Chapter 30: Retaliation

Morgan winced as the nurse dabbed his arm with antiseptic and re-wrapped it in a clean bandage. The paramedics had done a good enough job, but Morgan figured they'd need it examined and photographed by the medical team for evidence. And now he was wishing they'd skipped it and just left the first dressing on.

He felt his cell buzz in his pocket, and he pulled it out to find Hotch's name flashing on the screen. He looked up when he heard the nurse clear her throat, and she shook her head and pointed to a sign on the wall.

A big red cross over a cell phone.

As the call went to voicemail, Morgan rolled his eyes. That was the fifth time Hotch had called, and the fifth time that Morgan hadn't been able to answer. If it had been anyone other than Emily in the accident, he would've been fine, but Morgan knew that this was a bad time to be ignoring Hotch's calls. Morgan knew they were close friends, so he could only imagine what Hotch had been like after news of the accident had reached him. And now here Morgan was, ignoring the man's calls.

The nurse tapped his knee and gestured with her thumb over her shoulder, "You're free to go now… your friend will be in imaging for a while, but you can make your calls outside the ambulance entry."

Morgan nodded, "Is it possible to check on Agent Prentiss first? If I call our boss without an update on her, he'll have my head."

The nurse huffed and nodded, "Follow me."

Morgan followed the woman down the hall, and found Emily lying back on the gurney, the icepack now abandoned by her feet. She tried to sit up when she saw Morgan heading her way, but the doctor who was accompanying her shook her head and held Emily by the shoulder.

"Agent Prentiss, you really need to lay down," the doctor explained, "Five more minutes and we'll be able to take you into CT."

Emily rolled her eyes and looked up at Morgan, "What has Hotch said? Do they know where Shrader is? Has Garcia found the truck the partner was driving?"

"Agent Prentiss," the doctor started, but she stopped talking when Emily glared at her.

"I'm a fucking FBI agent and there's a killer on the loose… a cop killer… I'm fine," she said sternly, pushing herself up off the gurney, "See!"

Emily's point was hard to prove when she started to sway and she fell back against the bed, Morgan moving to her side and shaking his head.

"Just lay down, you pain in the ass," Morgan ordered, "I'm about to call Hotch and get an update, so I'll come back and let you know what he says…" he paused and squeezed her calf, "Just do what the doctor tells you to do."

Emily rolled her eyes and lay her head back on the pillow, trying to appear as formidable as possible when she pointed at Morgan, "The minute you have an update, you come and tell me."

Morgan raised his eyebrows and nodded, "Sure… I'll be back soon."

He turned and started back down the hall, following the signs until he found the exit. Only after he'd stepped outside of the ER did he take his cell out and hit the green button.

"Morgan, what the hell!"

Morgan held the phone away from his ear as the screaming continued.

"You do realise that when you ignore Hotch's calls, he takes it out on the rest of us, right?" JJ yelled. She let out a sigh and shook her head, "How's Emily?"

"JJ… she's fine. You can tell Hotch to stop worrying," he huffed down the line, "She's waiting for CT but they've done the preliminary tests and she seems to be ok. She's in shock, but she's giving the doctors hell, so that's a good sign."

"Ok, tough guy, I'll pass that message on," JJ chuckled, knowing that Morgan was only calling her because he was terrified of Hotch's reaction to the multiple missed calls.

"Any news on your end?" Morgan asked, "Emily won't let them do any more tests until she gets an update."

JJ huffed and nodded, "We've got an APB out on Shrader and the description of the vehicle," she explained, "The others are working on the partner as we speak."

"Alright, well I'll go and update Emily and then I'll check in with Jenny and Connie," Morgan replied, "Call me if you have anything more, otherwise I'll get Emily back to the precinct as soon as she's discharged."

"Sure thing. And Morgan…" JJ added, "… next time don't get me to do your dirty work."

Hotch was on the other side of the glass, out of view of Morgan and Emily who were conducting the cognitive interview. He had been holding onto his breath for most of the night, first, while waiting to hear about news from the hospital, and then waiting for Emily and Morgan to get back to the station. JJ had passed on Morgan's messages, but it still hadn't calmed Hotch enough. He knew he wouldn't be ok until he saw her with his own eyes.

