Chapter 35: Our Darkest Hour/The Longest Night
Emily led the way down the stairs of the jet, JJ and Garcia following close behind. They made their way across the tarmac and through the gate that separated the passengers from the small building, and into the airport. When they found a spot to stop, Emily reached into her carry-on, taking out her set of keys.
"Do you guys want to wait here, and I'll go get the car from the long-term garage?" Emily asked, "Or you can come with me… it's not that far."
"We'll come with you," JJ replied, following Emily through the other set of doors and out into the sunshine, "Do we need to stop for food and supplies on the way to the house?"
Emily nodded, "Yeah, but it can wait until we get up to Oak Bluffs," she explained, "There are some great little stores right near the house."
Garcia clapped her hands together excitedly, "I'm so glad we're doing this… we have been needing a girl's weekend for as long as I can remember."
"I'm just glad that Henry's finally old enough that I can leave him for a few days!" JJ exclaimed, a little more excitable than she expected to be. It had been a stressful couple of weeks, after Alaska came Idaho, and in the middle of it all, Henry kept getting fevers. JJ was certain it was just the usual growing boy kind of thing, but it didn't stop her worrying. However, the fates had aligned and the women of the BAU were finally getting away for a weekend of wine, cheese, and gossip.
"Well, it helps that Hotch took us off the roster and gave us all an extra long weekend," Emily added, "God knows when we'll get this chance again."
They reached the long-term parking garage, and Emily checked the note she'd made with the lot number where her parent's kept their Vineyard car. It was an old, '72 Ford pick-up, that her dad had kept running for as long as Emily could remember. Emily loved that car – she'd learned to drive in that car, taught Zac how to drive in that car – a lot of memories were made in it.
As they approached the lot, Garcia squealed again and Emily exchanged a look with JJ.
"It's just… perfect," Garcia sighed.
Emily chuckled and threw her bag into the bed of the truck, before taking Garcia's small suitcase and tossing it in as well. JJ hefted her bag in while Emily unlocked the door and climbed into the driver's seat. She slid over to unlock the passenger door and started the truck while the other's climbed in.
Garcia tapped the dash and grinned, "Now onto the search for wine and cheese."
Emily pulled the truck into the drive and climbed out of the driver's seat. She pulled down the side of the truck's tray and starting pick up bags. JJ and Garcia joined her, and within minutes they had moved everything onto the front porch of the house. Emily unlocked the front door and gestured for the others to go in first, Emily following close behind.
"Oh…my…god… Emily!" Garcia squealed, opening up the curtains and doors in the large living room, overlooking the water.
"Wow, Emily," JJ remarked, taking in the view of the Sound, "Do you think we'll see whales from here?"
Emily shook her head as she lifted the bags of groceries onto the counter, "Not at this time of year," she replied, "But it's starting to warm up a bit, so we can probably go out on the water if you guys feel like it?"
Garcia turned back towards the kitchen and hugged Emily from behind, while she unpacked the multitudes of cheeses they'd bought at the local store, "Bless you, Emily Prentiss, for sharing this with us."
Emily chuckled and shook her head, "Don't you just wish we could give it all up and move in here?"
"Don't joke," JJ replied, "I'd be tempted to drag Henry and Will up here and bury our heads in the sand."
Emily shook her head and smiled, watching her friend's start to relax at the sounds of ocean and the breeze running through the open doors, "Ok… so I say we unpack the groceries, settle into our rooms, and then we can go for a walk into town and grab some lunch."
"That sounds perfect," Garcia replied, looking at Emily first, "And as thanks for giving us such a blissful location for a ladies' weekend," she turned to JJ and took her hand, "And for letting us convince you to leave the boys behind, I am shouting you both to lunch."
Emily rolled her eyes, "Unnecessary, but... sure… so I'll show you to the guest rooms… they both have deliciously deep bathtubs that will make your dreams come true," she explained taking the lead and heading down the hall towards the guest wing of the house. She didn't feel comfortable having anyone stay in her parent's room, and they definitely wouldn't want to stay in Zac's room. But thankfully, all of the family's rooms were in a separate part of the house.
