The Descent
Disclaimer: CBS and their affiliates own Criminal Minds...
Summary: What happens when you try to warn someone about the person they care about but won't believe you?
Timeline: Alternate World, Present Day
A/N: I have an idea where this came from but don't go throwing tomatoes. Enjoy this other-world type story.
Thanks for reading, don't forget to leave a review
"If you wish to see the truth, then hold no opinions for or against it." Osho
Hotch sat in his office, listening to the caller on the phone when he notice movement coming from the bullpen. Her. Emily Prentiss.
He narrowed his eyes and shook his head as he turned his attention back to his call. Beth.
Beth was what was important to him, and he still couldn't believe how lucky he was that someone like her wanted someone as broken as he was. She was almost too good to be true.
His eyes turned back to the bullpen and he wondered why someone, his subordinate, who was suppose to be his friend, say such horrible things about a woman she didn't even know. They only met two times.
He thought that Emily would be happy for him. Ever since he introduced the woman and the rest of his team to Beth at the triathlon, it seemed that there was something off with them. He can still remember it.
After shaking Beth's hand, Emily's back stiffened and she dropped the pleasant attitude, standing off and aloof with a cool demeanor that she usually reserved for Strauss.
And that hurt him. He thought she'd be happy for him, after all if the shoe were on the other foot he'd be happy for her, right?
He took a deep breath, he just need to keep his distance from his agent until whatever was wrong with her passed.
He just hoped it wasn't another one of her 'bad days', because despite the change in their relationship he didn't want her to suffer anymore then she already had.
"I hear you" Hotch said into the phone as he ran his hands through his dark hair.
Emily took a seat as her desk as she went over the events from the past week in her head, and the incident with Beth.
She was completely confused as to how everyone couldn't see the truth about the other woman. They all thought it was jealousy.
"Ha" she scoffed lightly, shaking the absurdity of that thought right out of her head.
She wasn't jealous of Beth, she didn't care who Hotch dated. Really, she means it, she repeats to herself.
Just as long as it wasn't some secretive, Pippi Long-stalker. A triathlon running, hussy. More like triathlon tramp.
She snorted at that at that nickname, "Triathlon hussy." she snickered, not caring that Morgan and Reid were giving her quizzical looks.
They knew her disdain for the female curator who seemed to lurk in Hotch's life, and though neither man would admit it, they too were more than surprised by the turn of events in Hotch's social life.
Now don't get any of them wrong, none of them wanted Hotch to remain a celibate monk but they didn't get a friendly vibe off of Beth.
But Dave and Garcia on the other hand were over the moon happy for Hotch, and Dave more so. He thought it was way too long since he had allowed himself to be happy, since Haley.
And well JJ? JJ just wanted everyone to be happy, and none of them really were.
Now if Emily were honest with herself, she'd think Dave's projecting his own single status and his recent lost of Carolyn onto Hotch regarding Beth.
She resisted the urge to slap the older man, and tell him to snap out of it. They all needed to open their eyes about Beth.
And she had no clue how to warn any of them.
Emily walked into her home, pondering what the hell to do regarding Beth. It was driving her crazy, and she hated that this woman's life was consuming her own.
Every waking hour for the past two days, trying to dig into the other woman's history was grating on her nerves.
"Who gives a crap that she donates to the ASPCA?" Emily muttered to herself, shrugging she did care it was a worthy cause.
And the fact that she donated to St. Jude's Children's Research gave her glowing praise. But just because she donated to worthy causes didn't mean that there wasn't something off about her, right?
She was having a hard time tracking down two of her earlier boyfriends, Danny Schneider and Mike Lloyd. Both were men that been in long-term relationships with the brunette curator.
It's not like she expected the woman to be some gold digger, she had her own considerable financial background, according to the private investigator she hired.
"God this is ludicrous" Emily moaned as she kicked off her shoes, and sat down on her couch, "I need to find proof."
Closing her eyes, she knew that she seemed desperate and crazy, she wasn't going to deny that. It looked like that to her too.
