A/N- I'll try to keep this short and sweet. I am so sorry about the delay in update. Life sadly got in the way. I'm going to try and keep up with regular updates again, but due to life the universe and everything that may not happen.
As always, thanks for reading, commenting, liking etc. I hope you continue to enjoy my work.
It had taken Hotch less than 20 minutes to get from work to Katy's apartment. He immediately noticed that her car was there. It was the first time he had seen her since she had first been kidnapped, back then he'd driven the damaged car to headquarters. It also made it a lot more likely that Katy was still in the building.
Hesitating He thought back over the conversation he'd had with JJ earlier in the day. He wasn't sure he agreed with JJ's suggestion to leave Katy alone for a while, even if it had been at Katy's request. Usually in matters dealing with the female members of his team he trusted JJ to be the one to deal with the situation, but this time he felt that he needed to intervene.
Yet, now that he was outside Katy's, he was starting to wonder if maybe he should have left it a little bit longer. He had seen how she reacted the other day, and frankly if JJ's description of how Katy reacted at the doctors that morning was anything to go by, he knew that right now the last thing Katy needed was to have people around her.
But then, he thought as he stepped out of the car, that argument worked the other way too, it was times like this that you shouldn't be left alone.
Locking his car, he walked briskly towards the main entrance. He paused, suddenly realising that the code to the building may have recently changed due to what had happened to Katy earlier in the year. Before he had chance to think about what he was going to do if Katy refused him access an elderly lady walked up towards the door, she smiled up at him. 'Can I help you?'
Hotch smiled at her. 'Yes, Ma'am, I'm a work colleague of Miss Chilcot's and...'
'And you were wondering if you could come in to see her?' she cut across him. 'She was in a while ago, I saw one of her friends drop her off just as I was leaving, I live below her by the way.' She unlocked the door. 'Come in, come in. I'm sure no one would mind me letting you into the building.'
He stepped inside. 'Thank you.'
Following her down the corridor the lady continued to speak. 'Not a problem. But can you pass on a message to her from me?' Hotch nodded. 'Tell her she owes me cake, and a visit, it has been way too long. I've missed her.'
'Of course I'll tell her.' Hotch said as he headed towards the stairs. 'Thank you for your help.' The lady smiled up at him before turning and walking towards her door.
Reaching the third floor of the complex Hotch strode towards Katy's door. He knocked gently on the door and waited for a response. After half a minute he knocked again, only louder. Again there was no immediate response, but he heard some movement inside. 'Chilcot? It's me.' He heard a noise from inside and continued. 'I know JJ said you didn't want anyone to come round, but we need to discuss something.'
As he stopped speaking the noise from inside the apartment became louder and he quickly realised that Katy was sobbing. 'Katy? Can you hear me?' He pulled the key out of his pocket and hesitated, it was quickly becoming obvious that no response was coming. He lifted his hand and placed the key in the door before. 'Is everything alright in there?' Again he received no response 'Katy I'm coming in.' He opened the door and stepped inside.
Only after he closed the door and turned fully into the room did he notice that the young agent was curled up on the floor with the scan pictures next to her. Katy hadn't noticed he had arrived. He placed a hand on her shoulder causing her to jump. She looked up at him before throwing her arms around his neck and sobbing. Awkwardly Hotch sat down on the floor next to her and allowed her to cry into him.
Slowly the sobs calmed down although it was another five minutes before Katy finally broke the silence. 'I'm sorry Hotch.' She whispered.
Hotch looked down at her. 'It's ok.'
'What are you doing here anyway?' she said as she pulled away from him and sat up, leaning against the sofa.
Looking around the room he looked for a box of tissues, finding some on her coffee table he handed them to her. 'I need to talk to you about something.'
Katy suddenly looked at him fearful and alert. 'You told Strauss?'
Shaking his head he replied. 'No, not yet no. It's about your history.'
'You told the team?' She looked hurt.
'No Katy, I didn't, don't worry. But I still think you should, they would understand.'
Tears welled up in her eyes again. 'Please Hotch, I can't deal with that on top of it all right now.'
He didn't respond straight away, instead he looked at her for a long time before suddenly standing up. 'Do you want a cup of tea?' he strode towards the kitchen not even waiting for a response.
Katy pulled herself up onto her sofa and smiled sadly. 'That is such a British solution Aaron Hotchner.'
Hotch brought the tea back into the room he handed her a cup. 'I won't take up too much more of your time, JJ said you wanted to be left alone.'
'I did say that, but maybe it wasn't the most sensible idea right now.' She sipped from the cup. 'But I just need time to deal with this by myself Hotch.' She looked down at her mug and pulled her legs up onto the sofa beside her. 'Its never going to be an easy decision, but knowing where the child comes from.' She wiped at a tear that had suddenly fallen. 'well that is going to be the hardest part…' she trailed off staring off into the middle distance.
