Chapter 51: Little Scare

"Dave? What's going on?"

"Emily, sorry to call you so late, but you're Hotch's emergency contact and I thought you'd want to know."

"What happened?" she asked, her voice hurried and laced with worry.

"While we were finishing up the case, the UnSub took a shot at Hotch."

"Which hospital?" she asked, not waiting for more detail.

She was already out of bed, tossing on the loose men's shirt, and a pair of sweats while she told Dave she was on her way. She wouldn't even let him finish what he was telling her. She knew she had to go there.

Valentin got out of bed with her asking what was wrong.

"Where are you going?" Val asked, his accent thick with sleep.

"The hospital," she said. "I need to get to the hospital."

"I'll come with you," he called as she started for the door, slipping on a pair of sneakers and grabbing her keys.

"Stay. I'll call you," she said.

"Do you at least want…" he heard the door slam. "… some underwear?"

It was too late. She was already rushing to her car and then the hour drive to the hospital that was nothing but worry. She wished that she asked more questions but didn't want to call Dave back. She would be there soon enough.

She made a note to herself to call James in the morning and let him know what was going on. She figured she'd know by then how bad things were and whether or not she'd get there to be with Nate in the afternoon.

As soon as she got to the hospital, she went straight inside and asked for Hotch's room. He was up on the fourth floor. When she got there, she passed the waiting room.

"Emily," Dave called.

"Dave," Emily said, stopping. "How's Hotch?"

"He's doing fine."

"What happened?"

"We were approaching the UnSub's house and he must have known we were coming. Hotch was leading the group in when several rounds were fired. He took two to the vest and a graze on his side."

"So, he was shot, but not shot, shot?"

"Pretty much. He just needed a few stitches."

"Where is he? Can I see him?"

"He's getting some scans."

Her posture tensed. "I thought he was fine."

"He has some bruising from the shots to the vest and it was affecting his breathing a little. The scans are to see if there is any internal bleeding. We're waiting to hear about that, but they think it's more a precaution."

"Ok," she managed to say before looking around. The waiting area was pretty empty. She could see the two others sitting in the chairs. Neither were BAU members. "Where's the rest of the team?"

"Reid also took a hit."

"What?!" Emily was never on this side of things, not really. She was always part of the action or at least knew what was going on to some extent. Now, she felt a part of the drama while still being so far away from it. "Is he alright? Why didn't you say anything on the phone?"

"Well, Emily, you didn't give me much of a chance," he said, looking her up and down with a narrowed gaze.

She wasn't completely aware of what she looked like until then.

"Did I wake you?"

"I was in bed."

"Mmhmm."

"Dave! Tell me about Reid."

"He's ok, too. It was right to the rest. No blood. They are just checking him over in the ER. Derek and JJ are with him. All three should be on their way up now. Garcia is on her way."

"He's not badly hurt?"

"No. We got him checked out just in case. He only took the one bullet to the side of his vest. Any lower and it would have done some damage, but he got lucky. JJ let me know it was just a minor bruise. He may be sore, but there's no reason to keep him. They didn't even give him any pain meds. That's how ok he is."

"He also could have just said he didn't want them… Being a recovering addict and all."

"No need to be a smart ass."

"You're right. I'm sorry. I was worried."

"I can see. They'll both be fine. I was going to tell you not to come and I'd keep you updated, but you didn't give me a chance."

"I would have come either way."

"I figured," he said. "Why don't we sit down and wait for the others? They should be up any minute and we should be hearing about Hotch soon too."

"Ok."

As they sat, Emily asked how long Hotch was getting scans. Dave told her it had been about 30 minutes and the doctor told them it could be up to two hours before he was done because emergent cases took precedence and the machines got backed up.

"Obviously, they're not too worried," Emily said.

"They're not. Just want to check anyway." Dave leaned back into the seat and looked over Emily once more. "You certainly rushed over here."

"I did. I didn't know how bad it was. I wanted to get here."

"Right… Right. What were you doing?"

"I told you that I was in bed."

"Alone?" he asked, his voice emphasizing the word.

"Not alone, Dave. Is now really the time to be talking about this?"

"We're just sitting here waiting. Why not now?"

