A/N: Don't forget that the 2nd Annual Profilers Choice Award for Criminal Minds fiction is now open for nominations. The ballots are found in the discussion forum (when in the list of stories for the CM fan fiction section, look to the top right hand corner of your screen and you'll see a link for "Discussion Forums"), Chit Chat on Authors Corner, 2011 Profilers Choice CM Awards - Nomination Ballot.

Thanks again for reading, and please leave some feedback if you can. Merci!

Hotch wheeled on Garcia snapping out, "What the Hell just happened?" though he knew exactly what had just transpired.

"They cut the communication, sir," Garcia stammered, frightened by the thunderous look on Hotch's face. She couldn't believe Gibbs had just hung up on Hotch. Who hangs up on Hotch?

"Well, that went well," Rossi stated in a sarcastic voice.

Hotch turned to glare at him, but the older agent merely returned the look with a bored one of his own. The Hotchner glared simply didn't work on Dave Rossi.

It did work on the other members of the team as Hotch swept it around the room. Garcia suddenly became busy with her computer, hunched over in an attempt to make herself look smaller. AJ and Reid were immediately engrossed by their files and Morgan just remembered he needed to speak to the deputy who was their main point of contact and he slinked out of the room.

Seeing the rest of the team were avoiding Hotch's eyes, Rossi sighed and got off the countertop where he had been perched. "Aaron, a word?"

From Hotch's clenched jaw, Dave knew the last thing he wanted to do was to talk to him, but he was offering the Unit Leader a graceful way to extract himself from a complicated situation with the rest of the team. With one sharp nod, Hotch agreed and followed Rossi out of the room to the small breakroom down the hall. The older agent poured a cup of coffee, handed it to Hotch and poured his own cup. He took an appreciative sip.

"I tell you, this may be a small town in Montana, but they've got good tech and really outstanding coffee," Rossi said as he gave Hotch a salute with his cup before taking another sip.

Hotch maintained a stony silence as he gazed into his own cup. Rossi watched him for a moment and then decided to just plunge into things.

"What you said to Emily was really dumb."

Hotch let out a long sigh before looking up. "I know," he said, his voice tinged with exasperation.

"So why did you say it? I tell you, Emily now believes that you think she's incompetent and have absolutely no faith in her as an agent."

"That's not what I think," Hotch muttered. He paused, looking back down into his coffee. His voice was low and Rossi had to move a few steps forward to hear him. "She looked so small. Dammit, Dave, she was hurt again and I wasn't there to help. None of us were. What the Hell type of team are we if we're not there for each other when we're needed?"

"She was doing her job, Aaron. We all know it's a possibility that we can be hurt, even killed while on the job. It's a risk we all take. Emily got hurt saving another agent and all she got from you was a reprimand. You didn't mean it to come out that way, I know, but that's how she sees it and how a lot of other people see it too."

"What do I say to her now?" Hotch asked much in the same broken tone he had used when he felt helpless to protect Emily in light of the pressure from the Italian government in the Matthew Benton case. Rossi realized it was not only the danger to Emily that frightened Hotch, it was his own inability to shield her from it. He wondered if the younger man himself realized that.

"She's probably really mad at me," Hotch muttered.

"Yeah, I say that's a pretty good bet," Rossi replied dryly. "You know what you're going to say to her?"

"You're assuming she's going to talk to me," Hotch returned. He sighed loudly as he leaned against a table. "I really stepped in this one."

"Oh yeah. I would suggest next time you see her in person, you wear your Kevlar vest, but make sure it's hanging a little lower than normal."

"We still hadn't cleared the air after Matthew Benton. Now this on top of that…" Hotch shook his head. "I don't even know if she'll take my call."

"Well, I suggest you try and if she doesn't answer, you'd better leave a message. I would start with that." Rossi walked by his old friend, giving the younger man a supportive shoulder squeeze as he passed. "It'll just get worse the longer you put it off."

"It doesn't seem right doing it over the phone," Hotch mused.

Rossi shrugged. "I don't think you have a choice. Just start there. When you do see her, you can apologize again. Trust me, it's going to take a lot of apologizing and get ready to do some groveling."

"You're making it sound like I'm apologizing to my wife," Hotch said, a bemused look on his face.

He saw Rossi about to make a comment, getting as far as opening his mouth, but then he slowly closed it and shook his head, almost in an exasperated manner. "I'm not going to touch that one. Just know that even though she's your subordinate, Emily is owed an apology. Remember, this was the woman who was willing to sacrifice her career to save yours. She's earned a bit of groveling." He nodded his head once and then slipped out of the room, giving Aaron some privacy.

