A/N: So I've been reading reviews of the episode and I have to say, I kind of agree. The story missed alot of the profiling that has made the show a success and there was definitely too much action and not enough actual discussion. It's what we get to see of the cast. The team talking and throwing ideas off each other. On the other hand, I still enjoyed it. Maybe it's because of my own work that I didn't see the episode as being quite so violent as others might think. But I found the unsub/story believable, the extras were great (even though the ben mcbride character was played by the same guy who was an unsub in season 1), and I liked seeing the shows attempt at showcasing the new team. We still got to see Emily and Hotch, though the others had smaller roles. But then... the Strauss thing... anyone else pick up on that? Anywho. This chapter (and the next) is based on that episode. So please read and review.
Story note: There've been a few questions as to the friendship/romance potential of this story. At first I wasn't going to make it another romance fic but I couldn't help myself. But don't fear, at the moment it's going to stay friendship until I decide Hotch has the courage to tell Emily. Thanks for reading!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Criminal Minds.
Emily woke up and stretched her arms out. It had been a long time since she'd slept that well. She sat up in bed and wrinkled her brow. Where the hell was she? Her expression shifted as she remembered. The pipes in her apartment had leaked through the ceiling and had flooded her entire downstairs. The carpet needed to be ripped up and replaced, as well as the hardwood floors. The bottoms of the cabinets in the kitchen were swelling. All in all… the place was a mess.
So Hotch had offered her a place to stay. He had the extra bedroom so he was more than happy for Emily to occupy it while she was virtually homeless. And she'd agreed. And… that's where she'd woken up this morning. Blue walls, gold curtains, a white bedspread. To be honest, it was unusual waking up at Hotch's house but not in his bed. To others, it might be strange. But to Hotch and Emily, they didn't see the point in sleeping separately. They kept their hands to themselves and it was usually pure exhaustion that led them to the sleeping arrangements.
But weeknights were different. They had Jack here. And Emily knew that Jessica came in on Mondays. So sharing a bed was not an option, no matter how innocent it was.
Emily climbed out of bed and went about putting her things together for the day. She had a large suitcase of her clothes there, and needed to do laundry. She shrugged. She'd take what she might need if they got a case, and if not, she had outfits picked out for the rest of the week.
Hotch woke up and sat up in bed. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and looked at the clock. 6am. Plenty of time to get up, take a shower, get Jack ready for Jessica to pick him up, and have a couple of mugs of coffee. He swung his feet over the side of the bed and made his way into the hall.
He found Jack in his room and went about picking out his clothes for school. Then the two boys headed into the kitchen to make Jack's breakfast. Hotch sat him down at the table, before pouring himself a cup of coffee. He sat down and opened his laptop, checking his emails. Nothing too important. He closed it again and listened to Jack talk about what he wanted to do at school today.
Once he was finished his cereal, Jack hopped down from his chair and carried his bowl to the kitchen. Hotch followed and lifted the bowl into the sink. Then he and Jack made their way back down to his bedroom to get ready. After Jack was dressed, Hotch set him up to play in the lounge room, while he went to get ready for work. He opened the door to the bathroom and had the fright of his life.
"Hotch! What the hell?!" Emily screamed. Hotch quickly pulled his shirt up to cover his face. "I'm so sorry Emily. I didn't realize you were in here," he said through his shirt, "I actually forgot you stayed here." Emily stood up and wrapped the towel around her body. Then she reached up and pulled his t-shirt down and shot him a look. One word: bad.
"What?" he asked innocently, ignoring the fact that she was standing in front of him in a towel. "What? You say that you forgot I was here and then don't know… you really are a man aren't you Hotch?" she chided. Hotch rolled his eyes and reached up, brushing a hair behind her ear. "I didn't forget you existed. I just forgot you were staying here. I have a routine," he said, shrugging his shoulders.
Emily rolled her eyes. Hotch had learnt, over time. The combination of brushing her hair with his fingers and shooting his big brown eyes at her was enough to make her forget why she was mad. And now he used it whenever he needed. "It doesn't really matter… I guess," she mumbled.
Hotch smiled. It worked. He was proud. It was quite a coup to get Emily Prentiss to fold, but he'd managed it. Her being half-naked probably helped as well. Just as he was about to leave the room to let her finish up, Hotch stepped into the hall and bumped into Jessica. She looked at him, then looked over his shoulder. Emily looked up, stunned. She pasted on a smile and held up a hand to wave.
Hotch turned back to Jessica. "Morning," he said quickly. "Morning," Jessica said, smiling. "Uh, Emily's apartment is flooded so she's staying here," he explained. Jessica nodded and smirked. It was fun to watch Aaron squirm. It didn't happen very often, but when it did… you made the most of it. "Great," she replied, "Well… not great that your apartment's flooded. But great that Jack and Aaron have someone to break their routine," she added. Emily smiled and nodded.
Jessica jabbed her thumb of her shoulder. "I was just coming to get you so Jack and I could leave," she said. Hotch nodded and turned to Emily as he closed the door. "Sorry," he replied. Emily shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "Give Jack a kiss goodbye for me," she said brightly. Hotch nodded and pulled the door shut.
Hotch walked down the hall and found Jessica getting Jack's school things together. He handed her his water bottle and smiled. "I'm sorry about that. I should've called to warn you," he said. Jessica shook her head and smiled. "Not at all. This is your home Aaron. You don't need to explain yourself to me," she assured him. Hotch nodded. "And I know that you and Emily are good friends. Jack doesn't stop talking about her," she explained. Hotch nodded and smiled. He knelt down and said goodbye to Jack, then watched as he and his aunt made their way out of the apartment.
