AN: Here is the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination.
Hotch was walking back towards the bullpen after another meeting. It had been a week since he and Emily had talked at his house. The long and emotional conversation that ended with them agreeing that at least for now, neither of them was in the right place for a relationship even without considering the professional challenges it would pose.
After he had taken her back to the parking lot, Hotch watched as Emily drove away before going up to the BAU. Once he was in his office, he worked on the backlog of paperwork that had brought him back earlier that night.
Since then he and Emily had settled back into their roles on the team without drawing attention to any changes between the two of them. The week had been filled with the usual combination of consults and paperwork along with Emily and Derek returning to the Academy a day earlier to work with the recruits again.
Just as he was turning the corner to head into the bullpen, he narrowly missed being run into by JJ.
Her eyes widened when she saw him before handing him a file as she rapidly explained, "this just came in. A missing 6yo at a Virginia mall. The mall is on lockdown and rapid deployment in just getting on scene now. They have requested BAU help in evaluating if it connected to what happened to Jessica Davis last week."
"Yes, tell them we are on the way and go get Garcia. I'll alert the rest of the team. We'll meet back here in 3 minutes." Hotch said as he glanced at the file before closing it.
"OK" JJ answered before continuing down the hall towards Garcia's lair while holding her cell phone up to her ear.
Hotch opened the doors to the bullpen and walked in relieved that all three of his agents at their desks. He walked towards their desks however they were all standing expectantly by the time he reached them having seen his expression. An expression that meant one thing - an urgent case.
"What's up Hotch?" Morgan asked anxiously.
Hotch handed him the file as Emily and Spencer stood on either side of him to look at the information as well as Hotch explained, "Missing child. It's local. JJ is grabbing Garcia as I want her on the surveillance system at the mall. Gather what you need. We are leaving now. "
All three scrambled at their desks for a few seconds before they walked back over to Hotch. Morgan said, "Let's go" as the four of them filed out of the bullpen.
By that time, JJ and Garcia were walking up the hall towards them. As they reached the elevators, Hotch said, "I wanted Prentiss and Morgan with me. JJ, Reid and Garcia in the other SUV."
Once they got to the SUVs and were on their way to the mall in question, Hotch explained why he had requested the two of them to ride with him, "I'm going to need help from both of you on this case. We have a large area to cover and we're on a clock. Rapid Deployment is on scene already and is starting the protocol. Morgan I'm going to need you find the head of security. Find out the layout of the mall. Get updates from the search teams."
Morgan nodded from the passenger seat as he responded, "will do Hotch."
Hotch then glanced at Emily through the rearview mirror, making eye contact before continuing, "Prentiss. This is your specialty. You are familiar with Rapid Deployment and CARD protocols. When we get there find the parents. Reports are there were other family members there as well. I want to know what your gut is telling you, your first impressions"
Emily nodded as she asked, "OK. Interviews?"
Hotch responded, "we'll interview the parents separately as usual per protocol but I want to know what your first impressions are. The rest of the family will need interviews as well."
Emily nodded before answering, "OK. Can I have JJ with me? Katie is six so most likely wasn't walking around the mall by herself. We need to find out who was last with her and where."
Hotch agreed, "yes. Focusing in on a location will help Garcia target her review of the surveillance tapes. From that I hope we can get a direction she was going as well as if she was with anyone. I want both of you to stay in contact. We will regroup once we make contact and decide where the best place will be to focus our attention after that."
They sat quietly in the SUV as each of them reviewed the tasks they would need to do once they reached the mall. That quiet was broken when Morgan asked, "Hotch do we know for sure if she is still in the mall?"
Hotch sighed and shook his head before answering, "I hope we will have a better answer on that when we arrive. We will need a different approach if she was taken from the mall."
"Understood." Morgan answered as the police cars with lights flashing at the mall came into view.
As Hotch was bringing the SUV to a halt, he stated, "what happened to Jessica Davis last week has already been mentioned but I don't want this investigation to have tunnel vision. Statistics tell us she doesn't have time for us to be following the wrong path."
They both nodded at him as Reid, JJ and Garcia walked up to them, "Let's go."
