Who are we taking hostage?

Emily and Matt had been apart for two weeks. They had broken up much to the dismay of everyone in contact with them. They were both miserable, and so was everyone else. Emily was spending her days teaching classes and Matt was spending his as a part of HRT. After they both asked for reassignment, Cheryl did her part, but it had not been easy on anyone. Lia siding with Emily, Frank and Duff of course backing Matt-causing problems for Lia and Duff and Cheryl ended up with a huge mess. She warned them about dating, she warned them when her ex showed up. They hadn't listened, not that it surprised her. They usually acknowledged her comments on their relationship and did their own thing. Cheryl really thought that telling them about knowing a good thing when they had it would help them realize that this relationship was a good thing. Matt and Emily apparently didn't agree. Cheryl normally didn't interfere in the personal lives of her co-workers, especially of those whom she supervised, but this situation called for drastic measures and anyway, they were friends. If only they would talk to each other, then maybe they could work this out.

Knowing that Matt would be with them, Cheryl sent a text message to Frank.

How's Matt?

Frank glanced over at his friend who had not smiled since the day he walked away from Emily. He was leaning against the table rubbing his hand over his two weeks worth of stubble.

Not good. Why?

Cheryl read the message and peeked into the door of Emily's class. They were working on an assignment while Emily, in a black pant suit, stood in a trance staring at the chair Matt usually sat in.
Emily is bad too. Cheryl thought to herself, how can I pull this off? She heard a beep and looked at her phone as she slipped away from the classroom. She read the message.

We've gotta help! Frank had typed. Cheryl knew that to pull this off she would need total cooperation from everyone. She walked towards the Lia's office.

"Mathers, I need to speak with you." Cheryl requested.

"Sure." Lia responded wondering what was up. The pair walked silently to Cheryl's office. Cheryl let Lia precede her into the office and then closed the door behind them.

"Lia, how's Emily doing?" Lia tensed at being put in the middle of this situation. Cheryl took a seat beside her causing Lia to look like she wanted to bolt. Knowing she didn't have much choice Lia reluctantly answered Cheryl.

"She's not doing well. She hasn't been eating or sleeping. She says she can't sleep anymore without Matt beside her. She got so used to him always being there that now it's tough. She thinks Matt's already moved on and it's not affecting him. I've stayed at her apartment every night since the break-up and I can't take much more. I love Emily, but…" She let her sentence hang. She really would continue to do whatever it took, but it was frustrating for everyone. Cheryl nodded and then gave Lia some information of her own.

"Well from what Frank says, Matt isn't doing well either. He's late every morning, goes home and sleeps and drinks. He doesn't think he's eating or really caring about anything. We have to do something." Lia looked surprised when Cheryl said this. She couldn't believe their boss was going to get involved.

"What can we do?" Lia asked still in shock that they were going to get Matt and Emily to talk.

"Well, they need to talk. If I have to I'll lock them in a room and not let them out until they come to their senses." Cheryl said a small laugh escaping her lips. Lia burst out laughing before blurting out, " We're going to hold the two best negotiators hostage!"

The two shared a laugh that became uncontrollable when Frank walked in and they retold him what Cheryl had said. After regaining their composure, Cheryl said, "We have to have a plan."

Where's Duff?" Lia inquired nonchalantly.

"Babysitting Flannery. We need to get him back with Lehman. I'm in, just tell me what we've got to do." The trio concocted a plan that everyone was going to play vital roles in including Temple and Binder.

Matt and Duff were shooting at the range when Frank entered. He looked at Duff and then nodded to send him a message. Duff walked out of the room, leaving the two friends alone and checking his phone for messages. He had one from Lia. He smiled and listened to it as he got in the elevator to go see her. Frank began his conversation, "Man, I'm worried about you."

"What? Why?" Matt stumbled over his words trying not to let the pain he was in be seen.

"This thing with Emily. You love her don't you?" Frank asked point blank. At this stage he had nothing to lose but Matt and he felt as though that had already happened.

