Finale Fix

BONUS PROMPT: Surprise (Buffy)

CHAPTER SEVEN

When He Wakes

When his eye fluttered open, he expected to see Emily. And, he liked to think, logically so. He'd spent three days in this coma – she'd explained everything to him on the second day, and the only reason he knew days had passed was because she seemed to keep him completely informed – and she'd visited every day. It was only natural that when he woke he'd find her at his bedside. She was his first thought in waking up, but she was nowhere to be found.

"Oh, thank God you're awake!"

It was a female voice, but not Emily's. "JJ?"

"Hey." Her blond head came into his blurry vision. "How are you feeling?"

They all hated to be asked that question, he knew that, but he knew she was just concerned. And probably in charge of relaying things to everyone else as soon as she got the chance. "Worse for wear," he replied.

She smiled slightly and his lip quirked up in response. That was his often non-existent sense of humour. "Pain?"

"No," he replied, groggily. He was telling the truth and it was probably the reason why he was so groggy. He swallowed, debating with himself what to ask and how to ask it. Finally, he just sighed as best he could. "Emily?"

The awareness flitted across JJ's face, but to her credit, she didn't ask questions, make a comment or anything else. "Hopefully at home. She's been here every day with you."

"I could hear her," he said, closing his eyes again.

"Doctors said you'd be able to hear when we talked to you," JJ nodded. "We sent her home to get some rest."

If JJ read anything into him asking the question, she didn't bring it up. For that, he was thankful for her tact. Well, he was always thankful for her tact, but in this situation especially. "What happened?"

"You tell us," a new voice answered from the doorway. Dave. "The only information we got was that you'd been shot."

He fought against the drugs keeping him numb to pain, trying to remember like he had in his coma. "Foyet," he said finally. Then, as if saying the word made it more real, he started to feel the concern, worry and panic settle in. "Where's Morgan?"

"With Emily," Dave replied.

JJ was already pulling out her phone. They had to make sure Morgan knew Foyet was back in DC.

"They can't be together. Separate them, Dave."

"Whoa, hold on a second and breathe. He was the only one besides Cami she agreed to let stay with her and we wanted to make sure there was someone there," JJ said, reaching out for his hand. "Everything's fine."

He certainly didn't feel that way. He didn't want Foyet getting to any of his team and Morgan was already a target. He couldn't stop the part of him that was borderline paranoid about Emily from panicking at the idea of Target Morgan being in the same place as Innocent Emily. His blurry vision settled on Dave. The elder profiler nodded, understanding. Thank God for Dave. He'd make sure Emily and Morgan were safe, of that, Hotch had absolutely no doubt. He may have started off rocky, but he was part of their family now. And if anyone knew how important it was for family to protect family, it was David Rossi.

"It's done, Hotch," Dave assured him.

Hotch missed the way JJ rolled her eyes at that, too busy being terribly relieved at the fact that he had one of his most trusted friend's assurance that both Emily and Morgan would be alright. The blond left, phone in hand, ready to make the necessary calls to the team to assure them that he was indeed okay and now awake. Dave took the seat she vacated, leaning his elbows on his knees in a way Hotch recognized.

"What is it?" he asked. It was probably a better idea to get all of this out in the open now. He had no idea what had gone on while he was out of it and though Emily had kept him appraised on everyone else, there had been nothing beyond her first confession of needing him to fight.

"We need to talk," Dave said slowly, carefully.

Hotch let his eyes fall closed for a moment, summoning every bit of concentration he had left. Dave wouldn't be doing this if there wasn't a necessity. "About what?"

"Emily."

That shot his eyes open again. "You told me she was okay."

"She is," Dave promised. He paused for a moment. "Aaron, what's going on between the two of you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hotch asked, narrowing his eyes.

Dave knew he had to choose his words carefully. He didn't want to set Hotch off, but he was looking at a situation that had the potential of dire consequences. He'd suspected for a while that things between Hotch and Emily weren't as platonic as most would believe, as they would lead others to believe. Or, at least, Emily certainly felt strongly for the man currently relegated to a hospital bed. Her reaction though this entire situation shouted, screamed, of more intense feelings.

"She's been a mess, Aaron. We've been rotating sitting with her. Cami says she's been having nightmares, can't sleep... She spends all of her time here and she's supposed to be on vacation. So I repeat, what is going on between the two of you?"

Hotch had no idea Emily had been that worried. Beyond the obvious tears he'd heard in the first couple of days, she'd just been quiet. He hadn't thought anything was out of the ordinary about that. Well, other than the fact that she was rarely quiet, but he'd been unconscious at the time and really, it was difficult to have a one-sided conversation. "Nothing."

"Liar," Dave said immediately. "There's more than 'nothing' going on between you, Hotch. Everyone knows it now."

Now? Hotch wrinkled his brow. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said, the tiredness seeping into his voice. He was, after all, still pumped up on narcotics.

"I'm talking about Emily, Aaron. I'm talking about the feelings between you and you can't tell me you're just friends. There's something more there."

"You're talking in riddles," Hotch accused, his eyes falling closed again.

Dave leaned forward. "She was devastated when the doctors said they may not have enough blood to save your life. She was broken when they couldn't find a match in the team. And when Cami offered her arm, and was a match, the relief in her body was so palpable. If you can't see how in love with you she is, then you're blind, Hotch. Completely and utterly blind."

Cami had been talking with Derek Morgan for an hour when his phone rang. Emily had finally dropped off to sleep and Cami was more than glad that her mother had finally exhausted herself enough to do so. She'd been having nightmares about the shooting for days and even though Cami was around, sleeping right next door, a different team member – minus Agent Jareau and TA Garcia – had been rotating through staying over. Part of Cami felt it was unnecessary, but now that she'd been talking to Agent Morgan – Derek, the name he insisted she call him – she understood that they were just worried. Her mother was well-loved here, there was no doubt about that, and Cami was willing to humour them.

"Hey JJ."

Cami sat up almost immediately. Agent Jareau and Agent Rossi were on rotation at the hospital, waiting to hear if Agent Hotchner would wake. By the look on Derek's face that's exactly the news Agent Jareau had passed on. A smile blossomed over the handsome man's face as he hung up the phone. "He's awake."

Cami was already half way to the stairs yelling over her shoulder, "I'll wake Mom."