Heal Me

Sometimes, to fix the broken, you have to break the rules.

. . .

Chapter 13

She was dreaming. A swirling of colours and light, sound echoing strangely. It was as if she was floating underwater and couldn't quite reach what she was hearing. Emily stretched out her arm and broke through the dream, pulling her into the events she was replaying in her subconscious. Hold on and don't let go.

She was sitting in Hotch's apartment, furious and pacing. He merely stood there, still in his work suit and a defiant grimace set across his face. Emily could see the drink clasped firmly in her grip, knuckles white. Scotch and coke, two ice cubes. The dream Emily threw out a sigh, mixed with a snarl and turned viciously on Hotch.

"What are you saying?" she demanded.

"He's a risk Emily" Hotch mediated. "A player!"

Emily almost whimpered. "So you think I don't have a chance" she snapped.

"No!" he retorted. "It's not that Em! You have every chance in the world; I just don't want to see you get hurt by someone like Dave"

"Someone like Dave?"

"A womaniser. He's pretty much the reason why fraternisation rules were created Emily" Hotch muttered angrily, standing forcefully and beginning his own pacing.

"What's the harm in me taking a chance Aaron!"

"Your career maybe!" Hotch sniped. "You don't know what you're getting into Emily!"

"Let me decide that!" she shouted.

The dream changed, she could hear Hotch's voice echoing the same words over and over again and it made more sense now. He had cared for her. You have every chance in the world. Why hadn't she seen it earlier? What was going on now? Voices swirled in her head, she recognised the deep timbre of Dave's voice and she fumbled, reaching through her haze, desperate to reach him. The lights swirled and the scene changed as Emily shook her head, blinking as she focused her mind on what was happening.

She was sitting in the SUV with Dave, stuck at the traffic lights that seemed to have been red forever. She drummed her fingers restlessly on the dashboard and tried not to stare at the Italian seated a mere few feet from where she sat. His frustration at the traffic seemed to be increasing rapidly with each passing minute. Finally Emily sighed in exasperation and turned her gaze on him.

"Getting angry at the poor defenceless traffic light isn't going to make it work any faster Rossi" she reminded him.

Rossi tossed her a grimace. "Certainly true" he said as his mobile beeped. After glancing at the screen he groaned. "That was Morgan. There's been an accident up ahead so it looks like you and I are stuck here until it's cleared"

"Bloody hell" Emily swore, letting her head fall back onto the leather head-rest. "How are we going to pass the time now?"

Rossi laughed a deep rumble in his throat that made Emily all tingly. "So Emily, you seeing anyone?" he asked, mock serious.

She giggled. "You think I have time to meet decent men with our work schedule? You're either joking or seriously drunk to consider that idea" she teased.

Rossi shrugged. "I'm sure I could set you up with a friend"

"Oh hell no! Last time I got set up was by Morgan and that was enough to put me off blind dates for the rest of my life thank you very much!"

"It was that bad?" Rossi chuckled.

"You have no idea man" Emily muttered darkly, picturing in her mind the exact verbal lashing she had delivered to Morgan.

"Alright then. Profile me Prentiss" Rossi challenged. She looked up at him, surprised. "I dare you"

The challenge had been set. Emily cocked an eyebrow at Rossi, who smirked at her. Was she really game enough to profile the Godfather of profiling? Well, she wasn't known for being shy and demure or backing away from a challenge.

"Alright, you're so on" she shot at him. She paused, raking her eyes over his body. "Italian. I'd say you're a bit of neat freak because all your clothes are always immaculate. You prefer to write with an ink pen, I know because you've got a few ink spots on your fingers"

If she was right Rossi gave no indication. "Go on" he said.

She paused, wondering if she should say what was on her mind. Emily swallowed and then said; "Womaniser, difficulty with commitment. Am I right?"

That got his attention. His head snapped up and he met her eyes fiercely before sighing. "I've never been given the right chance to prove otherwise" he said slowly.

And that was the end of that.

. . . .