####
From the first few minutes on scene something didn't seem right to Emily about this case. Her instincts were telling her to look closer. And from her years with Crimes Against Children she knew to trust her instincts.
The reaction of the cousin during his interview was unexpected yet suspicious to all of them. Given they had started with him, Emily was glad that both Reid and Morgan had now been trained on cognitive interviews. Whatever the cousin's involvement, he would be most likely to open up to one of them.
Slowly the evidence started to come in - a broken necklace of Katie's found in a trash can and a brief glimpse of her on surveillance going in the direction with no child friendly stores. A visit to the family home revealed not only a close relationship between Katie and her parents but also some blinking red lights that something was very wrong in the young girl's world. A theory confirmed with the discovery of a disfigured doll.
While frequently communicating since arriving, when Hotch approached her about interviewing the uncle, she was surprised but quickly agreed. It would be the first time that they had worked together in the field since they had come to their understanding and the stakes couldn't have been higher with a missing child and a clock ticking louder as every minute passed.
As they walked into the room, any lingering tension between them evaporated. As they began to question the uncle, they channeled their familiarity with each other into their approach for the interrogation. An approach that when it ended have given them new information about the case.
They had gotten him to admit that he had an improper relationship with his missing niece however they were also confident that he was not the one responsible for her disappearance.
With the new information, Hotch left to check in on the status of the search. After he left, an offhand comment based on information given in her earlier informal interviews pointed Emily towards their likely suspect. She hurriedly walked out of the room heading back to where the family was waiting to confront the person who she now suspected knew exactly where Katie was.
####
Hotch walked to his car which was a couple of houses down the street after leaving Jessica's house. This wasn't a day that he was scheduled to see Jack however after the case the team had just worked on he needed to see his son. Just to see that he was safe, alive and well, sleeping peacefully.
When he had knocked on the door, it was clear that Jessica hadn't been happy to see him. She gave him a clipped 'she's not here' response before starting to close the door. It was then that Hotch asked if he could see Jack.
Just watch him sleep for five minutes.
With a slightly worried look, Jessica had huffed before allowing him to enter, warning him that he had five minutes only and then she would like him to leave without argument. He agreed and quietly entered the room Jack was now sleeping in before sitting in the chair across from bed taking comfort in the even breathing of his son. The case had been particularly difficult for him as they put the details together about what had been happening to Katie.
As appalling as the realization that the uncle was pedophile who had been hurting his young niece for months was enough, that was not the most horrid discovery that was made. No the worst part was that his wife knew what he was doing and did nothing to stop him. Did nothing to protect an innocent little girl. Susan Jacobs' solution had been to get rid of Katie. And if Emily hadn't gotten the location of where Susan had put Katie when she did, she very well may have succeeded.
But as he sat in his car, he considered his own family situation. Right now he had less control over the day to day activities of his son than he had since Jack was born. And given this case, that terrified him.
It wasn't that he had any particular concerns, at least not about the Brooks family. While they weren't very pleased with him after the separation, he did not have concerns about them being positive influences in Jack's life. And while Thomas Hannon was an ass and bully to him in high school, Hotch hadn't seen any red flags about him and children.
However, it was a topic that Hotch would be closely monitoring if Hannon remained in Jack's life. He was also planning to talk to his attorney about putting a clause in the custody agreement for their divorce about background checks on people who would come in contact with Jack.
He sighed then just as he was getting ready to start the car, he saw a car pull up and park in front of Jessica's house. When the doors opened, he saw that it was Haley and Thomas Hannon. He watched as they walked up to the house together before making out on the porch before they both went inside. Once the front door closed, he drove away dejectedly.
####
Morgan was sitting at his desk mulling over the case that they had just finished. Once they were done at the scene, Hotch had taken one of the SUVs to run an errand while Morgan drove the other SUV with the rest of the team back to the BAU.
After settling at their respective desks, each of them had worked on their reports and then one by one they dropped the completed reports off in Hotch's office before leaving for the evening. Except for Morgan.
After he completed his report, he had gone back down to his desk to work on other paperwork. At that point the only other person there was Emily. After what he witnessed at the scene, he hadn't wanted to leave her there alone to finish her report.
