A/N: In response to Guest's comment as to the words I had Rossi say to Hotch, I typed in the American words for what I wanted into SDL Free Translation for the Italian translation, and what I wrote is what I was given. Also, I've been given both examples by people and decided to use SDL's version of the Italian words as it matched one of the examples given to me. And as for why I didn't have Reid respond to Jason's crack about Hotch in chapter 27, it didn't occur to me. But I do like it, so maybe I will use it later on when another meeting takes place between Jason and Reid if permissible. And I hope I got Jack's language all right as I cannot write children's dialogue.

Chapter 32

"Jack, let's go!" Jessica shouted as she slid the strap of her shoulder bag onto her shoulder. "We're going to be late visiting with your dad during visiting hours. And if visiting hours are over, you won't get to see him until this evening." Jess was well aware even if her ex-brother-in–law was sleeping, he would wake up to see Jack. But she also understood her nephew, and that he sometimes took his time unless reminded to hurry.

"Coming Aunt Jess!" her nephew yelled back, soon followed by the sound of stampeding feet running down the carpeted stairs. A breathless Jack Hotchner stood before his aunt wearing faded jeans and a red and black plaid shirt and white sneakers. "I ready," he huffed with a wide smile. Only trouble was the laces of his sneakers were untied.

Jessica chuckled as she shook her head. "You're lucky you didn't get hurt, young man," she said, "You forgot to tie your sneakers."

Embarrassed, Jack looked down and swung his little body back and forth. "I sorry, Aunt Jess. Yous said to hurry so I did."

"Yes I did say that. But I didn't think you would run down the stairs with your sneakers untied. Hold still." Jessica crouched to Jack's level and began to tie his laces as quickly as possible.

"Let's go, Aunt Jess," Jack urged squirming. "I wanna see daddy."

"All done." Jess got to her feet and took her nephew's hand. The two of them walked out of the door, and got into Jess's car for the forty-five minute drive to the hospital. Unbeknown to them, because they left when they did, they missed the dark car approaching the Brooks' house from the opposite direction. The logo printed on the side of their car said: 'CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES.'

"Daddy!" Jack shouted as he ran towards his father's bed once inside his dad's room, his aunt left standing in the doorway. As he stared down at his son's beaming face, a slow smile appeared on Hotch's face. And despite the cast on his left wrist and forearm, he reached out, and rested his hand on his son's head.

"Jack, be careful," Jess warned watching her nephew trying to climb up onto the bed to get closer to his dad. "Your dad's still recovering." She picked Jack up and sat him down beside his father. The little boy gently snuggled against his father's left side, mindful of the tubes and wires still present.

Hotch carefully pressed his son against him by draping his arm around him. He gently pressed his lips to his son's head. Jack looked up, his hazel eyes looking into his father's dark brown ones.

"Daddy, yous feelin' better?"

"I always do when you're here. I miss you so much."

"I miss yous, too, daddy. When yous comin' home?"

"Soon, I hope. But these Superhero hospitals are different than regular ones. The doctors here want to make certain you're completely fine before they release you."

Jack's small hand fisted Hotch's gown. "I love you." He studied the bruises on his father's throat which were now mostly greenish-yellow with a few a lighter shade of red. He touched one with a forefinger. "Does your neck still hurt, daddy?"

"Not as much as before," Hotch replied. "And I love you, too, buddy. Very much."

Content, Jack snuggled against his father's left side, gently burrowing his face into Hotch's side. Hotch kissed his son's hair again before he glanced up at Jessica as she sat down in the plastic chair.

"Thanks, Jess, for bringing him. I really miss him."

Jess smiled. "And he misses you something awful. He can't wait for you to come home." She glanced at her nephew and could tell he was sleeping soundly pressed up against his father. Hotch smiled, satisfied to watch him sleep. He faced his former sister-in-law.

"And I can't wait to be home. I am not only bored silly, but I hate not being able to go to work."

"So how are you really doing, Aaron?" Jess hoped to change the topic.

"I'm okay."

"Aaron, I've gotten to know you over the years. Ever since you married my late sister. Whenever you say 'I'm fine' you're really not. So cut the BS, and answer my question. How are you?"

Hotch sighed as he kept one eye on his sleeping son. "I still hurt all over, just not as much. Really." He lifted his eyes to stare at Jess. They conveyed what he was unable to put into words. He also didn't want to risk Jack waking and maybe overhearing.

Jessica pursed her lips and mulled over what she wanted to say next. "Aaron, I spoke with Dave. All he told me is that you were sexually assaulted." She paused when he grimaced at her admission. "Aaron, there's no need to be ashamed of what happened to you. What happened wasn't your fault. You had been drugged, and somebody took advantage of you for their own sick pleasure. You did nothing wrong, so don't you dare blame yourself."

Aaron hung his head. "How can you even stand to look at me after what happened?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

Jess gently placed a hand under Hotch's chin and lifted his head so he had to see her eyes. But he shifted his eyes to avoid hers. He was so embarrassed and humiliated.

"Aaron, look at me. Please."

