A/N: Thank you all for the lovely reviews for last chapter! I really appreciate them. I'm not entirely happy with how this chapter turned out to be quite honest. I feel it's very jumpy, but I promise the next chapter will be much more interesting.
For reference, this chapter at first takes place before 3x17 but eventually moves through to after 3x17. It's the episode where JJ kisses Will for the first time.
Late-April 2008
"You've got to be kidding me!" Emily muttered hastily as the coffee she'd prepared moments earlier, spilt down the front of her white blouse. The burning was the least of her concerns, she was more worried about the local detectives in the station ogling her undergarments. What was it about Southern Georgian Men that gave them the right to do that?
In an instant, JJ removed her black blazer and passed it to Emily before running over to the coffee station to grab some paper towels. "You wanna go grab that first aid kit over there instead of standing there clueless?" The blonde spat to a juvenile officer who couldn't have looked older than 21. "How bad is it?"
The brunette scoffed at herself for being such a clown. It was literally ten steps back to the table, and she'd managed to spill half the cup down a brand-new shirt. It wasn't until she sat down that the scorching pain registered, "uh, I'd say it's bad." As Emily looked down upon the soaked garment, a good portion of her lower abdomen had been smashed by the hot liquid.
Thankfully, most police stations had some sort of locker room with restroom facilities attached. JJ rushed the brunette down to the back of the building and practically shoved her into a freezing cold shower- still fully clothed. She returned moments later with a towel and Emily's go-bag. "Come back out after ten minutes, and I'll see what I can find for a dressing."
Everything had gone from zero to one hundred in a matter of seconds. She stood there like a drowned rat, slightly shivering from what felt like sharp ice picks stabbing her skin. Slowly, she removed the stained blouse and chucked it down by the drain, followed shortly by a soaking wet sports bra. Examining her torso, Emily could already see red blotches swelling up.
It was the last thing she needed after a tumultuous breakup.
Turning to face the water, she lifted her head to the ceiling and let the cold pelt the fire raging on her lower abdomen. Today had been the first day in over a week that Emily was feeling more herself, and what better way to reignite the pain than by a first-degree burn. She could feel the emotion bubbling its way out through the form of stinging eyes and fast-paced breathing, but she was determined to not let it break her again. There'd already been enough tears cried, and Emily couldn't have anything else distracting her from work.
It's just a stupid coffee. You didn't die. Nobody else was hurt.
Yeah, it may have just been an accident, but it was embarrassing, nevertheless. Emily could only imagine how flushed her cheeks would've become had Hotch or the others witnessed the incident. They'd never let her live it down.
Even though nobody else had directly asked about her situation with Devon, they must have sensed her mood swings had something to do with her personal life. Morgan, Reid, and Rossi had asked on multiple occasions throughout the week if she was okay and she could only nod- even though on some of those days, at times she was at rock bottom. Penelope, on the other hand, Emily had confided in, and knowing her, she probably would have told Morgan who would have told Reid who would have told Rossi.
Rossi kept much to himself, but he also had a close relationship with Hotch, and if she assumed correctly, the topic of 'Prentiss' would have arisen at some point.
It was odd… Emily hadn't heard anything from Hotch.
In all honesty, she really didn't want to be around him at all during the first immediate days after the breakup. She just needed time and space to sort through her emotions, and thankfully Hotch hadn't forced her arm on a mandatory break. But it had been over a week now. And he hadn't even asked 'how are you?' or 'what did you get up to this weekend?'. He had just been ordering her to do tasks, which she actually didn't mind. They provided a distraction and gave her something to focus on besides the heartache.
But still… She longed for her friend.
And he just seemed distant.
They had a night flight back home and arrived shortly before 10pm. Usually, on a Friday night, Emily would have taken the rest of the night off, but what exactly was she to do at home? Mope around? Cry some more? Watch paint dry? So, she'd returned to the bullpen to begin writing up an extensive field report from the recent case in Georgia. Everybody else had left for the night besides herself, Rossi and Hotch.
Her fingers flew back and forth on the keyboard like race cars, and before she knew it, Emily had written a four-page field report in all of 45 minutes. She winced slightly upon standing up and lightly rubbed a hand over her lower abdomen. JJ had tried dressing the wound back in Georgia, but the bandage was either too tight or too loose, and Emily was in pain either way. So, she'd opted to go without a dressing. The burn looked large, but being a first-degree burn, it was relatively minor and would certainly heal within a few weeks.
