Chapter Two
A/N: For all those of you who read and reviewed: thank you so much! I hope you'll enjoy reading this chapter as much as I liked writing it. It's one of the chapters I'm very happy with, so please let me know what you think of it!
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is unfortunately not mine. Nor will it ever be.
A family is a unit composed not only of children but of men, women, an occasional animal, and the common cold. Ogden Nash.
Erin nervously twirled in front of the mirror. She was wearing a white skirt and a red blouse, combined with red shoes. Her hair was pulled into a lose bun, keeping it out of her face without seeming too formal. She'd thought about braiding it, but had decided against it. She didn't feel like it today.
Aaron suddenly entered. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans and a t-shirt. It was a look she'd come to like on him; he seemed so much less formal in this type of clothes, more like the sweet, kind man she knew him to be than the FBI agent he was most days.
He moved towards her, sneaking his arms around her and pressing a soft kiss to her lips. She pressed more firmly against him, humming as he traced a meaningless pattern across her abdomen.
"Sean isn't going to judge you by your looks, you know. As soon as he sees how happy I am with you, he won't care about the rest. Especially when he sees how great you are with Jack and Arthur," Aaron murmured when he pulled back.
Erin closed her eyes for a second. Damn the man to know exactly why it was taking her so long to decide what to wear to a simply picnic. She should have known she wouldn't be able to hide anything from him when she started dating him. She should have known he'd come to close for her to be able to.
Not that she'd actually ever felt the desire to hide anything from him. He was a good man, capable of so much understanding that even discussing her old demon, the alcohol, was possible. Or her ex-husband, or whatever problem she needed to talk about. And that went for the joyous things as well, like her other children or her friends. He thought of Irene, Maya and Travis as his own, too.
"I know. I just don't want to make a bad first impression. I might have talked to Sean on the phone quite a few times, but this is something completely different. What if he looks at me and thinks I'm unapproachable? I don't want to risk coming between you two. Not now you've finally managed to rebuild what you had before," she honestly told him.
Sean and Aaron had met up a month after they'd gotten together. Aaron had admitted he thought his brother was in trouble and that was the reason he'd called. When he came home, though, he had a different story to tell. Sean had finally started his own restaurant. Business was going relatively well for a new restaurant, and he wanted to be a part of Aaron's life again. Especially when he heard Aaron had two sons now.
Erin had supported Aaron's decision to give Sean another chance. And she was glad for it, as the men were closer now than ever before. That was the reason why Sean had suggested he make them all a picnic and they meet up so he could speak to the woman who'd stolen Aaron's heart in person.
Aaron, Jack and Arthur had been so excited about it that Erin hadn't been able to admit it scared her until a week had passed. Since then, Aaron had succeeded in calming her down a little, but she wouldn't be able to let it all go until Sean showed her whether he like her or not.
"He won't think that. He can't, not with two boys hanging onto you wherever you go. Not when he sees how you instinctively reach for me whenever my ribs hurt so badly I can't hide it anymore. He'll see the wonderful, soft side of you, just like I saw it. He'll love you," Aaron finished, kissing her once more.
It was enough to make Erin's heart thunder a little less rapidly, even if it was still beating faster than normally. She no longer felt like a bumbling teenager who had finally managed to find herself her first boyfriend. At forty-seven years old, she should have been long past that.
Truth was, she wasn't. And that had everything to do with Aaron. Unlike he ex-husband, he respected her wishes. He didn't require her to agree with him on everything and he made it known if he disagreed with her. He was always kind and respectful, though. Her ex-husband would always say he was right, that he was more intelligent and that she was nothing but a trophy to dangle from his arm.
In short, this was the first time in her life Erin Strauss was in love. And in love with a man who deserved to be the keeper of her heart and helped her realize she was a good woman each and every day.
"We should leave. We don't want to be late. Are the boys ready?" Erin asked, turning around in Aaron's arms so she faced him. He'd opted for watching over the boys as they got ready as soon as Erin had helped him slide into his own clothes. It was easier for him, as the doctors had forbidden him from bending over. Not that he could, seeing as the pain intensified about tenfold when he did that.
"They are. They even packed some extra clothing in case they get dirty. And all of that in under ten minutes," he grinned widely. It was good to see the pain was finally disappearing a little.
Erin grinned as well, knowing the boys had probably picked up whatever clothes were closest when they opened their wardrobe. It didn't really matter, though. Most of their clothing would fit together perfectly, and if they didn't then it didn't matter. They did not have to look a million dollars to have fun.
