The Last Best Days, Hotch/Rossi, NC-17 (6/21)

[innerslytherin]

Title: The Last Best Days
Author: innerslytherin and severity_softly
Artist: tli
Pairing: Hotch/Rossi
Rating: NC-17
Word count: 147,800
Summary: Futurefic--Shortly before Dave turns sixty, he is diagnosed with a grade III brain tumor. He and Aaron have to come to terms with what this means for their relationship. Eventually the team has to help Aaron say goodbye.
Notes: Heavy angst. Lots of medical detail. Character death. This fic would not exist without the extensive help, support, encouragement, and hand-holding from resolucidity, who served as our medical consultant throughout.

Master post



Chapter Six

The next day was Dave's first radiation appointment, where they'd been told he would actually go through a simulation so the radiology team could determine where exactly to administer the radiation. Aaron spent a lot of time in the waiting room and Dave came out feeling normal. For whatever reason, it left Aaron expecting things to be that way after every appointment, which made the following day worse.

Dave was flushed and unsteady when he came out to the waiting room. He sank into the chair next to Aaron's and wiped a hand over his face. "God."

Aaron watched him for a moment, wishing he could take this all away. He reached over and touched Dave's thigh. "I suppose asking how you are would be pointless?"

Dave uttered a little laugh. "Actually it's fucking embarrassing," he muttered. "I have to wear this mask, and I had a damn panic attack."

Aaron shook his head. "I'm sure you're not the only one," he said. He doubted that helped at all.

Dave grunted. "I would really like to go home and spend a while pretending I don't have to see those people again tomorrow."

"We can do that," Aaron said. He slid his hand up to take Dave's. "Are they done with you for now, or do we have to wait on anything?" He wanted to ask how it went, what the process was. He wanted to know exactly what they were doing to Dave, but he knew Dave didn't want to relive it just now.

"They're done with me," Dave said. He tightened his fingers around Aaron's and glanced over at him. "Take me home, please." He looked tired.

"There's nothing I want to do more," Aaron murmured, then stood and gave Dave a gentle tug, unsure how unsteady Dave really was.

Dave fell asleep on the drive home, looking startled when Aaron woke him in the driveway. He sat at the kitchen table while Sean made lunch, though, and they talked about places they'd always wanted to see.

Sean, of course, said France, for the cuisine, and he and Dave got into a mock-argument about whether French or Italian was better. Sean finally ended the argument by threatening to serve them nothing but French food for the rest of the week.

"What about you, Aaron?" Dave asked, smiling at him. "Where would you like most to visit?"

Aaron sighed and shook his head, smiling faintly. "We travel too much with work."

"Oh, come on," Sean said. "We're not talking work travel. We're talking 'sit on the beach with an umbrella drink' travel. 'Go searching for the Lost Ark' travel. You know, something for fun."

"Yeah, Aaron," Dave said, his smile turning into a grin. "You know what that is, right?"

Aaron gave Dave a mock glare, but the truth was that he'd never put a whole lot of thought into where he'd like to travel for fun. He got tired of traveling and liked his quiet time at home for the most part. It would be nice, though. "I... have no idea," he said, then laughed at himself. "I'd just let you pick," he said. "You picked the beach, after all, and I was perfectly happy with that."

"Hmm. Okay, how about this. If you had no time or money constraints and three weeks during which you weren't allowed to work, what would you do?"

"Is this really that important to you? I'm letting you have whatever you want," Aaron said, grinning.

"You do that anyway," Dave said. "I'm asking you to be selfish here." He grinned at him.

Aaron shook his head. "I don't know," he said, but thought about it anyway while Dave watched him expectantly. "No pressure or anything. I don't know, Ireland?"

"Is that a question or an answer?" Sean teased, and Aaron just flapped a hand at him.

Dave laughed. "It's a good answer. Ireland sounds good."

Aaron laughed. "I'll book our flight tomorrow."

"Mm, maybe not tomorrow," Dave teased. "Give me six weeks or so."

Sean shook his head. "You do know they eat stomach in Ireland."

"That's Scotland," Dave said.

"Ireland, Scotland..." Sean flapped a hand and Aaron recognized his own gesture aimed at Dave.

"This from the chef in the family," he said, grinning at his bother.

