Fatherless

Chapter 10:

A/N

Hello everyone again:

I am sooooo very sorry it has been such a long time since I have updated any of my stories. First, I had my graduation, and it was a hell of a ride with my finals then I had so much anxiety coming at the end of the semester that it was almost impossible for me to finish any of my stories and focus on graduating. Then, I went on a short vacation to Florida with my family, and I do have to tell you I had the awesome pleasure of meeting our amazing friend and editor, SouthunLady. Too often, online friends never get to meet, but we did and it was amazing for both of us. Without her, these stories would not be possible, and I cannot express how grateful I am for her friendship over the past two years. Meeting her has definitely been a blessing because I never imagined I would ever meet her in person, but I finally did in May...that was a little graduation present as well.

Anyway, after that, I got very sick and it's been very difficult for me to focus enough to write, or even to focus on many things in my daily life...so, I do apologize to you, my faithful readers, for not posting sooner. I'm still feeling a little ill, so it may take me longer to post chapters, but I will try harder to finish these stories sooner, and I do appreciate your patience.

Here we go again..

Chapter 10: More Than Just a Conversation.

"It hurts too much...do something..." Emily shouted at Dave while they rode the ambulance that was taking them to the hospital.

"Emily, you need to calm down...Bella...they're trying to do everything they can." Dave said, squeezing her hand gently.

"Her blood pressure is dropping." One of the paramedics said, as he tried to check her pulse and adjusted the IV bag he had placed on her hand.

"Okay, we're almost there, just keep her stable." The EMT driver responded.

"Please...please...I don't want to lose my baby." Emily cried, as another contraction hit her body.

"Ma'am, calm down, your baby is fine. We need you to relax...just breathe and relax." He said, placing the oxygen mask on Emily's face again, knowing the situation was not looking okay, and that they needed to rush her to surgery now.

"Emily, honey, try to calm down, please, I'm here with you." Dave said soothingly to her. He knew very well the doctors were worried about her, and hell, he was worried about her, too.

"I can't lose him, Dave, I just can't." She said, with tears pouring down her beautiful eyes..

"You're not going to, sweetie, I promise you...just calm down."

Meanwhile, Aaron was parking in the driveway of the two-story home of his parents; he killed the engine and got out of his car, knocking on the wood door. An older lady opened the door with a surprised look on her face, but immediately smiled at him.

"Oh my God! Aaron Honey." She said, pulling him into her arms for a hug.

"Hello mom." He said, walking into the house.

"This is a surprise! What are you doing here?" Natalie asked.

"Uh, I was just in the neighborhood, so I wanted to stop by and say hi." He quickly lied.

"Oh, honey, you should stay for dinner, your father will be so happy." His mother said, again pulling him in for another hug.

"That would be nice." Aaron responded, as he followed her into the kitchen.

"Michael, look what the wind blew in." She said playfully...a few minutes later the older man came into the kitchen.

"This sure is a surprise, Agent Hotchner." He pulled him in for a hug.

"I know, dad, sorry I've been busy, you know how the BAU keeps me busy." His father, however, didn't fail to notice the purple bruising on his eye.

"I suppose an unsub did that you?" He pointed out, laughing.

"Yeah, something like that." Aaron knew his mother had noticed the eye, too, but had chosen not to say anything about it, and it was something he really appreciated. He loved that about his mother, she really knew when he needed space and when to never bother him.

They had dinner together and talked; it was really nice for him, it had been a very long time since he had spent time with his family like that. Probably before the divorce from Haley, and it was so nice, it really got his mind away from everything and it was just what he needed. After dinner, his father offered him a beer, and they both headed for the garage while his mother took care of clearing the dishes. As they walked into the garage, Aaron smiled...it was exactly how he remembered it when he was a child. His father liked to work on wood, it was a hobby of his, so the garage was always covered in wood chips and tools of some sort and some piece of furniture that he was working on. Aaron took a seat on one of the chairs and his father handed him a beer.

"So, where is Sean?"

"God knows, New York somewhere, I don't really know...somewhere messing up his life." His father responded, picking up the sandpaper. Aaron just laughed shaking his head.

"So, why are you really here." His father asked, eyeing him.

"What do you mean?" Aaron asked

"Don't play stupid, Aaron, either you got in a fight, or you are running away from the cops, so, why are you here?" He asked again, more firmly.

So, I can't come and visit my parents?" Aaron asked, offended.

