CHAPTER 13

Hotch was in his office in the BAU late on Sunday evening trying to catch up on paperwork. It was paperwork that he would generally stay an hour or two in the evenings to complete. But he hadn't this week. He had been leaving with the rest of the team to spend the evenings at home with Emily.

It had been over a week since he found her praying in the church. She had been quiet and tense on the drive back to their apartment. When they had arrived, Hotch sighed when Emily had disappeared into their bedroom. In all of the time he had known her, he had never seen her like this. It made him particularly nervous about what she was going to tell him about her connection to Matthew and John as well as the case.

Deciding to give her some time, he made a light dinner for them. Noticing the look of fatigue on her face while they ate, he quickly cleaned up after dinner before suggesting they go to bed early where he held her in her troubled sleep. Various possibilities floated around in his head as the night progressed.

The next afternoon after curling up on the couch together, Emily had shared with him what happened in Rome and explained the roles Matthew, the Bentons, John and Fr Silvano played in what happened during that point in her life. She shared what part of the story she had told Dave about though Hotch quickly learned that there had been so much more to her story.

Since that afternoon, he had been trying to be there to support Emily through the grief of her lost friend as much as possible which is why he had been limiting his time in the office throughout the week.

But he also knew that the time that the team had been without a case made it more likely that one would be coming up soon. He still wouldn't have come in if Emily needed him at home however she had told him she was doing better and had practically pushed him out the door.

As he was down to the last couple of files his office phone rang. He grimaced as a call on his office line this late on a Sunday evening could only mean bad news for his attempt to leave and go home. Answering the phone, he was surprised at the explanation for the call.

After hanging up, he sat at his desk letting his mind wander about what Shaunessy could possibly need to talk to him about. They had only ever worked the one case together and that had been over a decade ago.

However, it was a case that he would never forget. It had been his first working solo as a BAU agent. He had been in Boston working with the police to find the UNSUB until the murders stopped suddenly. After closely monitoring the situation for weeks Shaunessy had sent him home with the case still unsolved.

From the report the caregiver had shared with him, Hotch knew he didn't have much time to dwell on the whys. After talking to Emily, he booked the first available flight to Boston which happened to be later that evening.

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Hotch paced in his office with frustration. He could not get past what Shaunessy had shared with him about what had actually occurred during the Reaper case. The murders hadn't stopped on their own. Shaunessy had made a deal with the UNSUB for them to stop.

But now as he just learning of Shaunessy's death in the early morning hours, Hotch's fear along with the concern Shaunessy had shared with him when they had met Sunday evening in Boston was that the Reaper would resume killing. He had JJ closely watching for crimes in Boston as he wanted to be able to mobilize the team if anything popped up.

He didn't have to wait long until JJ showed up in his office with the report of a double murder in Boston. When he saw the pictures taken at the scene, he knew who did it.

As the team moved to the jet he realized he hadn't filled Emily completely in about what was going on except for a brief discussion before he went to Boston to talk to Shaunessy.

As the team settled on the jet, Hotch knew Emily was going to be annoyed with him during this case. He planned on keeping her at the station working victimology with Reid. He had remembered the crime scenes from years earlier when he saw the latest scene. He did not want her anywhere near that.

Additionally given how quickly the Reaper started again after Shaunessy's death indicated that he had been watching him. There was no way that he would let Emily go into the field without him. But could he take the chance that the Reaper would sense a connection between them? It would give the Reaper a vulnerability of his to exploit.

No she would need to stay at the station. Yes she would be upset with him but wouldn't question him in the field. Hopefully after the case when they could discuss it at home, she would understand his rationale.

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Emily was having difficulty hiding her frustration as she entered the hotel with Dave and JJ. It had been three days and Hotch had yet to give her an assignment outside of the field office since they had arrived in Boston. Even JJ and Reid had been given tasks outside the station.

She knew that since Matthew's death she had been struggling. But she was better now and just wanted to go back to doing her job. Needed to be doing her job not relegated to the station like a fragile doll.

After JJ excused herself, Dave stopped her before they entered their rooms. He had noticed the tension in Emily over the last couple of days. He knew more details than most on the team about why the death of her friend Matthew had affected her so deeply.

After stepping into Dave's room, they talked for a few minutes as he checks in with her. After reassuring him that she is feeling better, she vents briefly about her frustration of being sidelined. Dave quietly listening having also noticed that Hotch was doing it and not realizing until now it wasn't Emily's request.

Feeling better after talking it through with Dave, Emily excused herself. Meanwhile Dave was planning to talk to Hotch about having Emily go out in the field with him the next day.

As she reached her room door, Emily put the key back in her pocket and headed back downstairs to the small convenience store in the hotel for some snacks.

As she was leaving the store after buying her snacks, she bumped into someone. When she looked up to apologize she realized it was her husband. Or in this setting, her boss.

As he closely observed her, Hotch asked, "are you OK?"

Emily answered brusquely, "I'm fine."

Hotch nodded before looking around and gesturing her to follow him to an empty conference room on the other side of the lobby. Once they were in the room, he put his hands on her shoulders and asked, "how are you really doing Emily?"

Emily sighed before answering, "like I said I'm fine."

He looked at her suspiciously as he knew that her saying she was 'fine' was a certain indicator that she wasn't. While they were currently alone, this was not really the place to get into the conversation of what he was already sure was bothering her. So he nodded before saying, "if you are sure but you seemed to have been upset earlier."

Emily shook her head before answering since they were alone, "I'm frustrated Aaron. I've been stuck in the precinct since we got here. Even JJ and Reid have been in the field. I don't like being sidelined."

Hotch groaned because he really didn't want to completely explain why he had her out of the field as it would upset her even more. Putting his hands on her shoulders, he waited until she was looking at him before saying, "there is a lot of complexities with this case. I wanted to just have one person in charge of victimology."

Emily tilted her head as she answered, "and you decided to make me that person."

He nodded as he answered, "yes." before pausing before he said reluctantly, "if it is upsetting you this much then I'll see about sending you out with Dave or Morgan tomorrow."

Emily smiled at him as she answered, "that all I ask Aaron. Thank you."

Hotch nodded as he said softly, "just be careful Mrs Hotchner."

Emily nodded as she answered, "I will..." she paused when he turned his attention to his phone and frowning at the message he received before continuing, "everything OK?"

Hotch looked up from his phone and placed it in his pocket before saying, "I need to go back to the precinct."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Emily asked.

Hotch shook his head before answering, "no, I'm going to get Dave. You stay here. Enjoy your chocolate." as he escorted her towards the elevator to head up the floor where the team's rooms were. In their hurry to leave the conference room, they failed to notice the hidden figure lurking around the corner from the door of the conference room.

Before the elevator door opened on their floor, Hotch leaned in and kissed her before resting his forehead on hers and saying ,"I love you."

Emily smiled back at him and replied, "I love you too my dear husband."

As the elevator dinged to alert that they had reached the correct floor they reluctantly pulled back from one another to a respectable distance before the door opened.

When they reached the door to Emily's room he squeezed her arm and said good night before watching her disappear into into the room. He hated that they weren't sharing a room.

He sighed when the door closed before he shook his head and walked over to Dave's door. A second message from the detective had requested that he meet the locals at a crime scene that was only a few blocks from the hotel.