Begin Transmission
Lacy here with one episode I really never wanted to write. The churning in my gut over this episode is honestly worse then the one I had when writing the story for the season five finale of CSI:NY. But I'm here and I'm going to do it. Now I know many wish that like my CSI:NY rewrite I'll keep the character who died alive. I hate to disappoint but as stated in an earlier fic, I am keeping the death of Haley. It kills me to do it because I never wanted to see that broken look on Hotch's face but never the less I'm keeping it. I hope no one gets too mad at me. As stated in the story before, this is going to be a play by play story of the whole episode. It'll go just how the story goes, covering everyone's talks with Strauss, though you know Emily's will be different, along with a few others, it'll cover Hotch's talk on the phone with Haley and Jack. Needless to say you should all have tissues ready. Also I'm adding in Emily reunion with Jack. This is definitely a case where have fun does not fit.
One more side note kids. Sarah won't be here for a bit. Her computer finally died on her so there is no way for her to edit. Any and all mistake will be my doing until she's back in editing action. I have given her permission to mock all she wants in reviews, as a way to remind me to work on my spelling and grammar.
Emily's nineteen weeks in this. Just under five months.
Disclaimer: I would never have put Hotch and Jack through what the writers did. Even though that's just what I'm doing now. Trust me, I'll be kicking myself the whole time I'm writing.
End Transmission
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
"Promise me that you will tell him how we met. And how you used to make me laugh. He needs to know that you weren't always so serious Aaron. I want him to believe in love because it is the most important thing. But you need to show him. You and Emily. Promise me."
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
"Hotch stop! It's over. It's over."
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
"I'm so sorry."
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
"This is something he needs to do alone. I can help him after but not now."
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
"Is Mommy coming back Emmy?"
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
"Aaron Hotchner wasn't desperate. He was scared. Terrified even because his son and ex-wife were in danger. But you know what? We were all terrified. Jack means the world to the team so don't you dare go saying he did something wrong. The only one who did anything wrong in this situation is Foyet and he got what was coming to him."
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
"Agent Hotchner, I'm so sorry for your loss. And if you or your son need anything, or Agent Prentiss and the baby,"
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
"We're family Aaron, you and Jack will always have people to help you. We will keep your promise to Haley. Jack will know love."
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
Emily knelt down on the grass in front of Hotch's old house, her arms wrapped tightly around Jack's small trembling body. As good as it was to hold him again, Emily wished beyond anything that it was under different, much better circumstances.
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
"How would describe Agent Hotchner's recent behavior?" Strauss asked.
JJ folded her hands. "Driven."
Doing her best not to roll her eyes, JJ answered Strauss questions.
"Have you always worked under Agent Hotchner?" Strauss asked.
JJ shook her head. "No Ma'am, I currently report to Acting Unit Chief, Derek Morgan."
"Because Agent Hotchner could no longer perform his duties." Strauss said.
JJ fought the urge to glare at the woman sitting across from her. She really hoped Strauss didn't say something like that to Emily.
"Not at all Ma'am." JJ said.
"You have a different opinion?" Strauss asked.
"It's not an opinion." JJ said.
Strauss sat. "You have a different understanding then."
"Agent Hotchner stepped down so that the team could continue to do its work unhindered." JJ explained.
Strauss raised a brow. "Are you sure?"
JJ had enough. "Agent Hotchner's son and ex-wife were sent away, he had a mad man possibly watching him, to watch him break down and loose everything he cares about. Now tell me Ma'am, what would you do if you were in Agent Hotchner's position?"
Strauss straightened her back. "This isn't about me."
JJ scoffed. "No of course not. This just happens to be a hopeless crusade against the BAU because you think that Hotch did something wrong."
Strauss hit the off button on the recorder. "I think we're done here."
JJ stood. "I think so too."
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
JJ sighed as she hung up her cell and made her way back over to Dave and Henry. She gave a small smile as she heard Dave trying to take his bottle.
"Well you can get him to settle down but not take a bottle." JJ said. "So much for being Super Daddy."
Dave mock glared at JJ. "If you're so smart, let's see you get him to take it."
JJ took the bottle and knelt in front of Henry. "Can you please take your bottle for Mommy?" Henry leaned forward and latched onto the bottle. "Thank you. Oh you are so a Mama's boy."