After proofreading the report three times over, Emily knocked sharply on Hotch's door. He glanced up momentarily from his paperwork to acknowledge her, before returning his gaze back to his own file. "Just leave it here," Hotch said, pointing to a spare spot on the edge of his desk.
Emily stood there for a few seconds longer, profiling the guy. He seemed intently interested in whatever he was writing. His hand was like a sewing machine needle, getting the job done at a consistent pace and without error. His eyes followed shortly behind his hand, and Emily noted the slight crease in his forehead- a crease that often emerged when he was deep in thought.
She took her time walking to his desk and took a sneak peek at what he was so immersed in. From what Emily could tell, it was some sort of budget report. Why the hell it couldn't wait until Monday morning, the brunette would always struggle to understand. "You're here late," she stated, trying to make small talk.
He remained in the same position, "these papers won't go down on their own."
"What's Strauss cutting this time? Another chair?"
The longer Prentiss stayed; the more Aaron lost his train of thought. This budget proposal needed to be completed by the morning, and he couldn't waste any more time procrastinating. Hotch's hand stopped moving for a moment, and his eyes scanned the paper, rereading over his notes. "Was there something else you needed?"
Emily met his eyes before placing her freshly printed report in front of him. Then she took a seat opposite. Seeing as though the chance for small talk got thrown back in her face like a failed boomerang, Emily cut right to the chase, "I'm guessing the mandatory breaks are no longer a thing anymore…"
Hotch had expected her to ask the question at some point, "you've proven to be very capable of taking care of yourself." As he skimmed through the file, he glanced up, "unless I'm mistaken?"
"NO. No… Of course not." Emily said, waving her hands, "it just ended abruptly, that's all. I thought I'd done something wrong."
If only she knew the real reason…
"You've done nothing of the sort."
Nodding, Emily slowly brushed her hands over her trousers. She knew there was more to the story than Hotch was letting on. It just didn't make sense in her head; he had explicitly told her one day that he enjoyed their little outings together. And all of a sudden, he's making up these excuses that Emily can take care of herself and doesn't need him around. Like she's in an instant, worthless to his company.
She desperately wanted to press the issue further and at least attempt to understand what possibly could have been going through his head. But fatigue was lurking in the corner, and from the looks of Hotch's intense expression, he didn't look in a state to have that conversation. Obviously, he was too invested in whatever he was writing to even pay full attention to her.
"Okay," Emily said, standing up, "I guess I'll see you on Monday then."
"Have a good night."
It wasn't until Prentiss had left the bullpen that Hotch dropped his pen and leant back in the chair, letting out a hopeless sigh. He hated having to lie and keep his distance from her, all because she stirred up unprofessional feelings in his company.
Hotch thought that avoiding her in all regards would at least make him think about her less, but instead, it had done exactly the opposite. It hadn't taken him long to figure out that the source of Prentiss' mood swings was from a breakup. Coming out of a bitter end to a marriage, Hotch recognized the emotions all too well.
The entire week, he wanted to be there for her, to lend a comforting hand or a shoulder to cry on. He'd made sure to partner her up either with JJ or out in the field with Morgan or Rossi, anywhere that kept her distracted, but at the same time didn't have him involved. The worst part of it all had been resisting taking her out for breaks. It had become part of his routine. Their routine. And Hotch felt so lost without it.
He didn't know how long he'd been staring into space when he heard another sharp knock at the door, but this time, it was Rossi, holding two glasses and a bottle of whiskey. "Drinks?"
Screw the report, Hotch thought. He shoved the remaining papers he needed to fill out into his laptop bag to take home before taking a seat by the sofa. Since Rossi arrived on the team, Friday night drinks became a tradition between the two agents, whether at a bar or at work after hours.
"So, I take it the budget proposal is driving you crazy," Rossi said as he uncorked the lid and started pouring into the glasses.
Hotch pursed a small dimpled smile before taking the glass, "I don't recall there being ten pages of questions and information to read through back in the early days." If only he'd started reading the paperwork sooner, the nightmare of budget-cutting would have been over in a heartbeat.
"Have you asked for an extension?"
"I can't. Strauss insisted it needs to be in by tomorrow morning at the latest."
The older agent rolled his eyes, "what's the worst that could happen if it's not done?"
Multiple scenarios flashed before Hotch's eyes- all of them not ideal.
"I'd rather not think about it."
Rossi twirled his glass, staring at the younger agent. When Hotch first joined the BAU, Rossi remembered him as this chatty, dedicated, brand new amateur agent.
Lots had changed about the man.
