The Long, Lonely Road Ahead

The following events take place after Hotch’s divorce but prior to JJ’s giving birth.

Yes, I know it’s a Mary Sue in some ways, but it was fun to write, so I’m throwing it out there for you to read and see what you think.
Please, read and review. Or at least vote on this story. I know you’re out there…

The Long, Lonely Road Ahead

Chapter Eighteen

(“Are you all right?” JJ asked Morgan as he slowly got to his feet.
“That woman is strong,” he groaned, rubbing his neck. “I can’t remember the last time someone got the drop on me so fast.”
“She’s had a lot more training than any of us,” Rossi said.
“I wonder what Hotch said to her to make her give in,” Reid asked. Garcia looked at Prentiss.
“Oh, Reid. You’ve got a lot to learn—both about profiling and women,” Prentiss told him.
“Well, we’ve learned something about Hotch tonight, anyway,” JJ said.
“Did anyone else find that a bit embarrassing?” Reid asked as they all sat down at the table again.
“Uh, yeah,” Prentiss replied. “Just a bit. Anyway, where does this leave us?”
“We’ve neutralized the threat for now,” Rossi said. “Now we have to notify the DHS and the FBI in California. We’ll leave for the Redding office first thing in the morning.”
“Sounds good to me. I could use some sleep first,” Morgan said, rubbing his neck.
“Poor baby, hurt by the itty, bitty woman,” Garcia teased. “Want me to kiss it better?”
“Your cousin is a serious threat, Garcia, and don’t you believe otherwise,” Morgan said, as they walked out of the conference room.
“I know,” Garcia said sadly. “I just wish it wasn’t the case.”
“I know. Hotch will help her,” JJ said. “If anyone can, Hotch can.”)

He put me into the passenger seat and did up my seatbelt for me, as if I were a child and unable to take care of myself. Maybe I was. I certainly didn’t raise a hand to help myself. I didn’t want to. I was so tired. Too tired to care any more. The anger that had fuelled me for the past I don’t know how long still simmered in the background, but exhaustion now came first in a way I’d never felt before. I didn’t even notice when he started to drive us to his home. I just closed my eyes and fell asleep in the passenger seat of his SUV. When I awoke next, he was carrying me up the stairs to his bedroom.
“Where?” I murmured.
“Shhhh,” he said, laying me down on the bed. “You need to sleep.”
“Mmmm… Aaron,” I murmured as he pulled off my boots. Then I was asleep again.

When I next awoke, sunlight was streaming through the curtains into the bedroom. I was wrapped up in a blanket in the middle of the bed; Aaron was asleep in a chair in the corner of the room, a blanket thrown over him. He looked peaceful in sleep, as if all the worries he carried with him during the day were released for a few hours while he slept. The frown he usually wore was relaxed, and he was almost smiling. I sighed and sat up in the bed, stretching. He jolted awake, as if startled by the small sounds I’d made.

“You’re awake,” he said, stretching.
“Why did you sleep in the chair?” I asked with a yawn.
“It didn’t seem appropriate to climb into the bed next to you. You were so angry last night,” he said.
“You must have made a great husband,” I said sadly. “I’m so sorry it didn’t work out for you.”
“That’s neither here nor there,” he said. “What would you like first – a shower or coffee?”
“A shower,” I replied. “I hate sleeping in my clothes. Tell me there’re fresh clothes for me to put on?”
“Garcia sent over your things with an officer,” he said, indicating a couple of bags near the dresser.
“Great,” I said, sliding off the bed and digging through the bags for some fresh underwear and clothes. “Why don’t you make coffee while I shower?”
“I hate to disillusion you, but your being here means I’m going to have to stay with you as much as possible,” he said, sitting down on the bed. “I can’t take a chance that you’ll try and leave, try and get to the compound in California if I leave you alone at all.”
“You can’t be serious,” I said aghast.
“I’m very serious,” he said.
“Of course you are,” I said. “When are you anything else?”
“Come here,” he said, holding out a hand to me. I took it and sat down next to him. “I meant what I said last night, Terra. I’m here to help you.”
“And in the meantime… why don’t you shower with me? That way you can be sure at all times exactly where I am,” I said, reaching for the buttons of his shirt. I undid them slowly, one by one. He sighed.

“I’m not sure the Bureau would approve,” he said as I pulled his shirt open.
“I’m sure they wouldn’t,” I agreed, sliding my tongue over his nipple. He sucked air between clenched teeth. “But it does get the job done. And who cares if the methods are a bit unorthodox?” I rolled his nipple around on my tongue and then slid over to the other one. My lips slipped down his chest, sliding south to the line of dark hair that descended into his trousers. I slowly kissed my way down his flat stomach, my fingers undoing his belt and the button on his pants.
“Oh God, Terra,” he groaned. I pushed him gently backwards as I unzipped his pants and slid his boxers down to free his erection.
“If they call, just tell them you know exactly where I am and what I’m doing,” I murmured as I took him into my mouth. I slid my lips around his cock, my tongue sliding around the tip, applying just the right amount of suction to make him groan louder than ever. His phone went off. I chuckled around his cock, but kept up the pressure, my mouth sliding up and down his shaft. He groped around on the bed for his phone, looking at the number before reaching down to me.
“Stop. Terra, stop, please,” he moaned. “I have to answer this.”
“So answer it,” I said, coming up for breath. He tried to slow his breathing before answering.
“Hotchner.” I went down on him again and chuckled to myself as I heard his voice waver. “No, she’s right here. She’s fine… What? No, nothing’s wrong. What’s going on, David?” He put his hand across the phone. “Terra, enough! I mean it! What? Oh, uh, nothing… Don’t worry about it. Just call me when you’re on the ground in Redding. Right.” He hung up. “You don’t listen very well, do you?” He glared at me. I just smiled and went down on him again. He sighed, his hands in my hair and within seconds, he climaxed with a groan. I wiped my mouth and stood up.
“No, I don’t,” I agreed. “You needed that. You’re just way too uptight.”
“What I need isn’t the issue here, Terra,” he said, pulling me into his arms. “Somehow we’ll get through this. We will.”
“I’m not guaranteeing anything,” I said, pulling away. “Now, did you want to take a shower with me or not?” I pulled off my shirt and undid my bra, flinging it at him. I shimmied out of my jeans and undies, and stood in front of him, naked, one eyebrow raised in challenge. He stood up and peeled off the rest of his clothing, taking my hand and leading me to the shower as his answer.

