The soft flicking ray licked her skin softly as she felt a small body moved beside her. He smelt so fresh. Just like his late mother. She could feel his little hands wrapped around her arm finding comfort in what little safety that little space he occupied.

The door cracked open as the whiff of burnt toast and lightly charred scrambled eggs filled the air. "Shh." Katheryn hushed her big brother softly as she placed one finger on her pale lips.

"Are you feeling alright?" Aaron's tired voice filled with concern as he sat on the foot of his sister's bed. "Did he make you stay up late?" He questioned softly. Katheryn just shook her head.

The young Hotchtner tighten his embrace slightly as Katheryn softly caressed his hair. "You are safe here with us little guy." She whispered softly, kissing his little forehead lightly. "I'm fine, big brother. You worry too much you know." She spoke softly.

Her forehead wrinkles a little as she fought back to keep her dinner from yesterday from spraying all over the little guy who was stuck to her. "You'd tell me if you are not feeling well right?" Aaron questioned his little sister. Katheryn nodded.

"Can you try not to profile me first thing in the morning big brother?" Katheryn voice strained a little as she spoke. Aaron placed his roughened hand gently on hers. "I'm fine, the headache comes and go every now and then. It's normal." She said softly. "Please don't tell him." She said quietly. "He don't need another sad story right now."

Aaron sighed. "He shouldn't have to bury another coffin anytime soon either." He retorted. Katheryn nodded. "Tia?" His voice was questioning yet the sound of it was wretched with grief. "What is it?"

Katheryn moved her body carefully not to wake the little Hotchner as she laid his head on her pillow gently. "I had to tell Spencer." She began. "He was so worried, he saw you talking with Sean, and you were different after that. I did not tell him anything about what happened to me, I never did. I told him about the cancer. He's going to be super weird and super withdrawn. That's the Spencer that I knew. You just have to keep telling him that I'll get better, I'm better." She said as she sat opposite her brother.

"Do you remember?" Aaron questioned. Katheryn wrinkled her nose at her brother. "Too early?" He questioned his sister. His touch was the gentlest it has been for a while. As if she could break if he even blink too hard.

Katheryn shook her head. "Aaron, you can't blame yourself for something that happened to me before you even know me." She said quietly. "I know you are still beating yourself up because of it. I know you would not rest until you caught the man who broke me." She said quietly. "Aaron, I'm here with you now. I'm going to be here. I will be here as long as you want. I will not let go if you are not ready."

Flashback

The first time he saw the little girl he was still a prosecutor. He followed her case from the day they took her out of her house into the child protective custody. She was four. She was only four, yet, she had endured pain that even most adults could never even imagined.

His first sight of her was a nightmare. He could not get the image of the black and blue baby lying lifeless on a stretcher bleeding from every pore she had. He had never seen some one who was so badly injured that she lost her sight and still survive.

It was not a surprise that she was afraid of a person's touch. It was not a surprise that even the softest creak would scare the life out of her. It took her a month to get food through her scarred throat. Three before she let anyone without a glove touch her. It took him almost six full months before she even began to say her first word to anyone. Her first word to him.

"It's Tia." Her first word to him. He could not remember what made her speak or what made her believe in him. "You are Hotchy right?" She questioned.

He remembered her trying to figure out where he was in the room. He also remembered her saying that it was not fear of touch that made her flinch at each touch, but it was the excruciating pain that she felt. It was from bruising her little body had endure of what four years she had inhibit them.

"Hotchy, thank you." Was her last word to him before the temporary foster parents took her away. He remembered the talkative little girl recoiled into her shell of darkness only an hour after the transfer was made.

She had Asperger Syndrome they concluded.

End Flashback

"Hey," Her voice soft. "I'm not going to break or runaway again you know." She said softly as she made her way off the bed. "I'm going to try to find a job near here, at least I could double as Jessica's companion when she have to take care of Jack when you're gone on business."

Aaron cracked a smile. "Maybe I could help with you with that." He said finally. "Or maybe, you told someone who was willing to help before telling me." He teased. He wanted to see her blush. To see some colour in her face. But none to his avail.

A glum smile was the only reply she gave. "Maybe you are being too over protective as you had been for the past few years." She suggested. "Aaron, listen." Pulling her big brother who was hovering feet off the ground back to the sound ground. "I do not know how long do I have to live, nor do I know when I will be sick again, but I know at this moment. At this very second, I have almost everything that I wanted. I have you, I have Sean. I never even dream of going to school and I received my graduation scroll with every one at my side. I cannot ask for more Aaron. I don't want to. It would not be fair."