Chapter One

A/N: Here it is, the first chapter of the sequel to Glowing Embers I promised my faithful readers and reviewers. If you haven't read that yet, you probably should. There's a few things you might not get else, and you won't have seen the relationship between Erin and Aaron develop. In any case, I hope you'll enjoy reading this! Please leave me a review to let me know!

Disclaimer: None of this is mine. I am only borrowing the characters.

The worst guilt is to accept an unearned guilt. Ayn Rand

Erin was half asleep on the couch when her phone suddenly rang. It took a few seconds for the sound to register. As soon as it did, she reached out to grab the phone. Because she didn't bother to open her eyes, she nearly knocked it to the floor before she finally managed to pick it up.

"Erin Strauss," she said, hoping the person on the other side wouldn't notice how tired she was. She wasn't very hopeful, though, considering her voice was rather husky with sleep still.

There was a good reason for that. Aaron was in Aurora, Illinois. Since they'd been together for the past six months he'd asked her whether she could watch Jack while he was out there doing his job. Jessica had was on vacation, after all. Erin had agreed and thus she was now caring for two young boys instead of one.

Thinking of Aaron made her feel very nervous all of a sudden. A glance at the clock revealed her fears to be very well-founded. No one would be calling her at three in the morning with good news.

"It's me. Aaron got into a fight with the UnSub. He's in hospital," Alex's voice sounded over the phone. The younger woman didn't sound stressed or panicked, which helped Erin keep her cool. There was something else there, though, which would have registered straight away if Erin had had a little more time to wake up.

But she was somewhat more awake now, pushing herself completely upright on the couch. Her hair immediately tumbled in front of her eyes, but she pushed it away as soon as it did. Not that she was really paying any attention to it, it was more of an instinctive reaction.

"Is he going to be okay? What kind of injuries has he got?" she immediately wanted to know. In her carrier she'd seen people get hurt in billions of ways, had had to inform partners and children of the demise of some. She could only hope Alex wasn't calling to do the same to her.

Erin turned off the television now, not wanting to miss anything Alex had to say. If things were bad, she needed to know so she could pick up the boys and prepare them before heading towards the hospital. If things weren't too bad, she would still have to be able to answer all of their question.

"He has two broken ribs, one that's bruised and quite the number of bruises. There's no internal bleeding or anything of the sort, though, so it's not too bad. The doctors are willing to let him go now since he had someone to take care of him. He's none too happy about being off of active duty until his ribs have healed," Alex grinned.

The sounds was music to Erin's ears. More so than Alex's words it convinced her that Aaron would be fine. For the first time since her phone rang, she was breathing properly. The fear and stress the call had inspired were slowly dissipating. But they wouldn't be completely gone until she saw Aaron.

Alex's breathing, though, was a little tremulous. Knowing the woman, Erin realized there was something she wasn't telling her. She also knew it had nothing to do with Aaron, as Alex wouldn't be that cruel.

"What's wrong? Talk to me, Alex," she gently pushed, hoping she wasn't overstepping any boundaries. They had made a lot of progress over the last six months, but there were still some things they hadn't discussed yet or weren't comfortable doing yet.

For a second it looked like Alex would make some excuse not to have to talk to her. Erin wasn't the woman to easily back off, though, so she let the silence play on and prepared to push a little further if Alex tried to shut her out. It might not be the best thing to do, but she didn't think the other option was any better.

"Aaron was alone when the UnSub got to him, Erin. He shouldn't have been, but he was. And it's all my fault," Alex finally said, the words following each other so quickly it was only just possible to understand her.

Erin immediately realized Alex was feeling guilty. Knowing the women there was probably no real reason to, but it would take some time for her to see that. And some help, which Erin could provide.

"Tell me what happened. I bet there's nothing to feel guilty about," she said, trying to sound as reassuring as she could.

Erin could hear Alex taking a few deep breaths on the other side of the phone. That told her this might take more than a few minutes. Deciding not to waste any more time than was truly necessary, she hoisted herself off of the couch. She could get dressed while talking to Alex.

As she made her way to the bedroom, Alex began to talk. Her voice was soft, trembling a little. Erin's heart ached for her because the tremble in her voice was more telling as to the emotional distress she was in than the words she spoke.

"We went into Jason Kay's house. We knew there would be others there, he was known by local law enforcement officers for holding parties with his old friends from prison. They picked him up repeatedly for that. We went in in groups of two, as it would be easier to subdue anyone who tried to attack that way."

Alex stopped for a minute then, as if she was trying to collect her still raging thoughts. Erin was silent too, picturing the situation. It must have been hell for all of them, she surmised. The fear of losing one of the team would have been on all of their minds. That was how they worked.

"I entered with David, Spencer was with Aaron. Morgan had JJ with him, and there were a few other officers with us. I checked a room that turned out to be the kitchen, but I wasn't quick enough. I got knocked against the wall by a man who fled the scene. David was on his heels, knowing I'd be fine. Spencer wasn't so sure, though. Instead of going with Aaron, he ran towards me. And that's why Aaron got injured. Spencer wasn't there to help him because he was with me," she finished her story in a whisper.

