We finished a particularly hard case after nine days in Idaho. When we got back home, the others dropped off their files and headed out almost immediately, keen to wipe this case away. I sat at my desk after acknowledging Reid's goodbye, and I checked my phone again. I was awaiting a text back from Mick to see where he was.

"Hey gumdrop." Garcia greeted me. I looked up at her and she frowned, "You look out of sorts."

"I'm fine," I brushed off her concern, "Do you happen to know if the Red Cells are on a case? Mick isn't answering my texts."

She smiled, "They were, but they're back tonight too. He's probably landing any minute now. I'm heading home, okay?"

I smiled, "Thanks. Enjoy your night. I'll see you tomorrow."

I watched her walk out and sat back in my chair. I spun around a few times before I stopped and looked at Hotch and Rossi, both in Hotch's office. They looked like they were getting ready to leave too, and I didn't want them to see me here and Rossi demand I come with him.
I grabbed my things quickly and walked out of the bullpen. I didn't want to go home yet, though.
Instead, I went to the elevator and went a floor down, and then I went into their bullpen and over to Mick's desk. I sat there and caught sight of a picture frame with the two of us in it. I smiled and I stared at us.
I sat here in the almost empty bullpen for another half hour before I heard his and Prophet's laughs.

I looked up and saw them heading towards their desks around me, and Mick caught my eyes as I stood up. I went to him quickly, ignoring the other three as I almost ran into his arms. He dropped his bag and caught me easily, wrapping his arms tight around me. "Hey, are you okay?" He asked quietly in my ear. I only shook my head and held on tighter. He pressed a kiss to my hair and held me for a while longer. He began to push me to walk backwards, and he sat me back down at his desk. He leant against it and looked at me, "Tell me." He didn't seem bothered by Gina and Prophet being only a metre away.

I felt unwelcome tears fill my eyes and I blinked them away. I did not cry over cases, no matter how hard they were. He tilted his head and I could see that it almost pained him to see the tears in my eyes. "Take me home?" I whispered.
He nodded, and then he went up to Sam's office, spoke a few words, and then came back to me. He took my hand and pulled me up. I let him take my bag with his, and then he said goodbye to the other two as he began leading me away.

He opened his car door for me and I kissed him before I stepped into the car. We drove with quiet music on, but we didn't speak.
When we pulled up, I went up to my apartment a step ahead of him. Once inside with our guns in the safe, I turned and hugged Mick again.

"Emily, are you okay?"

"Just a bad ending to a bad case…and I missed you."

"How about we order a pizza, watch a movie, and go to bed?" He kissed my hair and I closed my eyes.

"Yeah, sounds good. I'm just going to take a quick shower. You order the pizza." I pulled back and kissed him a few times before walking away.
I sighed to myself as I stood under the hot water, closing my eyes and I let it rush over my face. The shower was already steamed up, but I heard Mick open and close the door. After a minute, the shower door opened and he stepped in with me. He smiled and took my shampoo bottle from my hand, and then proceeded to wash my hair for me.

I relaxed in there, letting him run his hands through my hair and kiss my shoulder once he was done washing out the conditioner. I thanked him as I turned around and kissed him again. He pressed me against the wall as the kiss turned more passionate. I pushed him back after a few seconds, "No, not tonight." I worried that he would be mad.

He smiled at me and moved my hair over my shoulder, "Okay, love."

I stepped out and left him in the shower. I dried myself, slipped some underwear on and wrapped myself up in my bathrobe.
I went downstairs when I heard a knock on the door and grabbed the cash Mick left on the table, and went to retrieve the pizza.

I woke up early and showered for longer than usual. When I got out and returned to the bedroom, I found a coffee and a slice of toast waiting for me on my nightstand.
I jumped when I heard Mick's voice behind me, "You had one half a slice of pizza last night. Please eat the toast." I turned and he pressed his lips to mine softly before making his way to the bathroom.
I drank the coffee and picked at the toast for a while until I didn't want it anymore, and then I finished the coffee and took the mug downstairs.

I didn't want to go to work this morning, so much so that I sat looking at Hotch's contact on my phone for a few minutes, contemplating whether to call and take a personal day or not. I locked my phone as Mick entered the room and he gave me a questioning look. My eyes were watery, but the tears wouldn't fall.

He sat down beside me, "Tell me about the case." The tears did fall, after all. I dropped my head into my hands and shook my head. "Okay, you're not going to work today."

"Yes, I am." I looked up at him and wiped my cheeks. My makeup would need to be fixed before we left.

"Emily, you do not usually act like this with cases. Whatever happened this past week, it has obviously taken a toll a little too large for you to handle right now. Do you need to take care of other people? Yes. Do you need to take care of yourself first? Yes. Take a day, let yourself relax, and go back fresh next week."

"It's only one more day and then the weekend." I tried to reason.

He dropped his head to the side, and I sighed in defeat. I unlocked my phone and looked at Hotch's contact again. I decided that texting him would suit me better; then I didn't need to talk about it, because I knew he would ask.

