Mid to Late July 2008

The day had started off slow.

Reid and Prentiss had left hours earlier on a flight out to Colorado to investigate alleged accounts of sexual abuse towards minors. As for everybody else, their schedule had been non-stop, jumping from state to state to investigate unsolved murders. Finally, there was a reprieve in the caseload, and Hotch actually had a chance to dig into the ever-growing weed he liked to called paperwork.

But the second Morgan screamed his name at the top of his lungs, an eerie coldness blanketed the unit. And nothing could prepare him for the uncertainty life was about to throw.

Abandoning his important phone call mid-conversation, Hotch bolted out of his office to the catwalk, where his attention immediately diverted to the television on full blare.

"Prentiss and Reid…" Morgan said in a state of panic.

The news showed reports of a raid, gunfire and three child service interviewers trapped inside the Colorado ranch. Before he even had a chance to process what was happening, Aaron's stomach lurched into his chest. Alarms and pagers started wailing, and the team didn't hesitate in rushing over to the airfield.

As he sprinted into the office, Hotch snatched his go bag and removed the tie from around his neck, which suddenly felt like it was strangling him. Every second that he spent grabbing something he needed, his anxiety flew through the roof.

How could a normal day turn into life or death?

Uncertainty weighed upon Hotch as he tried making sense of the situation… Emily and Spencer were trapped, surrounded by a religious cult with weapons. A combination which, frankly, scared the living daylight out of him.

They didn't know anything else.

The two of them were half-way across the country, being kept hostage by men who could do anything. Horrid scenarios of them being mangled and tortured to death flashed before his eyes… Scenarios that he couldn't control. But Aaron was more concerned about Emily. With her being female, she was more susceptible to misogyny and torture than Reid. And it made Aaron feel sick to his stomach having her surrounded by those men, knowing the potential harm they could inflict.

He wanted to get them out of that environment as quickly as possible, but he didn't know how it would all work out.

A two-hour flight had never felt so frustratingly long.

They'd kept the news reports streaming on the laptop, hoping that no more tragedy struck while they were 35,000 feet in the air. Morgan and JJ kept their eyes fixated on the laptop screen with anxious expressions. Rossi stared out the window the entire flight, and Aaron kept rereading over the notes Garcia had researched about this place. The more he stared at it, though, the more it all blurred into one giant blob.

Aaron knew he couldn't carry on like this…

How the hell was he supposed to make the best decisions possible without jeopardizing Prentiss and Reid further? If something happened to them, especially Emily… Aaron knew he would never forgive himself.

As the beige ranch emerged into sight, Hotch's anxiety simultaneously eased yet worsened. It relieved him to finally be nearby if something happened, but it was apparent these people were going to play by their own rules. And Hotch knew he couldn't talk to them without losing his anger.

"Dave," Aaron said as he stepped out of the vehicle, "they've left the choice of negotiators up to me."

"I taught most of the hostage negotiation unit; you want a recommendation?"

"I'm making you the lead negotiator," Hotch said without hesitation.

Rossi's eyes widened, "Me?" He asked in disbelief.

"Why go to the students when I have the teacher?" Dave knew how to deal with a situation like this better than anybody.

The man glanced around briefly, probably wishing anybody else would take up the job. "because the teacher is emotionally involved. So is the agent in command-"

"I know I am. This is a unique situation. We have two agents who could affect the outcome inside."

"True," Rossi said with fire in his voice, "but I can't be objective. I know them too well."

Hotch felt the desperation creeping its way out. Now, he was practically begging Rossi to take up the role. "This outcome depends as much on our ability to predict the moves of Prentiss and Reid as Cyrus. That's why you're the best man for the job."

"Assuming the Reid and Prentiss are still in a condition to make moves." Rossi snapped back.

Hotch choked on his words for the briefest of seconds while he glanced towards the building, causing all this heartache. He refused to consciously let his mind wander into that scenario any more than it already had. He had to believe that they were okay. He barely whispered, "I know how bad this is. That's why I want you doing the talking."

Rossi sighed as he stared right into Hotch's hazel orbs. He'd known Hotch for years and seeing his eyes well up with so much fear and vulnerability emphasized the seriousness of the situation.

"Alright."

For a guy that hardly ever showed his emotion and didn't like giving up control, Dave realized that this was affecting Hotch on the deepest of levels. The way he snapped at the attorney general… The visible sighs and deep breathes as they discussed with the other agents the possibilities of what they could do… His intense quietness… Rossi had never seen his friend in such a state.