Dave snickered. "Well, clearly the man's a sub-par chef," he said. "After all, he thinks French is better than Italian."

"Shut up, or I'll make you cook," Sean retorted.



After lunch, Dave said he was going to lie down for a while. His tone wasn't suggestive, so Aaron didn't invite himself along, but after a while, he started wondering if Dave was really as all right as he was pretending.

When Aaron pushed the door open to the bedroom, the lights were all out. He crossed the room and climbed in to bed next to the Dave-shaped lump under the covers, resting a hand gently against Dave's chest. He didn't speak, in case Dave wanted to sleep, but he watched Dave for a moment for any indication he was in pain.

"You know me too well," Dave said finally. He sounded tired but not sleepy, and he shifted to press against Aaron. "Thanks."

"For coming?" Aaron murmured. "It was selfish. I missed you." It wasn't true, and Aaron knew Dave would know that.

Dave chuckled and kissed his jaw, then sighed. "I panicked today. Just...they lowered that mask over my face, and I knew damn well what it was for, but..." He shifted. "I just couldn't breathe."

Aaron nodded, then stroked his hand down Dave's side, hoping the gesture was calming. He wasn't sure what to say... but he also wasn't sure if he was supposed to say anything, or just listen.

"I don't know what happened," Dave murmured, his fingers sliding up to rest on Aaron's chest. "Maybe it was just everything." He took a few breaths. "She was nice about it. Said it happens a lot."

"You're under a lot of stress," Aaron whispered. He felt like he was going to suffocate from time to time dealing with all of this, and he wasn't the one getting his head cut open and radiated. "You know what that can do to people," he added, hoping Dave would keep talking.

Dave let out a long breath. "I'm so Goddamned scared, Aaron," he whispered finally. "I'm not giving up, but...sometimes I feel like this fear is gnawing at my stomach." He shuddered and fell silent.

Aaron sighed and pulled Dave gently closer, pressing a kiss to Dave's neck and stroking his hand along Dave back. "I'm with you through this whole thing. I'm... I'm scared too, but Dr. Morgan said you're going to be fine, and I'm with you."

"Thank God," Dave said raggedly. "I wouldn't make it through this without you." He was clinging to Aaron, his fingers wrapped in Aaron's shirt.

"Yes you would," Aaron whispered, his lips curling into a sad smile in spite of himself. "You're a stubborn jackass, remember?" He held Dave a little tighter.

"Even stubborn jackasses need solid ground to stand on," Dave muttered. He kissed Aaron's jaw. They had to be more careful about how they fit together these days, thanks to Dave's still-healing incisions, but Dave didn't seem to care about that right now.

Aaron let out a slow breath, wishing there was more he could do to make Dave feel safer, which was probably ridiculous given what Dave had just said. "I love you," he whispered. "So much. Not going to have to do any of this alone."

"I know." Dave took a breath. "I know. I have you."

"Always," Aaron said, and kissed Dave's forehead. "You should sleep." He didn't move, making it clear he would stay if Dave wanted him to.

Dave hummed. "Stay," he requested, as Aaron had known he would. He fell silent, but Aaron could feel he was still awake, still tense.

Aaron didn't say anything. He just stroked Dave's arm and chest, trying to relax him. After a few moments, Aaron shifted to pull off his shirt and pants, and rested back next to Dave in his boxers. "What can I do? Do you need anything for pain?" he whispered.

"I just want you here," Dave murmured. He tugged Aaron close for a kiss, then settled back down. This time he relaxed a little almost at once, his fingers resting against Aaron's chest.

"Okay," Aaron whispered, and closed his eyes.

They lay together in silence after that, Aaron holding Dave tightly and stroking his skin and hair. After a while, he felt Dave's breathing deepen, and his lover rested more heavily against him. He waited until he thought Dave was sleeping deeply enough that he wouldn't wake when Aaron left. Then he eased himself out of bed and dressed again, and headed out to the living room.

Sean was watching a cooking show with the sound turned down. He looked up when Aaron walked in. "How's he feeling?"

Aaron thought for a moment, then said, "Okay." He collapsed on the other end of the couch and slouched, staring at the TV without really watching it. "He's... tired."

Sean grunted. He was silent for a moment, then said, "How are you feeling?"