Grabbing their suitcases from the pile by the front door, Garcia and JJ followed Emily down the hall off the kitchen. The hallway housed four bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, and Emily pointed out the pros and cons of each. As they heard the lists Emily was making for them, Garcia settled on the ocean view room with the separate shower and tub, and JJ settled for the ocean view room with the balcony. Emily left them each to unpack their things and settle in, and she headed over to the other side of the house.
Emily's paternal grandparents had owned this house and had left it to her father, so it had been a part of Emily's life as long as she could remember. Her own bedroom in the house had evolved with her over time, and was now decorated simply. She loved the light, coastal feel of the room and always felt instantly relaxed when she walked into it.
As she opened her duffel bag and opened the closet, she realised that she had left quite the wardrobe at the house last time she was there. A few dresses, some comfortable lounge-wear, and a pair of fuzzy slippers.
Emily kicked off her boots and slipped on the warm footwear, smiling at the comfort.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket and Emily pulled it out to check the caller ID. She bit her lip and furrowed her brow when she answered.
"Please tell me we don't have to come back already," she sighed into the receiver.
Hotch huffed and shook his head, "No… just checking to make sure you made it there safe."
Emily nodded and opened her duffel, taking out the jeans and tops she had packed, "Sure did," she replied, "We're just getting settled and then we're heading into town for lunch…" she paused, "… One of these days I'd love for you and Jack to come up here for a visit."
"Is there enough room?" Hotch asked, flicking on the coffee maker.
"Aaron, there are seven bedrooms… I think we could find room for you guys."
Hotch chuckled and nodded, "Alright… well we'll try and find time to make that happen," he replied, "So what do you have planned?"
"Oh you know… the usual coven activities… wine, cheese, ritual virgin sacrifice," Emily replied, resulting in a laugh from Hotch, "What about you boys? Please tell me you're going to leave the apartment at some point this weekend?"
Hotch nodded, "Yep… we're going to Dave's house for a barbecue."
Emily's jaw dropped and she shook her head, "Did he plan that because we're out of town?"
"I believe the plans came after you three decided on your trip away," Hotch replied, "He's invited Morgan, Reid, Will and Henry, and Jack and me."
"A little time for the men, hey?" Emily prodded, hearing footsteps coming down the hall.
"Nothing as exciting as a coven, but I'm sure we'll figure it out," Hotch replied.
"I'm sure you guys could get up to some mischief," Emily said, poking her head out of her bedroom and waving to JJ, "Down here, Jayje… I'll meet you in the kitchen…" Emily paused and sighed, "I'd better go before they get lost."
Hotch huffed and nodded, "Ok, well have fun and don't do anything I wouldn't do… you're still all FBI agents."
"So that's a no to the ritual virgin sacrifice then?" she asked, smiling when Hotch laughed. She could almost picture his dimples and it made her heart warm.
"Goodbye Emily," Hotch said dryly.
"Goodbye Aaron," she replied, "Have a great weekend… we'll see you on Wednesday."
Emily paused, waiting for Hotch to end the call. She heard him sigh and wondered if he had something else to add, but just as she opened her mouth to ask the question, there was a click.
She brought the phone down and stared at it, playing through the scenarios of what he might have said. Emily shook her head and shoved the cell into her pocket. She threw her empty duffel into the bottom of the closet and closed the doors, then headed out to find the others.
They were finally in the Vineyard and it was time to crack open a bottle of wine and relax with her friends. Fantasies about handsome Unit Chiefs could wait.
"Never have I ever… been accused of public intoxication," Garcia shouted excitedly from her spot on the couch.
Even in May, the weather in Massachusetts was cool enough for a fire, and they were enjoying the warmth of the flames, as well as the Cabernet that was now coursing through their veins. They had spent the afternoon in town, exploring the sights and eating a delicious meal of scallops, lobster and swordfish. After a delightful afternoon nap back at the house, they went for a walk on the beach and returned to enjoy dinner. And now... like any decent ladies' weekend... they were drinking games.