But he would do everything in his power to make things right and get Reid and Prentiss out alive.

After briefing the SWAT team on the procedures, night was falling quickly. Ideally, Hotch didn't want to spend more than 24 hours negotiating, but with the way the conversation was rolling with Benjamin Cyrus, it would take a lot longer than a single day to build up trust.

As Rossi began to build rapport with the cult leader, Hotch and the others hung onto every last word, hoping for a sign or some sort of signal that Reid and Prentiss were still alive. It took all of Hotch's strength to not grab the phone from Dave and threaten the son of a gun quoting all these religious references, but what they were doing was the best way of saving the two people Hotch was concerned about.

Tension poisoned the air as Rossi began to ask indirectly about Emily and Spencer, "Now, the three child service workers-"

"One of them is dead." Cyrus immediately interrupted, "It wasn't us."

Hotch felt an icy shiver race up his spine, and he could have sworn his heart seized up. He bowed his head, attempting to keep down the bile that threatened to escape. The few seconds of silence that followed were the most prolonged and torturous seconds of his life thus far.

Please not Emily or Reid, please… He kept repeating in his mind.

"I need a name… To inform the family," Rossi asked.

"Her name was Nancy Lunde."

A heavy burden immediately lifted off Hotch's shoulders. Water bubbled in his eyes at the immense relief that they were still alive. He didn't know how he could have coped if one of them was dead. After Kate dying and his own near-death experience, Hotch didn't know if he could withstand grief any longer.

Even though Emily and Reid were still alive, Aaron knew that this was only the beginning. They were still undercover, which in a sense, may have been the only thing preventing them from death's door. If their cover happened to be blown, the possibilities of what could happen next didn't look good…

Cyrus had requested supplies to heal his wounded followers, which was the key to getting hidden microphones into the ranch. At least then, Hotch would have an idea of what was going on inside through sound.

"We should get some sleep," He heard Rossi say. Glancing up from his notes, Hotch shook his head, completely disoriented as to what the actual time was. "Trust me, Aaron. It will do none of us any good waiting up all night."

"What if something else happens?"

Dave patted Aaron on the back, "nothing is going to happen tonight. And Prentiss and Reid… They'll be fine. Come on… We've got stretchers set up in the back."

Hotch managed to get an hour of sleep before he woke up, made himself a crappy coffee and continued researching the ranch's history. Parts of his notes had gone missing somewhere, which tested his patience. And to make matters worse, an anonymous source had told reporters that a single FBI agent was being kept hostage inside. Hotch didn't need to make any wild guesses to know who had done it.

That damn Attorney General.

The next time he saw that idiot, the guy would know to never interfere with an investigation again. It riled his blood.

Did he even realize what he'd just done?

Hotch and the others immediately grabbed a headphone set and chucked it on, listening for any sign that Emily or Reid were in significant danger. And no more than a minute after the new information aired, they started to hear voices from inside the ranch.

"Which one of you is it?" Hotch heard Cyrus ask through the audio.

There was a heavy silence, and as he listened, an overriding guilt surfaced. He should have never let Prentiss and Reid take up this undercover opportunity, and now it was going to cost them.

"Which one of you is the FBI agent?" Cyrus asked again, but this time, anybody could hear the aggression in his voice.

"Why do you think one of us is an FBI agent?" Reid asked timidly.

Hotch seized up as he heard the sound of a gun click- his worst nightmare taunting him. "God must forgive me for what I have to do."

"I… I don't know what you're talking about."

"One of you does. Who is it?"

"Me." Aaron froze on the spot as he heard Emily speak. His heart thumped so painfully that he could listen to it in his ear. "It's me," Prentiss said more forcibly.

Within seconds, Hotch's fears became a reality as the sounds of Emily's whimpers invaded the headphones. He wanted to rip the damn things off his ears, but he needed to keep listening. With each moment, her tiny screams escalated as Cyrus succeeded in his aggression and Hotch felt his heart physically squeezing in unison with her pain as she yelped.

His eyes squinted tightly as the sound of Cyrus' hand made harsh contact with Emily's body. God… She didn't deserve this. It should have been Hotch in there taking it all… Not Emily. As she grunted again, Aaron couldn't withstand hearing her cries of torture. He removed the headset, "We've got to go in," he said, about to take off, but Rossi pulled him back by the arm.

