Prentiss

Hotch and I decided last week that maybe we should split for a while. He used the words "see other people", and I used the words "some time for us to cool off". He did make it clear to me, however, that he did want to try us again eventually.

I was slightly offended that he said "see other people". Did he have another girl? Was he seeing her while he was seeing me? If he wanted us to see other people, then I'd see someone else. I had gone out for the past few nights, trying to find someone who'd interest me, but none of them were Hotch and he was all I was thinking of.

Just when I thought the hope was lost, I met a guy at my usual coffee shop this morning. He didn't seem any different to anyone else I met over the past few nights, but he tried harder to talk to me, to meet me. He was about to leave when I walked in, but he stopped and waited until I was about to leave and then he approached me. I gave him my number and I took his.

Hotch had been texting a lot over the past few days and every time I saw him do it, it felt like a part of me died. Who was he suddenly texting so much? I missed him so much, I missed Jack so much and I missed happiness so much. It had been only a week and I was so miserable.

We were on the plane on the way to Maumee, Ohio. It was only about a 45 minute flight and we talked through the case for the majority of it. When we landed, my phone rang as we walked off the airstrip. "Agent Prentiss." I answered it. The whole team looked at me, assuming it would be a call concerning work or the case or something important.

"Emily, it's Scott."

"Oh, hey." I smiled to myself. I must have given him my work number instead of my private.

"I was wondering when you were free. I was going to wait a few days, but I couldn't bring myself to."

"Well I've just landed in Ohio for work, but I can call you when I'm on my way back if you want and we can plan something?"

"That sounds great. I'll be eagerly awaiting that call." I could hear the smooth smile in his voice.

"Alright, cool. Bye." I hung up and slipped my phone back into my bag. "Did I just say "cool"?" I asked the team as they looked at me.

"Uh…what was that about?" JJ asked, ignoring my question.

"I met a guy this morning," I smiled at her, "He said he was going to wait to call me but he just couldn't bring himself to."

"Oh, well that would be great…if only you weren't in a relationship with someone else. Or is there something you haven't told me?"

"We're seeing other people. Let's go." Hotch said, walking to the SUV further from me.

"…Well, you moved on quickly." Rossi raised his eyebrows at me.

"I need a distraction," I admitted, "I hate to be that kind of person, but Scott's a rebound."

I went to walk away but JJ grabbed my arm, "Em, what happened?"

"I shouldn't have answered the call…" I sighed.

"What happened?" She asked again.

"About a week ago, we were still arguing and I was sick of it so I kind of tried to scare him into talking instead of yelling by telling him that I wasn't sure about us anymore…and he said that we should see other people for a while."

"For a while?" Reid asked for clarification. I nodded and walked towards the SUV again.

"Well you can't just give up." JJ said as she followed me. Morgan walked with us and Reid and Rossi went to the other car where Hotch waited.

"JJ, this is what he wants. If he didn't want me to see someone else, he wouldn't have suggested it."

"I don't know; he sounded angry when he said that you're seeing other people." Morgan said.

"He's not allowed to be." I shook my head and got in the passenger seat. JJ climbed in the back and Morgan sat behind the wheel. JJ or I would have drove, but we both knew that Morgan liked driving; he liked the feeling of control. We wouldn't mess with that, considering it really didn't matter at all to either of us.

He drove out in front of Hotch and towards the police station. I listened as JJ talked about the case with Morgan but I stayed silent. I looked out the window and tried to keep my thoughts on the case, but they were drifting more towards Hotch and Scott.

I sat by myself in the corner of the plane. Reid was asleep on the couch; JJ was sitting with Morgan, Rossi and Hotch. We had only been in the air for about 15 minutes, but it felt like it had been hours. I saw JJ stand up and walked to the small kitchen in the plane. I stared out the window again and within a few minutes, I mug of hot coffee was in front of me and JJ sat across from me with her own.

"Thanks." I said quietly, lifting it to my lips and sipping it. The heat burned my tongue and my throat as it slid down, but I ignored the pain. I looked back out the window and pulled my knees up to my chest.

She cleared her throat quietly and sat forwards, "Em." I looked at her and waited for her to speak again. "The case or Hotch?"

I sighed and dropped my legs back down. I closed my eyes, "He said we should see other people, but I went out two nights in a row and not once did I see a guy that I thought might be worth my time. Scott, the guy that called me when we landed in Ohio, he wants to go to dinner but it just doesn't feel right. I thought it might be fun, he seems interesting, but I just don't want to."

