AN. I do not own Criminal Minds nor associated characters.
Emily's lift home arrives in the doorway of her hospital room and it is not who she expects.
Emily Prentiss was finally, after much quiet grumbling and a few winces, out of the starchy hospital gown and into her own clothes. Admittedly they were far from her usual attire – trackies and a baggy t-shirt – but it wasn't like she was going into work. She rolled her eyes impatiently, picking at her nails. Maybe she should have just gotten a taxi home after all – JJ must be rushed off her feet between work and Henry.
Emily jumped as the door opened, grimacing in pain and nudging the dressing tentatively, "Ouch, Jay, you made me jump."
"Sorry," Emily recognised those dulcet tones, and it was not JJ stood in her doorway. "I didn't mean to startle you." She heard the smile in his voice as she turned to him, brow furrowed.
"Hotch?" Emily suddenly wished she wasn't sat in her trackies and baggiest, faded grey top.
"Unfortunately for you, Prentiss," Hotch said as he studied the brunette as she perched at the edge of the bed, tendrils of dark hair snaking at her shoulders and dark eyes returning his inquisitive glare, "JJ couldn't make it to pick you up. So you've got me."
"Oh it could be worse," Emily smirked, pushing herself up off the bed. Aaron watched her face as it momentarily betrayed her discomfort and watched as the look of pain faded, as the brunette regained her composure.
"I'll grab that," Aaron offered, stooping for Emily's bag as she walked slowly towards him, measuring her movements. He sighed. It was hard to see his agents fall, and hard to see them weak as they fought to recover – hard to see Emily struggle, harder to know that even if he wanted to help her right through this she wouldn't let him.
"Thanks," Emily mumbled begrudgingly, and Aaron knew that she was grateful – just too stubborn to admit she'd needed the help. She sighed as she came to his side. "I hate feeling useless," she admitted.
"It won't be for long. You can come back on desk duty in a few weeks – desk duty only, mind – and you needn't feel useless. I'm sure you'll find plenty to strain yourself at." A shrewd smile touched his lips, and Emily grinned despite herself as the pair sauntered out into the corridor.
"How's the BAU?" The brunette kept pace with her supervisor with ease, although she registered the change in his usual gait and knew he was slowing himself to accommodate her injury. She refused to allow her discomfort to show in her face, keeping her dark gaze steady.
"Quiet. JJ's not thrown anything across my desk in the last week or so, so we're still grounded at Quantico. We haven't drafted in a temp to cover you yet, anyway." It took Aaron a moment to notice Emily had frozen several paces behind him, gaping wordlessly.
"You – why do you need to temp me up?" She choked. "I'll be back in just a few weeks, Hotch! I could be back sooner!"
"Prentiss, you know we can't go into the field an agent down without any investigation suffering. It's temporary." Aaron made sure he placed emphasis on the final word. He had no intention of replacing Emily Prentiss – he didn't think there was anyone who could replace Emily Prentiss. But she couldn't see that. Instead, her brow furrowed in barely supressed offence and Aaron lamented the stubborn streak that made this brunette so difficult on occasion.
"And you know that sticking someone new in for a few weeks is going to mess up the team dynamics, distract everyone and any case will suffer anyway." Emily fixed Aaron in her piercing gaze, her dark eyes challenging him, daring him to disagree.
"Emily, you know Strauss." Aaron offered, making a point of addressing Emily as Emily, and not Prentiss. "If she says bring someone in I have to bring someone in."
The brunette nodded her dark head in reluctant agreement. "Fine," she said huskily, arriving level with the Unit Chief. "Temporarily, right? As soon as I come back -"
"You'll be back. We couldn't replace you if we wanted to." Two pairs of dark eyes softened in the hospital corridor. Emily nodded once more.
"Of course you couldn't," she smirked, "Reid needs a chess opponent who can play the game on those long flights."
-o-
"Prentiss," Aaron chided Emily as she stumbled into her apartment, "go easy." He followed her through the doorway, her bags across his shoulders, and kicked the door closed behind them. He watched as Emily headed quietly for the sofa and noted the lack of her rebellious grin – the kind that he usually received in response to any reproach.
"Make yourself at home, Hotch." Emily gestured for him to follow her through.
Aaron was no stranger to his colleagues apartment, having visited before now – usually on business and once to deliver a drunken brunette home after an eventful night out with the BAU. He and Emily were friendly, as much if not more so than he and Dave. She'd been there for him every time she'd needed him, and he for her. Now was just another one of those times. He stepped quietly into the apartment, heading for the kitchen without invitation. He knew what Emily needed.
"Coffee?" He enquired, already in the kitchen and reaching for mugs.
