today they were going to Uncle Dave's house for a team barbeque. It hadn't been a hard sell to the boy, all Hotch had to do was say the name 'Emily' and Jack was all over the idea. Not that he could honestly blame his son; he was as infatuated with the woman as his son was.
Emily had been around a lot since Haley's death, and that was something that he would be forever thankful for. It had been a long while since that fateful day in November and he was starting to realize what Haley had asked of him on that phone call.
The memory no longer crippled him with guilt, no longer stole the wind from his lungs, and more importantly no longer tied his heart with hers. She had let him go in that call, gave him permission to move on, and allowed him the possibility of finding love again.
Echoes of an almost kiss, flooded his mind and body, and he had to grip the wall to stop himself from losing his balance. She was so close to him, her presence alone had warmed him from his hypothermic state. He'd chilled when Reid busted into the room and she jumped away from him. Though his face had burned with a blush, his hands and arms wanted to pull her back to him and take the kiss that she had offered him.
Four days later he still wanted to do that. But moments alone were hard to come by.
"Daddy!"
Jack's joyful voice floated to him, and instantly he smiled, the word never ceasing to grow feelings of love and joy in heart.
"Yeah buddy?" He pushed himself off the wall and opened his arms to catch his suddenly flying
child. Jack landed in his arms with a rush of air and a giggle, lengthening Hotchs smile. Jacks arms wrapped around his neck and Hotch placed a kiss to his son's temple, holding him close and inhaling the unique smell of a little boy. Sweat, soap and dirt all mingled together.
"When are we going to see Miss Emily?" Setting Jack back down on the ground he knelt so that they were eye to eye. Keeping his hands on Jack's shoulders, he tried to stop the laugh that had bubbled inside him. It was Uncle Derek, Uncle Spencer, Uncle Dave, Uncle Will, Aunt JJ and Aunty Penny, but with Emily it was Miss Emily. They had introduced her as Aunt Emily, but after one meeting it had changed to Miss Emily. Hotch didn't know what happened to change that, but it hadn't mattered.
"Soon buddy, real soon." He pulled him in for another hug, and then let him go. "Get your shoes and a sweater and be back here in five minutes."
Jack's eyes scanned his forehead once again, his brow knitting together in worry. The boy had fussed over him immensely when he'd gotten home, and had scolded him for getting hurt. Even the explanation that he'd had to save another little boy didn't ward off the four and a half year olds anger at the cut.
Moving his hand to Jack's cheek, Hotch gently pulled his eye line back to his. "Four minutes now buddy." He reminded with a smile.
His obvious frustration gone, Jack took off down the hall to his room with superhero sound effects and a smile on his face. Standing, he watched until Jack turned into his room, loudly searching for his shoes.
Smile still on his face he got himself ready for their day out, excited about the prospect of seeing Emily, and possibly getting to spend a few seconds alone with Emily. He needed to clear some things up between her, like what they possibly felt for each other, the kiss that still weakened his knees and more importantly where they stood as a man and a woman.
With more than thirty seconds to spare Jack rushed to the door his shoes untied and a sweater trailing behind him on the floor.
"I'm ready Daddy. Has it been four minutes yet?" Jack was breathless, and looked as excited as Hotch felt, his face alight with joy and a whole host of other positive emotions coloring his face.
"You are right on time, but we need to tie your shoes." Hotch got done on his knees and in a routine that like the word 'Daddy', never ceased to warm his heart, Jack balanced himself against Hotch's shoulders as he stuck out a foot.
Laces tied, sweaters on and store bought potato salad in hand they made their way to their vehicle and headed out of the city towards Uncle Dave's house. A nice little, little being the operative word, cottage in the country, with a wide yard and a barbeque pit, and a lot of space for the ten of them to roam about.
*
They were the last to arrive, and when they walked into the yard a chorus of greetings reached their ears, and instantly Jack became the center of attention. The sight made Hotch smile as set his plastic container of salad on the overflowing food table, and shook hands with Dave.
"You guys doing okay Hotch?" The older man's words were laced with jovial concern and a smile.
"We're good Dave. We're good." And they were. The way Jack was being man handled by Morgan, and entertained by Reid, all smiled and laughs, he knew that Jack was good.
As Jack moved on to the next surrogate family that wanted to greet him, Hotch left Dave at the grill and moved to say hello to Reid and Morgan.
"Hey guys." He offered them each a hand shake.
"How is it going?"
He nodded to Morgans question and moved on once again. The time for small talk was later, after they'd eaten and had their fill of drink and food, and were all content to just be with each other and the company that was offered.
Moving onto JJ who was sitting with Henry at a table feeding her son some fruit, he smiled at the sight and laid his hand on her shoulder.
"JJ."
"Hey Hotch." His blonde friend smiled up at him and Henry made a cooing noise and grabbed the piece of melon that his mother was holding and stuffed it in his mouth, missing half of it.
