Howdy m'lovelies!

JuliaBC: I like that you quote the things you like! I'm still not revealing what the voicemail was yet but no, he doesn't know what was on it. I've decided I have more plans for Beth, the lying thing will come up again later so stay tuned mwahaha. Don't fret! It'll all be okay, sometimes. I am taking it slowly (with them). I hope this chapter isn't so sudden, I'm trying to allude y'all into assuming that time has passed and not writing about every second of every day. If it's not working, let me know :3 thanks for reviewing!

hoove-print-on-your-heart: I suppose she isn't and I agree, I don't think she's right with Aaron either, not as right as Sera anyway *smirks* I like Jessica too! I hope you enjoy this next chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

silentmayhem: Penelope rocks! I know right? I admit that I was like 'aw this is so cute' when I was writing his internal desperation over Sera. Unfortunately, the man is going to have to suffer for a while, he'll live though. I can however lock them in a room together if you really want it, it won't however lessen any of his sexual frustration mwahaha. Aw, too kind, too kind! Yayyy, bye bye Beth (See you later). Thanks for reviewing!

Guest: Oh okay, I didn't know that! Thanks for telling me :3 and thanks for reviewing!

(I have no idea if you're the same 'guest' as above so I'll just reply to the review separately) Guest: I liked that sentence too, I imagine him to be very sarcastic, I don't know why. Alex is great, I agree! Thanks for reviewing!

Daisy Vibe: It is! I wrote the majority in Aaron's point of view and then deleted it, I didn't think it was any good but I can try again if you would like to read the 'full argument' between him and Beth. Eesh, working all day sounds sucky! Aw, I'm so glad you like it that much! It was different, I don't think I'll do it often though. I have too much to reveal from Sera's point of view. Well, I should have been writing my essay this morning but I had too much motivation to do this instead (Bad LF-03 *swats self*). Thanks for reviewing!

I don't own Criminal Minds (hope you enjoy!)

Honey Blonde Curls

Chapter ten – Voicemails:

Sera bit her nails as she made her way down the corridor, glancing at the back of her hand every once in a while at the door number so she didn't go to the wrong apartment. She realised she was close so she took a few deep breaths and continued towards the door, the closer she got, the louder the raised voices got. She stopped a few steps away from the door and listened.

'She doesn't even like you, how am I supposed to compete with that?'

'This isn't about Sera!'

'Of course this is about Sera!'

'This is about you-'

'Bullshit!'

Sera stepped back, guilt gnawing away. She knew the voicemail had been unacceptable but it had been days, she didn't think it would cause so much distress between the two of them. She should do something, or clear it up with Beth but she was embarrassed and didn't want to get herself messed up in their business any more than she had. She knew Agent Hotchner would sort it out, she hoped. She turned away and had gotten a few steps down the corridor when Aaron's door opened and she stopped, she turned back to see Beth glaring at her in the doorway. Her face red and tearstained, her bag and coat in her arms. She pulled the door shut behind her and Sera waited for her to get closer, forming an apology on the tip of her tongue but she didn't get to speak because a fist to the nose had her staggering backwards.

She groaned in pain and pinched her nose as it gushed blood down her face and onto her grey flannel shirt. 'It was just a damn voicemail,' she shouted angrily after the brunette. Forgetting about her apology.

'Try telling Aaron that!'

Sera rolled her eyes and leaned back against the wall, her face to the ceiling as she spluttered and wrenched, hating the taste of blood. She heard a door opened and hoped to God it was Agent Hotchner's, she could really do with a tissue or something. 'Sera? What happened?'

'I just got my ass handed to me,' she replied, smiling and then spluttering out the blood in her mouth. 'Ew.'

'Come inside, I'll get you some tissues,' he said, she awkwardly navigated towards the open door while keeping her head up. Aaron reached out and took her arm, tugging her inside and guiding her to the sofa. He shut the door and took in the sight of a bloody-faced Sera, concerned but slightly amused at her attempts to breathe through her mouth but not get blood in it. He went to the kitchen draw and took out a box of tissues, walking back to her and handing her a few.

'Thanks,' she said nasally. 'I'm really sorry about the voicemail but that was just rude,' she added, spitting the blood out into the tissues and ripping small bits off to put up her nose. Aaron didn't know what to say, he wanted to ask how much she'd heard but feared what the answer might be.

'I'm sorry,' he simply said.

'It's fine,' she sighed, 'but if anyone asks on Monday, I won the fight and there was three of them.' Aaron chuckled and went back to the kitchen to get some frozen peas for her. He looked up when he heard the door to Jack's room open and Jessica emerged with Jack on her hip.