Dave snorted. "Of course he is." he watched JJ glance at her watch. "You know Jen, only one of us has to be here. You can head into the office."
JJ shook her head. "No we agree to do this together then head in together and that's what we're going to do." she stood up after running her hand over Henry's head. "I don't know what I'd do if I was in Hotch's shoes."
Dave wrapped his arm around JJ. "In a way we're all in his shoes. Emily's too. Jack is just as much a part of this family as Henry is and as Bethany will be. But we're doing all we can. And we will get him."
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
Morgan's face twisted in disgust. "He tried to get you to eat a bacon doughnut? That's just wrong. And how many times do I have to tell Tech Boy that your office is no place he should be?"
Garcia smiled. "Relax Sugar, he wasn't in here. It was in the elevator. And I reminded him of how much you don't like him being around me. The only wrong thing about the situation was the doughnut."
Morgan gave a shutter. "That is so wrong. How did he even think of it?"
Garcia shook her head. "I don't think I want to know."
Before either could say more, Hotch, Austin and JJ came busting in. They quickly explained to Garcia what they had and what they needed Garcia to do.
"As fast as I can sir." Garcia said. "Faster if I can manage it." she looked at Austin. "I know you're good with computers, I could use your help."
Austin nodded. "You got it."
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
"Are you alright?" Strauss asked.
Garcia wanted to smack the woman. "I'm just not comfortable with all this."
Strauss seemed genuinely curious. "Why is that?"
Garcia didn't buy it. "In my opinion, you're asking all the wrong questions. What about all the people he hurt? All the people Foyet killed? Do you even," she paused. "I'm just not comfortable."
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
Emily almost put her teeth through her tongue as she mentioned Foyet wanting to watch Hotch fall apart. Hotch ran his hand down her back.
"It's alright." Hotch said. "That's why I stepped down, so he would think I'm falling apart."
"Because we knew he was watching." Emily said, stepping closer to Hotch's side. She ignore the look Morgan was giving her. She was nearly five months pregnant. Hotch's presence was basically the only thing that kept her calm lately.
Garcia and Austin came shooting into the room, rattling off what they had found. They tried to narrow down the long list and Reid stood.
"Wait guys, Foyet likes things to have meaning." Reid said. He wrote Foyet's name up on the board and started crossing things out.
"An anagram." Emily said.
"You see anything?" Morgan asked.
Reid didn't turn as he answered. "Not yet."
"Wait Reid," Hotch said. "Foyet named himself The Reaper."
Reid moved to a clear section of the board and wrote out The Reaper then repeated what he had started with Foyet's real name.
"Peter Rhea." Reid said after a few minutes.
The team turned to Garcia who was already typing the name into her computer.
"There's a Peter Rhea in Arlington." Garcia said.
"We got him." Dave said.
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
"Once the team located George Foyet's potential apartment, why didn't the BAU enter immediately?" Strauss asked Dave, who was sitting across from her, his eyes on his cell instead of Strauss.
Strauss never had an easy time with Dave, mostly because Dave really didn't care what Strauss' place was, he never felt the need to listen to her.
"Agent Rossi?" Strauss said.
"Mmm," was Dave's only response.
"I asked you a question." Strauss asked.
Dave looked up from his phone, with an almost bored expression. "Gold is still going up. But knowing when to get out," he closed his phone. "that's the trick."
Strauss removed her glasses and turned off the recorder. "What are you doing?"
Dave almost rolled his eyes. "What's the point of all this Erin? Why?"
Strauss looked almost surprised at Dave's words. "So this never happens again."
"There is nothing a bureaucrat can do to make sure that something like this never happens again." Dave said.
Strauss got defensive. "So we just wait for the next blood bath?"
The two stared at each other. While it wasn't easy to have a staring contest with Dave, Strauss found it much easier then having one with Hotch. Dave let out a sigh and Strauss reached forward to hit the record button.
"Why did you wait so long to enter Foyet's apartment?" Strauss asked again.
Dave shifted. "We had to be sure he was there. If we went in and he wasn't there, he would know we found him. Of course the longer we waited, the more time he had to," he stopped and shook his head. "It was an impossible decision."