Despite her history working with Crimes Against Children, Morgan sensed that something about this case had sparked something personal inside of her.
After she had escorted the aunt away for questioning, he had quickly followed after another agent came to wait with JJ and the parents. His intention was to observe the interview so that if Emily had been able to elicit any information or preferably a confession, then he could radio a location immediately to the search teams.
What he had not been expecting was the level of anger Emily brought to that interview as well as some of the depth she stated keeping the pressure on until Susan Jacobs blurted out where she had left Katie. As planned, Morgan took off down the hall as he radioed everyone with the location. It had been close but all of them had seen Katie awake as she was taken to the hospital.
As much as he wanted to talk to Emily about it, he really didn't know what to say or how to approach what he had suspected since he observed her interview with Susan Jacobs. Emily hadn't given any indication that she wanted to talk since they arrived back in the bullpen and in the time he had known her he knew that she wasn't going to talk about it unless she wanted.
Once Emily left for the night, Morgan stayed at his desk thinking. He did not know how long he had been sitting there when he noticed Hotch slip into the bullpen and went directly into his office.
Focusing back on the file in front of him, Morgan finished the last few sections before standing. Picking up all his completed paperwork, he made his way to Hotch's office. Knocking on the door, it appeared that he had interrupted Hotch who appeared to be deep in thought.
After Hotch waved him in, Morgan handed him the files then paused before leaving.
Noticing Morgan was still standing in his office, Hotch asked, "did you need something Morgan."
Morgan turned to look at him, sighed and then said, "can I run something by you."
####
By the time Hotch pulled into the parking lot, he had become increasingly frustrated with Haley and unfortunately there was nothing he could do about it at the moment. They were within the waiting period between the formal separation and when they could proceed with the divorce.
As a lawyer, he recognized that the waiting period was to give couples an opportunity to reconsider. However as far as he was concerned that was not going to happen in this case.
It wasn't that long ago that he had been willing to leave his position in the BAU for Haley. For their family. But not anymore. Not after she left their home, taking Jack. Not after she had been cheating on him for months. Not after she demanded he walk away from all of his professional contacts and become the type of lawyer she had known for years he didn't want to become.
No what he had with Haley was over. All he wanted now was to maintain a place in his son's life.
All of the forensic testing had come back and it confirmed what Hotch had suspected that night he came back from Milwaukee. While hairs from her brush and a toothbrush had confirmed that it was Haley's DNA on the outside of the condoms, he did wish they had a more definitive sample. However Haley wasn't likely to just give him a sample of her DNA.
For now he wanted to keep that evidence under wraps not knowing what strategies Haley was going to use when it came time for the divorce. As a lawyer, he understood that legal processes moved slowly however after seeing Haley with Thomas tonight, he just wanted it to be over.
Not ready to talk to anyone, he was relieved when he walked into the quiet bullpen. Once in his office, he noticed that he had a stack on reports waiting on his desk. He paged through them noticing that they were the team's reports from tonight's case.
Sitting back in his seat, now he just needed to finish his own report. He was pulled out of his thoughts by a knock on the door. Surprised, as he hadn't realized anyone was still here, he saw Morgan standing in the doorway of his office.
After taking a deep breath, Hotch gestured for him to enter. Morgan nods slightly walks over to the desk and handed him several files before turning taking a couple of steps before pausing.
Hotch glanced over as he noticed Morgan still standing in his office then asked, "did you need something Morgan?"
Hotch watched as Morgan turned, a look of concern on his face as he asked, "can I run something by you?"
Hotch sat back in his seat as he nodded, "sure, what's going on?"
Morgan stepped over and closed the door before walking back over and sitting down in one of the chairs opposite Hotch's desk. He then proceeded to describe to what happened at the mall with the aunt from when Emily came into the food court before escorting her away through the interview until Derek ran down the hall away from the room after Susan Jacobs revealed the location.
As Morgan spoke, Hotch anxiously listened. He hoped this description was not going to end with a break in the interview protocol. Having been the one to find Katie and start CPR on her, Hotch did not want her aunt to be able to get off on a technicality, particularly not because of a breach in protocol by a member of his team.
As Morgan took a deep breath as he finished, Hotch cautiously asked, "did she cross any lines?"