"What are you watching?" Aaron said casually. He knew Sean was going to see right through it, and he had a feeling Sean wouldn't let it go, but it was worth a try.

"Nothing important," Sean said, and flipped the TV off. "How are you feeling, Aaron? Are you doing okay?"

Aaron drew a slow breath, pressing his lips together. He was silent for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I'm okay." He huffed a breath of a laugh. "I'm okay."

"Aaron." Sean looked hard at him, studying his expression. "Come on, it's just us here. I'm not going to go run and tell Dave what you say."

Aaron clenched his jaw for a moment. He didn't really want to let go of what he was feeling, but he knew he shouldn't hold on to it either. "I don't know what to do," he admitted after a moment. "I feel helpless." Those words were nearly enough to make him angry at the whole situation.

Sean nodded. "Yeah." He waited, but when Aaron didn't speak again, finally said, "What else?"

"I can negotiate with an unsub; I can't negotiate with a tumor." Aaron glanced at Sean. "That isn't bad enough?" he asked.

"It's bad," Sean agreed grimly. He hesitated, then said slowly, "I keep thinking about Dad."

Aaron's lips parted in surprise, but his expression stayed calm. It betrayed how sick he suddenly felt. Why hadn't that even crossed his mind? Maybe he hadn't wanted it to. He looked away and crossed his arms over himself. "I think Dave might be offended."

Sean barked a laugh. "Probably," he said. Aaron heard him sigh. "I don't know, it's just...I know it was a long time ago, and chemo works better these days. But... Hell, I have friends living with HIV who are better off than Dad was during his treatment. Sorry. You probably don't need to hear that."

Aaron breathed a tiny laugh, but his eyes were stinging. "No, I really didn't." He looked up at the ceiling and willed himself not to break down. "Dad got better, though."

"Yeah." The couch shifted and then his brother was gripping his hand. "Dave'll get better too. He will."

Aaron swallowed hard. "I know he will." Aaron closed his eyes and dropped his head into his other hand. He'd been so convinced the man he'd come to just call 'Dad' would be a monster just like his biological father that he'd believed all the rumors that Daniel Hotchner was unfaithful to his mother. He'd never forget the guilt when he'd discovered his Dad was just very sick, a guilt that had carried over throughout the entire course of his Dad's treatment.

God damn Sean for hashing this up.

"He'd better," Aaron finally said after a moment.

Sean patted Aaron awkwardly on the back. They weren't much of a huggy family, but just the fact that Sean was trying showed how much he cared about Aaron and Dave both. "I'm sorry," Sean muttered. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"It's fine." Aaron sighed and sat up, staring ahead. After a long pause, he glanced at Sean. "Do you even remember much of that?"

Sean shrugged. "Not much. I remember Dad being gone a lot. I remember you and Mom being sad. And you being angry." He looked sideways at Aaron.

"Sorry," Aaron murmured. It was probably ridiculous to say that now, but there wasn't much else to say.

"For what?" Sean asked. "I'm pretty sure you don't have to apologize for being angry at cancer." He sighed. "God, this sucks."

Aaron laughed. "That's not what I'm sorry about, and yes it does." His smile faded and he rubbed a hand over his face.

"Have you, uh, told Mom about any of this?"

"Yeah," Aaron said. "You know she's never liked that I'm with Dave."

"I would hope to God she could get beyond that to at least be supportive," Sean muttered, though he didn't really sound hopeful.

"She said she was sorry to hear it. And I'm sure she doesn't want me to have to deal with this, but I don't think she's ever going to get beyond it." Aaron shook his head. "She probably thinks I'd be better off without him," he said, and then was almost surprised at the shock of guilt and fear that ran through him at just the thought of Dave not making it through this.

"Don't even think that," Sean said. "Maybe you're right, but don't think it." He gripped Aaron's wrist tightly. "Haley and I will make up for her." Then he laughed shortly. "Who'd ever have thought Haley and I could get along for any reason?"

Aaron laughed too. "Un miracolo scopante," he said, in a poor imitation of an Italian accent. "'A fucking miracle'. It's what Papa Rossi said about Dave finding anyone who could put up with him the older and more stubborn he got, but I think it applies to you two as well."

