a very long chapter,

also the very last chapter. savour it, team.

FORTY FIVE. FOR THE BEST

DAISY HADN'T EXPECTED THE TEAM TO SHOW UP AT THE CARE CENTRE LESS THAN AN HOUR AFTER SHE'D CALLED. The only reason she'd called was to avoid the inevitable conversation they'd have upon her return. Besides, she felt they had done more than enough to support her over the last few days.

She and Rhea were sitting beside the bed in silence, holding hands. The teacher had dropped everything once she got the phone call and raced to the care centre in full Spirit Week attire, the blinding colours of her Miss Frizzle costume unmistakeable. It would have been amusing to Daisy in other circumstances (though Beanie found it hilarious either way).

"You don't need to be so sad," the girl said, not liking the quietness of the room. Daisy looked up from her lap and saw her sister's eyes on her. They had once been full of life and joy, but now they were murky and tired. The expression on her face was also lacking enthusiasm, as she wasn't too impressed with how her sister was handling the news. "I'm going to be a lot happier when I'm gone."

"I know," Daisy felt Rhea squeeze her hand. The agent shifted in her seat, trying to find the right words to say. It wasn't as if she didn't know this moment was going to come, but confronting it was incredibly difficult. She'd had years to prepare for it, but there was a part of her that never wanted to let go. "It's just going to be weird...not having you around."

"You're making it sound like it's the end of the world," Beanie scoffed, rolling her eyes in a very teenager-like way. Sometimes Daisy forgot that she was only nineteen. "I've been in here since I was fifteen, wondering when I'll next see a face that doesn't belong to a nurse or a doctor. There's been days where I've forgotten who you are, and who I am. The only constant thing I have to keep me grounded is a kids show. Daisy...I haven't been living for a long time."

As much as the words hurt to hear, Daisy knew she was right. The girl had never really gotten to live her life. Her mother had left her shortly after her birth, she'd been kidnapped and paralysed in the prime of her youth, and her father had killed himself when he received the news that she could never walk again. That wasn't the life such a good person deserved.

Daisy reached over and grasped Beanie's right hand. Her thumb traced circles on the girl's skin, something that used to lull her to sleep as a baby. "I love you, kid."

Beanie's breath rattled as she met her sister's gaze, a trying smile still on her face. "I love you too. Now, can we make my last day fun instead of depressing? I think I deserve that much."

At this, Rhea started rummaging in her bag, using her dress sleeve to wipe her eyes. "You almost had me tear-bending there, Beanie."

Beanie laughed, her attention turning to the teacher, who found some face paint and nail polish. The girl's face contorted as she became perplexed. "Why do you have that in your bag?"

"Because I have a class of thirty forgetful seven-year-olds," the woman smiled, bringing her chair to the other side of the bed. She opened the blue tin and mixed it around with a brush, making sure there were no lumps inside. "You don't know how many Spider-Man masks I've had to paint today."

Daisy felt herself lighten a little at Beanie's joy when the the paintbrush hit her cheek. It must have been years since she'd experienced the feeling. "Ah! It's cold!"

"It's not," Rhea teased as she drew an arrow on her forehead. "Don't be a baby."

"I can't even see what you're painting!" Beanie protested, though the grin on her face contradicted her tone. "You'd better not make me look ugly, Rhea."

Rhea gasped, dramatically holding her hand up to her chest. "I would never!"

The two giggled, and Daisy soon joined in. These women were two of the most important people in her life; the ones who always managed to look on the bright side despite the horrors in the world. Her safety net.

A knock at the door sounded just as Rhea had moved onto Beanie's arms. Daisy whipped around to see a nurse with a group of people behind her. "Beatrice? You've got more visitors, sweetheart."

"Huh?" Beanie's eyebrows shot up, causing Rhea to swear softly as the paint smudged. "But I don't...know anyone else."

"Now you do!" Penelope practically ran inside, dressed almost as brightly as Rhea (though the analyst wasn't in costume, she was just wearing her usual clothes). She held so many balloons that her face was almost completely covered, but her optimism outshone the decorations.

"This must be the famous Beanie!" Derek stepped in after her, bearing a large bouquet of daffodils. He was followed by JJ, Rossi, Emily, Spencer, and finally Hotch. Beanie gasped at the sight of numerous new faces, her eyes widening. She recognised them from pictures and stories, but it was entirely different seeing them in real life.

Daisy was just as surprised, jumping out of her chair to see her friends walking in and gathering inside the small room. She too, couldn't believe her eyes. "Oh my god! What are you all doing here?"

Hotch squeezed her arm. "We wanted you to have some moral support."

Daisy briefly rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. She didn't care that she was being openly touchy with him in a room with her closest peers anymore. They all knew, and she had an excuse this time round.

Emily smiled softly at the pair, before she looked up at the television mounted on the wall. "No way, is this Avatar?"

"Yeah, you watch it?" Beanie laughed as the older woman nodded eagerly.

Everyone looked at Emily in surprise, and she shrugged, taking a seat. "What? Hotel TV doesn't show much else at three in the morning."

