Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds and I'm not making any profit off of this story.
Summary: Hotch goes to visit Emily's grave and gets the surprise of his life.
This story was written for the Fanfic Challenge Round 9 - March Madness on CCoAC. My prompt was the TV show: It Had to Be You and my pairing was Hotch/Prentiss.
I owe babygurl0506 a huge apology for being sooo late. I know it's not a good excuse but I had never written a Hotch/Prentiss story before and when I got my prompt I had absolutely no idea what to write.
So it took me way longer than it should have and I'm really sorry it's a month late.
I hope it is okay but I fear Hotch and Prentiss may be out of character (I think I should stick to writing Morgan/Garcia.)
..
Hotch stood silently, his body stiff and tired, in his hand he held a bouquet of beautiful white roses that hung at his side.
He breathed out a sigh and ran his hand over the back of his neck.
It had been fifteen years since she had died, but he still found himself drawn to this place. He knew that she was gone, and even though he didn't believe that her spirit remained here, he still found it a nice place to come and remember her.
Hotch stepped forward and placed the roses against the headstone.
Before he pulled away he let his hand trace her engraved name on the front of the stone.
Then he straightened and stood in silence, as he thought about the past few years.
He normally only came to her grave once a year, so did the rest of the team. They would come together as a group, on the anniversary of the day she died.
Even though Rossi had retired, for the second time and JJ had moved out of state after her transfer, they always made the time to come together and visit their friend's last resting place.
But today was different.
He had just heard the news and he hadn't had the time to get the whole team together, but he wanted to come here anyway.
He knew that Emily couldn't hear him but he wanted to tell her anyway.
Hotch looked to the left of her gravestone, where a large, beautiful oak stood that shaded the grave and the grass around it. He and the team had all chipped in to get it planted there on the first anniversary of her death.
They wanted to shed some beauty on the cold stone that lay amongst all the rest in the graves. Emily had been special to them and they had wanted to do something to show it.
The tree was the best idea that they had come up with. They had even planted it themselves, somehow that had made it seem more special.
As Hotch stared at the tree he found himself lost in a memory.
Hotch walked out of his office, it was late, he had just finished off some paperwork that had been piling up.
He had thought everyone had gone home and was surprised to see Prentiss still sitting at her desk, her head in her hands; he must have missed her before.
"What are you still doing here?" he asked and was surprised when she jumped.
Prentiss had looked up at him and blinked a few times, giving Hotch the impression that she had been asleep, which was strange for her.
"Are you okay?" he asked her, he had thought she had been acting strangely the last few days. She always seemed to be on edge and she was jumpy, Prentiss had never been jumpy before.
She straightened her wrinkled shirt and looked down "Yeah I'm fine" she said shrugging it off.
"Are you sure?" Hotch asked "You haven't seemed like yourself in the last few weeks?"
"I'm fine," she said a little more harshly than she needed to.
Hotch frowned at her.
"I'm sorry," Prentiss said at once "I…" she trailed off.
Hotch walked over to her desk, he had always found that he was closer to Prentiss than the other members of the team; he wasn't sure why but it made him feel more protective over her. He didn't like knowing there was something bothering her and not being able to do anything about it.
Hotch perched himself on Prentiss' desk "What is it?" he asked her.
Prentiss looked up at him "I've just been under a lot of stress the last few weeks."
"Tell me about it?" he asked, trying not to make it sound like an order.
He knew Prentiss would shut down if he ordered her around, but he wasn't just going to give up on her. Prentiss was the only one who questioned his authority, spoke her mind without fearing the consequences around him, and never let him get away with making an important decision that involved all of them, without explaining himself first. That's what Hotch liked about her; it was one of the things that made them so close.
Prentiss looked at him sadly "It's really nothing," she said.
Hotch shook his head "Don't give me that Emily; I know something is bothering you."
Prentiss sighed "Please don't do this Aaron; some things are just better left unsaid."
"You can't honestly believe that" Hotch said.
"I know you're thinking it's stupid but I do, and I really don't want to go over this, so I'm asking you, please don't do this" Prentiss said.
Hotch sighed in defeat "You know if you ever need anything you can come to me, right?"
"Of course," Prentiss said "and I appreciate it."
