WARNING! THIS STORY CONTAINS BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF A INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AN ADULT/MINOR, SOME DISIPLINARY SPANKING OF A MINOR, AND A SLIGHTLY OUT OF CHARACTER HOTCH. (DON'T LIKE, DONT READ)
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"The legal age of consent in Virgina is 15." Hotch thinks to himself.
"She's 16, you perv. Young enough to be your daughter. God. What is wrong with you?" His mind battles against his heart. He can not get his mind off Alison. She was beautiful. She had a smile like none other. She played on his heart strings. She laughed so beautifully, she was incredibly smart and had the best singing voice that just melted his heart.
She was also Rossi's goddaughter, turned actual daughter after her mother died 5 years ago and Rossi took her and her baby brother in. He had always felt bad for her because of that. Her dad had died in the line of duty when she was three. Her mom never settled down long with one guy. Apparently her brother's dad wasn't there much longer after her mom found out she was pregnant. Her mom had problems that was for sure. The pain of losing her husband had been too much; she had slowly fallen apart throughout the years. One day, she just gave up. Killed herself while Alison was at school; leaving her baby brother James on the floor crying.
The relationship had only started a couple of months ago. It felt right when they were together. Like it was meant to be. But when they were apart he could tell just how wrong it was. He knew he should not be with her; he sometimes felt like he was taking advantage of the poor girl. Did she even understand what thier relationship meant? God, Rossi would kill him if he found out. What was he doing with someone that young anyways? His mind was starting to trail off as Rossi himself walked in.
"A penny for your thoughts?" He could tell Hotch was having a bad day, so he came on in to check on him. It obvious to him once he walked in that Hotch didn't really want him there. It was obvious that the younger man was hiding something that was weighing him down pretty heavy.
` "Nothing really." He murmered, trying to push Alison off his mind as he talked to Rossi. What had he done? A sixteen year-old, seriously? In any profile he would give, a 45 year-old man who was sexually attracted to a 16 year-old was a pervert, no doubt about that. He glanced down at his desk and saw a photo of him and Rossi, both with thier arms around Alsion. It had been her 16th birthday party. Before anything happened between the two. He just wished he could go back to that moment. Undo everything he had done. Undo the monster he had become.
"Well if it is anything, you can talk to me about it." No I can't,Hotch thought as Rossi started to leave. "Oh by the way Alison said she can't wait for this weekend. Thanks again Aaron." He smiled and left the room, hoping that maybe he would talk to her about it if appropriate. He hated to see Hotch suffer in private. He did it way too much, it was unhealthy.
This weekend they were going up to Rossi's cabin together, alone. Aaron had loved running and hiking while Alison ran cross country. Rossi thought it fit to let the two go up there together. He knew that the two got along well. She had always been extremely closed off. But with Aaron, she broke the barrier some. Aaron was someone she could trust. An adult she could talk to without feeling like they were breathing down her neck or judging her. Without trying to parent too much, worry too much like he himself was guilty of. He felt happy that she could have Aaron there for her; she needed it, with everything she had been through in life.
He could also tell she did the same-no one else seemed to help him open up like she did. But then again, she was the type of person any stranger would trust to hold onto thier deepest, darkest secrets and help solve all thier problems. She was just that amazing. Boy, was he lucky to be her father. And he was lucky to have Aaron too. Never would he have imagined them having anything other than a platonic relationship together. Boy, was he wrong.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The ride to the cabin was fun, even though she got a little upset when she relised she had left her phone back at home. They both knew that it didn't matter anyway. There wasn't any cell service up at the cabin so all she could have used it for was to play angry birds. They blasted the radio, Whitney Houston filling the car. Alison talked to him about school and the dance coming up. (She expressed her desire to take him although she knew she couldn't.) They talked about what the weekend had in store for the two, and Aaron almost couldn't control himself as she teased him. Boy, he couldn't wait to get to that Cabin. When they finally reached it he could feel the excitement. They left thier bags in the car; they wanted to get in and 'relax' a bit first.
