Quite a while later Hotch and Callie were tangled up in her bed together. Hotch was stroking her hair and repeatedly caressing her back, as if he was trying make himself aware that she was really with him. And Callie just clung to Hotch.
" I didn´t imagine, this could be possible," Hotch said softly.
"What do you mean? "
"Falling in love with someone, you don´t know, or barely know. The first time I heard you in this bar, it was like you sung just for me. Right into my heart. You expressed exactly what I felt at that moment." Hotch kissed her gently.
"Callie? Oh, no. Don´t you cry. Did I say something wrong? I'm not very skilled in these things, I'm afraid. "
"It's not your fault , Aaron. You've done everything right." Callie sat up.
She touched his chest, "who did that to you, Aaron?"
Hotch took a deep breath. "His name was George Foyet. It would take too long to tell you all the details, Callie. He attacked me in my apartment and injured me. He could easily have killed me, but he wanted to see me suffer, Cal. A few months later he killed my wife and also almost my son. This was two years ago and... I...I actually died with her. Deep inside. I don´t know how to live anymore, Callie," Hotch almost whispered, realizing that he had spoken this words for the first time. And he also realized, the inner scars weighed much heavier than the outer ones. He stood up abruptly and went into the bathroom.
oOo
"Can I come in? " Callie asked a few minutes later and knocked at the door. Hotch didn´t say anything and she didn´t press him. How am I supposed to tell him, I´m dying, Callie thought. Aaron was so desperate. His sister-in-law had been right, Aaron was tired and burned out to the bottom of his soul. He longed for love and warmth, and he was hoping to find this in her. Callie stifled a sob. She went to the kitchen and turned on the coffee maker. The breakfast, Hotch did bring, had become cold. Callie wondered if the Microwave was able to save scrambled eggs and pancakes.
Hotch leaned with his back against the bathtub, lost in his own thoughts when he heard a sudden rumble.
"Callie?" Hotch stood up and opened the door. "Callie, everything ok with you?" Hotch was restless, there was no answer. He heard the bubbling of the coffee and glanced into the kitchen.
"Callie?! Oh good Lord!"
Callie lay on the kitchen floor, unconsciously and she was breathing shallowly. "Callie! Wake up. Wake up, sweetheart. Please." Hotch patted her cheek and she moaned almost inaudibly. "That's it, Callie. Wake up, come on. Callie, I'll call an ambulance, just stay calm. They will be here in a few minutes, all right?" He pressed a towel on the back of her head, Callie was bleeding, there was also blood on the stool.
oOo
"Aaron? " she whispered, blinking cautiously, the light was hurting her.
"Thank God. Can you stand up? No, wait." Hotch picked her up and laid her on the couch. "I´ll call an ambulance now, Callie. Do you understand what I´m saying?"
Callie grabbed his arm, "no hospital, ...ron. Dr. Malone. Please." Callie tried to concentrate, "...mber in the phone, cell...no...no hos..."
"No hospital, I already understood, love." Aaron grabbed her cell phone on the desk and searched through her contacts. Malone, Ike. Hotch pressed the button.
"Dr. Malone? Aaron Hotchner. No. We don´t know each other, it's about Callie Aimes, she just collapsed in the kitchen. We need help, Dr. Malone, Callie doesn´t want me to call an ambulance. Thank you, see you. He is on his way, Callie. Do you hear me?"
Hotch sat down to her and took her hand. "You need something? Can I get you anything? Callie, please talk to me." For Hotch it was obvious, Callie was groaning, she must feel pain. "I 'll be right back , okay?"
Callie groaned again, her head hurt so much. Hotch rushed into the bathroom and opened her mirror cabinet. There had to be something. Aaron found the Vicodin very quickly. It was prescribed by Dr. Malone. Hotch refused to think about what that meant. He grabbed the pills and poured Callie a glass of water.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered.
Aaron shook his head, "it´s all right, love. You don´t have to be. Here, I guess, that might help a bit."
Callie took two pills and drank some water. A few minutes later, the doorbell was ringing.
Dr. Malone was a nice, elderly gentleman in his late sixties, with snow-white, messy hair, he gave Hotch an attentive look. That had to be the man, Callie talked about. The affection had to be based on reciprocity, he looked very concerned.
"Where is she?" Malone asked.
"Callie is on the couch, Doctor. She's not good."
Malone nodded.
"Callie, it´s me, Ike. What are you doing, merely?" Malone checked her eyes with a little lamp. Callie turned her head away. "Light hurts, Ike."
"I know. You´ll will feel better in a couple of minutes, I promise." Malone filled a syringe.
"My leg, Ike. Didn´t feel it no more, I just fell down. I 'm so scared. " Callie started to cry.
"You don´t have to be afraid, Callie, I'm here." Hotch whispered from the background, with more confidence than he possessed. He could hardly breathe, fear was crawling it´s way into his heart. He watched Malone, checking some of Callie´s reflexes and finally, clutching the wound at the back of her head. Callie was almost asleep.
oOo
"You should get a little rest, too Mr. Hotchner. You look like hell, sorry to be so blunt."
He went into the kitchen and poured Hotch and himself a coffee.
"I'm glad, Miss Aimes has found someone. Callie is such a lovely person. I wish I could do something for her." He squeezed the mug into Aaron 's hand.
"How...How serious is this, Dr. Malone. What is Callie suffering from? Please?" Hotch asked, worried.
Malone was struggling with himself. There was the medical confidentiality, on the other hand, Aaron Hotchner clearly cared for her. A lot. Malone noticed, Hotchner was making up his own mind about her condition. He was doing the math, Ike was sure about that.
He sighed, "Callie is suffering from a brain tumor, Mr. Hotchner. She's been in treatment over two years now. The first time we were able to remove the cancer surgically. Apparently, not completely. Actually, all I can do, is take away the pain, Mr. Hotchner. I'm very sorry, I like Callie a lot, she is such a brave girl and she reminds me of my granddaughter Renée. She´s in Germany right now, Berlin Charité. But this is rather unimportant, actually. "
He glanced at Aaron, who just sat there, clutching his mug so hard, it broke in his hand. Hotch did not even notice that.
"Dear Lord, Mr. Hotchner," Malone said, frightened. He had to provide first aid for the second time. "I'm really very sorry, Mr. Hotchner," Malone said, after patching Hotch´s hand up.
"I don´t understand. There isn´t any treatment? Nothing you can do, Doctor, nothing anyone can do?" Hotch asked flatly.
Ike shook his head.
"Why?" Hotch wanted to know. He had to think of the last case, Lucy. One of the girls, they lost in Maine. Her parents asked him the same question. Why? Hotch had no answer for them, just like Ike now. Why? The word was hammering in his head.
"Can you stay with Callie? I need some time to..., I mean , I need some time to understand... this."
"Go, son. There is only the golf course waiting for me, and I guess, he´ll still be there tomorrow. Take your time, I´ll take good care of her." Malone patted Hotch´s shoulder, there wasn´t much more, to comfort him, anyway.
oOo
Jess was not sure why she really wanted to visit the cemetery once again. Somehow she had the feeling of being needed there. She saw him from afar, already. Hotch was sitting on the bench across from Haley's grave. It took Jess one look to know, that he knew. Callie had told him the truth. Oh Aaron, Jess thought. You of all people, you deserve happiness so much. And once again, he was about to lose everything. She sat down beside him and took his hand.
"Callie is going to die, Jess," he simply said. Hotch didn´t make any effort, to wipe his tears away, it would have made no sense, anyway. Now that he once started, he couldn´t stop crying.
A/N Thank you so much for reviewing, guys. I appreciate it a lot.