"So who made it?" Strauss asked. "Agent Hotchner?"
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
Emily sat beside Hotch in the SUV as they kept watch on Foyet's place. One hand rested on her stomach, the other on the center console, waiting for Hotch to retake it once he was done looking through the binoculars. She wasn't sure if it was being so close to getting Foyet or just because he needed the connection but since they figured out where Foyet was, Hotch had kept at least one hand on Emily at all times.
"How much longer do we wait?" Emily asked.
Hotch shook his head and took Emily's hand. "We need to leave that call to someone else."
Emily looked at him briefly, knowing how hard it was for Hotch to give up the reins on this.
"We will get him Aaron." Emily said, squeezing Hotch's hand. "We're too close not to."
Hotch nodded his head and looked at Emily. "I know."
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
"SWAT's getting antsy." JJ said as she approached Morgan, Dave, Reid and Austin.
"I'll tell them when it's time to go." Morgan said. "Right now we sit tight. Let 'em know."
JJ looked slightly taken back but returned to SWAT none the less.
"I respect what you have to do here Morgan," Dave said, without facing the younger man. "but snap at her one more time, acting Unit Chief or not, I'll hit you."
"These guys are trained to move, not just sit around." Austin said, aiming to stop the possible blow up between the two men. "And I can't say I blame them."
"He may not even be there any more." Reid said.
"I know and the longer we sit here, the further away he gets." Morgan said.
"You make the best call you can kid." Dave said.
"Alright," Morgan said. "this is what we're going to do."
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
Hotch spotted Foyet's mail on the floor. After pointing it out, he pulled his gun and the team raced to the building next to where they were. Every person on the street was an agent and they followed the BAU team into the building. SWAT swarmed from their places around and in the building. Dave and Hotch made a conscious effort to keep Emily between them. She had her vest on but that couldn't be guaranteed to protect the baby. The team busted into Foyet's apartment, only to find the man wasn't there. They went over what they found, untouched food, missing clothes, a stash of guns. He dropped his mail like he was startled.
"Something tipped him off." Hotch said. "He knew we were coming."
"If he's in a hurry, he'll make a mistake." Dave said.
"Yeah but when Foyet gets cornered, he starts killing." Hotch said before making his way out, Emily right behind him.
"We're not gonna let that happen." Morgan said.
Austin looked at the laptop. "We need to get Garcia on this."
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
The laptop had an internet alert on the name Peter Rhea that let Foyet know as soon as they found it. It also held pictures of the US Marshall assigned to Jack and Haley. Emily moved to Hotch's side as he dialed Sam's number and let a message asking for meet place or they were coming to him. Emily placed a hand on Hotch's back and the other on his side, hoping to keep him as calm as possible. Normally she'd keep her distance for the sake of professionalism but the last thing she wanted was for Hotch to panic out of fear for Jack and Haley. The two only stood there for a few more seconds before they left, heading for Sam.
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
"You left for Marshall Kassmeyer's house immediately." Strauss questioned.
"Yes Ma'am." Reid said.
"Wouldn't this be a job for a tactical team?" Strauss asked.
"We felt that it would take too much time to get authorization for another operation." Reid said.
"We?" Strauss questioned.
"All of us." Reid clarified.
"Don't you mean Agent Hotchner wanted that?" Strauss said.
"No I mean all of us wanted that." Reid said. "I know what you're thinking and I agree it would be easy for us to blame him."
Strauss crossed her arms. "Easy?"
Reid nodded. "Yeah. Why not just say it's his fault and then we can all just forget about it. But," he took a breath. "uh the problem is I have an eidetic memory and that's not what happened."
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
The others stood back around the edges of Sam's living room while Sam went over with Hotch what happened when Foyet was in his house. Dave noticed Emily's eyes tearing and motioned to JJ and Austin. Both woman flanked around Emily, placing an arm each around her. Emily watched Hotch try and find out if Haley and Jack were ok but Sam was fading fast. Foyet had done a lot of damage. The EMTs made their into the room and over to Sam. Reid rattled off what Sam's injuries were. Hotch stood back and Emily broke away from JJ and Austin to move to his side. Hotch's hand automatically reached for hers as Sam repeated one more time that he tried.