But this was about Hotch, Jack and their safety, and that was all she was concerned about.
She didn't care if everyone thought she was a pathetic, love struck loser, she knew that there was something wrong.
A ping from her computer made her open up her eyes, going over to her computer she clicked on to the emails.
As the images popped up on her screen, "Thank you, Mr. Acevado."
Clicking the print on her computer, she grabbed the sheets of paper and rushed out of her apartment.
Emily rushed up the steps to Hotch's new home, knocking on the door.
She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, while she panted from the mad dash from her car to the front door.
Her hands were shaking as she knocked again, silently willing Hotch to move his ass to the door.
While she heard the pounding reach her ears, she nearly keeled over when Beth answered the door, scowling the turning on a fake smile. Emily could spot a phony smile a mile away.
"Hello, Agent Prentiss" Beth said, cooly, while Emily barged past the brunette.
"Hotch, it's Emily" Emily called out, "Hotch?"
"Emily is everything ok?" Beth asked.
Emily turned towards the other woman, flashing her a glare, "No, but do you know the name of a good plastic surgeon, Mrs. Abbott? Where the hell is Hotch?"
Beth's eyes narrowed at Emily as she curled her lip before retaining her composure, "Emily, please?"
"You know what?" Emily said flashing the wedding picture, "I've got you. When he finds out about this... You're done. It's over."
As Emily turned to march out the door, she was shocked when she felt herself being shoved against the banister of the staircase.
"I've got a message for you Emily" Beth hissed in the agent's ear, "Stay the hell away from Aaron, if you don't I'm going to rip your fucking throat out."
Emily gasped, coughing as the deranged brunette started tightening her grip around her neck. Emily's hands clenched onto her own.
One of Beth's hands trailed down ripping the papers from her hands and tossing them behind her, she loosened her grip from Emily's neck when the sound of tiny footfalls landed on the staircase.
"Emmy?" Jack's voice called out, surprised but happy, reaching the end of the staircase, "Emmy!"
"Stay there, Jackie boy" Beth called out in a saccharine sweet tone, that made Emily's stomach recoil, "Emily and I are just having a little, boring grown up talk. Go on baby, it's ok."
Emily fought the urge to punch the woman on sight for her fake platitude with Jack, who was looking warily at Emily.
"It's ok, Jack" Emily said smiling, "Go on upstairs, sweetie."
"Ok" Jack said, watching both brunette woman turn their attention on each other.
As the boy stepped off the last step, he picked up the papers and rushed off to his room.
Beth looked up the stairs, sighing when she heard the slam of the bedroom door, then focused her attention back to Emily.
"Don't fuck with me, bitch" she snarled, "My version of the story will be better than yours."
Stepping backwards, she nods for Emily to go, "Besides who's Aaron going to believe me or you? The woman he's in love with or the slut who slept her way to the top for a profile?"
Emily froze at that, looking back at the smug brunette, "That's right I know. You really think after what you've done anyone will believe a word you say? Not likely. Now get the fuck out of here and stay away from my family."
Emily walked towards the door, fear racing in her heart for Jack and Hotch.
Whether he believed her or not, she wasn't going to let Beth get away with this.
Sitting in the parking garage of the BAU, she wondered how the hell this all went wrong.
Beth wasn't suppose to be this big of a threat.
After all there was a difference between just being a woman who was cheating on your plastic surgeon husband but now it seemed the woman was a few beers short of a twelve pack.
Hell she wasn't going to sugar coat it, not even to herself, the bitch was crazy.
Walking towards the elevator she grabbed onto her briefcase for dear life and wondered how things got so bad.
Stepping out onto the BAU floor she walked over to her desk and exhaled when she noticed Hotch in his office, but on his phone.
She was over letting him live with rose-colored glasses, Beth was dangerous and she had the proof thanks to her P.I. digging not only in her financial records but her personal life.
Scoffing to herself, Beth thought she covered her tracks so well, she was half tempted to tell Garcia that Acevado could give the perky blonde a run for her money.
