Author's Note: I've decided to write an H/P story that is a little bit different than what I usually do. I decided to make this story a friendship piece based on the events of "In Name and Blood." I know that episode is a few seasons old, but it is one of my favorites, and I just can't help but come back to it! I hope you all enjoy, and as per usual, reviews are greatly appreciated!

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of the characters here. Wish I did though…

In Friendship and Circumstance

The team had just returned from Minnesota. This had been a tough case considering that at the beginning the team consisted solely of Reid, Morgan, JJ, and Strauss. If one were to be perfectly honest, Strauss was more a hindrance than a help. Only late in the case had he and Prentiss arrived in Minnesota to help the team out. Prentiss had been attacked by the Unsub and nearly killed by his pre-pubescent son. However, this had been taxing on Hotch for a much different reason. He had been forced to make a choice: stay home with Haley and Jack or go help the team catch this murder. Hotch being Hotch, of course he chose the latter. What else was he supposed to do? He knew that Haley would understand no matter what her claims were at the time he left. God, how wrong had he been?

It was late when the plane landed in Quantico, so Hotch made a bee line out of the parking lot. He really wanted to see his family. Plus, he had promised Haley a talk. However, when he arrived home, he arrived home to an empty house. While he was shocked to find a note left to him by Haley, his wife of over 20 years, stating that she had to leave, he was not surprised. A part of him had always known since his arrival at the BAU many moons ago that there would only be so much that Haley could take before she would say enough is enough. He had also suspected that there may have been someone else in Haley's life recently. He had no words, no emotion. He felt like a knife had been plunged into his heart. He loved Haley. Her and Jack were the two constants in his life. They were what kept him real. They were what kept him out of obsession with these cases. Truth be told, he was ready to break down right there. There was nothing or no one to stop him. All he needed was to go to the kitchen and grab the bottle of Jack that stayed there for special occasions, sit on the couch, and drink away his misery. Tomorrow, he would call Haley and talk. He sure as hell didn't know what he would say, but he would think of something. He just needed tonight to think, to cope.

As he went for his bottle, he began to realize how wrong all of this was. No matter how much Jack he downed or how drunk he got, it would not make this problem or the pain go away. What he needed now more than anything was human contact. So much of his work focused on the darkest sides of humanity, but tonight he needed to see the warm side. He needed to see the loving and the compassionate side. Otherwise, he would be headed down another pat of darkness. He already had enough darkness in his life. He needed something else. He started to think of who he could visit. He didn't want to go visit one of his close friends. He wasn't ready for his marital problems to be known to those closest to him because he had always prided himself on his family whether people knew that or not. They were what mattered to him and they were what had helped to make him into the man that he was. He needed someone that he could trust and that would make rash judgment on him. That's when he thought of who he could talk to: Emily Prentiss. He picked up his keys, got into his car, and drove.

Hotch was not the type to get nervous or scared, but he wasn't too sure about this. They weren't the best of friends or anything like that. Hell, he didn't know if they were friends, but he knew he could trust her. He knew that she would be loyal no matter what. That was who she was. All he needed was someone to listen to him right now. He needed someone to make him real. Otherwise, he would slip away. With that being said, he still sat in his car for a little while outside that condo in Georgetown. He just wasn't too sure about this idea, but he needed to do it. He needed to talk to someone. He decided to get out of the car and knock on her door. If she didn't answer after a few knocks, he would just go back to that bar he saw a few blocks down the street.

"Who is it?" she called.

"It's Hotch," he said a shaky voice. This was new territory for him. He was nervous not only because he was about to share one of the most personal things about himself with someone that he didn't know too well, but because she was a female subordinate. He didn't want things to be misconstrued. A weary Emily dressed in what appeared to be plaid pajama pants and a pink tank top opened the door.

"Hotch?" she asked. Emily had no idea why Hotch, who looked like hell, was standing at her door. This was the second time that he had ever been to her condo and this was his second visit that week. "Is everything okay?"

"May I come in?" he asked. Hotch was usually a man of few emotions, but it was getting harder and harder for him to stifle these emotions.

"Sure," replied Emily as she motioned for Hotch to come in. Emily was curious. She had no idea why Hotch was at her condo at this hour in his current state, but she was sure that she was about to find out. "Have a seat. Can I get you anything? Water? Soda? Booze? I just ordered some Chinese, so if you're hungry, food will be here soon." Emily was known to babble, but she just didn't know what to say. She had no idea why the hell Hotch was here, but she figured she could just babble until he was ready to say something.

"Booze?" questioned Hotch. "Have any scotch?" He couldn't half believe what he was saying. He was at a subordinate's place asking for booze, but if ever there were a moment, he was sure this was it.

"Yeah," she replied. "I'll be right back." Although she wasn't profiling Hotch at the moment, Emily knew something was up and it definitely was not good. She poured both of them a drink and decided to bring the bottle to the living room with her. If she was right, this was going to be a long night and there would be a need for refills. When she returned to living room, she decided to go for it. "So what brings you by?"

For some reason, Hotch was taken by the question. He knew that Emily would suspicion that something was up with him because after all, she was a profiler. He knew his reasons for coming here. He had wanted someone to talk to him. He had wanted someone to make him feel real. However, he had no idea where to start with any of this. He had only known Emily for a short time, and he didn't know what to say. He thought maybe it would be best to just get right into it.

"Haley left me," he said. He tried to avoid eye contact with Emily, which was unusual for him, but he could see her face soften out of the corner of his eye. "She took Jack, and they went to her sister's house. She left me a letter. She says she can't do it anymore. She's tired of being second to my job."

"Hotch, I'm sorry," responded Emily. She was concerned. Hotch was definitely taking this hard.

"You know, I probably shouldn't have come here and bothered you with this," he said as he sprung up off the couch.

"No, it's no bother at all. You don't have to leave." At Emily's suggestion, he sat back down on the couch. There was something about the look in her eyes that immediately made him felt more at ease. He knew he had come to the right place.

The two sat there for hours. The talked, drank, and ate together. Hotch talked about everything. He talked about Haley and Jack. He talked about his family. He talked about anything he could think of to say. All the while Emily just listened. She sat there and she listened intently. She never judged him and she never offered up any unwanted advice. She just gave him the benefit of being a friend. By no means did he feel better, but knowing that Emily was a friend was a great feeling because he really needed one of those right now.