A/N: Thanks to everyone for reading! I hope that you will enjoy.
Coming Back Home
Chapter twenty-nine – Mending Fences
Hotch looked up from the crime scene photos he had been perusing as he was waiting for the rest of his team to show up when he heard Emily's familiar voice floating through the jet. His gaze followed her as she slowly made her way down the narrow aisle, stopping briefly to exchange a few words with Reid, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder, before she continued on to take a seat next to JJ.
He turned his gaze back to the photos, meeting Rossi's questioning eyes as he did so, but kept his own eyes downturned. He knew that everyone on the team must be wondering what was going on between him and Emily. But they had decided together a few weeks ago, just after they had come to the agreement that friends were all that they could be at the moment, that they would continue to be vague about their relationship until they knew for sure that they really could be just friends. Therefore Rossi's raised eyebrow and curious eyes weren't anything new, he had got them at least once a day during the last three weeks and he had avoided them every single time.
He was very well aware of the fact that if anyone could weasel anything out of him it would be Rossi and he didn't want to open up to anyone just yet. He wasn't even sure if he was ready to be completely honest with himself yet. But if he looked deep down enough, under all of his insecurities, he knew that the last few weeks had been the first time since Emily had come back to the BAU that he had felt like they had a chance at becoming a real family. The time they had spent together had, after he and Emily had got most of over their initial awkwardness, been…wonderful.
He just didn't want to mess that up. He didn't want to do or say anything that might scare Emily off and make her run again. He hated himself for feeling like that but as much as he knew that he loved her, he also knew that didn't completely trust her not to run again and this time he knew exactly what he stood to lose.
He heard Rossi quietly clear his throat and the fact that they were on the jet and that everyone was waiting for him to start speaking became pulled him from his thoughts. "Alright, you guys," he said, feeling all eyes shift onto him as he paused briefly before continuing, "we need to hit the ground running on this one, no bodies have been found, which means that we assume that we have two live victims whose time might be running out."
He glanced from face to face, the intrinsic need to protect Emily slowly creeping to the forefront, trying to overwhelm his rational mind. He knew that he needed to be at the precinct for this one and he knew that Emily was needed out in the field. But he couldn't close his eyes to the fact that the two missing women both were about Emily's age and built. He knew he wasn't being rational and sucked in a deep breath as he silently trampled down the brewing irrationality.
"Dave," he said, "take Reid to the latest abduction site, Reid I need you to look at the message that our UnSub left and see what you can make of it." He was met by short nods and as both Reid and Rossi began studying the photos of the latest crime scene he turned to Emily and Morgan. He hadn't really paired them together much the last three months. The tension between them was well known and he didn't want to cause Emily, or Morgan, any discomfort. He knew that it was horrible of him as a unit chief to allow two of his field agents to hold a lingering grudge, but he didn't want to push Emily into anything and his own relationship with Morgan had been a bit scuffed after his and Emily's falling out.
"Prentiss, Morgan," he said, getting confused looks from both Emily and Morgan, "I need you to go to the first crime scene, I would go but I'm needed at the station, apparently some of the officers are not too thrilled with us being here and I need to straighten a few things out," he said, giving Emily a slightly apologetic smile. He had been avoiding this for too long, maybe if Emily and Morgan spent some time together they would be able to mend some fences. At least he hoped that they would be.
"So," Morgan said, the words slipping awkwardly from his lips, "I guess it's you and me today, Prentiss." He slipped his dark sunglasses on, the early morning sun glaring in their eyes, as he made his way to the driver's seat of the dark SUV they had been issued. "I guess so," Emily said, trying for a small smile as she mimicked Morgan's movements, putting on her designer shade, before she slipped into the passenger's seat.
Silence filled the dark SUV as they fastened their seatbelts and pulled out of the airport car park. Thye drove down the almost empty streets, still void of most of the morning traffic, both avoiding looking at the other. After sitting silent most of the ride, the think tension was beginning to stifle Emily. She glanced over at Morgan, he had his eyes still locked firmly on the road ahead.
Feeling increasingly frustrated, Emily pulled in a deep breath. "Come on, Derek," she said, turning so that she could look at him properly, "this is getting old. Are we really going to be like this for the rest of our lives?" she asked. "Not talking, just existing on the same team?"
"What?" he said, raising an eyebrow as he kept his eyes on the road. "What are you talking about?"
"Please, Derek," Emily huffed, "you know what I mean, we have hardly spoken to each other, other than when discussing a case, for the last three months. I don't know about you, but I just can't live like this anymore," she sighed, reaching out to tentatively place her hand on his forearm. "I don't want us to argue and, honestly, I miss my friend."
Morgan sat silent a few moments, and Emily removed her hand, her eyes leaving his set face and falling to her hands in her lap. "You're right," he said, pulling her gaze back to him, "you're right. I haven't been a very good friend to you these last few months and I am sorry."
"No," Emily said, "Derek, I wasn't fishing for an apology, I am just as much to blame, if not more. I really shouldn't have waited three months to have this talk with you – "
"Emily, no," Morgan said, cutting off her slight ramblings, "I could have come to you, I should have come to you," he said sincerely. Drawing a deep breath, his let his forehead crinkle into a frown, "I saw that you and Hotch were… well, struggling… and that you were having troubles." He sighed again, rubbing a hand over his head. "But I just told myself that it wasn't my problem and that I should just stay out of it. That you had brought it all on yourself."
"I had," Emily said, shaking her head, "anything I got, I had coming. I lied, I kept Hotch away from Grace and I kept Grace away from her father. I didn't act like a very good person."
"Em, stop it," Morgan told her, giving her a quick look, as her voice faltered. "I really don't have time for any pity parties right now," he said, a slightly sharper edge to his voice, "you obviously did what you did for a reason. I think that's what I didn't get when you first told us about Grace. All I saw was a little girl who had been kept away from her dad and you know that brings up painful memories for me, but that's no excuse for me to behave the way I did. I really have no idea why you did what you did, so instead of blowing up at you I should have just talked to you."
"How about we do that now?" Emily said, giving him a smile. "I will try to explain. What do you want to know?"
"Why did you leave?" Morgan said, pausing for a moment, trying to think. "Why did you not come back when you found out you were pregnant?"
A/N: Thanks so much for reading! I really hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review if you have the time.
Excellent news! In, hopefully, just a few days the first chapter of hotchityhotchhotch's and my collab H/P story "Calleth You, Cometh I" will be up. I can promise you that it at least will have an interesting premise and you should all check it out! We will be posting under the joint penname TTTGF.
x Sussi
