Chapter Two

Return

Aaron Hotchner Rossi sat at his desk typing up his analysis of Hope is a Thing with Feathers for school. He heard the doorbell ring and froze for a moment. He knew this moment was coming, the moment when the Rossi family expanded even more. He forced himself to continue working as if nothing was different, but now his thoughts wandered. He loved his family. He really did. But with more people, it meant more ways that his Dad's attention had to be divided. It wasn't fair. He could recall six years ago, when he was the only child in David Rossi's care, and how much he healed over that year and the next. Then Derek came along, and Derek needed his Dad's attention more than he did. Aaron understood, besides it was cool having another kid in the house, especially another boy. But then Emily arrived and Aaron immediately resented her. She was a girl and he knew that girls took up a lot more time than Derek did and then he did. However, Aaron quickly discovered that Emily was just another guy, and she didn't even need that much attention. When Penelope came, it wasn't that big of a deal because Pen was older and stayed out with her friends a lot more. It wasn't until little Spencer came that Aaron discovered how thinly spread his father was. He didn't mind, at least that's what he told himself. Spencer was pretty messed up and needed his Dad's help.

But now, the sixteen year old could feel his blood boiling underneath his skin as he thought about all the attention Jennifer, his new four year old sister, was going to require. She was even younger than Spencer, and Spencer required a lot of attention. Not only that, but she wasn't a part of his family. She was just some kid that David decided to take under his wing.

Aaron heard the pounding of tiny feet come to a stop in front of his door. He waited a moment before there was a loud knock on his door and Aaron sighed, shutting his laptop and rolling his chair closer to the door.

"Come in." He called and the door swung open with his brother behind it.

"Aaron, come meet Jennifer! She so small and she has this big bruise in her face! And-" The six years old was about to continue but Aaron cut him off.

"I'll be down in a little bit." He promised Spencer and Spencer smiled and nodded before closing the door and running to go find what Aaron assumed were Em and Derek. Aaron sighed, knowing that he had just lied to his younger brother.

He stood up and grabbed his iPod and earphones, heading over to his bed and sitting down on it, kicking his feet up. He sighed and smashed his ear buds into his ears and turned his music up as loud as he possible could.

This was often how he dealt with things he didn't like. He ignored them. He hoped that if he ignored the four year old in his kitchen long enough she would just disappear.

Aaron peace was interrupted by someone ripping his ear buds out of his ears. He turned to see Penelope glaring at him as if he had just murdered five people. "What?" He questioned annoyed and she just shook her head.

"Are you really going to be this way Aaron?' She asked him disgusted and he scoffed.

"I don't know what you're talking about Penelope." He told her and shut his eyes, about to put his ear buds back in.

Penelope was faster though. She grabbed the entire iPod from his hands and he shot up, his eyes open. "Hey!" He protested, reaching for the device. "That's mine!"

Penelope nodded. "Yes. It is yours, and after we talk about your attitude you can have it back." She told him and he crossed his arms, appearing much younger than sixteen at the moment.

"You're not the boss of me." He told her and she sighed.

"You're right, I'm not. But I am the oldest, there for in charge." She agreed, but also countering what he said.

Aaron scoffed. "I'm sixteen Penelope, that doesn't work on me." He stood up and went back over to his desk, opening up his laptop.

"Aaron." Penelope said softly. "I know what this is about." She informed him and his eyes snapped back to her.

"No you don't. You can't. No one does." He told her harshly and she shook her head, moving closer to him.

"I saw it when Spencer first got here. And I felt it when I got here. Aaron, Uncle Dave has enough room in his heart for all of us. I promise you JJ's not going to take any of Dave's love away from you."

"She younger." He told her simply. "She needs more attention. She's new and she comes from an abusive home. You think I don't know what that means? It means that JJ needs to be taken care of. It means that she needs more love than the rest of us."

"Aaron that's not true. You know what it means? It means that we are going to welcome a little girl who has no one into our family."

Aaron turned his attention away from his older sister. "Whatever." He mumbled and Penelope sighed, handing him back his iPod.