Emily took a sip of her wine, ignoring the shocked laughter coming from her friends.
"It was a long story… that I will never tell," she said sternly, while shaking her head.
"Oh come on!" Garcia replied, "You're an FBI agent! That story has to be juicy."
Emily mimed zipping her lips and chuckled, as she stood from the couch to fetch another bottle of wine, "Ok… what's next?"
Garcia took a sip of wine, but looked up when she heard the persistent buzzing from the small box in the middle of the coffee table.
She had insisted, after their last case, that they would have a weekend as free from technology as possible. JJ had given Will the number for the house, in case he needed to reach her. And they had sent Hotch the number as well, in case he needed them for work. But their cells had been turned onto silent and packed away in a small box that Garcia had found, so that they would be free from the temptation of checking their facebook accounts for at least the weekend.
Garcia spied the box curiously, wondering whose phone was blowing up with text messages. As another message came through, her curiosity got the best of her and, checking that Emily and JJ were preoccupied with choosing their next beverage, she opened the box and found the offending gadget. Her jaw dropped when she saw the text from the message that had just come through on Emily's phone, and as she heard JJ and Emily making their way back in with the next bottle of red, Garcia held up a finger.
"Never have I ever exchanged flirty text messages with my boss."
JJ furrowed her brow in confusion and Emily dropped to the couch, looking over at her cell being held up in Garcia's hand. Emily launched for it and grabbed the phone out of her friend's hand, tossing it back into the small box and closing the lid.
"There's nothing flirty in there," she replied dryly, "And you shouldn't be going through other people's phones."
Garcia rolled her eyes, "Uh uh… your cell was vibrating so much I thought that little box would roll right off the table," she huffed, "And I was just making sure we weren't getting called back to DC."
JJ glanced curiously between her friends, stopping on Garcia as Emily held out the bottle of wine, "So what did it say?" she asked, Emily rolling her eyes as she filled up JJ's glass.
"Something about Rossi's whiskey not being as good as Emily's," Garcia replied, "And another one came through when I was barely done reading that one, asking Emily if he'd left Jack's frisbee at her house."
JJ bit her lip and looked up at Emily, "How much time are you two spending together for his son to leave his frisbee at your apartment?"
Emily shrugged, "We're neighbours… it's not unheard of. Besides," she replied, "It's no secret that Hotch and I are friends."
"Just friends?" Garcia asked with a sly look.
Emily rolled her eyes, "Just friends," she replied, "Now can we change the subject please?"
JJ reached over the table to squeeze Emily's hand, "We're only asking because we care," she explained, "We've known that you and Hotch have been hanging out, but for him to have you in Jack's life too… that says something."
"No, it doesn't," Emily replied, "Hotch is a single dad now, he needs people around him who can help out, so I sometimes look after Jack when Hotch has to run errands or go to functions," she explained, "And we're close, yes… but it's not what you think."
JJ studied Emily's face, noticing the faint blush and the Emily's efforts at avoiding eye contact with the others. She looked down and noticed that Emily was picking at her nails, stopping only to lift her glass to her lips, recommencing the habit once her glass was sitting on the coffee table. JJ decided not to push her friend. If Emily was pushed too hard, she tended towards shutting down completely, and it was too soon in the weekend to create any unnecessary tension.
"Ok… so moving on…" Garcia said brightly, picking up on JJ's decision, "Kevin's brother has been trying to convince him to move into the private sector and he wants to take me with him."
Emily smiled, relieved that her friends had picked up on her subtle hints to change the subject. She didn't know what she and Hotch were, so talking about with other people, even her two closest girlfriends, felt like a betrayal. So in an effort to get their weekend back on track, Emily scoffed and shook her head, pointing at Garcia, "Tell him he's got a snowballs chance in hell."
