Chapter 13
AN: It looks like Jack's secret might get out soon. How will everybody react? Also, when will the rest of the BAU finally show up? Will that group of runaways be okay? CW: talk about molestation
Almost instantly, Jack Gideon Hotchner ran off to his bedroom and locked the door behind him. He was in tears and couldn't believe what had just happened. He still wasn't ready to tell his dad about what Mrs. Havens had done to him, but now he might not get a choice.
"He seems upset by that news; do you mind if I go talk to him?" Morgan asked Hotch.
"Go ahead, but please tell me that this isn't something personal for him" Hotch pleaded.
"I'll go up and try to talk with him" Morgan promised.
"Hey, can I come in?" Morgan asked, knocking on Jack's door.
"Yeah sure" Jack agreed reluctantly, getting up to unlock the door.
"You seemed upset when Lila mentioned Mrs. Havens" Morgan observed.
"I guess that sort of thing makes me uncomfortable" Jack lied.
"Listen, kid, I understand if you don't want to talk about it, but I have a feeling something happened to you" Morgan responded.
"When I was a freshman she touched me in various places. It started at the end of the finals week first semester. She only stopped because I left her cross-country team" Jack explained, fighting back tears.
"Something similar happened to me when I was around your age" Morgan admitted, letting the teen know that he wasn't the only one.
"How did you deal with it?" Jack asked.
"I'm still dealing with it, thankfully the guy is behind bars now," Morgan told him, "Has your dad taken you to talk with a professional about it?" he asked.
"My dad doesn't know, I never told him" Jack admitted.
"I'm sure he'd want to help you if he knew" Morgan reasoned with him.
"I can't tell him. He always taught me not to let something like that happen to me, but I let it happen anyway" Jack responded, breaking down once more.
"That doesn't make it your fault, and your dad would know that" Morgan promised.
"If it's not too much trouble, could you help me out with telling him?" Jack asked.
"Of course, it's not too much trouble" Morgan commented.
"Hey dad," Jack said as he went back into the living room.
"Is everything okay, Jack?" Hotch asked when he noticed his son.
"Aaron, Jack has asked me to help him out with something he needs to tell you" Morgan interjected.
"What is it?" Hotch asked.
"This is private, dad," Jack told him.
, "Okay," Hotch agreed, getting up to follow Jack and Morgan up to Jack's bedroom.
"Sit down, dad" Jack said.
"Okay, I'm sitting now" Hotch replied, sitting on Jack's bed.
"Dad, I really don't know how to tell you this…" Jack paused.
"It's okay, kid" Morgan reassured him.
"I'm still not sure that I'm ready to tell you about this…" Jack struggled to fight back tears.
"Do you need me to step in?" Morgan offered.
"Please" Jack cried.
"Jack was a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of Mrs. Thea Havens, the same teacher who also abused Troy Gunner" Morgan informed Hotch.
"How long has this been going on? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Hotch asked, nearly breaking down himself.
"It was only during my freshman year, I quit cross-country so that she wouldn't have access to me anymore. I never told you because I was afraid you'd be upset at me for letting her do it to me" Jack admitted.
"Jack, I want you to know that this isn't something you ever need to hide from me," Hotch reassured his son.
"You always told me how to make sure that thing never happened to me, but I still let it happen anyway" Jack reasoned.
"I may have said that, but I never meant for you to feel like you couldn't talk to me about these things" Hotch explained.
"Jack, you can always call me to talk about your feelings surrounding your abuse…anytime you need to" Morgan promised, handing him a card with his number on it.
"If you don't mind, I'd like you to start seeing a therapist about this" Hotch said.
"Okay dad" Jack agreed.