"Because…" she had no answer. "Because."

"What's his name?"

"Valentin."

"And what does he do?"

"He's a professor."

"Ah, a workplace romance. How long has this been going on?"

"Early April."

"Almost four months? Ever planning on telling anyone?"

"I told the girls. I'm not really introducing him to everyone until it becomes serious. I need to know whether he's sticking around before I bring him more into my life." Emily rolled her eyes. "Can we talk about this some other time?"

"Sure, Emily, but we will talk about this."

"Whatever you say."

Spencer, JJ, and Derek came walking in just as they finished that conversation. Emily immediately walked over to Spencer and gave him a hug.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine. Not even sore," he told her.

"Good. I'm glad to hear it. Still, come sit. Relax."

Emily helped him over to the seats and the group started talking while they waited for news on Hotch and Penelope to show up. A nurse showed up to let them know Hotch was back in his room soon after.

"The doctor will be in shortly to speak with Mr. Hotchner, but you can go in and see him," she told them.

The group thanked her and got up to head towards his room. Dave stopped them saying they shouldn't all go at the same time. The rooms weren't big enough for that.

"I'll hang back with Spencer," Dave suggested. "The rest of you fight amongst yourself."

Emily said that she wanted to see him. She drove all this way and figured she should at least see him before heading home.

"Go. We're all beat. If he's still awake after your visit, we'll head in," JJ said.

Emily agreed and started toward his room. She was right down the hall when the blonde analyst saw her and came running in a frenzy, yelling out questions about Spencer and Hotch.

"They're both fine," Emily said. "Spencer wasn't even admitted and is hanging out with the rest of the team in the lounge area. I'm on my way to see Hotch, who we think is fine too."

"Think? Think is not know, Emily."

"We're just waiting for the doctors to confirm. Hotch just got back from tests."

"Fine," she huffed. "They're really ok?"

"See for yourself."

"I will. First… I stopped by your apartment before coming here… Thought you might want to ride with me. Imagine my surprise when a half-naked hunk of man meat opened the door with a heavenly accent and scowl."

"He was scowling?"

"Worried," Pen corrected. "He said you just took off, no explaining or anything, and then you weren't answering his calls."

"Yeah. I will call him. I shouldn't have left like that, but I was worried."

Penelope nodded. "He's a tall foreign drink of water."

Emily smiled. "He's easy on the eyes, yes."

"You're having sleep overs."

"As adults sometimes do."

"Mmmhmm… So, details later?"

"We'll have a girl's night soon. Let's deal with this and get some rest before we go planning. Ok?"

"Sure, yeah. You got it. Go see your other man."

"Pen, he's not my…"

"Just go," she said. "I'm off to check on Spence first."

Emily found herself rolling her eyes again and pulling out her phone to send Val a quick text. "Sorry," it said. "I promise I'm fine and we'll talk as soon as I get home. Rest." It wasn't the most soothing message, but it would do the trick. She didn't feel good about the way she made him worry, but she didn't want him staying up all night waiting for her either.

Arriving at his room, Emily gently rapped on the opened door.

"Hey," Hotch gave a groggy response. "Come in."

He saw her and said, "You're wearing my shirt."

"Oh," Emily responded, pausing and looking down at herself with a furrowed brow. "I guess I am, but it's kind of my shirt now. You gave it to me, remember?"

"You stole it."

"Potato, po-tah-toe." They laughed and Hotch grimaced. "How are you feeling?" she asked as she moved closer. "I heard you took a round or two."

"Just a graze." He pointed to a chair for her, telling her to sit. "What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night."

"Well, I'm your emergency contact."

"Right."

"And why wouldn't I be here? I'd come if any of the team was hurt."

"What I'm saying is that you didn't need to come. I'm fine."

"I know you are. But you were hurt, and I want to be here. Spencer is fine, too, by the way."

"The nurse checked for me. I'm glad."

"So, going to tell me what happened out there?"

"He just opened fire. We were going in quietly, but he still knew. We're just lucky he had bad aim."

"Yeah…" Emily reached out and took his hand. "You look good, but really, how do you feel?"

"Just sore and tired."