"Yeah, but it doesn't matter anymore. She's over me by now." Matt said sadly.

"I don't think that's true." Frank calmly told him. Just then both Matt and Frank's pagers went off. Lia had done the first part of her job. Matt called Cheryl who told them they were needed in the East conference room for a briefing. They had a situation. Both Frank and Matt ran to the elevator and got in heading up to the CNU floor of the building.

Emily sat alone in her classroom staring at the wall. She didn't want to risk seeing Matt so she had altered her schedule so that she would go to lunch at different times each day reducing the chance of running into him. Lia walked in, took a deep breath and began.

"Hey Emily. What are you doing?" She tried to be quiet, but she still startled Emily who turned away quickly so that Lia wouldn't see the few tears that had left a trail down her cheeks. Lia saw them, but pretended not to notice.

"I'm just…I'm just waiting a little while before going to lunch. I have two hours before my next class." Emily responded, her voice a little shaky. Lia knew that bringing up the subject was going to cause more pain, but she had to in order to help.

"Duff says Matt's miserable without you. He mopes around like he lost his puppy. It's kind of pathetic if you ask me." Lia said trying to lighten the mood.

"He's not miserable. He probably already has another girlfriend." Emily stated her voice beginning to rise.

"Emily, it's okay to admit you love him. We all already knew that." Lia replied.

"What good will it do me to admit that? I did love him. I do love him! It doesn't matter." Emily managed to whisper before breaking down in tears. Lia felt bad that she caused this, but it would help the situation. At least she hoped it would. Just then Emily's pager went off. She called Cheryl who told her to meet her in East conference room to go over her lesson plans for the next few days.

Emily arrived at the conference room first. Cheryl walked in from one entrance secretly locking the door on the outside behind her. Duff took up residence outside the door to deter others from attempting to enter the locked room. She looked at Emily with the evidence of her tears still on her cheeks and knew that even though this plan was questionable, it was necessary. It was then Cheryl conveniently remembered that she left something in her office she needed to show Emily.

"Emily, I'll be right back. I left something in my office." With those words, Cheryl left the conference room and about ran into Matt.
"Where's Frank?" Cheryl asked noticing Matt was alone.

"Getting coffee." Matt grumbled. "What's this about?"

"Go in and have a seat, I'll hurry Frank along." Cheryl insisted pushing Matt towards the door. He went in noticing that the chair on the far side was turned towards the other door, but he could not see the occupant. Matt took a few more steps into the room before hearing the sound of the door being closed and locked. He spun around and tried the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge. "What the…" He said loudly startling the person in the chair. When she stood he noticed the beautiful, long, wavy locks of auburn hair and knew that it was Emily. She turned around with panic on her face. She tried the door closest to her, but it wouldn't budge. She looked at Matt who shook his head indicating the other door was locked too. The pair took seats at opposite ends of the table neither one wanting to speak to the other. Cheryl, Frank, Duff and Lia all took up their respected positions guarding the only two entrances to the room.

After fifteen minutes of pure torture, otherwise known as silence, Matt spoke.

"If you wanted to talk to me, you didn't have to come up with this."

"What!" Emily exclaimed. "This is your idea. It has your name written all over it."

"Whatever Lehman. You know you want to talk, but you can't admit it." Matt raised his voice a little to emphasize his point.

"Cocky as always Flannery. Don't flatter yourself. You know you have been watching me and trying to run into me." Emily spit back standing as she spoke. Matt stood also knowing it was what she did when she turned into negotiator Emily. They again stood there in silence this time looking at each other. Suddenly the phone in the room began ringing. Emily looked at Matt who picked it up wearily.

"Hello. What's going on? Frank I'm going to kill you." Matt yelled into the phone as he put it on speaker knowing that this call was for both of them.

"Matt, Emily, its Temple and Binder. We need to talk." Matt looked at Emily in disbelief. Were they really doing this? The whole team seemed to be in on this but them.