He texted me back not five minutes later, granting me the day and asking if I was okay. I told him I was fine, that I was unwell. Of course he knew that I was lying. He knew exactly what happened by now, I was sure.
I told him to call if there was a case; obviously I would be there if one came up.

I wasn't sure what to do with myself once Mick kissed me and left for work. I got changed into a pair of sweatpants and one of Mick's sweaters, and then I grabbed my book from my go-bag and went out to the balcony. I sat down and read in the cool air.

It helped to make me feel better. Helped to clear my head.

Mick

When I got in today, the paperwork seemed to double in size overnight. I greeted Gina and Prophet, and then made my way up to Sam's office. I knocked on his open door and walked in, awaiting him to finish up his phone call. "Case?" I asked.

"No, just the wife."

I chuckled, "Your face tells me she isn't happy. I'm just going to run upstairs for a second and speak with the A team, and then I'll be back to complete all that paperwork you kindly dumped on my desk this morning."

He laughed at that and said it was okay. I headed out to the elevator and went up to the sixth floor.
I saw them in their conference room, and I made my way up. The door was open, they seemed to be debriefing – from their last case I assumed. I knocked and saw them all look at me. Smiles fell upon Garcia and JJ's faces, and the others look questioning.

"Come in." JJ invited.

"Thanks," I walked further in but didn't sit, "I just need some detail of your last case. Emily is not okay."

"She is going to be so mad with you for saying that." JJ gave me a sympathetic look.

"I don't care." I shook my head. All I cared about was helping her feel better. I didn't want her suffering in silence like she used to do. I wanted her to know that she had me now, for everything. I wanted her to know that there wasn't anything I wouldn't do for her.

"It was a bad case. Young girls from 7 to 10 being kidnapped and killed within 24 hours," Hotch began explaining, "I sent her and JJ in when we had the guy's address, and he had a girl with him." He looked to JJ to finish the explanation. I guess they hadn't gotten that far into their debrief yet.

"She tried to talk him down, but he had a knife to the girls throat. She was only 7. She told me to go into the basement and see if there were more kids being held. We knew there wouldn't be, he only took one at a time, but I think she knew she wasn't going to win that one. He slit the girl's throat right in front of her. She shot him, walked out without a word. Let her hair down, took her vest off. Hasn't said a word to any of us since."

I shook my head. I should have known that she was worse than she was letting on. I wouldn't put it past her to be sitting in the bathtub with water too hot, crying her eyes out. I thanked them and left before they were able to ask me about her. She'd be angry enough that I went to them, let alone me telling them how she was handling things.

I went back down to our floor and went back to Sam, "Any case in within the ten minutes I've been gone?" He only shook his head in reply, "I need to go home; Emily had a really bad last case and failed to tell me what actually happened. She shouldn't be alone."

"Go." He nodded.

"Call me if a case comes up, otherwise I'll see you Monday." I left his office and back to my desk. I packed half the case load into my bag and waved to the other two, giving a brief reason of why I was leaving.
I went to my car and headed back to Emily's house, trying to avoid the traffic as much as possible.

When I got back to her door and knocked, there was no answer. It worried me, but I knew she wouldn't do anything stupid. I knocked again, and this time I heard a sigh and footsteps. She opened the door and looked surprised to see me, "Hey, what—"

"I asked your team."

He mouth fell open, but I could see the anger in her eyes. "What?"

I walked past her inside despite her not offering me entrance. I knew she didn't want me here; she would want to be alone. I wasn't about to let that happen. "I went upstairs and told them that you were not okay and asked what happened. They told me. Emily, this isn't your fault."

She shook her head, "You told them I wasn't okay? Go back to work."

"No. You need someone here that you trust. I'm not going to let you sit here and torture yourself all day, Emily. Let's go out for breakfast and talk."

"No," She shook her head, "I don't want to go out for breakfast, I don't want to talk. I don't want you here right now. You know that I don't let my team know about this stuff. You had to know that this would make me angry."

"Let me help you."

"I don't need your help!" She raised her voice.

I crossed my arms and leant back on the couch as I watched her watching me. "You're raising your voice at me." I spoke calmly.

"Mick, I can take of myself. I don't need you. Go to work." She tried to speak forcefully, but there was emotion in her voice. I wondered if the emotion was from the case or from me. I knew she never had much support. I knew she didn't consider her father, a father. I knew she didn't like her mother. I knew she had been alone almost all her life. I knew she liked it that way because it was the only way she knew. I knew that while she trusted her team with her life, she didn't trust them with her thoughts or feelings. I think they knew that too. Occasionally one of them would break a wall in her mind and she would let them in a little further, but essentially, they were just like everyone else.

I needed her to let me in. To trust me.

I saw tears in her eyes, and I heard her take an unsteady breath. I took her hand and she tried to pull it away, but I hung on. I pulled her to me despite her reluctance and I wrapped her in a tight hug. I kissed her head and felt her begin to relax into me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and I heard her sob.

Victory.