"Prentiss" Hotch's voice permeated through out the bullpen, "My office please."
"Uh oh, Princess is in trouble" Morgan teased, but quieted from the look she shot him, "Never mind."
Reid shot her a sympathetic smile as she wandered up the catwalk and knocked on the open door.
"Come in, Prentiss" Hotch said, not looking up from his paper work, "Shut the door behind you."
Closing the door, she turned around and stood in front of Hotch's desk, her stomach tied in knots but she kept her composure.
"You wanted to see me, sir?" Emily asked, scratching at the bruise hidden beneath her covered sleeve.
Looking up at her, "What happened yesterday? Between you and Beth?"
Her heart started racing, Beth ratted her out? Hell that woman should have been down on her knees begging her not to out her as a psycho.
"Excuse me?" Emily asked.
"Jack said you came by yesterday and that you and Beth had some sort of scuffle?" Hotch asked, "All Beth told me was that you two talked. About what?"
'Your girlfriend is a psychotic sociopath' Emily thought, but said, "Ask her. I already told you that there was something she was keeping from you, but you chose not to believe me."
His eyes narrowed, he did not like this at all. His girlfriend and his agent were keeping secrets from him, and this did not sit well with him. Standing up he wandered over to her only for her to turn on her heels for the door.
"Agent Prentiss, this conversation isn't over." Hotch ordered.
"Yes, it is" Emily said, only for Hotch to grasp her in the spot where Beth had earlier making her hiss in pain.
That sound caught his attention, and he pulled up the sleeve, horrified by the bruises.
"What happened?" Hotch asked, looking at her eyes, she was avoiding him, "Emily who did this to you?"
That's when he noticed the finger printed bruises on her neck, and he felt his stomach drop in horror.
"Are you in an abusive relationship?" Hotch asked, softly, "Emily, we can help you, you just have to tell me who did this."
Pulling back from his touch, "You want to know who did this to me?" she said laughing, "This handiwork is courtesy of your girlfriend."
"What?" he asked stunned.
"Beth did this to me yesterday" Emily told him, watching his face go blank, "So go on and tell me what a liar I am, Hotch. It's not like you'll even believe me."
"Emily" he said, his eyes drifting to the carpet, "How can you say that?"
"What, can't believe your precious Beth can do something like this?" Emily told him, "Well wise up, Hotch. The woman had been married more times than Dave. Her last one is to a plastic surgeon, she ditched him and her daughter in Detroit to come back here."
"She came back to be with her dying father" Hotch told her, backing towards his desk, "She told me that."
"Her father died when she was eleven" Emily said, "I came by your house yesterday to give you the information my P.I. sent me, and it turns out your little triathlon running buddy is a bigamist."
Hotch turned his back to overlook Quantico, and Emily huffed out, "Fine, don't say I didn't warn you. By the way, thanks for telling your girlfriend all about faking my death and my history with Doyle. It's nice knowing you and your girlfriend talk about what a whore I am behind my back."
Hotch turned around stunned while she slammed his office door close, "What?"
Hotch sat across from Beth in his home, while Jack was in the living room doing his math homework oblivious to what was transpiring between the adults in the kitchen.
"You what?" Beth asked.
"I think we need to take some time and not see each other for a while" Hotch repeated, watching his girlfriend seethed at that idea.
"Why?" Beth asked, "Aaron, what did I do?"
"It's not you, Beth" Hotch told her, the image of Emily and her bruises flashed in his mind, "I just need some time to think some things over."
Beth's eyes narrowed at that, the incident between her and the female agent clicked in her head. Nodding, Beth sat up straight.
"I understand" Beth said, "I'll just grab my things, and be on my way."
Hotch exhaled, he thought this situation was going to be a lot harder when he looked up he saw Beth stand by the front door.
"I'm sorry, Aaron" Beth told him, "You were the only one who ever understood me" looking regretful, "I hope this isn't the end for us."
Hotch took a deep breath, "I just think some time apart will help me figure things out."