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
"Do you believe that it was Marshall Kassmeyer's fault that Agent Hotchner's family was compromised?" Strauss asked.
Reid shook his head. "Absolutely not."
"You answered that very quickly." Strauss pointed out.
Reid's face hardened. "When you're being tortured, there's no end in sight except giving them what they want."
"And Kassmeyer didn't do that." Strauss said.
"He withstood everything that Foyet had." Reid said.
"Then tell me exactly what happened." Strauss said.
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
The team stood back as the EMTs took Sam out on a stretcher. Hotch squeezed Emily's hand.
"I'm going with him." he said to her.
Emily nodded. "I know, go."
Hotch left and walked over to Dave. "Do not leave Emily's side until I'm back with you. We don't know where Foyet is and he could very well drag Emily into this."
Dave patted Hotch on the arm. "I've got Emily, you take care of Sam."
Emily walked up to Dave as Hotch climbed into the ambulance. Dave hugged Emily to his side.
"He'll be ok." Dave said.
Emily shook her head. "Not if we don't get to Haley and Jack first."
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
Emily sat impatiently outside the room where Reid was talking with Strauss. Her right foot was tapping and she was trying to keep herself distracted by talking quietly to Bethany. The door opened and Emily looked up. An agent stepped out.
"They're ready for you." he said.
Emily stood as Reid came out and the two exchanged a look. Emily made her way into the room. She sat at the table and waited for Strauss to start.
"Agent Prentiss." Strauss said.
Emily tried to be respectful. "Ma'am."
"We understand that Agent Hotchner managed to separate himself from the rest of the team." Strauss said.
Emily's hand glided over her stomach. "He didn't manage to do that. When Marshall Kassmeyer was in the ambulance,"
Strauss cut her off. "Agent Hotchner volunteered to ride along."
"To get answers before he lost consciousness." Emily said.
"Why didn't you go with him?" Strauss asked. "You are the mother of his second child."
Emily leaned forward. "I'm going to tell you what I know Aaron has told you, do NOT use our child for your agenda."
Strauss straightened some. "Why didn't you go with him?"
"It didn't seem necessary." Emily said.
"Did he tell you that?" Strauss asked.
Emily stared at Strauss. "Is that what you're looking for? A way to blame this on him? What good could that possibly do?"
"Agent Hotchner was looking for an opportunity to separate himself from the team and he found one." Strauss said, coming forward to lean on the table.
"That isn't true." Emily said.
"He was desperate," Strauss plowed on like Emily hadn't spoken. "and he didn't want someone with a clear head to stop him."
Emily had enough. Her hormones from her pregnancy had nothing to do with it this time. Strauss just knew the right buttons to hit.
"Aaron Hotchner wasn't desperate." Emily said, her tone hard. "He was scared. Terrified even because his son and ex-wife were in danger. But you know what? We were all terrified. Jack means the world to the team so don't you dare go saying he did something wrong. The only one who did anything wrong in this situation is Foyet and he got what was coming to him."
Strauss knew she wasn't going to get anything from Emily. Even before Hotch and Emily had become romantically involved, Emily was extremely loyal and wasn't going to turn on him.
"Tell me what happened when Agent Hotchner was in the ambulance." Strauss said, moving to sit.
"We contacted the US Marshalls." Emily said. "They said Haley was in the wind. She had dumped her cell phone so there was no way to track her."
"And how did Agent Hotchner react to that news?" Strauss asked.
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
Emily cursed as Garcia said Hotch hung up his phone. Then something else beeped.
"Wait," Emily said. "what's that?"
"Hotch is calling Foyet." Garcia said.
Emily braced herself. This was going to be one hell of a conversation.
"Agent Hotchner."
A chill went over the room as Foyet's voice came over the line.
"If you touch them,"
"Be gentle?" Foyet taunted. "Like I was with you? With your girlfriend? I was beginning to think this phone was dead or something." he paused. "Why so quiet? You usually lash out when you're frustrated."
Emily had her hands balled at her sides, wishing more then anything she could take her anger out on Foyet's face. Dave placed a hand on her shoulder.
"The baby Em," Dave whispered. "think about Bethany."
Emily took a deep breath, trying to shove her anger back knowing Dave was right, that it was bad for the baby.
"I'm not frustrated." Hotch said. "You're more predictable then you think."
