Set right before Paget and AJ left. Enjoy!
The BAU was stagnant and it had been for the entire week. For that, the agents were thankful, as there was a blast of frigid air passing through the US. The conditions didn't arouse the want for a wild goose chase. It certainly did allow the agents to remember why they hated paperwork, with tightened muscles and tired eyes. With the prospect of the weekend approaching, Morgan began accosting Emily.
"Drinks, dancing, me. C'mon, you know you want it," Morgan leaned forward with his elbows on the edge of his desk, "the dynamic duo has to test out the new bar on Davenport Avenue."
Emily smirked and copied his posture, "Baby boy, I don't think you're prepared."
Derek laughed loudly, gaining the attention of the rest of the co-workers in the bullpen. She couldn't help but laugh along with him.
"Alright. Let's go Saturday?" Emily asked, excited at the possibility of hanging out with her partner again. They always managed to have the best time together and it could take her mind of a certain man that had been haunting her dreams.
"Sure. You thinkin' about moving on? Finding a new man to obsess over?" Morgan looked at Emily, hoping to find the answer he was looking for in her eyes. Morgan had been privy to Emily's seemingly one-sided crush on Hotch. One night, after Emily saw Hotch and Beth at the marathon, she confessed to him about the secret she had held close to her chest for years. She was head-over-heels in love with their boss. They made a pact to never utter a word about it to anyone. Morgan desperately wanted Emily to find a new man, one that will cherish her love and devotion.
"Derek, not now." Emily turned away, looking at her computer screen. To be truthful, she wasn't ready to move on.
"Princess, it's been six months since he started seeing Beth and frankly, I'm tired of seeing you like this," Derek stood slowly and stepped around Emily's chair with his pile of files in his arms, "I'm going to give these to JJ. You done?"
"Almost. Maybe five more minutes." Emily continued typing, wanting to finish as quickly as possible. Derek squeezed her shoulder.
"Alright. When I come back, we're leaving," seeing Emily about to challenge, Derek raised his hand, "You're coming over, we're having dinner, and we're going to have a serious talk. Please Emily?"
Emily nodded and Derek turned to leave. As he stepped out of the BAU glass doors on his way to JJ's office down the hall, Emily printed her last report and tidied everything. She knew what he wanted to speak about as he already gave her the hint. Derek cared for her, loved her even, and all he wanted was for her to be happy.
"Get your sexy ass out of that swivel chair, and get those reports to JJ." Derek turned her chair to face him and snatched the reports from her desk. He placed them in her outstretched hands and she began her descent to JJ's office.
"Em, it's time." Derek proclaimed as they sat on his plush burgundy loveseat. Emily rubbed her palms on the corner of the cushion, attempting to clean her clammy hands. She felt nerves tickling her lower abdomen. She wasn't sure if she was ready to push herself forward into the dating scene but she knew he was right.
"I know, I know. I'm… going to try. Tomorrow, I'll accept phone numbers and actually take the plunge. I promise." And she meant it. Hotch found someone and so could she. It shouldn't be difficult to find someone tall, dark, and handsome that made her weak at the knees.
"That's it, baby girl. Test the waters. You'll reel 'em in so quick…" He trailed off. Derek recognized her fears. She couldn't see her beauty but he could and eventually someone else would as well.
Hotch rubbed his eyes, struggling to stay awake at the late hour. The paperwork was piled high and he had barely made a dent throughout the day. He had been distracted with phone calls from the higher-ups. Beth had also called him but when he saw her name pop up on the cell, he automatically clicked 'decline'. During the past few weeks, he had felt disdain each time he merely saw her name. Once the fresh feeling had dissipated, Beth's real nature showed. The relationship was imitating his marriage to Hayley. She began to fuss over his work and it was dragging him down. He wanted out.
"Hey, what are you doing here so late?" Hotch smirked as Dave made his way into his office.
"I could ask you the same thing, Dave." Rossi plopped down into one of the visitor chairs.
"Need assistance with that monstrosity," Dave pointed to the mountain of papers with his left hand while his right pulled a miniature scotch bottle from the inside of his jacket.
"Help would be nice as would a glass of scotch." Rossi stood and went to grab two glasses from his office. Once he returned, he sat and poured a generous amount into both tumblers. He slid one across the desk over to Hotch while he took the first sip of his own. His face scrunched up and he made an appreciative sound.
"So, what are you drowning in that scotch? I'm drowning my alimony payments. My ex-wives could ban together and feed an entire third world country with my money."
Hotch looked at the older agent, thoroughly confused. Had he been that obvious lately? Had everyone noticed his dark demeanor and gloomy persona? He had been upset at the turn in his relationship. He had thought Beth was going to be the new, and last, chapter of his romantic life. Once he discovered otherwise, his conduct hadn't been as usual. He had avoided his team as much as possible in order to hide his melancholy. It obviously hadn't worked.
"Don't look so surprised. I'm your friend, and a profiler, so I know all your tells. Avoidance is your biggest one. Is it Beth?" Rossi asked cautiously. Beth had been a sensitive topic lately.
"No…Yes, I'm… I think something is wrong with me. This job is awful. It swallows you whole, tears apart hope and faith, and makes you a pessimist… And yet, here I am. Continuing with this drudgery, leaving Jack without a parent. Beth…She's backing away when she isn't complaining about my work hours."
Hotch sighed and glanced out the window into the bullpen. Rossi raised his eyebrows and pressed his lips together, forming a thin line. The wrinkles in his forehead expressed his surprise at the sudden rant. Aaron Hotchner did not usually crack that easily.
"Aaron, you love this job. We make a difference here. As for Beth, there are plenty of women out there. You'll find one that understands this job. Look at me, I've been married a bunch of times and divorced a bunch of times, but I don't give up. I continue looking for that one woman that will give me everything I need, which includes this job."
Hotch watched as Rossi topped off his glass for the second time. He finally took a sip of his scotch and observed a drop of the amber liquid slide down the side of the glass and onto his desk.
"I need to make a call." Hotch looked a Rossi with a meaningful glance, trying to convey his intentions.
"Good luck." Rossi lifted himself from the seat and quickly made his way out of the office without a second glance. Hotch lifted his phone from the wood desk and held it tightly as he scrolled through his contacts. He pressed the pad of his thumb on the desired name and elevated the device to his ear. As the incessant ring pounded through his eardrum, he swiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.
"Hello." Beth answered, sounding tired. Hotch looked over to the clock on his wall, which revealed that it was 12:18 am. He shut his eyes and cleared his throat.
"It's me. We need to talk."
Please review and let me know what you think. I will be posting a second chapter soon. Thanks for reading.