"We'll be risking the lives of everybody inside."

Overwhelmed with the abuse hurled towards his friend, Hotch glanced down to Rossi, wondering how on earth he wasn't storming inside. As Hotch reluctantly placed the headset back on, he could tell Prentiss was exhausted, add the sound of glass shattering and the poor woman was bound to be injured.

"Proverbs 20:30 tells us blows and wounds cleanse away all evil."

Would the guy just shut the hell up already? Hotch wanted more than anything to punch the maniac to death. He felt the tears prickling in his eyes as her heard Emily getting kicked around like a football. This woman… How the hell she was still fighting, Hotch didn't know. Emily was one of the strongest women he knew, but what Cyrus was doing to her… She was bound to reach her breaking point shortly.

Hotch wanted to forget everything.

"I can take it…" Emily whimpered, slightly out of breath.

"Oh, you can take it?" Cyrus mocked. And then a punch of skin against skin…

"Wait, wait, listen… Listen to what she's saying," Rossi urged. Hotch looked at the Italian in disbelief; he struggled to listen to her wince enough as it was.

"I can take it."

"She's antagonizing him!" Morgan said with ire.

"She's not talking to him." Rossi corrected.

"She's talking to us," Hotch suddenly realized, "She's telling us not to come in." Having to stay put in one place and hear Emily go through all of that had Aaron feeling like the worst colleague in the entire world.

It all felt wrong.

"Pride comes before the fall."

Another shudder and groan… This was awful.

Morgan and Rossi threw off their headsets while Hotch stood there with a heart-breaking expression towards the ranch.

After what seemed like hours of hearing his good friend be beaten alive, Hotch's eyes widened at the eerie silence that followed. However, the sounds of her whimpers, yells and groans still echoed in his head, and they wouldn't leave for days to come. Knowing that she most likely needed desperate medical attention, Aaron took off the headset and let his head fall into the palms of his hands.

There was literally nothing he could do to help her…

He didn't know the extent of her injuries or if she was even still conscious. Aaron knew that he needed to refocus his attention into setting up the next plan of action, but he couldn't stop thinking about Emily.

What if she was bleeding out?

What if she had a concussion?

What if they couldn't get her out of there?

He couldn't lose her. Not like this…

Another hot and bothersome day had passed since Prentiss' abuse, and Aaron felt the pure exhaustion weighing upon his shoulders. The only thing keeping him up at the moment was ounces and ounces of coffee. And when he tried resting, vivid nightmares of Emily getting bludgeoned to death startled him out of his sleep.

He wouldn't be able to truly relax until she and Reid were out safe and sound.

But even then, these last few days would be harsh reminders of how fragile life was.

As he stood at the edge of the gazebo, observing the few golden lights illuminating the building against the pitch-black sky, everything in his body numbed. They were going in there at 3am to save as many people as they possibly could before Cyrus realized what was happening, but Aaron physically couldn't bring himself to join in on the operation.

What if he screwed up in the process? Or lost control of his anger against Cyrus? It was just something he couldn't risk.

And then there was Reid and Prentiss to consider as well. The whole plan hinged on them to help out on the inside, but there was every possibility that something horrible could go wrong. No matter how much he thought about the scenarios, when the worst came to the worst, Hotch wouldn't be prepared.

The only hope he had was knowing that Reid and Emily were intelligent agents. They'd figure out a way to get as many people out as possible.

He remembered earlier in the week telling Prentiss and Reid to have a good flight out. And that's all Hotch said. He didn't even bother to get up from his desk to say a proper goodbye or properly acknowledge they were going away. No, he just blatantly brushed them off like they weren't worth anything and continued doing his stupid paperwork.

On that particular day, there were a dozen errands that needed to be completed. A budget report and signatures on useless pieces of paper that never got looked at seemed entirely insignificant compared to what was going on now.

That morning might have been the last time he would ever see them in person… The last joke that Prentiss would ever make about travelling on her own with Reid… The last time he ever got to talk to Emily… And not reveal how he truly felt about her.

God… He felt like such an idiot.

How did he let it get to this point? He should have never accepted their request to come here, and most importantly, they all should have quadruple checked the background on these guys. Had Aaron known what they were capable of and the risks involved, he would have refused to let Prentiss and Reid go undercover in the first place.