"Oops." His small voice filled the air and Hotch couldn't help but laugh.
"'Oops' is his favourite thing to say. 'Oops' this, 'oops' that. I swear it's the only thing he really understands." JJ's voice laughed along with Henry, and Hotch laughed too, watching Henry try to reach for another piece.
"Better than some of the things he could say."
Jack was now in Emily's arms and they were talking rather animatedly. Jack was gesturing largely and laughing often. His smile had grown in Emily's presence and if it were possible he looked happier in this moment than Hotch could ever remember him being.
Sitting in an open lawn chair he watched as he team interacted, laughing and smiling, all looking like Jack, happy and at ease with the setting. It wasn't often that they made it through one of these days without getting a call, but that apprehension wasn't as palpable in the air as usual.
"Daddy, come play soccer." Hotch got out of his chair instantly and joined his son who was kicking a ball around.
Morgan and Will joined in and Jack was running circles around them, dribbling past them and generally making them look bad. There was also some good natured roughing going on, and whenever Jack ran into one of them, the adults would fall dramatically while Jack ran away laughing, heading for their makeshift net.
With Will and Morgan down, Jack was heading towards Hotch whose head was turned the opposite direction from where he was running. Jack pushed his small elbow into Hotch's hip and he turned and fell just as dramatically, his head hitting the side of a chair that was acting as post for their game.
Blinding pain filled his head, and through his squinted eyes he could see Jacks face in anguish and heard the same pain in his voice as he yelled for Emily.
**
"Emily!"
Emily dropped the plate that she had been holding and stood quickly looking for Jack. She'd recognised that tone in his voice; it was how he sounded when he was scared. She had heard it only twice before, but every time it chilled her blood and stopped her heart prompting her in into action and propelling her to his side.
JJ and Penelope stood with her and followed her to the wailing boy.
When they got near she could see that Will and Morgan were trying to console Jack, but they seemed at a loss for what to do as Jack was crying and Hotch was slowly sitting up, blood pouring down his face.
That sight chilled her further, and she placed herself between them, wrapping an arm around Jack and placing her hand on Hotch's forearm. Instantly Jack melted into her and clung to her, and she tried to comfort whim while assessing Hotch. His stitches had torn a little, and the cut had lengthened, but it didn't look serious, there was just a copious amount of blood.
"Jack its okay." She tried to sooth her voice to soothe the boy, but his hysterical wails were loud and she was sure he had no idea what she had said.
"I hurt'd Daddy!"
Hotch had finally pushed himself into a sitting position and looked about slowly, his eyes focusing slowly.
"No. Look Jack, he is okay." She hoped that he would believe her lies, knowing that any mark on Hotch was life threatening to Jack. Though the young boy had tempered his clinginess to his father, Emily had seen him watch Hotch just as closely as Hotch had watched him.
Jack turned his face from its place buried in her shoulder and turned a watery eye to his father. JJ was holding a dish towel to his forehead, and the rest of the team was gathered around them, filling their space and watching concerned for both father and son.
"Yeah buddy. I'm fine." Thankfully the strength of his voice solidified his words, and he was able to shakily take over holding his own wound closed.
Jack pulled away from her and moved towards his dad, still holding a fist full of her shirt tightly in her hand. She kept her hand on his back, giving him the support that he desperately needed.
"Are you sure Daddy? You are bleeding." Emily thought the way his brow knitted together in concern was so adorable that she smiled.
"No really. I'm okay Jack." He reached his hand out and took hold of Jack's, who took another step away from Emily, but kept her shirt fisted in his small hand.
"There's a first aid kit in the first floor bathroom." Dave's voice broke into the bubble that had formed around Emily and the two Hotchners, and brought her back to reality. "And extra shirts in my room." Morgan and Will helped Hotch up, and Jack had turned back into Emily who picked him up, and nestled him into her shoulder.
Emily nodded and started on her way to the bathroom. She could feel Hotch holding her shirt and following closely behind them.
Jack's tears and wails had stopped but she could still feel the tension in his little body.
In the hallway outside the bathroom, Emily knelt to the ground and stood Jack on his feet. Hotch knelt down in the same way, still holding Jack's hand and holding the dish towel to his forehead.
"Jack, I'm okay. Honestly I am." Hotch injected his voice with as much convection as he could, and moved his hand from his sons hand to his face.
The boy's eyes darted from Emily's to Hotch's and back again, looking for something, his face still filled with worry and concern for his father.
"Are you sure Daddy?" Even his voice betrayed how concerned he was. Though Emily could sense the guilt that he felt for being the one to hurt him. He had said once or twice that it was his fault, and the he was sorry, and Emily knew that he was feeling pain.
"Yes Jack. I am sure."
Emily still held the boy, and turned him to face her.