Daisy's hand found Hotch's, and she nodded over at Beanie and Rhea. It was strange, having her two worlds colliding. It made her blame herself for not having thought about doing it sooner. "Guys, this is my sister, Beatrice, and my best friend, Rhea. Beanie, Rhea, this is my team. Penelope, Derek, Spencer, Jennifer, Dave, Emily and Aaron."

"You're dressed like our sweet Garcia," Rossi chuckled, pointing at Rhea's solar system dress.

The teacher glanced down at her clothes and laughed, moving her hips so the skirt swung around her. "It's character day at school and the principal wanted all of us to participate."

"Who...who are you supposed to be?" Spencer asked, his brows furrowing in confusion. He flushed a little as Rhea turned to look at him, and he shoved his hands in his pockets. "I-If you don't mind me asking."

"She's Miss Frizzle!" Penelope smacked his arm, before rushing over to Rhea's side and pulling her into a hug. "God, I already love you."

At Spencer's unsure expression, Rhea offered him a smile as she wrapped her arm around Penelope's shoulders. "It's a character from a television show. It's great for the kids who have trouble focusing on written content."

"Informative children's shows have proven to be greatly effective in the stimulation of the mind," he replied quickly, his voice slightly nervous. His coworkers held in their sighs at his familiar rambling, but Rhea gave him her full, undivided attention. "The elements of drama and comedy balance out the new information in a way that they can absorb and understand."

"I read something about that," Rhea replied, twirling the paintbrush between the fingers of her free hand, before pointing the wooden end at the doctor. "It was Judy Jablon, right?"

Spencer nodded, his eyes widening in surprise that she had been actively listening. "A-And Michael Wilkinson. They outlined the importance of an environment that fosters questions and investigation."

Rossi snorted from the other side of Hotch, drawing attention to himself. The older man held his hands up in quick defence. "Sorry, it's just...you two seem damn near perfect for each other."

Both the educator and the doctor blushed and turned away from each other. Rhea continued to paint Aang's tattoos, while Spencer began awkwardly tapping his hands against his legs.

"Aaron Hotchner?" Beanie piped up, causing Hotch to straighten up a little in surprise. He didn't realise she'd been watching him. "Oh my god, you look exactly like your photos."

Hotch looked down at Daisy, who smiled slightly sheepishly. Of course she'd talked about him, besides her job, he was the most interesting thing in her life. The unit chief took a step closer to the bed, dipping his head as he chuckled. "Hopefully that's a compliment."

Beanie went to reply, but was interrupted by another knock at the door. She groaned. "I seriously don't know anyone else-"

"Excuse me," Doctor Weyland stood in the entrance, overlooking the crowded room. He caught sight of Rhea and Beanie and he sighed, as if this weren't the first time he'd found them like this. "The paint fumes aren't good for her, Ms Reeves."

"I'm dying anyway, Doc!" Beanie shouted, cackling as the man rolled his eyes.

Instead of giving her the satisfaction of a response, he turned to Daisy. "May I speak with you a moment, please?"

Daisy hadn't let go of Hotch the whole time he'd been in the room. She swallowed nervously, squeezing his hand. "Will you..."

"Of course," he didn't hesitate in answering her unfinished question, following her out into the hallway.

Doctor Weyland shut the door behind him and cleared his throat as he looked between the pair. It seemed he knew who Hotch was too (Beanie had always had a big mouth). "I'll get straight to the point. We've already discussed the use of palliative sedation in the circumstance of Beatrice's passing, and from what it says here, you and the patient both agreed that it was the most suitable last resort to relieve any pain in her final moments. Is that correct?"

Daisy nodded. Her chest was rising and falling al little quicker than usual, but who could blame her? "Yeah, that's right."

The doctor looked down at his sheets, humming softly. "Beatrice has already consented, but she insisted that you were here with her."

"Of course," Daisy's response was immediate. She paused, tucking hair behind her ear. "How...how long will it take to knock her out?"

"The opioids we provide take effect in under an hour, and will render her unconscious as the infection enters its final stages," he explained calmly. Daisy's grip on Hotch tightened, but he never pulled away. "In her case, we will need to give her the sedative soon, as she is already nearing the end."

Daisy wanted to protest, but then she thought about what Beanie had said to her earlier.

She hadn't lived for years.

She would be happier when she was gone.

She would be happier.

"I just need your signature for approval considering Beatrice is unable to give one herself," he held out the clipboard and a pen. Daisy was understandably hesitant, but she took it and signed the paper with confidence. Weyland watched her as she did so. "You seem a lot more comfortable today, Ms Alvarez."

Daisy's lips pressed into a tight smile. "She'll be happier once she's gone."

"This is for the best," Weyland reached out and patted her shoulder. "Beatrice has no doubt been a handful, but we'll all miss her here. Now, go back and be with her. I'll start preparing the sedative."

"Thank you, doctor," Hotch said as the man walked away. He then pulled Daisy into a tight embrace, already aware of how hard this was hitting her. The woman inhaled sharply, burying her face in his chest. She felt sick. "Are you okay?"

Sighing into his shirt, her arms wrapped around his waist and held him closer. "I'm doing a little better. I just wish I had more time."