Sean gave a genuine laugh this time, staring at Aaron. "Wow, no wonder Dave's the way he is. Hey, are any of his people coming to help out? Do you need me to take more than just this week off?"

"They'll be down next week. His parents wanted to come sooner, but they aren't traveling well these days, so they were waiting for Felicia and Georgie, and Felicia's girlfriend, to be able to take off." Aaron looked at Sean. "You can stay as long as you want, though. I know you can't be away from work too long, but you know..."

Sean shrugged. "I don't want to crowd you guys. Anyway, as long as you'll have someone here to help out, that's what matters. Just let me know the next time you need some help around the place, and I'll come back." His expression grew more serious. "I like Dave, and I think he's good for you. He's part of the family, and I hope you get how important that is to me."

Aaron nodded. "Thank you. I hope you know how much I appreciated that you never flinched when we told you about us." So many people had weird and painful reactions, everything from utter shock and disbelief to anger. Sean was the only one in Aaron's family that hadn't reacted in any sort of uncomfortable way. Aside from the teasing, but that was all good-natured.

"Hey, you're my brother. We may have our problems, but I want you to be happy, no matter what it takes. And come on, I work in Greenwich Village." Sean gave him a crooked grin. "I've seen way weirder couples than you two."

Aaron gave him a mock affronted look, but couldn't quite manage not to smile. "What exactly does that mean?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing," Sean said, his grin widening. "Let's just say I won't even be surprised if you show up in black leather pants some day."

"Never happening." Aaron chuckled after a moment. "No matter how much Dave begs," he joked.


***


Aaron felt a palpable sense of relief when Dave's family arrived. Having his own family around had been a comfort to Aaron, but he thought Dave's closest family members would be better emotional support for him. Dave had tried to stay awake for their arrival, but radiation was really taking it out of him, and he'd ended up lying down just after lunch. The doorbell rang at two-thirty, and when Aaron opened it, Georgie Rossi grabbed him in a tight hug.

"Hey, Georgie," he said. He gave Dave's parents and Felicia a small smile in greeting over Georgie's shoulder, but noticed Felicia's girlfriend wasn't there. "Where's Andrea?"

"She couldn't get away from work," Felicia said regretfully. Georgie still hadn't let Aaron go.

"It's okay, she and Mary are gonna come down on the weekend," Georgie said. He squeezed Aaron, then finally pulled away. He had tears in his eyes. "You said Ed and Rosa can stay here, right?"

Aaron looked at Georgie for a moment, wishing there was something he could say to make this easier, but he just nodded and said, "Yeah." He squeezed Georgie's shoulder, then bent to hug Dave's mom who had walked up to him. He kissed her cheek. "Hi, Mama," he said. It had taken a long time to get used to calling her that, but now it seemed like the only thing in the world he could call her.

She hugged him tightly and murmured something in Italian that he only half understood, something to do with 'love' and 'son' and 'good', but he couldn't tell if he meant him or Dave. Then she kissed him and cupped his cheeks in her hands, staring up into his face. Finally she nodded. "I'm always glad to see you, Aaron."

Ed held out a hand as soon as Aaron had one free. "Son," he said in greeting. "Is Davey resting?"

"Yes. He tried to stay up for you all, but he needed to lie down." He ushered them all inside, accepting a warm embrace from Felicia as she came inside.

"Hey, we're family, he doesn't have to stand on ceremony for us." Felicia smiled. "We didn't get quite the early start we wanted to this morning. The hotel had power problems."

"Did he have a treatment this morning?" Georgie asked. He guided Rosa to a chair and helped her sit.

"Weekdays for about five more weeks," Aaron said. "Can I get anyone anything?"

"I could do with a stiff drink," Ed replied. He sat on the couch, rubbing his knees as if they pained him.

"Let me help you," Felicia said, heading for the kitchen. "Mama and I could probably use some tea."

"Thank you," he said, following her and heading for the drinks cabinet. It would be a scotch, single malt. He didn't even have to ask. Dave had picked up a lot of things from his father. "How have you been, Felicia?"

She sighed and gave him a tired smile, pushing her hair away from her face. "I'd be a hell of a lot better if my favorite cousin hadn't got himself a brain tumor," she said. "But good. Andi's trying to talk me into having kids, can you believe that one?" She laughed. "I told her maybe, if she's the one who gets knocked up."