Reluctantly, Hotch looked into her eyes. What he saw in them was compassion and love, and nothing else. "You and Jack are my family and I love both of you. Nothing will ever change that. You are a good and decent man, Aaron Hotchner. And I refuse to listen to you talk about yourself in a negative way. Do you understand me, mister?" She then gave Hotch her best version of the 'Hotchner stare.' And while it wasn't anywhere close to scary as his, she made her point.

Aaron studied her eyes carefully, looking for a sign she had been lying to him. He found none. But he still didn't like that Jess had been told he had been raped. He swallowed the growing lump in his throat and his eyes became moist. Jess is such a wonderful lady. She is too nice a person to tell me how damaged she finds me now. And you are damaged, Hotchner, no matter what anybody says. You're damaged goods.

"Aaron, did you hear me?" she repeated.

Hotch forced a weak smile to appear but didn't respond. Damaged goods, Hotchner. Jess studied his face and although she wasn't a profiler, she was sure he considered himself damaged and somehow to blame for what happened. Nothing was further from the truth. She let out a deep breath. For the first time, she feared that Aaron might be seriously affected emotionally by what happened. She also worried that his personality might change as well, and he was trying to hold it together for Jack's sake. And while it was admirable, it was obvious to her, that he was hanging on by a slender thread which was taut and frayed at best. She found herself wondering if he was even aware of exactly how frayed his emotions were.

Hotch knew exactly what Jess was thinking. He was aware he had been acting oddly since he was admitted. It caused him to wonder if his emotions and reactions had been affected. He didn't think so since the only reaction he had was when the male doctor touched him. And he didn't react to Rossi's touch. So based on that, he was positive he would be able to control his emotions and reactions. Especially around his son.

But suppose Dave was right and he couldn't. Oh God! What if he lost control around Jack? It would break him if he frightened his own son, and made Jack afraid of him. He was scared, confused, and unsure, things he wasn't used to feeling. And then there was that tiny voice from deep inside him taunting him.

He wanted so much to be home with his son. And he was aware Jess would be concerned about his behavior around Jack. But Hotch believed he would never hurt his son. But what if he couldn't control his outbursts? The prospect of going home suddenly left him like air leaving a balloon. He was totally deflated. With a quiet sigh, he focused his attention on his son, gently stroking his sandy hair, careful not to wake him.

With a shake of her head, Jessica struggled to keep a calm exterior if for no other reason than to keep Hotch calm. But inside, her guts were churning. She realized that if Aaron didn't deal with what happened, he would crash and burn.

As she crossed her legs, Jess leaned forward and rested her elbows on her thighs. Her chin resting on clasped hands. She had to phrase her next question carefully.

"Aaron, can I ask you a question?"

"What?"

"Have you…and don't take this the wrong way. But have you talked to anybody yet about what happened?"

Hotch refused to look at Jessica. Instead, he focused solely of his son, watching him sleep, marveling at the child's peaceful innocence. He remembered Rossi's warning that he would keep Jack away from him unless he spoke to a therapist and got help.

"No," he said quickly, and then realized his response sounded like a refusal. "What I mean is, not yet." He lifted his head just enough to meet hers. "I…that is…I'm due to see someone tomorrow."

Jess smiled a bit. "That's wonderful. It means you realize you need help to deal with this."

Hotch frowned. "Rossi decided I need to talk to someone."

Her eyes widened in surprise. How could Dave convince Aaron to talk to a therapist? Nobody talks Aaron Hotchner into anything. She knew that from personal dealings with the man. He was so stubborn most of the time. But she was also familiar with David Rossi and his influence over Aaron.

"How did Dave do that?" she asked.

"It's not important why. Let's just say he made an offer I couldn't refuse and leave it at that."

Jess shook her head and chuckled.

"I recall hearing that in a movie once," she teased.

Hotch rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and Rossi thinks he's the Godfather."

"Well, he is Italian after all," she chuckled. "But I don't care what he thinks. The main thing is you're going to talk to someone. I'm proud of you, Aaron. I really am."

"Proud of what, daddy?" asked a sleepy voice.

Hotch looked at Jack who was rubbing his eyes with tiny fists and then yawned widely. His tired hazel eyes looked lovingly up at his father. "What's Aunt Jess proud of yous for, daddy? Did you pass a test?"

Hotch let out a deep breath and grimaced, but hid his discomfort from his son. "Not really, buddy. It's a grown-up thing that Uncle Dave wants me to do to help me get better."

"Yous better do it then if Uncle Dave wants yous to, daddy."

"That's what your Aunt Jess and I were talking about before you woke up, buddy."

"So are yous gonna take the test?"

"What do you think, Jack? Should I take the test that Uncle Dave wants me to take?"

Jack scrunched up his face as he mulled over what had been said. A few seconds later, his face brightened. "Yous should do it, daddy. Uncle Dave wouldn't want yous to do something that would hurt yous. So if Uncle Dave says yous should do it, then yous should do it. Besides, you might get in trouble with the teacher if yous don't take the test. Please daddy?"

