dangerously ↝ a. hotchner

t w e n t y - n i n e

Spencer lifted his head up from where he was resting it on the couch as soon as he heard the front door slam shut. Had Hotch left again?

He ruffled Jack's hair and rolled off the couch, walking to the kitchen to ask Ana where Hotch had gone now. He wasn't, however, ready for the sight that greeted him. Aaron Hotchner was red in the face, practically shaking as he braced his arms against the kitchen island. Spencer could feel his anger radiating off of him from the entrance to the kitchen and unconsciously backed away from the seething man before him.

He didn't have the chance to get very far though because as soon as he took a couple steps backwards, Hotch lifted his head up and stared straight into Spencer's eyes. Spencer froze like a deer in headlights and truly feared for his life as his boss gazed angrily in his eyes.

"I'm gonna." He pointed towards the front door. "Go." He didn't even wait for Hotch to nod before bolting away from the kitchen, quickly saying his goodbyes to Jack and racing out the door.

He stumbled onto the sidewalk outside Hotch's building and twirled around awkwardly, trying to figure out in which direction Ana had gone. Down the street was a few clothing stores, and while he knew Ana believed wholeheartedly in retail therapy, she wouldn't be there now. In the opposite direction were a few cafés and, Spencer paused. An old bookstore. She would definitely be there.

He ran down the street, narrowly missing running into a few people who gave him weird looks as he raced past them. He ignored them in favor of actually making sure his friend was okay and hadn't been kidnapped again. He panted as he reached the entrance to the store, giving the sweet old lady who owned the place a small wave before walking in and looking for Ana.

He didn't see her in his immediate vision, but he rounded a few bookshelves and saw her curled up in a chair, a large book in her hands blocking her face as she read.

"Ana?" He asked softly as he walked closer towards her.

He noticed her grip tighten around the book and gently pushed it down to reveal her face. His eyes softened, fresh tears were rolling down her face, her nose was bright red and her eyes were slightly puffy as she cried. She understood that Aaron was grieving and irrational anger was part of the process, but that didn't make his words hurt any less.

"I-" she hiccuped.

"Shh, shhh." He shushed her gently as he eased himself next to her on the two seater couch she was occupying.

He wrapped his arm around her and she sniffled, not leaning into his touch but not pulling away from it either. He held her silently as she cried, only shifting when he heard her stop and wipe her face. She turned her head to face him and he sighed when he saw her eyes, fresh tears forming in them as she tried her hardest to blink them away.

"What did he say?" He asked after a moment of silence.

She shook her head and looked down at her lap, "It doesn't matter. He was right. I was trying to insert myself into his life. I was being pushy."

"You were trying to help."

"Maybe I shouldn't have tried so hard." Her voice broke as she spoke and Spencer could do nothing but watch as her heart slowly broke into pieces, wishing there was some way he could help her.

"Do you want to go back home?" He asked her gently.

She shook her head, "Can you take me to the hospital. I don't think I'll be able to manage if I sit at home and do nothing."

Spencer hesitated, wondering whether her doing work was the best idea right now, but he realized that she was trying to distract herself and nodded. "Come on, let's go."