Discovery

The doctor came back to them some time later. They tried to sort themselves out preparing to see Aaron. They knew he'd probably take it hard and the last thing they wanted to do was bring him down even further. They had to show he could and would carry on. They'd help him adapt in the field if he ever wanted to come back. They'd understand if he didn't. Out of all of them he'd been the one that had lost the most to the job but the job was who he was.

"Hotch's been put into a room," Morgan asked rubbing his baby girl's shoulder.

He nodded. "When will I be able to bring him home?" Spencer asked firmly. He'd rather be home than here at the hospital. Being in the hospital would only feed his depression. He wanted him home as soon as possible so Jack and him could get started on helping him adapt and learn how to do all the things he loved deaf.

"He can go home today actually. As long as he comes in for check-ups on his eardrum and we can schedule him with a deaf specialist so he can view his options," the doctor answered.

"We will make sure of it," Dave answered firmly.

"I will encourage him to see the specialist," Spencer added, "but the decision will be his."

"Of course. We can arrange it whenever he's ready. There's no rush. Pushing will be detrimental to his recovery."

He nodded relieved they were willing to go at Aaron's pace. They were right they couldn't force his recovery. It would only make him retreat further than he probably already was. No matter how hard he pushed he'd find Spencer Reid would never leave him. He was stone cold in love with him.

He led them down to the room they'd given Agent Hotchner until he was discharged from the hospital. When they got in there they found he was still asleep from the anaesthetic. He looked so peaceful yet they knew when he woke up he'd be distressed.

"He should wake up soon. He'll be distressed when he does so I suggest you take it easy on him," the doctor said before leaving them alone.

Spencer immediately sat down in the chair by his bed and held his hand. He knew when he woke up he'd need reassurance that he wasn't going to leave him. That nothing would stop him from loving him.

He soon opened his eyes and looked around him trying to work out where he was. He then remembered the bomb and the silence and tears begun filling his eyes. He saw his team and family were around him looking concerned and he could see the pity in his eyes. He shook his head trying to shake the tears away. It couldn't be.

He looked over to his side to see Spencer. He squeezed his lover's hand and asked, "Spence, please tell me I'm not deaf. Please tell me it's not permanent."

Spencer tried to bite away the tears that were threatening to spill over and answered gently and clearly, "Oh Aaron, I'm so sorry. I wish I could but you are. The bomb took away your hearing permanently..."

Aaron burst into tears and Spencer held him close to him shedding a few of his own. Aaron clung onto him feeling so incredibly vulnerable. What was going to happen now? How was he going to cope? He was deaf now. He'd never hear Spencer or Jack's voices again.

He then got embarrassed he'd cried in front of the team and drew back trying to recover his tears. Spencer squeezed his hand and said, "Aaron, please don't be embarrassed. It's perfectly understandable you're upset but we're here to help you. There are things we can get to help you too like cochlear implants."

"Not now. I need to get used to being deaf first," he answered looking down.

"We understand. We're going to take this at your pace. We're all here for you."

He nodded.

"I'll just go and see if you can be discharged," Valarie said wanting to be useful to her son. She just felt useless standing there in his room and wanted to be put to use.

He nodded muttering, "I just want to go home."

"You will, you will," Spencer assured him making sure he could see his words clearly.

By four o'clock that afternoon they'd gotten him home and sat on the sofa where he'd sat ever since they got him home an hour before. He hadn't even spoken a word since they'd left the hospital. He'd just sat there staring into space. It killed Spencer to see him like this and he hoped Jack would help him become more animated.

He suddenly heard the school bus arrive and opened the door just in time to see Jack get off and run down the pathway to greet him. He enveloped his arms around his stepson and held him close.

When Jack looked up and saw Spencer's concerned, worried face he asked, "Daddy Spencer, what's wrong?" He then noticed how his dad was sitting on the sofa and hadn't even come up to greet him like he always did when he was home. He swallowed a lump in his throat and asked, "is something wrong with dad?"

"Jack, there was a bomb..." His eyes widened in alarm. "It deafened dad. His hearing will never come back without aids. He doesn't want the help that he can get to help him hear again for the moment and we can't pressurise him. Obviously he's taking it very hard."

Suddenly he saw a light bulb go off in his head. "I have an idea," he shouted then ran off to his bedroom.

Spencer went back to find Aaron hadn't moved an inch. He didn't even move when Spencer got into his eyeline. He felt the tears in his eyes wishing his boyfriend would just show some emotion. He didn't care what emotion; just anything was better than this. He could even hit him just as long as he showed some God damn emotion.

Suddenly Jack ran back in with a home-made card and threw himself onto the sofa next to his father. That was the first time he saw Aaron break eye contact with whatever he'd been staring at as Jack wrapped his arms around him. Aaron pulled him into a closer hug and Spencer saw the tear roll down his cheek.

Jack then pulled his arms away and showed the card he'd just made in his bedroom. Aaron smiled as he saw 'I 3 U DAD' written boldly on the front. He smiled even more as he opened it up and saw 'You're even more of a hero to me now for braving the bomb and I don't care if you're deaf I'll always love you'.

Aaron smiled slightly back at him and held him close trying to get as much comfort as he could from him. Jack held him close knowing he needed the same. He'd try and be strong for his dad and help him adapt but he was still just a boy.

That night when Spencer put Jack to bed he smiled at him. "That was a great idea, buddy," he smiled kissing his forehead.

"It made dad smile, didn't it?" he smiled back.

"Yes it did. Thank you."

"I only want to make dad happy."

"You always do."

Later that night his fathers were in bed with their backs turned when Aaron broke down into tears again. Even though he'd been annoyed that as soon as they'd got into bed Aaron had turned his back on him Spencer turned back over and wrapped him in his arms. Aaron rolled over and clung onto Spencer for dear life relieved that even though he pushed Spencer would never go.

Spencer showered him with kisses trying to comfort him and show no matter what happened his love was one thing he'd never lose. Aaron clung onto him needing the comfort and love his partner was currently showing him.

PS Every time Spencer talks to Aaron he speaks clearly so Aaron can make out his words. As Aaron reads behaviour for a career I'm certain he can lipread. I hope this clears up any confusion of how Aaron is understanding Spencer when he's deaf