Aaron laughed quietly. "You're not talking adoption?"

"Eh, it's still on the table." She snorted. "I shoulda had Davey donate some before getting radiated, huh?" She nudged him, grinning, but as soon as she said it, her eyes flooded with tears and she turned away. "God damn it. Sorry."

Aaron put the glass he was holding down, and quickly reached out to grip her shoulder gently. "Don't be. Please. We're all upset, and that's..." Fine? Okay? Aaron sucked in a breath and finished with, "Normal."

She shuddered and didn't turn around. "I'm used to being the strong one, you know?" she whispered. "But this is..." She took a deep breath and shook her head. "Davey and Georgie were the only ones who stood by me when I came out to the family. Davey's always been my hero. Fifteen years older than me, the guy who can do anything..." She turned around and looked at Aaron with eyes that were brimming with tears. "Part of me doesn't want to see him like this. And the rest of me knows that what I want doesn't matter a damn. I need to be here for him and what he needs."

"I'm glad you're here," Aaron said, holding her gaze. "It means a lot to Dave, but it also means a lot to me." His hand was still on her shoulder, and he rubbed soothingly. "The doctor thinks he's going to come through this okay."

"I know," she whispered, obviously struggling for control. She covered his hand with one of hers, squeezing. "I know." One of the tears slid down her cheek and she wiped it away furiously. "I just need him to be okay." Then she laughed unhappily. "I know, you need that more than I do. Sorry." She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes again.

"Don't apologize," he told her, then pulled her into a hug. He couldn't stand here and watch her cry like this, but as soon as he pulled her against him, she started crying harder.

"Damn it," she whispered, and tried to push away, but then she slumped against him and hung on, pressing her face against his shoulder.

"Mi dio, how long does it take to get a drink around here?" Georgie asked as he walked into the kitchen. "Oh, shit," he said, and turned around and walked back out. Oddly, it made Felicia laugh soggily. She turned her head and kissed Aaron's cheek, then pulled away.

"Georgie can't stand women crying," she said. "Not even his bitchy dyke cousin." She grinned shakily at Aaron and went over to the sink, where she splashed water on her face. "Okay. I know you're taking good care of Davey. Maybe I just needed to get that out."

"Anytime," Aaron said, looking back at the doorway, then turning back to where he was making Ed's drink. He felt a little like he needed a drink now, but he wasn't sure how appropriate that was. "I not sure I'm done falling apart yet either," he admitted, his voice teasing even through the truth.

"Just don't fall apart in front of Georgie," she teased back. "He might not be able to handle you crying, either." She filled the kettle with water from the tap and put it on the stove.

He smiled faintly. "I do my best not to fall apart in front of anyone." He shook his head. "Do you want something stronger than tea?"

"Yeah, I can see that about you." She studied him for a second. "Maybe a splash of whiskey in my tea," she said. "But I could definitely use something hot, and I know Rosa needs the tea. She doesn't travel well any more, and she's really worn out." She opened cabinet doors until she found a couple of mugs. "If Davey could get up for a little while, it would be good, because she'll probably lie down soon herself."

"I was going to go see if he was able," Aaron said, turning to look at her. He hovered for a moment, then said, "If you want to bring these out, I can go and check."

She nodded. "I'll take care of this. Don't worry about anything but Davey. I'm here to help."

He nodded. "Thanks." He headed out of the kitchen and excused himself from the rest of the family before heading to the bedroom, where he settled on the edge of the bed next to Dave. He brushed his hand over Dave's shoulder, wondering if Dave was sleeping heavily or not.

Dave inhaled deeply and then yawned. "Aaron?"

"Yeah," Aaron whispered. He stroked his fingertips over Dave's jaw. "Your parents are here."

"Unh. How long did I sleep?" Dave turned his head to kiss Aaron's fingers, then sat up slowly.

"Couple hours," Aaron said. "How do you feel?"

"Groggy. But not horrible. I should come out and see everybody." He was wrapped up in his afghan, Aaron saw. It was touching how Dave seemed to treat Penelope's gift like it was a security blanket. He ought to snap a picture with his phone sometime and text it to her; he had a feeling she'd like that.