Hotch stared off into space for a few minutes, organizing his thoughts and trying to think of what to say to Emily. How was he going to explain his actions when he wasn't even certain why he reacted the way he did? Of course he didn't think she was incompetent or untrustworthy in the field. If anything, the people he didn't trust were Gibbs and his questionable agents. His brow furrowed as he saw in his mind Emily's pale face and glassy eyes. Dammit! Why wasn't some there watching Emily's back?

You mean why weren't you there? A small voice inside of him asked. After all, Emily's always had your back. Her resignation in the face of Strauss pressure proves that. But how many times have you protected her? Not in Milwaukee, not in Colorado, and not during the one time she actually asked for help. That's not how you treat the others. No wonder she wants nothing to do with you.

Hotch rubbed his face wearily with his hand. It was true. When one of the others needed help, he gave it willingly and without question, never doubting them in any way. But with Emily, as soon as any issue arose, he questioned her, then he backed off and made everyone else do the same. If Dave hadn't been as stubborn and persistent as he was, Emily would have been on her own, and in her state of mind, and he was completely right that she was too close to the Benton case, she would have wound up in trouble. Dave had her back that time, not him.

And it just completely pisses you off that someone else rode in to be the hero. Rossi that time, Morgan in Colorado, and now Gibbs is the one tending to her wounds.

Hotch's gut tightened as he remembered Gibbs' smirk and his parting words, I'll personally watch out for her.

The urge to growl rose up and this time a small sound did escape his throat. Emily was not Gibbs', she was his. Responsibility. The larger part of his mind, not the small mocking voice that had been going on for the last few minutes, made sure to add that last word. Prentiss was his responsibility, not Gibbs'. She was a member of his team and it was his job to watch out for her.

Hotch sighed as he remembered his last words to her. It was his job to watch out for her if she didn't take his head off first.

He fished out his cell phone, knowing Rossi was right. The longer he put off the call, the worse it was going to be. He doubted Prentiss would answer, but he could begin his groveling via voicemail and build up from there. Maybe he could send her flowers. The larger part of his mind nixed that idea. That's what you do after a fight with your wife. Fruit? Fruit was always safe.

He dialed her number and listened to it ring and then her voicemail greeting. At the beep, he hesitated for a few seconds, uncertain what to say. Finally he stammered out something, "Prentiss, it's me, Hotch. I would like to apologize for my comments earlier on the video feed. I wasn't implying that I have doubts about your abilities as an agent. I was more concerned that you were not getting the proper support from NCIS. Your performance has never been an issue for me, Prentiss. You're one of the finest agents I've ever worked with. I'm sorry for how my words came across earlier. I just wanted you to know that and know that I am sorry."

The voicemail beeped, letting him know he had run out of time. Hotch hung up and stared at his phone in dissatisfaction, knowing that even to him, his words had still sounded cold and detached.

Emily was staring at Gibbs in confusion when he made the throat cutting gesture to someone behind her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the video screen go blank, cutting off Aaron Hotchner as he was about to speak. She swung her eyes in disbelief towards the blank screen and then back at a smirking Gibbs.

"What just happened?" she asked, a shocked look on her face.

Gibbs gave her a puzzled look. "We were done. Hotchner just wanted to make sure you were okay and speak to you and he did. We've got to get back to work and so does he."

"But-, but you hung up on Hotch!" she stammered. No one hung up on Aaron Hotchner. She had seen some of the sickest, most dangerous serial killers in the world quake under that man's stare and Gibbs simply hung up on him?

"Had nothing else to say," Gibbs replied. "Look, Emily, if you want to talk to him some more, you're free to call him, but on your own time. We've got a killer to catch."

"Though why you want to talk to him, I don't know," Tony added in a huff. "I would say something crawled up his ass and died, but I think in Hotchner's case, whatever it was decided to build condos."

Emily frowned at DiNozzo though she could see a slight smirk appear on Gibbs face. She turned her frown towards the older man. No matter how mad and upset she was at Hotch, she wasn't going to stand for hearing anyone bad mouth him.

She looked at the screen again and back at Gibbs, still confused by what was going on. Then she realized that Gibbs still had his arm around her and she gently disengaged herself from him, a faint blush putting a little color back in her face.

"You look like you were about to keel over," Gibbs said in response to the measured look she was giving him. He eyed her sharply, taking in the still glassy look in her eyes. "You're not going to upchuck are you? Because if you are, you'd better go to the ladies room now or DiNozzo isn't going to be happy about cleaning it up."

"Boss!" squawked the younger agent in protest.

"No, I'm not going to vomit," she snapped, but even she noticed her voice had a lot less energy and power than it normally had. She really wasn't feeling that well and from the look Gibbs and now DiNozzo were giving her, she must look like she was in pretty bad shape too.

"Maybe you should sit down," Tony ventured hesitantly. "You don't look so good."

"I said, I'm fine," she ground out. She watched as the two men exchanged looks and suppressed the urge to growl. "I can do my job."