"She's needs your help Aaron, but if you can't do that, stay away from her. The last thing she needs is you rejecting her."

With that said, Penelope walked out of her younger brother's room and shut the door. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. She walked downstairs and into the family room where Emily sat with Spencer and JJ.

"I'm going out Emily. Tell Dave not to wait up." Penelope informed the thirteen year old and Emily jumped to her feet.

"You're not supposed to leave the house Pen." Emily said seriously and Penelope glared at her.

"You don't know what you're talking about Em." Penelope snapped and Emily stood her ground.

"Yes, I do. And I know what you're going to do."

"Just shut up and mind your own damn business Emily!" Penelope yelled causing JJ to shrink back in terror. She grumbled something else before grabbing the car keys and slamming the back door. Emily thought about going after her, but quickly decided against seeing as she had to watch a four and a six year old and Aaron would be of no help.

Emily walked over to the door that led into the basement. "Derek!" She called down and got an annoyed 'What?' from the twelve year old. "I need your help! Get up here!" Emily could hear him grumbling but choose to ignore it and watched as Derek walked up the steps and into the family room.

"I need you to watch JJ and Spencer for me while I make dinner." She told him and he rolled his eyes.

"Why can't Penelope do it?" He asked and she bit back a snappy remark.

"Because Penelope went out." She told him and his eyes widened.

"But she's not allowed to go out. Dad said so."

"I know that, but how did you want me to stop her?" She questioned and Derek remained silent. "Exactly. Now will you just watch JJ and Spencer?"

"Fine." He grumbled and watched as she exited into the kitchen. He took a seat in the family room and reached for the remote when he noticed how JJ was clumsily trying to follow Emily into the kitchen. He sighed and stood up, walking over to her and swinging her up, immediately noticing how she froze. He pulled her out so he could see her and noticed how her face had gone white and how her breathing had increased in speed.

"JJ?" He asked and her lip trembled. His reluctance to be there was forgotten as he took a seat in the family room with JJ in his lap. "JJ, girl, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. You have to stay in this room though, okay?" He told her and noticed how she was still tensed up. He set her down and she backed up slowly until she was standing next to Spencer, who was currently working on something in his composition notebook.

Derek sighed and picked up the remote to the TV. He flicked it on and the room was filled with sound. Derek didn't watch the TV though; instead he was engrossed with watching JJ out of the corner of his eye. He saw her quietly watching him as she picked up some blocks and put them in some sort of tower. He could feel a headache coming on as he thought of how much work this little girl was going to need. It wasn't that he didn't want her here. No. It was just that he could see how messed up she was. In the time that she had been there, the girl had said not one word. Derek recalled how Penelope said that she wouldn't talk, but he thought she was just kidding. He had never met a kid that didn't say anything. Heck, Spencer never shut up.

Derek stood up and shut off the TV, watching as JJ slid slightly more behind Spencer, who she seemed more comfortable with. He watched her for one more second before turning to enter the large kitchen of the Rossi household.

"Em, what's JJ's story?" He asked and winced when Emily dropped the box in her hand. He had forgotten how easy it was to sneak up on her. "Sorry." He apologized and bent down to help her pick up the rice on the floor.

"It's fine." She sighed, also picking up little grains of rice. "I don't know really. Pen just told me she came from an abusive home. I think she has a brother."

Derek raised an eyebrow. "Really? I've never heard of them separating siblings." He commented.

"Yeah, well apparently the brother didn't want anything to do with her." Emily said with little emotion in her voice, but Derek had known her long enough to know that she was upset.

"Em." He said gently causing her head to snap up and meet his eyes. He could see the painful emotion in them. "It's okay."

She shook her head disgusted. "How could he give up the only family he has? How can he abandon that terrified little girl? How could he leave her all alone?" She spit out, almost as if it was a bad word.

"Hey. She's not alone Emily. She has us." Derek told her and Emily nodded, seeming to have calm down a little bit more.

"I know. You're right." She sighed, but Derek could see the hurt in her eyes still.

AN: Please Review!(: