For the Love of a Daughter (A Criminal Minds Fanfic)

Chapter 27: Epilogue: Part Two

Two and Half Months Later

Aria leaned against the door frame and smiled in contentment as she took in the scene before her:

Jack and Henry ran around on the grassy area of the manor's backyard, kicking a ball around with Morgan and Will.

Daniel, Aaron, Rossi, Scott and Harrison stood on the far end of the patio deck, deep in conversation with beers in their hands as they manned the grill, occasionally arguing over who was the better cook.

Danny and Reid sat opposite each other at a small table, chess board set up between them as they silently focused on their next moves.

Emily, Izzy and Gia sat on lounge chairs overlooking the pool, their conversation mainly revolving around Izzy as she spoke animatedly with her hands while Emily and Gia watched her with amused expressions.

The rest of the ladies, Aimee, JJ, Penelope, Rachel and Jessica, sat relaxing, laughing and chatting on the patio lounge sofa and chairs while Aimee supplied them with drinks. Salads, side dishes and desserts had already been prepped, so they took the time to catch up and get to know each other a little better.

The only ones who weren't there were her grandparents and uncle. Ed and Giuliana were away for work; Carrie was back in Seattle, sorting out some last minute things before she could make the permanent move to Virginia; while Matteo was in Afghanistan, finishing up his last tour before he retired and moved back to the States with his wife.

After weeks of planning, they finally managed to get everyone together on the same day for a barbecue at the Marano Manor. By some miracle the weather was playing along and they could make use of the backyard outdoor area, which left plenty of space for the group of adults and kids to socialise in.

The past few months had been challenging but Aria had adjusted as well as she could. Her injuries were pretty much healed, leaving behind faint scars on her cheekbone and forehead. The scars on her arm and abdomen were more pronounced but easier to cover up with clothes. It was still hard for her to look at, though. She still had nightmares about how it was inflicted but seemed to be handling them a lot better since she started attending therapy sessions.

The weeks following her release from the hospital were the hardest. Her friendships with Danny and Izzy were strained. She was dealing with her anxiety issues on top of the uncomfortable pain of her injuries, which left her feeling miserable. Her family had been hounded by media outlets wanting to interview her for their next story. Apparently being the sole survivor of a serial killer was extremely fascinating to journalists and news reporters. Luckily, her grandparents had issued a press release on behalf of Aria which seemed to satisfy them for the time being. All she wanted was for them to respect her privacy, as well as the privacy of the families of the other victims. Jacob Myers didn't deserve any recognition for what he did and she wasn't willing to talk about him for their entertainment.

Aria was just relieved that Aaron's name had been kept out of everything and their relation was only known by her family and his team.

"Aria!"

She snapped out her thoughts as she heard her name being called before a small body crashed into her. "Whoa, bud? Where's the fire?" She asked with a smile.

"There's no fire, Aria." Jack frowned. "I gotta pee." He whispered to her as he squirmed in urgency.

She chuckled as Morgan came up behind him. "I can take him. Just point me in the right direction."

"It's okay. I'll take him." She told Derek. "The nearest one is in the rec room." She pointed to the area next to the pool that had a sliding door. "Come on, fratellino." She said with a smile as she placed her hands on his shoulders then ushered him towards the rec room.