Okay, so the song "Love the Way you Lie" inspired this fic. The ending will seem abrupt and may I warn you tragic. Sometimes things in our life can consume us and without any reconciliation and spoken peace the day can just end. I wrote this trying to convey, that life is short, so make the most of it without any regrets.
I hope you all enjoy!
"Just gonna stand there and watch me burn
But that's alright because I like the way it hurts
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry
But that's alright because I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie" -Rhianna-
"He's not alone." Emily told him.
"He doesn't have anyone." Hotch answered, almost as if he wasn't talking about himself.
"He has Tommy, he's not alone." The moment lingered in awkwardness and Emily looked down to break the stare and then back up, "Well I guess I better go." She paused to see if he would say goodbye and when he didn't she tapped the keys in her palm and walked towards his apartment door. Just as her hand hit the cold, metal door knob she stopped, hearing a simple but needing and vulnerable word slide off Aaron Hotchner's lips.
"Stay."
Emily looked at her chewed up fingernails resting on the smooth, rounded metal, "What did you say?" After speaking she looked back at him.
"I want you to stay."
Emily had to disagree, because the way the word rolled off his tongue spoke for a need that went beyond talking, "Hotch…"
"Emily…don't." Hotch convinced her and not another word was spoken.
Before daylight, Emily gathered herself and her belongings. Leaving without a word was not the right thing to do but she didn't know what to say and if things weren't complicated before, they were now. With one last glance she took in the disarray of the room, following the trail of scattered papers incongruently placed on his dresser leading to stacks on the floor, with a few pieces floating here and there, finally leading to the bed side table covering the mahogany wood finish. With a sigh, her heart ached for him and then she wondered if last night's events were only out of pity for him and not out of…dare she think it…love.
Next to the bedside table was a tanned, muscular arm extending to the floor, connected to a man lost in this world. The answer to saving himself was hidden in the papers not only scattered about his bedroom but throughout his entire apartment and the menacing question is, would he ever find the answer?
If and when Aaron Hotchner did find the answer, would he still want Emily? This question haunted her. With every departure she had developed stronger feelings and then with every work day they were obliterated by a cold, harsh, emotionless tone she received from her Unit Chief. Part of her wanted to believe he was overcompensating for some feelings he too may have developed, but then that idea would fade as the day pressed on. There was no compassion, no consideration and the tasks she was given were demeaning and petty. To beat it all, the behavior didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the team and they quietly questioned, what was going on?
Emily's eyes empathetically glanced one last time, at a broken man who seemed to find comfort through sexual gratification by a female co-worker. She didn't look long before turning her back and walking out the door.
On the quiet ride home she felt used and the immediate need to shower. What started out as possibly a "good thing" was slowly festering in Emily, destroying her good character, making her almost intolerable at work and it was all Aaron Hotchner's fault.
After returning home and taking a much needed shower, followed by just two hours of sleep, it was time to start the day.
Grueling as it was she got out of bed and made some highly caffeinated coffee. Just as the first cup finished brewing her phone buzzed, "What now?" she said out loud. Without question she knew who it was, it was Hotch. If the disconnect at work wasn't bad enough he harassed her through texts with petty requests, only this morning the text read, My Office ASAP. "Really?" She huffed; it wasn't like she could say no. She got dressed and went straight to work.
When she arrived she passed JJ in the hall with a casual greeting and politely smiled at Reid walking by his desk in the bull pen. Starting onto the catwalk she dreaded knocking on Hotch's door. She didn't want to face him, not in the least bit.
Emily held her head a little high, knocked and waited for him to respond. When she heard his voice she entered.
"Close the door." He said more gruffly than usual.
Emily got a curious look on her face and noticed the blinds were un-ordinarily closed. She was quiet and waited for him to say something.
Hotch stood to his feet, "I can't do this anymore. I thought last night would be different but I was wrong."
"Excuse me?" Emily said, anger obvious in her tone.
"You left." He stated plainly.
"Since the first night I've had no reason to stay."
"Then why?" Hotch asked.
"I thought things would change." She said defensively, "Besides you are the one who asks me to stay."
"You could say no?" Hotch said coldly.
