Chapter Thirteen

The tie in JJ's hand was undeniable, and though a thousand explanations raced through Emily's brain, the expression on her friends face said she had already made her mind up about what had conspired here last night. Her grin was utterly mortifying, and Emily stumbled over trying to find the words to explain the situation. She smiled, awkwardly, and pointed to the tie.

"I can explain that," Emily tried to laugh, but it came out as more of an awkward whimper, "That is...absolutely not what it looks like."

"Oh?" JJ prompted, raising her perfectly shaped eyebrows and glancing from Emily to the tie with an expression of mock confusion on her pretty face, "So it's not the tie Hotch was wearing last night?"

Emily's mouth moved, but for a moment, words failed her. "No, okay, yes, it is that." She admitted, crossing the room to JJ and trying to snatch the tie out of the younger agents hand. JJ bounded away from her with a laugh, holding the tie out of reach, "But it's not what you're thinking."

"And, what am I thinking?" JJ challenged, clearly highly amused by the entire situation and greatly enjoying Emily's discomfort.

"You're thinking Hotch spent the night here."

"Which he didn't?" She looked sceptical and unconvinced, and Emily found she couldn't lie.

"Well, no, technically he did but you also think that we slept together which...again, I can't deny because I guess we kinda did but-"

"But?" JJ prompted, eagerly.

"But there was no exchanging of bodily fluids, nobody got...entirely naked. I didn't even kiss him!" Emily said, hands splayed out in front of her as though to demonstrate her innocence. "He was completely hammered, Jayje. Do you really think I'm about to #metoo Hotch?"

JJ's eyes were narrowed, the ghost of a smile still hovering over her lips. "So you just...slept?"

"Yes!" Emily insisted, desperately. "We talked and we slept."

"In the same bed as our boss?"

"JJ, as my best friend," Emily pleaded, putting her hands together in front of her face, so it almost looked like a prayer, "I am asking you to let this go."

The blonde regarded her for a moment, looked once more between Emily and the tie in her hand, glanced towards the bed, where the sheets were still hopelessly rumpled, and then held out the offending garment for Emily to take.

"And, as your best friend," JJ continued, holding fast onto the tie when Emily tried to take it from her, "I retain all mocking rights."

It was Emily's turn to roll her eyes, but JJ finally released the tie. Putting her hands on her hips, she shook her head in disbelief, processing the information.

"I just can't believe you two," She said, and her eyes twinkled with mischief. "Hey, so did you spoon?"

"JJ, drop it!"


Emily couldn't get through her coffee without JJ asking question after question, and each of them she refused to answer.

"Not here, not now, Jayje, please," She begged, after the fifth one. Or was it the sixth?

"Fine," JJ held up a hand in surrender, the other firmly grasping the coffee cup in her hand. She seemed to have forgotten her hangover in the midst of the exciting revelation she had walked into. "But when we get back, you and I are going to go and get some cocktails, and you are going to tell me everything."

"Fine," Emily reluctantly agreed, packing the last items into her go-bag, including Hotch's tie. Flashes from the elevator came back to her. Maybe not everything. "Ready to head down?"

"Sure," JJ agreed,"Let me grab my bag."

Emily followed JJ into the corridor, set her bag down on the floor and turned to lock her door as the blonde disappeared inside her own room, further down the corridor, to collect her things.

"Morning."

"Jesus christ, Hotch," Emily cursed, near jumping out of her skin, having not heard him emerge from his room. "Are you doing this on purpose?"

He looked affronted, and much more put together than he had the last time she'd seen him; running, half-naked, from her bed. "Doing what?"

"Every time I step out of my room, you're there. It's like you're listening."

She was joking, but he looked sincerely offended for the moment, like he couldn't believe she would think that of him. Emily was spared explaining the joke when JJ came back out of her room. She stopped dead on the threshold, taking in the sight of them both there, and looked from Emily, to their boss, and back again.

"Morning, Hotch," She greeted, turning to lock her own door. With her back turned to them, so neither could see the smirk on her face, she brazenly asked, "Sleep well?"

Hotch's eyes shot towards Emily, who merely shrugged, and hoped it was convincing enough to throw him off. He floundered for only a moment before replying.

"I slept fine. And yourself?"

"Like a baby," JJ turned back to face them, with a swish of long, blonde hair, and an impassive smile pasted onto her face. Hotch nodded, then set towards the elevator. As soon as Hotch's back was turned, Emily caught JJ's eyes and gave her a look that was borderline murderous. She shook her head, communicating silently with her best friend, through eye contact alone. Still, JJ understood.

JJ, I swear to god-

JJ raised her eyebrows, innocently. The expression clearly said; Alright, alright, I'll leave it alone.

