Hey, sorry it's been so long but I've finally finished my exams! It's a bit dark, but I hope you like it. Please review as they make me super happy :)

37. The End

"We have to do something" Hotch sighed as the two of us stood against the counter in his kitchen. We'd got to the stage where we couldn't kid ourselves that she just needed time, things were getting so much worse and no matter what we did nothing was working. Marley had been home for three weeks but she still hadn't left the apartment, only making random excuses to Jack about why his Daddy had to pick him up from school. Between the two of us we were making things work, although it was hard going. The two of us had taken some time off from travelling with the team, only helping from Quantico while Derek had once again taken over as acting unit chief until things were sorted out at home. It was a testament to how bad Marley felt that she hadn't once complained about us staying with her. The only time Marley ever acted even remotely normally was when she was with Jack. When they were together it was the only time she smiled, it was still a meek imitation of that former beacon of light but it was better than anything I could get her to muster. I tried not to take it too personally because I knew that Marley was desperate to make sure that Jack felt loved and safe; after everything he'd been through with his Mother we were all desperate to make sure he was happy.

"But what? She won't take the sleeping pills and every time she speaks to the councillor it seems to do more harm than good." I sighed exasperated but tried to keep my voice down, Marley was in the next room playing with Jack. Before Marley had come home Hotch had spoken to Jack and explained that she had had an upsetting time and he had to be understanding towards her, and that included never asking her to play cards with him. Jack was confused about how feeling ill could lead to a hatred of card games but he did what his Dad told him to.

"Maybe we could get a Doctor to come round and see her, maybe she could take some anti-depressants?" Hotch suggested as he leaned back against the refrigerator door. We were both exhausted, Marley woke up screaming every night and then it would take me over an hour to calm her down enough for her to sleep, or she might give up on sleep altogether and go and huddle in the living room watching the television. When that happened Hotch took over and sat with her so I could get some sleep, not that I could sleep much as the worry about the girl I loved settled like a lead weight on my chest.

"Do you think…" I never got to finish my thought as a scream broke out in the next room. We both shared a worried glance as we raced towards the living room to find Jack clutching his cheek, crying and Marley looking white as a sheet as she stood with her arms outstretched, obviously trying to placate him without getting too close.

"Daddy!" Jack yelled as he flung himself towards his Dad. "Marley hit me!"

"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry. I never meant to…" She was crying as her hands flapped around uselessly by her sides.

"It's ok." I whispered but I knew it wasn't. We'd never even considered that she might hurt Jack, it had seemed impossible but in hindsight it was something we should have foreseen. I mean Jack was the closest person in her life to Jonathon, one day he was bound to do something that bought on a flashback. Hotch bent down and consoled his son, all the while avoiding looking at Marley. I understood why, he was conflicted; on the one hand he understood that Marley would never harm Jack intentionally but his paternal instinct had kicked in and he was angry that his son had been hurt.

"Jack I'm so sorry baby, it was an accident. I never meant to hurt you." Marley bent down and looked desperately at Jack for forgiveness.

"You say hitting's not nice! It hurt!" Jack whimpered and cuddled his Daddy who rubbed his back. I risked a glance over at Marley who looked as if her heart had been broken in two.

"Let's go into your room and play with Rooster, hey?" Hotch kissed his son's head and began leading him out of the room.

"Aaron." Marley whimpered as she searched his face for some sign of forgiveness, what she found was a small facial twitch that I guessed meant he hadn't reached the 'throwing her out into the night with no coat stage.' Once the two had left Marley collapsed down onto the sofa and sobbed, it broke my heart as I sat and rubbed her shaking back.

"We understand, Aaron understands and Jack will be fine. What happened?" I kissed her lank hair and tried to pull her fragile form towards me, usually when she was like this she would shy away from all physical contact but this time her weakened body lent back against my chest.

"He was asking how long you were staying, I asked why and he said that I was his and not yours. It took me back to John and I lashed out. Oh God, I hit him. How the hell could I let this happen? I love Jack and I hit him. He'll never trust me again. What did I do?" Marley wailed through her trembling hands that were clasped against her mouth, as if by trying to stop the words coming out of her mouth then it wouldn't have happened. I kissed her head and shuddered as I remembered how small things would set me off after Hankel, not that my experience seemed to be able to help Marley right now.