Morgan sat straight up and waved his hands as he replied firmly, "no man, at least not from what I saw. You can take a look at the surveillance tape if you are worried about that. That is not why I'm here. I'm concerned about Emily as a person not her conduct as an agent if that makes sense."
Hotch considered what Morgan had just recounted. He would take a look at the surveillance tape of the interview after he finished talking to Morgan.
Looking over at Morgan, he explained, "Morgan she worked with Crimes Against Children for years. As you saw when we worked that case with Katie last year, agents in that department are very passionate. We all knew the time constraints we were under. I'll take a look at the tape and talk to her.
"Hotch do you think she was… you know?" Morgan asked cautiously.
Hotch took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He was starting to get the same feeling as Derek was describing what happened as he had the previous year when they were in Chicago after Derek's arrest. "I don't know. She hasn't said anything to me about it."
"Yeah, it's not really a conversation starter and Prentiss is still slow to share details about her personal life." Derek knew that Emily had been very reluctant to give details about herself to the team. Every once in a while, she would say something that would give them greater insight about her but those moments were rare. He didn't know many that had a harder time trusting that himself though Emily Prentiss definitely fit into that category.
"Thanks for the heads up. I'll talk to her." Now he just needed to figure out how to broach the subject with her.
"It just that some points she made doing that interrogation seemed to be more personal that academic." Morgan nervously explained his question.
"Is that what you put in your report?" Hotch asked suddenly having deja vu with the conversation he had with Emily in Chicago during the case when Morgan was arrested.
Morgan shook his head as he answered, "no man. As I already said she didn't cross any lines that I saw. I wouldn't do that to her. I wouldn't have wanted conjecture about me in the reports last year."
Hotch sighed before adding, "it wasn't in the reports last year."
"I didn't think it would. You and Gideon wouldn't have done that." Morgan answered confidently.
Hotch took a deep breath and let it out before saying, "Prentiss figured it out as well after talking to your mom and sisters. She gave a very similar answer to what you just did about why she had no plans to put any mention of her suspicions in her report."
Morgan sat up straight in his seat as he said, "what? She hasn't said anything to me about it?" This is not what he had expected to learn when he came to Hotch tonight.
Hotch sighed before responding, "she was very new to the team when that happened. It was the first time she traveled with the team. She stated when I spoke to her that she had no intentions of bringing it up to you. She would talk about it but only if you started the discussion."
"But why?" Morgan questioned.
It was true that Emily had only been with the team for a few weeks when he had been arrested. When he came back afterwards he thought things may be strange between them because of his arrest and the accusations as she didn't have the same history as the rest of the team. However he was relieved that she had treated him the same in the weeks and months that followed.
And that was just when he thought she only knew of the arrest and information about stuff he did in his teens. He never imagined that she figured out what happened with Buford.
But finding out now wasn't as upsetting to him as if he would have learned in those early days. If she had mentioned something to him about it. Because in the intervening time, Emily had not treated him differently either professionally or socially.
And now that time had past and the experience wasn't as raw, he could accept that her knowledge of what he had been through hadn't changed her opinion of him. Given for years that had been his worst fear, it was reassuring.
"She wanted to help protect the secret you were keeping. The reason she left Reid alone with your mom and sisters was to go and confront Buford. She didn't want Reid there if he happened to reveal anything about your secret. Thankfully he wasn't there and that confrontation never happened but that was her explanation." Hotch explained.
Morgan looked down and nodded his head before responding distractedly, "yeah. Well, I told you what I observed. I'm going to head home. Good night."
"Good night Morgan." Hotch answered hoping it hadn't been too much for the other agent. He watched as Morgan walked down to his desk, collected his stuff and walked out of the bullpen.
After Derek left his office, Hotch considered what he had said. During Derek's explanation, various random pieces of information that he had learned about Emily in recent months had come to mind.
-Some of the comments Emily had made in that Chicago hotel lobby last year.
-Ambassador Prentiss' uncharacteristic reaction on the phone call to him after the Russian mob case when she had given him the name of the person who she had gotten information from stating she was giving it to him instead of Emily as hearing his name would be 'painful' for Emily.
