Chapter One:
It starts with a spark
Declaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, If I did there would be a little baby Emily Hotchner, and she'd be named after her mother.
He was hunting, and it felt good. To be back, to be hungry. They'd tried to tame him, but they lost. He was back. And only an hour into his hunting, he saw her. Tall, almost as tall as him, skin only a bit too dark for his taste, but she would be paler when she was screaming, they always were. Best of all, that hair, long, dark , shiny. She would definitely be a screamer. She was not perfect, but she would do. So he came so silently up behind her and tapped her on her shoulder.
"ma'am do you need help?" she was startled but not frightened yet, he would change that later. She must fear him. It was gods will that woman fear men.
"umm, yes thank you" god she'd made it easy, he'd expected a no. but she was dumb, that was okay. There was no college needed for what was about to happen to her. They made there way to her car, he was a little too quiet for her taste, but she kept up a small string of chatter, and even quiet, he was charming. Until they got to her car, and he quickly and stealthily stuck that needle in her arm.
Yes, he thought as she fell groaning slightly from the sedative that was injected straight into her bloodstream, it was indeed good to be back.
"we have a new one." Todd called as she stuck her head momentarily into hotches office. He was always the first one to know. Always. He was up in a second and following her out he caught sight of something that made him very uncomfortable. Morgan and Prentiss faces close, both staring steadily into each others eyes.
"what's going on?" he asked, making Garcia, Reid and Dave glance at him briefly, though only Dave bothered to explain.
"Staring contest, been going on for ages."
"well, its time for it to end, we have a case." as if his voice had broken through whatever little box they'd shut themselves into, Emily and Morgan snapped out of their "contest", Morgan placing a friendly chaste kiss on Emily's lips. Hotch was stunned, but no one else even blinked, obviously they'd seen his before. That bothered him more than it really should have.
They were soon assembled in the conference room, Hotch sitting at the head as per usual. Even Garcia was there as it looked like she would be accompanying the team on this one. Next to Garcia on the opposite side of Hotch was Prentiss, then Morgan followed by Reid and lastly Dave. It was an order they almost always ended up in, a little like clockwork.
"Two bodies found over the past four days. Both women, both tortured by the looks of it." Todd put the pictures on the screen up, efficient of course, as she was quickly learning why there was a desperate need for a place like the BAU. "PD called us in after they found out that each of the two victims had identical necklaces on when they were found."
As Todd moved to pull the necklace pictures up, Hotch took the opportunity to study the team. Or more specifically, Emily and Derek. They were talking, discussing theories no doubt, and it made hotch's blood boil; ever so slightly to see how they unconsciously seemed to lean into each other. Nothing but comfort and acceptance between the two. If he tried to pull ½ of what Derek did with her, he might be liable to get shot.
"so where are they?" Dave piped in form the back, his nose buried behind his notepad.
"Northampton, Massachusetts." Todd answered them, bringing up a map of the small city.
Todd looked at Hotch for ultimate approval. It was a common misconception to people (especially PD) that Todd, or as it used to be Jj had all and final say in the cases the team got. That wasn't true, it was up to them to pick them yes, but Hotch was team leader, and he had and always would have veto power. Hotch nodded
"wheels up in 5."
"wanna finish our little contest?" Emily asked Derek, taking the seat next to him. They'd just finish the plane briefing and she was bored.
"umm, if I said no would you shoot me?"
"come on Derek, amuse me." she laughed at the devilish look that came onto his face.
"anything you want, but keep it quiet, I don't want my Goddess to hurt me."
Emily rolled her eyes at him, but her smile remained. "Garcia doesn't believe in guns, Derek. "but, then again" she reconsidered, "she really doesn't need one, I have a feeling she's more dangerous than Strauss and Hotch locked in a room together with an entire arsenal and too much gin." Okay that made him laugh.
And it was their laughing coupled with the comment that Hotch had not missed, that made him look over at them. Damnit, were they ever not together? And why was he just noticing this?
