Epilogue: The World Off Your Shoulders

Emily was released from the hospital the next day and went to her apartment. Hotch drove her back, mostly silent.

"You know," she said as they neared her home. "I owe you an apology."

"What for?" "How I acted about Strauss. I know it's serious, I just want you to know we're-that I'm on your side."

"I know. I'm sorry, Emily."

"Why are you sorry?" It was an innocent question, and he answered honestly. "I yelled at you. And I don't want you to…"

"To what?" she encouraged softly.

He didn't remove his eyes from the road. "To end up hating me. Like Haley."

"Haley doesn't hate you."

"That's what it feels like, sometimes. Last weekend, I had plans to see Jack, take him to the park, throw some balls. But she had made plans, and they included Jack, so I couldn't see him. The thing with Strauss was just the icing on the cake."

"Piss on a shit cake."

"What?"

Emily shrugged. "Something a friend said, in college."

"Very apt. So I'm sorry for letting my personal life get to me at work."

"No."

"What?"

"No. Our lives and our work are intertwined. Next time you have a bad day, come see me. Or Garcia. But don't do the bottle it up thing. Nobody needs to talk you out of a well-earned shooting spree."

He actually smiled at her.

Breathe, just breathe,

Take the world off your shoulders

And put it on me.-

BREATHE

FINIS

Author's Note: Here it is, in all its….stuff. My first casefic. Thanks to Tracia and Tonnie for setting up the Fanfic Challenge, and Katie for turning me onto them and the other forums, which I kind of didn't know existed. Y'all rock.

And if you read this and don't go to forums, please pray for Angel N Darkness, who was in a car accident this week and who we've all been keeping in our prayers, along with her family.