"Do you want me to go?"

"No. Keep me awake. The doctor said he'd be in soon to talk to me."

"Ok," Emily said. "What should we talk about?"

"We've been so busy we keep missing each other. What have you been up to?"

Emily kept him occupied with talk of her summer class and how Nate still can't stop talking about the birthday party he had. Because it was the first he had with Emily, she went all out, even enlisting her mother's help. They had a giant party at Elizabeth's house with a magician and food and all his friends. It was amazing. Nate was living his best life and it was a treat to see him being such a free kid.

"He looked so happy the whole day," Hotch agreed.

"I know. I think he made my mother soft. I didn't get birthday parties as a kid unless there was an ulterior motive like she needed to speak with one of my "friend's" parents for networking. Never were they as awesome as Nate's. There were decorations everywhere."

"He deserved to have a party. He never had that."

"I know. I was so glad I was able to give it to him. Don't think I'm going to be able to do that every year though."

"That would get expensive. But he turned double digits. That's a big year."

"I know," Emily frowned. "I can't believe he's ten."

Emily started telling Hotch about how Nate began his guitar lessons. It was something he wanted to try, and Emily bought him the guitar and lessons for his birthday as it was something he mentioned on occasion since Christmas. He wasn't very good yet, but it was only two lessons and it was fun to watch him try. She didn't get to say much more because there was a knock at the door.

"Mr. Hotchner," the doctor said. "And Mrs. Hotchner?"

Emily put her hand out to shake the doctor's and corrected him, "Emily."

"Hello Emily. I'm Dr. Aziri." The doctor focused on Hotch. "How's the patient feeling?"

"A little banged up, but not too bad," Hotch admitted. "I suppose the pain meds have a lot to do with that."

"You'd probably be right. So, I looked at the scans."

Emily and Hotch looked at him expectantly. Emily's hand was still in Hotch's.

"Definitely cracked a few ribs," Dr. Aziri told them. "There's no damage to the lung. We were concerned because of the breathing issues, but those seem to be resolved. The wind was just knocked out of you."

"No internal bleeding?" Emily asked.

"There are no active bleeds," he explained. "There's a small pool of blood near the rib cage, an edema. It should reabsorb itself and heal in time."

"So, I get to go home?" Hotch asked.

"Eager to get out of here Mr. Hotchner?"

"I'm supposed to get my son from camp this weekend. I was hoping not to still be here by then."

"I think you'll get your wish. We're going to keep you for the rest of the night, but if there are no more breathing issues and another set of scans tomorrow show that things are stable or improving, I think you'll be on your way home in no time."

"Great."

"I would like you to rest, though. It's late. Visiting hours are over, and the best thing you can do for your body is sleep."

Hotch nodded and Emily promised she'd make sure he rested.

"Then I think my work here is done. If you are in any pain beyond what is comfortable, press the call button."

"Thanks Dr. Aziri."

"Rest up," the doctor ordered. He asked if there were any questions, and when they had none, he departed.

"So, you're going to be sore for a while. I know how the ribs affect everything."

"Yeah. I'll be ok, though."

"I know."

"Go home."

"What? No. I'm going to stay and make sure you rest."

"I'm falling asleep already. I'm resting."

"I should stay."

"It's the middle of the night. Go home. Tell everyone to go home. I'll call in the morning."

"I don't want you to be alone."

"I won't be alone and none of you should have to suffer through sitting in those hard hospital chairs just to watch me sleep. They'll call if anything happens, but nothing is going to. Go home, please."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Positive."

"Ok," Emily conceded. She released his hand and stood up, placing a kiss on his cheek. "Rest. Goodnight Hotch."

"Night, Emily."

She headed for the door, but stopped before exiting, waiting to see if he was going to follow directions. He was tired, though, and eyes were already closed, so she had nothing to worry about. Satisfied, she headed back to the team. Everyone asked how he was doing and what was going on. In turn, she told them what the doctor said and that he was sleeping.

"He told us all to go home. He knows it was a hard case and he's just going to be sleeping until tomorrow, so he said it's best everyone heads home to get some real rest too."

"We can't leave him alone," Penelope said.

