Lean On Me
Disclaimer: CBS owns Criminal Minds...
Summary: While in couples counseling, Hotch and Emily take a trip down memory lane...
A/N: Here's another little chapter in this series, enjoy.
Thanks as always for reading, don't forget to review.
"We do not remember days; we remember moments." Cesare Pavese
"So what brings you two here today?" Dr. Williams asked the dark-haired couple.
"Well," Emily sighed picking at her nails, "We've been sort of fighting a lot lately."
"Anything in particular?" Dr. Williams asked "Or is it a lot of little things?"
"I asked her to marry me," Hotch answered folding his arms in a defensive manner, "And she said she didn't think she could do the engaged thing again."
"So Emily you were engaged before?" the doctor asked looking down at his notepad.
"Yeah" Emily scoffed lightly smoothing down the back of her hair, "That really didn't pan out."
Hotch looked over at Emily with a raised eyebrow while that moment flashed before her eyes.
"Well there's something I want to tell you." Ian Doyle murmured lightly.
"Ok." Emily said lightly watching as Doyle pulled something out from his light brown jacket.
"I was going to get you the ring," Ian chuckled lightly, lifting the Gimmel rings for her to see "But you said you're not the marrying type."
A smile graced her face, "It's... it's beautiful."
"Look at me," Doyle admitted, "I am Valhalla. No idea the type of life we're going to have but I just want you in mine."
"Well it seemed to have made a lasting impact on your life," the doctor observed, "Lucky for you that it didn't work out."
"Lucky for all of us," Hotch muttered folding his arms across his chest "She was engaged to a terrorist."
The doctor shot Emily a look of shock which made the brunette roll her dark eyes at the two men, annoyed that her history was being dragged up again.
"As part of an Interpol mission." Emily informed her doctor folding her arms in annoyance, "Next question, please."
"Do you two realize how similar you both are?" Dr. Williams commented observing the couples mannerisms.
"What?" Emily asked with a raised eyebrow.
Pointing to their crossed arms, both looked over at the other, quickly unfolding their arms in embarrassment.
"Is this unusual in your relationship?" Dr. Williams asked "The fighting?"
"No" Hotch replied, while Emily answered, "Yes."
Both look over at each other, while Emily gave him a look.
"We just reunited from a lengthy separation," Hotch said wording himself carefully, "After a year of hell."
"Tell me about it," Emily muttered, taking a deep breath.
"You separated?" Dr. Williams asked "Why?"
"Not by choice." Emily said seeing Hotch look distant for a moment.
"She never made it off the table." JJ said with tears in her eyes.
Reid quickly gets up, trying to walk past the blonde hoping to leave the silent and eerie waiting room.
"Spence," JJ softly murmured.
"I didn't get a chance to say goodbye." Reid achingly whispered.
"I don't want to think about that," Emily emphatically replied, biting the inside of her cheek, her gaze falling upon the wall next to her with plaques and medical school diplomas.
"Aaron, I see from the questionnaire that you filled out, you were once married before," Dr Williams said, "Do you believe that your divorce have anything to Emily's turning down your proposal?"
Hotch sighed as he remembered coming home to an empty house.
"Haley?" Hotch called out.
"No," Emily said "That has nothing to do with it."
Hotch looked over at her relieved.
"Maybe it would be better if we start at the beginning. When you first met?" Dr. Williams said "You had come in for a position on his team?"
"Agent Hotchner?" Emily said smiling as she struggled to carry her box.
"Yes?" Hotch said, standing up as she placed the box in the visitor's chair.
"Agent Emily Prentiss," the brunette smiled, extending her hand for a handshake.
"How do you do." Hotch greeted the younger woman, "Oh, you're uh, Ambassador Prentiss' daughter, right? I did security clearances for your mother's staff. One of my first commands. I believe you were off to Brown at the time."
"Actually it was Yale." Emily corrected him with a smile.
"Ah." Hotch said.
"I've been in the Bureau almost ten years now." Emily replied.
"Don't tell me it's been that long." Hotch said.
Emily lightly laughed "Apparently sir. But I've worked mostly in the Midwest, St. Louis, Chicago."
Hotch nodded, "Are your parents well?"
"Yeah, yeah" she answered politely, "They're great."
Nodding, "What can I do for you?"
"Uh, well I was wondering if you could tell me where to put my stuff?" Emily said.
"Sorry?" Hotch asked, confused.
Looking confused herself, Emily opens up the box lid, "I'm suppose to start here today, at the BAU." Emily handed him the paper work.
Hotch's pleasant demeanor immediately dropped, "There's been a mistake."
"I don't think so, sir." Emily answered, confused by the cool attitude,
"There's definitely been a mistake." Hotch replied looking at the paperwork.
Hotch looked over to see Emily biting the inside of her cheek while she picked at her nail.
"Can we speed this along?" Hotch said feeling guilt "Skip over the childhood part and go straight to what's wrong
with us?"
Dr. Williams sighed as he nodded, "So you told me how you first met. Now how about the first time you felt something change
in your partnership."
"How so?" Emily asked.
"When you noticed that you were more worried than the average co-worker?" Dr. Williams asked "Do you have any of those memories?"
"A few." Hotch replied looking over at Emily.
Hotch walked over to the back of the ambulance seeing Emily's head covered in blood.
"How's your head?" Hotch asked seeing the paramedic clean her up.
"I'll live." Emily said looking up at him "Is it weird I'm glad to be back?"
"I'll make sure it stays official." Hotch replied walking away.
