BAU: The Book of the Dead –
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"Reassigned!" Hale Reilly was standing by his desk in his office, he was running his hand over his bald head. Emily was sitting on a chair across from him.
"You did receive the necessary paperwork?" She arched a brow at him.
"Oh yes, all the 'i's and't's are dotted and dashed. Yes, yes, yes, but what does that leave me, Emily?"
She shrugged, "You'll find another agent soon, and if I know you better and I do, you've got one lined up already to take my place, Hally."
He snapped his head up from the documents he was frowning at, "Don't call me that, Agent Prentiss."
Emily shook her head, "Oh no you don't, Hale. Quit pouting like a five year old. Your mother is not here to console you."
He began to sputter, "I…I…you are out of line!"
She grinned, "Get that knickers unbunch down the crack of your butt, will ya?"
He took several deep breaths as he was turning red, "You are really going to be the death of me, Emmy."
She chuckled, "You know you've become a great friend to me, Hally."
He looked at her for a moment and nodded. Then he saw her hand, "I see you'd gotten hitched while you were there too. Aaron Hotchner?"
She smiled widely as she nodded, "I did."
"He better treat you right or he'd have to answer to me and the INTERPOL."
Emily arched her brow, "Hally…Aaron means a lot to me. I've told you about him."
He nodded; he knew about Aaron 'Hotch' Hotchner. They had spent hours in their early years when she was in the BAU and he was still with the INTERPOL and running in the fields, they'd talk long hours; she would tell him about Hotch while he'd told her about his now happily married wife, Chelsea.
"Does he know about your little foreign object still inside you and so close to your ticker?"
Emily glared at him, "No he doesn't." She touched her wound in her chest unconsciously.
"And are you going to tell him eventually? Emmy, he has a right to know."
She nodded, "I know and I have an appointment at Johns Hopkins. If they can't get it out, I'm SOL."
Staring at her in horror, "Emmy! Let's not get hasty! I'm sure with the technology, there's a solution."
"Hally, if the doctors here can't get it out, what makes you think the ones across the pond could?"
"Because the American doctors are much more technologically advanced." He grudgingly admitted.
Emily chuckled, "I love that you have so much faith in them."
"And you don't?"
She shrugged again as she stood up, "We'll see, Hally. I have to go. Our flight is leaving later today."
"So soon?"
She nodded, "The team has a case. And I have to get my things set up at the Academy. And Declan sort out and Jack too."
"Jack? Who's Jack?"
Emily arched her brow, "Aaron's son, from his first marriage."
"Oh yes. I remember now." He nodded.
"Keep in touch, Hally."
He stood up and came around and enveloped her in his embrace, "Yes we will, Emmy. Chels sends her love and Mummy too."
She laughed as she pulled away from him, "Your mother didn't say that and you know it, she tolerates me."
Hally grinned, "Oh all right, you're right. But she doesn't like many people so you're considered acceptable in the family."
"I'm honored. So, who's my replacement?" She grinned.
He gave a start, "How …how did you know?"
"Hally, I know you. You always have a backup plan."
He grinned sheepishly, "Well, he was formerly from MI-5."
Emily perked up, "Damn Hally, one of Harry Pearce's boys?"
He nodded, "Oh yes, and Harry is not happy about it at all but he is the best in the field and -5 is not utilizing him much…so here he is."
"Oh? So I know him?" Emily asked him as she stood by the door.
"You've met him a few times, Lucas North. A really good chap and excellent field agent with great leadership qualities. Very highly recommended."
Emily smiled, "Oh, Lucas. Yes I know him. You are right, he is a very good field agent."
Just then, a knock on the door sounded.
Emily opened and saw that it was former MI-5 officer Lucas North.
He looked at her in surprise, "Emily! What a surprise!"
She grinned, "Hi Lucas, how are ya?"
"I'm fine…are you…?" He wore a confused look as he looked from Hale to Emily and back again.
"Mr. North, come on in, if you please." Hale waved him in.
Lucas nodded as he walked into the office and stood before Hale.
"Emily, I'll see you around sometime?" Hale said, his voice had changed to sound official.
Emily shook her head as she grinned at him, "I'll see you too. Take care, Hale. Lucas, a pleasure to meet you again, take care of my team."