Beth walked to the front door, slinging her bag over her shoulder, she looked at the little boy in the living room, "Bye Jack."
Jack looked up from his home work watching as Beth closed the door.
Hotch walked over to the living room, confused as he sat down on the couch. His son looked at him, he turned around.
"Dad?" Jack said picking up his notebook, "What does big-a-miss mean?"
That made Hotch's head pop up, "What?"
"Big-a-miss" Jack repeated, holding up the papers he took during Beth and Emily's scuffle, "These were here when Emmy was here the other day."
Taking the papers from his son, it dawned on him. She had told the truth, and then he heard his son speak up softly.
"I don't like Miss Beth" Jack said, "She made Emmy cry and called her a bad name."
"What?" Hotch said, his eyes shutting as the images of the bruises came back to him.
"I like Emmy more, Dad" Jack told his father, "Why doesn't she come over anymore?"
Hotch grabbed his cell phone, dialing her number. He needed to see her to tell her.
"Come on Jack, there's something I have to do." Hotch said, when the phone kept going to voice mail.
Pulling out the file with the name and picture, she looked down at the smiling image of the dark-haired, brown-eyed woman.
Her eyes glared at the picture, crumpling it and the file, ripping it up into tiny pieces as she thought over every smiling moment between them. Every look, and joke.
She absolutely hated her, and wanted her out-of-the-way.
Grabbing a bat, she picked it up and started decimating everything in the house. Smashing the picture frames, and the antique figurines.
"Ah" she screamed as she pounded the bat into the wall, kicking a hole into the bedroom closet door.
Dropping the bat, she took a deep breath to calm herself down, smoothing down her dark hair, and picked up the bat making her way to the back door.
Emily opened the front door, removing her weapon and badge while setting her grocery bag on the end table.
Her body ached all over and her neck still stung like hell but neither of those hurt as much as it did when she felt like she lost her best friend.
It was safe to say her week was going from hell and there was no way she was going to get over it anytime soon.
And it was all because he chose to believe her. But that was the least of her worries, she was still concern what Beth's intentions were.
There was no way she was going to let her boss marry a bigamist but who'd believe her?
After all it Hotch wasn't even a complaining witness. There was always filing for a restraining order on her end against the brunette curator.
She needed to figure out what her next move was.
Beth walked out from the back of the garage, thinking when she was through there'd be nothing left of the woman who ruined the thing she kept working hard to find. A perfect family.
And Emily Prentiss ruined hers, well two can play that game.
Emily stood by her front window staring out of her kitchen when she heard a persistent knock pulling her from her thoughts.
Walking over to it, she heard her cell phone ring too but rolled her eyes at the sight of Hotch's name. She was not going to deal with him again.
Hearing a knock, she went to the back door opening it only to meet the brunt end of a baseball bat and her world went black.
The sound of clacking heels walking across the cold concrete floor made Emily stir as she struggled to open her eyes at the sight in front of her.
"Yeah, I'd apologize, but I'm not even sorry" Beth said kneeling next to the brunette, "I thought I told you to keep your big mouth shut. And now you're in this mess because of your own stupidity."
Emily struggled against the bindings on her wrists and the pounding in her head while the nut job next to her flashed a light in her eyes.
"Hello, you still with me?" Beth ordered, "I know I hit you with a bat, but don't tell me you're that hard-headed?"
"What do you want?" Emily asked, looking up at the woman.
"Good, glad to see you've still got some use of those vocal chords" Beth taunted, "What do I want? Well I guess I can tell you since you won't be alive that much longer. I'm going to kill you, in your own basement, no less."
Rolling her eyes, "Good luck with that, Beth" Emily scoffed, "Bigger and better unsubs have tried and failed. I'm still here."
"Not for long" Beth said, "I'm really going to enjoy beating the shit out of you."
Emily worked on the rope tied around her wrists while Beth ranted on and on about how Emily ruined her life, and as the knot loosened, Emily charged forward knocking the two of them down.