Hotch sighed. "I don't know, Jack…"

Jack sat up on his knees, hands on hips, and stared at his father with his best stare mimicking his father. "Don't you want to get better, daddy?" he asked.

"Of course I want to get better, Jack. It's just…."

Jess bit her lower lip to keep from laughing out loud at her nephew imitating his father. They were so much alike it was sometimes spooky. "I asked yous a question, daddy."

The corners of Hotch's mouth turned upward at his son's fierce expression.

"Don't worry, buddy. I will do everything to get better. And that includes doing what Uncle Dave wants me to do so I can get better." He kissed the top of his son's head. "I'd do anything for you. You know that, don't you? I love you very, very much."

"And I loves yous, too, daddy." The child grabbed onto the front of Hotch's gown, clinging tightly to it. He yawned again.

Jessica chuckled. "Somebody needs a nap seeing he didn't get much sleep last night." She glanced at Hotch. "He was awake and moving around in his room when he was supposed to be asleep. I asked him what was wrong, but all he would say is he was all right. I even offered to let him sleep with me, and he refused."

Hotch's face became serious as he stared at his son. "Hey, buddy. Why didn't you get much sleep last night?" Jack avoided his father's stare, but Hotch insisted. "Jack, I asked you a question. Your Aunt Jess and I want to know."

Jack hung his head. "I had a bad dream."

Hotch understood as Jack had had bad dreams off and on since Haley's murder. "Can you tell me what the dream was about, buddy?"

"I dreamed the bad man kilt you like mommy was. There was a loud noise same as when mommy was kilt. Then yous went away like mommy."

Hotch chewed his lower lip and glanced at his ex-sister-in-law. He then looked back at his son. "Jack, I want you to look at me for a minute." The boy raised his head and looked into his father's dark eyes.

"Did I do somethin' wrong?" he asked gently.

"Of course not, honey," Jessica reached out a hand and rubbed the child's back. "Why would you even think you had done something wrong?"

Jack could only shrug his small shoulders.

Hotch smiled. "Jack, I need you to listen to me. I understand that you remember what happened when your mom died. And I understand that you heard the loud noise just before it happened. But that's not going to happen this time. I am not going to die. Yes I was hurt and hurt rather badly this time. But the doctors have told me, and now I'm telling you. I will get better with time."

"How much time, daddy?"

"That is something nobody knows. You just have to be patient."

"What's patient mean?"

Hotch chuckled. He really loved his son's innocence.

"It means having to wait for something longer than you may want. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I think so, daddy. Does it mean I have to wait until tomorrow for yous to get better?"

"It may take longer than that, buddy."

"Oh." Jack sounded disappointed.

"But I swear I'm not going anywhere."

"Yous promise yous won't go away like mommy?"

"I promise. And you know I have never lied to you." He saw Jack's face brighten considerably and the child hugged his father tightly. Hotch grimaced from the pressure, but ignored the discomfort and wrapped an arm around his son. He noticed Jess reaching out, concerned, and shook his head 'no.'

"I love you, daddy." Jack suddenly glanced over at his aunt. "I love yous too, Aunt Jess." He didn't want his aunt to feel left out.

Jess smiled with tears in her eyes. "And I love you too, sweetheart. Always have, always will."

"All better?" Hotch asked his son shifting in his bed which didn't escape Jessica's observant eyes. The boy nodded enthusiastically.

Jess got to her feet. "Jack, we should get going now. Your dad's getting tired and needs his rest, and you are sleepy."

"Okay, Aunt Jess."

As Jack started to try and disengage himself from his father, Jess carefully picked him up under his arms, lifted him up, and put him down on the floor. She then leaned over the bed and kissed Hotch on his forehead.

"Get some rest, Aaron. We'll try and stop by later if we can."

"I will, Jess. And thanks for bringing Jack. Bye, buddy."

Jack turned away from the door and waved at his father. "Bye daddy."

After the door closed, Hotch allowed his eyes to stare up at the ceiling. Seeing his son always had a positive effect on him no matter how down he might be at the time. In fact, his love of Jack is what reinforced his commitment to his job.

Who am I kidding? I couldn't even protect myself against being raped. How can I protect Jack?

His eyes became bright with unshed tears. He blinked several times to keep them from falling. It was then that a different voice began to override the other.

'Pull yourself together, Hotchner. What happened to you could happen to Jack. If you give up now, you might as well lay down and die!'

Hotch blinked again and licked his suddenly dry lips. He glanced at the closed door and thought again of Jack. That was the key to pulling his tattered super-hero cloak around him. If he didn't keep moving on, he might just as well curl up and die. But that's not who he was. He was one who gave every last drop of himself to hunting down the monsters. And if he didn't, what had happened to him could easily happen to Jack.

The thought of someone molesting his son caused paternal rage to boil in him. Especially now that he himself knew exactly what it felt like to be molested. No. He'd make sure what happened to him never happened to Jack. What happened to him would bring the last bit of his will to live and fight on to the forefront. And he would fight with everything in him.