We washed each other thoroughly, body and hair, kissing continuously until we were out of breath with desire. He pushed me against the shower wall, entering me slowly, my legs wrapped around his waist as he thrust into me, making me come again and again, his mouth hot against my skin. I bit his shoulder softly as I came, crying out against him, as he slid in and out of me. He came with a sharp cry and I dug my fingers into his back, holding on as he shuddered his release. He let me go and I slid down the wall, my feet touching ground again. I stood in the stream of hot water for a while, holding him against me, and then we turned off the water and stepped out. As I reached for a towel, he touched me gently on my shoulder.

“Sex isn’t always the answer,” he said softly. “It doesn’t solve anything.”
“It solves everything,” I said coldly. “But if you don’t want it, that’s cool.”
“I didn’t say that,” he said, reaching for a towel. “I just don’t understand how you can possibly stand it, after all you’ve been through.”
“Sex is what I know,” I mumbled, putting the towel over my head to dry my hair. Why did he have to ruin this? It was good, wasn’t it? “Don’t you want me?”
“Of course I do. There isn’t a heterosexual man alive who wouldn’t,” he said, reaching for me. I evaded his grasp and walked into the bedroom. “Listen, Terra, this isn’t about you and me.”
“Then what is it about?” I snapped. “You either want me or you don’t.”
“When you were being abused, being sexual and being good at being sexual was all that saved you,” he said, standing in the doorway of the bathroom. “You’ve learned to use sex as a tool, a weapon, so you look like you’re getting close, but you don’t really have to. You’ve learned if a man can have really good sex, he’ll often overlook everything else. Am I right?”
“So what if you are?” I snapped again. I wrapped the towel around my wet hair and pulled on my panties. “What is there to get close to, anyway?”
“Me,” he said quietly. “I’m not here to hurt you, Terra, and I think you know that.”
“You’re a federal agent, Aaron. Of course you’re here to hurt me,” I replied.
“You can’t really believe that,” he said, and I looked at him. I could see the hurt in his eyes.


“I can’t be here,” I said, frantically sliding into my jeans.
“You don’t have a choice,” he reminded me.
“There’s always a choice,” I said. “You might not think so, but there’s always a choice.”
“How? How is there a choice? There are officers outside, with guns, waiting just in case you try and leave. I’m here and yes, I’m a federal agent. I’m here to both hold you and protect you. You can’t leave,” he said, wrapping his towel around his waist. He stepped back into the bathroom to put on his deodorant and comb his hair.
“I can. I can’t be here. I can’t.” I could feel the panic rising up in me. I had to get out, I had things to do, I didn’t want to be stuck here. I needed to get out! I slid on my bra and a t-shirt, and shoved my wallet into my back pocket. I found some socks and my boots, and pulled them both on. Aaron stepped back into the bedroom. He reached into his dresser for a pair of boxers.
“You need to calm down, Terra,” he said, stepping into his underwear. I bolted for the door, taking the stairs two at a time to the front door. “Shit! Wait! Terra!” He ran after me in his boxers. I flung the front door open, only to find an armed man standing there, shocked to see me. I kicked him in the groin and leaped over him, running down the driveway. A second officer drew his gun on him.
“Stop! Stop or I’ll shoot!” he shouted.
“Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot!” Aaron yelled at him, and the officer looked startled to see his boss hurtle out the door in his underwear. “Terra, stop!” I turned to look at him. Something on my face made him stop in his tracks. “Terra, please.”
“I can’t,” I whispered to him. “I have to do this. I have to.” And I bolted into the street, cars around me screeching to a halt.
“Give me your gun!” Aaron shouted at the officer, who handed the gun to him. I slammed on the hood of the nearest Jeep and pulled the driver’s door open. The startled driver had no time to process what was happening as I grabbed him and hauled him out of his seat and onto the road.
“Next time, wear a seatbelt!” I shouted at him, as I jumped into the driver’s seat and slammed the door behind me.
“Terra, stop or I will shoot!” Aaron said, running towards me. I just stomped on the gas and screeched away down the street. The last thing I saw in my rear view mirror was Aaron in his boxers, taking aim and squeezing off a shot that hit the back of the Jeep, but didn’t slow me down. I watched him for a moment, and then concentrated on getting as far away as possible before I had to dump my newly stolen car.