Heaven only knew, but it didn't dismiss the feeling he got when he saw his chocolate subordinate making her laugh, knowing that he couldn't make her laugh like that, couldn't kiss her so easily as Derek had, before in the office. All because he was her supervisor, or really, could he blame this separation on being a supervisor? Or was it really his own stubbornness? The fact that for the longest time he couldn't accept that Strauss might have made a good decision by putting Emily on his team?
And it had been a good decision. Emily was fundamental to the structure of the team, he'd not missed the way she took care of everyone. Even him in her own, unwilling-to-ever-admit-it way. Hadn't it been her who'd taken care of him so much after New York? He hadn't wanted to lean on anyone, hadn't wanted the team to see him inevitably weak and he'd made damn sure to do everything in his power to prevent anyone from helping him. But she hadn't cared at all for what he wanted, it was all about what she knew he needed and lord but he'd needed help.
And she'd helped him all right, walking beside him to fill him in on those things said that he couldn't hear, talking facing him, because she'd got him to admit, in one those unwilling moments to admit about his hearing. She'd been the one to call out his name, the only face he'd been able to focus on when that damned pull lift had been screaming in his ear. And yes, she still stayed late to make sure he left, to make sure he didn't snap after a fight with Hayley about Jack, and there'd been a lot of them lately. After being a lawyer he should have realized that divorce would be hell, even if he did sign the papers uncontested, he frowned at the thought.
"sir? Is something wrong?" oh right he'd forgotten that he was still staring at her.
"nothing pre-Emily" he used her name now out of pure will power, trying not to slip into that professional mode again. "we're going to be landing in about an hour or so, you two should get some sleep, it will be almost 9 by the time we get there and if the pattern holds true, he'll be on the hunt tomorrow"
"Okay" she answered easily, standing to get her pillow and blanket. She grabbed her stuff and took the only other seat long enough to stretch out a little on, the one next to Hotch. He knew it probably wasn't even conscious on her part, but a part of him lit up at having her close.
And close she was, the jet wasn't exactly conducive to personal space and she had no choice but to lay with her head almost grazing his shoulder. She probably thought nothing of it, but h couldn't stop thinking about it!
Long after Morgan had taken his place lying next to Garcia, his arm wrapped protectively around her and resting on her not yet showing baby bump. After Dave had stretched out over several seats, a hand stretched over his eyes, trying to get some of the rest he'd been denying himself to stay up with Jj and the baby now that Will was dead. And when Reid's sleep talking had dimmed and quieted to frantic murmurs, Hotch was still awake.
Awake because of the women who's body had been shifted and moved by its own accord so that she now rested over him. Splayed at the most comfortable but yet pretty wrong position with her head on his lap, his hands running softly through the dark locks. They were soft and tempting and he really couldn't help himself, Aaron may have prized himself on his impeccable self control but with Emily he'd realize a long time ago, he had none. When he was angry with her, and that was often enough, he called her out in a way that he wouldn't have with say Derek? Why? Because though she probably still thought it was malicious intent, truth was he couldn't help it. She made him react, it was as simple as that. She shook him to his core, and what's more she seemed to know she did on some unconscious level. It was seriously strange, or so thought the man watching his two colleagues from where he rested across a couch. His hands may be over his eyes, but he could see them, Emily lying on Hotches lap, Hotch running his fingers through Em's hair, looking more at peace then Dave had seen him since, well, ever. It was a good thing he was sure, this changing dynamic in the team, Hotch and Em deserved each other. Now if his teammate could just pull his head out of his ass long enough to admit that to the woman he was holding…
The first thing Emily realized as she woke up was that her pillow was a little scratchy, then that her pillow wasn't a pillow and that as it was breathing, it was probably human. Then as she lifted her head it struck her that it was Hotch, her boss. oh god… this feeling only deepened when she saw where here head had ended up in the night, on his lap (something's you just couldn't miss in the mornings) and when she just couldn't help the light blush that dusted her cheeks. Had she ever realized just how cute rumpled Hotch was? Or how good he smelled, musty and 100% man? Yes, how couldn't she have, but damn it had been easier to ignore when she was farther away.