"On a Friday afternoon with a black eye? I really doubt it, did you got fired?" His father asked, softening his tone and sitting down next to him.

"No." Aaron said, looking down at the garage floor.

"Okay, so it's nothing I should be that worried about, you didn't killed anyone, so, let me guess...what is her name?" Aaron sighed, and finished all of his beer, looking at his father

"Emily."

"Emily? Wait, isn't Emily one of your agents? His father questioned and Aaron nodded.

"Oh boy, okay, I guess we're going to need more than just beer, let me get the bottle." His father reached into one of the cabinets and pulled out a bottle of whisky and served two glasses

"So you...what happened between you and her?" His father asked after the third glass of whiskey.

"You're in love with her, aren't you?"

"I am, but it's not that easy, she's my subordinate, and there are rule and regulations." He said sternly.

"Oh, bullshit." His father responded, sipping on his whisky.

"She's pregnant." Aaron said suddenly.

"What!?"

Aaron didn't respond, he just kept looking down at the garage floor.

"What are you going to do Aaron, you can't just walk out on her! I won't allow you to."

"I don't understand, if you love her, why is it a bad thing that she's pregnant...shouldn't you be happy?" His father asked, confused.

"Goddamit, Aaron, please don't tell me you did what I think you did, because I swear, if you did, I'll put another black eye on your face!" His father shouted angrily.

"I want to be with her dad, I have tried, but she won't allow me near her, she won't even speak to me." Aaron said, defeated.

"What happened, and how far along is she?

"She should be almost nine months now." Aaron replied.

"Jesus Christ, Aaron! Nine months! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Remember Sean's party?"' Aaron asked.

"You were with her that evening, I remember now...she came with you the party."

"Yeah, we kind of broke up that night, she wasn't pleased I introduced her as a friend."

"I wouldn't be happy either...how long had you two been seeing each other at that time?" His father asked, pouring more whisky into their glasses.

"About year-and-a-half back then." He responded sadly.

Good Lord, Aaron, a year-and-a-half and you couldn't even introduce the lady as your girlfriend...is something wrong with you?

"It wasn't that easy."

"So, you didn't love her then?"

I did, I still do, God help me, I do.

"Then, what the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I was scared, I guess. She and I started dating barely after my divorce with Haley, and I didn't want to get hurt again. I had trust issues, I wasn't sure I could love again and do it all over again, give myself again, trust some one again."

"So, you chose to hurt someone and run away from her, leaving her pregnant with your child. Way to go, Aaron. I can honestly say that I'm not particularly proud of you right now." His father said, speechless, looking at him incredulously.

"No, when she told me she was pregnant, I tried to be there; I have attempted to be there, It's her, she's the one that doesn't want me in her life, or the baby's life." Aaron said, looking down at the floor with his eyes full of tears.

"You really love her, don't you. I've never seen you like this, not even with Haley."

"I should have never let her walk away." He said, as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"It's not too late to fix it, you know."

"She doesn't want me there, Dad." He said, shaking his head.

"So what? You're just going to give up? For God's sake, Aaron, the woman is having your baby...WAKE UP!" His father screamed at him.

"Go there and beg her for forgiveness then kneel down until she gives it to you, no matter how long it takes...trust me...if she loves you, she will forgive you." His father said, and Aaron stood there looking at his father.

"You already let one marriage break down, don't let this happen with her, you're a

great man, Aaron. I'm sure you can fix this." His father said, putting his arm around Aaron's back in an encouraging way. Aaron just smiled.

"I don't know if she'll ever forgive me." Aaron responded truthfully.

"You'll never know until you try." His father responded, and they were interrupted by his phone ringing. It was Dave, he really was the last person he wanted to talk to after their fight at the BAU, but he knew this could be related to a case, so he had no choice but to answer.

"I have to get this." He told his father, standing up from the chair and walking away from the garage

"Hotchner."

"Aaron, I know I'm probably the last person you want to talk to, but Emily was just admitted to George Washington Memorial; she is going into labor, and it's not looking good, you need to get here." Dave said, worried.

"I'm on way." Aaron said in a dry voice.

"Is everything okay? You have a case?" His father asked, worried.

No, it's Emily, it's the baby, she is going into labor, now; but it's two weeks earlier than she was supposed to and something is wrong." Aaron said in a dry, hoarse voice.

"Go! Keep us posted and good luck." His father said as he watched his son rush out the door.