Hotch rolled his eyes inwardly. He was so embarrassed about Jessica finding Emily in his bathroom. And he'd already slept in the same bed as the woman! If she'd come over on one of those Sunday mornings, she could've found Emily sleeping in Hotch's bed. And that would be even more awkward to explain. Thank god she didn't come in on Sundays.
But Monday mornings were different. Jessica actually came in on Monday mornings. And Hotch didn't want her getting the wrong idea if she stumbled upon Emily in his bed. While Hotch had made up his mind in that department, he still didn't go about publicly declaring his feelings for the woman. Hell, he hadn't even told her yet! So no… his ex-wife's sister did not need to know that Emily, his best friend (at the moment), sometimes slept in his bed. Hotch nodded and turned to head back down the hall. If he hurried he could get his things together by the time Emily was done in the bathroom.
Hotch answered his cell as they were walking into the café. They'd decided that, after that morning, the day called for real coffee. So they'd stopped in on the way to work. Emily continued into the store, knowledgeable enough to order Hotch's coffee just the way he liked.
"Hotchner," he replied. "Hotch, it's JJ. We've got a case. San Francisco," she explained. Hotch sighed and nodded. "Ok. Notify the rest of the team. We'll be there as soon as possible," he replied. "We?" JJ asked. Hotch cringed. Faux pas' before his morning coffee. There was nothing worse. "Uh yeah. Prentiss is with me," he replied. JJ wrinkled her brow mischievously. "Ok," she answered. "Her apartment is flooded so she stayed over last night," he explained. JJ nodded. "Alright. Well I'll call the others. See you when you get here," she replied. "Thanks JJ," Hotch said, before they both hung up.
Hotch walked into the café and tapped Emily's shoulder. She turned and noticed his expression immediately. "Where?" she asked, her shoulders sagging. "San Francisco," he explained. Emily nodded and frowned. She picked up their coffees from the counter, handing Hotch's over. He thanked her and opened the door.
They were about ten minutes from the office when Hotch's cell rang again. "Hotchner," he answered. "Hotch. Sam Cooper," the caller replied. "Cooper. What's going on?" he asked. Emily looked over and frowned. Cooper… who did they know who had that name? The cop from New York? No reason he'd be calling Hotch. What about that BAU guy from way back? Sam Cooper. He retired awhile ago. Left to do private work overseas somewhere. Emily smiled. That was a conversation with her mother that she'd actually enjoyed. Wonders will never cease.
"Can you come meet me?" Sam asked. Hotch frowned as he turned the corner. "Sure. Where and when?" he asked. Sam sighed. "The Warehouse. Fifteen minutes?" he asked. Hotch wrinkled his brow and looked over at Emily, then back at the road. "Sure," he replied. They said goodbye and hung up.
Hotch looked over at Emily as he put his foot further down on the gas. "I'm going to drop you off at the office. I have to meet with Sam Cooper. Tell JJ that I'll meet everyone at the airstrip when I'm done," he explained. Emily nodded. Sam Cooper it is. "Sure you don't just want me to come with you?" she asked. Hotch shook his head. "Not until I know what this is about," he replied. Emily frowned and nodded.
Emily stood up from her seat and followed Hotch to the kitchenette. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked when he turned. Hotch looked at her and noted the concern on her face. He appreciated it, but it was still unnecessary. "It'll be fine Emily. I'm not worried about the Director," he answered. Emily wrinkled her brow. "You could get fired because of this. Doesn't Cooper realize that?" she asked.
Hotch nodded. "Of course he does," he replied. He reached over and squeezed Emily's arm. "You don't need to worry though. It's like Rossi said. Cooper wouldn't push so hard if he wasn't sure," Hotch reasoned. Emily raised her eyebrows and nodded. "If you think it's ok," she countered. Hotch nodded and smiled. "It's ok. I'm gonna be around, kicking your ass, for a long time yet," he joked. Emily rolled her eyes. "You wish old man," she teased.
Hotch poured two cups of coffee and handed one to her. "So what can you tell me about him? I mean… we've all heard stories," Emily said quietly. Hotch wrinkled his brow and shrugged. "He was on the initial BAU team. He's a good profiler… doesn't like to go by the books," he explained. Emily smiled and nodded. "What?" Hotch asked, noticing her expression.
Emily shrugged. "Opposites definitely attract," she teased. Hotch huffed and nodded. "So you're saying I go by the books?" he probed. Emily shrugged her shoulders and bit her lip. "You're probably the most straight-laced person I know. And considering my upbringing… that says a lot," she teased. Hotch shook his head and put his mug on the counter. "Do you want to keep busting my balls or can I finish?" he asked. Emily gestured for him to continue.
"He and Dave go back to his… second wife I believe. I met him when I first started at the BAU. A bunch of guys in a tight office, practically living together. But Cooper was… is… a good agent," he finished. Emily nodded. "So what about his team?" she asked.
"They told him he could make up a team for himself. From what I hear he picked a British Special Forces Sniper, a West-Point drop-out fresh from the Academy, and the third… haven't heard much about him," Hotch explained. Emily nodded. Hotch finished his coffee and put the mug in the small sink. He nodded towards the others. "What's say we go do our jobs now, Prentiss?" he suggested. Emily huffed and nodded, placing her mug next to his.