"I'll come back first thing in the morning," Dave offered. "I only live 30 minutes away, so I can go home, get a few hours, and be back before he's up in the morning."

Everyone agreed that was a suitable option. Their case was done, it was after 2 in the morning now, and everyone was beat. But Emily was a little reluctant to go home. She wanted to stay and watch over Hotch, and she didn't want to go see Val. She knew she needed to apologize for the hasty exit but wasn't sure how upset he'd be.

"Coming?" JJ asked her when everyone else started to leave but she stayed motionless.

"Uh… Yeah. I'm just…"

"Worried?"

"Well, of course, but I also left Valentin in bed with no explanation."

"Ah. Time to pay the piper."

"Yeah."

"Go home, Em. He'll understand."

"Are you going to take Spence home with you? Keep an eye on him?" Emily asked.

"Pen is. There won't be any kids jumping on him in the morning there."

"Good idea. I guess we should go."

"We should. Come on."

Everyone was on their way home.

Emily nervously opened the door, wondering if Val waited up despite her telling him not to. She was thankful when she was met with dark and quiet. Sighing a breath of relief, Emily went straight to her bedroom, changed her hot sweatpants for some sleep shorts, and curled into bed with Val.

Feeling her weight on the bed, he pulled her into his side.

"How's your friend?" he mumbled.

"He's ok. Thanks. Sorry I woke you."

"You alright?"

"Yeah. Just tired. We'll talk in the morning."

"Ok."

He kissed her and wrapped his arm around her as she settled into him. Feeling his breathing was simultaneously comforting and making her uncomfortable. Nothing about being with Val felt wrong, but she was still reluctant to introduce him to everyone. She realized that on her ride home. He was in her life for months now. They had lunch together every day that they were on campus and spent weekends together when Nate was with James. He even took her on a weekend trip.

She enjoyed it all.

But when she was faced with a potentially emergent situation, she made the unconscious decision to leave him behind. She didn't want to bring him along.

What did that mean? She wasn't sure. What she did know was that she genuinely cared for Valentin and she wanted to give them a real shot, but there were some confusing things going on in her head.

Those thoughts were what were on her mind as she fell asleep.

She woke to the smell of coffee around 8, later than she planned.

"Why didn't you wake me?" she asked Val as she came into the kitchen where he was sitting at the island with his tea and phone in his hand.

"You needed sleep. You came home very late."

"I know."

"Going to tell me what happened? Your friend Penelope visited while you were out, at an ungodly hour I add. She said someone was shot and in the hospital?"

"My friends Hotch and Spencer were both shot at."

"How are they doing?"

"Thankfully, they were wearing their vests and it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Spencer is totally fine. He only took the one bullet and it only grazed his vest, but Hotch took three. He needed some stitches and has some cracked ribs, but they think he should be fine."

"Sounds frightening."

"Well, that's the risk when you're in the field. It's scary, but it's not something you can constantly worry about either or you can't do your job."

"You've been shot while you were working there too?"

She had told him about her past work with the FBI and some of the complicated history that she had, but he only had a small piece of the puzzle.

"Yes. Shot and stabbed."

"At the same time?!"

"No."

"I did not know this."

"It's not like it's information that comes up all the time in conversation. I don't introduce myself, 'Hi, I'm Emily. I've been shot, shot at, and stabbed. Even hit by a car and beat up."

His face looked flummoxed. He didn't know what to make of the situation. He knew she wasn't in that job anymore, but she was before and, clearly, had been through and seen some things he'd likely never be able to comprehend.

"The scar on your stomach and," he put his hand on his chest, "above your breast. Are those from work?"

"Yes."

"Stabbed?"

"The one on my stomach is from being stabbed and the surgery that I had after."

"Not the other?"

"No."

"What is that from?"

"I… was burned," she said, giving the most simplistic answer. "I can't say anything other than that."

"That is… I am sorry."

"You didn't do it to me. Look, I know it sounds scary because it did happen, but I'm not at that job anymore. That's not my life now."

"It is though because your friends are in that life. That makes you part of it."

"There are risks, but I can't help that, and when or if things like this happen, I'm always going to go. You called them my friends, but these people are my family."

