Thanks to everyone who reviewed and/or added the story to their alerts. And thanks toChrissiemusa for your review…I couldn't write you personally so I figured I'd do it here! So here is the last chapter. Hope you guys like it!
"EMILY!" Hotch yelled across the crowded room once he spotted her. He watched as the raven haired woman turned around quickly. Hotch ran the remaining distance between them and stopped just short of colliding into her.
"What are you doing here?" Emily said in shock.
"You didn't say goodbye to me." Hotch said with hurt evident in his tone.
"What?"
Hotch took a deep breath. The hurt that she caused was already evident but he didn't feel the need to look like a complete fool. "You said goodbye to every other person personally except for me," he informed her.
Emily's eyes filled up with tears. This was what she was trying to avoid. Not saying goodbye to him was never her intention. There were so many things that Emily wanted to say to the man before her, but when the time came at the office, she couldn't. So instead of saying that he was right, and that she already knew that, she decided to play dumb. "Oh," was the response she settled for.
"Oh?" he repeated her words. Anger started to take place of the hurt that he was feeling. "That's all you have to say? Oh?" Hotch took another step towards Emily, leaving very little space in between them in the process, and looked down at her. "Am I not worthy of a goodbye from you?" he hissed.
Emily cursed silently as a single tear escaped her eye. She never meant to hurt him, that was the last thing she ever wanted to do, but him standing before her was proof that she failed. "Hotch—"
"You know I understand that when you first started at the BAU I was an asshole. I admit that, and I apologize for my behavior. I was wrong, and over the years you proved yourself to be an essential part of this team. As time passed we got along more, and in the end I thought we were friends." Hotch took another breath as he got his anger under control. "If I'm being honest I consider you to be one of my best friends. I can tell you things Emily that I can't tell anyone else, and I thought you thought of me as a close friend but I'm really doubting that now."
Emily opened her mouth to deny what he was saying but he stopped her with his words before she had a chance.
"Everyone," he pointed out. "You hugged and said goodbye to every single person except me. Was I that wrong about our friendship? Do you hate me and I wasn't aware of it? That must be what it is because what kind of person would leave without saying goodbye to a friend?"
Tears fell freely down her cheeks as Emily's hands started to shake. This was it, the moment of truth. The moment she either walked away without responding to his words and his questions, or the moment that she let him all the way in.
"You were the only one I wanted to say goodbye to Hotch. The only one in my mind that a goodbye really mattered." Disbelief crossed Hotch's face so Emily quickly latched onto his hand and squeezed. "Do you think I want to say goodbye to you? I don't, but I had a whole speech prepared and the second that the thought of saying those words to you crossed my mind, I panicked and I couldn't do it. You mean so much to me Hotch. More than I can say, more than I can express. The thought of saying goodbye to you breaks my heart, because in a way I'm throwing everything away by leaving."
"What do you mean?" Hotch interrupted.
"I don't want to talk about that, I just want to give you a proper goodbye and be on my way," Emily avoided the question skillfully.
Hotch arched an eyebrow, and grasped her other hand in his. "What did you mean by that Emily? You aren't leaving until I know. You'll miss your train and I won't think twice about it."
"Why are you making this so much harder than it already is Hotch?" Emily questioned.
"Because I can't get over the fact that you're leaving. So please, tell me what you meant."
Emily couldn't get past the sheer determination in Hotch's eyes. She knew he was serious about making her miss her train, so she took a deep breath and looked over his shoulder at the wall. She didn't want to see his facial expression when she told him. "I think we could be great together. We could do great things. By leaving I feel like I'm throwing my chance at happiness with you away, but I have to go, I have to see where this promotion can take me. You have no idea how hard it was working with you for all these years and not being able to be with you. Not being able to say to you how I'm feeling. So me not saying goodbye to you has nothing to do with what happened in the beginning. It really had nothing to do with our friendship now, it mainly deals with the fact that I can't look at you and say goodbye and then walk away because my heart would break more than it already is."
She quickly removed her hands from his and started to back up. "Hotch I have to go," she said sadly as she wiped the tears from her face. Emily turned and started to walk away when his voice halted her actions for the second time that evening.
"Don't go."
Emily turned to look at him. "What?"
"Stay. Here. With me. You don't need to leave, you don't need to see where the promotion takes you. Just stay. The team needs you. I need you. Please don't walk away."
"But—"
"I agree with everything you've said. We can be amazing together! But in order for that to happen you need to stay here. Now I know how you really feel about me, and I can act on what I want." Emily's eyebrows shot up and Hotch bit back a chuckle. "Yes Emily, I have feelings for you as well. I just never thought you felt the same so I kept them to myself, but I don't need to anymore. So I'm asking you not to go. Stay," he repeated again.
Emily was at a loss for words. What could she do? What did she want to do? The promotion was an amazing opportunity, but was it worth throwing her life here away? Could she make a relationship with Hotch work? Would they both be willing to open up to each other enough to let that happen? Would he still want to be with her tomorrow or was he just worried about the here and now, and was he only saying this to keep her off of the train? Emily was so lost in thought that she didn't notice that Hotch had walked up to her again.
Hotch gazed into her dark brown eyes and knew he could get lost in them forever. There was desire and questions lining them and he knew there was only one thing left to do to let her know that it wasn't just words for him. He was going to be in this all the way. So his eyes darted from hers down to her lips and he slowly closed the gap in between them. He pressed his lips gingerly against hers and waited patiently to see what Emily was going to do. He didn't have to wait long, the second he felt Emily respond to him he deepened the kiss. He trailed his hands up and ran them through her hair. He had always loved her hair, and now he knew it was as soft as it looked. Emily wrapped her arms around Hotch's neck and held on tightly. A soft moan passed between them and she was upset when Hotch pulled away slightly and rested his forehead against hers.
"Stay," he whispered.
"Hotch," she started but trailed off. She didn't know what else to say.
"I'll make you a deal. Come back with me, and if you still feel like the promotion is more important than anything you and I might share then you can leave tomorrow. I will let you go if that is how you feel. All I'm asking for is a chance Emily." Hotch brushed a stray hair behind her ear. "What do you say?"
Emily closed her eyes and breathed in Hotch's scent. "I think it's going to be a long night," she smiled as she opened her eyes and saw the happiness at her words in his. Emily knew in that moment that she wasn't leaving tomorrow. There was no doubt in her mind that tonight was going to be perfect and she would never think about leaving again. And as Hotch grabbed her bag, then her hand and they walked out of the train station together, she knew that she was okay with that fact.