'Is it okay to come out?' She asked, forcing a small smile. Then she looked over at the stranger on the sofa and gave Aaron a confused glance.

'Sera,' Jack grinned, wriggling to be down. Jessica put him on his feet and he ran over to the sofa, jumping up and eagerly hugging her.

'Hey bud,' she said, trying to hug him back gently.

'Why are you sitting like that?'

'I was in a fight with three really big men,' she replied, Jack obviously believing her despite her joke. Aaron rolled his eyes as he made his way back towards his son and their favourite pancake maker. He handed the peas over and manoeuvred Jack so he was sitting on his knee. Jessica sauntered towards the three of them and took the armchair, glancing between them all with curiosity and concern.

'She walked into a door,' Aaron told Jack, he giggled.

'Silly Sera,' he said.

'Silly Sera indeed,' she agreed in a murmur.

'Are you here to make pancakes? Or we can play with my super heroes,' Jack said.

'We're going out for lunch if you'd like to come,' Jessica added. Aaron glanced at her curiously, she shrugged back.

'Yeah, we can get fish fingers,' Jack grinned, Sera lowered the tissues with a smile. Jack giggled at her face covered in patches of dried blood.

'I'll go get some wipes,' Jessica said, she got up and went to the bathroom.

'You're coming right?'

'I can't bud,' Sera frowned, 'I have a lunch date with a very persistent woman who will no doubt hold my computer ransom if I'm late.' Aaron smirked at that, Penelope had the means to but he doubted she would go as far as that, or perhaps she would. Jack pouted so she pouted back.

'Perhaps she should come to the park on Saturday, what do you think Jack?' Jessica asked, returning with face wipes. She handed them over to Sera and took her seat. Sera wiped her face down, glad she hadn't bothered with make-up today.

'Yeah,' Jack grinned. 'You have to come to the park. We're going to feed the birds and have ice cream.' Aaron narrowed his eyes at Jessica in question and she smiled, miming wiping drool from her chin. He pretended he hadn't see it and waited for Sera to respond.

'Sure,' she said eventually, getting the creases of her nose clean. 'I like ice cream.'

'Me too! What's your favourite?'

'Chocolate,' she grinned.

'I like chocolate too!'

'Really?' She asked, dramatically aghast. Jack nodded.

'Your chin,' Aaron told her, she looked up at him blankly. He grinned and pointed to his own chin, she felt it and realised what he was talking about. She cleaned it thoroughly; leaving a red mark. 'So…are you returning to work?' He asked, unsure if Penelope had mentioned it already.

'I am, simply because Penelope threatened to hack my phone and delete my high score on flappy bird,' she said, Aaron had no idea what that was but smiled anyway. He would handle it better, he knew he would. She and Spencer were hardly speaking anymore and she didn't hate him anymore, or hate being around him. If he kept Spencer busy, then he could talk to her on her breaks or invite her for coffee. He scoffed at that, Sera raised her eyebrows in curiosity. He shook his head, dismissing it. 'You're not allowed to fire me again though, I've been practicing my techniques of tripping people over,' she said, amused.

'I assure you it won't ever happen again,' he promised, Jessica was officially confused.

'Better not, or I'll have to take your son hostage and give him a fringe cut,' she stuck her tongue out at Jack who responded the same way. She brushed his fringe out of his eyes and he grinned, pushing it back so she did it again.

'He's going for the boyband look,' Jessica said, Sera smirked.

'Are you going to be a rock star?' She asked, Jack shook his head. 'What are you going to be?'

'A super hero like Daddy,' he replied. 'What are you going to be?' He asked, Sera and Jessica laughed.

'I'm going to be an evil mastermind and take over the world with robots,' she told him. Jack shook his head.

'I won't let you.'

'That's not very nice,' she said, frowning.

'Sorry,' he said, patting her arm. 'You can be my sidekick,' he told her.

'Can I? Aw, thanks Jack.'

'That's okay,' he smiled.

'Anyway, I best be going, I don't want to be late,' she said, Jack whined and climbed onto her knee.

'Not yet,' he said.

'She has somewhere to be, Jack,' Jessica said.

'Can I come?' He asked. Aaron found it fascinating how well Jack had taken to Sera, he knew she was beautiful and intelligent and exceedingly modest but he wondered what Jack saw in her. She was incredibly kind to him, she treated him like an equal he supposed. Perhaps she had maternal instincts built in, did she want her own children?

'It would be awfully boring,' she said, running her hands through his honey blonde hair, she noticed it was a few shades darker than her own and would no doubt darken as he got older. He had Aaron's eyes, she smiled.