Hotch still had that unwavering loyalty to his career, but he talked a lot less about himself and poured every spare minute he had into digging his way into the mind of a killer. Rossi recalled how Hotch as a brand-new agent would joke around and play pranks on everyone- it would drive everyone crazy. Somewhere in the midst of it all, his demeanour had intensified to the point where Aaron's emotionless stares concerned Rossi.
It saddened the Italian to see his friend hardly smile anymore.
He knew the divorce, and countless other issues Hotch had to contend with as unit chief had taken its toll. And then learning to cope as a single dad… It must have been hard.
"You seen Jack lately?"
"I'm spending the weekend with him. He wants to go see a new animal movie, so that's what we're gonna do."
Rossi gave Hotch one of those proud fatherly smiles. After leaving the unit years ago, Hotch and himself had kept in touch via email and occasional phone calls. It felt like yesterday that Hotch had called him to say that Haley had safely delivered a baby boy, and now that baby boy was a full-blown toddler.
"Come to my place afterwards… I'll cook your dinner."
Hotch contemplated the request for a few seconds, "as long as you don't mind Jack running around the house like a madman." The boy could be quite boisterous, and one of Aaron's challenges was trying to find ways to burn off all that excess energy.
"I don't care as long as I get to see my little dude."
After lecturing his son on the rules inside Rossi's mansion, Hotch unclipped Jack from the car seat and watched as the boy bolted towards Dave.
The older agent knelt down and practically squeezed the boy to death, "you hug too tight."
"Sorry dude. High five?" Rossi held up a hand, and Jack smashed it with his tiny one. "That's what I'm talking about! Did you see a movie?"
"Ya! I see animal cos-" He knew the name in his head, but he couldn't seem to figure out how to say it. Jack looked behind him to Hotch for reassurance.
"Animal Crossing." Hotch completed for him. "It was a good movie, wasn't it bud?"
Jack nodded his head, vigorously. He held his dad's hand, not entirely sure of the environment or the surroundings, while Rossi led them inside his big house and out to the backyard. Hotch beamed in delight as Jack spotted a swing set that Dave had obviously bought at the store. "Oh, Dave… You really didn't have to."
"Aaron. I love the kid like he's my own. Besides, I don't have anything else 'kid-friendly' here. Unless you want him to play with my most prized ornaments." Hotch had made sure to pack multiple superhero figurines and Spiderman's in Jack's backpack, but the swing set would be sure to keep the kid occupied for hours on end.
Rossi got down to Jack's level. "You like the swing?"
"Ya! I go on it?"
"Of course, Jack, you can go on it as much as you want." Both men watched as the little toddler rushed over to the swing and took a few seconds to get on the seat. It was low to the ground, so the boy needed no help getting on. His next question was for Uncle Dave to push him.
Hotch simply leant against the doorway with a gigantic smile on his face as Rossi pushed Jack from the front and pretended to get kicked in the face. It had Jack in fits of laughter. Sometimes it felt good to not have to do everything and just watch and reflect. To see his son so innocently laughing and having fun… No amount of words could describe the joy that brought Hotch.
This is what he'd always planned for Jack.
And for one moment, Hotch completely forgot about all his problems.
When she said 'you should go for him' to JJ. Emily seriously didn't expect the blonde to take up that idea.
She gazed numbingly from afar at JJ and Detective William La Montagne locking mouths. A droplet of water pushed its way to the corner of her eye, and it took all her strength to not let it fall. It had been obvious right from when JJ and the detective first met that her friend had developed the hots for him. Emily couldn't have been happier for JJ, but at the same time, the sweet moment between the couple triggered another torturous memory she longed to forget.
"I thought she'd never admit it…" Prentiss had muttered to Morgan and Reid standing behind her, forcing herself to pull her eyes away.
A couple weeks had passed since that awful evening, but Emily remembered everything that happened like it was yesterday. The torment the heartbreak brought had been unbearable at times, but somehow, Emily had pushed through it. The pain lingered, and every now and then it flared up like timber catching fire. But now Emily felt like she was on the home stretch and could finally see a hint of light at the end of the tunnel.
Heartbreak could be a bitch.
It had been literally impossible to not keep an eye out on the brunette for the past couple of weeks, and Hotch had concluded he just couldn't avoid the woman any longer. It was ridiculous of him to think that he could hide in the back of the plane every flight or make himself busy in the field while she was at the station sorting through evidence with JJ.
They were colleagues that needed to work together like a well-oiled machine.
And as Hotch watched her snuggling into a blanket at the other end of the jet, gazing out upon the dark sky beneath them, he built up the courage to talk. But not before preparing each of them a coffee; an Americano for Emily and a latte for himself.