"Am I?" Foyet asked.
"You didn't know where Haley was so you made her come to you." Hotch said.
"You make me sound lazy." Foyet said.
Emily exhaled. He was taunting Foyet just as much as Foyet was taunting him.
"It's just another way for you to show control." Hotch said.
"Oh that's terrible." Foyet mocked.
Emily could feel the tension in the room building as Hotch and Foyet spoke back and forth. They needed to figure out where Foyet was now and end this.
"You know what I've been thinking," Foyet said. "Haley looks good with dark hair. Not quite as dark as your dear Emily's but it's nice."
Emily grabbed Dave's hand off her shoulder and held it tightly. As much as she tried to overcome Foyet's attack on her and Hotch, it still unnerved her to hear him talk about her.
"Where's the little man?" Foyet asked. "Oh there he is. Does he like Captain America cause of you?"
Before Hotch could respond, they all heard another phone ring.
"That's your ex." Foyet said. "Hold please."
"Mrs. Hotchner." they all heard Foyet's fake accent.
"I'm here." Haley said.
"Open the gate," Foyet said. "and I'll drive in."
"Ok." Haley said before hanging up.
"Aaron?" Foyet was back. "I really gotta go."
The call ended and Garcia lost the trace. Emily pressed her free hand against her mouth. Foyet was with Jack and Haley.
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
"And you still didn't know where Foyet was." Strauss said.
Morgan knocked his thumb against his hand. "The phone belonged to a US Marshall. It was designed to bounce between towers so we could not pin point his location."
"And Agent Hotchner was driving around aimlessly." Strauss said.
"No." Morgan said. "He wasn't. We had Foyet's profile and we knew if we followed it we would know where he took Hotch's family."
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
"Alright Foyet has to be in control." Morgan said. "He had Haley come to him."
"Yeah but where would Foyet take them?" Reid asked.
"He'd want Hotch to find him." JJ said.
"To see where he was." Austin continued. "To see what he did."
"Which means," Emily pressed.
"He said something on that call that tells Hotch where to go." Dave said.
Morgan turned to Reid. "Reid what did he say? Exactly."
Reid rattled off the conversation, not that any of them were likely to ever forget it.
"Open the gate?" Dave questioned.
"It would be some place with the biggest emotional impact for Aaron." Emily said.
"And Haley has access to the gate." Morgan said.
Dave's eyes popped some. "Their old house. Where they lived together."
Emily rubbed her eyes. "Of course. Foyet planned this all the way to the end. It's everything to him."
"He wants to take over Hotch's home," Morgan said. "to be in control. To prove his dominance."
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
The team was on their way to Hotch's old house when Morgan called Hotch. Dave was in the back of the first SUV with Emily while Morgan drove and Reid was with Austin and JJ in the other.
"Morgan." Hotch answered.
"He's going to your house." Morgan said.
"I know." Hotch answered.
Emily tried to calm herself again as Morgan told Hotch what he was doing. Dave had tried to get her to go back to the office but one sharp glare had Dave silent. Morgan hung up and looked at Emily in the mirror.
"It's going to be ok Em." Morgan said.
Emily took a deep breath. "The next person to say that is going to get smacked."
"We're just trying to make sure you're ok Emily." Dave said. "This stress isn't good for you or Bethany."
"And it would be worse if you had gotten me to stay at the office." Emily said. "Now can we please focus on getting to the house?"
Neither man said another word as Morgan pushed the truck faster. The laptop on the front passenger seat beeped and Garcia's voice floated to all of them as there was another laptop in the second SUV.
"Foyet's calling Hotch." Garcia said.
"Garcia can you get us on?" Morgan asked.
Garcia didn't say anything. She just connected them.
"Foyet." Hotch said.
They were all shocked to hear Haley's voice.
"Aaron?" she sounded scared and confused. "You're ok?"
Hotch took a second. They all knew what was coming. "I'm fine."
"But," Haley tried to make sense of it. "he said that," she connected the dots. "oh Aaron."
"He can hear us right?" Hotch asked.
"Yes." Haley said. "I'm so sorry."
"Haley," Hotch said. "show him no weakness. No fear."
"I know." Haley said. They could hear her pulling it together.
