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Aaron smiled to himself as he saw the familiar name flash up on his phone screen. He wasn’t surprised that Garcia had called her when he had been rushed to hospital. Aaron picked up the phone and lay against the pillows, still exhausted from the surgery but with a metaphorical weight now off of his shoulders. He knew that he had been suppressing those feelings for so long, choosing to not see what was right before him, trying to hide his fears behind excuses of practicality. Now he knew he had to be honest with himself, with her and help them both achieve the happiness they deserve.
After he got some more rest.
“Hi Emily,” Aaron said tiredly, whatever they gave him to help him sleep, he definitely needed more of it.
“How are you feeling?” Emily asked gently. She hadn’t expected the panicked call from Garcia to inform her that Aaron had been rushed to hospital with internal bleeding. Emily had made a point of making her own doctor’s appointment to get her own scars examined. Just in case Ian Doyle decided to take a leaf out of George Foyet’s book and attack her from beyond the grave. She wouldn’t put it past him. Ian was always petty like that.
“Well the internal bleeding’s stopped, so that’s good.” Aaron quipped and he could almost feel Emily’s eyes rolling through the phone. Her irritation at his attempt at dark humour was admittedly ironic, given that she had been the one to dress up as a zombie on the first Halloween after she returned from Paris. He and Emily had found it hilarious; the rest of the team… less so.
“Funny, is anyone with you at the moment? Garcia said the others are in Texas?” Emily asked. Aaron, like her, had a tendency to be a flight risk when in the hospital and even major surgery would not be enough to keep him in the hospital for long.
“They’re coming back tonight but Garcia was in this morning and Jess is bringing Jack by after school.” Aaron replied as he glanced back at the balloons that Jack had brought to him yesterday; his gaze once more on the plain red balloon that swayed on the worn string it was tied to.
“I can't wait to see him.”
Aaron looked towards the doorway as Emily made her way into the room, pointedly ending the call as she did. Emily tossed her bag onto the chair beside Aaron’s bed before she hugged him gently. Aaron hugged her back. He was both surprised and not surprised at all to see Emily and a wave of relief rushed over him as she sat on the edge of his mattress and smiled softly at him.
Before she promptly punched him in the arm.
“What was that for?” Aaron asked, rubbing the throbbing pain that radiated down his bicep and Emily rolled her eyes at him.
“Because I know you would have been feeling awful for days but didn’t do anything until you passed out. Right?” Emily stated and reluctantly, Aaron nodded. In his defence, he genuinely thought he had picked up a stomach bug or possibly food poisoning. “You know you need to look after yourself.”
“Yes Mother,” Aaron commented sarcastically. “Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be in London?”
“I’m the boss, I gave myself the vacation time. Clyde’s covering for me, he owes me a favour.” Emily replied flippantly. Clyde had also been determined to make a few pointed comments about Aaron before she left, the two agents having shared a mutual hatred ever since the BAU had arrested Clyde for attempting to escape during the Doyle situation.
“More than one,” Aaron remarked, unknowingly reaffirming Emily’s belief that the two hated one another. “Do the others know you’re back?”
“Garcia does, of course. Mainly because when she called to say that you were out of surgery, they were calling my gate over the speakers. I’m surprised she didn’t tell you.” Emily stated, the excited squeals had echoed in her ears until they had popped after the plane had taken off.
“She looked happy this morning but no, she didn’t tell me.” Aaron confirmed, he had assumed her joy was due to relief that he was OK and that the team would be home soon. He hadn’t expected, hadn’t imagined that Emily would come for him.
Maybe it was a sign.
“What is it?” Emily asked as Aaron looked thoughtfully at the balloon. The simple, round red balloon on a worn string which contrasted to the foil, colourful ones attached to ribbons beside it.
“I was just thinking,” Aaron said softly as he felt a rush of courage within him. He had a choice. He chose. He chose happiness. He chose courage. He chose Emily. Aaron took Emily’s hand in his and held it tightly. He could feel her surprise and shock in the initial stiffness of her hand before it relaxed in his and she held it back.
“Aaron,” Emily whispered, a faint pink blush on her cheeks as Aaron looked at their joined hands before he smiled gently at her.
“I’m really glad you’re here.”