AN: Sorry for the delay with this chapter. Had to work through a block. But I do have a couple of pieces of good news.
1.)Don't know how but I'm not having login issues with account anymore at least not for the last couple of weeks. Fingers crossed it stays that way. And 2.) As part of working through my block I wrote another story around the Route 66 episode. It was an attempt at a one shot that will be a total of 12 chapters and an epilogue. I am posting the first couple of chapters today. It is done except for the epilogue so will be posting regular updates.
Hotch walked into Emily's living room with two glasses of wine. He had just finished cleaning up from the dinner Emily had made for them. A few minutes earlier he had shooed her out of the kitchen to go relax while he finished up. When he reached the couch he handed one of the glasses to her before sitting down on the couch next to her.
As frustrating as it had been for both of them, this had been the first time in almost three weeks that they had gotten an evening alone together when plans didn't end up needing to be rescheduled. In the office they had largely been ships passing in the night most days as well. Even when they did see each other their interactions were limited.
In addition to his normal workload, Hotch had been stuck in the hell that was the quarterly budget meetings, participating in committee meetings on suggested updates to the hostage negotiation manual, had been asked to give testimony at a parole hearing and then for the past several days consulting on the recent shootings in New York. That was in addition to his visitation time with Jack. Meanwhile Emily had spent a few days with Derek teaching at the Academy, testified in court about a previous case and then was consulting with Crimes against Children on a case.
It had been without a doubt a busy time for not only them but the whole team which is why Hotch had informed the team earlier in the day that he had gotten them a few days without office duties however they were still on call for urgent cases. He wished he could offer more but that was as much as Strauss had been willing to give him. However, given her feelings about the team and him in particular, even these few days were a significant acknowledgment of just how many hours the team had been working in recent weeks.
Since leaving the office earlier, Hotch had been focused on that day three weeks earlier when they agreed that they wanted to be together. And that over the next few days they could come to an agreement on what they both wanted. After spending time with Jack, Hotch had gone over to Emily's apartment where she had made them a late dinner. During dinner they had quickly agreed that they weren't ready for anyone else from the team to know they were together. For now Dave was enough.
While there were still so many details that they needed to discuss, all either of them wanted to do at the moment was to curl up together and just enjoy each other's company. How to keep a relationship a secret on a team of profilers was a problem to solve tomorrow.
While no one could say that they were rushing into a relationship, there had been a few topics that they wanted to address before heading back to the office the next week. Thankfully their major potential issue professionally had been deftly handled by Dave Rossi a couple of weeks earlier.
Dave had shown up in Hotch's office early one morning before the rest of the team arrived. Hotch listened as Dave brought up taking over supervisory responsibility for Emily. The offer was the best solution to the most pressing issue at work as they started a personal relationship. And in one fell swoop Dave just walked into his office and single handedly solved it all with Emily's agreement.
However Dave had gotten more than he bargained for when Hotch also assigned him to supervise Reid as well. And by the time they finished discussing it even Dave reluctantly agreed that it was the only option.
A large part of JJ's job involved case review and presenting cases to Hotch which would present a challenge on having Dave be able to evaluate her job performance. Derek needed to stay with the Hotch as they worked on leadership skills.
Then there was Garcia. Hotch laughed at Dave's reaction when she was brought up since the elder profiler still didn't completely know what to make of her most days as well as he was still adapting to the increased role technology was now having in their jobs.
But Hotch decided he needed to keep Garcia under his supervision as well, particularly with this new relationship between her and Derek. They had always been prone in inappropriate comments and discussions mostly in the office which had had them both in Sexual Harassment Seminar several times. However recently their relationship seemed to be showing cracks. He was observing their interactions in the office. He wanted to be in a position to address any problems before they became issues as he didn't want the team to lose either of them or for either of them to be adversely affected professionally. The best way to do that was to be supervising both of them.
And that left Reid. As Hotch and Rossi spoke they both acknowledged that Reid would enjoy the extra attention from the profiling legend. And reduce the likelihood of potential questions Hotch needed to move not just Emily to Dave's supervision.
The Section Chief would be questioning all of them if it was just Emily trying to find out why. Dave had his own background and reputation in the FBI that Strauss could use to muddy the waters. There was certainly no love lost between the two women particularly since Milwaukee. Hotch didn't want that for Dave or Emily. This way with Dave supervising both Emily and Reid it would mirror how many departments functioned with splitting the responsibility of subordinate supervision.
Now after a busy few weeks for the team, they had a few days to spend together unless something urgent happened. And relaxing with Emily was exactly where he wanted to be. Thankfully she seemed to be of the same opinion.