Emily sighed as she climbed out of the shower and took a fresh towel from the pile in the small cabinet in the corner. She sniffed the fabric and smiled, the scent from the same detergent her parent's staff had been using for years. Lavender and chamomile. It reminded her of summers on the water, sailing boats with her dad and Zac through the sound. It reminded her of taking long afternoon naps, a tiny boy cuddled into her side.
Emily draped her towel over the railing in the bathroom and she walked back into the bedroom, grabbing her nightgown from the closet and pulling it over her head. She shivered at the slight chill in the air and removed her robe from the closet too, throwing that on over her nightgown. Once she was adequately dressed, Emily made her way through the double French doors that led out to the large deck, enjoying the cool night air against her skin.
She heard her the house phone ring and started into the room again, walking quickly down the hall to answer it before it disturbed the others. As she rounded the corner, she realised she was too late.
"Someone named Zac… for you," Garcia said, holding out the handset.
Emily smiled softly, "Thanks Penelope," she replied, "I'll take it… you get some sleep." She took the phone from Garcia's outstretched hand and leant forward to kiss her on the cheek.
Garcia nodded, "Goodnight Emily."
Emily turned away to walk back down the hall, oblivious to Garcia's curious eyes following her. She closed her bedroom door before she held the phone up to her ear.
"Hey sweetheart," Emily said softly, grabbing a blanket from the small basket by the window, before she made her way back out onto the deck. She took a seat on one of the sun lounges that faced the ocean.
"Hey Mom," he replied, "Sorry to bug you on your weekend away."
"That's ok… you're never bugging me," Emily replied, "What's going on?"
"I left a book there last time I was at the house... Principles of Virology," Zac explained, "Do you think you could find it and bring it back to DC? I'll pick it up next time I'm in town."
"Sure… let me have a look," Emily replied, standing once more from her spot on the deck and heading inside, "Do you know where you left it?"
"It should be in my room," Zac explained, "But it might be in the den."
Emily nodded, pushing open the door to Zac's bedroom and scanning the room quickly and not finding the book he was talking about, "It's not in your room, but I'll check the den tomorrow," she replied as she closed the door behind her and headed back through her room and onto the deck, "Now tell me what's going on with you?"
Emily rolled over in bed, smiling at the sun breaking through the large bay windows. She sighed, watching the sheer curtains dance in the breeze and smelling the salty sea air. She loved waking up to the sight of the Sound outside her window. Even though there was a chill in the air, she loved to sleep with the doors open, letting the cold in and snuggling up under the blankets.
She curled up with a spare pillow in her arms and sighed again, pushing her hair away from her face as she thought about the direction the conversation had gone last night.
Emily had known that JJ and Garcia had been concerned about her friendship with Hotch, and she was glad that they had given up the interrogation, but Emily was under no illusions that this would be the end of it. They still had two more nights on the island, and Emily was sure that would mean plenty more chances for the questions she knew they were compiling.
Her grace period was about to be over.
Emily sighed, rolling onto her back and resting a hand on her stomach. She had no idea what to tell them. Yes: she cared about Hotch. Yes: she loved him. Yes: her feelings for him were more than friendship. But she also knew that nothing was going to happen between them... at least not for a really long time.
He had lost so much when he lost Haley. She was the mother of his child, she was his first love… but she was also the reason that Hotch found it so difficult to trust. He was terrified of being hurt again, of being left again. He was terrified of losing love again.
And Emily knew, until Hotch had worked through those fears, nothing could happen.
She also knew that she had her own issues with trust that were no easy feat to overcome. Peter was just the tip of the iceberg. Emily knew that her own deep-rooted struggles with relationships started with John and had only grown from there. Over the years, her relationships had only compounded her sense of distrust. And then those years spent working with Interpol, and the damage that had been done by some very blurred lines.