Hotch didn't care about anything else anymore. All he wanted was for them to get out of there and to be safe.

As Rossi ticked off the final task on the checklist, he glanced out under the gazebo for the umpteenth time that hour to see Hotch still in the same position, gazing at the building where Reid and Prentiss were being held captive.

They were all terrified about what was going to happen, but his best friend seemed to be taking it the hardest. Perhaps it was guilt… Not being able to do anything… Or letting them get into this position in the first place.

Most people who didn't know Hotch well didn't know that he reflected on every single action he took. He may have not showed his emotion very visibly on the outside, but the man internalized everything. With every triumph the team achieved, every loss they encountered, Hotch took it all under his wing and processed it in private. And when it all overwhelmed him, everything that had been hidden under his mask revealed itself…

He walked up to Hotch, standing next to him. The poor guy… Everything was written in his expression.

"I know I can't go in there…"

Rossi nodded, figuring that would be the case, "I'm going."

"If something happens to Prentiss or Reid… I… I don't know." Hotch said sadly as he shook his head from side to side.

There were no words, no actions, and no promises that could truly comfort Hotch because Rossi was just as scared as he was.

"You're not alone."

The shockwave of the explosion sent Emily flying into the concrete. Still reeling from the abuse Cyrus had inflicted, the brunette winced in pain as she used the remainder of her strength to get back up. Spouts of fire had erupted everywhere she looked; some buildings had completely degraded into piles of ashes and rubble, but what stood out to Emily the most was the eerie quietness.

Everybody couldn't help but glance back at the ranch now crumbled to dust. Some covered their mouths in horror, children tugged at their mothers dressing gowns, asking what was going on, but most stood there immobile and completely silent.

Wading her way through the mobs of people trying to get to safety, Emily reached the staircase down to where all the emergency services were. As soon as she spotted Hotch and Rossi guiding people to where they needed to be, she almost broke down in tears. Knowing they were doing everything in their power to save her had been the only thing keeping her sane the last few days. But as she searched the crowds for Reid and Morgan, the pit in her stomach widened once again.

That's when the realization hit that they were still most likely in the building.

Her voice weakened to a whisper as she screamed their names into the smoke, and no response came. Thinking that they were dead, all Emily could do was stand there, with her feet glued to the earth like roots in soil.

This sort of thing only happened in nightmares…

But seconds later, two crouched silhouettes emerged from the flames, coughing their lungs out. And the panic suddenly transformed into overwhelming tsunamis of mercy.

"OH GOD," She said as her hands flew to her mouth.

Never in her life had Emily been so overjoyed to see Reid and Morgan.

Trudging her way back up the stairs, she met Spencer half-way and pulled him into a hug, grasping onto him for dear life. Closing her eyes, she buried her face into the crook of his shoulder, smelling a mixture of smoke and his scent. After three days of being stuck inside that horrible place, every emotion that had latched to her finally vanished into the hot summery air as a single tear escaped.

There were so many times they could have died. But they hadn't… And that was the best outcome anybody could wish for.

Emily had more tears left to cry, but she somehow managed to hold them all back as she, Morgan and Reid made their way back down to Hotch and Rossi. They glanced around, noticing the dozens of women and children they'd saved, but then Emily's eyes fixated on the one woman that brought them there in the first place.

Kathy Evanson shook like a lost puppy, with her face contorting to try and hold back the inevitable tears. Emily slowly approached her, not knowing what to say or do to comfort this woman.

Her daughter was dead.

As the mother fell to her knees, Emily knelt down with her and gently pulled Jessica's mother against her shoulder while she wept rivers into her already dirtied blouse covered in blood, sweat and dust.

Hopelessness overtook the brunette. They came here to try and save that girl from Cyrus, but the sad reality was that Jessica didn't want to be saved… The loss this woman must have been feeling, not seeing her daughter ever again… Emily just couldn't imagine how she felt.

And as she kept rubbing circles over her back, trying to do anything to help Kathy, Emily let her guard down and silently cried.

"OH MY GOD, EM!" JJ gasped as Emily decrepitly entered the gazebo. The blonde raced over, hugging the woman like it was the last time she would ever see her. "I'm sorry we didn't triple check what you guys were getting into... It's my fault."

Closing her eyes, the brunette pulled away and immediately screwed her nose up, "NO, JJ, there was nothing any of us could have done to know what was going to happen. We're safe now. We're here…That's all that matters."