Even after Morgan and Emily had returned, as soon as Hotch had seen the injuries Emily was sporting, he hadn't been able to let that breath go. In the grand scheme of things, a couple of gashes to her arm and forehead, a couple of black eyes, and plenty of whiplash were all relatively minor, but she was Emily. His Emily.

While he'd been so glad to see Emily safe and sound, Hotch had been having trouble looking at her. He'd been so freaked out by his own reaction to the news of her accident that he was terrified of it getting in the way of their work. They still had a cop-killer to catch. And right now, he had to think of her as Agent Prentiss, not the sweet, caring, and sometimes vulnerable friend that he loved.

Through the window, Hotch saw Emily wince as she turned her head – all part of the cognitive. He frowned and watched her reply to Morgan's questions. The wince looked real, and Hotch wondered if it was also, in part, due to her injuries.

"Glad to see she's ok."

Hotch turned his head and saw Rossi walking up to join him. He turned back to watch Emily and Morgan, as Emily raised her hands up in front of her face.

"I was pretty worried when we first heard, but she's tougher than she looks," Rossi added, studying Hotch's face. Rossi had been worried about Hotch when they'd first heard the news of the accident, and he could see now, by Hotch's expression, that the worry wasn't over. The man looked broken.

Hotch nodded, "She is."

"The plan is still to catch these guys, right?" Rossi asked, concerned about Hotch's mental state. Before Foyet, Rossi never would have questioned it, but now they were living in a post-Foyet reality. A world in which the woman Hotch loved was being threatened again, and they all knew how that had turned out last time.

Hotch rolled his eyes and crossed his arms against his chest, "Of course it is."

"Just checking," Rossi replied, tapping Hotch on the shoulder and heading back to the conference room table.

Hotch took one last look at Emily, before he turned to follow Rossi. He picked up the photo of Shrader's wife and daughter, and the photo of Otey and his family, and wondered whether Emily's interview would give them anything extra to go on. They had to zero in on the partner to figure out Shrader's next steps.

"What are you thinking?" Rossi asked, watching Hotch's face carefully.

Hotch shook his head and dropped the photos to the table, and leant forward, his head in his hands. He let out a sigh and ran his hands down his face, before he reached out and grabbed a file from the pile in the middle of the table. As he started poring over the pages of evidence and photos from the original case, JJ and Reid joined them.

The four agents continued to study the contents of the files, wondering if there was anything they had missed. There had to be something in these files that would give them some idea of who the partner was.

JJ and Reid looked up as the door opened, and Morgan and Emily walked into the room.

"And he was calm," Emily explained to Morgan, "Like he's done this before."

Hotch looked up when she reached the table, and he studied her face. She was certain.

"He was helping me."

Emily looked down at her watch and sighed, 7:47am. At this point, she'd been up for almost thirty hours, had been in a car that rolled over a cliff, watched a cop get killed and a murderer get away, and was still going. Her body was aching all over, and the still weren't any closer to catching Shrader, or figuring out who his partner was.

"Why don't you take a break?" Rossi said, stepping up next to Emily and tapping her arm. He held a fresh cup of coffee out to her, and she took it with both hands.

"I'll take a break when we find something," Emily sighed. She knew she was being stubborn, but she wasn't about to take a break when the rest of the team was pushing through. She puffed a breath of air out slowly and blinked her eyes a couple of times… that should definitely keep her alert enough for another thirty hours.

Rossi shook his head, "You could actually do with some sleep, but the best we can do for now is to at least take a few minutes to get some fresh air and distance… 10 minutes."

Emily rolled her eyes good-naturedly and nodded, reaching over to squeeze Rossi's arm, "I can do five," she replied with a huff, "Let the others know I'm just outside."

Emily was actually grateful for the break. She was pretty sick of standing in place, staring at the records from Shrader's case, and thought some fresh air might do her good. Besides, she needed to call Zac and let him know what happened. It was part of that deal they'd made, where she stopped trying to protect him and actually treated him like an adult.

Emily sipped her coffee as she made her way through the front doors of the precinct, and out onto the footpath outside. She found a bench a few metres down from the front door, and as she sat down, her body ached. She took her cell out of her pocket and hit speed dial, holding it up to her ear while it rang.