"Sleep well?" Emily turned to meet the gaze of her best friend.
"Derek, what are you asking?"
"nothing" he replied, though he looked pointedly to the still asleep beside her. "you just seem to be pretty comfortable, that's all." she fixed him with a long, fairly hard stare and for awhile they just stared at each other. Derek backed down first, it was unlike him but fighting with Emily Prentiss of all people when she'd just woke up was probably one of the most dangerous feats he'd tried yet, including jumping that building. He'd wait till later when both were in better moods, and Emily had had her coffee to ask again. Because really who else was he gonna ask, asking Hotch would be like asking a rock, a very mean rock that could desk him for a week if pissed off.
Speaking of Hotch, the younger man looked around for their quiet supervisor and found him now sitting up alone, as Emily had vacated the seat in favor of the bathroom. His boss looked more than a little confused in the morning, despite the fact that he always woke up immediately clear headed and alert. It was probably due to the affects of Emily Prentiss. He knew from experience that she could really mess with a guys head.
"How long till we land?" he asked Todd around Garcia's head, she was still sleeping.
"about a half an hour, but Hotch had said he wanted to go over some stuff again, so we should wake 'em up." Morgan nodded, laying his head in pen's soft blond hair, gently laying a kiss on her neck, enjoying this for just a second before he had to get her up. After he's had his one second to pretend they were at home and it was their day off and they wouldn't have to get out of bed all day, he put his mouth close to her ear and whispered, "Pen… Pen its time to wake up."
"mmm.. Don't say that, Derek Morgan, we are at home and is Saturday, and we don't have to get up ever again." Morgan smiled at how close her thoughts were to his, he knew very well that his baby girl didn't sleep well before, but with the pregnancy, early as it was, things had changed a bit.
"Don't I wish baby mama, but we have to get and catch the bad guy." he heard her sigh, but a second later she was getting up and so was he, Em was out of the bathroom now and he and Pen shared time, one of the perks of dating in house.
Meanwhile, Reid was shaken awake by Dave and everyone started to get into their landing rotations. That is everyone fixed the rumpled mess that had become their appearance so they could look like the federal agents and not roadies, Emily laughed at the thought of someone thinking Hotch was a roadie.
"What's so funny?" Emily was a fully trained federal agent, but she still jumped, god damn Hotch for being ex-SWAT
"Nothing, sir" she winced at that last word, it was habit by now whenever she felt threatened by him, and with him so close she did feel threatened. Just threatened in a tingly, almost good way. Hotch said nothing just raised his eyebrow in a look of pure speculation and humor.
Strange thought Spencer Reid as he watched from his vantage point across the aisle and over a seat. He wondered if Emily realized just how different Hotch was with her, with the way he handled her. Reid may has been socially awkward, but he was always better with others emotions than his own, and he could plainly see it. Jj was a beautiful woman, Todd was too, and even Elle had been beautiful in an exotic sort of way. But Hotch was never this on edge with any of them, not even after he and Elle had that one accidental night. The one she'd later confessed to him when she was drunk, it had been an accident and stupid and though it had stung a little bit, it was before he'd ever got together with her. Spencer soon lost himself in his thoughts of his girlfriend of over two years, since Hinkle, the one no one yet knew he had. Not even Morgan.
"Emily" Morgan called softly leaning in to him female companion. "Is it just me or does something seem off about Reid?"
Emily looked instantly worried. "do you think its Dilaudid?"
"no, no, nothing like that. I actually think its something good, I just don't know what it is."
Hotch shouldn't have felt as upset by her attention turning to Derek as he was. But he was. And by the look he noticed Dave shooting him, he wasn't as subtle about it as he had thought.