Alison ran up the walkway to the front door, teasingly motioning him over to it. When he finally got there and unlocked it, he held door open for her. But she didn't walk into the house. She just backed up into the frame. Alison pressed her hands out steched on the door frame teasingly. "I have a confession to make." She said, batting her eyelashes, trying to tease him. Aaron's brows furrowed as she teased him further on. "I've been a naughty girl." She said, slowly unbuttoning her blouse for him until she heard a fimiliar voice behind her and stopped three buttons down.
"Alison, go upstairs." He said, in the calmest voice possible. She spun around on her heels. The last person she had expected at the cabin was her dad. Oh my god. I just unbuttoned some of my shirt in front of my dad. God, no. She bit her lip instictively, playing around with her bracelet. Never had she been more nervous in her life. Never had she been in this much trouble; it was all new for her. She did NOT want to see her dad angry.
"Dad.. I can explain." She said, trying to fight back the constant flow of tears forming in her eyes. She couldn't really explain it. What did she even call all this? It was just all so new to her-what was all of this?
"Go upstairs." Rossi's voice rose a bit, showing her just how angry he truly was. She knew it wasn't worth it to keep arguing with him, but she continued on anyway. She loved Aaron too much to just go up without a fight.
"Please dad, I'm sorry." She could see her father was in no way kind to the obvious disrespect she was giving him right now. She had never been this disrespectful with him before. She felt a horrible feeling in her gut. So why did she keep going on? Was her love for Aaron really that powerful?
Stepping dangerously closer, Rossi raised his voice some more to show he was not joking. "Get up there now or I swear you won't like the result." She had never seen her father so mad before.
Alison knew she was treading into dangerous waters, especially when Aaron just told her to listen to her father. But she wasn't going to have it. She had the right to be with him. She loved him, right? She let out a firm, challenging "No." Boy, was she in trouble now.
Rossi just grabbed her by the arm, positioning her in front of him sideways. He raised his arm up as far as he could and landed long, hard swats to her backside. She let out screams and tears as Aaron turned his shameful eyes away. After about 15 swats, he released her, and she ran upstairs.
"David.." Aaron tried, but was immediately cut off.
"Don't even try to explain yourself Aaron. I trusted you. I should have wondered why the two of you were so close. Why she was always so happy when I mentioned you. God, I just thought it was because she idolized you. But no, it's because you were taking advantage of how young she is. She can't fully understand what she's doing, YOU know that better than anyone. God." The words cut deep. Aaron felt like shit. How could he have done this? "When did it start?" David looked him square in his face.
"Five months ago." Aaron had never felt more ashamed of himself. He couldn't help but wonder how Rossi found out. Luckily, Rossi answered this for him by dropping down on the table what he recognised to be Alison's phone. It was opened up to thier texts. He looked down at the phone. Right there was thousands of texts. Thousands of confessions of love. But more importantly, there were a few texts in there that Hotch knew Rossi had not yet seen. If he had, Aaron knew he'd be dead by now. He relised right then and there what he had done.
Alison may have been at the age of consent, but those photos that he had stored on his phone, were legally an act of child pornography. It was at that moment that he relised Jack may be left without a father after all. In no universe would David not have him arrested for that. Why had he done this? Why get involved with a child? Why leave Jack without a father?
"Five months? You were together for five months?!" He could not believe this. He had trusted him, called him his friend, family even. And he had been going behind his back, taking advantage of his daughter, for 5 months?! Aaron's head hung down in shame. He'd done that a lot so far today. "Who initiated the relationship?" He asked. Aaron didn't even have to speak before he knew the answer. He could read it in his face.
"I did." His voice cracked, tears started to form, he couldn't believe himself.
"Get out." Rossi demanded. He knew he had it in him right now to kill Aaron, and that was not something he would like to have on his permant record.
"David.. Please. I am so sorry. I.."
"Aaron Hotchner! I am not going to jail for killing you, do you understand me? You violated my daughter. I don't care if you had the legal capability to do so. She may be legal by this state's standards, but that doesn't matter. She is my daughter, you should have treated her as such. She is also 16, not fully capable of making informed decisions, you know that. And if I figure out you touched her in any way at all that she did not like, I will nail your ass to the ground. Now get out before you have to leave in a body bag," He threatened, trying to hold himself back from attacking the younger man. Hotch just nodded his head and left. Never had he seen Rossi that mad. Never had he been so disappointed in himself.