Hotch sat silently watched the young agent drink her tea. She was dealing with this all slightly better than he had anticipated, but it was still frustrating him that she was resisting telling the rest of the team everything. She should know by now that she could trust them all with the truth. As he placed his cup on the coffee table he felt Katy looking at him. He glanced at her, she was looking him dead in the eyes. 'Hotch, go home to Jack, he needs you.'
Standing up he spoke again. 'You know where I am if you need anything. Let me know when you are coming back to work ok?' She nodded, he turned towards the door. 'See you soon. Chilcot.'
'Aaron.' Hotch stopped, Katy hadn't used his first name since the day they had saved her from James. He turned to face her. 'Thank you.' She smiled up at him.
He smiled at her and started to turn, before he remembered the message he had been asked to deliver. 'Oh, by the way. Your neighbour downstairs says you owe her cake.' Katy smiled sadly as she nodded at him before turning and closing the door.
Erin Strauss was surprised to see Agent Hotchners's car outside Chilcot's apartment complex, she hadn't really expected that Hotch would have gone over to Chilcot's immediately after work when his job had been keeping him away from Jack so much recently. She knew how much Hotch treasured his time with the young boy, especially after the death of Haley.
Luckily she had bought a new car recently so she would not be recognised by the agent as she sat outside the complex to wait for Aaron to leave. She couldn't help but notice how distracted Hotch looked as he left the building and walked to his car. She suspected she knew why, even though no one had told her exactly what was going on with the youngest agent on his team she had her suspicions as to what was going on. It didn't take a genius to figure it out after all.
Once she was sure that Hotch wasn't going to be coming back, she got out of the car and was quick to make the journey into the complex and up to Chilcot's apartment door. Once there she knocked briskly on the door.
Strauss could hear Chilcot walking towards the door, she'd started speaking as she got nearer. 'Hotch, go home to Jack, l'm... Oh' Chilcot stood staring at the woman in front of her. 'Chief Strauss?'
'Might I come in Chilcot?' Silently Katy nodded and stepped aside to let her section chief in. Strauss stood just inside the door waiting for Katy to close the door behind her. 'I take it from your outburst that Agent Hotchner was here earlier?' She enquired, even though she knew full well that he had left just five minutes ago.
Katy, who was obviously still stunned by this visit, led Strauss into her living room as she replied. 'Yes, he was.' Gesturing to the couch she continued speaking. 'Can I interest you in a coffee ma'am?'
Settling into the sofa Strauss replied. 'Yes please. You know how I like it don't you?'
'Of course.' Katy said as she walked over to the kitchen.
Strauss looked around the room whilst Katy prepared her drink. Since her last visit it was obvious that Katy had made herself much more at home, but then the last time she had visited was Katy's first day at work. Looking at the coffee table, she saw that her suspicions had been correct about the young agent, she covered the evidence as she heard the younger agent start to walk back into the room.
A mug was held out in front of her. 'Thank you Katy.' She said as she took it the cup off her.
Chilcot had sat down opposite the older woman, she stared at her for a few seconds before she put down her cup and addressed her. 'Ma'am, why are you here?'
Gently Erin put her own cup down on the table in front of her and turned to face Katy directly. 'I'll ask you outright. When is it due?'
Erin kept her face blank as she watched Katy's facial expressions, she'd noticed the shock before Katy managed to control her micro expressions. 'Excuse me?'
Not moving Erin responded. 'You heard me Chilcot.'
Katy seemed to be assessing Erin, debating if she could get away with denying the truth, but the more that she thought about it the more she realised it would all come out eventually. 'How did you know?' A hand went instinctively to her stomach. Strauss deliberately looked Katy in the eye before speaking.
'Does it really matter how I know?' Erin asked plainly.
There was a long pause before Katy actually responded to her. 'I'm 14 weeks.' she looked away from Strauss, staring at her fingers instead.
Erin picked up her cup before she continued speaking. 'So it is…' Katy nodded and turned away, Erin sensed that this topic was still too raw for Katy to discuss. 'Look Chilcot, I am perfectly aware that I am not the person you want to talk to, and I know you might not want to hear this, but you don't have long. I want you back at work next week ok? And come see me when you know what you are going to do. We will take things from there.'
The young agent nodded at Strauss. Obviously stunned at her kindness. Strauss knew she had a reputation for being a bit of a bitch, but to be in the position she was in at work she needed to come across that way. Eventually Katy nodded warily. 'Of course.'
Strauss drained her cup and stood up. 'Well agent Chilcot, I have taken up too much of your time. Thank you for the coffee. I'll see you next week. Come and see me before you return to work ok?' She didn't even bother to see the young agents reaction as she walked out of the apartment.