Hotch pulled up across the street from Emily's house, when he looked down the road and recognized the black BMW parked next to Emily's neighbors home.
Beth was here, and that made his blood boil at the thought that he'd let someone manipulate themselves into his life.
Rushing for the front door, he kicked in the front door and noticed a small amount of blood on the hard wood floor next to a bat.
"God" Hotch muttered, pulling out his cell phone calling the team, "Rossi, it's me. Send police and EMTs to Prentiss' home. I don't know where she..."
The sound of banging and crashing below him told him where the two women were.
"Send them now, and get over here." Hotch ordered as he made his way to the basement doors, praying he reached them in time.
The two women wrestled to the floor, Beth rolled on top of Emily pounding her hands on her slender body, it was obvious what her intentions were. To kill her.
"I'm going to kill you!" Beth shouted, each punch making a new bruises all over her.
Emily clenched her fist, socking the woman off of her and shoving the disoriented woman into the wall.
As both women grapple for control, the sound of the basement door opening distracted Beth, using that to her advantage Emily punched the woman in the nose.
"Emily, Beth!" Hotch called out loudly, making both women pause.
"Aaron" Beth called out standing up, "She attacked me, Aaron. You have no idea how unstable she is. You have to get her help, Aaron She jealous of us, Aaron.."
"There's nothing to be jealous of" Hotch said cooly, assessing the situation, "I know, Beth, I know everything."
"What are you talking about, Aaron?" Beth demanded, "You know you're the only I want."
"Huh" Emily scoffed, "Yeah right, Mrs. Abbott."
Beth's eyes narrowed at that, readying for another round when Hotch grabbed at her, "You're under arrest for the attempted murder of a Federal Agent..."
"What?" Beth shouted, as she was being handcuffed, "I barely touched her."
"And bigamy." Hotch finished ignoring her protests.
"I've never been married" Beth denied, "I swear that."
"I have the proof." Hotch told her, as he continued the Miranda rights while the team came down the steps.
"Emily!" JJ called out, rushing to her friend's side, hugging her.
"I'm ok." Emily said, taking a deep breath.
Emily sat on the floor of her home, patching up the hole Beth left when she heard foot steps behind her.
"Are you sure about this?" JJ asked, picking up the box, "You don't have to rush anything if you don't want to."
Emily turned her head, "Moving back into my old apartment just makes more sense. This place is never going to feel like home again."
"Because of Beth?" JJ asked, kicking herself for bringing up the woman's name.
"And other things, just hasn't been the same since I came back" Emily said, "This place was never really my home anyways."
"Have you talked to Hotch yet?" JJ asked, taping the lid close.
"No, I don't think he wants to talk to me yet" Emily told her, admiring her patch up work, "Looks good?"
JJ nodded, "Looks like you'll get your deposit back."
"Good, the last thing I needed was to be out nine hundred dollars" Emily said, putting the lid back on the dry wall.
"Are you avoiding him or is he avoiding you?" JJ asked, "Neither of you have been to work since the incident."
Emily stood up, "You mean since his girlfriend tried to murder me in my own home?" rolling her eyes, "I don't think they make apology cards for that, Jayje."
"God, you can be so stubborn sometimes, Gumdrop" Garcia said wandering in, "It's not the bossman's fault that his triathlon hussy-tramp was also a nut job."
"Well to be fair, I did warn him" Emily pointed out, "You were all just were as blind to her pearly whites and pigtails as he was."
Garcia lifted her head from bubble wrapping glass, "I just wanted him to be happy, and I figured if not with you then why not with a look-alike."
"I do not look like Beth" Emily said, shuddering.
"You're both pale brunettes, with dark brown eyes and quirky attitudes" Garcia pointed out.
"That is true Emily" JJ added, "I think he was projecting you onto another woman."
"Great, Hotch thinks I'm a nut too" Emily muttered, turning to the two women, "Please, I don't want to talk about her anymore, she's not my problem anymore."
Sighing, both women nodded, "You've got everything? Are we forgetting anything?"
