Chapter 8: Why do you Have to go and Make Things so Complicated?

The room was dimly lit as the morning sun had started to rise. Aria slowly opened her eyes as she started to wake up. She frowned, realising that she wasn't alone in her bed. There was a strong arm slung protectively around her waist and she had her arm slightly on his chest while her head rested against his shoulder. For some reason, she didn't want to move. She felt safe.

It took her a while to fully wake up and realized that it was Aaron lying next to her. She shifted slightly then tensed up when she felt him move.

"Good morning." He said softly.

She suddenly pulled away from him which caused him to sit up. "Sorry." She said, feeling embarrassed that she had fallen asleep on him.

He realized this and was quick to assure her that it wasn't a problem. "It's okay." He said with a smile.

She nodded, running a hand through her dark wavy locks. "What time is it?" She asked, changing the subject.

"A little after 7." He replied. "How are you feeling?" He asked her.

"Better." She said. "My head still hurts a little but other than that I'm good."

He nodded. "Good. You look a lot better than you did last night." He said. He saw her frown then realized how that must have sounded.

"Thanks... I think." She said, with a frown.

"I just meant that you don't look as sick as you did..." He trailed off as he watched her raise her eyebrows. "I should just stop talking now before I make it worse." He said.

She laughed lightly. "It's okay. I know what you meant."

He nodded, glad to see the tension in her body dissipate, even though it was at his expense. "Did you sleep okay?" He asked.

"Yeah. Surprisingly I did." She replied. "You?" She asked.

"Yes. I did." He said with a smile.

They sat in silence for a minute before she spoke again.

"I can't believe you stayed here." She told him.

"Well, I said I would. Remember?" He said, with a frown.

"No, I mean here. In my room." She told him.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I guess I misjudged how tired I was. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." He said, feeling kind of silly for falling asleep next to her.

"You didn't." She was quick to assure him. "I was just surprised, that's all."

"You're sure?" He asked.

She nodded then stood up to use the bathroom but stumbled slightly as she tried to walk.

"You okay?" He asked as he gently and grabbed her shoulder to steady her.

"Yeah." She nodded then sat down. "I think I just stood up too fast. I'm fine." She told him. "I should probably take it easy though."

"Yes, you should." He said. "Hey, why don't I make us some breakfast? You should really eat something." He said while standing up.

"Oh, you don't have to. You should spend the day with your family. I'll be okay till my mom gets back." She told him.

"It's okay. I don't mind. I don't have anywhere else to be." He said cautiously.

Aria frowned. "I don't understand." She said, confusion evident on her face.

He sighed then sat down beside her. She turned to face him. He took a breath before he started speaking. "I wasn't completely honest with you about my wife." He confessed, looking out in front of him. She remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"Haley... She died a little over two years ago." He said, softly.

Suddenly, it all made sense. That's why he was able to stay over for the night; why he barely mentioned her and spoke mostly about Jack.

She looked at him, not really knowing what to say. So, she shifted closer to him until their shoulders were touching. "I'm sorry." She said sincerely.

He looked at her with a faint smile and gave a slight nod.

"And your son, Jack? Where is he?" She asked, curiously.

"He's with Haley's sister, visiting his grandparents for the weekend. So, I really have no where else to be." He told her.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before she spoke.

"You could've told me sooner, you know?" She told him softly. "I know what's it's like to lose someone you love."

"I know." He exhaled. "It wasn't my intention to keep it a secret. I guess I just panicked when you showed up at my office the other day." He explained. She nodded in understanding.

"So... Breakfast?" He asked, after a minute.

She looked up at him and nodded slightly. "Sounds good." She said with a smile.

"Okay. I'm just gonna take a quick shower and change." He told her then stood up. "You gonna be okay on your own for a few minutes?" He asked, concerned.

"I'll be fine." She replied. "Go." She motioned with her head towards the door.

He nodded. "I won't be long." He told her then left the room.

Aria fell backwards on her bed and closed her eyes, not even bothering to get back under the blankets. She was just about to doze off when the house phone rang. She groaned then slowly got up from her bed and made her way downstairs.

Grabbing the phone, she sat down on the bottom step and answered without looking at the caller ID, already knowing who it was.

"Marano residence, Aria speaking." She answered with a grin, a little out of breath.

"Hi." Aimee said, then laughed. "Did you sprint to the phone?" She asked, hearing her daughter breathing heavier then usually.

"What? No. Why?" Aria asked with a frown.

"Cause you sound a little out of breath, babe." She replied.