"I'm guessing that's probably why they came," Aaron said, smiling and kissing Dave softly. "Mama's tired. Otherwise I would have let you sleep a bit longer."

"Wiseass," Dave muttered, and brushed a thumb against Aaron's cheek. "Okay, fine, where's my robe?" It was where it always was, of course, because a brain tumor hadn't stopped Dave from being a neat freak. Aaron let Dave precede him down the hall, where conversation died at their reappearance.

Felicia was sitting next to Ed on the couch, but she stood up when Dave and Aaron came out. Rosa set aside her mug of tea and said something in Italian to Dave, who replied in English, "I'm fine, Mama, they left some of it." He glanced at Aaron. "My brain, not the tumor."

"You're better looking after the lobotomy," Georgie joked, but his voice was shaky.

"Zitto, stronzo," Dave said, and Rosa made a disapproving noise.

Ed stood up and extended a hand. "Come here, son," he said quietly, and Dave went silent, then stepped into his father's embrace.

Aaron watched them for a moment, then quietly went to get an extra chair from the kitchen. He settled in it, letting Dave sit with his family.

Rosa was clutching at Dave's hand, and every few minutes she reached up to brush gently at his hair near the reddened hairless spot at his temple. Ed had retreated back to his chair, where his knuckles were going white around his glass of scotch.

"As if serial killers weren't enough," Rosa said, shaking her head. "Now you got to take on cancer too. Davey, you give an old woman heart attacks."

He was smiling at his mother. "I don't do it on purpose, Mama."

"I told the doctor to remove the trouble magnet while he was in there, but it's too soon to tell if it worked," Aaron said, hoping they would be amused and not horrified that he was making a joke.

Felicia and Ed laughed. Georgie tried, but Aaron could tell his heart wasn't in it. Dave grinned warmly at Aaron. "Probably didn't," he said, "but maybe the radiation'll throw it out of whack."

Rosa snorted. "You say things like that to shock me," she accused. Her fingers crept up to his temple again.

"It doesn't really hurt, Mama," Dave said. "Feels like a sunburn, that's all."

The room felt unusually quiet. Aaron was used to even small gathering's of Dave's family being filled with chaos. Now Felicia and Georgie were nearly silent, and he and Ed weren't doing much better. Aaron cleared his throat, wondering if he should leave them to talk without him. "Do you want a drink, Dave?" he asked, standing and moving toward the kitchen. He'd make himself one if he had to, but he had an overwhelming need to get out of the room for a few moments.

Dave looked over at him and smiled, maybe knowing why Aaron was really asking, but probably not caring anyway. "I could use some tea."

"What, you give up the coffee?" Georgie asked.

"Too much caffeine," Dave explained. "I'm supposed to cut back on that for now. Makes living with me hell, as I'm sure Aaron will attest."

"More than usual," Aaron said, then retreated into the kitchen, glad Dave and Felicia at least laughed.

He braced his hands against the counter and let out a long breath. He wasn't sure why he had expected this to be easier than his family. His family was more reserved by nature, but the sudden shift from riotous to uncomfortable conversation with Dave's family was far more jarring. Aaron closed his eyes and just tried to breath for a while.

He wasn't sure how long he was standing there, but eventually he knew he couldn't hide out all afternoon, so he poured him and Dave some tea, pouring some whiskey in his own, then went back out to the living room.

Dave was telling a story about something that had happened while Jack and Haley were visiting, and fortunately it had Felicia and Georgie both laughing. When Dave finished, Ed said, "That reminds me of the time you told your sister she looked like a clown in all that makeup...and then you fell asleep in the family room and she painted your face while you slept."

"Oh, God, Davey walked around for three hours after that with lipstick on, and he didn't even realize it!" Georgie cackled.

Aaron's lips quirked up, and when he gave Dave his tea, he leaned in to say, "Why haven't I heard this one before?"

Dave glared at him. "Because I thought we'd all agreed never to mention that. Clearly Georgie's just hoping I'm not strong enough to kick his ass right now."

"I've seen pictures, though," Felicia told Aaron. "Just once. Cindy took them before Dave woke up."

"What? How did I not know this?" Dave demanded, looking appalled.

"Tell me there are still copies," Aaron said. "Dave refuses to wear lipstick for me," he teased.