Gibbs gave her a long look before he spun on his heel and started to walk out of MTAC, "Never said you couldn't."

Emily blinked after him for a moment and then with DiNozzo followed the older man out. She had to almost trot after the two men to keep up with them, her earlier injuries hampering her usual ease of movement and making it even more obvious that the last place she needed to be was here. None of this went unnoticed by Gibbs who led the way back into the bullpen where Abby, Ducky, Ziva and McGee were gathered.

"Report," Gibbs barked out.

"I might have a lead on the roses, Boss," McGee began. "Virginia has a very active Rosarian society and there are only a handful of people who are growing this particular breed. I've contacted everyone but two people. One person is out of town on vacation and the other I've left messages for, but this last person has been known to provide cuttings or sell plants to people. I'll follow up with this person in the morning."

"David."

"There are no solid suspects behind the drug dealing going on at the various military bases. However, Virginia local PD around military bases have noticed a decrease in drug activity over the last few months. When I spoke to the officer in charge of their coordinated drug task force, he said it is possible that some of the drug trade has moved to the military bases. He is compiling a list of well known drug traffickers who might have the organization to operate on several military bases."

"DiNozzo!"

Tony looked nonplused for a moment. "Uh, well, boss, I've got nothing to report, I've spent the last few hours with you."

"Then go home, Tony," Gibbs said quietly.

"Boss?" DiNozzo was confused.

"You hit your head today too. There's not much else we can do until the morning." Gibbs raised his voice. "So everyone might as well go home and get some rest."

For a few moments, everyone looked stunned. They weren't use to Leroy Jethro Gibbs suggesting they go home early while in the middle of a case. Gibbs noted their silence and the fact that no one had moved. He raised an eyebrow.

"Unless you all want to spend the night here?"

"No boss," a chorus of voices cried out and they began to gather their belongings, hurrying in case Gibbs changed his mind.

"Wait!" Abby cried out. Everyone froze and Gibbs looked inquiringly at the young forensic scientist. She walked over to quickly fading Emily who was now leaning up against the filing cabinet by DiNozzo's desk. "Emily, you really need to stay with someone tonight. Head injuries are no joke. Do you want to come home with me or Ducky?"

Prentiss gave the happy goth a small smile. "Abby, that's really sweet of you and Ducky, but I'll be fine. I've dealt with head injuries before." Afterall, she had received one in Milwaukee and no one had stayed with her then. Nor had there been any offers.

Emily had not known Abby long and that sweet, gentle persona belied the core of steel within the woman. When Abby decided on what was right, she would not budge from that position and she knew that what was right, was not to leave Emily alone tonight. She shook her head. "No, Emily. No way are you going to be staying alone tonight. It's not safe or good for you." Her mouth set into a stubborn line.

Before Prentiss could respond, Gibbs cut into the conversation. "She's not staying alone tonight, she's staying with me."

Everyone turned to Gibbs in shock. He ignored them and instead scooped up Emily's coat from his desk chair. He placed it gently on her shoulders and steered a stunned and silent Prentiss towards the elevator. Had she been feeling better she would have said something like, "Oh really?" but she could only dumbly allow him to usher onto the elevator and eventually out of the building to his car.

After the elevator doors had shut behind the couple, the remaining members of Team Gibbs turned to look at one another.

"Did Gibbs just take Emily back to his place?" McGee asked.

"Yeah," Tony replied in shock. "He never takes anyone involved in a case home unless they're under twelve and there's a murderer after them."

"Well, next to me, Jethro does have the most experience with head injuries," Ducky replied in an affable tone. While having a tendency to ramble on tangential subjects, the medical examiner had sharp, observant eyes, and he had noticed the affect the beautiful FBI agent had on his long-time friend. Whatever it might blossom into, he did not know, but what he had seen so far, it had been positive.

"And she is very pretty," Ziva added with a shrug of her shoulders as she picked up her coat.

"Pretty doesn't affect Gibbs!" Tony snapped.

"That's right, it's not like we're talking about Tony," McGee pointed out.

"Hey!" DiNozzo objected.

"I think Gibbs is doing it because Emily probably doesn't have anyone else to look after her," Abby said quietly before the two boys could devolve into one of their typical squabbles. Her conversation with Emily's friend Billy that morning was much longer and extensive than anyone knew. She had heard a lot about Emily Prentiss from him.

Her comment silenced the group. They all knew little about Emily Prentiss, but they were all familiar with being alone. They could see that perhaps Gibbs, in his inimitable way, had saved Emily from admitting she had no one to turn to at this time by making her stay with him basically an order. He had hustled her out and she could honestly say later on that she had no choice in the matter, and not have to say she had to stay with someone from NCIS because she had no other option of her own.

It was just another one of those tactful things the very untactful Leroy Jethro Gibbs would do that surprised his team, but yet in many ways, did not.