It didn't take long for the wine glasses to be discarded on the coffee table. Cuddling up next to each other progressed when Emily turned her head and kissed up his neck to his ear and found the spot on his ear lobe that she knew he would react to. And she knew as soon as it worked as she felt the change in his body.
Things quickly heated up between them after that. Kisses became passionate as they both tried to express all that they were feeling. Feelings that had been steadily building up over the last three weeks. Emily's shirt had been first to get removed and tossed aside followed quickly by Hotch's shirt. Emily's bra found a place on the floor just after she straddled him.
Hotch groaned as she grinded into him for the second time tightening his grasp around her. Once he recovered, he loosened his grasp and pulled back from her chest where he had been focusing his attention since removing her bra a few minutes earlier.
As their eyes met, Emily continued to run her hands through his hair. They shared a longing look. One that they both remembered from their past.
Bringing his hands down to her butt that he squeezed as he asks, "are you sure you are ready Em? I don't want us to take this step if you aren't ready." He didn't want her to feel any pressure to go any further tonight. But he also knew it would break him if he was to lose her again once they slept together this time.
"I am ready. I want this. I want us." Emily answered as she ran her fingers down his cheek.
Hotch nodded, "OK but not here." before frowning as he looked around the room.
He had been waiting to be with her again. To be restarting their relationship. Thinking about when they would be taking this step since they had started discussing restarting their relationship.
If they were going to do this, he wanted to do it right. He wanted tonight to be special, an experience they would always remember. Hopefully the rest of their lives. A quick fumble on the couch wasn't going to work. Not to say he wouldn't be open to the possibility in the future but not this time.
Nodding Emily back away and off his lap. At the loss of their connection, his body started screaming at him. Once she was standing Emily held out her hand. He took it and stood up right in front of her, their bare chests again touching. She leaned into him and his lips found hers again. As they were getting lost in themselves again, the phone in his pocket started buzzing.
He tried to ignore it. Wanted to ignore it. He had been waiting months for them to get to this point. But it was Emily that pulled away and stepped back and stated, "you should answer that."
Hotch sighed then nodded, grumbling as he roughly yanked the phone from his pocket really hating his job right now. So much for their few days off. As he answered the call Emily stepped away from him.
His focus shifts as he listens to the update about the evolving situation in NYC and is quickly able to pivot to what he needs to do as Unit Chief and team leader. With the latest shooting, the BAU has formally been requested to come onsite to consult. After requesting to have the rest of the team recalled for this case, he turned back to find an empty room.
Sighing he picked up his now folded shirt from the table next to him and walked towards the bedroom. He was surprised yet grateful when he heard the shower running in the attached ensuite. His libido had settled during the call however if he had walked into the room to find Emily waiting on the bed or even partially dressed it wouldn't have taken more than a few seconds to be back at full arousal.
And he didn't want that. At least not tonight. As they started this next phase of their relationship, he wanted them to take their time getting reacquainted with each other. A quickie before meeting up with the team was not going to accomplish that.
Thankfully Emily seemed to be of the same mindset and had started preparing herself for their upcoming case. With that he picked up his go bag and went over the other bathroom to also shower before meeting the team.
####
As she stepped away from him, Emily focused on catching her breath. Not unexpectedly their make out session had been intense. As it always was when they came together. One minutes he was doing wonderful things to her breasts and the next she stepped away from him.
Why? Because the team was on call and his phone rang. She didn't want to be the reason he didn't answer the call. The reason he wasn't doing his job. And in that moment, she could feel that he was torn so she made the decision for them. One she hoped he would appreciate later because she wasn't right now. Damn, they had been so close. Five more minutes and he would have been deep inside of her where she had wanted him for weeks now.
As she listened to his side of the conversation, she was certain that something had changed in the case in NYC that the team had been monitoring although they had been assured earlier that the FBI office there had things under control and didn't want the BAU on site which was why they had been able to get time off. So whatever it was had to have been significant.
Shaking her head, Emily stepped over next to the couch and picked up Hotch's shirt, folded it and placed it on the side table next to where he was standing. She then collected her bra and her shirt. All evidence was pointing to the team needing to head to NYC ASAP. Before she wanted to go anywhere, she needed a few minutes to herself. If she walked into the conference room all hot and bothered, Derek would tease her and none of them needed to be distracted in the field.
After gathering a change of clothes, Emily headed into her ensuite. She needed a shower. A cold one so she could focus on this case.
AN: next chapter- team head to NYC, secrets held by Hotch and Emily risk being revealed, the team learns JJ's secret