"Hey Mom," Zac said brightly, "How's things?"

"Hey sweetheart," Emily replied, "I have to tell you something, but I need you to not freak out."

"Unlikely with a lead-in like that," Zac retorted, "What's going on?"

"Know that I'm safe and fine, and I'm not hurt too badly," Emily started, ignoring Zac's attempts to disrupt her, "… I was in a car accident," Emily explained, pushing through when she heard Zac's gasp on the other end of the line, "I'm fine. I promise. Just some bumps and bruises."

"I'm coming to you," Zac replied quickly, "Where are you?"

"Zac," Emily warned.

"Mom, you were in a car accident," Zac argued, "I'm coming to you… no arguments."

Emily rolled her eyes, "Zac, it's fine. We're still on the case, so you can't be here," she explained, "I promise you, I'm fine."

"You know the rules, when one of us has bumps and bruises, the other comes running," Zac urged, "How would you feel if I'd been in an accident and told you not to come."

"I would be worried, of course, but you're my child… I get to ignore you when you're saying something ludicrous," Emily replied, with a smile she knew Zac could hear.

Zac sighed and shook his head, "My god, woman, you are stubborn."

Emily chuckled, looking up when she heard the front door of the station open and found Reid heading her way, "I know… and so are you," she replied, "Look, I have to go. I'll call you when the case is over."

"You call me as soon as you land in DC, or I'm on the first flight out there."

"Fine… you have a deal," Emily replied, offering Reid a small smile and holding up a finger, "Love you… talk soon."

"I love you too… I just don't like you right now."

Emily chuckled and shook her head, clicking the button to end the call and turning to face Reid.

"Getting some fresh air?" Emily asked, shoving her phone in her pocket.

Reid nodded and joined Emily in sitting on the bench, lifting up an arm to rest behind her back. She instinctively leaned into his side and he smiled. It wasn't often that Emily would let anyone take care of her, but Reid was glad that some of those walls were coming down. He had seen her take a beating one too many times, and this time, his reaction was no different. She was important to him, and to see her hurt like this was difficult.

"You ok?" Emily asked, reaching up to pinch Reid's chin.

Reid huffed and shrugged his shoulders, "I'm glad you're alive," he replied, taking a sip of his coffee.

Emily huffed and nodded, "Me too," she sighed, turning to look him in the eyes, wondering if he really was ok. She knew that he took it personally when anyone on the team was injured, his big, beautiful brain working its way through all the potential complications. Emily worried about Reid and his sensitive nature, but taking in his resolute face now, he seemed to be ok.

Emily pat Reid on the knee and smiled, "We should head back in… don't want them to solve it without us."

Reid chuckled and shook his head, standing from the seat and helping Emily up, "Like that's possible."

"You just killed my family!" Muller screamed at Emily.

"Calm down!" Emily yelled back, holding her weapon up.

Muller pushed Emily's free hand away and grabbed her by the arms, pushing her back against a car as he continued yelling. She fell back just as Morgan pulled Muller away, pushing him face-down against the hood of a neighbouring car.

"Stop!" Morgan yelled, restraining Muller as he struggled to break free.

"Stop," Morgan said again, his tone more calm as he felt Muller's body slowing down, "We will help you find them, but hurting her is not going to get them back safely." Morgan held Muller on the hood of the car for one more minute, then spoke up again, "Now I'm going to let you go, but you need to stay calm."

Morgan felt Muller nod, and he slowly released his arms. Muller stood up, just as Rossi, Hotch, and JJ ran out of the front doors of the station, JJ running straight over to Emily.

Muller pushed away from Morgan and started walking towards Emily, holding out a finger, "If my family are dead because of you…"

Before he could finish, Morgan and Rossi grabbed him by the arms and started walking him into the station, leaving JJ and Hotch with Emily. The three agents watched as the three men disappeared into the building, and when the doors closed Emily turned away, resting her hands on the hood of the car and letting out a breath.

Hotch rested a gentle hand on Emily's shoulder, but she jerked away and stood up, looking directly at JJ, but avoiding any eye contact with Hotch.

"I'm fine."

Neither of them believed her, but JJ figured she needed some space. JJ stepped closer to Hotch and dropped the volume of her voice when she spoke.