Zac had been a delightful distraction… one person who would always be there for her, who she could focus all of her energy on loving. And it had worked for so long… until it didn't. He couldn't stay little forever, and when he reached the age where he was old enough to take care of himself, Emily could no longer hide behind her role as mother. Zac would always need her, but she needed to find a new solace outside of her work, and in order to do that, Emily needed to work through the layers of scar tissue from her past.
Emily knew the issues she had to work through, but it wasn't as simple as booking in to see a therapist and spending an hour or two every week on a couch. There were security issues associated with her seeking help, and she wasn't really sure where to start.
But she also knew that, if two people as damaged as Emily and Hotch could have any chance, they would need to start somewhere. And even if Hotch wasn't able to meet Emily halfway, or if he didn't have the same depth of feelings for her as she had for him and wasn't interested in anything more than friendship, Emily still needed to do the work, even just for herself. For a chance at having a somewhat normal life, as much as her past and present would allow.
With Sean in town, maybe Emily could ask him about options for getting some help. He might know of someone Emily could work with, who had the appropriate security clearance to hear all of her secrets and help her process them. Pushing back the covers, Emily made a mental note to reach out to Sean, as she rolled out of bed and grabbed her robe from where she'd left it on the armchair in the corner. She pushed through her bedroom door and headed down the hallway and into the kitchen, starting on breakfast.
As she pressed the start button on the coffee machine, Emily heard footsteps and turned to find JJ and Garcia walking through from the hall of the guest wing, and she smiled. JJ was clutching her robe around her waist and Garcia was rubbing her eyes. As they neared the kitchen, Emily called out.
"Morning friends," she said brightly, feeling worlds better after a great night sleep and some very important early-morning decision-making.
JJ groaned and leant against the kitchen counter, and Garcia chuckled, running her hand over JJ's back.
"Seems like Mama J needs to work on her alcohol tolerance," Garcia joked, resulting in a dirty look from JJ.
"Coffee?" Emily asked, holding out a cup first for JJ, then filling one for Garcia.
"Emily, will you marry me?" JJ joked, taking a sip of the black liquid and smiling at the laughter coming from the other women. She ran her hand over her stomach as it grumbled, "I think I'm hungry... What do we have for breakfast?"
Garcia wandered over to the fridge and opened it, turning back to look at the others, "Fakon and eggs?"
Emily led the way up the skybridge, JJ and Garcia following close behind. They made their way through the terminal and into the main part of the airport, winding through the crowds of travellers and, eventually, finding their way outside. They found a spot in the shade at the passenger collection point and JJ took her cell out to call Will.
"Hey," JJ said brightly, "Are you here?"
Emily turned to Garcia and smiled, "I love a weekend away, but the commuting home always seems to take away some of the joy."
Garcia rolled her eyes and nodded in agreement, reaching out to squeeze Emily's hand, "But it was still a great weekend away."
Emily smiled and nodded, "Did you have fun?" she asked, reaching over to pull Garcia into her side.
"Oh my god," Garcia replied, "So much fun..." she paused and studied Emily's face, "How about you? I didn't piss you off with my nosiness did I?"
Emily huffed and shook her head, squeezing Garcia's shoulder before letting go, "Not at all," she replied. And it was the truth. Even though there had been some initial irritation at Garcia's attempted interrogation on their first night at the house, the decision that Emily had come to on Sunday morning had taken a load off her shoulders. She had a plan, and plans helped her feel like she had a semblance of control. Simple steps, complex actions, big rewards.
Emily roused herself from her thoughts when she saw JJ approaching them, "Will on his way?" she asked.
JJ nodded, "He's just coming in now," she replied, turning back to watch the traffic and holding up a hand to wave when she saw Will's car.
They grabbed their bags and carried them over, meeting Will at the back of the truck and letting him heft their gear into the bed. JJ climbed into the back seat, scooting over to place excited kisses against Henry's cheek. He giggled, causing Emily to smile widely as she climbed in next to JJ, Garcia taking the front seat next to Will.
"How was your weekend, ladies?" Will asked as he turned the car into the traffic.