Hotch stood up "At least let me walk you out" he said.
He could tell that Prentiss was reluctant to leave and again it made Hotch wish he knew what was wrong but he gave in to Prentiss' wishes and didn't bring it up again.
Prentiss stood with him; she gathered up her belongings and walked with Hotch out of the BAU.
A few days later, she was murdered by Doyle and Hotch always regretted not pushing the issue that night.
Hotch sighed again and then turned his attention back to the grave.
"Hey Emily," he said quietly "it's been awhile." Hotch felt silly talking to the grave but he knew this was something he had to do.
"I know I normally don't visit you more than once a year since I don't think you're really here but I thought today I should make an exception. I know it's long overdue but Ian Doyle is finally dead" Hotch stated.
Hotch was silent for a moment, he was going to continue to explain how he had found out and how it had happened but he didn't get the chance.
"I know" he heard from behind him.
Hotch stiffened and his breath caught.
That voice was so familiar but there was no way…it couldn't be, Emily Prentiss was dead.
He slowly turned around; his hand automatically went to his hip where his gun rested. As soon as Hotch was fully turned around he brought his eyes up to meet the women's who was standing before him.
He felt his mouth go dry and his eyes widen the tinniest amount.
The women standing before him could definitely pass as Emily Prentiss. She looked almost exactly the same, just a bit older and her smile, though uncertain, was kind and gentle.
"Hey" she whispered.
Hotch couldn't speak.
"I know this must seem crazy," Emily stated "I mean you all thought I died fifteen years ago but that's how it had to be. To keep you and the rest of the team safe, no one could know."
Hotch still didn't say anything, in all honestly he thought he was having a hallucination or quite possibly dreaming. He believed he would wake up at any second.
When he didn't answer Emily shifted uncomfortably and then brought her thumb nail up to her mouth before stopping herself "Ha…I'm obviously nervous, I gave that habit up a long time ago."
Still he remained quiet.
"Say something!" she finally burst out.
"You…" Hotch began but his words died away, instead he took a few shaky steps forward and then wrapped Emily in his arms when he got to her.
It had taken him a few months after her death to come to the conclusion that he loved her. In some ways he had known it before; she wasn't just a friend or a colleague to him. She was so much more but he could have never acted on it. She was his team member and he was her boss, it would have been improper for him to act on his feelings for her, and for that reason he never would have.
But in the months after her death he had found himself wishing he had said something.
Her death had been hard on him, possibly harder that it had on anyone else in the BAU.
But now he was standing there with her in his arms and she wasn't dead but very much alive.
Emily had placed her arms around him and was holding onto him like she would never let go. He placed his head against the crook of his neck and inhaled deeply, he couldn't believe she was actually there.
They stood like that for what seemed like forever before Hotch was finally able to pull himself together. He pulled himself away but his arms still stayed around Emily, holding her close.
"I can't believe it's you" he stated.
"I know" Emily whispered.
After a moment of silence Hotch whispered quietly "I always wondered why?"
"Sorry?" Emily asked.
"After you…you died, I always asked myself why, why it had to be you?" he said.
"Oh Aaron" Emily said, running her hand though his hair.
"I would have given anything if it could have been anyone but you, but it wasn't. Oh god Emily, I missed you so much." Hotch pulled her close to him again.
"I missed you too," Emily whispered to him.
Hotch feared rejection but he had to tell her, he thought he would never get the change; he had to let her know even if she didn't love him back. "I…" Hotch began, it was hard for him to speak "I love you, I loved you for some time before you died, I never got a chance to tell you that."
Hotch turned away, he didn't want to let her go but he didn't want to hold her against her will either.
But before his arms could pull away from her, Emily gasped and encircled her arms around his neck "Oh you don't know how badly I've dreamed you would say that to me, I love you too Aaron."
Hotch smiled down at Emily, he couldn't believe this was happening, at that moment he considered himself the luckiest man alive. Emily was back, he didn't understand everything about it but he had the rest of his life to figure it out, with Emily by his side of course.
…
A/N: I was thinking about writing a sequel where Prentiss reunites with the rest of the team, and of course I'd add some more Hotch/Prentiss scenes. Or I could just finish it here. What do you think?