He sighed. "Am I ever going to meet your family?"

"Once things calm down… Maybe we can go out for dinner with JJ and Will. A double date."

"I'd like that," he said, kissing her. "I have to get to work. Do you have class today?"

"No. It's all online today. They're submitting their papers. I'm going to head over to the hospital and check on Hotch."

His nose wrinkled and his mouth pursed, but he tried to hide it.

"Will you be there all day?"

"I don't know."

Val sighed. "Will you call me when you get home?"

"I will."

"We can have a late supper in tonight," he suggested. "I can cook for you."

"Sounds good."

"Until then Mon Coeur."

"You know I love when you speak French to me."

"Yes, I do. It's why I do it."

"Go. Go, go," she said, pushing him away. "Get to work."

"Au revoir."

"Salut."

One last kiss and he was out the door. Emily took some coffee from the pot, and an apple from the fruit bowl before starting her day. Before leaving, Emily called Nate to check in and let James know what was going on.

"I'm going to head back to the hospital soon, so if you need me call me. If I don't answer and it's an emergency, keep calling."

"I will. Tell Hotch I wish him well."

"Do you mean it?" she asked.

"I'm trying to."

"I guess that's progress. Tell Nate I'll talk to him later."

"Will do."

With that done, Emily took her key and went to Hotch's apartment. She was sure he'd want a change of clothes and wouldn't mind her rummaging through his place to get him a few essentials. She didn't go crazy. She had been through his drawers before when she was staying with him, so she knew exactly where to look. Jeans, a shirt, and briefs. That was all he needed.

She threw it all into a bag and called Dave to see if he was at the hospital and what was happening there. He was and told her that Hotch was still sleeping. Emily said that she was going to come by and bring Hotch some stuff, but Dave convinced her to wait.

It gave her some time to plan a few things. Hotch was going to need some help and she didn't want it all to fall on Jack. Thankfully, her schedule was light enough that she could be of assistance to him. She knew how painful broken ribs could be and how much effort everything took when they were an issue, so she wanted to help.

She had a plan ready.

By noon, she was on her way to the hospital. Dave told her that Hotch was getting his second round of scans and then the doctor would tell them if he'd be on his way home or sticking around. They waited together, chit chatting to pass the time.

It was another hour before Hotch was brought back to his room. It was promising that he was pushed in a wheelchair rather than a bed this time.

"You look better," Emily told him.

"Thanks. I don't feel it," he responded.

"I bet you don't," Dave said. "Doctors tell you anything?"

"They think things look good, but they'll be in here to speak with me in a bit."

When the doctor did come, it was good news. He would be in pain for a while and the bruising would take some time to dissipate, but he was free to leave. They gave him some instructions, wrapped up his ribs, wrote him a prescription, and told him what to look out for. Because of the edema, though it was healing, he was at risk for bleeding. It was a small risk, but something to monitor.

"I brought you some clothes to change into," Emily told him.

"Thanks," he said, taking the bag from her.

"You need any help?" Dave offered.

"I think I got it. I'll let you know."

"Alright. We'll be just outside then. Be careful."

"I will."

Dave and Emily stepped out and gave him time to change. Emily picked a button down and clothes she thought would be easiest for him, and she was right. He changed with minimal problems.

"I feel better already," Hotch said when they came back to his room.

"We can take you home whenever," Emily said. "I figured since we're going to the same place, you can hitch a ride with me. Such a mooch," she joked.

"That would be great."

"Unless you need something, I'm going to head home. Some of us still have work tomorrow and need to get things done."

"No problem. Thanks for being here Dave. Take care of the team for me. Tell them I'll be back Monday."

"You're only taking one day off?"

"And the weekend."

"We'll see about that," Dave said. "Emily, make sure he doesn't strain himself."

"I will."

"See you soon," Dave said, leaving.

"Ready to go?" Emily asked.

"So ready. I hate hospitals."

"Don't we all? Come on, let's get out of here."

Emily walked slow beside him, ready to help if needed. When they got down to the ground floor, she made him wait for her to pull the car closer.

"You didn't have to do that," he told her.