He registered a small groan of relief from the brunette on the sofa. "Yes please," he heard the tension ease in her voice, "God, I've missed good coffee." Aaron chuckled to himself as he prepared the hot drinks; taking special care to make Emily's exactly how he knew she liked it.
Wandering into the living area, clutching two plain mugs of coffee, Aaron was amused to find Emily curled on the sofa, her hair messy over the armrest, captivated by a rerun of one of her favourite Sci-Fi's. He was less amused to note the small hand over her dressings and the lack of her usual lightness. He missed the way she seemed to brighten a room in simple presence, and he vowed once more that she would regain her animation. Emily Prentiss would recover.
"Coffee," Aaron set down a mug in front of the agent, who he saw was still engaged in the television.
"Thanks, Hotch," Emily said, tearing her eyes from the screen and offering him a small smile. Carefully and slowly, she sat up, swinging her legs off of the sofa to make room for the Unit Chief beside her. He dropped into the sofa with care not to jolt her.
"How're you feeling?" He asked, observing her quietly.
"Just tired," Emily assured him as she cupped the mug in her thin hands. "I'm glad to be home. I'd feel even better back at the BAU."
"Prentiss – take a few weeks. It won't kill you to relax." Aaron shot the brunette one of his unblinking stares, daring her to argue. "Morgan's coming over tomorrow; I think he'll bring Reid. Who will not be bringing you files to work. And I'm sure JJ and Garcia will be over soon. Even Dave's determined to check up on you." Emily smiled weakly at this news. She missed her teammates dearly – they were her family and friends, the people she spent all day, each day in the company of. Morgan and Reid, her brothers, she could tease for hours and laugh with all day. JJ and Garcia, her sisters – the girls she turned to when she needed a chat or a gossip or a sneaky night out on town. Dave, the pillar, the listener – everyone's first call for support, including hers. And Hotch, their supervisor, the man sat beside her making sure she was okay, being her boss and friend rolled into one. She felt his hot dark eyes on her, studying her. He was an observer. She rarely saw him blink. She turned her head silently towards him, dark hair falling from her shoulder.
"Hotch, I need to ask you something." She announced, her compassionate but now serious dark eyes locking with his, his concerned gaze penetrating her soul.
"Go on," He tore his eyes from her, taking a gulp of his coffee.
"Well…" Emily trailed off, sinking back into the sofa so he had to turn his head to see her. "Are you seriously telling me that if you were wounded, you wouldn't want to be back at work the second you were on your feet?" A mischievous smile graced her lips. "Oh yes! I remember-"
"Don't even go there," Aaron fixed her in a business-like glare, immune to her impish smile (or so he pretended). Emily folded her arms across her body, mindful of her movements and desperate to betray no pain. "I'll review you in ten days," Aaron suggested, "and if I think you're ready to come back to work in two weeks, maybe three instead of the month-"
Emily beamed, and Aaron watched as it spread to her eyes. She had the uncanny ability to melt his resolve – easier said than done in the case of SSA Aaron Hotchner.
"Thanks, boss," she twinkled, and he offered a begrudging smile. He really agreed with the doctor. Just because she could work, didn't mean she should. And he'd be keeping her on desk duty as long as he could manage – although he did wonder if that would have to involve tying her to her desk in the bullpen. Once more he lamented the combination of stubbornness and intelligence, logic and charm, humour and compassion – all the things in this woman that made her so difficult on occasion, and yet so wonderful.
"Well," Aaron said, pushing himself forwards in the sofa, "I had better get home and see Jack. We've not been too busy case-wise but with one thing and another…" He trailed off, and Emily appreciated his meaning. He hadn't spent a lot of time with Jack over the last week or so, and she knew the hole in her chest was to blame. She offered him an apologetic smile.
"Good idea, Hotch," she said, "I'm fine now so please, do not worry about me." She knew him well – and she knew he'd worry regardless. "I'll call you, or Morgan, if I need to." She promised.
"Make sure you do, Prentiss." He now stood in front of her, picking the empty mugs up from the coffee table. "I'll do these on my way out, you stay put," he fixed her once more in his unblinking gaze. "If you need anything-"
"Hotch," Emily's voice hardened, "I'm fine."
They shared a final glance, two pairs of dark eyes locked together in a silent battle of wills, speaking of overriding care and friendship. They seemed to communicate almost telepathically, and in moments Aaron had torn his unfaltering gaze from his colleague and headed for the kitchen, almost missing Emily's sly smile and her cheeky glance; almost missing the tiny expression of pain in her pretty face as she moved a little in the wrong way. I'm fine, those eyes had screamed, I'm fine. Aaron only hoped that was the truth.