He would have been angry at Rossi for thinking that he even had the capability to hurt Alison in anyway, but he understood it. He had just broken his trust. Rossi would have never have thought he would be in any kind of relationship like that with his daughter. Now he had no idea what to think of him. Aaron knew he deserved to be looked on in that light. He was no better than the scum he spent his life putting away. So why is it that all he wanted to do was go back in there and kiss her?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Rossi knew he had to calm down before he went to comfront her daughter about the relationship. He debated wether or not to pull out his stash and drink a bit before, but then told himself against it. No way would he approach his daughter drunk and angry. Looking down at the counter, he couldn't believe what was happening. He had trusted Aaron. Aaron was one of his greatest friends, hell he was family. Aaron had been like a son to him. But now, now he would never have his trust again. And he better as hell never come around Alison ever again. He didn't care how the two felt about eachother; they were to never see eachother again.
Oh, Alison. Why would she do this? God, Aaron was forty-five years old. She was 16. Straight A honors student at the top of her class. She loved reading and music. She was NOT the kind of kid to go behind his back. And she definately was not the kind of kind to be that disrespectful to him. She never got into any trouble, was always kind and respectful to everyone. She was that kind of kid. What had Aaron done to her? The thoughts ran so fast through her mind that he didn't even know what to make of them.
Rossi decided that he would cook some dinner before he went to go talk to her. So he put all his energy into making the perfect rissoto. Stirring and Sauteeing, he could feel himself starting to relax. He moved the mushrooms and garlic from the stove and went to go get the wine to add to the risotto, he noticed a bottle or two of his brandy was gone. That bastard. He thought in his brain, slamming his fist into the counter.
Anger rushed through his veins. Angry at Aaron for doing this, angry at himself for not catching on to it sooner. Angry that it went on for so long. But not angry at Alison. This wasn't her fault. He didn't care if she had initiated the relationship. He was a grown man who knew better. But the fact that he started the relationship.. he was playing with her emotions. It wasn't right.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Alison sat on the bed crying. Aaron was the only person who understood her. The only person willing enough to sit down for forty minutes and listen to her rant about how much she loved The Beatles. The only person that thought it was cute she didn't brush her hair everyday. The only person willing to love her that way. But now there was no way in hell her dad was ever going to let them see each other again.
Who was going to love her now? She heard the whole fight between her dad and Aaron, up until the door slammed. She knew for sure she was in deep trouble. Why had she acted like that? That wasn't her, was it? Oh, god he was going to be so mad at her. She was such a horrible person. Why did she even exist?
It felt like days as she waited there and cried. When Rossi walked in, all he could see was her bright red eyes and the shame painted across her face. She expected him to start yelling. Start lecturing her on how what she had done was not right. To her suprise, he just sat down next to her and held her. No yelling, lecturing, nothing. She just cried into her shoulder. She remembered when Aaron first asked her out. At first, they just went on a run together like usual. When they took a break at a fork in the road, they sat on a huge dead log together. He told her how much he loved her. How much he thought about her everyday. How bad he felt for it. She just held him and told him it was okay.
She had no idea what to think of it, really. No one had ever told her they loved her that way before. It didn't make sense. But when he asked her if she'd like to go to the movies that night, she couldn't think of how to say no. So she went on that date, and the next one, and the next. She didn't really like it at first. He was older, her dad's friend. It felt weird. When they kissed, she felt nothing but gross. But he kept treating her like a princess, showed her how much he loved her. Gave her whatever he thought she might want. Didn't push her. She liked that. It made her feel safe, loved. It didn't take her long after that to fall in love with him. But now he was being ripped away from her. Who was going to treat her like that now? She started to shake with tears.
"Va bene tesoro, sarà bene." He whispered in her ear. "Va bene." (It's okay sweetheart, It'll be okay.)
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX