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Lacy here. Wow you all really liked Officer Down. I'm glad and you all seem to want a sequel to it. That I am more then happy to provide. So just to fill everyone in, Hotch did not drive home with Morgan like we see in the episode. No, he stayed behind because Emily was still in the hospital. You can all guess who's idea that was. Yup, Dave's. Don't we all love our little match maker. This is going to be after Emily is released from the hospital and is now at home. Let's see what happens. Have fun.
Disclaimer: The men in suits came to see me again. They threatened to take my computer. Well that ain't gonna happen so I don't own it.
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Emily rolled her eyes as Hotch took her keys from her and opened her apartment door.
"I can unlock my own door Hotch." Emily said.
Hotch gave Emily a look as he stood back to let her go in ahead of him. Emily shook her head with a smile as she walked in. She remembered what Morgan was like with Garcia after she got shot. He almost drove their technical analyst up a wall. Having had Hotch around since the end of the case in NY, Emily could already see that Hotch was going to be more challenging then Morgan. He'd already told her when she was discharged that he was staying with her for at least a week while she recovered. She tried to fight him but the doctor backed him up. Emily now had a house guest. Though, as she watched Hotch place their go bags down by the couch, she wasn't sure she minded. As long as he toned down his over protectiveness.
"I'll really be fine on my own Hotch." Emily said as a last ditch effort.
Hotch sighed. "Prentiss, the doctor said he doesn't want you alone for at least a week. So I'm staying." Emily went to protest but Hotch had an idea. "Think of it this way, you'll be helping me too."
Emily frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Hotch hadn't told Emily about his ear so he did.
"Why didn't you tell me before now?" Emily asked.
"I figured you'd fight me on staying with you." Hotch said.
Emily smiled and shook her head. The ace up his sleeve. She had to give it to him. That was good. Knowing he was having hearing problems, there was no way she was letting him go home alone.
"Well played." Emily said.
Hotch smirked. "I thought so."
Emily laughed and headed for the stairs. "Come on, I'll show you where the guest room is."
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Emily placed her go bag in her closet as her phone buzzed on her nightstand. She went over and saw she had a text from JJ.
'You and Hotch home?'
Emily figured calling would be easier then texting back and forth. So she hit the call back and waited for JJ to answer.
"A simple yes or no would have done." JJ answered.
Emily laughed. "Hello to you too Jayje."
JJ laughed as well. "So you two made it home in one piece."
Emily nodded. "We did and I have a house guest for the next week."
"Oh really? And how did this come about?" JJ asked.
Emily groaned. She knew that tone in JJ's voice. "He told me I wasn't staying alone after just being shot and the doctor backed him up. Did you know about his hearing?"
"Yeah we knew." JJ said. "Why?"
"Cause he just told me when we got back." Emily said. "His way of making sure I'd stop fighting him."
"How many times have Dave and I pointed out that,"
Emily sat down on her bed. "Don't go there JJ."
"Fight it all you want Emily, but the man has feelings for you."
Emily laid back, careful of her arm and shoulder. "I said don't go there."
"Too late."
Emily could hear JJ's grin over the line. "You're evil."
"I know. I have to go, so call me if Hotch get's to be too much."
"I think I can handle our boss JJ."
"Too much info Em."
Before Emily could respond, JJ hung up leaving Emily glaring at her phone.
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Hotch turned as he heard Emily hiss in pain and saw her hand pressed to where her bandage was.
"You ok?" Hotch asked walking over to her. She was standing in the kitchen and from what Hotch could see, she had reached to get a glass, forgetting about her injury.
"Yup, just reached with the wrong arm is all." Emily said.
"I told you to let me get your tea." Hotch said, reaching up to get the mug she wanted.
"I'm not broken Hotch." Emily snapped taking the mug.
Hotch frowned and turned to fully face Emily. "No you're not broken but you were shot Emily. I'm not trying to baby you here but you have to take it easy while you heal."
Emily sighed and ran her free hand through her hair. "I'm sorry Hotch. I'm not very good at being injured."
"I don't think it's something you can be good at." Hotch said. "You just have to accept that you can't do things normally for a while."
Emily smiled slightly. "Right back at ya." she was referring to just before dinner when they were watching TV and she could tell that he couldn't hear all of what was happening on the screen.
Hotch ducked his head some. "You noticed that, huh?"
Emily nodded. "Not sure how squinting helps you hear better but hey, whatever works."
Hotch raised his head back up and gave Emily a look. "Are you mocking me?"
Emily tried to look innocent. "I would never do that Hotch."
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Emily woke up in the middle of the night, about four days into Hotch's stay to sounds coming from her guest room. It wasn't the first time in the four days that Hotch had a nightmare but this one sounded worse then the others. After listening for a few minutes and realizing Hotch wasn't going to wake up on his own this time, Emily carefully pushed herself out of bed and walked down the hall. She knocked on the door and stuck her head inside.
"Hotch," she said quietly. She walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge. "Come on Aaron, wake up. It's just a dream."
Emily placed her right hand on Hotch's shoulder and gently shook him, trying to wake him up. It took a few tries before his eyes shot open and his hand covered Emily's.
