Criminal Minds 07x24-08x01 ~It's what family does ~

A/N: Hello everyone, this story is set after the Season 7 finale and it's a complete AU! Elle returned to the BAU a little after episode 07x10 "Bittersweet science" but things are strained between her and Hotch since none of them really know how to act around each other after how their last meeting went. Prequel to my story "Dependant". The beginning of Elle and Hotch's friendship. EllexHotch friendship.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!

~It's what family does ~

When Elle came back to the BAU at first he tiptoed around her. Not really sure how to treat her, things between them were horrible when she left. They never really had a chance to talk about how she felt with his involvement in her shooting. Because after all he was the Unit Chief he should have shot down Gideon's idea for a press conference. He wasn't sure if she still blamed him or not, so he kept his distance and gave her time to adjust. Adjust to the BAU again, to being a Unit Chief, to working this close with him. He gave her time and space as much as he could. He followed his wife's advice, she was telling him to let her come to him, she was right; she always was about things like that. Especially for things like that so he listened to her.

She was right about that too in the end. Like she always was. He was lying on a hospital bed, another scar added to his collection, but at least he was glad that it was his collection and not hers. The long thin scar that appeared from his shirts every once in the blue moon was enough, more than enough actually. He opened his eyes again expecting to see the soft dark eyes of his wife there looking back, carefully examining him through her long and thick eyelashes as she slowly looked up from her book he knew she would be reading. He was surprised when he saw her.

"What you did was stupid Hotch." Her voice was hard, or at least she tried to make it sound like that. There was something, something else in her voice. "Better me than you." He almost whispered his answer. She heard him, of course she did. Her eyes filled with a rage unlike anything he had seen before.

"For fuck's sake Hotch! How can you say something like that? You have a wife, a son and a daughter at home. She is barely a year old, in what goddamn reality it's ok to let her fatherless?" tears filled her eyes, and at first he wasn't sure if they were from anger or something else. Although as soon as guilt took the anger's place he knew "How can I look your wife or your kids in the eyes again when you almost died because of me?" he reached for her hand trying hard not to do any sudden moves and pull his stitches on his abdomen and took one of her hands in his. He squeezed her smaller palm, in his own way reassuring her that he was still here.

"That's by far the least stupid thing I've done. At least you got to come home." He saw her ready to protest and stopped her "No let me finish, please. I knew the bullet wasn't going to be fatal, and I trusted you to not only take down our UNSUB but keep me alive till the paramedics came. You are shorter than me that bullet would have lodged straight to your heart killing you instantly. I couldn't let this happen. I don't regret what I did. It's what family does." And just like that, in the cold and unwelcoming hospital room, everything between them, finally, fell into place.

A/N: here it is! Hope you liked it. Who do you think Hotch is married to? Well if you know me you can guess who I had in mind while reading it ;) As always your thoughts are welcomed, so let me know what you are thinking.

Till next time, Bye!