Dave raised an eyebrow. "Careful, they say behavioral changes are possible after brain tumors. I might get violent on you."

Ed made a noise that sounded slightly scandalized and yet somehow amused at the same time. To Aaron's surprise, it was Rosa who chuckled. "Oh, I have a copy," she said. "I'll make sure you get to see it, Aaron."

"Mama!" Dave said, looking at his betrayer.

Aaron laughed. "Are there any other juicy stories you all have kept from me for the past six years?" he asked, looking between the group.

"I think you probably know all of them by now," Dave grumbled. "We oughta tell juicy stories about Georgie and Felicia. Like that time Felicia decided it was a good day to go skinny-dipping."

The others laughed as Felicia hid her face in her hands. "Oh my God, Davey, don't tell that story!"

"You're lucky you didn't end up booked as a woman of the night, that's all I have to say," Rosa told her.

"At least you didn't have to go down to the station to pick her up, Mama Rosa," Georgie said. He looked over at Aaron. "Only when me and Davey got down there did we find out she was naked."

Felicia made a noise of protest.

"Buck naked," Georgie affirmed. "Twenty-two year old girl locked up naked."

There was more laughter, though Dave's parents were shaking their heads. Aaron noticed, though, that Dave looked oddly blank. A slight line had formed between his eyes, but he wasn't really engaged in the conversation.

Aaron's smile faltered, and then Felicia's did too, seeing Aaron. Aaron cleared his throat and tried to deflect, knowing Dave wouldn't want his family to realize something was wrong, though Aaron wasn't quite sure what it was yet. "How did you get caught?" he asked, trying to force his smile back and his voice normal, but by that time Georgie had noticed too.

"Oh, it was stupid," Felicia said, gamely going along with him. "One of the other girls had draped her skirt over a bush because she didn't want it to get wrinkled. And it caught the policeman's eye." She made a face. "I was so afraid Davey was going to be furious, but he could barely stop laughing long enough to take off his shirt and put it on me."

Dave tilted his head slightly, and Aaron realized suddenly that Dave was trying to remember. After a moment his lover's eyes met his, and the resignation in Dave's eyes sent a pang of sadness through Aaron.

Aaron smiled, relieved that Felicia was letting it slide, but then again, Felicia had outright told Aaron she didn't want to see Dave like this. Maybe she wanted to ignore it. "No one told me I had family with a criminal record. They didn't give you anything to cover up with?"

"They offered me a blanket," Felicia said, "and I told them I'd rather go naked."

Georgie dropped his head in his hands for a moment, laughter taking over again. "There, you see, Aaron? She's been rebellious from an early age."

"Davey?" Rosa asked, looking up at her son in concern.

"I don't remember this," Dave said finally. "I...remember there being a story about Felicia and skinny-dipping. I'm the one who brought it up. I oughta remember the story." He scowled and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't remember going to the station and giving Felicia my shirt."

Aaron watched as Rosa's eyes went glassy, and Ed put his hand on her knee. Felicia ducked her head, obviously hiding her reaction.

"It's okay," Aaron said, unsure what else he could say. "It could be a lot worse."

Dave's scowl deepened. "How am I going to go back to doing my job if I've got things I can't remember?" He massaged the bridge of his nose, then sighed. "Sorry. We wouldn't even have known about the tumor if I hadn't started forgetting stuff. Gena's birthday," he added, looking at Georgie. "I got an excuse now."

Georgie made a face. "You'll do anything to get out of being wrong, won't you?"

It made Dave laugh faintly. "Hey, I've always been like that."

Rosa sniffed loudly, and lifted her hand to Dave's hair again. Aaron averted his eyes when he realized she was crying. "My baby," she said, her voice shaking.

"Hey, Mama, it's okay." Dave wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "I'm going to be okay. I already promised Aaron. I've got good doctors." Aaron saw Dave and Ed exchange a look, then Ed leaned forward to rub her shoulder.

"He's obviously got good people looking after him, Rosa," Ed said. "And you're here now. You're with him."

"I can't do anything," she said, and then muttered something in Italian into Dave's ear. Felicia sniffed, then quickly excused herself to the kitchen.