"Oh. No. I'm fine. Just walked down from my room." She said.

"Okay... I take it you're feeling better?" She asked.

"Well, I don't have the urge to puke at the thought of food, so..." She trailed off with a grin.

"Aria..." Aimee said in a tone that meant she was being serious.

"Mom, really. I'm fine. My temp's gone down and I'm less nauseous. I still have a bit of a headache and I feel exhausted, even though I slept through the night." She said.

"Well, that's normal. Your body's still recovering from the virus. So, please take it easy. And don't forget you need to eat before you take your meds. Even though you're feeling better, you still need to finish your prescription."

Aria rolled her eyes. "Got it Doc." She mused. "We were actually planning on making breakfast soon anyway."

"We?"

"Yeah. Me and Aaron. He stayed over last night, remember?"

"He actually stayed there?"

"Well, yeah... What, did you think he was kidding about that or something?" Aria joked but was met with silence on the other side. She frowned. "Mom? Are you okay?"

Aimee shook her head. "Yeah, sorry. I'm fine, just tired." She half-lied.

Truth was, her shift was awful. 3 people had died on scene, including a five year old girl and most of the other passengers were in critical conditions. Others were lucky to only have a couple cuts and bruises but were still traumatized by what had happened. One of her own patients had died on the table. A twenty year old college student, who was on a date with her boyfriend. A simple date night that had ended in tragedy.

"Okay..." Aria said, unconvinced. "When does your shift end?" She asked.

"Later. Around 8, I think."

"Okay. Well, you don't have to worry about me. Aaron said he'd stay till you got back."

"Is he there? Can I speak to him?

"Uh..." She started then turned around when she heard footsteps behind her. She gave him a small smile then stood up. "Yeah, he's right here." She said then passed the phone to him. "It's my mom." She mouthed.

He nodded then took the phone. "Aimee, hi." He answered then walked further down while Aria remained on the bottom step.

She watched him pace slowly as he spoke to Aimee, noticing his dark blue jeans, golfer t-shirt and sneakers. It was the first time that she'd seen him wearing something other than a suit and tie. He looked like a regular dad instead of an FBI agent. She leaned back against the wall, still feeling the exhaustion.

"Yes. That's right." She heard him say. "It's okay, I don't mind. Yes, I'll make sure she does. It's no problem, Aimee. Okay. See you then. Bye." He said as walked back to the stairs and placed the phone back on the hook.

Aria turned her attention back to him before she could fall asleep.

"Let me guess..." She started before he could say something. "She wanted to know if you were really okay with staying here with me and to make sure that I ate and took my meds."

"Oh, you're good." He said with a smirk.

She shrugged. "I try."

"You ready to make breakfast?" He asked as he held out his hand for her.

She nodded as he pulled her into a standing position. "Lead the way."

The next few minutes were spent in the kitchen as Aaron collected all the necessary ingredients, with a little help from Aria of course, as he whipped up some chocolate chip pancakes.

Aria sat on one of the stools at the counter as she chopped up fruit for a smoothie, while he opted for coffee. Aaron had insisted that she remain seated as she helped with breakfast, much to her annoyance, or she wouldn't be allowed in the kitchen.

"Do you need any help?" She asked once she finished making her smoothie.

"Nope." He said

She exhaled dramatically then started fidgeting on the bar stool.

He observed her with a smirk as he flipped another pancake. He was just about to turn off the stove when the doorbell rang.

"You expecting anyone?" He asked as he wiped his hands on a towel.

She frowned. "No." She said then got up and made her way towards the front door. "Are you?" She asked over her shoulder with a grin.

"Funny." He said as he watched her leave the kitchen.

Aria made her way towards the front door and opened it without checking who it was first.

"Daniel." She said with widened eyes.

"Hey there, Love." He greeted with small smile as he leaned in to hug her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, slightly surprised to see him as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "I thought your flight was only later tonight." She said as she pulled away from him so he could fully enter the house.

"I caught an earlier flight after your Mum called me. She said you were sick. Are you alright?" He asked, concerned.

Aria sighed. "I'm fine!" She exclaimed. "It's just a stupid stomach bug. It's not like I'm dying or anything!" She said annoyed. "I can't believe she called you. You were away on an important business trip." She said.

"Hey. It's okay. Calm down. You know how she is." He told her as he placed his hands on her shoulders, noticing how upset she was getting. "You're more important to me than some business excursion. Okay?" He told her.

She shook her head, refusing to look him in the eye. "Okay?" He asked again as he lifted her chin so she was looking directly at him.