"Jack, do you trust me?" Though she knew that he wouldn't understand the question, she needed him to go back out and have fun while she cleaned up Hotch's wound. Though it was nothing serious, there had been awful lot of blood.
He didn't respond but looked to Hotch who just nodded. Jack turned back to her, his big Bambi eyes filled with a questioning look.
"Does Daddy trust you?" Emily's heart squeezed and she looked up at Hotch. Their eyes met and she was filled with the same feelings she had felt that day in the hospital before Reid had come in. Though her heart was in pain with Jacks, but it still filled with emotions for Hotch.
Jack too turned to Hotch who torn his gaze from hers and looked at his son. "Yes I do buddy. I do trust her."
Instantly Jack nodded and turned back to Emily a smile replacing the concern and question gone from his face. "I trust you."
Her heart filled with love for the little boy, and she gave in to the urge to hug him. He wrapped his arms around her neck and hugged her back. "Jack I promise I will take good care of your Daddy if you go help Aunty JJ with Henry."
"Okay." Jack brightened up instantly and let go of Emily's neck and hugged his father. "I'm sorry Daddy."
"It's not your fault Jack."
Jack nodded, still all smiles and ran out of the house. Hotch and Emily stood together and watched as Jack left. A silence overcame them, and suddenly Emily was feeling rather self conscious.
Gesturing to the open bathroom he asked, "Shall we?"
She nodded and led the way into the room. Setting him up on the counter, she opened the first aid kit and started cleaning his cut. Once she had washed all the blood off of his face and neck, there wasn't all that much wrong with him.
Though it might be made worse by her shaking hands, he wouldn't need any more stitches, just some new butterfly strips and possibly a good cleaning.
He was sitting on the counter, and his legs were open, leaning forward towards her. She stood against the counter between his legs, his inner thighs touching her hips. Their faces were even, and the close proximity to him and his body was causing her to lose control of her body.
Concentrating on her breathing, cleaning his cut, mending his wound, and blocking out everything else, Emily soothed her nerves and tried to stop her shaking hands.
"Anyone ever tell you, you aren't the best nurse?" His voice was light, and she dropped her eyes from his cut to his eyes, and found that he was looking at her intently.
She shook her head and dropped her hands, resting them on his legs, which were blocking her sides, were she had intended they go.
"There is something I need to say to you." His voice had dropped from light and happy to an intimate whisper.
She nodded, finding herself at a loss for all words.
Waiting for him to start speaking, she watched as his eyes roamed her face, and closed her eyes as his fingers came up and stroked her face, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. They stayed closed as he gently pulled her closer to him and laid his lips on hers.
The rest of the world stopped and focused on them and the bathroom as he kissed her, it was soft and chaste, and as he pulled away far too short for her liking.
His hand was still on her face, and in the moment of their kiss her hands had moved to his waist, and around his back, holding him to her.
"I don't understand."
"I've wanted to do that for a while."
She nodded in agreement. "Me too."
"I kind of want to do it again."
"Me too."
He was just about to kiss her again when she quickly walked away from him. Confusion lined his face as he stayed on the counter and followed her with his eyes.
She turned away from him and shut the door to the bathroom, and locked the door. The confusion left his face, but his eyes still followed her as she made her way back to him, and placed herself back between his legs and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Good thinking."
She just smiled and nodded as he laid his lips on hers. Though she hadn't said any words to her, his actions spoke volumes and as he deepened the kiss she stopped caring about anything, and focused on kissing him.
A while later, minutes, moments or some unknown amount of time a loud crash came against the door.
"Ow! Why is the door locked?"
Emily jumped away from Hotch, a blush heating her cheeks again, and Hotch let out a small laugh.
"Hey. Is someone in there?" Reid's voice hit them through the door, and Emily wanted to laugh as well.
"Shh." Hotch whispered, "if were quiet maybe he'll go away."
"I really have to go, you know."
Hotch leaned in and kissed her again, pointedly ignoring their friend.
"Hotch? Emily? Really guys I gotta go."
AN: To Kavi Leighanna, I owe this story. I lost a bet. I bet that her amazing story, which you should all go read (His Christmas Wish 2009) would get 425 reviews before Dec 25th. At the time of this story (8:52 pm. Dec 22, 2009. Mountain Standard Time.) It has 563. So, I quessed short. (Actually I did math. I took an average of the 86 votes it had on the fifth, which averages to 17 reviews per day, which equals 425 reviews for 25 days.) Wonderful isn't it. Except for the part that I grossly underestimated how awesome the story would be. It was the fifth okay. I hadn't read all the awesomeness that was to come. I was shocked by the awesomeness.
It truly is awesome. Go read it.
So Kavi. Here is the spoils of your awesomeness. I know I said it was short... but I lied. I hope you like it. I hope anyone else who reads it likes it.