A/N: It's been a while, eh? I've been B-U-S-Y! Sorry about the delay, but I finally finished it! It's been a real whirlwind of a writing schedule for me, but I'm glad that it's done! Now I can focus on my Wattpad story and my other fanfiction, Throne of Shadows (it's for Fable III, which is a game I doubt any of you have played). Anyways, please enjoy! I'd tell you to stay tuned for the next part, but this is it!

PART 10: The Healing, Part 2

"Bad things can happen, and often do-but they only take up a few pages of your story; and anyone can survive a few pages."

~James A. Owen

That night, Hotch drove through a terrible thunderstorm to get home and unwind. It was to be a fun evening, because Jack was coming over for a sleepover. The house had been cleaned, and he'd bought junk food to feed Jack (of course, he hadn't told Jessica about what they were going to be eating, because she'd go on a rant about Jack's physical health). He was just coming down the stairs after changing into jeans and a t-shirt when the doorbell rang. Aaron glanced at the clock. Jack was supposed to be coming much later. Who would be coming to his house during a downpour?

He opened the door and found himself facing Agent Davis. She didn't have an umbrella, so her hair was plastered to her face and her clothes were dark from rainwater.

"I think I need to talk," she admitted after a thunderclap, giving her voice the illusion of a mouse squeak following a lion's roar.

Kathleen was once again wearing Jessica's old clothes when she came downstairs from blow-drying her hair. She wound up on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her, a warm mug of coffee in her right hand. Hotchner sat next to her and listened to Kathleen talk on and on about her feelings. There were moments when her face grew red in anger or embarrassment, but others when tears dripped into her steaming coffee. Hotch never interrupted her story; he listened intently, drinking in every word and syllable and consonant. When Kathleen's emotions overpowered her ability to speak, Hotchner patted her back reassuringly.

After an hour, he'd listened to the entire story, hearing parts that Kathleen had previously omitted. They sat quietly; the clock chimed eight in the background, and thunder clapped.

"It takes a lot of strength to tell someone all of that," Hotchner told his coworker.

"A lot of pain and emotion, too," Kathleen sighed.

Hotch glanced her over. "How do you feel now?"

"I feel… like the sand that burned my throat is starting to funnel out; I feel like a fifty-pound weight was taken from my shoulders. I feel…"

"Free?" Hotch guessed.

Kathleen drank a bit of coffee. "Yeah, something like that."

The doorbell rang for the second time that evening, causing the two of them to jump. Kathleen asked who it was.

Hotch smiled in response. "Oh, you'll see."

She followed him to the door and saw that the two people there were both excited and surprised to see her.

"Katty!" Jack launched himself from Jessica's side to hug Kathleen's legs. "You're here!"

Agent Davis ruffled Jack's blonde hair. "You're here, too! I didn't know you two were coming—I wouldn't have intruded if I'd been aware." She saw Hotch grin in her peripheral vision.

"I'm dropping off Jack for a sleepover," Jessica explained. "But if tonight isn't a good night…"

"What? Oh, no, it's fine," Hotch assured her. "Thanks for bringing him; I'm glad that we're getting to spend more time together,"

"Jack's glad, too," Jessica motioned to the excited young boy.

Hotch put his arm around Jack. "Say goodbye to Jessie, Jack,"

"Bye, Aunt Jessie!" Jack waved. Jessica wiggled her fingers back at him and put her umbrella back up before heading out to her car.

The door shut, and Jack bounced around the house like a pinball. "We should build a fort!"

Kathleen and Hotch exchanged an amused expression. Aaron instructed Kathleen to help build the fort while he got snacks for the group. As soon as he'd entered the kitchen, Kathleen managed to calm Jack down and bring him over to the couch to construct their fort. They were stacking up the couch cushions when Jack said, "I'm so happy that I can be with you and Daddy! Are you going to marry him?"

Kathleen laughed at his question. "Your dad is a bit old for me, Jack; you know, I think you're the happiest, most bubbly person I know."

"I don't like being sad," Jack told her. "It's not fun."

"You're right about that," Kathleen said as she spread a blanket over top of the cushions.

Jack's round eyes suddenly looked up at Kathleen. "Why do bad things happen to make us sad?"

Kathleen stared back at him, unable to form the words needed to respond to his question. She examined Jack's bright eyes, his light hair, his innocent face, and pure curiosity… did everyone in the world begin like him? So unaware, precious, and young? Even serial killers? Terrorists? Zeke?

"Well," she began, "I guess bad things happen because… they serve as a reminder. It's like life reminding us that happiness is a gift that comes at a great cost. I mean, happiness wouldn't exist if sadness didn't. I suppose that means that bad things happen to make us happier, rather than sadder. Most of the time, we just focus on the sadness instead of moving on to the happiness. I mean, maybe bad things aren't so bad after all."

She watched as Jack carefully thought over her words. He finally nodded, as if to silently agree with what she'd said. When Kathleen turned around to grab the pillows off of the couch, she saw Hotchner standing in the doorway of the kitchen, food cradled in his arms. He smiled at Kathleen and did the same nod as Jack just had.

And Kathleen smiled, too.