Lucas gave her another confused look and nod before he waved at her uncertainly.
"Lucas, have a seat…" Hale offered as he too sat down at his desk.
Emily smiled as she closed the door to his office and walked away.
…..
Later, back at the apartment after Declan and Jack had settled down for the night, Emily and Hotch were in their bedroom.
Emily removed a large envelope from a dresser and held it in front of her as she sat down on the edge of the bed.
"What's this, Em?" Hotch glanced at the familiar enveloped and then at her.
"Aaron, I need you to listen to me about what happened four months ago when I was in Afghanistan."
Hotch frowned, "Why? I'm not going to like it, am I?"
She shook her head, "Just listen, okay?"
He nodded, "Okay, I'm listening."
"We, the British intelligence, received a hot intel that a new Al Qaeda leader had emerged in Afghanistan and he was raising an army and a Haji. Mahmood was his name and many began to revered him and called him the next Usama bin Laden. We were supposed to get more evidences about Mahmood before we arrest him when he bombed the British Embassy in Cameroon. He claimed it."
Hotch nodded, "Yeah, I heard about it."
"Mahmood sent a video out, he had captured the British Ambassador's son. He was 17 years old."
"Was?" Hotch asked.
Emily nodded, "That's not it, they had killed our interpreter and five of our NATO troops. We needed to rescue him fast as the deadline was sunrise, and we had only five hours. I had flown to Afghanistan for a different matter when they called me to help in negotiating the release of the young man, Benjamin Wellers. It was no problem as I was surrounded by two squad of NATO troops.
"But we were ambushed and Al Qaeda was all over us and shot several of our troops, only ten NATO troops and I made it out barely with Ben but we did kill a whole bunch of Al Qaeda in the process. It was a long gun fight, Aaron."She said quietly as she recalled the horrifying battle and remembering the deaths of the brave soldiers who tried to shield her and Ben.
"Finally, the Al Qaeda retreated, and NATO was jubilant as rescue choppers were on the way but I thought it was strange they had retreated so easily and so fast."
Hotch nodded at her, "You have a mole inside."
Emily nodded, "Yes. It was Ben himself. He was actually not Ben anymore but had converted to Waqas or Warrior. He was in college and met a group of radical Muslims and decided to convert."
"That is not good, did his family know about it?" Hotch asked her.
Emily shook her head, "No, and that was what set it off because his parents did not pay any attention to him at all so he took up religion of his choice to get his parents' attention.
Hotch nodded as he frowned, "And you figured him out?"
"Yeah, he didn't show any fear throughout the whole ordeal and when I called him Ben or Benjamin, he wouldn't acknowledge me. And then he took Lt Pierpoint's gun and pointed it at me, he didn't show any remorse and again no fear."
Hotch arched his brow at her.
"And he shot me point blank."
"Emily!" Hotch grabbed her hand instantly, "I didn't know!"
She shook her head and laughed harshly, "Don't worry, Aaron. I realized his intent although in was too late, I did shoot him back, emptied my cartridge. I don't think he got his 92 virgins wherever he went."
"Sweetheart, how could you joke? You almost died…again." He faltered."
Emily nodded, "I did, Capt Pierpont shot him too and performed CPR on me but he said my heart arrested twice as medicvac evac us to base and then we were airlifted to Ramstein, Germany Air Base where the British military had a joined air base with the United States counterpart. I spent a week there in the hospital intensive unit before they declared I was fit to be shipped back to London.
"The doctors said the bullet was lodged too closely to the aorta and it's right next to the heart. If they extract it, it'll kill me instantly." She then pulled the X-ray chart out of the envelope and showed it to him.
The small bullet was clearly visible on the X-ray and her heart.
"I have an appointment with Johns Hopkins next week. There is a cardio doctor who might be able to do this surgery but it's very risky. Survival rate is less than 2%."
Hotch closed his eyes for a moment before he opened it again, "2% is better than nothing, Em. I'll be there for you."
"Aaron, you and the team have a case in Detroit when we return."
He shook his head, "Don't worry about the team. You and I are a team, I'll not let you do this by yourself."
Setting the X-ray aside, Emily scooted up until she lay on his chest, "I hope you'll forgive me for not telling you before we marry."