The little pep talk didn't seem to help the blonde's cause. "Here," JJ handed Emily her go-bag, "I thought you might like to change."

The brunette smiled, taking the bag from her friend. God, she couldn't wait to wear something different. The room she'd been kept locked up in had her body coated in sweat constantly, and with her hands tied behind her back, there was no way to fan herself or cool down.

After JJ guided her to the tiny bathroom in the mobile FBI unit, everything that had happened hit Emily all at once. First, the initial raid which had started it all… Nancy Lunde's tragic death… Getting beat up by Cyrus… The uncertainty of whether she'd make it out alive or not…

Emily just wanted to go home.

As she chucked on a shirt, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Dried smears of blood coated the purple bruising on her cheeks. Her eyes were bloodshot and swollen, and as Emily glanced at her left arm, covered in a temporary bandage from the paramedics, she felt it burn like someone was trying to twist her skin in all sorts of directions.

It took her a full minute of standing there, examining herself to realize how awful she must have looked.

When she opened the door, dressed in clean clothing, one person stood there with the saddest expression she'd ever seen.

Hotch.

As she glanced him up and down, he looked just as beaten as her.

Without thinking, Aaron took the go-bag from Emily's shoulder and slouched it over his own. And much to his surprise, she didn't fight against it. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know where to begin.

God, it felt like he was dreaming with her standing right in front of him.

"Emily, I-"

"Please don't say you're sorry…" She was so sick of everybody apologizing for what had happened. It didn't change anything or make her feel better for that matter.

He soaked in her appearance and internally winced as he assessed her beaten face. It looked way worse than what he'd imagined. The heavy bruising surrounding her swollen eyes would take at least a few weeks to vanish. And the cuts on her lip… The sight made him feel weak at the knees. And that was only her face. He hated to think of how Cyrus had mutilated the rest of her body.

Having his eyes search every inch of her profile had the brunette weak at the knees. Before a flush appeared on her cheeks, Emily broke their silent eye contact and sat down on a nearby chair. Hotch followed suit.

He noticed a white bandage on her left arm, "you didn't deserve to go through that…" Hotch began, shaking his head.

"I had no choice. It was either that, or he was gonna shoot Reid." Emily closed her eyes, pushing back the memory, "It looks worse than it actually is, and the paramedics checked me over. With some Advil, antibiotics for this infected arm and sleep, I'll be good as gold."

Aaron wasn't convinced. Her skin colour didn't seem its usual vibrant ivory. In his opinion, she looked sickly pale. "As soon as we get back, I'm taking you to the hospital for them to have a proper look at that arm. No excuses."

Even though the guy looked absolutely wasted, his voice had the sort of tone he used in interrogation. And Emily knew that he wasn't joking around. Even if she wanted to argue, she literally had no energy to try. Emily actually secretly wanted to spend some time with him; just to be in his company was all she craved, so the woman nodded with a tiny smile on her face.

Had he been in her shoes, she would have done the exact same thing.

For the first time in days, Hotch had a decent stretch of sleep in peace. As soon as he'd gotten on the plane, he'd plopped himself down in the corner seat, and his eyelids had taken over. He awoke shortly before the jet was due to land only to see Emily busy reading a book at the other end of the cabin.

It angered him to see her still awake. He didn't know if she'd slept or not on the two-hour flight back to Quantico, and if he had to hazard a guess, Hotch would say no. She had mentioned to him once or twice that she wasn't a great fan of sleeping on planes. But he'd at least appreciate the woman trying.

The jet landed back at the airfield shortly before 7am, and he wasted no time in rushing Prentiss straight to the nearest hospital so that she could get medication for the deep infected gash in her wrist.

Emily practically collapsed into a coma the second she sat in the passenger seat, and Hotch didn't blame her. As he drove, he protectively glanced over at her every now and then, noticing turbulent creases in her brow as she slumbered. Part of him wondered if she was having a nightmare.

As Aaron pulled up into a parking space, he killed the engine and just stared at this woman who had caused him so much heartache. After everything that she'd been through, he felt awful having to rouse her from much-needed sleep. So, he waited for a few minutes, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest and listening to the slight rasp in her breathe.

It comforted him.

"Emily," he whispered, tempted to move a strand of hair out of her face, but he didn't. He had to call her name again when she didn't move, this time a little louder.