Looking around at the empty room, she shook her head, "There's nothing else here I need."
"Are you sure you don't need a hand carrying the boxes inside?" Morgan asked, as he and Dave set the boxes in the hallway in front of Emily's apartment.
"No thanks, guys" Emily told them, "You've all done more than enough."
"Ok, Princess, if you're sure?" Morgan said dropping a kiss on her forehead.
"Night, Em" Reid said waving at her.
"Night guys" Emily said turning around, as she unlocked the door, she froze, "You're still there, aren't you?"
"Yep" Dave said, "Are you even going to talk to me?"
Turning around after opening the door, "I told you, I'm not mad at you."
"Then why do I feel like there's a wall separating us?" Dave asked picking up a box despite her protest, "You know I wouldn't have told Hotch to go after Beth, if I thought there was a chance for the two of you, right?"
Dropping the box by the front hall closet, she sat down, "Dave, he doesn't want me. He's not interested in me, and I wish you would all stop trying to force something that's never going to happen."
Shaking his head, "Just think it over Emily. You don't want to throw away something that could actually make you happy." he took her hand, "I know how hard it is to trust people, but isn't Hotch one of those people who earned your trust?"
Dave leaned forward, kissing her forehead whispering good night and leaving her there to contemplate over what he advised.
Emily got up, carrying the box further into the living room, setting it down by the coffee table, while replaying the incident with Beth and Hotch.
How it wasn't Beth's side he ran to, it wasn't Beth he was watching as she sat in the back of the ambulance while she got looked over.
It was her that he'd been watching, and at first she waved it off, figuring it was guilt, and the concern of a supervisor over his subordinate. But now, were they all right?
'Who's Aaron going to believe, me or you?' Beth's voice rang out from her memory, 'The woman he's in love with or the slut who slept her way to the top for a profile?'
That thought made her heart harden, and any trace of concern over him dissipate, turning back to her unpacking when a knock on her door pulled her from the task.
Looking through the peep-hole she nearly scoffed at the person on the other side, as she opened the door.
"What?" Emily asked.
"Can we talk?" he asked, hoping to be allowed in.
"What's there to talk about?" she said masking the hurt in her tone.
He barged in without invitation, turning to her, "I'm sorry, Emily" he said, "And I'm never one to apologize."
"Tell me about it" she scoffed, ignoring him.
As she picked up the discarded dish towels she walked them into the kitchen, "Look I know you feel all apologetic for your psycho girlfriend, but please save it. I don't want her name mentioned in my new home, she already ruined my last one, and I really don't feel like moving again."
"Understandable" he said, toying with a figurine, "I just want you to know that I didn't tell her about your past with Doyle" seeing the surprise in her eyes, "The other day, I was going through some of the case files that I have at my home, when I noticed yours was missing."
"Whatever, it's not important anymore" she said turning her back on him, "Are we done now? I have a lot to do."
"I guess so" he paused, "I just don't want things to be weird between us, Emily."
"It's just going to take time, Hotch" she told him, "I'm not doing this to hurt you, but I need to put myself first for once."
Taking a deep breath, he walked towards the front door, "I understand" turning around he looked at her, "I hope someday things can be different."
"Me too" she said, picking up some discarded newspapers, "Me too."
Closing his eyes, he acted on impulse not caring if she smacked him or yelled at him, he stormed over to her, stunning the brunette agent with a deep and passionate kiss.
Dropping the newspaper she placed her hands on his chest trying to pull back only to moan as he deepened the kiss.
He pulled out of the kiss, ran his thumb across her cheek whispered into her ear and kissed her on the forehead.
"See you on Monday" Hotch said, with a smile before walking out the door, closing it behind him.
Emily instinctively sat down on the couch, a small smile gracing her face as she touched her lips as his words replayed in her head.
'I'm not giving up on us' he whispered to her, 'Even if it takes forever, I'll wait for you.'
"The descent into madness is usually preceded by obsession." Author Unknown
THE END
I hope you all enjoy this. Don't throw tomatoes, just leave a review.