Hotch's hand ran through her hair, gently untangling her locks with his fingers. "He's right. This is for the best. She won't be in pain anymore."

"I know," she muttered, her voice muffled slightly. "But it doesn't make it any easier."

"Daisy," his voice was so delicate it cause her to lift her head to meet his gaze. He leaned down to press a soft kiss to her lips. When he pulled back, he cupped her cheek and maintained their eye contact. "Look, you've been through so much the last few days, more than anyone should ever have to experience. And...I don't know. It's not the right time, and you haven't met Jack yet...but..."

He went quiet, and Daisy watched him try and form the words he wanted to say. But she understood him completely. She was able to smile at him, patting his chest. "I know, Aaron. You don't have to say it."

He shook his head. "No, I do. I know our relationship hasn't been...linear. But I also know that I've felt this way about you for a long time. I really, really, love you."

Daisy's breath hitched in her throat as he spoke it into existence. Deep down she had expected the words, but actually hearing them shocked her immensely.

"I'm sorry I led you on for such a long time, it wasn't fair," he soaked in every detail of her reaction so that it could be imprinted on his memory for the rest of time. Whether it would hurt him or bring him happiness in the future, he wanted to remember it all. "I know I don't deserve you-"

"Shut up," she cut him off with a kiss, something that had become common between them. She lingered for a moment, savouring his presence as if she'd lose him too. She then opened her eyes and met his deep brown eyes. "I love you too."

Hotch's smile was unlike any she had never seen before. His lips broadened so that she could see his shining teeth, and it filled her with the same butterflies she'd felt around him a hundred times; but in that moment it was something different.

Something new.

She caught sight of Doctor Weyland walking back towards them with a nurse and a trolley. She looked back into the room, where Beanie was laughing with the group at something Derek had said. She took a deep breath and held Hotch's hand, before stepping back inside.

"Aaron," Beanie called the man over upon his entrance. She stared up at him as he approached, letting Daisy take a seat beside the bed. "I need you to do something for me."

Hotch nodded. "Of course."

"Take my pinky in yours," Beanie instructed, and the man smiled, doing exactly as she asked.

Beanie's eyelids were growing heavier despite not having been sedated yet. Regardless, Hotch held onto her.

"Promise me you'll be there for her," she whispered, her voice cracking slightly. Daisy looked down at her lap, tears quickly prickling at her eyes. Her sister wasn't the serious type, so this hit her a little different. "Promise you'll be there for my sister."

Though Beanie couldn't feel it, Hotch's pinky tightened around hers. He stared at her with an expression so genuine that every single profiler in the room knew he meant it. Beanie knew he meant it too.

"I promise."

The girl smiled in resignation, as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders - after all, Daisy was the only reason she had stuck around so long. "And one more thing?"

"Sure," Hotch nodded.

Beanie smirked in a way that very much resembled her older sister.

"Name something stupid after me."

Hotch laughed.

"You got it, kid."

★☆

last chapter laid ease! the epilogue will be out in the next few days. i didn't know how to write a detailed explanation for ending the book here, so i made a little video. please understand that this is for the best story-wise, and it is a decision i made as an AUTHOR, not as an asshole. obviously i love daisy and hotch with my whole heart, but this is where this part of their journey ends. please be kind :'(

this is going to be the last chapter. there is going to be an epilogue, which is going to be lovely, but this is the final, proper chapter. all of the storylines have come full circle - it started with beanie and ended with beanie; that's one of daisy's important relationships. hotch and daisy - enemies to lovers; that's finished, and daisy's experience with harrison has come to an end. i've found that with some books, when the characters are finally together and it's all this domestic bliss and shit like that, it gets quite repetitive and boring, so i've decided to just cut it off here. i know that it's probably not going to be a popular decision, but it's my decision. i know i said in the last chapter that there's a whole lot more drama to come, with the anthrax episode, hotch getting stabbed in the season four finale and haley's death. i think this is the right decision for the story, and as an author i don't want to keep going and get bored and then never finish it.

i just want to thank you guys for reading, you've been the funniest audience i've ever written for. it seriously means the world to have a following like you guys. there have been so many times where i've had stress from university, mental health, family and lockdown, but this has been the story that's helped me pulled through, and daisy has become a really important part of me, just like a lot of my other characters have, and it would be nothing without you guys. thank you for sticking with me through this.

if you want to see the rest of daisy and hotch's relationship, they will be having a subplot in my spencer reid book, which i'll be publishing soon. if you wanted to read that, you can, though i'm not gonna pressure you to do that because i know there's a lot of spencer reid books out there [but i just want matthew gray gubler to rail me mate lol]. there's gonna be a nice ending to this book (but if you've watched the rest of the show, you know there's gonna be a whole lot more shit that happens but we're just gonna ignore that at the moment, don't worry about it).

thank you guys once again for reading. i hope you enjoyed, thank you for loving daisy as much as i did. thank you for accepting my first ever smut chapter, which i'm very embarrassed about. the highlight of my day is getting to interact with you guys and i'm so so grateful that i've been given the opportunity to write once again.

hopefully i'll see you guys reading my spencer book, maybe, if you want, BYE !

★☆