Erin had just settled behind her desk after the department meeting that had lasted entirely too long, in her opinion, when her cellphone rang. Recognising David's ringtone, she answered and hurriedly brought the device to her ear. "Have you finally heard from Aaron?" she asked a bit breathlessly, biting her lip as she waited for her fiancé to answer.
"It's like you have ESP, Erin. Yes, we have found Hotch, and it is not the best news. We've already sent JJ and Derek over to Haley's house to pick up her and Jack, as they'll be heading directly into protective custody following their meeting with him this afternoon."
"David?"
"He was stabbed, multiple times, by Foyet. There's a gunshot hole in the wall of his apartment, which tells us that this is just the Reaper's way of taunting Hotch before carrying out his endgame, whatever that might be. But that fact that he tore out Haley's contact information from Hotch's address book tells me that nothing good will come out of this."
"Hence why you are putting Haley and Jack into protective custody."
"Exactly. I knew that you would understand, Erin. But…he's asked to see you and Elise. I don't know what for, just that he'd like you to be here at the same time as Haley and Jack. I know that it's a lot to ask of you, but could you please meet us here at the hospital?"
She drew in a sharp breath through her nose as she tried to swallow back the thick taste of bile that had started to creep into her mouth. "Yes, I will. Text me the address, and I'll see you soon." Before he could reply, Erin hung up, needing to get her hands around a glass of water, desperately wishing that it could be a glass of whiskey or wine. "Oh, little one, it looks like Mama is going to be under just as much stress while she's pregnant with you as she was when she was pregnant with Elise. But she wants you to stay, all the same."
Getting to her feet, she picked up her glass of water and drained it before grabbing her purse, leaving the rest of her work behind, knowing that she wouldn't be able to concentrate on it at home anyway. Not when she would be worried about Haley and Jack and everything that was happening. Helen looked up from her computer to give her a look of concern when she saw the purse in her hands. "Is everything all right, Erin?"
"No, and I will not be in the office for the rest of the day. I'm certain that Director Shepperd is already aware of the incident, but you'll find out soon enough what's happening. I'm sorry, I need to go and get Elise before heading to the hospital."
Helen's eyes widened as she nodded. "All right, I'll direct any and all calls to your voicemail, and collect any paperwork that you might need to go over tomorrow. I hope that everything turns out all right."
"So do I, Helen." She gave her assistant a tiny smile before heading out the door and going down to the daycare facility, checking out Elise with little fuss. "All right, sweetheart, we're going on a little adventure, okay? But I need you to be really good for Mama, and hold tightly to her hand," she said as she brought them over to the elevators.
"All right, Mama," Elise said as they completed their journey to the car, and then Erin was fastening her in her car seat before getting behind the wheel and heading out to the address David had sent her. "What are we going to do?"
"We're actually going to the hospital. Uncle Aaron was injured by an unsub, and he's asked to see us and Jack. Now, he might look a little different from how he normally looks, but Papa has assured me that he's going to be all right." That was a small lie, but she assumed from the fact that David had said Aaron had asked to see them before Jack and Haley were whisked away, that he was alert and talking to them. "So, we're going to be kind to Uncle Aaron and give him gentle hugs and kisses, okay?"
"Okay. But I have to ask first if he wants hugs and kisses, right?"
"Right, Leelee." Erin smiled a little as she turned onto the main road they'd be taking, chatting away with Elise as she drove, needing the distraction to keep her mind off the worry. Finally, she pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and she found a spot close to the entrance, taking hold of Elise's hand firmly once more, leading her into the building. Thankfully, David was in the lobby to greet them, and she gave him a wan smile as Elise tugged her hand free and ran up to him, giggling a little when he lifted her up into his arms and cuddled her close. "Are they here yet?"
"No, Haley is still packing some of their things, and then they have to pick up Jack from Jessica's place. This is a nightmare, Erin."
"I know. How did Foyet get into Aaron's apartment?"
"Probably sweet talked his way in using Derek's ID. He left that at the apartment, which is how we know that this is just the next phase in his attempts to terrorise and control Aaron." He glanced over at Erin before looking up at Elise, and she gave him a small nod, understanding that there were things they would talk about later. "Now, Uncle Aaron has a lot of tubes and machines connected to him, and he might look a little scary, but he's going to be all right, I promise."
"Mama said the same thing, Papa." Erin smiled, watching their daughter snuggle in close to David as they rode the elevator up. She tried to ignore the heavy pit that weighed heavily in her stomach at the look that Emily gave her, as if she didn't belong there, instead lifting her chin a little and giving the woman a cool look before sailing into Aaron's room, trying not to gasp at the sight of him.
"Here, I'll leave you three alone while I talk to Emily. I'll be back in ten minutes or so." David gently settled Elise onto Aaron's bed before giving Erin's shoulder a soft squeeze on the way out, closing the door behind him.
"Uncle Aaron, may I hug and kiss you?" Elise lisped out once the door was closed, and Erin held her breath as she anticipated his reaction.
"Of course you can, princess, you just have to be really careful about the machines I'm hooked up to, all right?" Elise nodded and Erin watched as her daughter delicately moved onto his chest, resting her head on his shoulder after kissing his cheek softly. Within moments, she was asleep, and Erin wondered if she had missed naptime that afternoon. "I'm worried, Erin."
"I am, too. If Haley and Jack are going into protective custody, do I have cause to be afraid? Does Foyet know about the fact that you're Elise's father?"
A guilty look crossed his face, telling Erin all she needed to know, and she heavily sat on the foot of his bed, her hand covering her stomach protectively. "I had a picture of Elise and Jack in my wallet. I didn't want to say anything to the others, since only the four of us know Elise's true parentage, but I'm also hoping that Foyet sees it as an innocuous photograph. And I know, you're pregnant, so your concern is split between Elise and that baby, and I feel the same way. You have Dave, you are more than adequate with your service weapon, but you're vulnerable, too."
She nodded, allowing tears to tack down her cheeks silently as she hugged herself. "I still have three weeks before I announce this pregnancy, since we're still in that risk window. Aaron…"
"I know, Erin." He met her eyes steadily, anger and sorrow mixed together in his expression. "But I swear to you, on my life, we will catch Foyet and bring him to justice before he hurts any member of my family." She nodded and took a shaky breath, trying to take his words to heart, even as she knew that from here on out, things would never be the same.