"Okay." She nodded then exhaled slowly. "I'm sorry I yelled."

"It's alright, Love." He said as he pulled her into another hug and placed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Aria? Is everything okay?" She pulled out of Daniel's embrace to see Aaron coming out the kitchen, concern etched on his face.

"Yeah. Sorry about that. I'm fine." She assured him.

He nodded as he noticed the man standing next to his daughter.

Daniel watched his daughter's father move closer into the foyer and he unconsciously moved closer towards her.

Aria noticed the two men staring at each other, waiting for the other to speak.

"Right. You haven't officially met yet." She mumbled to herself. "Uhm, Daniel, this is SSA Aaron Hotchner. Aaron, this is ADA Daniel Mason." She introduced.

"Agent Hotchner." Daniel greeted as he extended his hand.

Aaron nodded as they shook hands. "ADA Mason." He greeted back.

They continued staring at each other and it made Aria dizzy. Great. She thought. They're using titles instead of first names. That's never good. The room filled with tension and Aria had to actually sit down on a nearby chair so she didn't pass out. Only then did they end their too long handshake and turned to face her as she leaned forward, head in her hands, massaging her temples. She could feel the headache approaching and she really wasn't in the mood for it.

"Are you okay?"

"What's wrong?"

She heard simultaneously. She looked up and realized that they were both looking at her, worriedly. My two dads, she thought. It almost made her smile knowing that they cared so much about her.

She nodded. "Yeah. I just feel a little lightheaded." And overwhelmed, she added silently. "I'm okay."

"Are you sure? That's the second time that's happened today." Aaron said.

"What?!" Daniel exclaimed. "Shouldn't we get you to a hospital?" He asked.

"I'm fine. I promise. It's probably cause I haven't eaten anything yet. And I haven't been able to keep anything down since yesterday."

"Okay. Well, breakfast is ready so we should probably get some food in you." Aaron said then turned to face Daniel. "I made way too much pancakes so there's over enough if you want to join us." He said as he looked towards Aria, then noticed how she tensed up at the suggestion.

"I'd love to but I need to get to the office." He turned to Aria. "I just came here to check on you and grab a quick shower. But I'll see you tonight?" He asked.

She nodded and Aaron could've swoon he saw relief on her face.

"It was nice to meet you, Agent Hotchner." Daniel said as he held his hand out again.

"Likewise. And please, call me Aaron. I'm off duty." He said as he returned the handshake.

Daniel nodded then made his way towards the cottage out back.

Aaron leaned back against the counter, coffee mug in hand, as he watched a distracted Aria push half of her pancake around her plate. She'd been rather quiet after Daniel left and he wondered what was going on in that head of hers.

"Are my pancakes really that bad?" He asked her.

She looked up from her plate. "What? No. They're great." She said.

"You've barely touched them." He pointed out.

She sighed then dropped her fork. "I'm really not that hungry."

He nodded, knowing that it was something more than that but decided to let it go for now.

"You and Daniel seem close." He said, hoping that it would get her to talk.

"Yeah. He's a great guy." She said with a slight smile. "He can be a little overprotective though."

"I noticed." He replied.

Aria shook her head slightly. "Of course you did." She said softly.

"I'm glad." He said.

She frowned. "What?" She asked, confused. "Why?"

"Him being protective. Means he probably kept all the boys away." He said with a smirk.

She laughed lightly. "Yeah. That would be putting it mildly."

Hearing her laugh made him smile. "I'm just glad that you have someone like that in your life, since I couldn't be."

She nodded, then shifted in her seat.

"You were nervous about us meeting, weren't you?"

"How..." She started then stopped as he raised an eyebrow at her. "Right. Profiler." She remembered.

He nodded, waiting for her to continue.

She sighed then ran her hand through her hair. He noticed that it was something she did when she was anxious.

"I just don't want the one thinking that the other is more important." She shook her head. "I don't think I could handle the two of you not getting along." She said softly.

"Aria..." He started but was cut off as he moved closer.

"It's fine. I'm gonna go shower and get changed." She said as she stood up and left the kitchen, leaving behind a very stunned Aaron.

What just happened now?

Aria leaned her head against her closed bedroom door and sighed. She couldn't get the look on Aaron's face out of her head.

Way to go, Marano. Now he thinks you hate him. She thought.

She shook her head as she made her way to her closet and pulled out a pair of pale yellow leggings and a white off the shoulder t-shirt with her favorite pair of Vans, then made her way to her bathroom.

