Chapter Five: Aaron Hotchner, Next of Kin

Hotch could feel the blood pumping through his veins as Agent Gibbs tore the SUV through the streets toward the hospital.

Agent Prentiss, Emily, had been so still. She hadn't resisted when they'd pulled her from under the porch, but neither had she cooperated. In fact, she hadn't done much at all. She hadn't even spoken, just moaned in pain.

Hotch hated it when a member of his team was hurt, and now his Prentiss was shot and bleeding and he didn't know how bad. Why hadn't he made sure she stayed with him? Instead he'd sent her off with Agent David because he was angry at her. Angry at her because of the man beside him.

Who was he to care that another man found Emily attractive? She was a very beautiful woman, he'd always thought so. She'd even been an attractive girl at the age of nineteen when they'd first met. When he'd been security detail for her mother.

She'd been so still. She was always so calm, cool, and steady, but not like she was today.

They pulled into the hospital parking lot, and Gibbs jerked the car to a stop. Hotch was already halfway out of the vehicle.

In less than thirty seconds he was demanding to know where they had taken Prentiss. Gibbs was fast on his heels as he nearly ran to the emergency room. When they got there, the doctors refused to tell them anything—about Emily or Ziva.

"Not good enough!" Gibbs yelled at the charge nurse, demanding a status report on the agents. The charge nurse said she'd see what she could find out and hurried away from the two imposing and angry men.

Hotch and Gibbs were still waiting when the rest of the teams arrived. Garcia was clinging to JJ's hand and Morgan rested an around the computer tech's back. Abby clung to Ducky, fear for Ziva written all over her face. She let go of the ME and ran to Gibbs and through herself into his arms.

Gibbs did his best to comfort her.

"Hotch, man, what happened out there?" Morgan asked, after guiding JJ and Garcia over to a couple of chairs. "Did you catch the UNSUB?"

"We got the man who shot Prentiss, but we're still unsure if he's the UNSUB." Hotch said, bending forward to place his elbows on his knees. "Agent McGee was having him transferred to NCIS for questioning."

"And Emily? And Officer David?"



"Back in triage. Officer David has a possible concussion. Emily's been shot in the arm. Might have hit an artery, and she'd lost a lot of blood. We're waiting for more." Gibbs said, draining his third cup of coffee.

"Oh, no. My sweet girl." Garcia sobbed, resting her face against Morgan's chest. "My sweet girl."

"Most likely, my dear girl, they'll stitch her right up and give her a nice bag of plasma to replace the lost volume. Your friend will be good as new." Ducky said, going over to the blonde tech and patting her shoulder reassuringly. "This is a good hospital, my dear. Your friend is in good hands."

"Hotch? How was she?" Rossi asked, watching his friend's face closely for a reaction. "Was she awake?"

"Yes. She was hurting, but she was awake." Hotch answered.

"That's good, that she was awake." JJ said, hands twisting in her lap. She and Emily got along so much better than she and Elle ever had, and were close friends.

"JJ. I want you and Garcia to stay here, wait for news on Prentiss. Morgan, Reid, you, Rossi and I will go back to the scene. Find out for sure if this is our UNSUB. If not, I want to know why he'd shoot at two federal agents. Agent Gibbs?" Hotchner said, abruptly standing. He couldn't just sit there and do nothing. He wanted answers, and he wanted someone to pay for what had happened to his agent.

"Tony, you get McGee and join them. Abby—I'm going to need you back on the evidence. I'll wait here, for news and to take Ziva home."

"Is that necessary, Agent Gibbs? JJ and Garcia can take your agent home." Rossi asked, puzzled why the team leader would stay with one of his agents for so minor of an injury.

"An injured Ziva is not someone you want to let loose on unsuspecting agents." Ducky said. "She could inadvertently hurt someone."

Hotchner and his team were obviously puzzled by this. The woman certainly didn't look or act all that dangerous.

"What are you all getting at?" Morgan asked, looking at that DiNozzo guy. "What's her deal?"

"Ziva's our muscle. Trained assassin and all that. She could kill someone with just a paperclip." Tony said, ribbing the other agents only a little. "Gibbs has to keep a tight rein on her, ya know. We just keep waiting for her to sna—thanks, Boss. I'm gonna go get McGee now, boss."

"Now, DiNozzo." Gibbs ordered watching Tony rub his head. The younger agent obeyed, exiting the small room.

" About Ziva, Boss," Tony said from his position just outside the waiting room door. He could see down the hallway to the curtained sections where they had wheeled the two women. He could also hear what he vaguely recognized as Hebrew curses floating down the hall. "Sounds like Ziva is throwing a Ziva fit. You might wanna get down there before she kills someone."