"Oh my god, Will," Garcia exclaimed, "You should see Emily's house… it's so beautiful."
Emily rolled her eyes, "It's my family's house, Penelope," she replied, "But yeah… maybe we can have everyone out there at some point."
"How busy does it get during holidays?" Will asked as he turned onto the Parkway, "Maybe we could do something around the fourth?"
Emily pursed her lips and nodded, "It does get pretty busy, but I think we could make it work."
"Alright, well you talk to Hotch and I'll talk to Morgan and Rossi," Garcia replied, "JJ, you can talk to Reid, right?"
JJ nodded and smiled, "Sure," she replied, turning to Henry with a grin, "You want to go to the beach for a holiday?"
"Yeah!" Henry squealed excitedly, holding up his two hands, resulting in laughter from the grown-ups in the car.
"Yeah!" Emily mimicked, resulting in giggles from the tiniest passenger. Henry's face lit up and for the first time in a long time, Emily let herself think seriously about what the future could look like. Maybe another tiny human to love, whose big brothers would spoil them rotten and whose daddy had dimples of his own. A blended family like no other.
Emily sighed and sat back in her seat, looking out the window as the city came into view, and she realised that the plan she had hatched over the weekend had given her a new hope. She could think about a future and not feel a sense of dread in the pit of her stomach. She knew it would take a lot of work... hard work... but she was willing to try, and that was the difference.
As Will turned onto the bridge, taking them across the river and into DC, JJ pat Emily's knee and offered her a small smile, "Thanks for a great weekend."
Emily smiled and reached down to squeeze JJ's hand, "Anytime, Jayje."
Will was just turning the car off the freeway, heading towards Emily's neighbourhood, when JJ's phone began to buzz. She reached into her pocket and checked the caller ID, groaning before she clicked the button.
"Chief Strauss?" JJ said brightly.
Emily and Garcia exchanged a worried look, both turning back to look at JJ. She was avoiding eye contact with them while she talked, focusing on Henry in his car seat.
"Yes Ma'am," JJ replied, "I'll call the rest of the team."
JJ furrowed her brow and nodded, ignoring the look Will was giving from the front seat.
"Understood," JJ replied, "I'm on my way."
JJ heard the click in her ear and huffed. Strauss had no need for pleasantries, so she shouldn't be surprised. She looked up and locked eyes with the others, offering a sad smile.
"You guys go home, re-stock your ready bags, and get to the office as soon as you can," she explained, "I'll fill you in when I know more."
"Where are you heading?" Will asked, turning onto Emily's street and pulling up at the curb outside her building.
"LA."
Emily sighed worriedly, glancing down at her cell again and biting her lip. Still no reception.
She looked up at Hotch, who was studying the traffic in front of him and wondering if there was a chance to get off the freeway, his face etched with worry. Without him needing to tell her, she knew he was most concerned about Morgan, that he would take chances on this case like he had so many times before. She also knew he was worried about the lengths they would have to go to, to catch this unsub.
Emily picked at her nails, looking away from Hotch and out to the sea of red brake lights in front of them. She needed to keep it together, to be the voice of reason when Hotch's stress started to boil over. As the traffic rolled slowly, Emily looked over to Hotch and reached over to squeeze his hand.
"He'll be ok."
Hotch furrowed his brow, feeling some of the tension leave his body at Emily's touch. She always seemed to know what was on his mind, and it both helped him and terrified him at the same time. He squeezed back as he brought his foot off the brakes, letting the SUV roll forward with the traffic.
"He's grown so much."
Hotch nodded and let out a sigh as Emily ran her thumb over the back of his hand. It was a little scary, just how well she could figure out what he needed. Reassurance, that Morgan's decision-making had grown to be more calculated than it was before. That Morgan had grown to trust the team more than he had before. That he wouldn't make foolish decisions like he had before.