She undressed quickly then jumped into the hot shower, allowing the warm water to cascade down her aching muscles, while she thought back to her earlier conversation with Aaron.

He was right about her being nervous, but not for the reasons he thought. Yes, she did worry that they wouldn't get along. That handshake alone told her the two of them butting heads would be inevitable. But what really worried her was what would happen after the fallout. Would she be forced to pick a side? And if she was, who would she pick? Daniel, the man who treated her as if she was his own flesh and blood, or Aaron, the man she recently came to know as her biological father?

Just thinking about it scared her more than anything. She shook her head as she tried to clear her head of all the thoughts running through it. She turned off the shower and got out, quickly drying herself off and brushed her teeth then got dressed.

She glanced at herself in the mirror. Her long locks were a curly mess and she did not have the energy to deal with it at the moment. She pulled it into a high ponytail, choosing to deal with it later. With one last glance in the mirror, she grabbed her phone and made her way back downstairs.

Aaron stared at the empty chair his daughter had sat in a few minutes ago. To say he was confused was an understatement.

Some profiler you are Hotchner. You can't even read your own daughter.

He shook his head then started cleaning up the kitchen to distract himself while she was busy.

Aria was just about to enter the kitchen when her cell phone rang. She smiled when she saw who was calling.

"Hey Danny." She greeted.

"Hey. You feeling any better today?" He asked.

"A little bit, yeah." She replied.

"Good. I'm glad." He exhaled. "You really scared the crap outta me, you know?"

She winced. "I didn't mean to. I'm sorry."

"I know. But you're okay now, right?" He asked, concerned.

"Yeah. I promise."

"Does that mean you can make it for our practice session?" He asked, hopefully.

She grimaced. "Sorry D. I'm still feeling a little nauseous. Dancing around isn't really gonna help with that." She said.

"Yeah. I figured. Just thought I'd ask."

"I'm really sorry." She apologised again.

"It's okay. It's not your fault." He said with a smile.

"So, how's it going?" She asked, cautiously as she walked back into the kitchen.

Aaron looked up and gave her a curious look. She gave him a slight smile and signalled that she'd only be a minute. He nodded.

She stood in front of the kitchen window, looking out onto the garden while she listened to Danny give her a rundown of what was happening in their latest practice session. From what he told her, it wasn't going well.

She sighed. "The showcase is less than 2 months away. There's no time to change the routines. We've barely managed to get to where we are now." She pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling yet another headache coming on.

"Alright. Put her on." Danny handed the phone to Izzy.

"Hey, Iz. Yeah. I'm okay. What is this about changing up the routines?" She asked then listened as Izzy explained it.

"Okay. Look, why don't you and Danny work on your routines separately. Record whatever you have so far and send it to me. Maybe we could somehow combine the two without having to change too much. Yeah. I'll see what I can do. Alright, can I talk to Danny again please? Thanks." She heard Izzy yell Danny's name.

"Please tell me you worked something out." He pleaded.

She laughed. "Yeah. Hopefully that'll prevent you two from killing each other." She listened to his response then chuckled.

"Hey, Ari?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really glad you're okay." He told her.

She smiled. "Thanks Babe."

Aaron looked up at her with a raised eyebrow.

She shook her head at him before ending the call with Danny.

"What?" She asked him after she sat down at the counter.

He shrugged. "Nothing." He said then took a sip of his coffee.

"Right." She said, unconvinced.

"Is everything okay?" He asked, referring to the phone call.

"Yeah, kinda." She said then told him about the showcase she was helping to arrange and how her two friends weren't getting along without her there to mediate for them.

"I still don't know how I ended up with two best friends who can't stand each other." She said with a shake of the head.

He smiled "Well, from what I heard you're a pretty good friend. To both of them."

She shook her head then looked away from him.

"It's true." He said. "Look how quickly you managed to come up with a solution." He told her.

She shrugged. "It's no big deal. I do it all the time."

Just as he was about to speak, his phone rang. He sighed then pulled it out of his pocket to check who it was.

"It's work. I have to answer."

She nodded. "I'll go wait in the TV room. Give you some privacy." She said then got up to leave.

"Thank you." He said with a smile. "Hotchner." He answered as he watched Aria leave the kitchen.

About 10 minutes later, he walked into the TV room to find Aria half sitting, half lying down on one of the sofas, watching some reality dance show. She looked up as he came in.

"Hey."

"Hey. You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah." She assured him. "Meds are finally kicking in."

"Ah. I see."

"You have a case?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No, but I do have to go into the office for a couple hours." He told her.