Rossi slipped back into Emily's room, clean shaven and sporting clean clothes. After much tense arguing he had allowed his fiancé to let Hotch drive him back to his apartment for clean clothes. Really he shouldn't have left Emily's side but once those two worked together there was no stopping them. Both as stubborn as mules the pair of them. Rossi shook his head ruefully, and ran his fingers through his hair. A smile tugged at his lips as he took her in, sleeping peacefully in the bed. His beautiful fiancé. She stirred, sensing his presence and grinned at him when she came to. He crossed the room in several strides, pressing his lips to hers.

"Missed me that much?" she teased, winking at him.

"I'm not going to waste time" Rossi replied, smiling gently. "I'm going to enjoy you as long as possible"

Emily cocked her head. "You know I think by the Bible's standards we did everything out of order" she mused. "Sex first then engagement. Not that I'm complaining – that first night was amazing"

Rossi nearly flushed as heat rushed to the lower parts of his body. "Careful Em" he growled. "You don't want me to get heated up before you're fully healed"

She burst into seductive laughter. "Dave" she purred. "I've been cooped up in a hospital bed for near on a week. I've been away from you for longer; don't I deserve a little fun?"

"You're playin' with fire here bella" Rossi's voice had turned husky.

"Maybe I know I won't get burned"

"Didn't need to hear that part of the conversation" a musical voice laughed.

Rossi looked up, and saw JJ there with Henry in her arms and Will ever present at her side. The blonde was smiling and then passed Henry onto Will, whose face was alit with a Cajun grin.

"Jayje!" Emily greeted enthusiastically before frowning. "How much did you two hear?"

Will chuckled. "Enough" he replied. "I think my son has been scarred for life"

JJ rolled her eyes and moved to stand next to the bed. Emily nudged Rossi. "Move" she instructed.

"What?"

"You're going to let a pregnant woman stand whilst you sit? Have you no shame?" JJ teased lightly.

Pregnant woman? Rossi's eyes bugged and he leapt from his chair, wrapping his arms around JJ. "Congratulations Jen" he said before shaking Will's hand. "You must be thrilled"

"Sure are" Will said. "We're going to be the perfect family"

"Will's going to be a stay at home dad" JJ explained, looking glowingly at her fiancé.

"That's great" Emily enthused but Rossi didn't miss the downcast look in her eyes. He remembered how much she regretted getting that abortion and tensed ever so slightly but plastered a reassuring smile onto his face.

"Hey what's that?" JJ asked, catching the glint on Emily's finger.

"Nothing" Rossi said quickly. He wasn't ashamed, but he wanted Emily to tell them. It wasn't his place.

Emily cast him a quick glance and he inclined his head, trying to convey his message without speaking. She must have understood because her face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Dave proposed" she announced.

JJ's mouth fell open and Will let out a hoot of delight, before clapping Rossi on the back. Henry giggled at the expression on his father's face. JJ recovered herself and threw her arms around Emily. Rossi smiled, watching Emily look so at ease with her friend and felt so thankful to have her in his life once again. When JJ pulled away he saw the wicked gleam in his eye.

"Em that's great news!" JJ exclaimed. "Wait till Garcia hears! She's going to be planning your wedding faster than you can say Unsub"

Rossi felt himself pale against his dark business shirt. "Christ" he swore and Will chuckled.

"Easy man, she's already called dibs on plannin' ours" he said, shaking his head. "I don't think hurricane force winds could force to change her mind"

"Hey!" Emily jumped in. "It's my wedding and I can be as stubborn as a mule, just let her try and plan my wedding and see how far she gets"

Rossi almost keeled over at the determined gleam in his fiancé's eye and pulled nervously at his collar. Henry waved his hands about in the air and Rossi caught the gaze of the young child, fighting the grin but giving in at the last moment. He was growing up to look so much like Will but the eyes were all JJ's. Will leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"I'd be watching your back now if I was you man" he told him. "Women go crazy when it comes to weddings"

He couldn't stop the laughter from bubbling out of him, relief and humour all rolled into one deep chuckle that had only been brought to surface by the woman currently lying in a hospital bed. Will was looking at him like he'd swallowed some kind of drug and JJ cocked one eyebrow his way, before turning her questioning gaze on her other half. Emily on the other hand giggled before adding her bit;

"What's so funny? I'm not that crazy am I?" she asked, shaking a finger in his direction.