It wasn't hard to see why Alex thought she was responsible for Aaron's situation. Truth was, though, that she wasn't. And neither was Spencer. Or anyone else for that matter. Alex could have been injured, and there might have been more men around. Spencer had made the right decision, as had the others. They had needed to get Jason, and one of their own was in need.

"And you think Aaron would have been fine if Spencer had been with him? You can't be sure about that, Alex. Spencer made the right call. You could have had a head injury or something equally serious. Now, you're both all right. That's the only thing that matters," Erin assured her.

And it really was the truth. Broken ribs healed, even if it took a while. Things could have been a lot worse if Spencer hadn't tried to make sure Alex would be fine. She just hoped Alex would see that soon, too. Else, she'd be beating herself up for months, which was never a good thing. Especially with a job as demanding as theirs.

As she thought about that, she stepped out of her pyjama bottoms and slid into a pair of gray summer pants. It took a little more effort to button it with one hand, but she managed it in the end. The top she was wearing was a light blue, so she left that on. They probably wouldn't notice she'd slept in it, so she didn't particularly care.

"Thank you. Everyone's been telling me that, but I guess I needed to hear it from you. He's your partner, after all," Alex said, sounding a lot more in control and like her normal self again.

There was probably another reason why she'd needed Erin to tell her all of this, the older woman realized. She'd most likely been scared as hell Erin would hold her responsible. Their relationship still wasn't exactly what it had been a decade ago, and old fear were difficult to overcome. On the other hand, the fact Alex was calling her was testimony to the fact the bonds were on the mend.

"I'm glad I could help. Tell Aaron the boys and I will be at the airport to pick him up. I'll be there around the time you land," she predicted, relatively sure of her estimations. It wouldn't be the first time she picked Aaron up, and she knew how long it would take them to get there.

Alex promised her she'd tell him before ending the call. Erin immediately exited the room to wake up the boys. Since they were sleeping in the bunk bed in Arthur's room, which was now technically their room, that was an easy task.

"Jack, wake up. We're going to pick up your dad, buddy," she said, in a voice barely louder than a whisper. She hoped he would hear her and she wouldn't startle him. It was the first time he was spending the night, and she didn't want him to get scared.

Jack was up instantly, rubbing his eyes before pushing down the covers. Despite his sleepy state, he was smiling. Erin made sure he would be fine climbing down the ladder before settling herself on the bed beside Arthur.

She gently shook his shoulder, which made him open his eyes. Since he was used to being awakened like this, he sat up like he always did. It wasn't until he realized the sun wasn't up yet that he looked at her questioningly.

Alex called. The team is coming home, so we'll be heading to the airport to pick up Aaron, she signed at him. His smile was as brilliant as Jack's. It warmed her heart to know both boys knew how much they both cared.

Both boys reached for their clothes, but Erin stopped them. She explained they could go in their pyjamas. That of course made them question why. She had expected that and she took the opening she was given.

She told them Aaron had hurt his ribs, and that she wanted to get to the airport as soon as possible. She made sure they understood Aaron would be fine, which meant having to answer a myriad of questions. The questions were smart, and the boys were quickly put at ease. And that in turn made Erin feel calmer.

The drive was a quiet one. Jack and Arthur conversed a little on the back seat, but they were so tired neither one of them had much to say. Erin wasn't surprised and a little grateful. She was still a little overwhelmed by what had just happened and she was a little tired herself.

She hadn't been driving for more than a quarter before Jack was asleep, leaning on Arthur. Arthur was struggling to stay awake, but no more than five minutes later he was softly snoring as well.

For the umpteenth time, Erin thanked whatever deity or higher power that was out there for making the boys have such a beautiful bond. Jack had learnt to sign so quickly it had taken her breath away. Arthur had learnt to read Jack like an open book within weeks. And whenever they played together, they didn't need to sign or speak to communicate. They understood each other remarkably well.

An hour later, Erin pulled up on the parking lot in front of the airport. At this hour, there was less traffic than at during the day, which made it easier to find a spot. They boys didn't even wake up when she stopped.

"We're here," she said, rousing Jack. The boy in turn woke Arthur, who yawned widely and crinkled his nose at being woken up twice in such a short span of time. His mood improved when he remembered why they were there, though.

As soon as possible, Erin led the boys to the entrance. They each held one of her hands tightly, a little insecure in these surroundings. Neither one of them had seen the airport before, and the building was very large.

Despite the fact there were more than enough empty seats, Erin couldn't bring herself to sit down. She would only keep tapping her foot nervously in anticipation of Aaron's arrival. Standing wasn't really improving anything, however. It made her want to pace, something that was equally telling.

Jack and Arthur kept her busy by playing games with her. Part of her thought they might be picking up on her nerves, another part was sure they were just bored. She probably wouldn't find out which it was.

Fortunately, it didn't take long for the plane to arrive. As soon as she saw it descend, she made it as close to the door through which the team would enter as possible. She knew the boys would dart for Aaron and make it to his side long before she could, so she decided she would dart for Alex first. The woman had entrusted her, and she needed the support, after all.