"Leave her with me," she said softly, "You go and make sure Muller has calmed down before we come back in."

Hotch frowned. He had never walked away from Emily before, and he wasn't sure he could do it now. But he'd also had trouble looking at Emily ever since she came back from the hospital. The visible injuries were too painful for Hotch to look at, and every time she moved, the thought of the hidden injuries made his stomach turn.

Hotch nodded and looked directly at JJ, "The second he's calmed down, you bring her back inside."

JJ nodded and squeezed Hotch's arm, aware that his friendship with Emily made this kind of situation all the more difficult. She knew that Hotch was a fixer, he didn't like to see the people he cared about in pain, and feel like he couldn't do anything to help. And while JJ believed that Hotch would do anything for everyone on the team, she also knew that he held a particular soft spot for Emily. JJ was also fairly certain that Hotch was going to explode on Muller the second he saw him, and it would be better for Emily if she wasn't around for that. Better to get the explosion done before Emily went inside.

Watching Hotch disappear back into the station, JJ turned to Emily and ran a hand over her back, watching her take a few deep breaths. JJ was a little shocked at how shaken Emily was. She was normally the most calm out of the whole team. She could handle anything. So to see Emily like this, avoiding eye contact, silent, ghostly white… it was concerning to say the least.

Emily just needed to breathe. She'd just shot a man.

Dead.

In moments like that, she needed to take a minute, to take stock. She knew it was a justified kill – Shrader would have killed Muller, and then he would have turned his gun on Morgan. Emily knew it. So that's why she'd taken the shot. And while she was upset, and would always be upset, when taking a life, it was what Muller had been shouting at her that really turned her stomach.

She hoped he was wrong. She hoped they would find that man's family. Shrader was dead, so now they had to turn to the only tool they had left: profiling. Together, she felt confident that the team would be able to pick apart whatever Muller could tell them about his contact with Shrader, and they would find his family.

Emily took a couple more breaths, feeling the warmth of JJ's hand on her back. She hadn't meant to turn Hotch away, but she felt so much pressure to be ok with him right now. Emily had no trouble letting the walls down when they were alone, off-the-clock… when he could hug her and kiss the top of her head and tell her that everything would be alright. But when they were at work, on a case, in the middle of a police station parking lot with a dead body a few feet away and the team watching, Emily couldn't have Hotch anywhere near her.

She took one more deep breath, and when she felt ready, Emily turned back to face her friend.

Emily reached up to gently tap the bandage on her arm, feeling a slight twinge where Muller had grabbed her. Her other arm would probably have some nice fingerprint bruises coming up soon.

"Is it ok? Do you need a medic to check that out?" JJ asked, taking a gentle hold of Emily's arm and checking the wrapping.

Emily shook her head and smiled softly, "It'll be fine. He just jerked it a bit."

JJ nodded and let go of Emily's arm, taking a step back, "What do you need?"

Emily huffed and shrugged, "I just need to stay out here until things settle down… just until the CSU guys and the Coroner get here."

JJ nodded again, running a comforting hand over Emily's shoulder, "Ok… well let's get out of sight of the truck," JJ replied, looking around the parking lot. She saw a bench over by the fence, still close enough to the truck but without a view of Shrader's body. JJ pointed to the bench and Emily nodded, the two women making their way over and sitting down without saying a word.

As Emily sat back on the bench, JJ reached over to pat her knee, as Emily had done for her so many times before. Emily offered her friend a small smile, but it fell flat and Emily started to tap her foot nervously. As soon as they found Muller's family, they could get home, and then Emily could fall apart.

Until then, she had to put on her big girl boots and buck up.

JJ pushed her way through the glass doors and into the bullpen. She was dragging, so she knew that Emily would likely be itching to get home too. On the short flight back to DC, JJ had insisted to Emily that she shouldn't be driving, so Emily had reluctantly agreed to JJ's offer for a lift home.

JJ huffed. It hadn't been quite the fight she'd been expecting, which suggested that Emily was even worse off than they had all assumed. She had been cleared by the hospital, but that didn't mean she was ok.

As she made her way over to Emily's desk, JJ chuckled at the sight. Emily was hunched over her desk, her head resting on her arms where they lay folded in front of her. She was perfectly still, her hair draped over her face.