'I don't care.'

'I'll see you on Saturday,' she reminded him.

'Okay,' he said sadly.

'Sorry,' she said.

'It's okay.'

'Come on,' Aaron said, lifting him off of her and setting him down on his feet. Sera stood and Jack hugged her side before allowing his Aunt to take him back to his room to play. Aaron let her lead, following behind her to the door.

'Well, this was eventful,' she joked, opening the door.

'I'm sorry about Beth,' he said.

'I deserved it,' she smirked. 'I should be the one apologising anyway, it's officially been decided that I won't take my phone out with me when I drink.'

'It's a means of safety, you shouldn't leave it at home,' he told her.

'I guess I'll just have to stop going out then,' she replied, turning to him with a grin.

'If it makes you feel any better, I didn't hear it,' he told her.

'Really?' She asked, shocked. He shook his head, 'There is a God.' He chuckled at her relieved face.

'I'll see you on Monday.'

'Yep,' she nodded, she waved awkwardly and made her way back down the hall, bloody face wipe still being used to get the dried blood from under her fingernails.

HBC

Her lungs burned as if melted iron had been poured down her airwaves. They seized but her chest still jerked in spasm, her hands scratched at her Father's leaving little red marks. Water rolled over the sides of the bathtub as she kicked for her life; trying to squirm free of his grasp on her forehead and chest, holding her under the water. Her eyes burned as she opened and shut them, blurred outlines of his face and the bright yellow bathroom light were the only things she saw before her lungs filled with soapy water and her body gave out.

Sera sat up in bed, clutching her chest and coughing. She took a few minutes to breathe deeply, savouring the air in her lungs before she fell back down onto her pillow. Captain Jack was sprawled out on the pillow next to her, used to the nightly disturbance. He yawned and pawed at her arm a few times, she rolled him over so he couldn't reach and wiped the sweat from her forehead, her pulse still beating loudly in her ears.

She didn't fall back asleep despite trying her hardest, forcing happy thoughts to come to her mind was as hard as it usually was. She got up around 5am and took a long hot shower, flashbacks coming and going as the water passed over her lips. She dried and straightened her hair, putting it up into a high pony tail and applying grey eye-shadow and black mascara. She looked exhausted, the bags under her eyes were so black her concealer barely softened it. She used face powder over the top of it and supposed it was the best she could do. She filled Captain Jack's food bowl and made some coffee, it was still dark outside and part of her wished it wasn't Monday because she would probably need a nap just after lunch. Stupid nightmares.

Sera arrived at work early, she wore a white blouse and black pencil skirt that she hoped was long enough for work. Her fatigue couldn't cope with the effort of high heels so she opted for black and purple dolly shoes. It felt odd for her to park outside the FBI building now but she pushed the nerves down, hopefully the team wouldn't make it awkward. Penelope had given her back her credentials on Saturday so she didn't have to wait at reception. The elevator doors opened to the familiar site of glass doors leading into the bullpen. She saw Derek and Spencer sitting at their desks as she walked through.

'Look who's back,' Derek said, giving her a grin. 'Took your time.'

'Sorry,' he smirked, 'car troubles.' He laughed and stood to give her a gentle hug.

'My baby girl will be thrilled now you're back, she gets real mopey when her chicks try to fly the nest,' he said.

'Especially when they try to fly prematurely,' Penelope said, emerging from behind and giving Sera a tight hug.

'Hey Spence,' Sera said to her nerdy friend who was busy doing work already. Spencer didn't reply. Sera glanced questionably at Derek and he shrugged, giving her a sympathetic look.

'Come along, chick. Let's get you settled, Mommy has missed you tons,' Penelope said, taking her by the arm. Sera smiled at her and complied, worrying about Spencer. She hoped he wasn't too annoyed with her, she knew ignoring him was cruel but she didn't know what to say to him. He barely wanted to see her anymore and then he started asking questions about her childhood, he got awfully irritated when she didn't tell him the answers. There was nothing he needed to know.

Getting back into it was difficult for her that morning, she had forgotten how to use some of the programs and her mind was jumping from paperwork to phone calls to Spencer and Agent Hotchner's attempt at small talk when she was getting a cup of tea. It was better than him being rude to her but Emily had said it was big deal and she couldn't grasp why. Perhaps he wanted to make up to her for taking her job away but she was ready to move past it, surely he was too? Maybe he wanted to be friend; now that was a big deal she couldn't grasp.

'What are you smiling at?' Penelope asked her, Sera immediately pursed her lips and shook her head in dismissal.

What'd you think? Reviews, pretty please! *shakes bag of cookies*