The sound of Hotch's deep voice gently pulled her back into reality. She sat up, confused as to where she was for a moment before memories of the last few days slowly trickled back in. "How long was I out for?"

"About an hour." Hotch got out and walked round to the passenger side to open the door, but Emily had already done it.

She could feel her body stiffening up as she manoeuvred herself out of the car, and without the Advil in her system, it was quite painful. Aaron held out a hand which Emily happily grabbed as she found her feet. As he glanced down, he noticed how cold and small it was compared to his own. Even though she didn't vocalize whatever pain she felt, Hotch could tell by the minute creases on her forehead that something was bothering her, and it saddened him.

"You okay?" He asked softly.

The brunette nodded slowly, releasing her grip on his hand. Aaron didn't take his eyes off her as they walked into the emergency room. With the way she was slightly limping, part of him thought she would faint to the floor at any given second.

While they waited for an available slot to see a doctor, Emily remembered why she hated hospitals so much. It felt like someone had drawn scribbles on her face while she slept. One could only imagine the sorts of things going through those people's heads as they fixated their gazes upon her. And it was freezing too… The cold never did wonders for her nerves.

Thankfully though, Emily didn't have to wait more than half an hour to be seen. Hotch stayed in the waiting area, pacing around, while the female doctor shot her a curious but concerned look. Upon Emily explaining the circumstances as to why she was injured, the woman wanted to do a more thorough examination to check there weren't any internal problems.

After performing an ultrasound on her tender abdomen, the doctor removed the bandage from Emily's wrist to see a sickly infection and redness surrounding the area. It stung like hell as she cleaned inside the wound using saline solution and antiseptic cream. However, the pain substantially subsided when the wound was redressed, and after the doctor provided Emily with a prescription to pick up some medication, she was free to go.

Hotch stood up as Emily came out of the cubicle along with the doctor. "The ultrasound showed no internal bleeding within her organs, which is good, but her abdomen is very tender. The only way she will get better is with lots of rest and painkillers. As for the wrist, I've cleaned out most of the infection, and it's up to Emily to make sure she takes the medication daily. I wish you well in your recovery," the doctor said, turning to the brunette.

"Thank you," they both replied.

After picking up Emily's medicine from the pharmacy and helping her back into the car, Aaron started to make his way to her apartment.

"I've given everyone a week off, but I want you to take as much time as you need to get better." Nodding, Emily bit down on her bottom lip. It made her feel warm inside, having him so concerned about her wellbeing. "Also, I want you and Reid to attend at least one counselling session each before you return to duty."

Okay… She appreciated the time off to nurse herself back to her usual self, but therapy seemed a little over the top. "I'm fine, Hotch. I don't need a shrink to help me process what I'm feeling."

Aaron shook his head as he glanced in her direction. "You were literally beaten and tortured. How are you not bothered by that?"

Hotch sometimes swore that he needed therapy more than she did. It was like the woman had superhuman abilities when it came to dealing with trauma. He'd noticed her shed a tear as she hugged Reid after the explosion, but in his company, she hadn't broken down once or talked in depth about what had happened.

It concerned him, and the last thing he wanted her to do was to bury it all.

Emily gulped, desperately wanting to change the subject, "I am." She finally said, "but talking to a stranger about what happened isn't going to instantly make me feel better."

"Then what is?" Hotch asked, shooting a glance in her direction.

"Time."

They sat in an uncomfortable silence the rest of the way to Prentiss' apartment. After pulling up outside and helping her out of the car, Aaron grabbed her go-bag, but she immediately took it from him. "Can you at least let me take this up for you?"

Emily shook her head, "I can survive an elevator ride and a few steps to my door, but thanks for the offer."

He stood there awkwardly, with a hand on his hip and the other one against the car bonnet, "you'll be okay? Call me if you need anything…"

Casting a smile towards him, she nodded. "I promise I'll be fine. Thank you for doing this. Go home and get some rest. You look shattered." Emily said, nudging him on the arm with a smile.

For the first time in 72 hours, Hotch smiled back, albeit briefly. He didn't even bother pretending to not watch Prentiss as she sauntered back into her building. When she was well out of sight, he got back into his car and shuddered a shaky breath…

He loved her.

And it took her nearly dying for him to realize it.

A/N: One of the best episodes of season 4 in my opinion. Let me know what you guys thought. See you in the next chapter.