"Do you have any kind of those memories Emily?" Dr. Williams asked looking over at the brunette.
Emily knocked on Hotch's apartment door waiting for him to answer.
"Hotch? It's me, Emily." Emily said.
Pulling out her cell phone she dialed his number, only to hear the ringing coming from inside.
Pushing at the door, she pulled out her gun and went inside to see he had arrived home seeing his keys and briefcase.
Shocked raced through her when she saw the bullet hole and blood on the carpet.
"Yeah," Emily said coming out of that memory, "I have some unforgettable memories."
Seeing that look on her face pulled Hotch into another memory.
A soaking wet Emily walked into Hotch's office as he turned around and saw her.
"What's wrong?" Hotch asked, his heart immediately concerned for his agent.
"I just found out that..." Emily said, trying to maintain composure, "An old friend of mine died."
"I'm sorry." Hotch told her, "Do you need to take some time?"
"Um..." Emily said voice wavering "There's a chance he could have been murdered and there maybe a second case."
"What do you need?" Hotch asked lightly.
"Just some leeway to check it out." Emily said.
"Of course." Hotch said "Anything."
"Thank you." Emily said turning to leave the office.
"Emily, if you want to take a few days and let us check into it..." Hotch said.
"Matthew was..." Emily said sighing "Incredibly messed up and I hadn't seen him in a long time but he was important to me."
"Then let us help." Hotch said.
Emily nodded and whispered "Thank you."
"You two obviously love each other very much." Dr. Williams said, "The temper thing worries me though."
"I try to control my temper at times." Hotch said "It's not easy."
Hotch punched the dead corpse of Foyet, flashing back to Haley's face, Jack's and his stabbing.
"Hotch, Hotch!" Morgan screamed out "He's dead. Hotch stop, come on. It's over. It's over, it's over. It's ok."
Hotch sobbed in Morgan's arms.
"Actually I was referring to Emily's temper." Dr. Williams said.
"I do not." Emily exclaimed.
"Oh no?" Hotch said lightly.
Emily elbowed Doyle in the gut, taking her cuffed hands over his neck and strangling him.
"I beat you Ian. Before you even got out of North Korea, I beat you. Because I gave Declan his life back." Emily said bringing him to his knees as she strangled him.
"I'll find him." Doyle grunted.
"No you won't," Emily said panting as she strangled him "Ever since you told me my people had Fahey I've been stalling
you."
As the lights were cut, Emily and Doyle struggled but she picked up a piece of wood, beating him repeatedly in the face. After the wood split in two Doyle stabbed her in the abdomen.
Wincing at that memory, Emily said, "So maybe I do have a temper."
"It's not like I don't have one either," Hotch replied "But that's not our biggest problem."
"Do you have regrets?" Dr. Williams asked looking at the two "Of being together?"
"I regret so much." Hotch said looking over at Emily, "But I never regretted loving you."
"I love you." Emily said "Despite my flaws, which I don't have many of..." Emily chuckled "I never stopped loving you."
Dr. Williams smiled, "Now this is progress. Working through deep-seated issues."
"Thank you, doctor." Emily said looking down to see Hotch interlock their fingers "Guess we just needed to be reminded
of all the memories, good and bad."
"Is there any specific memory that holds dear to you?" Dr. Williams asked.
"One." Emily said smirking as she looked down at their hands.
"Hotch" Morgan called out, "Brantley said you took him down solo."
"He wasn't far behind me." Hotch commented.
"You know you should have waited for back up." Morgan said.
"Would you have?" Hotch asked.
Morgan looked over at the unsub in the back of the squad car then walked away.
"What?" Hotch said coyly as he walked away.
"Nothing." Emily said impressed.
Hotch looked over seeing her stare at their connected hands and he remembered a certain memory, one that helped him.
Walking into his apartment Hotch flicked on the light, dropping his go bag and briefcase.
"You didn't have to walk me up here, you know." Hotch said walking over to set the alarm.
"I know" Emily said closing the door, "So do you think Call's going to be ok?"
"I don't know." Hotch said turning around to look at her.
"He got his answers" Emily said "He killed the man who haunted him."
"Then what else is there?" Hotch asked.
"Years of tortures." Emily said.
"Think he'll get over that?" Hotch asked.
"How could he?" Emily asked "But at least he doesn't have to feel like he's alone anymore."
"He doesn't have anyone." Hotch said.
"He has Tommy." Emily reminded him "He's not alone."
Turning to walk out the door, "Get some sleep." Emily told him.
"You too." Hotch said walking to close and lock the door, returning to his alarm system.
"Sounds like you two are on the path to a great life" Dr. Williams said observing the two "Remember after everything you both had been through individually it's a wonder you both came out whole."
Emily turned and looked at Hotch, "I love you, Aaron."
"Emily, I want to ask you something" Hotch said seeing the look on her face, "Will you marry me?"
Emily smiled, "Yes."
Hotch scooted over to Emily and kissed her, both pulled apart hearing the doctor clear his throat.
"Sorry." Hotch said "Bet you don't see this kind of thing in your office."
"No" Dr. Williams said smiling, "But I do enjoy seeing happy endings."
Looking at the clock, "We still have time left on our session" Emily observed when Hotch pulled her towards the door.
"Charge it to our bill." Hotch shouted over his shoulder "I need to get that ring."
Dr. Williams picked up his pen, shaking his head he wrote 'crazy couple but perfect for each other'.
Oscar Wilde said, "Memory... is the diary that we all carry about with us."
The End
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