Hotch met Emily's worried eyes. "Hey."
Emily smiled. "Hi, you ok?"
Hotch nodded and sat up, not releasing Emily's hand. "Just reliving the explosion. Only,"
"Only what?" Emily asked.
Hotch leaned back against the headboard, not sure if he should tell Emily that it was her instead of Kate in his dreams. That it was her life literally in his hands for time that seemed to go on forever. Her face he saw in the surgical room under the blue sheet after the surgeon told him there was nothing they could do.
"It'll help to talk." Emily said, moving to sit beside him. They'd become very comfortable around each other in the last four days.
"It's you instead of Kate." Hotch said. "The whole thing replays in my head but instead of Kate, it's you I lose."
"I'm right here." Emily said.
"I know." Hotch nodded. "I know."
Emily squeezed Hotch's hand. "Lay down." Hotch gave her a look. "Come on, neither of us are going to get any more sleep in separate rooms so lay down."
Hotch smiled softly and did as Emily told him. Scooting down, he laid flat on his back and Emily curled herself on her good side against his side, her head coming to rest on his shoulder, her arm laying carefully across his chest so as not to aggravate her wound. Hotch wrapped his arm around Emily's shoulders, his fingers playing with her hair.
"And this way," Emily said after a few minutes. "I'll be right here if you have the dream again."
Hotch didn't say anything, he just turned his head so his face was buried in Emily's hair and the two drifted off.
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Hotch woke up the next morning in the same position he fell asleep in. Well the second time around. Emily was tucked against his side, her head and arm resting on his chest. Only difference was, her other hand had come up and was now resting over her gun shot wound. He guessed it probably hurt. She flat out refused prescription meds, so the only thing she was taking was extra strength tylenol and the last time she took it was just after dinner. She was way past due for more. And even though he knew he should wake her to take it, he didn't want to. He liked having her there with him. Not only to reassure him she was ok but he just simply liked having her beside him. He hadn't felt so peaceful in a long time.
"It is seven thirty in the morning, why are you thinking?"
Hotch chuckled as Emily's voice, thick with sleep broke through his thoughts.
"I find the early hours are great for thinking." Hotch said.
Emily opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him. "You are nuts."
"Dave's my best friend," Hotch said. "of course I'm nuts."
Emily, much to both her's and Hotch's displeasure, sat up. "I'm telling Dave you said that."
Hotch sat up as well. "You tell Dave and I fill Garcia in on what you really think of her troll dolls."
Emily shivered. "I'm sorry, you walk in there and it's like a hundred little faces staring at you." Hotch just raised a brow. "Fine I won't tell Dave." she gave Hotch a look. "You don't play fair."
Hotch smirked. "Never said I did."
The two leaned back against the headboard.
"So did you have the dream again?" Emily asked.
Hotch shook his head. "No. That's the first time I've gone back to sleep without having it again." he noticed Emily's hand moved to her wound again. "Is it bothering you?
Emily nodded. "Yeah, a bit. I'll take something when we go downstairs." she cleared her throat. "You're not the only one dreaming about the explosion."
Hotch frowned. "You weren't there."
"I may not have been there but Dave filled me in on enough that my mind easily fills in the blanks." Emily said.
Hotch sighed and pulled Emily against his side. He hadn't even thought that she might being dreaming about it too. He'd heard her when he'd woken from his own dreams and just thought she was going through the shooting again.
"Before you say Dave shouldn't have told me," Emily said. "he didn't want to. I wanted to know what happened. I needed to know you were ok. Or at least going to be."
"I understand." Hotch said. "And we're both ok. We just have to remember that."
Emily nodded against Hotch's shoulder. "We do cause I really don't like the idea of losing you. It hurts too much."
Hotch could hear the emotion in Emily's voice and knew she was going out on a limb telling him that. He decided to repay that trust.
"When I was waiting to hear about you in the hospital, I honestly don't think I sat still for more then a few seconds." Hotch said. "I kept thinking of how different life would be if you didn't make it. I couldn't stop thinking that I don't think I could do our job without you at my side. You make what we do so much more tolerable."
"You do the same for me." Emily said after a pause. She wasn't expecting Hotch to open up that much. She looked up at Hotch and was even more surprised by how much emotion was actually showing in his eyes. It seemed that they had darken with all they were showing. "Aaron."
Hotch brought up his other hand and ran his fingers over Emily's cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned against his hand as he cupped her cheek.
"I'm pretty sure I love you Emily." Hotch said, his voice soft.
Emily's eyes snapped open. She never thought he'd say it first. "I'm pretty sure I love you too Aaron."
Hotch quickly closed the gap between them and kissed Emily. The kiss was soft, sweet and perfect. They pulled apart and rested their foreheads together.
"Now I'm definitely sure I love you." Emily said.
Hotch chuckled. "Me too. I am most definitely sure I love you."
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I was almost positive this story was going to kill me. It did not want to be written but I tied the muse down and now you have it. I know they might have been slightly ooc but really, who acts like themselves in moments like that? Let me know what you think, flame policy stands and thank you for reading.
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