"Maybe I should have." Emily told him, her tone increasing.
"So you wanted to stay?" Hotch asked.
"Yes…no…um." With all the mixed emotions and unexplained feelings she didn't know how to answer.
"Well which is it?"
"I don't know." She said angrily, "Well what about you? Did you want me to stay?"
"Yes or I wouldn't have asked you. I thought that was understood…apparently not."
"What the hell Hotch? Do you even realize what you have done?"
"I've done nothing to you." Hotch stated.
"You are so blinded by abyss that you don't even realize your sucking everyone else into it."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Hotch eyed her curiously.
"Fine you want it straight I'll give it to you. Your behavior is affecting your job. First you give Morgan a promotion only because of your selfish desires to make the Reaper think he's winning so you'll catch a break, imagine how that makes Morgan feel? Rossi has practically employed the constant surveillance that follows your every step and what gratitude have you showed him? JJ on the other hand has been working with Morgan picking up your slack, losing precious time she could be spending with her family because you are so obsessed with finding an answer when you know good and well, an answer won't come until he strikes again. Garcia, bless her soul works into the night scraping and searching for anything that will help us catch Foyett and to beat it all when she sees you hurting she hurts too. She wants you so badly to help be pivotal in his capture and Reid…" Emily paused, and then continued, "…He wants to help but gets pushed out, you won't let him into your head to be able to help you and he doesn't know how to any other way. I've repeatedly seen him draw charts and diagrams of timelines and different geographic profiles that lead him to dead end after dead end."
"So what you're saying is none of you want to help me?"
"No Hotch. Don't you get it, we desperately want to help you but you could show some gratitude and compassion for the sacrifices this team has made for you. Believe it or not they care about you and want your nightmare to end but you're not making it very easy on them."
"Have they complained?"
"Of course not! I said they want to help, but your being a glorified butthole."
Hotch's ego was finally getting slammed and he wanted to know one more thing, "What about you?"
"Hmm…where should I start? You treat me like some prostitute. At work you make me feel worthless, no better than a piece of alley scum. Emily tried not to let her voice show emotion. "I thought maybe you…you…"
"What?" Hotch asked.
Emily glared at him with her tear glazed eyes and angrily said, "I thought maybe you were overcompensating for how you really felt about me."
Before Hotch had a chance to answer JJ barged in, "Excuse me. I'm sorry to interrupt…" JJ caught a glance of Emily, with her arms folded in front of her, looking away. She was guarded, very unlike the Emily Prentiss JJ knew. Without taking too long of a pause she continued, "The Federal Bank, located uptown has a hostage situation. We have been requested…"
Hotch cut her off and walked around his desk following JJ out of his office, "How many hostages?"
Emily was left standing alone, never had Emily felt the need to end her life, but right now all she wanted to do was be put out of her misery.
Emily straightened up and let her hands fall to her sides. With a deep breath she felt she was composed enough to exit. Just as she stepped out of her office she almost ran into Rossi.
Un-known to Emily or so he thought, Rossi had intended for the encounter to happen just the way it played out. The interaction between Emily and Hotch had not gone unnoticed and he knew by the look on Emily's face things were going downhill and fast. "I'm sorry." Rossi said acting as if the whole charade was an accident.
"You can stop acting." Emily said in her casual tone, ignoring the confrontation and continuing down the stairs into the bull pen.
"Emily wait." Rossi tried to stop her. He wasn't drawing any attention to himself or Emily because most of the team had left the bull pen area on account of what was taking place, so he seized the moment. Gently he grabbed her forearm, "Emily are you okay?"
Emily stopped and turned around to face the senior agent, "I guess it won't do me any good to lie so no, I'm not okay."
"He'll come around." Rossi tried to sound re-assuring.
"Are you sure about that? Because from where I'm standing he is so consumed by Foyett and…"
Rossi interrupted, "Let me stop you before you say something you'll regret."
Emily walked to her desk, grabbed her vest and began to put on her gun, "I doubt it, after what he's done to me, there is no taking that back."
"Have you tried to be understanding?"
"He used me Rossi!" Emily said defensively, "And like a little girl I fell for it!"
