AN: Okay, so I got this crazy idea in my head and I was like what if Hotch and Emily were together and what would happen with the car accident? Add a little Ambassador Elizabeth Prentiss and some surprises and you have my crazy story!
Disclaimer: For recreational use only. Not affiliated with CBS or Jerry Bruckheimer. Reproduction strictly prohibited. (I found these online!)
Emily groaned quietly as she sat on the couch beneath her. She was so sore from the car crash. She shut her eyes to try and relax.
Bunting squirming. Bunting struggling. Bunting gasping for air. Bunting's eyes closing. Bunting blaming her for his death. Bunting's devastated family.
Emily gasped and jerked straight up, coming face to face with Aaron.
"Hey, hey now; it's ok, I'm here and you're here. Bunting doesn't blame you" Aaron said pulling his girlfriend of over a year into his arms. It had been a trying time for the small family with Haley's death and now Emily in a car crash.
"I know, but I keep seeing him and him dying" she whispered into Aaron's shoulder. He pulled her into his lap on the couch. Emily held him closer.
"He wouldn't blame you Em. His wife and kids don't, they know that you were stuck and disoriented. We're all here now and you're safe and that's all that matters" Aaron said determined. He almost broke when he heard what happened to her.
"Hotch!" JJ yelled running into the room. Hotch looked up from the file he had been flipping through while talking to Dave. "Emily's been in a car accident. Apparently Schrader had a partner." Aaron's heart stopped.
"Is Morgan with her?" he asked, anxiously awaiting the answer about his girlfriend.
"He's heading back here. They wouldn't let anyone into the ambulance and he figured you would want to be with her" JJ answered as Hotch picked up his keys and walked through the door. "Hotch! Hotchner! Aaron!" JJ yelled as she tried to keep up. The use of his first name stopped Hotch in his tracks. He turned and waited for JJ to finish her sentence. "Bunting… Schrader killed him. Morgan thinks she saw it."
"Shit!" Hotch muttered as he nodded at JJ and continued his fast paced to the black SUV.
"I don't understand how they can't blame me! I work for the FBI for crying out loud! I couldn't save him" Emily cried. Aaron knew this was bothering her. He could tell from the moment he walked into her hospital room.
"Sir only family is allowed back there!" a nurse yelled from her position behind the desk. Aaron stopped and started to grab his badge when he figured that the nurse probably still wouldn't let him back, so he tried a different approach.
"My wife was brought back here from a car crash a little while ago. Her name is Emily Prentiss" Aaron lied smoothly. The nurse relaxed slightly and looked down at her clipboard.
"They gives us these computers, but I'm no good with them so I keep my own system then have one of the younger more tech savvy nurses put the information in" she explained once she saw Aaron's confused look. He nodded in understanding. "Prentiss, Emily, 32, Car crash, room 273." Aaron nodded in thanks and quickly made his way through the twisted hallway. He sighed when he saw Emily fighting with her doctor.
"Emily" he called gently from the doorway. Emily's hardened face smoothed out and she gave Aaron a sheepish smile. The doctor chuckled before replacing the clipboard with her information on it and leaving the room.
"Hey, apparently Morgan called you…."
"Emily" he gently reprimanded. Emily's schooled features quickly fell from her face.
"I watched him die Aaron. I was so confused that I couldn't help him" she whispered. Aaron moved closer knowing that she needed the comfort and that she wouldn't ever forget this case.
"JJ told me" he said slowly as he took his finger and wiped away her tears. Emily smiled lightly.
"You know all I could think was I was afraid that he would kill me next and I'd leave you alone and Jack without a mother figure. I was trying to figure out a way to get back to my two men" she said softly. Aaron smiled and knew what he had to do when they got home.
"I'm not going to let you go that easily" he whispered as he kissed her temple. Emily sighed and moved closer to her rock.
"Em, there's something I need to ask you" Aaron started nervously. Emily looked up and wiped her face of left over tears.
"What?"