He shook his head, "There's nothing to forgive, Em. I wouldn't have had it any other way." He gathered her closed to him. "We'll get it out of you, Sweet heart."
She nodded as she stared at the X-ray.
…
Three days later, back in Virginia at a lawyer's office.
"You are worth how much?" Hotch looked at her incredulously.
She grinned, "Quite a bit."
"How?
"Inheritances from both grandparents and two sets of god parents who didn't have kids and some sound investments." She shrugged.
Hotch was still stunned, "But I…you're signing them…Em...you cannot…Declan should get it as he's your son."
She shook her head and looked at her lawyer, "Mr. Boone knows you're an FBI agent and he'd done a thorough back ground check on you, sorry Aaron." He shook his head. " And he deems you worthy and trustworthy to benefit all my inheritance and that you have agreed to adopt Declan. And should something happen to me, you will be the sole provider for him until he turns 18 and he'll inherit a portion of my will. You will have 70% of my will while Jack will inherit 15% upon his majority unless you decide to be generous." She grinned.
Hotch shook his head, "I cannot accept this Emily."
Emily frowned, "Aaron, if you don't, the State of Virginia will take all of it, Declan will have nothing, you and Jack will have nothing either, right Mr. Boone?"
The lawyer nodded, "Yes, Miss. Prentiss…or is it Mrs. Hotchner?"
She nodded, "It's still Agent Prentiss for now, we haven't decided on my last name."
Hotch sighed and looked at her, "Okay, I'll sign, provided you change your name."
She snapped her head, "What?"
He grinned, "Hotchner or I won't sign."
She glared at him, "Hotch! I can't believe you're blackmailing me!"
He leaned back on his chair and looked at the lawyer who kept a neutral expression as he watched them
"Sweet heart, you're doing it again, it's Aaron. Aaron Hotchner. And you are and will be Emily Hotchner or I won't sign. I guess the State of Virginia will get almost 2.5 million dollars after tax."
She frowned at him darkly as she muttered, "Not fair, bloody not fair at all."
He grinned, "You're sounding like a Brit, oh dear me."
"Damn you, Hotch."
"It's Aaron."
…
Two weeks later, at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland –
Emily was laying in the hospital bed, being prepped for surgery, Hotch and the BAU team, Declan and Jack were at the patient's waiting room.
Hotch held Emily's hand, "Em, when you come out, I'm putting your rings back on your finger." He leaned in and kissed her gently.
She nodded sleepily, "Those big large, gigantic …rocks…Aaron…love you."
He grinned, "I love you too, sweet heart."
"Mommy…I love you." Declan leaned in and kissed her on her cheek.
She smiled goofily, "Hey kid, I love you…I'll see you in a bit…we're gonna have pizza and nuts with Mack, 'memba?" he looked at her confusingly.
"I love you, Emily." Jack kissed her too.
"Love you, Mack…we're gonna get maggots with ice cream."
The team grimaced as they laughed, "Em, take care." Garcia kissed her forehead, stay strong love." She teared. "Oh my god, I can't take it! And she's not gone in yet!" Derek held her.
Derek, "Hey, we're here for you, come out without that damn bullet inside."
She grinned and nodded, her eyes drooping heavily, "Yesh, the bull letting high."
Hotch shook his head, "She is really drugged."
JJ leaned forward as she kissed her fore head too, "Em, we're praying for you. Get out alive this time." She swallowed hard as she stepped away.
Dave kissed her quickly, "Cara, we're here all the way with you, Erin says if you don't come back, she'll come after you and pull your badge so fast you don't know what had hit you."
She tried to smile but she had drifted off.
"Okay, time to get her down the ops room, we'll get her out in a jiff, it shouldn't take more than a couple of hours." The nurse said cheerfully. "We'll take good care of her. Let's go, Mrs. Prentiss-Hotchner."
The team looked at Hotch who shrugged, "She just won't give in and it's the best we can work out a compromise."
"It sounds good, really Mr. Prentiss-Hotchner," JJ teased him.
Hotch arched his brow at her, "It's Agent Hotchner to you."
"I guess I'll have to change my name…again." Declan looked at Jack.
The team watched her being wheeled to the operating room.
The team patted Hotch and Declan as they sat down and waited.
Six hours later, the team and the kids were still waiting...
….
End of Chapter 12