"How deep did you fall?" Rossi asked.
"His words and actions cut a knife straight through my heart. I tried to understand and even considered that maybe he had re-newed feelings for Hayley, especially after he saw her again that day in the hospital. Part of me realizes he'll always love her but that doesn't give him the right to be the way he's been."
Rossi sighed, "Your right."
Hotch popped his head through the glass doors, into the bull pen, "Lets go!" He ordered.
Rossi gave Emily a sympathetic glance and they left with the rest of the team.
On arrival, chaos began to unfold. Hostages inside the bank were being killed, distinctly out of pure pleasure by the un-subs. Hotch had barely stepped foot onto the pavement when he was giving orders to move in. Fortunately the SWAT teams were ready for their arrival, the agents fell in behind them and stormed the building, forced to act on instinct.
Two of the un-subs went down without further incident, clearing the scene for medics to come in and assist the victims.
"Hotch…" Morgan grabbed his attention to tell him about the third un-sub who was missing, but Hotch already caught on.
Looking at Morgan Hotch said, "You and JJ check the building." He then looked at Emily who abruptly followed him out the front doors of the bank.
The only access around the building was an alley way located on the right. The left side of the building was joining another structure.
The alley reeked of old garbage as the sound of water was heard dripping from invisible places along the wall. Ahead of them were two dumpsters across from each other, with cardboard boxes piled and scattered on either side of the metal containers, creating the perfect place to conceal one's self.
Hotch and Emily walked parallel to one another down both sides of the alley way. Hearts were pounding. Past the dumpsters was a dead end and either the un-sub had, time enough to escape out of the back of the building or come down the side using an extending ladder from one of the windows. The agents were slowly inching ever closer to the high piled garbage and paused only a few feet away when a ring of metal could be heard. Emily looked up and saw the un-sub, who had just jumped out of a window onto the ladder, above Hotch's head, "Look out!" and before she could fire a shot a bullet pierced the air slamming straight into Emily's skull, sending her lifeless body onto the wet pavement.
Hotch looked up heeding to Emily's warning and just as he was about to fire his weapon he heard the last breath escape the woman he had so blindly fallen for. He looked to the beautiful agent and as if in slow motion he watched her crumple to the ground. The distraction would prove fatal for Hotch as the second shot fired sent him to the surface of the grimy alleyway.
After clearing the immediate threats, the un-sub began swiftly moving down the ladder, with escape in sight when the third and final shot rang out. The shot came from the window above, with which the un-sub had escaped. The bullet pierced his body halting his ape like movements. His hands flew off the ladder as he lost all control, leaving one foot to get caught in between the metal bars of the ladder, catching his weight as he now hung suspended in the air.
Morgan had emitted the third shot that killed the un-sub and as he looked down into the alley way he said, "Oh my God."
JJ too hung her head out the window, she gasped as tears sprung to her eyes, immediately she turned to go back downstairs.
Briefly and without resolution two lives had been taken, forced to leave this world discontent and shattered. Was it an act of love or duty as Emily warned Hotch of the imminent danger? Vainly her life had been taken, distracting Hotch. In the moment he heard her take her last breath did he realize the undying love he had for her and in that moment did he regret all that had taken place? When he looked back to kill the un-sub was it for revenge or to protect himself?
One will never know the answers to these haunting questions, but alas there was one thing that seemed so willfully out of place as the other agents came running into the alleyway, stopping suddenly at the bodies of their beloved friends. JJ began to sob loudly, dropping to her knees. Reid turned and almost ran away where he couldn't see them; emotions he didn't properly know how to deal with had already begun what would be an endless torture. Morgan knelt at Hotch's corpse as Rossi knelt at Emily's both agents feeling for a pulse. Morgan and Rossi hung their heads and in utter despair no one seemed to notice, that in a struggle against death, Hotch had placed his hand on top of Emily's almost as though of if he was clutching it.
"…Sometimes the day just ends." –Aaron Hotchner-
There you have it! Life can go so quickly and you never know when time may end and that's what I was trying to get across. Despite the sad ending I hope ya'll enjoyed. Even if you didn't I'd love to hear what you thought!