A/N: This is my first Fanfiction. It is set right after Emily joins the BAU, but in this story, Hotch and Haley have already divorced. (Recently edited)
Disclaimer in bio.
Chapter 1
"tell me the truth!" he shook her. She tried to pull away, but his grasp on her arms was too tight. She attempted a counter-maneuver, and he slammed her against the brick wall of the alleyway.
"Hotch, I did not leak information to Senator Steinwell." She let out in a gasp. The blow of the wall to her back had stolen her breath. he studied her for a minute, not loosening his grip on her. Emily knew she would have bruises in the morning. What hurt her more than that though, was the knowledge that he felt he could not trust her.
"How did she know about the prostitutes? The connection between their murders?" He was beginning to doubt her involvement in it, but he had to be sure.
"I truly do not know where she got her information from. This morning was the first contact I'd had with her in over a year. And I only talked with her after she left your office, Sir." She put in the Sir because she knew it bothered him.
She could see his eyes searching her for any sign that she was lying. She knew there wouldn't be one, she wasn't the leak. "okay" he said, releasing her arms and stepping back. The blood rushing back into her arms made them hurt more than the pressure had, but she could deal with pain. She kept a straight face.
"go home Prentiss, its late." What, no apology? she thought sarcastically. of course not, its Hotch, he didn't want you here in the first place, didn't want you to replace Elle. He walked away, leaving her standing in an alleyway outside the BAU.
She walked back inside, to grab some files, and her bag. She knew he had told her to go home, but this was like her small act of defiance. Besides, she needed her things, and he couldn't actually kick her out of the building.
She walked straight to her desk, not bothering to speak to Morgan or Reid, who were both giving her strange looks. She knew what they must be thinking. To her knowledge, Hotch had never dragged an agent out of the FBI Building before. They were probably wondering why he had to her, and what had transpired once they were outside. They seemed to decide against asking her though, and she left the BAU in silence, hoping that tomorrow would be better than today.
BAUEMILYPRENTISS
Emily woke up earlier than usual the next morning. She knew she would need the extra time to rub some of the soothing cream she had bought in Paris the year before, into her bruises. She had avoided looking at the sore places the night before, because seeing the bruises would force her to face the facts. Her boss had physically attacked her. She didn't even know what Steinwell had said to him, but obviously it had made the normally cool Hotch lose his temper. And he had taken it out on her.
Emily walked into the bathroom, and got out two ibprofen from the medicine cabinet, and swallowed them with some water out of the tap. She took off the long sleeved shirt she had worn to bed, leaving herself in only a tank top. She lifted her arms, examining the purple finger-shaped bruises that were on the middle of both her upper arms.
Darn, and I wanted to wear that new sleeveless green button up I bought last week. She went through her closet and decided on a casual white stretchy V-neck with buttons that went from the V to the middle or the shirt. It cut off at the elbows. just don't roll up your sleeves today. She reminded herself, knowing that was her normal habit. She really didn't want her co-workers to see the marks on her skin. She didn't want to explain who had put them there, and why.
Emily walked into the BAU at 7:15 A.M. she had already put together a story for why Hotch had practically dragged her out of the office yesterday. She was just going to say that he had wanted to ask her about her thoughts on the case, straight up, without giving her a chance to think about it. She hoped her co-workers would buy it, and if they didn't, she hoped they would just leave it alone. Derek was already at his desk, and he regarded her with a questioning look as she walked to her desk. She would wait for him to ask. She really didn't want to bring it up, on the off-chance that he would ask her something completely unrelated.
"So, what did Hotch want yesterday?" She saw curiosity in his eyes, but also something else. If she wasn't mistaken, it looked like concern.
"he just wanted to hear my uncensored thoughts on the case," she responded. Now she saw disbelief, and a little bit of hurt in his eyes. He hadn't thought she would lie to him. He wondered what had really happened, and what had caused Emily Prentiss to walk into work today with guarded eyes, and body language that was giving the clear message of leave me alone.
Emily repeated her story for Reid when he walked in a few minutes later. She didn't like lying to her colleagues, but figured it was better than them knowing the truth. He looked like he believed it just as much as Derek had. When JJ walked in and asked, Emily had a minor blow-up.
"How do you even know about it? You weren't even here! Why doesn't everybody mind their own business?" JJ looked at her shocked, and Morgan and Reid exchanged looks. They knew for sure now that Emily was hiding something.
"Agent Prentiss, my office, now." Hotch had witnessed her whole outburst through his open office door.
He was already sitting behind his desk when she reached his office.
"close the door." she did, and he motioned for her to sit on the chair opposite his desk. She sat, wondering if he would call her on her behavior. He certainly hadn't been a great role model of correct work-place behavior last night.
"Agent Prentiss, if you cannot conduct yourself in a proper manner within the office, then I will be forced to suspend you from working in the field." Sonofabitch she thought. He really was going to act like she was the only one who had done something wrong. She stiffened.
"Yes, Sir. It won't happen again sir." she added a little bit of venom to the sirs, but not enough to be called insubordinate. She walked out of his office, focusing very hard on closing the door behind her, rather than slamming it.