Emily was asleep.

JJ took a few steps closer and chuckled again.

Emily was snoring.

JJ looked up at Reid, who was typing at his desk, "How long has she been asleep?"

Reid looked over at Emily and smiled, "She said she was just going to rest her eyes about five minutes ago."

JJ smiled softly and nodded, leaning down to run her hand across Emily's back.

"Em," she whispered, but Emily barely stirred.

"Em," JJ whispered again, "It's time to go home."

Emily kept her head down when she replied, "Home?"

JJ and Reid chuckled in unison, "Yes… home… the place with the hot shower and the warm bed."

Emily sat up slowly and nodded, "Ok."

She shook her head to wake herself up and looked down at her bag, wondering if she could get away with not taking any work home. It would all be there, waiting for her, on Monday. She still needed to take her ready bag though... none of its contents were clean and she needed to restock it. Emily reached down to grab her ready bag, but her ribs ached at the movement, and she sat back up with a groan. JJ started to lean down to pick up the bag, but Emily stopped her with a hand to her arm, "It's fine, Jayje… it can wait until Monday."

"Lucky for you, Miss Prentiss," JJ replied sarcastically, "Your ride home comes with a full service. That includes carrying your bags, fetching you tea and blankets, and making sure you have groceries."

Emily chuckled and shook her head as she stood, with a struggle, stopping next to JJ, "Quite the service there Jayje, but the lift home is more than enough."

"Alright, well let's get you home then," JJ replied, tipping her head towards the door, "Night Reid."

"Goodnight… see you guys on Monday," Reid replied, watching the two women make their way out the glass doors of the unit.

Emily leant against the wall by the elevator while they waited, and she could feel JJ's eyes watching her the entire time.

"You can stop staring," Emily mumbled, keeping her eyes closed, "I'm just resting my eyes."

JJ huffed and reached up to squeeze Emily's arm. She opened her mouth to speak, but the elevator arrived, the doors opened, and they stepped into the car.

The elevator doors opened on the ground floor and Emily followed JJ out. They walked down the hall and through the front door of the building, swiping their cards to exit. As they made their way down the corridor towards the parking garage, JJ noticed that Emily was walking a little more slowly.

JJ slowed her steps to match Emily's speed, and kept an eye on her, watching for any signs that she might stumble. She was so busy paying attention to Emily that she didn't see him when they turned the corner.

"Oh my god…" Emily remarked, stopping in her tracks.

JJ stopped, looking at Emily and reaching out a hand to steady her, then following her gaze. Leaning against the hood of a car that had pulled up in the circular drive was a young man. JJ thought he looked familiar, but she couldn't put a finger on where she'd seen him before.

Zac jogged over to where Emily and JJ were stopped, and paused for a moment in front of Emily, before he pulled her into a hug. Emily wrapped her arms around his shoulders and squeezed him tight, tighter than her ribs appreciated. She didn't mind the pain. She was just so glad to hug her son.

"I'm so glad you're ok," Zac whispered into Emily's hair, "I know you're probably mad at me for coming here, but I couldn't wait… I had to make sure you were ok."

Emily huffed and shook her head, "I don't care," she replied, "I'm just glad you're here."

After a moment of holding her son, Emily stood back and offered him a smile, then she turned to JJ, who had been watching with a quizzical look on her face.

"Uh… JJ, this is Zac," Emily explained, "Zac, this is JJ."

JJ smiled and held out a hand for Zac to shake, and when they drew their hands back, JJ reached up to remove Emily's duffel from her shoulder and handed it over to him. She watched this young man, and the attention he was paying to Emily, and she figured he was a good friend, or maybe something more. Either way, she no longer had a role in looking after Emily tonight.

"Well, I can see that you're taken care of," JJ remarked, giving Emily a strange look, "So I'll leave you to it."

JJ reached over to squeeze Emily in a hug, "I'll see you Monday."

Emily stood back with a furrowed brow and nodded, "See you Monday," she replied, turning to Zac and following him to the car.

Emily climbed into the passenger seat and looked out the window at JJ, standing and watching them, and wondered why JJ hadn't immediately broken out an interrogation lamp. As JJ held up a hand to wave, Emily rolled her eyes and waved back.