Emily could sense somebody sit in the seat opposite. She assumed it was just Spencer or Morgan about to ask if she wanted another game of poker. But the voice tore her eyes from the clouds only to see a mug being pushed towards her.
"Coffee?"
Emily quickly adjusted her position on the chair so that her legs were snuggled underneath the fluffy blanket and took the warm mug into her hands without hesitation. She could never say no to caffeine.
"Thank you."
Emily took a moment to blow gently on the coffee before staring across at the agent opposite. Another week had passed where Hotch had kept his distance. Occasionally, they caught each other's eye and quirked their eyebrows at each other, but before Emily had a chance to talk, he'd find something to busy himself with, leaving the brunette to her own devices.
It felt a little isolating, to say the least, but Emily knew it was a tough gig as unit chief. And with everything else that had gone on for Hotch, perhaps he just needed some space. Nevertheless, it brought her joy to finally spend a little time with her friend.
"How have you been?" Hotch finally asked after a minute of sitting quietly.
"I'm alright," Emily said, nodding with a faint smile. For once, she actually felt at peace with herself; it had been soothing just fixating on the black sky, not having to really think about anything.
"And the burn?"
Emily cringed as she remembered the incident earlier in the week. She'd begged JJ to not tell anyone else what happened, but the blonde said that at least Hotch needed to know she'd suffered an injury.
"It's healing. What about you? How've you been?"
Aaron shrugged, bobbing his head from side to side, "I've been okay." He hesitated for a moment, not knowing if he should say what he wanted to say, but he went for it anyway, "I'm sorry about what happened with Devon."
Pursing her lips together, she nodded. Of course, he would have figured it out within no time. The last thing she really felt like doing was discussing her failed relationship, but she appreciated the concern. "Yeah… It happens, I guess."
It took a dedicated profiler to notice how her expression had transformed ever so slightly from one of tranquillity to pain. And Hotch instantly felt guilty for bringing up the subject. He hadn't meant to ruin her moment of peace, he just wanted to let her know that he was sorry. Suddenly he remembered all the times Prentiss had asked him if he was okay with his marriage, and most times, if not all, he opened up to her. Now… He had no idea what to say or do to make her feel better.
He could talk down serial killers at gunpoint and negotiate hostage situations but providing support to a friend would always be the trickiest thing in the world.
"I can't imagine what you've gone through with Haley. And to have a child in the mix as well…" Emily finally whispered after a few moments, "it all sucks."
Hotch clasped his mug tightly and gulped. He knew that Emily and her ex-boyfriend had had issues with her job and spending enough time together. It was a similar, if not the same story with himself and Haley.
Yeah… Breakups sucked.
"It gets easier," he reassured quietly. Even though Hotch hadn't wholly accepted his crumbling marriage yet, he felt like things were getting better- albeit slowly. The best part was that he could still spend time with his son, and the arguments with Haley were a thing of the past.
A long pause passed as her dark eyes darted from side to side, contemplating his words. What she asked next surprised him.
"Have you ever been cheated on?"
From out of nowhere, a flush of anger overwhelmed Hotch.
That idiot cheated on her? Aaron knew he couldn't completely trust the guy when he met him a month ago. He really felt a sense of sorrow for Emily, he saw in her eyes how much love, admiration, and respect she had for the man. Break-up's were always tough when you were madly in love. But for it to end because he wasn't satisfied enough with his girlfriend…
It boiled his blood.
Before his emotions got the better of him, Hotch refocused his attention to the question. His eyes squinted as he rummaged through his memories. He'd had only been in a small handful of relationships before Haley, and all relationships ended because of petty, childish issues everyone goes through in high school. And he was quite sure Haley hadn't betrayed him. If she did, he hadn't noticed any red flags.
Then again… Red flags were hard to notice anyway when you were in love.
"Not to my knowledge." He finally said after careful thought.
A breathy sigh escaped her lips, "I didn't even see it coming. You think I'd be able to notice, but I guess I was just too ignorant to realize otherwise." She laughed awkwardly, "sorry I asked you that… I just feel like I'm the only person who's experienced it."
Hotch shook his head, "Don't apologize. I know… How much he meant to you."
The woman cracked a small smile to Hotch, "I overheard Rossi talking about your little dinner with Jack. It sounds like you guys had fun."
"Oh, Jack definitely did. At this rate, I'm gonna be asked to take him to Rossi's every weekend."
A/N: I love writing tension between these two. Let me know what you thought. :)