Emily wished she could. She could already hear the tears in Hotch's voice and felt her own coming on.
"Sam told me all about him." Haley said. "Is he, um,"
"No Sam is fine." Hotch said.
Foyet's voice drifted over the line.
"Aaron, Aaron, Aaron." he said. "Is that why your marriage broke up because you're a liar?"
"Don't listen to him Haley." Hotch said.
"I have Sam's service phone right here." Foyet said. "They set out a mass text about his death. Take a look if you want."
"He's trying to scare you." Hotch said. Emily knew the tone in his voice. It was the one he used with her after her nightmares. But this time it had no calming effect.
"Did you even tell her what this was about?" Foyet asked. "About the deal?"
Emily clamped a hand over her mouth as Hotch tried to counter what Foyet was saying. The tears were starting to blur her vision.
"What is he talking about?" Haley asked Hotch.
They could hear Hotch inhale.
"Tell Jack I need him working the case." Hotch said.
The others were confused but Emily knew what he was doing. The story he'd shared with her almost two years ago came floating to the front of her mind.
"Jack did you hear that?" they heard Haley ask.
The next voice over the line was Jack's and Emily lost her fight with the tears.
"Hi Daddy." Jack said.
"Hi Buddy." the team could hear Hotch's voice break.
"Is George a bad guy?" Jack asked.
"Yes he is." Hotch answered. "Jack I need you on this case with me. Do you understand?"
Emily closed her eyes. "Come on baby, remember."
"I need you to work the case with me." Hotch said.
"Ok Daddy." Jack said. Emily almost laughed. He remembered.
"Jack hug your mom for me." Hotch said, tears thick in his voice.
The line went quiet before Jack's voice came back.
"Mommy you hug me too tight." Jack said.
"I'm sorry." Haley said.
"Why are you sad?" Jack asked his mother.
"I just love you so much." Haley said, not wanting to scare Jack.
"Mom I gotta go," Jack said. "I'm working the case."
Haley's quiet 'ok' drifted over the line.
"He's so cute." Foyet said. "He's like a little Junior G-Man. I'll be right up Jacky Boy!"
"Is he gone?" Hotch asked.
Emily was relieved when Haley said yes. The team listened as Hotch told Haley she was stronger then he ever was.
"You'll hurry right?" Haley asked, her tone almost desperate.
"I know you didn't sign on for this." Hotch said.
"Neither did you." Haley said at almost the same time Emily did.
"I'm sorry for everything." Hotch said.
"Promise me that you will tell him how we met." Haley said. "And how you used to make me laugh."
"Haley," Hotch tried to stop her.
"He needs to know that you weren't always so serious Aaron." Haley said. "I want him to believe in love because it is the most important thing. But you need to show him. You and Emily. Promise me."
Dave pulled Emily into his arms as her tears flowed faster at Haley's words.
"I promise." Emily whispered, even knowing she couldn't be heard.
"I promise." Hotch whispered.
The whole team felt their hearts stop as three guns shots came over the line. They could hear Garcia crying over the computers and Emily buried her face in Dave's shoulder.
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
Morgan shifted in his seat, grief written all over his face.
"And I don't know what happened after that." he said.
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
Austin stepped into the room where Strauss was and threw a folder down on the table.
"What's this?" Strauss asked.
"It's my answers to every question you could ask." Austin said. "I'd rather not sit here and listen to you try and lay all this on Hotch so I wrote my answers up. I'm sorry to tell you that nothing in there will help you crucify Hotch."
"Agent Hazel," Strauss started.
"Don't bother Ma'am." Austin said. "I went above your head. The director is fine with my testimony being in written form. Now I'm going to go rejoined my team."
Before Strauss could get another word in, Austin strode out of the room.
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
The team made their way into the house. They could hear banging and followed it to the dining room. There they found a sight that broke all their hearts. Hotch was continuing to hit and beat Foyet, even though it was perfectly clear to see that the other man was dead. Morgan shoved his gun back in his holster and grabbed for Hotch. Emily tried to step forward but Dave held her back.
"Let Derek do this." Dave said.
"Hotch stop!" Morgan said, pulling the older man to him. "It's over. It's over."
Emily watched Hotch's shoulder shake with silent sobs before he moved away from Morgan and headed back upstairs.