"I love you Em, and Jack does too. I promised Haley that I would show Jack how to love, that I'm capable of love. What I'm trying to ask Em is…." Aaron took a deep breath and pulled out the small black velvet box he had been carrying around for weeks, "Will you marry me?" Emily stopped breathing. She couldn't believe it.
"Yes" she whispered shakily. Aaron let out a breath of relief and opened the box to reveal a simple silver band with a single diamond on it. He slid the ring onto her finger and pulled her closely.
"I was sure you would have figured it out by now. Jack could barely keep it a secret until I was ready. Every night he would ask if I was ready yet" Aaron laughed. Emily giggled and snuggled closer into Aaron's chest.
"I'm tired, sore, and not working tomorrow; let's head up to bed" Emily suggested. Aaron smiled and picked her small frame up, chuckling at her squeal of surprise. He took her up and gently plopped her on her side of the bed. Emily pulled her feet up and turned so she lay facing Aaron. He slid in beside her and wrapped his arms gently around her bruised body. Emily sighed before she snuggled into his side with her head on his chest. Aaron smiled before kissing the top of her head and falling fast asleep.
A Week Later:
"Come on Jack, breakfast!" Emily yelled. Today was scheduled day off. The accident had shaken everybody, especially Emily, but they were recovering fast. Emily's bruises were still visible, but the pain had diminished almost completely.
"I'm commin' Emmy!" Jack yelled from his room. Emily had decided to get up this morning and make chocolate chip pancakes for the two of them. After Aaron left at six, Jack had climbed into bed with her and cuddled for a few more hours. "You're inpat… im… excited" he said. Emily leaned over and brushed her lips against the top of Jack's head as she put the plate of pancakes in front of the eager five year old.
"I know, but I like when we have time for just the two of us. Besides, it's beautiful outside so I figured you might want to go to the zoo and then see if we can pull daddy away from work early for dinner. How does that sound?" Jack's eyes brightened greatly. "Alright, it's nine now, when we're done eating we can go get changed then head over to the zoo. I'll pack some sandwiches for lunch" Emily bargained with the little boy. Jack nodded enthusiastically as he turned and started wolfing down his breakfast. Emily laughed. "Relax buddy, the zoo will be there even if you take your time eating" she teased. Jack pouted for a moment before resuming eating his breakfast slower.
"Can we go see the lions first?" Jack asked. Emily nodded with a large smile covering her face.
"Yep, that will be our first stop" she replied. Jack nodded and polished off his pancakes. He put the plate in the sink and ran to his room. "Put on jeans!" Emily yelled. She heard a muffled 'okay' before she downed the rest of her coffee and pancakes and placing both dishes in the dishwasher. She headed up to the bedroom she shared with Aaron and started the shower in their bathroom before rummaging through her closet for something to wear. She finally settled on a ruby red drape front, ¾ flutter sleeve shirt paired with her favorite pair of dark wash flare jeans. She pulled out her favorite pair of ankle high heeled boots and set them by the edge of the bed. She walked to the dresser and opened the top drawer. She dug around until she found what she had been looking for. She pulled out her lacy red bra and thong set and moved to the bathroom. She stripped out of her pajamas and climbed into the shower.
"Emmy! The phone's ringing!" Jack yelled through the closed bedroom door. Emily smiled.
"What does the caller ID say?" she asked, knowing it was probably Aaron.
"It says daddy's cell phone. Can I answer it?"
"Sure, just make sure you tell him about our plans for today" Emily yelled as she reached blindly for her shampoo. The hot water felt good on her remaining bruises. After rinsing the shampoo and conditioner out of her long, thick hair, Emily quickly finished her shower and jumped out. She grabbed her favorite lotion, Sandalwood Rose and applied it generously. She quickly threw on her clothes then faced the mirror. She applied concealer for her bruises and ran her brush through her hair. Emily was just going to let her hair dry naturally. She made her way to the end of the bed and threw on her boots.