-The Ambassador's explanation that Emily and Melnik had had a 'misunderstanding' when the Ambassador was assigned to the Ukraine. A timeframe where Emily would have been around eight or nine. He let it drop at the time because he knew better than to try to get a more forthcoming answer from Emily's mother and it really wasn't his place to push.
-Emily's reaction to the name the Ambassador had mentioned to him when he had passed on the information for her report.
-Emily mentioning that she had learned about her parents' role in breaking them up when she had been there to confront her mother on another matter. Given the close timing had it been about that phone call and the name Ambassador Prentiss had given him?
-Then there was the research that he had found on Anton Melnik though it wasn't much. Just that he was a mid-level Ukrainian diplomat.
He sighed as he considered the pieces of information he had. Although they were several, it wasn't enough to be certain of anything. Or even to broach the topic with her, at least at this point. Though given Derek's concerns, he considered it prudent to review the recording of Emily's interview with Susan Jacobs.
He shook his head as he turned off the recording recognizing where Derek's concerns were based. Thankfully he was in agreement that she hadn't cross any lines that would present challenges during the inevitable court case. But like Morgan, he worried about Emily.
As he moved at his desk, he kicked the bag he kept in his office with his workout clothes. It was then that an idea came to him. Previously after challenging days, he had found Emily in the gym working out before going home. Standing up after grabbing the bag, he took a chance that she would be doing the same after today. If so he wanted to catch her before she had the chance to compartmentalize what had happened today.
####
Emily had just started working out with punching bag when she noticed Hotch tentatively entering the gym. Unlike previous times when he confronted her here during a workout still dressed in his suit, today he was in athletic shorts and a tshirt. Looking away so that his uncharacteristic appearance didn't distract her, she went back to working the bag.
Today's case had been a rough one. She regretted losing her temper during the interview with Susan Jacobs. However when she learned later just how close to losing Katie they had been, she quietly spent the car ride back to the BAU cutting herself some slack. After finishing her report, she had decided to come work out instead of heading straight home.
Hotch walked over near her after stretching and taping his hands and started working with a different bag. Confused by his presence but lack of interaction that had been present in the previous times he had seen her there, Emily shook her head as she turned her focus back to the bag in front of her.
Throughout her time in the BAU, she had learned that Hotch preferred to do his workouts in the morning before the workday started. Had she overstepped on the case? Was she in trouble?
Emily continued until her arm started to ache. After pausing to stretch, she walked over to where she had left her water bottle. While slowly drinking from it, she could feel Hotch approach her and pick up his own water bottle. As they stood there, he asked, "are you OK?" He had not missed the ferocity of her punches to the bag.
Emily rolled her eyes before turning to him and responding still somewhat out of breath, "yeah, I'm fine. I swam before coming in here so it was time to rehydrate."
However as she looked at him, she could see that he wasn't just asking about the workout. He was asking about the case. And there was something about the way he was looking at her. A way that he was looking at her that made her believe that somehow knew that there was something personal about her reaction on the case.
She wasn't sure what exactly he knew or thought he knew. But whatever it was had him down here checking on her. Hotch saw various expressions cross her face as she looked at him but did not say anything else. Not wanting her to shut down, he nodded as they rested in silence.
When she stood up to head back to the punching bag, he touched her arm which had her stop and look back at him. When she did, he stood up as well and asked, "are you up for some hand to hand?"
Emily smirked and responded, "sure"
They walked over to the mat after Hotch had her put a head pad on stating he didn't want her to end up with more stitches in her head. After grumping that he wasn't wearing one she commented that he just didn't want to have to explain to Strauss it was his fault she couldn't go into the field for the third time in two months.
As they got started, Hotch recognized some of what Morgan had described when he did her sign off. It took much longer than expected for Hotch to be able to pin her.
After tapping out Emily rolled away from him before sitting up. Damn. She thought that she would have a chance against him.
While working out had started as a positive coping skills somewhere along the line it had progressed into being in a better place to defend herself. After being held by Doyle, she didn't want to find herself in a situation where she couldn't defend herself again. She knew if Doyle or his men ever got her again she would fight her way out or die trying before playing along as she had been forced to do as Lauren.