She turned back towards the TV. "Oh." She said quietly, trying to hide the disappointment she felt.

He noticed the change in her expression and instantly felt bad for having to leave. He sat down on the coffee table in front of her, purposefully blocking her view of the TV.

"Hey." He said, getting her attention.

She looked up at him with tired eyes.

"It's just for a couple hours. I could come back later if you want." He suggested.

She bit the inside of her cheek, contemplating his offer. She did want to spend more time with him but she didn't want to be a bother. He probably had other things to do.

"You don't have to." She told him.

"I don't mind." He told her with a small smile.

"Okay." She said softly.

He nodded. "Good. Is there anything specific you wanted to do?"

"We could go watch a movie, if that's okay. Or go for a drive. I just really wanna get out of the house for a few hours."

"Sure." He smiled. "Alright. I should probably get going." He said then stood up.

She made a move to get up but he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"You stay. I can see myself out." She was about to protest when he interrupted her. "You're about to pass out from exhaustion."

"I'm fine." She said defiantly then covered her mouth as she tried to stifle a yawn.

He raised an eyebrow at her.

She laid back down on the sofa. "Stupid meds." She mumbled.

He gave her an amused look. "Get some rest, Miss Stubborn. I'll call you later." He told her then walked towards the front door.

"Uh huh." He heard her reply sleepily.

He was just about to open the door when he remembered his car keys. He walked back into the TV room.

"Hey, have you seen my keys?" He asked then spotted it on a nearby table. As he picked it up, he realised Aria never answered him. He turned towards her to see that she was fast asleep on the sofa.

He smiled, grabbed the small blanket on the back of the sofa then covered her with it. Kneeling in front of her, he moved the few loose strands of her hair that had fallen in her face out of the way, then placed a kiss to her forehead. "See you later, Sweetheart." He whispered and was glad to feel her fever had gone down.

She shifted slightly but remained asleep. He glanced at her one last time then left the manor.

About half an hour later, Aimee quietly let herself into the house. She dropped her bags in the foyer then made her way into the lounge area.

"Aria?" She called out. "I'm home."

She frowned, noticing the house was silent. Walking further into the adjoining TV room, she noticed the TV on low volume and Aria sprawled out on the opposite sofa, peacefully asleep. She smiled then walked over, placing the back of her hand on Aria's forehead. She was slightly warm but she was pleased to see that her fever had gone down.

She fixed the blanket tighter around Aria then felt her shift slightly.

"Mom?" Aria asked, sleepily while sitting up slightly.

"Hey baby." She said as she sat down next to her. "Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay."

Aimee nodded. "You're looking better." She said.

"Yeah. Feeling it to."

"Good. I'm glad." She smiled, then looked around the room. "Aaron leave already?" She asked.

"Yeah. He had a work emergency but he said he'd be back later. We might go see a movie if I'm up for it." She paused. "That would be okay, right?" She asked, unsure.

Aimee smiled slightly. "Yes. Of course, tesoro."

They sat in silence for a while, watching re-runs of So You Think You Can Dance.

"How was your shift?" Aria asked.

Aimee sighed. "It was fine."

Aria sat up and turned to face her mother, giving her a 'I don't believe you' look.

"I lost a patient. College kid." She said softly, looking down.

Aria sighed, sadly. "I'm sorry, Mom." She said, placing her hand on Aimee's arm and her head on her shoulder. "I'm sure you did you everything you could."

Aimee nodded and smiled. It was so typical of Aria to comfort and reassure her. But she didn't deserve it. Not after what she did. How could she have lied to this sweet child of hers? Deprived her of a father. She couldn't understand how she could be so compassionate towards her after everything.

"Why don't you hate me?" She asked suddenly.

Aria pulled away so she could look at her mother properly.

"What?" She asked with a frown. "Is that want you want, Mom? For me to hate you?" She stared at her incredulously. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that. Even after what you did, I just can't." She stood up and started to walk towards the door.

Aimee stood up. "Aria, wait..."

She shook her head. "No, Mom. I'm exhausted and don't wanna fight with you right now." She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I'm going back to bed." She said then made her way back up the stairs.

Aimee considered following her but decided against it. That's the most Aria had said to her regarding what had happened over 2 weeks ago.

She sat back down on the sofa and curled up on her side. At least she doesn't hate me was the last thought on her mind before she fell asleep, exhaustion finally catching up with her.

"Tell me, Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?, I see the way you're acting like you're somebody else getting me frustrated..." Avril Lavigne - Complicated