"Where's he," Dave started to ask.
"Jack." Emily said.
JJ and Reid followed Hotch upstairs and saw him pulled Jack out of the chest in the office.
"I'm ok." Hotch said. "I want you to go outside with Aunt Jen ok?"
Jack walked over to JJ and she picked him up.
"Come here sweetheart." JJ said.
Morgan, down the hall, lifted Haley's arm and felt for the pulse he knew wouldn't be there. He turned as Hotch entered. He stayed silent as Hotch moved to Haley's side, tears running down Hotch's face.
"I'm so sorry Hotch." Morgan said in a soft tone.
Hotch briefly glanced at Morgan before turning back to Haley. It almost killed Morgan to watch Hotch pull Haley's dead body into his arms and start sobbing. Morgan stood and told the EMT to go back downstairs. He looked back at Hotch before looking at Emily, who stood in the hall.
"He needs you." Morgan said.
Emily shook her head. "Not yet. This is something he needs to do alone. I can help him after but not now." she wiped her face. "I'm gonna go see Jack."
Morgan nodded and watched Emily leave. Emily made her way downstairs and outside.
"Now remember," JJ said to Jack. "you have to be careful with Emily. You can't run into her like you normally would."
Jack nodded and as soon as he saw Emily, broke free from JJ. He stopped just in front of her, listening to JJ.
"Is Mommy coming back Emmy?" Jack asked.
Emily felt new tears fall down her face and she dropped to the ground and hugged Jack.
"No sweetie," Emily whispered. "she's not."
Emily knelt down on the grass in front of Hotch's old house, her arms wrapped tightly around Jack's small trembling body. As good as it was to hold him again, Emily wished beyond anything that it was under different, much better circumstances.
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
"And there wasn't anything I could do for her." Hotch said. "She was already," he couldn't bring himself to say it.
Strauss looked around, feeling uncomfortable with amount of emotions the normally emotionless Hotch was showing. For some reason Strauss felt the need to tell Hotch exactly how Haley died, though by the shaking in her voice, you could tell she regretted doing it.
"Agent Hotchner," Strauss said. "what do you think would have happened if George Foyet had gotten up from that floor? If you didn't kill him."
"I don't have to think." Hotch said. "I know that he would have tried to kill my son too. And possibly Emily and the baby."
"That's good enough for me." Strauss said. She shut off the recorder and looked at the other members with her. "Any questions?" they all shook their heads. The group stood and left the room. Strauss paused as Hotch stood.
"Agent Hotchner, I'm so sorry for your loss." she said. "And if you or your son need anything, or Agent Prentiss and the baby,"
"Thank you." Hotch said.
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
Emily sat with Jack in front of her, smiling as the small boy placed his hands on her stomach.
"My sister is in there?" Jack asked for what had to be the tenth time.
"She is Jack." Emily said. "She'll come from in there just like Henry came from inside Aunt Jen."
"What's her name?" Jack asked.
"Bethany." the team turned to see Hotch in the doorway. "Her name is Bethany."
Jack ran over to Hotch and Hotch gladly picked him up. Emily stood and made her way to Hotch's side. The whole team moved in, supporting their leader.
"Thank you." Hotch said. "All of you."
"We're family Aaron, you and Jack will always have people to help you. We will keep your promise to Haley. Jack will know love." Emily said.
Hotch shifted Jack to one hip while pulling Emily against his free side. The team closed in around the four, including Bethany safely in her mother's tummy.
Foyet failed. Hotch thought. He could knock them down, scare them, hurt them. But the one thing he could never do was destroy them. Because they were the one thing Foyet never had. Hotch hugged Emily and Jack close. A family.
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
Begin Transmission
And now that we're all in tears, it's over. And I can't tell you how glad I am that it is. I had to leave my bedroom while writing this because my crying was keeping Twitch awake. Oops. And I know I made Emily more emotional then she normally is but remember, she's almost five months pregnant, her emotions in a time like this are allowed to run high. The next one won't be as long because it won't have anything to do with the case. Emily is staying behind with Hotch and Jack. She'll be exactly five months in the next one and we all know Hotch isn't going to let her go anywhere without him. So let me know what you think, flame policy stands and thanks for reading.
End Transmission