"Daddy wants you to call him before we leave" Jack said as soon as Emily walked into where he was seated in front of the TV.
"Brush your hair while I talk to dad, then we'll head out" Emily said as she grabbed the cordless phone. Jack jumped up and ran back to his room.
"Hotchner" Aaron answered. Emily smiled.
"Hey, Jack said you wanted me to call" she explained.
"Hey, I hear it will be a busy day, I just wanted to let you know that if you get there this afternoon and I'm not in my office just wait, I have a meeting with Strauss this afternoon" he explained as Emily made two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She threw them along with an apple and a bag of chips into her purse with her gun and badge.
"Alright babe, I'm sure we can find something to keep us entertained while we wait" she responded. Aaron smiled.
"Alright then I'll see you this afternoon. Enjoy your day at the zoo!"
"Bye" Emily said as she hung up. Jack came around the corner and stood bouncing on the balls of his feet.
"Can we go now Emmy?" Emily smiled and picked up her bag and nodded.
"Let's go kiddo."
"Emmy? Can we see Uncle Spencer?" Jack asked as they exited the elevator. Jack had a new stuffed animal tucked under his arm while his other hand held Emily's.
"I'm sure Uncle Spencer would love to see you while we wait for daddy. There he is now" Emily said pointing him out. Jack let go of her hand and raced to his honorary Uncle's desk.
"Uncle Spence! Uncle Spence!" he yelled. Reid smiled and bent down just in time to catch the little whirlwind.
"Hey buddy, how was the zoo?" Reid asked as he stood with the young Hotch securely in his arms. Jack's face lit up as he recalled how he and Emily saw all of the animals.
"… And then she bought me this stuffed lion! I love lions, Uncle Spence, they're my favorite animal. He looks just like the lions we saw today! I named him Simba!"
"It sounds like you and Emily had a fun day. Is Emily tired?" Reid asked looking at the worn out woman. Her cover up was fading slowly, but he could make out the edges of the still visible bruises.
"Emmy's always tired. The baby makes her tired" Jack stated factually, not knowing that the team wasn't privy to the small fact that she was pregnant.
"What?!?" Morgan, Rossi, JJ, Garcia, and Reid blurted out. Emily blushed and tried to avoid the subject.
"Is Aaron back from Strauss?"
"Oh no! You are not holding out on us Angel Face!" Garcia squealed. Emily smiled shyly and looked at her shoes.
"I found out at the hospital after the accident. We haven't had much time to process the information" she mumbled.
"Is that why you didn't fight boss man so hard after?" Garcia asked. Emily smiled.
"No, she didn't. I didn't really give her a choice" Hotch's voice rang out from above. Reid put Jack down on the ground so he could run to his dad.
"Daddy!" Hotch bent so he could pick up his son.
"Hey bud; did you and Emily have a good time at the zoo?" Jack's little head bounced up and down vigorously.
"She got me Simba!" he replied as he held up the stuffed animal. Aaron laughed and looked over to where Emily was standing with a large smile on her face. He made his way towards the team and smiled.
"Did you thank Emily?" Jack's head bounced eagerly again.
"Yes he did. That was actually all he said to me for the ten minutes after I bought it. I thought the people around us were going to need Advil" Emily laughed. Aaron laughed and tickled his little boy's belly. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yep, just let me grab my coat and then we can get some dinner. You guys joining us?" Aaron asked as he set Jack down. The others shook their heads.
"We've all got something planned tonight" Rossi explained. Aaron nodded then motioned to his office.
"I'll be right back" he explained. Emily nodded and Jack bounced around, playing with Simba and his Uncle Reid. Hotch entered his office and shut the door just enough so he could grab his coat before he moved to his desk and picked up some files and his gun out of his desk drawer. He shut the door and locked it before he shrugged his coat on and made his way back to Emily and Jack.
"Daddy, Emily said we could have Mexican!" Jack exclaimed. Emily smiled guiltily. She mouthed 'sorry' and he just shrugged.
