HERE WE GO LAST CHAPTER PLEASE ENJOY
Aaron sat quietly next jacks bed. Jack was sleeping, for the moment. He hadn't been hurt thank heaven he was mostly scared .dharma was sleeping in Aarons bed. She had been bruised and scratched up but had also avoided any manger injuries.
The one who'd had it the worst was Beth. The Ashford brothers had tended to her wounds - enough to keep her alive, but she'd lost a lot of blood and showed warning signs of an infection. hotch had only left her side long enough to get dharma settled and help jack fall asleep, But now he needed to go back - to know she'd be alright.
He picked up his coat and headed out to the livening room. He stopped short when he saw dharma sitting on the sofa. "Hay" she said softly, he smiled warmly at her "hay" he answered sitting beside her. "I thought you'd be resting," she sighed "every time I close my eyes I see Jane" she admitted. He hung his head "I'm so sorry" he knew it wasn't enough.
She looked at him closely "your life gotten so dark" she said barely whispering. He shook his head "I wanted to make the world safer, a better place, but these people-" he swallowed thinking of the countless unsubs he'd hunted "they're in so much pain all they want is to destroy." dharma reached over and ran her hand across his hair "will it get any better?" she asked. He closed his eyes she knew about Haley she knew he'd lost someone in a similar way but she didn't want to bring it up.
He lifted his head "some days" he admitted. Most the time he could be clam when he talked about Haley, but he'd been so close to relieving that nightmare today that he couldn't keep his voice from shaking. "Still it's always there in the back of your mind, - in your nightmares." He said. She pulled him in her arms and cried into his neck he wrapped his arms around her and let her cry it didn't matter he cried too.
Reid and Garcia walked up the sidewalk to hotchs house. He'd asked them to sit with Jack and Dharma so they wouldn't wake up alone. Garcia played with a flower on her jacket nervously. "So this is his first wife?" She asked Reid nodded "she seems pretty nice" he said Garcia shook her head "yeah but is so weird hotchs secret double life?" Reid shrugged "its not really a double life hotch thought this part of his life was over and moved on to the next part" Garcia rolled her eyes "your taking the fun out of this."
They walked in the door quietly; Hotch had told them Jack would be sleeping. They turned the corner to the livening room and saw hotch and dharma crying. Reid backed up into the forayer it felt so overwhelmingly privet. Garcia glanced at him he shook his head there was no way to interrupt them that didn't feel hugely disruptive.
Garcia gestured and made signs at him that weren't any part of American Sign Language but Reid still somehow knew translated to "you're the genius think of something and get us out of this." He reached behind himself and opened the door again knocking on the outside of it "hotch" he squeaked out "we're here" he counted to three shut the door and walked into the living room as though they were just arriving.
Hotch and dharma had pulled apart and where whipping their eyes. Hotch grabbed his coat "thank you for coming" he said. "I have to go check on Beth" he headed out the door Garcia stepped in front of him "sir?" she asked he smiled at her weakly "I'll be fine Garcia" he assured her and left. Dharma watched him go and fell into a fresh wave of tears.
Beth sat up in the bed her head was killing her but she couldn't stand just laying here anymore. The more she thought about the last twenty four hours the worse it got. She'd been so frightened, and she was not someone who scared easy, but she'd been so sure she was going to die or jack or both of them, and Aaron who was Aaron? She'd been so sure she knew him she trusted him so much. .. .another thing she didn't do lightly, but she loved him and jack with all her heart could a name and a past really change so much?"
She looked up sharply as he stepped into the room he stared at her clearly ashamed "I'm sorry" he said softly. "I meant to be here when you woke up." he stood in the doorway unsure if he was welcome, she couldn't stand it. "Aaron I love you and I've had a lousy day, come hold me" she said. He relaxed visibly and crossed the room pulling her into his arms.
"I was so worried about you" he whispered into her hair she nodded "is this how its always going to be?" she whispered back terrified "being with you, are people always going to be hunting me and jack?" she sighed "and what if we have a baby what happens to that child?" she didn't shout it- she asked quietly into his shirt.
He sighed she closed her eyes and felt his chest rise with his breath she loved the sound of his heartbeat, always so steady. For a moment she almost felt safe again. "I don't know" he mumbled into her hair "I thought it was over after Haley it took years to feel like jack was safe, to feel safe enough to let you in my life . . . and now that's shattered too." she opened her eyes slowly "your worth the risk you know" she said.
Then she asked the question she'd been dreading since he stepped in the room "what about dharma?" his body tensed but he still held her "I love her" he admitted. She closed her eyes again and fought back tears she'd know it, of course, but it hurt so much to hear him say it. "I love you too" he whispered softly. "I know what I've put you through is so unfair . . . but if you'll let me stay with you" he cleared his throat "there's nowhere Else I'd rather be and nobody Else I'd rather be with."
Beth's eyes flew open "but- but what about dharma?" she stuttered out Aaron smiled "the life I had with her is over. Now I need to be here, now, in the life I've created with you and jack . . . if you'll let me?"
Beth bit her lip she'd been so sure he'd leave her. That nothing Else would matter now that he had a chance at his old life back again, but after everything he was still standing at her side she nodded slowly to happy to answer and pulled him into a tight kiss.
Three days later dharma stood overlooking the bay next to Abby and Larry. The last week had been a roller coaster of emotions for her and she expected to feel drained. Instead she felt alive. Abby leaned over and wrapped an arm around her "it's good to have you back" she said dharma smiled "why thank you" she teased "well where do we go from here?" Larry asked.
Dharma thought it over. She had no desire to go home the apartment was full of old memories of Jane and Greg, and even though Greg would always be a part of her and she had no doubt they'd be together in there next life they'd both agreed Aaron hotchners life was to dark and violent for her.
She didn't mind waiting for their next life they'd done it a hundred times before, but she wasn't about to sit around pining for him either. She smiled "I hear Malibu rocks this time of year . . . I could sure use a vacation."
THE END
A/N SO THERE IT IS. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED READING IT AS MUCH AS I ENJOYED WRITING IT. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WONDERFUL SUPPORT I'M FOREVER GREATFUL.