She shook her head, "If you don't want to go, then don't go. If you want to try dating someone else to…I don't know…get back at him? Then do that. If you just want to get laid, have a few one night stands, then do that. But if you want to wait for him, then definitely do that. Em, I've known you for years, and I had never seen you as content with your life as you were when you were with him. I've known him even longer than I have you and I had never seen him happier; not even with Haley."

"But if I decide to wait, what do I do if he doesn't want to come back to me?"

"You just need to try a little harder. I know it's harder than it sounds, but the both of you…" She said "both of you" louder so than Hotch would hear, "Need to be a little more patient with each other and listen to each other." She continued loudly.

I shook my head and sipped the coffee again, "Please don't involve yourself in this. It'll just get worse and harder to work with."

"Will and I split up." She said quietly.

"Oh my god…what? When? Why? Are you okay?"

She looked at the mug in her hands, "Two weeks ago. The night after we all went out. We just…we weren't talking or communicating. We were yelling, working or avoiding each other and trying to concentrate on Henry. No, I'm not okay; I'm a wreck and I miss him and I'm not coping very well. Just, don't tell anyone else." She had tears in her eyes. She had left something out but I didn't want to pry.

"I'm so sorry, Jayje."

"I don't know what to do with my relationship. I don't know whether to try and fix it or to let him go, but I don't want to let him go. What I'm trying to tell you is if you know what you can do to fix it, do it. It'll destroy you if you leave it even a few weeks without trying. I hate myself for doing nothing. I let him leave and I let him take Henry with him."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"Will or Henry?"

"Both."

"Henry the night before we left for Ohio, Will the day before. But I'm going to try and talk to him and work it out. I suggest you do the same." She said before she stood and walked back to her previous seat beside Morgan.

I pulled my legs back up and looked out the window again, still drinking the coffee. I could feel his eyes on me but I refused to look back. I wouldn't be able to work with him affectively for much longer. Right now, I was just trying to ignore it and sometimes pretend that nothing had happened between us, negative or positive. I needed to do something about it; either fix it or end it completely, and if we were going to end in completely, then I needed to resign and find a new job.

I closed my eyes to keep the tears back and I drank the rest of the coffee JJ had made me. I put the cup down and repositioned myself silently, getting comfortable and laying my head. I took a few breaths to calm myself down before I felt my body slowly relax and start to fall asleep. Just before I drifted off, I felt something lay over me.

I woke up to Hotch shaking me lightly. "Prentiss, we've landed." He said quietly as my eyes fluttered open. I stood up and took his suit jacket off me. I gave it back to him and thanked him quietly before walking past him and off the plane, grabbing my bag as I went. The others were just outside the plane, waiting for us.

I smiled at JJ weakly and she put her arm around me, "Girls night?"

"Out or in?" I asked.

"Well do you want to get drunk or do you want to eat a lot and cry while we watch sad movies? I would personally prefer the latter, but it's up to you."

"Definitely cry," I nodded, "With pizza and ice cream."

She smiled and nodded, "I'll call Pen."

I watched her walk away from me, getting her phone out and I looked at the four men in front of me. "She's not with Will anymore, is she?" Morgan asked quietly.

I looked down, "I'm not supposed to say anything."

"We're profilers; we knew." Rossi assured quietly.

"Do relationships ever last?" Reid asked quietly, "They're split up, you two are split up, you've been divorced three times…" He looked at Rossi.

"I guess you just have to find the right person for you." I shrugged my shoulders.

"Are you saying that Hotch isn't the right person for you?" Morgan asked, glancing at Hotch.

I shook my head, "I'm not the right person for him," JJ called my name and waved me over when I looked at her behind me, "Well we're going to watch movies and cry ourselves out, so good night." I smiled.

"Good night." Reid said in a sad tone.

"Night." Morgan touched my shoulder and I turned, walking to my best friend.

"She's in. She's going home to shower and then she'll come over in her pyjamas with ice cream and chocolate." JJ said once I reached her.

I nodded, "Oh…hey, just so you know…they know."

"Did you tell them?"

I shook my head, "I didn't have to, they're profilers, honey. Whose house?"

"Yours. Mine is a mess and Garcia's is too small."

I nodded, "Great; I really need to see Sergio."

She laughed at me and we got into the car. She got behind the wheel and I sat as her passenger, looking at the rest of the team as they walked to the other SUV off the airstrip. Morgan, Reid and Rossi waved to us, Hotch glanced but looked down, shaking his head slightly. I took a deep breath and looked at JJ, "The tears are going to come a lot quicker than normal, just so you're prepared."

"Do me a favour? Text Garcia and ask her to pick up some extra tissues on her way?"

I smiled, "Yeah, I think I've only got one box."