As Zac threw the car into drive, Emily looked out the side mirror and watched JJ disappear behind them, wondering how long it would take before she pepper her with questions. She was broken from her thoughts when she felt Zac take her hand and squeeze it gently.

"I'm really glad you're ok."

JJ stepped out of the elevator and into the hallway outside the BAU, glancing through the doors and finding Morgan sitting on his old desk and chatting to Reid. She pushed her way through the glass doors and made her way over to them.

"What are you doing back here?" Reid asked, "Where's Emily?"

JJ shook her head, "I… uh… I forgot something in my office that I'll need for the weekend," she replied, "But… I don't really know… we were walking to the parking lot and there was a guy waiting there for Emily."

"A guy?" Morgan asked, raising his eyebrows, "Peter?"

JJ rolled her eyes, "I spent a lot of time with Peter… it definitely wasn't him…" she paused and shook her head, "He looked so familiar, but I couldn't place it."

"Did Emily tell you his name?" Reid asked.

JJ nodded, "Zac… she introduced us, but I didn't think it was the right time to ask her who he was."

"Zac?" Reid asked, "Emily was talking to him on the phone this morning… she was taking a break outside of the station and I went out to see if she was ok… she was on the phone and she called the person Zac."

"Brother?" Morgan asked.

JJ shrugged, "Maybe… but don't you think we would've known if she had a brother?"

Morgan bit his lip, "Maybe not… she is pretty private…" he paused and huffed, "Boyfriend?" Morgan asked, and JJ shook her head.

"She would've told me," JJ replied, "Besides, this guy was younger than Reid… and we all know her type is older, wiser… taller."

Morgan chuckled and nodded, having heard enough of Garcia's rants about how much better the world would be if Hotch and Emily would just get the message, "That's definitely her type… older, wiser, crankier…"

"What am I missing?" Reid asked, glancing between JJ and Morgan.

JJ and Morgan exchanged a look, and JJ shook her head, walking over to Reid and ruffling his hair.

"Never change, Spence."

Emily made her way through the front door of her apartment, turning to watch Zac as he followed her inside. He dropped her ready bag next to the washing machine and then tipped his head down the hall. Emily rolled her eyes and started down the hall, feeling a little more worse for wear now that she was home.

"You go and have your shower," Zac said softly, squeezing Emily's shoulder, "I'll be up with some grilled cheese and your pain killers."

"I'm actually not that hungry," Emily replied, turning at the bottom of the stairs.

Zac shook his head, "You have to eat something, Mom," he replied, "You can't take your pills on an empty stomach, and you need to take your pills… now do you need help getting upstairs?"

Emily smiled softly and moved back towards Zac, pulling him into a hug and squeezing as tight as she could. She appreciated that he had dropped everything in LA to come out and take care of her, so she made a resolution with herself not to antagonise him in his efforts to care.

"Fine," she whispered into his shoulder, "Grilled cheese sounds perfect…" she stood back and offered him a smile while she ran her fingers through his long hair, "And while you're in town, you're getting a haircut."

Zac chuckled and shook his head, "Fine… if that's what it takes, I will get a haircut in exchange for you letting me boss you around this weekend."

Emily held out her hand, "Deal!"

After they shook, Zac turned her around and pushed her gently towards the stairs, and she made her way up to the second floor. She ambled down the hall and into her bedroom, closing the door and kicking off her boots. Her jeans and shirt went straight into the hamper, her cell and badge on top of the dresser. She walked into the bathroom to start the shower but stopped when she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. Bruises on her chest from the seatbelt were beginning to darken, as were the bruises on her ribs. The cut on her forehead was covered by the white bandage, but the bruising around her eyes was growing darker.

Emily sighed and felt the tears start to bubble up. She shook her head, not ready to break down just yet.

It had been a horrible few days, and Emily was exhausted. She knew she needed a good night's sleep, but she was terrified of closing her eyes. The nap at her desk had been free of nightmares, but she'd barely managed five minutes before JJ had woken her up, so the nightmares hadn't had a chance to start. But a proper night sleep in a real bed would probably allow for some pretty vivid horrors.