"It's not like I walked a mile in the freezing rain to get you a ride, Hotch. Relax. Just say thank you."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

They had an hour to kill on the drive.

"So," Emily said, "I noticed that Robin hadn't come to see you."

He looked over to her with widened, mildly panicked eyes.

"Nobody told her, did they?"

"No…"

"You haven't talked to her?"

"I was on a case and we were in the middle of the action when I got hurt. After that, I was either asleep or getting tests."

"You can call her now… if you want."

"I will when I get home. I'm ok. No reason to worry her, right?"

"Sure."

"I should have called her earlier, I know. You don't have to use that tone."

"No tone. I get it. It's never an easy call to make even when it's a minor injury. It brings up stuff in a relationship."

"Yeah."

"Have you talked to Jack?"

"Yes."

"Did you tell him what happened?"

"Not yet. He's at camp and he'll just want to see I'm ok for himself. I don't want him to leave camp for that. He'll see I'm fine when he comes home tomorrow."

"Fair enough."

The conversation moved freely, and they covered a lot of ground in their drive, including an upcoming family vacation Emily was taking.

"My mother wants Nate and I to join her in North Carolina," she explained. "She rented two houses next to each other for a week. Told me to invite whoever I wanted to come along."

"Are you inviting me on a family vacation?" Hotch asked.

"You, Jack, the team, Henry, Will, and Michael, yes."

"It's big enough for everyone?"

"There's plenty of room, and it falls during your mandatory furlough week. Dave and Derek can't make it. Spencer and Pen are coming, and JJ is going to come a day later than everyone else after her parents leave."

"Good to know where I stand in the list. I was the last one you asked."

"You were, but that was just because I didn't know if it was a good idea or not."

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"I don't know…"

He didn't believe that. He knew exactly why it could be a bad idea.

"I'll let you know, ok?"

"Ok. Great."

"My mom went all out again. Beach, fun, games, kids… It promises to be an eventful trip."

She didn't know how eventful then, but they would all find out soon enough.

"I was wondering something," Emily said as they started to get closer to the apartment.

"What?"

"I know we talked about it in passing, but when did you make me your emergency contact?"

"Around the same time you made me yours. If I get hurt on the job, the team would know and they would have the power to make any immediate decisions, but if all of us got hurt on the job… I trust you, Emily and I wanted someone that wasn't on the team to be notified if something happened. You were the most logical choice, and I know you care."

"I do. I'm happy to be your emergency contact and do whatever I can for you, Hotch. Just like you'd do and have done for me."

"Thanks."

"Hopefully we won't need to use that very often."

"Hopefully," he parroted.

They pulled into the lot and Emily immediately ran to his side of the car to open the door and help him out. He tried to tell her it was unnecessary, but she wouldn't listen, just like she wouldn't listen when he tried to tell her she didn't need to stay and keep him company or do anything for him.

"Hotch, I'm going to help. Get over it. Now, couch or bed?"

"Ugh, couch. But don't take it personally if I'm bad company."

"No worries. Let's just get you comfortable."

Once he was settled with some snacks, drinks, and everything else within arm's reach, he told Emily that he needed to make a call. She took that as his subtle way of asking her for some privacy. So, she made an excuse and went into the next room.

It wasn't intentional, but she could overhear Hotch's half of the conversation.

"I'm sorry," he told her, "I wasn't trying to ignore your calls. I was… I was in the hospital."

Emily could just imagine the woman's response.

"I know. I'm sorry no one called you, and yes, I'm fine. I'm home now, just a little bruised. That's all."

He paused.

"It's not a big deal… No… Yes… Sure… I'm not alone."

She waited for more, now intentionally eavesdropping.

"Emily's with me… Yes, that Emily… Jack's still at camp… Yes."

She heard Hotch sigh.

"Ok. Yeah. See you soon. You too," he said, taking a deep breath before saying, "You can come back in now."

Emily blushed, but headed in with her head held high like she wasn't spying.

"Didn't go well?"

"About as well as I expected."

The two ironed out some things. Emily offered to pick up Jack from his camp the next day before she picked up Nate. Hotch accepted the offer. With the meds, he was told not to drive. Right now, the pain only felt manageable with the medication, though, he planned to only take it for the first day or so and then adjust. He couldn't work if he was on that kind of medication.