She took Aaron's hand in hers, leading him into the hallway. Arthur and Jack were ready to head down, so she gestured they could. With their backpack dangling behind them, they hurried down the stairs. The adults followed closely, both praying neither would fall in their haste to make it to the ground floor.
Everyone made it to the car without accidents, which meant Erin could release the breath she hadn't known she was holding. As was the case since Aaron had gotten hurt, she slipped behind the steering wheel. In a few weeks, Aaron might be able to drive again. Until then, she was his personal chauffeur.
Aaron directed her on the drive while the children had a rather animate conversation about ball games. They both seemed to enjoy every game in which a ball was involved, whether it be baseball, soccer or basketball. Maybe that was just them being active, maybe it was them being boys, but it was adorable whatever the reason was.
Beside her, Aaron was watching them sign, obviously enthralled by the conversation. He didn't seem interested in joining in. Erin knew the feeling well; sometimes all she wanted to do was watch her boys talk and have fun, too.
It had taken her a while and multiple conversations with Aaron to get comfortable referring to Jack as hers. Aaron had loved Haley deeply, and she'd been terribly afraid that he wouldn't be comfortable with that. He'd quickly taken away those fears, saying that he knew letting her call Jack hers didn't diminish the love he still felt for Haley, and that Jack wouldn't mind.
Another few minutes later, she parked the car close to the entrance of the park they'd chosen for their picnic. Aaron was out of the car first, helping their sons out. The boys were immediately hopping around like a pair of rabbits, which was absolutely adorable. As soon as they reached them, they took Erin's hands in theirs and used them to jump higher than they could on their own. Since she was on her own it didn't make much difference, but the boys didn't seem to realize.
Aaron laughed out loud at their antics, which made up for not being able to hold his hand. As did the boys' glee, which meant the world to her as well.
"You guys really are getting too big for this," she laughed right before they turned a corner. Arthur and Jack didn't pay any attention to her, though, because Sean was there and Jack bolted straight for him. Arthur was on his heels.
Aaron used the opportunity to slide his hand in the pocket of her skirt farthest away from him. She pressed her lips to his cheek quickly, settling her arm around his waist. Happily, she let him guide her towards his brother.
"Hi, brother! And you must be Erin. Nice to meet you, too. I wish I'd been able to do this sooner, but I needed to find someone capable of not burning down the restaurant without me there. And trust me, that wasn't as easy as it should have been," Sean Hotchner said.
The man extended a hand, which Erin shook. It seemed Sean and Aaron were a lot more alike than they thought, considerate and gentle at all times. And that was only what she knew at that time, not even a minute into her first meeting with Sean.
Soon enough, the blanket was laid out and all the food was placed onto it. Sean had really outdone himself: several salads, a few kinds of meat that could be eaten cold, sandwiches and even dessert.
Erin enjoyed watching the people around her as they all dug into the food. She'd always liked it, but Gavin hadn't wanted her to indulge in it. With Aaron she was free to be herself and do as she pleased, as long as no one got hurt. And that was the way she liked it.
Erin! Erin! Jack and I are done. Can we play with the ball now? Please? Arthur signed, giving her the puppy dog eyes that she could never say no to. Aaron had picked up on that as well, and he teased her with it quite often. She never failed to smile and blush when he did that.
"Sure, you can go and play with the ball. Just make sure to stay where we can see you," she said as she signed. She didn't want to keep Sean out of the conversation, and Aaron had told her he didn't sign yet.
Arthur and Jack both kissed her cheek before disappearing, trying to decide what game they were going to play. Aaron's hand came to rest on her upper leg, and she covered it with her own immediately. She'd never been so touchy-feely before, but she wasn't about to stop unless Aaron complained. With the way he kept touching her, though, she didn't think that would be happening.
"Has Arthur been deaf all his life?" was the first question Sean asked when the boys were off playing. Erin had been expecting loads of questions about her and her relationship to Aaron, but it seemed she would be given a reprieve.
"Yes, he has. His hospital records show he was diagnosed as deaf when he was a few days old. Since he lost his mother the day he was born and his father was never in the picture, they tested for everything before he was put into foster care," she told Sean.
Sean watched the boys for a second, obviously processing what she'd just said. Aaron followed his gaze, smiling when he saw both his sons darting after the ball at high speed. Erin threaded her fingers through his, squeezing his hand lightly.