Hotch looked over to Emily and offered a sad smile, "You always seem to know," he said softly, turning Emily's hand over and lacing their fingers together. It was a comfort to both of them, and he knew that she was just as worried about Morgan as he was. And for a few moments, in a car, stuck in traffic that was moving very little, Hotch could indulge in some comfort with his friend.
Emily shrugged, "Spend enough time with someone and you're bound to pick up on a few things." She knew he would let go soon, public perceptions and all, but she needed to do something, and her choices were limited. Any moment now, they'd be cutting out of the traffic and continuing on to Spicer's sister's apartment. So before they dived back into the thick of this horrible hunt, Emily wanted to take some time with Aaron, and give Agent Hotchner a break.
Hotch huffed and nodded, giving Emily's hand one last squeeze before he let go. As much as he appreciated her support, he felt strange about holding hands with Emily while they were on-duty, and especially when they were on their way to a suspected crime scene. If they'd been at home, he would've been seeking her out for a hug, and if they were around the rest of the team or at the crime scene itself, he'd be keeping a safe distance. So for a moment, he let the uncharacteristic hand-holding continue, to give them both the space they needed to get their shields up again. But now... the traffic started up again and Hotch took his foot off the brakes... now it was time to get back to work.
Holding the steering wheel with both hands, in part due to frustration, but also to stop him for reaching for her hand again, Hotch looked over as Emily checked her cell again. Her groan suggested they were still having no luck on that end.
Hotch sighed in relief as the traffic started to speed up enough that he could jump across one lane, and they ambled towards the next exit.
Sending up a psychic message to Morgan, Emily let out the breath she'd been holding.
They were on their way.
Emily made her way through the doors of the den, finding Morgan pacing back and forth between the two walls that were lined with books. He looked like a tiger in a cage, and Emily wasn't sure how to calm him.
She held out a glass of water, which Morgan accepted, then held out her other hand, containing two pills.
"It's just Tylenol," Emily said softly, gesturing for Morgan to take the pills. She pointed to his forehead and frowned, "That can't be helping right now, and we need you at the top of your game."
Morgan huffed and held his hand out, Emily dropping the pills, and as he put them in his mouth and took a swig of water, he furrowed his brow.
"You're not gonna tell me to go to the hospital?" he asked, eyeing Emily over the top of the glass as he took another sip.
Emily pursed her lips and shook her head, "You're a big boy... you'll know when it's time to go."
Although Emily thought it was already time for Morgan to get some medical attention... like some stitches for that disgusting gash in his head... she knew better than to push. With Hotch, she had a little more say. With Morgan, she couldn't really employ the same tactics, so she had to be a little more subtle in her efforts. Thus the Tylenol: acknowledge that he's probably in pain, offer some mild relief, and when he's ready, he'll come to you.
"Thanks," he replied, his voice husky.
"We'll get her back," Emily said softly, reaching out to take Morgan's hand in hers, "Ellie will be ok, and we'll catch Flynn."
Morgan raised his eyebrows and shook his head, pulling Emily towards him and holding her tight, "I know all of that…" he paused and rested his cheek on the top of Emily's hair, "I'm just worried about what state Ellie will be in when we find her."
Running her hand gently over Morgan's back, Emily sighed. There was nothing they could do about that right now. The only way they could do this work was to break it down into smaller pieces and tackle them one step at a time. And right now, step one was finding Flynn.
"Garcia is onto it," Emily said softly against Morgan's shoulder, "We find Flynn, we rescue Ellie, and then we can worry about the rest."
Morgan huffed and nodded, his stubble catching on Emily's hair as he squeezed her side. Emily was always good at laying down a plan in simple, easy-to-follow terms. And that one was as simple as it came. Once they figured out where Flynn was, they could get Ellie back safely. Morgan hadn't yet decided what he would do to Flynn, but the options were pretty clear... he'd either be taken out in a body bag, or handcuffs.
"Speaking of which, I need to apologise to her," Morgan whispered against Emily's hair, "I was so rude to her before."
"Garcia will understand," Emily replied, standing back and looking Morgan in the eye, "She's your Baby Girl, and you're her Chocolate Thunder… she will always forgive you."