"That's fine with me, now let's go, I'm sure we can watch The Lion King when we get home too" he joked with Jack. The little boy grabbed one of his dad's hands and one of Emily's before he started dragging them towards the elevators.
"Bye" Aaron and Emily yelled over their shoulders with a small wave. The others chuckled and waved bye.
"Yay! Can we watch the movie now?" Jack asked once he put on pajamas. Aaron decided it would be more comfortable for everyone that way.
"Not quite yet, we need to wait for Emily" Aaron explained as he got the movie set up. Jack nodded and sat patiently in his spot on the couch, between his dad and Emily.
"I'm coming, but it's not as easy for me to get ready. I've got to wash all of this make up off" Emily said. She had walked into the kitchen to get a drink where Aaron was popping popcorn and getting drinks for himself and Jack. He accidentally dropped a glass. There was a loud sound of glass shattering.
"I thought it was getting lighter" Aaron accused softly. Emily looked away. She had always left most of the cover up on until Aaron had turned off the lights for the night and they got ready for bed. He finally saw the extent of the remaining damage.
"Should I go put more make up on?" Emily asked self consciously. Aaron shook his head and moved carefully around the glass. He gently caressed her cheeks with his hands. He pulled her close and kissed her forehead.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he whispered. Emily shrugged.
"I didn't want you to worry. It's just some bruises" she said, laying her head on his broad shoulder and wrapping her arms around him. He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head once more.
"I always worry about you babe. I love you" he whispered as he gently rocked them.
"I love you too" she whispered back.
"Can we watch the movie now?" Jack asked from the doorway to the kitchen. The couple laughed as they pulled away from each other.
"Let me just pick up the glass I broke" Aaron answered. Emily smiled and grabbed the bowl of popcorn and the juice for Jack. Emily went to make her way back into the kitchen, when a knock on the door came. Emily picked up her service weapon from the lock box in the hallway before she opened the door a crack.
"Mother?" Emily asked, throwing the door open. Standing in the middle of the hallway was Ambassador Prentiss and her body guards. "What are you doing here?"
"Who was at the door Em?" Aaron asked as he came around the corner of the kitchen. He froze in his tracks when he saw the ambassador. "Ambassador Prentiss" he greeted. Elizabeth Prentiss nodded and entered the apartment with her entourage following.
"I heard from Chief Section Strauss that you were in a car accident and I came to make sure you were alright" she responded as Emily closed the door and replaced her gun. Emily smiled and moved around the guards to Aaron's side.
"I'm fine mother. Aaron and Jack have been taking good care of me" Emily replied smiling sweetly. Elizabeth smiled.
"Of course, it's nice to see you again Agent Hotchner." Aaron nodded.
"You too, ma'am" he replied. Emily turned to him and kissed his cheek.
"Why don't you and Jack start the movie, I'll be there shortly" she suggested. Aaron nodded and turned towards the living room.
"Ambassador Prentiss" he said as a salutation. Elizabeth's eyes followed his movements carefully before coming to rest upon her daughter's face again.
"That looks bad Emily" she commented. Emily shrugged.
"They're just bruises mom; I'll live."
"Maybe you should go see a doctor" Ambassador Prentiss suggested.
"I've already been to the hospital mom and all they could tell me was it will take some time before they completely go away" she responded. Elizabeth nodded.
"Well I'm glad you're ok. I should be going then" Elizabeth responded as she turned for the door. Emily felt horrible that she just brushed her mother off.
"We're watching The Lion King, would you like to join us?" Elizabeth scrunched up her nose in distaste.
"No thank you, we'll be going now. Come on Rick" Elizabeth said. The guard, Rick, opened the door and waited for everyone else to exit before he followed, shutting the door behind him. Emily sighed and locked the door shut before she went to go spend a quiet evening with her guys.
AN: Thank you for reading! Please feel free to drop off a review/ PM to inform me of any comments, concerns, or questions! (I'm apparently being really funny with real legal disclaimers/ comment card things!)