The Nanny

9

Sorry that it's a bit late, but it's a biggie.

Let me know what you think and what you'd like to see next.
Should Jessica meet Elisia or what about some of the team?

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He'd not expected to invite her to stay for breakfast, but seeing her with Jack made him want to keep her around for longer.
She was her usual smiley self throughout breakfast, but she was mysterious, so far all he really knew about Elisia was that she was an English major here on a full ride scholarship, she was British and had spent time nannying. Why had she chosen to move so far away from her family? How at 21 had she amassed the grades to get a full ride scholarship to a prestigious university and work full time as a nanny? Hardly a full profile. If only he could get a look around her room.

It hadn't been too difficult to steal an invitation into her dorm room. Jack set the ball rolling and Aaron jumped on his suggestion, her bags were heavy after all.

College dorms it appeared had not improved over the years and the level of cleanliness left a lot to be desired. Early on a Saturday morning things were quiet, but he could imagine the party atmosphere had been in full swing last night if the amount of ties on doorknobs was anything to go by.

Elisia's room had been both a surprise and disappointment. It was quite spacious,much larger than the dorm room he remembered, it had been divided into 3 using 2 large kallax units, quite ingenious and obviously done by its current inhabitants.
The left third housed a makeshift bedroom for what had to be Elisia's room mate, decorated brightly the walls were full of photos and posters, the risk seemed to have been turned into a vanity, makeup thrown over it, disorganised chaos.

The middle third had been made into a small makeshift kitchen/living room with a small sofa, TV and coffee table to the front and a makeshift kitchen and bistro table to the back, Aaron noted the doormat and the shoe rack where Elisia had left her ballet slippers. This room was neutral, a memo board took up the majority of the wall, looking closer Aaron noted the recent photos, a social schedule and a random notes left by the occupants, few of which made sense to him, 'slay or die' and 'sashay away' being just two of them.

The third section was interesting, that had to be Elisia's area. The bed was pushed up to the wall, it had been made beautifully with white bedding and green scatter cushions and a throw. The bedside table had a small lamp and 3 books on it, the first a book of Shakespeare sonnets, the second was 'Of mice and men' the third 'gone girl'. Aaron wondered if her books were for pleasure or school. The desk was tidy and organised, as if someone often sat their go work, nothing was out of place.
Aaron noted the lack of personal objects on display, she didn't feel comfortable here, even in her own room she'd not got a single personal item on show. The walls were empty too bar 1 academic year poster which had been neatly annotated, no posters, no photos of friends, nothing. Elisia it appeared, despite her happy exterior felt very much alone in the world.
Aaron felt like he must be missing something, a piece of the puzzle he hadn't seen yet. Jack was buzzing around still, admiring everything, pointing out the microwave/hotplate combi. It seemed time to make an exit, so after a quick goodbye Aaron loaded Jack back into the car and on they drove to Jessica's.

Aaron was relieved to see Jessica was faring better than hoped. Her treatment was going well, the doctors were convinced they'd caught the cancer early and once she'd recovered from her operation and finished her radiotherapy she was hoping things would return to normal.

With Jack happily playing with his cousins upstairs Aaron fixed a coffee for them both as sat in the kitchen.
"So tell me about her then?" She dove straight in. Aaron knew it was coming, he'd previously said that Jessica should be a profiler, she could read people like most people read a magazine.
"Don't try to deny it, you don't make the cleaner breakfast and offer her a lift home." She had him.

"She's called Elisia, she's nice, Jack likes her a lot and she seems to be really good at taking care of him." Aaron chose his words carefully.

"Yes, yes, I know all that. But her ability to do her job isn't what's causing you to be so coy. You like her don't you, as in you'd like to date her." It was more of a statement than a question but he'd answered anyway.

"Like I said, she's nice. But she's also very young. And even if she wasn't she'd be way out of my league, and then there's Hayley."

"Hayley's dead Aaron." He tried to interrupt her here, but Jessica continued to talk over him. "She's dead Aaron, and my heartbreaks over that every day, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't move on. You deserve happiness and Jack deserves a mother whose hugs he can feel." She'd started to weep and Aaron felt his own eyes tearing up, Jessica was a good woman, he couldn't think of the words he needed, none seemed to be right or good enough, so he settled for reaching across the table and squeezing Jessica's hand.

The moment passed, Jessica wiped her eyes on her sleeve and took a big drink of her coffee. Aaron stared into the bottom of his coffee cup. Could it be possible, was he allowed happiness again? He thought back to breakfast, anyone looking in would have seen a family. But no, Elisia was out of bounds.

It was late when they got home, Jack had had such such a good time playing with his cousins that they'd stayed for tea. It had been a while since Jack had seen them, and truthfully he'd missed them. Before Jessica was sick he'd be with them whenever Aaron worked.

Jack had a quick bath and went to bed leaving Aaron downstairs, his head was reeling from speaking to Jessica about Elisia, and he didn't feel able to concentrate on any work. Instead he poured himself a drink, smiling as he thought about Elisia drinking his whiskey only the night before.

Rossi had text, he'd been on the lookout for wife number 4 for a while and wad planning to try a new bar tonight, Aaron politely declined but wished him look in his endeavour.

He had hoped that Elisia might have messaged him, he'd got used to receiving her updates over the last few days, but now she didn't have Jack there wasn't a need.

He decided to text her first, asking when she'd like to arrange a test drive in the car. When she didn't reply Aaron imagined her curled up on her sofa sleeping, like he'd found her the night before. Feeling disappointed at not getting a reply he poured himself a drink and tried to relax on the sofa.

Nzzz Nzzzzz Nzzz Nzzzzz

Aaron found his phone in thd dark and held it to his ear. Midnight calls weren't rare with the BAU but a call out at this time on a Sunday, it would be bad.

So he was shocked when the voice he heard wasn't JJ or Strauss, but a drunk Elisia.

"Aaron!" She sounded excited, almost as if she hadn't expected him to answer "I'm need a speak to youuu" and very drunk.

"What can I help you with Elisia?" He asked her, he could hear music in the background. She sounded like she was at a party.

"Shh, I'mma hiding shh" Aaron gave a half laugh, drunk Elisia was very dramatic.

"Why are you hiding? Are you alone?" As much as he liked drunk Elisia he was worried about her safety, he knew what happend to drunk college girls.

"I'm hiding from Carrie stoopid!! She said I can't call you or you'd know" Aaron was still non the wiser, and Elisia was not staying on track. Aaron listening as she flitted from subject to subject, quietly enjoying her new found openness.

Elisia was just explaing why she preferred brown eggs over white ones when Aaron heard a commotion on the line, lots of muffled arguing, quickly followed by a new voice,

"Good job Elisia, way to make it obvious you've a huge crush on him" She seemed sober but exasperated, he guessed this was Carrie and she'd found her.

"And you Aaron Hotchner," she directed her attention at him now "22 minutes and 35 seconds, you're obviously just as lovestruck. You can pick her up Monday after work for her 'driving lesson' I'll make sure she's ready"

Aaron could hear the heavy insinustion to that, before he could correct her she was speaking again.

"And don't worry, Aaron, I'll make sure your girl gets home safe."

Aaron put the phone down and turned over, he liked the sound of that, his girl.