Morgan nodded and squeezed Emily's arm, "We need to get back to work… you go check on Hotch, I'll follow up with Reid and Rossi."
Emily pulled away from Morgan with a nod and a soft smile, but turned back when she heard him clear his throat.
"Thanks Em," Morgan said softly, returning her smile with a nod. He stood and watched as she left the room, disappearing through the back door of the house. He loved his Baby Girl more than anyone in the world... except his Mama... but no one could calm him like Emily. She had a way of making the people around her feel comforted, while at the same time being willing to take heads if someone hurt the ones she loved. She was his twin, his sidekick (or he was hers, depending on the situation)... his partner. He shook his head as he turned to lean against the desk behind him, thinking he'd have a long list of people to thank when all this was over.
Emily walked out of the back door of the house and found Hotch pacing back and forth along the fence-line of the latest victim's yard. There were a couple of crime techs in the backyard, searching for evidence, but they were busy in their work, so she hoped she'd have some privacy while she talked to Hotch.
As she walked over to join him, she overheard the tail-end of his conversation with JJ and frowned as he looked up and caught her eye.
"I'll call you right back," Hotch said into his phone, hanging up quickly and walking over to meet Emily.
"Is she ready?" Emily asked, studying Hotch's face and furrowing her brow. She usually had no trouble reading him, but she'd just been in with Morgan and needed to recalibrate for a second. She studied his face, noting a deeper-than-usual line in his brow, the bags under his eyes, and the way he twitched his fingers at his side. All signs pointing to stressed.
"I don't know," he replied as he stopped in front of Emily, "I trust JJ, you know that…" he paused, "… But this might be putting too much pressure on her."
Emily pursed her lips and shook her head, "JJ's amazing at what she does, Hotch," she replied, "She managed to fight her way through all that bureaucratic red tape to get access… she can do this."
Hotch nodded and gestured towards the house, "How's Garcia going?" he asked, fighting the urge to reach out and touch Emily. He was feeling nervous about this situation, getting Ellie back safely and catching Flynn before he could do any more damage. But unlike their moment in the car, stuck in traffic, they were currently standing on an active crime scene, with a very real timer going off as they worked to catch Flynn.
"She should be calling us back any minute," Emily replied, glancing down at Hotch's hand, his fingers moving nervously at his side. She wanted more than anything to reach out to his twitching hand and hold it in her own, but didn't think that Hotch would appreciate it. There was an unspoken something between them, they both knew it, and while Emily might feel no boundaries when it came to her affection for the others, that unspoken something stopped her from doing the same for Hotch. She sighed in frustration and looked him in the eye, "What do you need, Hotch?"
Hotch huffed and shook his head, dropping his chin and staring at his feet. When he looked back up at Emily, her eyes were filled with worry, "I need this to work out without anyone else dying."
Emily bit her lip and tipped her head to the side, "Is that something you can control?"
Hotch shook his head and frowned.
Emily nodded and shrugged, "What can you control?"
Hotch sighed and dropped his head again, "I can control the team… we can do our jobs, and we can catch Flynn… and we can find Ellie… and we can fly home."
Emily nodded, and opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when she heard his voice.
"Emily! Hotch!"
They both looked up and saw Rossi's head poking out the back door of the house, "Garcia's calling back any minute."
Emily tipped her head and smiled softly at Hotch before she followed him back into the house.
"Catch Flynn, rescue Ellie, fly home."
A/N: Thanks to rmpcmfan for your reviews! I wanted to do what the writer's didn't and introduce Sean and Clyde well before they were introduced on the show. It would be hard for them to squeeze any more of the team's personal lives into 40 minutes, but I have no such limitations. As for Sergio, I figured Emily mentions getting a cat when she's out with the girls, and there's that scene from the pilot episode where Hotch and Haley are talking baby names. Trying to stay as true to canon for as long as possible!
Keep up the reviews guys. I love hearing from y'all.