"Dr. Morgan says he expects Dave is going to pull through this just fine. There's just... little difficulties," Aaron said.

Dave was looking after Felicia, but he patted his mother's back. "It's just like Dad learning to live with arthritis in his knees," he said. "It's something I'll adjust to." He laughed softly. "It's a good thing I've always been fussy about writing stuff down, huh?"

"Do you have much pain? I hate thinking of my baby in pain." She pulled back and put her hands on Dave's cheeks. "You are my precious boy."

He laughed again. "Not so much a boy anymore, Mama." He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "But I don't have much pain. Sometimes the treatments make me feel sick, and I'm tired a lot. That's all, really."

"I'm doing my best to take good care of him," Aaron said. "And thankfully he's been less stubborn about it than normal." He smiled faintly.

Dave leaned in like he was telling Rosa a secret. "I actually like it when he fusses, I just pretend I don't so he'll keep doing it." It didn't make her laugh, but her lips turned up a little. He kissed her cheek again. "I need to go see to Fel, Mama." She nodded and Dave got up and went to the kitchen.

Georgie looked at Aaron. "How bad is it? Really?"

"It's grade three, which is more aggressive, so that's why he's doing the chemo and radiation. He said this form of cancer has... tentacles, so it's not totally gone yet, but Dr. Morgan expects him to do well." Aaron glanced at Rosa, wondering if he should even mention the likelihood of recurrence, then decided against it. It would only make things harder on them all, and there was nothing good that would come of letting them worry over it until it happened. If it happens, Aaron told himself.

Georgie nodded. "There, see, Rosa? The doc probably knows what a stubborn bastard Davey is."

"Mind your language, Georgie," Rosa chided, but she looked more cheerful. She pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes. "Oh, my head is aching. I'm so tired."

"You ought to lie down, Mama," Ed said. "Aaron has the bedroom all fixed up." He looked over to Aaron for confirmation. "Maybe we'll both lie down for a while, yes?"

She nodded, and Aaron took that as his cue to show them to the guest bedroom. He and Georgie got their bags from the car, and when he had them settled, he came back out to the living room to find Georgie, Felicia, and Dave all sitting together. Felicia was on the couch with Dave, leaning against him.

"Mama decide to lie down?" Dave said, looking at Aaron.

"Yeah," Aaron said, and returned the extra chair to the kitchen before claiming the seat Ed had vacated.

Dave nodded. "Well, it coulda gone worse." He squeezed Felicia, who smiled shakily up at him. "Anybody feel like cards? Might feel you all better if I prove I've still got a better poker face than the rest of you."

"You wish," Georgie said, and Felicia laughed. She let Dave pull her to her feet and they went to sit around the table. Over the course of the afternoon, as Dave beat them all handily, Aaron could sense Georgie and Felicia loosening up. Late in the afternoon Georgie bowed out of the game so he could cook dinner, and they switched to rummy.

Ed and Rosa came back out for dinner, and they spent the evening talking. It was more comfortable with Georgie and Felicia back to acting normal, and eventually Aaron felt like Dave's family was beginning to deal with the situation.

Hopefully tomorrow after Dave's treatment they would be all right too.

Comments

[thelana.livejournal.com]

I think I kinda love the Rossi family.

"Never happening." Aaron chuckled after a moment. "No matter how much Dave begs," he joked.

Heh :)

I wonder if Haley ever feels a ping of jealous that Hotch is so readily giving up his job to take care of Dave. I mean, of course he would have done the same for her or Jack, but I can't help but wonder whether he would have missed it more.

[innerslytherin]

That's a good question, and I don't really know - it wouldn't surprise me if she felt a little jealous, though, since his job was the main bone of contention between them.

I'm glad you like the Rossis. :)

[thelana.livejournal.com]

It's strange. I'm normally not the kind to like OCs, but I have read a bunch of fics now with Rossis in them and for some reason they always work for me a lot. I guess because I come from a large (though not Italian) family so I guess you can never go wrong large and loud family clans.

[severity-softly.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I would like to hope that they've moved on by now. There also is the issue that Haley tried to forcefully change Aaron into the man she wanted, whereas Dave just got sick through no fault of his own.

Not that she may see it that way. Interesting question, though. I'd like to think she's big enough to not quibble over the past when a man is possibly dying.