"He seems like a wonderful kid. It's awesome you two have given him a proper home. It can't have been easy growing up in foster families," Sean pointed out. The sincerity in his voice made Erin smile at him. Sean was turning out to be a very nice man, and she could see why Jack loved the man so.
Aaron was the one to address his previous statement, though. It was in his nature, so she'd expected it. He was very protective of both children, as was she, and it was difficult not to be too protective. They needed to discover the world, after all, and that meant they'd have to fall down in order to get back up sometimes.
"It wasn't. Even six months after his latest foster mother got murdered, he still has nightmares sometimes. He was shipped from family to family since no one wanted him because he's deaf. Rebecca took him in for the money and that was it. Erin keeps telling me nothing was easier than recognizing what a lovely boy Arthur is, and I felt the same way when I met him. That's why he fits so well with us," Aaron smiled.
"Yeah, you both look good with the kids. I'm glad Aaron found someone as strong and sweet as you, Erin. I always worried he wouldn't fall on his feet after Haley. But I think you're exactly what he needs. As is Arthur," Sean said to her.
As he spoke, Sean pulled both Aaron and her into a hug. He was careful not to hurt Aaron, but the gesture was a sweet one none the less. Erin easily returned it, squeezing him a little tighter to let him know how much it meant to be included by Sean.
"Hey! We want in too!" Jack suddenly called from where he and Arthur were still chasing the ball around.
His excitement was met with a chorus of giggles and laughter and before long, Arthur and Jack were hanging around Erin and Sean respectively. Jack still had his hand on Aaron's shoulder, but both boys knew they'd have to be careful and gentle when hugging him for a little longer.
Then, the boys switched and Arthur ended up hugging Sean for the first time. The man was apparently very good with children, because even though he probably couldn't understand a word Arthur was signing, he watched him intently and at least tried. That made Arthur like him even more instantly.
"He's asking whether you'll be around a lot, a little like Jessica is. He says he'd like to play with you from time to time," she translated. Jack could have done that too, but he shouldn't have to it his age.
"I'll be around as often as I can, buddy. Maybe we'll arrange for at least one meeting every month, would that be a good idea?" he asked, directing his words at both boys.
Jack immediately threw his arms around Sean again, while Arthur watched Erin translate before joining in. Aaron's rich laughter rang through the air at seeing his younger brother being buried beneath two children. Erin found the sight equally adorable and endearing, so she followed Aaron's example.
After that, they let the boys get back to playing while they cleaned up. The small gathering hadn't lasted all that long, just over three hours, but Sean still had work to do. He was hesitant to leave, though, as was Aaron. It was as much the love for his brother as the fact he was painstakingly bored now that he wasn't able to do everything he usually did on his day off that made Aaron behave like that.
There wasn't anything for it, so the men quickly embraced. It was a fast, manly hug, but the emotions were clear. After that, Erin gathered Jack an Arthur to say their goodbyes as well.
"Bye, uncle Sean! Please call soon so we can arrange another meeting! And maybe you can play basketball with us then! That would be so cool!" Jack waved at Sean as he spoke, making his excitement even more clear to see. When Sean opened his arms, Jack ran into them, and Arthur did the same.
Arthur signed his goodbye as well when they let go, telling Sean that he'd liked spending time with him. He also agreed that they should have another outing soon, and Sean promised he'd try to learn some sign language by then.
"So, I think I can safely say I won Sean's heart over. I didn't think I'd be able to do that. It took a few talks to get Jessica to like me. Then again, maybe that was because Haley was her sister," she said as Aaron pulled out of the parking spot.
"I think it was. Haley was always incredibly close to Jess. But I never doubted you two would get along just fine in the end. And about Sean, he's grown up a lot over the last few years. He made an effort, and you rewarded him. Rewards always went over well with Sean. I don't think that'll ever change," Aaron truthfully told her.
The man was smiling as he spoke, but there were some underlying remnants of the grieve Aaron had felt about his brother. Erin squeezed his knee lightly, knowing it would take a little longer to heal the hurts they'd caused each other, but hoping she would be able to help none the less.
If she'd looked at Aaron instead of focusing on the scenery after squeezing his knee, she'd have seen that gesture was all it took to erase the lines on his face. That that was all it took to ease his worry. As it was, this went unnoticed.
But that didn't mean she wouldn't figure it out. There were two boys on the back seat who had noticed, after all.
When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses. Joyce Brothers.