Fic: Protective History (1/1 Criminal Minds)
Title: Protective History (1/1)
Series: Of Innocence and Empathy
Author: Frogg
Beta: fluffnutter
Rating: FRT-13
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Damnit.
Author's Note: This will make no sense if you have not read A Dark World Dreaming.
As the fanfare signaling the end of the movie started, Haley carefully closed her book and set it on the nightstand.
The closing theme suddenly stopped, giving way to soft murmurs: JJ, Emily, Jason, Penelope.
Then Derek, sharper, warning; Haley slid out of bed, silk robe swirling around her ankles as she crossed to the bathroom. The bottle of mouthwash weighed heavy in her hands, heavy as the age-old memories of what--
Sounds of a struggle, someone falling, Spencer broken and desperate, raised voices and rushed footsteps.
She made it to the hall before the scream came, too high, too familiar. Caught in an eerie sense of deja vu, Haley fought the urge to cover her ears, Spencer's pain reverberating against her skull, echoing a cry deeper in timbre until the two became indistinguishable.
The rush of water through pipes wasn't enough to drown out Spencer retching, even beyond a closed bathroom door. It was too brief to even try, and then Aaron was there, eyes dark, glass in hand as he took the offered bottle over the stair railing.
The near-silence then was oppressive, nothing except Spencer's muffled anguish and Derek's rich sympathy and support.
"Haley?" Penelope's voice broke, expression stricken, tears shining stripes across her cheeks. "I, I'm sorry, I didn't, I don't--"
"Penelope." Haley stopped the tumbling rush of words. "This is not the time, and I am not the person," she said not unkindly, an island of calm. She glanced back at her husband, now waiting with forced patience for entry to the bathroom.
"You were expecting this," Jason rumbled in quiet accusation.
"Like mother, like son," Aaron replied blandly; the bathroom door opened and he disappeared before anyone could react.
Shock hung in the air, a heavy silence dragging on until it gave birth to a tangle of "Did he just--" and "I didn't know--" and "Haley--", Gideon's frown showing the crease between his eyebrows.
Haley watched, unperturbed, offering no answers to questions the rest couldn't finish, until Derek eased out of bathroom, closing the door behind him. "Would you go and get everyone's bags? I don't want any of you driving home tonight."
The naked relief on Derek's face averted protest; he swept the pile of keys off the end table and into his hand, making it to the front door just in time to hear the thump-slide of two bodies hitting the wall, then the floor.
Another keening scream stopped him cold, followed by ragged, choking sobs and begging apologies. "I'm sorry - hic - I'm sorry - hic - d-don't, don't forgive - hic - me, p-please, d-don't - hic..." clear and mangled through the walls, low murmurs unintelligible, soothing and constant, more thumps and bangs as Spencer lashed out, battling the spectres in his mind.
"Derek, go," Haley said implacably, watching every muscle tense in Derek's struggle not to run back to Spencer's side.
Resting one hand on the door, Derek bowed his head, then pushed off and twisted to look back at Haley.
"I'll call you when it's safe."
And Derek was gone between one muffled sob and the next.
"Before anyone protests, the last thing Spencer needs tonight is to have to wait for one or more of you to come back here if he has another nightmare."
Jason's brow furrowed. "You planned this," he said in gentle accusation.
"Like Aaron said, like mother, like son. I've been taking care of Aaron for a very long time." Haley stepped around the couch, taking her husband's cell phone from the end table and slipping it into the pocket of her robe. She looked back down the hall, listening to the now nearly-inaudible crying. "Come on, I'll make some hot cocoa."
Everyone's footsteps paused outside the bathroom door; it wasn't until later, as Haley poured steaming cocoa from a large saucepan into waiting mugs, that they heard the door open, Reid's cast hitting the floor heavily.
~~~the end~~~
Previous: A Dark World Dreaming
Next: Restore the World
or
Crack: More in the World
Series: Of Innocence and Empathy
Author: Frogg
Beta: fluffnutter
Rating: FRT-13
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Damnit.
Author's Note: This will make no sense if you have not read A Dark World Dreaming.
As the fanfare signaling the end of the movie started, Haley carefully closed her book and set it on the nightstand.
The closing theme suddenly stopped, giving way to soft murmurs: JJ, Emily, Jason, Penelope.
Then Derek, sharper, warning; Haley slid out of bed, silk robe swirling around her ankles as she crossed to the bathroom. The bottle of mouthwash weighed heavy in her hands, heavy as the age-old memories of what--
Sounds of a struggle, someone falling, Spencer broken and desperate, raised voices and rushed footsteps.
She made it to the hall before the scream came, too high, too familiar. Caught in an eerie sense of deja vu, Haley fought the urge to cover her ears, Spencer's pain reverberating against her skull, echoing a cry deeper in timbre until the two became indistinguishable.
The rush of water through pipes wasn't enough to drown out Spencer retching, even beyond a closed bathroom door. It was too brief to even try, and then Aaron was there, eyes dark, glass in hand as he took the offered bottle over the stair railing.
The near-silence then was oppressive, nothing except Spencer's muffled anguish and Derek's rich sympathy and support.
"Haley?" Penelope's voice broke, expression stricken, tears shining stripes across her cheeks. "I, I'm sorry, I didn't, I don't--"
"Penelope." Haley stopped the tumbling rush of words. "This is not the time, and I am not the person," she said not unkindly, an island of calm. She glanced back at her husband, now waiting with forced patience for entry to the bathroom.
"You were expecting this," Jason rumbled in quiet accusation.
"Like mother, like son," Aaron replied blandly; the bathroom door opened and he disappeared before anyone could react.
Shock hung in the air, a heavy silence dragging on until it gave birth to a tangle of "Did he just--" and "I didn't know--" and "Haley--", Gideon's frown showing the crease between his eyebrows.
Haley watched, unperturbed, offering no answers to questions the rest couldn't finish, until Derek eased out of bathroom, closing the door behind him. "Would you go and get everyone's bags? I don't want any of you driving home tonight."
The naked relief on Derek's face averted protest; he swept the pile of keys off the end table and into his hand, making it to the front door just in time to hear the thump-slide of two bodies hitting the wall, then the floor.
Another keening scream stopped him cold, followed by ragged, choking sobs and begging apologies. "I'm sorry - hic - I'm sorry - hic - d-don't, don't forgive - hic - me, p-please, d-don't - hic..." clear and mangled through the walls, low murmurs unintelligible, soothing and constant, more thumps and bangs as Spencer lashed out, battling the spectres in his mind.
"Derek, go," Haley said implacably, watching every muscle tense in Derek's struggle not to run back to Spencer's side.
Resting one hand on the door, Derek bowed his head, then pushed off and twisted to look back at Haley.
"I'll call you when it's safe."
And Derek was gone between one muffled sob and the next.
"Before anyone protests, the last thing Spencer needs tonight is to have to wait for one or more of you to come back here if he has another nightmare."
Jason's brow furrowed. "You planned this," he said in gentle accusation.
"Like Aaron said, like mother, like son. I've been taking care of Aaron for a very long time." Haley stepped around the couch, taking her husband's cell phone from the end table and slipping it into the pocket of her robe. She looked back down the hall, listening to the now nearly-inaudible crying. "Come on, I'll make some hot cocoa."
Everyone's footsteps paused outside the bathroom door; it wasn't until later, as Haley poured steaming cocoa from a large saucepan into waiting mugs, that they heard the door open, Reid's cast hitting the floor heavily.
~~~the end~~~
Previous: A Dark World Dreaming
Next: Restore the World
or
Crack: More in the World