"Just let him calm down, he'll forgive you. He loves you Marley." I promised her, although I was worried what Aaron would do now. I mean no matter how much he loved Marley, Jack would always be his main priority and he wouldn't put him at risk for anyone. Marley turned around in my arms and searched my eyes for some assurance that Jack would forgive her, as I stared at the broken woman in my arms I couldn't quite believe that she was the girl who I'd first fallen in love with. "We'll get through this, baby." I promised her quietly, her eyes betrayed the fact she didn't believe me.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Maybe you should take her away for a bit." Hotch whispered as we stood in the kitchen making dinner; Marley was sat on the sofa staring into space and Jack was playing in his room, he hadn't come out since the earlier incident and I knew Marley was desperate to make it up to him but was too scared to go into his room.

"Are you serious?" I snapped, before dropping my voice so Marley wouldn't hear us. "She can't leave the apartment, let alone go anywhere."

"You could take her to see your Mom, she might enjoy that. Or back home, that might make her feel better."

"Take her to Benington, she'll think I'm leaving her there for good. And you know the lies she tells her Dad; how she's back at college, how she's getting better and moving on with her life. She won't go back there and let him see the truth. What do you want her out of here?" I snarled quietly.

"I have to do what's best for Jack, and Strauss is on at me to get back to work. We can't go on like this."

"I'll stay with them then and you can go with the team. Although I would have thought that you'd be more worried about Marley's health then your career. I mean, none of this would have happened if you hadn't thrown her out the first time." It was a completely spiteful thing to throw at Hotch but I was so angry that he was considering throwing Marley out after everything she'd been through, all to get back to him and his son.

"You know that's not fair. He was watching us; he would have come after her whatever." Hotch mumbled his defence, clearly irked by my low blow. "I'm not saying I'm going to throw her out into the night, but maybe it would be best if she stayed at yours for a little bit."

"Fine, but let me tell her." I snapped before storming out of the kitchen only to find Marley disappearing into her room. She'd heard the whole thing.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Dinner was a quiet affair. Quiet, that wasn't quite the right word- try silent. Marley was pushing food around her plate looking forlorn and occasionally risking a peak at the red welt on Jack's cheek while Hotch and I glared at each other across the table. Even Jack was unusually quiet as he ate his dinner, not even inquiring what he would get for dessert as he usually did.

"Hey Jack, how about after dinner Marley reads you a story?" Hotch broke the tense atmosphere as he smiled down at his son, trying to sort out the worsening relations between everyone at the table.

"No." Jack whispered, keeping his head down. Marley visibly recoiled as if she had been physically slapped by his rejection.

"Come on buddy, we talked about what happened. Marley is really sorry and she wants to make it up to you."

"No! I don't want her! I don't like her any more. I want my Mom!" He yelled before launching himself off the chair which clattered to the floor with a resounding smash before he raced off towards his room.

"Jack!" Hotch yelled before racing after him leaving me and a distraught Marley alone in the kitchen. I risked a peek over at her but couldn't think of anything to say to make her feel any better.

"I've got to go." Marley whispered, her face looking strangely resigned despite Jack's outburst. "I… I want to sleep alone tonight. Go home, Spence."

"Marley." I began and grabbed her arm to keep her from leaving. She felt ice cold. "I love you, and so does Jack."

"I know." She bought her left hand up to cover mine and squeezed it gently before pulling my fingers away from her arm. "I know." She repeated before turning and walking away.

She never looked back.

I tried to ignore the weight in my stomach that told me something was wrong. I was just worried about Marley, that was all. But the feeling refused to go away no matter what I did. Usually I would have confessed my fears to Hotch, however my was busy with Jack and hadn't come back into the kitchen where I was sat, giving Marley the space that she had requested. Jesse called my phone several times but I didn't answer, I couldn't bring myself to lie to the boy and tell him that everything was fine when it clearly wasn't. Finally something inside me snapped and I couldn't bring myself to sit there anymore when every cell in my body seemed to be screaming that something wasn't right. I'd just go into her room and check on her, maybe now she'd calmed down she would want some company; someone who would hold her and empathise while the rest of the world seemed to be splintering around her.

Jack's door was closed as I headed down the corridor, but I knew Hotch was still in there trying to repair the damage that Jonathon had done to this family. If that man was alive… I shook my head, he was dead and revenge wouldn't change Marley's state of mind. I stopped outside her door momentarily and fingered the knobbed as I prepared myself mentally for the night ahead.

"Marley, baby." I began as I entered the room, only for the rest of the sentence to die on my lips. There was so much blood. But then what can you expect when someone slices two of their major arteries open. I froze in the doorway as I stared in utter horror at the prone body of my lover as she lay motionless on the blood stained sheets of her bed.

"HOTCH! HOTCH GET AN AMBULANCE." I screamed as I grabbed two of her belts to try and stem the bleeding from her wrists. "Why Marley? Why the hell did you do this! HOTCH FOR GOD'S SAKE GET AN AMBULANCE!"