He wasn't ignoring her. He was just focusing on the case.
At least, that's what Hotch told himself. But when the case was over, he had no more excuses. He knew this probably wasn't gonna go away on its own, they'd have to talk about it at some point.
But how could he tell her how he was feeling when he couldn't even explain it to himself?
"Hey, Reid. Are you ever gonna tell us how you figured out who our unsub was?" Morgan asked.
Reid glanced at Prentiss. "Um, yeah, that's actually something I've been meaning to talk to you guys about..."
"Well? Go on."
Reid glanced at Prentiss, who smiled and nodded encouragingly.
"I have a girlfriend." He blurted out.
Morgan grinned. "I knew it! Pay up, J."
JJ rolled her eyes and handed over a 20.
"Wait, you guys knew?"
"We had a hunch." Hotch said, amused. "Anyway, how does this relate to the case?"
"She's a geneticist. I told her what we'd discovered so far, and she was able to tell me what conditions caused birth defects in the womb."
"She sounds like a real smart girl. She has to be, to keep up with you." Morgan clapped Reid on the back. "What's her name?"
Reid blushed. "Maeve."
"Wait, is that why you asked Garcia to look up the nearest payphone?" JJ asked, confused. "Why couldn't you use your cell?"
Reid's smile faded. "She has a stalker. I never call her from the same place twice."
"Why didn't you tell us? We can help her, it's what we do." Hotch said.
"I know, but she asked me not to involve you."
"I'm assuming you've decided it's time for us to get involved, based on the fact that you've told us."
"Yes." Reid looked down. "I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to her when I could've done something."
Hotch couldn't help it; his gaze wandered to Prentiss. He would never forgive himself if something happened to her either. Which is why this could never work out...
The rest of the plane ride was spent discussing Maeve's stalker. The more they learned about Mystery Girl, the more they could see why Reid had fallen for her. They seemed perfect for each other. His eyes lit up whenever he talked about her.
It was a look Hotch recognized. He saw the same thing in himself when he thought about Emily...
Upon arriving at the BAU, Hotch went to his office to finish some paperwork. He wasn't surprised when Prentiss knocked softly. "Hey, you got a minute?"
"Yes, come in."
She shut the door behind her, and sat across from his desk awkwardly. "Are we...gonna talk about this?"
"This?"
"You've been avoiding me."
"No, I...well, maybe."
"Exactly."
"I'm sorry, Emily...I just..." He struggled to find the right words. "I don't think we should pursue a personal relationship."
Prentiss tried to hide her disappointment. "Can I ask why?"
"I just don't think it's a good idea."
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No, not at all!" Hotch felt horrible. He didn't want her to think this was her fault. He stood up and came around to the other side of the desk. "Emily, you're a beautiful, brilliant woman. Any man would be lucky to have you. I truly enjoyed our date the other night. But given the circumstances, I don't think it would be wise to continue dating."
Prentiss wanted to argue. What "Circumstances"? Why was it "not a good idea"? He was being really vague about the whole thing. So impersonal, almost as if it was a denial for a promotion, not a rejection.
But she didn't argue. She didn't push it. Because there was something in his eyes that begged her not to. His words implied that he didn't care, but his body language didn't lie. There was something more to his reluctance than he was letting on. She just wished that he would be honest with her.
"Okay," She accepted. "I'll let you go. See you tomorrow."
"Goodbye." He said softly, regretting that it had to be this way.
That night after Jack was in bed, Hotch found solace in his blade once again. He wanted to protect Emily. That was the whole point of this...but he'd seen the hurt in her eyes. It made him want to call her back, to kiss her, assure her that she was loved, ask her to be his...
But he couldn't. It had to be like this. She was safer this way.
Sorry about the short chapter, the next one will be longer :) Thanks for all your reviews! They inspire me to keep writing.
