Fic: Protective Wisdom (1/1 Criminal Minds)

[thefrogg]

Title: Protective Wisdom
Series: Of Innocence and Empathy
Author: Frogg
Beta: Nilandia
Rating: Mentions past child abuse. I hate looking the ratings up now.
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Damnit.
Pairings: Hotch/Haley, Hotch/Gideon
Word Count: 294
Author's Note: This is 8-12 months past the current run of OI&E, i.e., the whole fiasco with the end of The Evolution of Frank has been resolved (in some fashion). Gideon has been at his 'new'-since-The Fisher King cabin in Montana for a while.
Author's Other Note: This is an experiment in writing form (dialog only); please feel free to comment (love it, hate it, indifferent, go back to the old style you jerk, etc.). I may post a normal format version.

"Hotch?"

"Jason, it, it's--"

"Haley."

"..."

"Did something happen to Aaron?"

"He needs you."

"Haley--"

"I can feel him, Jason. I know about his father."

"Haley--"

"He never told me. He never had to. I can feel his need to control, and what it takes for him to not take it."

"..."

"It was bad enough after you left, but you had to take care of yourself first. But I, we, have Jack now, and I can't take us both away from Aaron right now. It would break him. I have to ask."

"Are you afraid of him?"

"No, God no, Jason, I don't even know how you can ask me that."

"Haley."

"Not yet, at least."

"When?"

"If I knew when you were going to be back, when you and Aaron would be back in the field...but..."

"But?"

"He needs you. He needs you now, whatever it is that you give him, because I can't. He needs me and Jack, too, but it's different. He's missing something I can't give him."

"Haley, Aaron told me the rules years--"

"The rules mean jack shit when it comes to Aaron's sanity, Jason."

"..."

"Jason, please. I made the rules, I'm repealing them. He needs it."

"It's that bad."

"Bad enough that I bought him a ticket to Helena tomorrow."

"You really think that--"

"I really think that we both love him, and that we both want what's best for him, and that this is the only way either of us is going to be able to live with ourselves."

"Does he know?"

"He's not so far gone that I can't push his buttons, Jason, he'll be on that plane."

"You're sure about this."

"Yes."

"What time's his flight get in?"

~~~the end~~~

Previous:  Controlling Compassion
Next:      An Inking of Empathy

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I liked the writing style; it took me 2 readings (it's late and I'm tired!), but once I figured out who was speaking I decided I liked not having details told to me but "hearing" them spoken. I don't know if I'd like many stories in this style, but it was a nice change. It seems to fit an emotionally charged story, like this one. Too many explained details would distract from the the conversation (and the angst!).

And I liked the theme also. The interaction between Haley and Gideon was natural and believable.

[reid-lady.livejournal.com]

I like the style for straight conversation. It works as long as there's a limited number of people, (I've done it with four) and you remember to give enough 'clues/identifiers' to who's talking. (Which you did.)

Instead of "..." you might try what's called an audible pause "um, uh, ah," they have no meaning but show the person is trying to think of something to say. I tend to use "I --.", "But --." or "You --."

Oh, I like the story, too.

[panijeziora.livejournal.com]

"I really think that we both love him, and that we both want what's best for him, and that this is the only way either of us is going to be able to live with ourselves."

i'm still not likinf haley, but you made me dislike her a little less :)

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

I like it. I'm curious as to what exactly Gideon does from Hotch--does he just give him a place where he doesn't need to repress his dark side? Or is it more complicated than that?

I'm also wild to know how they resolved the Strauss situation.

[sirkate.livejournal.com]

I think the dialogue only works for this section of the story, because it's a phone call-- dialogue only allows for switching viewpoints without any cognitive dissonance. However, as a general rule, I don't like dialogue only fiction. It doesn't involve me, doesn't make me connect.

[hangebokhan.livejournal.com]

Overall I liked the series, especially the reference to the 213 list (a fave of mine). I think I would have preferred to read this when it was more fleshed out as I am missing a good chunk of what would make this more of a story and less a bunch of interconnected drabbles but it is well edited and that alone puts it in my good books.