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Chapter 14: Agent Meddlesome

"Excuse me," Derek said as Sophia told him that she was going to live with Jack. Ashley bit her lip and tried to smile at him. She shooed Sophia into the living room as Derek followed her into kitchen.

"Tell me she's kidding," he said as she offered him a drink.

"No, Derek, she's not kidding," she groaned. Derek's eyes narrowed and she busied herself making drinks.

"So you and Hotch," he quizzed in his interrogator voice.

"So Aaron and I," she mimed.

"Do you love him?" He asked. Her hesitancy caused him to look at her aghast. "You don't love him, but you're going to play house with him?"

"We agreed that it didn't have to be about love."

"Hotch, agreed to this?"

"Yeah, we're both busy and have children. We understand each other. It's not the thing of movies, but it'll be fine."

"That's all you can say?"

"Yeah, it'll be easy."

"Who says easy is that great?"

"Derek, I just want it to be easier, I can't… I can't," she tried.

"You can't what?"

"I can't fall in love, not again," she sighed pursing her lips trying to keep her emotions in check.

"Slow your roll, you're young, don't subject yourself to a loveless relationship," he said, his voice softening.

"It won't be loveless; Aaron and I care about each other. We're just not in mad, passionate, Hallmark card love. I can't subject myself or my daughter to that kind of fighting or pain, even if it does mean passion and overwhelming feelings. I can't subject myself to that."

"O, Baby Doll," he sighed and pulled her into his arms.

"I'm sorry, Derek."

"There's nothing to be sorry for," he pressed a kiss to the top of her head and held her against his chest. The embrace made Ashley's emotions swirl. She felt so safe and loved curled into his body. Safer than she'd ever felt in her entire life, but her heart didn't feel safe. She wanted to protect herself against things that would ruin her. Jerry's rejection had scarred her more than she'd ever admitted, but Liam's death had left her with an unrecognizable heart. She couldn't allow it to get marred anymore. She would take the safe road for herself and Sophia.

"Why couldn't it be me?" He thought to himself. He held her and then pulled away. He couldn't hold her anymore without saying something that would contradict his 'nothing to be sorry for' statement.

Derek, like the good friend he was, helped Ashley move again. There were two trucks in the townhouse's driveway: one for Hotch's house and one for a storage locker.

"Where do you want the Master Bedroom set?" Derek asked Ashley as she packed dishes.

"In the one for Aaron's," Ashley responded without hesitation as she wrapped a wine glass in newspaper.

"Okay," he responded confusedly.

"I'll be up in like two seconds," she said as she pulled down the last two glasses from the cabinet to smile at him.

"You're gonna help? That sounds dangerous," he responded and she threw a rolled up piece of newspaper at him.

"Yeah, yeah, well I'm all you've got till my brother, Aaron, and Matt show up."

"Yeah, why aren't they here, yet?"

"Aaron picked up Sophia and is taking her and Jack to his place where Jess is going to watch them and my nephews, then he's coming over here with Matt and well my brother and sister-in-law should be here soon-ish. I think you and I can get the easier stuff down the stairs."

"Alright, Baby Doll, let's go."

They carried the stuff companionably up and down the stairs. They even managed to get the mattress and the box spring down the stairs without damage.

"Hotch is letting you overrun his bedroom with your girly stuff?" He joked as they drank ice-water.

"First of all, my stuff isn't girly…"

"You have too many pillows."

"Don't deny it, you love pillows," she teased and winked, "And second of all, I'm not overrunning Aaron's bedroom."

"Then why are you bringing all your bedroom furniture, I'm sure you guys don't need two beds in your room."

"We're not sharing a room, Agent Morgan," Aaron commented as he walked into the room carrying a heap of empty boxes and packing tape.

"No, Agent Meddlesome, we'll be sleeping in separate bedroom, in fact they aren't even on the same floor," Ashley sing-songed, "Now boys get to work."

"Yes, ma'am," Aaron saluted, Derek's eyebrows raised comically, and Ashley giggled.

After all the furniture and boxes were settled in their specific rooms, they sat down to watch the baseball game and eat pizza. The couch, loveseat, and oversized armchair were filled with movers in various states of exhaustion. Jack cuddled next to Aaron on the armchair; Ashley went over scooped him up and fell into his empty spot. Aaron squeezed her arm lightly, but kept his eyes on the screen.

"Jackster, why aren't you playing with Sophia?" She whispered to him. He shrugged his shoulders and kept his eyes tightly fixed on the screen, but she could tell there'd been a problem. She squeezed him around the middle comfortingly and asked again.

"They know each other and I felt lonely," he responded shyly and before Ashley could come up with a plan. Sophia skipped into the room.

"Whatcha doin'?" She yelled, her gaze intent on Jack.

"Watching the baseball game."

"That's stupid," she asserted, Ashley felt Jack recoil, she gazed pointedly at her daughter, and her daughter rushed out, "You should come play with us, they've never played hide 'n seek here, and it'll be great."

"Okay."

"Not in my bedroom or Mr. Aaron's bedroom or office," Ashley bellowed as the two galloped away.

"It's nice to have someone else to shout exceptions to hide 'n seek in this house," She laughed in response to his statement and kissed his jaw lightly. She felt him tense, but she threaded her fingers through his and squeezed. Their relationship was already being assumed about and she thought it would be easier just to draw their friends and family slowly into the idea of it. Rather than having to announce it as if they were announcing some sort of treaty between two powerful countries. He squeezed back and she knew they would be fine. Though fine is always one of those words that leaves a weird aftertaste; fine isn't all that remarkable.

"Insane people are always sure that they are fine. It is only the sane people who are willing to admit that they are crazy." –Nora Ephron