Emily shook her head and turned to the shower, starting the water to let it heat up. She stripped off her underwear and bra and tossed them into the bedroom, before she stepped into the shower.

The hot water felt amazing against her skin. It warmed the parts of her body that had been aching since the truck slammed into her. It soothed her skin and relaxed her muscles, and she felt her body calm for the first time in days.

She made quick work of washing her hair and the rest of her body, knowing that she wouldn't have long before her body finally gave in and she crashed. As she stepped out of the shower, Emily reached for a towel and as she wrapped it around her body, she heard her cell ringing. She made her way into the room, tucking the towel against her chest, and picked up her cell.

"Hey Hotch," Emily said brightly, feeling slightly rejuvenated from her shower. She stooped down to scoop up the underwear she'd tossed into the bedroom earlier and threw it in the hamper.

Hotch sighed, "Hi… how are you feeling?"

"I'm ok… just got out of the shower, which helped a lot," Emily replied, walking back into the bathroom and grabbing her lotion. She walked back into the bedroom and grabbed a fresh pair of PJ's out of the dresser and tossed them onto the bed.

"Good," Hotch replied, trying to switch off the parts of his brain trying to paint a picture of Emily in the shower. He cleared his throat, "Do you have everything you need? I could pick up some groceries for you tomorrow and bring them by?"

"I'm fine, Aaron," Emily replied, sitting on the bed and squeezing some of the lotion onto her legs, "I'm hoping a good night sleep will help."

Hotch huffed, knowing that Emily was just being her stubborn self, "Ok… well you know I'm here… if you need anything."

Emily nodded, running the lotion over her arms and shoulders, "I know, and I appreciate it… really… I just need some sleep," she replied, "But maybe, if we're all up for it, I can meet you and Jack at the park on Sunday?"

Hotch smiled, "I… he'd like that," he replied, "Let me know Sunday morning if you're up for it… or if you're up for visitors."

Emily looked up at a knock at the door, and held her hand over the receiver of her cell.

"You ok in there?" Zac called out.

"I'm fine… just a second," she replied, bringing the phone back up to her ear, "I need to get some sleep…"

Emily's voice trailed off and Hotch nodded.

"Ok, well get some sleep, Em," he replied, "Talk to you soon."

"Goodnight Aaron."

Emily smiled and clicked the button to end the call, thinking about Hotch and how grateful she was to have him in her life.

She picked up her PJ's from the end of the bed, throwing them on before she went to open the door, where she found Zac waiting, holding a cold beer and a plate of grilled cheese.

"You have to eat all of it," Zac said, handing the plate over to Emily, tipping his head back down the hall, "I have some work to do, but I'll set myself up downstairs." He leaned forward and kissed Emily on the forehead, "I'll see you in the morning."

"You are an amazing son," Emily huffed, smiling as Zac stepped back.

"Well, I take after my amazing mom," Zac remarked, smiling softly, "I'll see you in the morning."

"See you in the morning sweetheart," Emily replied, starting back towards her bed.

She switched on the television, flicking through the channels until she found the show that Hotch had introduced her to a few months back. There was something about the hammering and the painting and the landscape design of these renovation shows that calmed her mind almost instantly.

Emily took a bite of her grilled cheese then a sip of her beer, alternating them as she enjoyed the witty banter between the construction crew. She reached down to grab her cell and typed out a quick text, before she took another bite of her grilled cheese.

*I could totally live on a houseboat. – EP*

Emily reached over to pick up her beer and the vial of painkillers she'd left on her bedside table. A sip of beer helped the pills slide down her throat, and Emily followed that with another bite of sandwich.

She smiled when her phone buzzed in her lap.

*Yeah right Em. With your luck you'd sleep-walk right into the Potomac. – AH*

Emily chuckled and shook her head, surprised when a second text came through.

*If you're really good, maybe we can sort out a day-trip on the water when the weather warms up. – AH*

Emily shook her head and stacked the half-empty beer bottle and empty plate on the bedside table, and slid back against the headboard, shifting around until she was under the covers. She reached over to switch off the overhead lights and turned down the volume on the TV, letting it lull her off to sleep.

And while she slept, she dreamt of adventures on the river with a little boy named Jack, a big boy named Zac, and a man named Aaron.