Sorry for the delay in posting, but I've been pulling extra shifts, and I think my brain has melted from exhaustion. I am going to try finishing this story before summer begins. Also, I have been mulling ideas for a couple of other stories that are currently on the standby list. But if there is anything you have flagged and would like me to consider, drop me a PM and let me know! Who knows, you might get the hamster up and running again, and you might get a chapter dedicated to you! That said, thanks for reading, and thanks for your continued patience!


One Hello

"Two days in a coma isn't unusual," Reid remarked matter of fact. "Especially when someone has suffered the type of injury Rossi did." He sipped from the Styrofoam cup held in his hands.

"So, he'll come out of it?" Hotch inquired. He tried to keep the hope out of his tone, but Dave was still his best friend. He couldn't give up the chance of Dave waking up. It wasn't too much to ask. Then again, he had hoped to get to Haley in time, too.

"There was considerable blood loss. And he went into cardiac arrest once. It's possible that he has suffered irreversible damage to his brain." Reid had gone over Dave's medical charts a hundred times, and even spoke to the doctors. The only conclusion anyone could come to was that they didn't know.

"When will we know?" Hotch didn't want to think worst case scenario. He didn't want to think of the once vibrant, legendary FBI agent reduced to… He shook his head to clear the image. He wasn't going to think about that!

"Tests can only tell so much. The rest really depends on him."

"How so?" Hotch braced himself for the worst – or best – of news.

Reid gave a shrug of his shoulders. "He needs to wake up."
******

Her knees hurt. Her lower back was on fire. And her tears were dry. Yet, she couldn't bear to move herself from the peaceful refuge of the church annex. Dark – save for the light at the front of the sanctuary – she had taken comfort in praying. It had been the first time in four years since she had thrown herself on God's mercy. She wondered if it was too late to ask for a favour.

There was so much she wanted to say. But where to start? She had harboured hateful thoughts and impure feelings of revenge in her heart toward Dave. And though her mother had been out of line with her accusations, there was still that sense of doubt that Dave wouldn't try to take their daughter. But the logical side knew better.

And she wanted him to live! She was just beginning to acknowledge she wanted him to come back so they could at least give their relationship another chance. Maybe if they both gave it their all this time, it could work to be what it should have been. Hell, if the way they had made love was any indicator, they more than had all the ingredients for success.

But say they didn't, and they failed…again, well, at least her conscience would be clear and she could tell Claire that they had given it all they had.

Still, deep down inside, there was the part of her soul that still hurt from the way Dave had treated her that Christmas of past. The hurtful, mean, inconsiderate asshole, who was nothing like the man she had fallen in love with, who had shattered her heart and world with just a few words and actions. That was the man she feared would wake from the coma. That was the man she didn't want to deal with. But what could she do? There was no way to determine if Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde would be in her and Claire's life for the next thirty years.

Em rubbed her tired eyes. She prided herself on being a world-class profiler, but three times it failed her when she needed it most. She couldn't afford to put herself in that situation again. Doyle had nearly killed her, Dave had nearly destroyed her, and terrorists had nearly annihilated her. She wouldn't survive a fourth assault.

Her heart ached painfully as every nerve in her body tingled from anticipation and stress. She took a deep breath. Claire was first and foremost her priority – as she should be, but Dave did throw himself between Claire and a madman's bullet. Em owed him a place on the list.

But, she needed answers. No, she corrected herself, she demanded answers. She had to know where she and Claire had stood in Dave's life. She wanted that reassurance that everything was going to be okay. And if it wasn't, what his intentions were – or had been.

Folding her hands under her chin, she bowed her head. Please, God. Send me something…anything…to help me understand what I should do. Help me know where we fit in Dave's life. Help me to know what was really in his heart. Please! Give me a sign!
****

"Any word on Rossi?" Pen asked hopefully to JJ, who was sitting at Hotch's desk. Stepping inside, she closed the door, then walked over to the chair and sat down. She took in the weary look of the blonde. Since the news of the embassy siege – and rescue – and Rossi's bravery – they had been on pins and needles for any news. The time difference made it difficult to know exactly what was happening. But Pen had set it up that should any news come in, they were alerted via computer or text message.

JJ shook her head regretfully. "No change. They are going to do another test in a few hours to see if the heart attack damaged his brain." She watched her friend nervously fidget. "What's wrong?"

"I'm scared," Pen replied. At JJ's blank look, she continued. "I know he's changed. I want to believe he's changed…but…" She took a deep breath, held it, let it out. "What if he hasn't? What if he's the Rossi of old and wants to hurt Emily?"

"I doubt that. I spoke with Hotch. He assured me that Dave never had any intention of taking Claire. In fact, he wanted to work things out." She didn't divulge that Hotch had confided that he had had to order Emily to go home and get some rest. There was no reason to worry Pen. It was all she could do to get Pen to lie down and rest.

"But what if being shot and being in a coma changes that?"

"You were shot and didn't change for bad," JJ gently reminded Pen.

"Well…yeah. But this is David Rossi. He's been as unpredictable as the wind."

"He was. Since that Christmas four years ago, he has been trying to make things right. He's never forgotten Henry and Jack's birthdays. He's gone above and beyond trying to help out here at the BAU and academy – even though he's been retired. I think he's been trying to make amends."

"I guess," Pen agreed reluctantly. "I did change…some. What if the bad Rossi comes out? What do we do?"

JJ wanted to comfort Pen and tell her that everything was going to be alright. She wanted assure her friend that it was all going to work out in the end. In her heart, she knew that what was meant to be was out of their hands. It was best to leave it to a Higher Power.

She had seen Dave with Henry. She had seen with her own eyes the lost soul who had come out after losing Emily. She had seen how he had tried to put the pieces back together and make amends for all the pain he had caused. She had listened to him spill secrets deep into the night over cups of coffee in her kitchen. Yes, she had seen many bad things while at the BAU, but deep down inside, she had to believe that there was still some good in people.

JJ leaned forward and took Pen's hands in hers and gave a comforting squeeze. "We pray for both of them," she replied simply.