"Temple, it's Emily. What's going on? Why can't we get out?" She questioned.

"Well the team decided that you two needed help talking about some things so we came up with a plan to help out." He replied.

"Yes, we figured that out, but why can't we get out of the room?" She tried again.

"Well, you see, we had to make sure you talked, and knowing both of you we locked you in so you didn't have a choice." Binder explained before a looming silence took over. All of a sudden Matt burst out laughing causing Emily to get angry.

"I really don't see the humor in this Flannery." She yelled at him punching his arm.

"Ow…they're holding us hostage. The hostage negotiators are being held hostage by HRT and Temple and Binder are negotiating with us for our release. Come on Em. It's a little funny." Matt said trying to stifle his laughter. Emily began laughing too. It was either that or cry and she didn't want to do that at this moment. They all laughed for a few minutes before Temple interrupted again. "So Matt, is there something you need to tell Emily."

"Yeah, but I don't need you." Matt replied clicking off the phone. He took Emily's hand in his and pulled her to sit in a chair. He took a seat himself before taking her hand once again and looking deeply into her eyes.

" How are you?" He asked concerned because he could see the sorrow hidden in the brown pools.

"Fine. I guess. How are you?" She replied entranced by his gaze.

"Honestly…not good. I miss you, but since you're fine..." He said his voice beginning to shake.

"I miss you too." Emily replied in a voice almost inaudible, but Matt did hear it. "Matt?" She continued, "I'm terrible. I can't eat or sleep. I'm driving Lia crazy…"

"Em, baby." Matt said getting on both knees in front of her and moving his hands up her legs to rest on her outer thighs. "I'm sorry. I should have never put you in that position. I love you and can't do this without you."

Emily put both arms around his neck and leaned in so her forehead was touching his.

"Matt, I love you too. I'm so sorry you thought I didn't trust you. I do, it's just hard for me…" She was crying now, but Matt didn't care. He stood up, scooped her up and sat down in the chair cradling Emily against his chest letting her cry into his shirt.

"Baby, listen." He began. " I love you and I want to be with you. Emily you know I'll do whatever it takes. I need you." At this point she looked up and pressed her lips to his surprising him. He responded immediately with all the longing he had kept contained over the past two weeks. Emily broke the kiss much to his disappointment. She looked at him knowing that he would always be there if she would let him.

"Matt, I…uh…I need you too. Are we okay?" She asked tentatively. His only answer was to kiss her, this time a gentle, loving kiss. One that turned passionate quickly. Not caring that they could be interrupted at any moment, both Matt and Emily frantically pulled the others clothes off rediscovering each other as they went. Two weeks is a long time when you're away from the one you love.

An hour later, Frank and Duff stood outside the doors. Frank sent a text message to Duff.

Do you think they made up yet?

Duff responded:

Why don't you open the door and find out?

Frank to Duff:

I don't think we want to interrupt that. It was Cheryl's plan. If she needs them, she can get them.

They laughed as they left their positions to find the team to go celebrate a successful negotiation at Sloan's. Duff even slipped a note under the door for Matt and Emily to join them when they were done with their "other" activities, as well as posting a warning on both doors to enter at your own risk.

Thirty minutes later, Matt and Emily walked into Sloan's holding hands and grinning largely. They joined the rest of the team including Temple and Binder in a back booth. There wasn't enough room for both of them to sit so Matt pulled Emily onto his lap. Frank was the first to comment.

"So I take it you made up?" He questioned.

"Yeah genius, we did." Matt responded.

"Matt realized he couldn't live without me." Emily stated earning a laugh from the entire table. The group shared laughs and conversation for a little while before Matt and Emily excused themselves to go home. They needed time alone to make-up properly and they were not going to let any more time slip by without showing each other how much they cared. They would be partners again in every sense of the word. They wouldn't get much sleep tonight, but it would be worth it. Matt loved Emily and Emily loved Matt and that's all that mattered.