She was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard Hotch calling her name. Turning to him, she saw that he was also sitting on the mat a couple of feet away from her.
Shaking her head, Emily answered, "I'm fine just don't like that you were able to pin me." She hated admitting to the vulnerability however it felt OK know she was saying it to Hotch.
She watched as he nodded however could see the concern still on his face. Glancing down, she knew that there was more to him being here now than what he had said. That somehow he had heard about the interview with Susan Jacobs. Given the looks he had been giving her since they had left the scene, her guess would be Morgan said something.
She knew that the day would come that Hotch would put pieces together as soon as she heard him say Anton Melik's name months earlier. She was still furious that her mother had brought Hotch into it by bypasses her and calling him with the name. Now the question was - with what he knew, had he reached the correct conclusion?
"I didn't do anything wrong." Emily stated matter-of-fact.
Hotch nodded before answering, "I know. I watched the interview. Tense but completely legal."
"Why?" Emily asked, not taking her eyes off of him wanting to know what had prompted him to watch the interview tonight. Had someone other than Morgan said something to him?
Hotch sighed before answering, "Morgan was concerned about you."
She had been correct about Morgan. Emily shook her head as she responded, "he shouldn't be."
Hotch sighed before he said gently, "but he is. It wasn't that long ago that you were worried about him."
Emily nodded. There it was. And reference to what they both knew what happened to Morgan. What both Hotch and Morgan were worried about that had happened to her. Making eye contact she stated, "yeah but nothing actually happened to me."
Hotch nodded but didn't reply however he does feel himself relax slightly at the declaration.
Emily sighed and looked down at the mat as she explained, "but it wasn't for lack of effort on his part. It was after I started to stay with mother at her postings after my father died. My nanny walked in on what was later described to me as a questionable situation with a frequent visitor to the embassy and immediately told my mother.
Given the politics, it wasn't possible to keep him out of the embassy. She couldn't or wouldn't request a change of her posting so I was sent to live with my grandparents who at that point were living in France. I remember that it was so confusing to have my stuff quickly packed up again without explanation. Then I was leaving with my nanny who travelled with me.
But I loved being in France. Their cabin was up in the mountains. It was quiet and there was so much to explore when my school work and chores were done."
Hotch could see Emily's eyes dance as she talked about her time in France. There was an underlying happiness and contentment was he saw in her way too infrequently.
Then she paused and looked down before continuing, "my mother never discussed the real reason I left so abruptly with me. It wasn't until later, college, that I started to put the pieces together and confronted my former nanny who confirmed my suspicions of what he had been grooming me to do."
"Anton Melnik." Hotch stated noticing her stiffen as he said the name.
"That's the one. My mother never should have called you with that name. I didn't know until that day that she was still in contact with him. I guess a part of me expected that given what he was attempting that she would no longer have contact with him when it was no longer required. But apparently not." She paused and looked over to him before continuing, "I knew that day as soon as you mentioned his name that this day would come."
"You could have told me." Hotch stated.
Emily shrugged before answering, "as I said, nothing happened and there was nothing to tell."
"Emily." Hotch said warningly.
Emily narrowed her eyes before answering, "don't." She paused as she watched Hotch sit back before changing the subject, "do you know what got to me most about what Susan Jacobs did?'
"What's that?" Hotch asked curiously.
Emily replied sadly, "her complete indifference to what was happening to Katie. No attempt to stop her husband from hurting Katie or protect her in any way. Instead she blamed Katie for what happened to her. Couldn't get past what the optics were for her family if someone found out what was happening in her home.
My mother and I weren't close even back then. Before my father died, I hadn't seen much of her in over a year. Even with living with then I didn't see her very often.
And no one is more concerned about optics than the Ambassador. But she and Alix, my nanny, both protected me in their own ways. Sure it was also by getting me out of the way so as to not cause a scandal. But in my case it was to go stay with the parents she trusted not restrained and placed in the bottom of a storage cabinet left for dead."
After that they both sat silently for several minutes before deciding each was done for the night. After collecting their bags, they walked out to the parking lot to their respective cars so each could head home.
AN: Next chapter- There is a newcomer to the BAU who makes some observations.