"I can help out with Jack, too. I don't mind if you want him to stay with me or if you need help around the house, just let me know."

"That's too much. I wouldn't ask you to."

"I'm offering, you're not asking."

"I'll let you know," he said, letting out a yawn as he spoke.

"Let me help you get to bed. You look like you're about to pass out. You might as well be comfortable in your own bed."

He didn't fight her on it. He allowed her to tuck him in to his bed and move all the stuff from the living room to his bedside in case he needed it. He hated needing any help, but he knew he didn't want to push himself, so he took it in stride and was thankful for her.

As Emily was in the living room cleaning the mess she made spilling a glass of water, there was a rapid tap on the door. She peaked into Hotch's room.

"I'll get it," Emily told him. "Stay in bed."

Emily made her way to the door, telling whoever it was that was constantly knocking that she was on her way.

"Hey," she said, opening the door to a woman just a little shorter than her with sandy brown hair, dark blue eyes, and tanned skin. Before she could do anything, the woman started talking.

"Who are you?" the woman asked.

"Who are you?" Emily returned the question.

"I'm Robin, Aaron's girlfriend."

"Oh," Emily smiled, taking another good look at the woman. She was finally putting an image to the name. "Hi Robin. I'm Emily."

"Right," Robin said, looking past Emily. "Emily."

It was clear that Hotch had mentioned her, and Robin didn't look pleased by the situation. She looked a lot less excited to meet Emily than Emily was to meet her.

"Would you like to come in?" Emily asked.

Robin nodded and pushed her way in. "Where is he?"

"He's resting in his room. He's ok. Just sore. I can…"

Robin didn't really pay attention to Emily, instead, continuing to Hotch's room.

"Ok…" Emily said to herself. "That was interesting."

She didn't know whether to stay or go. Hotch wouldn't be alone with Robin there, but she didn't really want to leave just yet. Ultimately, though, she planned to head home and call Hotch a little later to see if he needed anything or to bring over dinner, so he didn't have to cook.

There was a conflict brewing in her head, battling between stay or go, even if go won.

She went to fetch her purse and pick up the rags where she was cleaning when she saw Robin and Hotch. Robin looked genuinely worried, naturally. But the conversation was a little hush-hush. She didn't even try to listen, just went about cleaning the rug and minding her own business.

Inside the room, Robin sat next to Hotch on the bed.

"Why is she here?" Robin asked.

"She was helping out a friend."

"Are you sure that's it?"

"Yes. Robin. I promise, that's it. I told you about her. She's one of my closest friends. Our kids are best friends."

"You're right. I know… I was just surprised that she was still here and… I guess I'm still upset you didn't call me. You were in the hospital overnight and you said nothing."

"I'm sorry."

"I was worried about you."

"I didn't mean to worry you… That's part of why I didn't tell you," he said. "This, while it doesn't happen very often, is part of the job. I didn't want to call and have you panic unless there was reason to. But I'm fine."

"I'm so happy you are. Can I do anything? Get you anything?"

"Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"I took the afternoon off for an emergency."

"It's not an emergency."

"It is to me. You were hurt. I want to be here for you."

"Thank you."

"So, can I get you anything?"

"Why don't you make yourself some coffee or tea and then we can relax?"

"Ok. I will," Robin said, placing a kiss on his lips. "Be right back."

As she got up, she noticed Emily walk into the other room and start picking up something. Robin immediately went to her.

"You don't have to do that," Robin said.

"I don't mind. I spilled it. I should clean it before I go."

"Really, I can do it. Feel free to leave."

Emily looked at her. Was she being dismissed?

"Thank you for taking care of him," Robin sincerely said, "But I'm here now. I can take it from here. You can leave…"

"Ok," Emily said, getting up off the ground. She passed the rag to Robin and put the purse strap around her shoulder. "It was nice meeting you. Tell Hotch I'll see him later."

"Bye," Robin said, not moving from her spot until Emily was out of the door.

Emily was very confused by the end of that meeting, and she didn't like the feeling of being pushed out the door.

Was this how things were going to be now?