Disclaimer: CBS owns Criminal Minds, but Hannah is my character.

Author's Note: Sorry I have haven't posted in weeks! I moved to another state and started a new job that has kept me busy. I'll try to post at least once a week if I can. Please review!

Chapter 10

The Popular Kids

Hannah sat at her office desk with a red pen and a stack of papers. She hummed along with a jazz CD when Aaron walked in and closed the door behind him. With so few evening classes in her building that night, or other professors around, he didn't bother to watch his volume.

"When we agreed to keep each other in the loop, you should have mentioned then that Reid's been having nightmares about the job." Aaron stopped at her desk, his knuckles on the edge. "I would have looked at his behavior following the train incident in Texas differently."

"Aaron, I can't tell you what I don't know." Hannah put her pen down. "Spencer's having nightmares?"

"You sleep next to him, Hannah, how could you not know?"

He studied her face and body language for any sign of deception.

"Spencer hasn't said anything in his sleep, or screamed, and he hasn't even tossed and turned." Hannah's chair flew back as she stood her knuckles on the papers. "That's how I didn't know about his nightmares. I haven't seen any signs! Spencer never said anything about nightmares, even when I fought with him about what he did in Texas."

"He's hiding it. Reid probably feared I would take him off the team, put him on leave, or give him a psychological evaluation."

"Wait, so Spencer told you he's having nightmares?"

"No, Reid didn't tell me. He told Morgan, and Morgan told Jason and I about it so we can help him. Jason spoke to him on the plane on the way back. He thinks Reid's fine."

"I don't get it. Spencer just started opening up to me on how the cases effect him, but he hides his nightmares?" Hannah crossed her office and sank onto her small sofa. "How do I bring this up with him, Aaron? He'll know you came to me."

Aaron sat down beside her. Their legs touched and Hannah looked down at them, but Aaron didn't.

"Then let him know I came to you. Jason and I can only help him at work. You have to help him at home, but you can't help him if he doesn't let you know what's wrong."

Hannah folded her arms across her waist, turned so she faced him, and looked Aaron in the eye.

"Aaron, I have to have a line."

"What do you mean?"

Aaron glanced down at the two inch space between them.

"I mean Spencer has to trust that I'm not running to you with everything he confides in me."

"You don't. You didn't even know about the nightmares. I had to tell you about that. Not the other way around. You can't violate his trust if he doesn't tell you about these things."

"What if he didn't confide in me about his nightmares because he thought I would tell you?"

"Would you have told me?"

"No, I would not have told you about the nightmares. That's for him to do, not me."

"Do you think he doesn't trust you?"

"I think he's afraid of telling me certain things and it wouldn't be any different if we were only friends and not dating. Spencer's very private."

"Talk to him about this." Aaron remembered the team's upcoming mandatory vacation and reminded Hannah. "The team has some vacation days next week. Do you and Reid have plans?"

"I'm joining him in Las Vegas for a few weekend shows."

"When you're in Vegas with Reid, you should talk to him."

"I will, but about what? Us or him?"

A bit of color drained from Aaron's face, and he tried to keep the stress from her question out of his voice.

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean." Hannah glared at him, her body language no longer relaxed, but hostile. "If he hasn't already figured out what's between us then he's an idiot, and Spencer is not an idiot. You and I can no longer afford to act like we aren't playing this game."

"What do you expect me to do Hannah? I work with him."

"Be honest with him! I want to tell him the truth while we're in Vegas."

"Fine! Tell him the truth, but don't expect him to speak to me about it. We don't discuss you at work. Reid and I maintain our working relationship." When Hannah stood up from the sofa and walked into the center of the office, Aaron noted her balled up fists and raised shoulders. "What are you so angry about Hannah?"

"I'm willing to tell Spencer everything and you have no intention of telling Haley the truth."

"The truth about what?" Aaron threw his hands out in front of him. "You and are not having an affair!"

"Sexually, no, but emotionally?" Hannah's pent up emotional and sexual frustration burst forth. "Fuck yes we are! You have done nothing but play with my emotions for months."

Aaron's eyes narrowed.

"I'll remind you that's a two way street, and well traveled on your side."

"Yes, just blame everything on me and my sex drive!" In three steps she crossed to the door, opened it, and spoke in a whisper. "Go home to your wife Aaron."

"Hannah-" Aaron stopped in front of her but she pushed him the rest of he way into the hall.

"You just keep doing whatever you want with your life, but leave me alone until you can actually leave me alone!"

With that she slammed the door in his face and locked it.

They both stood on opposite sides of the door for a minute, Aaron's palm on one side, Hannah's forehead on the other, their breaths shallow and quiet.