"It's not that mia angelo" Rossi gasped out finally. "I just never thought I'd be worried about how crazy you're going to get over our impending wedding"

"Pardon?"

"The only thing I have to concern myself with is reminding you that you'll look beautiful no matter what and convincing you what sort of wedding cake we'll have" Rossi chuckled.

JJ caught the laughter and was laughing so hard tears were rolling down her cheeks. Emily just rolled her eyes at Rossi before folding her arms across her chest and sticking her tongue out at him. Will simply had a bemused look on his face as he rocked Henry. Rossi couldn't stop the grin on his face as he shot Emily another wink followed by a half shrug.

"You are so dead when I find myself able to move again" Emily chastised.

"I look forward to it" Rossi teased, moving forward and dropping a kiss onto her temple.

. . .

Nurse Jillian was completing some paperwork when someone slipped a piece of paper under her nose. She jumped in fright and looked up into the face of a bird like woman with pinched cheeks. Her hair, though brunette, was going grey in places and all in all she looked to be a very severe woman. Jillian cleared her throat before asking, hoping that she wouldn't get sent to detention or something;

"May I help you ma'am?"

"I'm here to see Emily Prentiss" the woman said crisply, drawing herself up.

Jillian sighed and got to her feet. There had been a steady flow of people all day for Emily and she wondered if the people she had spoken of before had forgiven her. She hoped so, for Jillian quite liked the quiet FBI agent. She gave the woman a pen and gestured to the sign-in sheet.

"Sign there" she gestured vaguely. "May I ask, what is your relationship to Ms Prentiss?"

The woman signed with a snap before arching one perfect eyebrow. "I am her mother" she said shortly.

"Elizabeth?" came a worn voice. Jillian peered around the woman to lock eyes with a broad shouldered man who had a full head of pale brown hair.

"Oh wonderful" Elizabeth muttered. "Michael, I see you've decided to grace our daughter with your presence"

Our daughter? That must mean that this Michael was Emily's father. Jillian had to admit, the agent's family unit was clearly very dysfunctional.

"Come now Elizabeth, I know more of what our daughter went through over the past year than you ever will" Michael said airily, scrawling his name on the sign-in page.

"Just because you and Emily have a special bond of sorts that does not give you cause to turn my daughter against me"

"Hey now" he snapped. "You did a brilliant job of that all by yourself – didn't need my help to stuff it up further"

"I don't want to speak to you" Elizabeth said icily, turning towards the hall. "Perhaps you will leave me and Emily to talk in private. I daresay she doesn't need to be upset further than she already is"

"You can't keep me from seeing her Elizabeth" Michael growled, following her.

"Watch me!"

Jillian pulled nervously at her collar. This was Agent Prentiss' family? Well then, she felt even more pity for the slender woman. Clearly her mother wasn't exactly the endearing type and her father loved picking fights. She grabbed the phone, dialling for the nurse on duty in Emily's ward. They were going to need a bit of a heads up for this one she gathered. Jillian thanked heaven and earth that she wasn't down there right now. Maybe she should have confiscated the guns off all the FBI agents down there.

. . .

Author Note:
Chapter done! Wow, that took longer than I planned. Oh well, it's here and I hope you like it! :)
Emily's parents, yikes! I'd be worried too! There's a bit more here than meets the eye, so you'll have to wait till the next update to see where all this goes!
EDIT:
Holy guacamole! To the beautiful person who nominated me for the Profilers Choice Awards I am so eternally blessed and grateful! That's right! For those of you who don't know, Heal Me was nominated for the best Rossi/Prentiss fic for the Profiler's Choice Awards! Please, if you like the story go to Chit Chat on Author's Corner forum and follow the instructions on how to vote! Again, whoever nominated me I hereby dedicate this chapter to you! I am so blessed to have wonderful reviewers such as you!
Rusty
xxxx