Emily wasn't convinced.


Breakfast was a quiet affair. JJ's hangover had come back full force, so she was pounding cups of coffee and eating what Emily could only describe as a platter of fruit, 'to get the fluids back into her system.' Hotch was nursing a mug of coffee that couldn't have been blacker if he had tried; clearly he, too, was suffering this morning. Rossi had the paper and was reading it, reminding Emily of her own father when she was younger, who would catch up on politics over their 'family breakfast' though, contrasting with her father, Emily hadn't seen Dave's eyes move once, and she could have sworn his head was lolling a little. Reid wasn't eating, though Morgan kept taunting him with his own plate, piled high with all the fixings of a proper cooked breakfast.

Emily, who was the only one not suffering from any form of hangover, felt almost left out. Her arm was fine this morning, if a little stiff; the bandage would be off no later than tomorrow. As she dug into her oatmeal, she supposed she should feel smug. When Reid had to excuse himself from the table, after turning an unpleasant shade of green when Morgan spoon a spoonful of beans and egg into his own mouth, Emily found she was a little bit smug, after all.

"So, this is what the hangovers look like from the outside, huh?" She taunted, glancing around the table at the rest of them.

"Don't act like Miss High-and-Mighty," Morgan scolded, playfully, "You've had your fair share."

"Yeah, remember Vegas, when she nearly tore my arm off?" JJ reminded them, and Emily rolled her eyes.

"Morgan had been going at that slot machine for a half hour, and all the coffee in the world wouldn't make the pounding in my head go away!" She defended.

"And the time you fell asleep in my hot tub?" Dave challenged.

"You know whiskey makes me sleepy!" Emily insisted, hotly.

"What about the time you vomited the whole way back to Quantico on the jet?" Hotch piped up. Emily caught his eye and raised her eyebrows.

"You wanna talk vomiting?" She challenged, and he had the decency to look a little sheepish, though there was a smirk on his face. She was getting used to that smirk, and to the softer side of him. She was really starting to like it.

"Speaking of vomit," JJ pushed her plate of fruit away, into the middle of the table, as Spencer rejoined them. His complexion had improved, all but his face, which was still a little pink.

"I think, on that note, we'd better hit the ground running," Hotch announced, "Everybody ready to make a move?"

There was a muttering of general consensus around the table and as they rose to leave, Emily saw Hotch leave the tip.

They rode back to the airport in much the same way they had driven to the hotel. The only exception was that Hotch and Emily had Reid in their car. He was practically hanging out of the window, head lolling out of it as he appreciated the cool air. Emily, therefore, sat in the middle, and Hotch on her other side. With the kid in the car, they couldn't talk about the night before, but Emily knew they would have to at some point. She wondered how much of it Hotch actually remembered. Regardless of what he remembered from last night, he had woken up in her bed. Neither of them could act as though that had never happened. She would have to tell him about JJ, too, and find a way to give him back his tie. She wondered if he had even noticed it was missing.

"When we get back to Quantico, I'm going to need you all to do your write ups," Emily didn't know why he was saying this; they all knew the post-case drill. They'd been doing it for years. When the car turned a corner and they were forced closer together by the momentum, she understood; he was distracting himself. She couldn't blame him. Try as she might, she couldn't get the image of Hotch, almost naked, in her bed, out of her head. Of all of the things they'd gotten away with over the duration of this case, that had been the most intimate. Waking up, like that, with him, had crossed a line. JJ was right.

"You got it," She agreed, looking straight out of the front window, rather than at him.

"Did you hear that, Reid?" Hotch leaned over her slightly, and Emily sat back, trying not to breath him in too deeply, and wishing he didn't have the effect on her that he did.

Reid, however, wasn't listening. Hotch looked concerned and Emily chanced a glance over at the boy genies. He had, once again, gone that unnatural shade of green.

"Reid?" Hotch said, warily, "Are you alright?"

"Reid?" Emily pressed.

He turned to them, tried to speak, and, at the same time, they shouted, "Reid, no, no-"

It was too late. When he was finished retching, Emily was glaring at him like she never had before, shocked and appalled in equal measure. Reid looked sheepish and Hotch was trying not to laugh, though the situation as a whole was fairly hysterical.

"I am never sitting in the middle again," Emily howled, then pointed an accusing finger at the younger agent, "And you," She glared, struggling to find the words, "Are never drinking again. Ever!"

"I'm sorry, Emily!"


A/N

Thank you for all of your lovely reviews! As long as you keep enjoying, I'll keep whipping up chapters for you guys.

Stay safe. Stay inside. Wash yer feckin hands.

Steph x

P.S Happy Birthday Max xo