She wasn't at all surprised to see Penelope walk through the entrance. Derek and she were closer to starting a relationship than ever before, and Erin knew it was Penelope's doing. She was certain her being here would go over very well for Derek, considering this had been a case from hell.

When the team entered, she felt Arthur and Jack release her hands to dart over to Aaron and noticed Penelope run towards Derek. She herself walked over to Alex at a more moderate pace. Before the younger woman had even had the time to realize what Erin was going to do, she pulled her into her arms.

What she hadn't expected was Alex to bury her head against her shoulder and cry. She knew it was a release of pent up emotions, but she'd assumed Alex would cry on Spencer's shoulder when they were home.

She didn't let that show, though. She rubbed soothing circles on the younger woman's back, calming her down. She also whispered sweet nothings in her ear, letting the rhythm help to settle Alex's nerves.

"Feeling better now?" Erin murmured when she felt Alex's sobs begin to subside, still keeping her close. She recognized so much of herself in the brunette at that moment that it surprised even herself.

Alex nodded, but did not pull away. Therefore, Erin gently pushed her back a little so she could properly look at her. When those pools of brown met her own blue eyes, she saw the pain and relief in them. Unable to help herself, she tucked a strand of Alex's hair behind her ear.

"You should get ready to go home. You're tired, I can tell. Just give me a minute with Spencer, all right?" Erin asked, not letting go of Alex until she nodded her assent. Then, she motion for Spencer to walk over to her while Alex joined the team, all of whom were gathered around the boys.

The young genius was by her side in an instant. He kept his eyes on Alex's back until she was standing beside Penelope, though, who immediately slung her arm around her as she held onto Derek.

"Make sure she gets some sleep, sweetie. She's tired, but she might have nightmares in which the worst case scenario comes to pass. If that happens she won't be keen to venture into dreams again. Just hold her, remind her she didn't do anything wrong. That's all she'll need. And call me if anything's the matter," Erin said, keeping her voice low so none of the others would hear her.

Spencer inclined his head lightly, letting her know he would take her advice should the need arise. Then, he walked over to Alex and took her hand in his. He pressed a soft kiss to her cheek and led her out of the building. Erin had no doubt he would persuade Alex to let him drive her to his place. And that he would try to make her rest on the way there.

Erin now walked over to the others. Aaron was the first to notice her. Wordlessly, he lifted his arms. The way his face contorted for a second told her how much pain he was in. Slowly and carefully, she stepped into his arms, but she didn't let him pull her against him. Instead, she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I won't break, you know. And I could really use a hug. The last few days have been hell," he whispered in her ear. Immediately, she knew she wouldn't like reading the rapport on Monday.

She gave into his demand, sighing softly when she was flush against him. She was unsure what to do with her hands, afraid she might hurt him even more. He had no such qualms and his hands came to rest on her waist. With some encouragement from his side, she let hers drift to his sides as well.

It was difficult to keep the tears beginning to burn in her eyes at bay. She hadn't been in love until Aaron came along, and she had come so close to losing him. But the boys didn't need to know how much worse things could have been. Arthur and Jack had seen too much evil already.

Suddenly, she felt the others approach and join in the hug. That included their sons, who had been comfortably ensconced between Derek and Penelope up until then. Penelope was the one to nestle herself close to Erin, and Derek had his arms around her and Jack. Arthur was in front of David on her other side.

In that instant, Erin realized she couldn't have denied they were a family even if she'd wanted to. They belonged in her life, all of these people. They made her a better woman, a softer and stronger person at the same time. And she wouldn't change it for the world.

"Come on, we should all head home. We've had a crazy week," Derek said, extracting himself from the hug.

"You're right. Take care of yourselves over the weekend. I'll see you all on Monday," Aaron said, nodding lightly at his teammates. They nodded in return, disappearing through the doors one by one.

Aaron didn't wait too long to head out either. Erin could tell he was struggling with the pain, so she ushered the boys out with the promise they could lead the adults to the car. It worked like a charm, which she was grateful for.

In less than a minute, everyone was safely buckled in. Jack and Arthur immediately got comfortable and closed their eyes. It wouldn't take them long to fall asleep again, and that was a good thing. If Aaron was in so much pain, she might need to talk to him to distract him from it until he could take another dose of pain killers.

As she pulled out of the parking lot, she could hear Jack mumbling softly. A glance in the rearview mirror revealed Arthur was now resting his head on Jack's lap and the other boy was apparently dreaming about wizards.

"They really have the cutest dreams when they're this age, don't they?" she asked, her voice low enough not to be heard in the back.

There was no response, though. Stealing a quick glance at Aaron, she saw his eyes were closed and his breathing had evened out as well. Sleep had come to claim him just as it had done his sons.

Erin smiled. At least he would get some sleep tonight. She was sure there would be hurdles ahead, but they'd jump them when they came to them. Tonight, she would sleep in peace. And so would Aaron.

Or so she hoped.

Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason with which today arms you against the present. Marcus Aurelius.