The Moment Explodes

A/N: Hello all, welcome to this new fic! This is going to be a bunch of oneshots all based on the song 'The Moment Explodes' from "If/Then", a new Broadway musical. Please listen to the song or look at the lyrics before reading, it may help your understanding of this fic.

Hope you enjoy! And please remember to check out some of my other works, as well as leave a review. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter One.

It all happened so fast. At least that's what he was told. Emily, his Emily, was gone just like that. In one sudden moment, he was alone again. The only person that knew how to make him feel loved and whole, had left him.

Ever since that day, June 22nd, 2013, the news has been covering the accident, over and over again. He had seen the plane go down so many times, mostly replaying it over again in his head just before he fell asleep at night. It stayed with him for weeks now. He couldn't work, he couldn't eat, he couldn't even give Jack the love that he deserved. Once again, he felt broken.

Just three weeks ago he had gotten a call from his fiancée, saying that she would be returning home within the next week. He promised her that once her flight landed, he would take her to a nice restaurant where he would buy her an expensive dinner, and then the two of them would have the night to themselves, as Jack would be with Jessica.

Now he sat on his bed, rolling the diamond ring in between his index finger and thumb. He stared down at it, a tear trickling down his cheek and landing on his arm. Just like that, his Emily was gone. He swallowed thickly as he thought of that day. He had been waiting for her flight to come in, waiting for her call to come pick her up at the airport, waiting to hear her voice again.

The call came in around 9am on that 22nd day of June. About two hours earlier than expected. He nearly missed the call, trying to locate his phone. Catching it on the last ring, Aaron placed the iPhone to his ear, opening his mouth to speak but another voice cutting him off. It wasn't Emily's.

"Aaron Hotchner? We need you to come down to the airport. I'm sorry, sir." At the mention of the airport, Aaron immediately froze, his blood running cold. Why was he needed down at the airport? Why was the woman telling him she was sorry? Did something happen to Emily?

He cleared his throat and spoke, panic setting in. "Emily-" He choked out, unable to process any of the information that the woman was now telling him. All he heard was static mixed in with words here and there.

"Sir?" The woman sighed softly. The airport was a mess. People were screaming and crying, pacing back and forth, waiting, just waiting. "I'm sorry, sir. Flight 149 went down. Officials are still looking for survivors. We don't know anything else yet, but we would like you to come down in case we need you to make an ID." She was never taught this at school, never told how to handle death or how to help someone grieving. Hell, plane accidents were scarce. They hardly ever occurred.

Aaron managed to move from his place on the couch and he reached for the remote, turning on the news. Sure enough, the very first story was the plane crash, "Officials are working the scene, searching for any survivors after Flight 149, flying into Dulles International Airport, making its way all the way from London. The pilot, so far is in critical condition. So far, 206 of the 239 passengers are reported to have died in this terrible accident. Experts say that the engine had stopped and the plane dropped, spiraling down from 31,000 feet." Aaron swallowed hard as the image of the wreckage appeared on the television. Firetrucks swarmed around the large plane, men running in and out of the smoking heap of metal. Emily was on that plane. He could only pray that she wasn't one of the 206. He knew there wasn't much hope. Every ten minutes they seemed to find another passenger that hadn't survived.

He dialed her cellphone as he headed out the door, praying to any deity that would listen and perhaps grant his one wish. "Emily, please answer. Please." The ringing continued, going to voicemail after a while. He couldn't think, couldn't breathe, he only drove. He broke so many traffic laws, speeding and weaving in and out of cars, not giving a damn. His Emily.

He felt the velvet box in his pocket and let out a sob, his whole body shaking as he stopped the vehicle at a red light. He had the whole rest of the day planned. He would get down on his knees right there in the middle of the airport and would finally ask her to join his small family, to be the mother of his seven year old son. God, Jack was seven now. Where had the time gone? He shook his head, pressing down on the accelerator and surging the vehicle forward. This was supposed to be a good day. Not a somber one.

He furiously wiped away the tears in his eyes and pulled into the airport's parking lot where he was scheduled to meet Emily in a little less than two hours.

Except he wouldn't be meeting Emily at all. There would be no proposal, no dinner, no celebrations.

As soon as he rushed into the airport, he was thrown into chaos. It was as if a tornado had hit the place. Parents and children were sobbing in the corners, attendants ran around like mad dogs, not knowing WHAT to do, and police officials, fire fighters, and EMTs transported people on stretchers, away from the public's eye. That's when he saw it. That bit of dark ebony hair hanging off the stretcher and peeking out from the body bag. It was her.

How could she have left him? How had this happened? He hadn't even gotten a chance to tell her that she had become his best friend, that he loved her.

He shivered, freezing in that one spot as everything rushed on around him. His vision began to fade as the blood drained from his face. He felt hot. Glancing around wildly, he swallowed back the bile in his throat, trying to ignore the sudden stifling heat. The whole room began to spin and he lost his footing as he tried to take a step forward. He stumbled, losing his balance as everything went black completely.

A/N: I know, I know, I'm terrible. Please tell me how much you hate me in a review? Next is Emily's POV of the accident. Stick with me guys. Thanks for joining this story.

-Emily.