Episode: Compromising Positions
"He's in the middle of the bar, there's no way to take him down without risking collateral damage." Derek jogged down the stairs, shaking the SWAT agents off his flank. He had never enjoyed bodyguards.
"If we go in there he'll start shooting up the place." Emily's face was pale in the bare lighting coming from the club's neon sign. Music floated out from within the walls, distracting none of the three agents standing huddled together.
"He'll do that anyway. This guy's looking for a spark." Derek watched as Emily pulled her gear off quickly, handing it to Hotch who looked as surprised as Derek was.
"Then we need a distraction."
"What are you doing?" Hotch held the supplies as Emily huffed out an exasperated sigh.
"He's gone back to his old patterns. He wants to play the game he played with his wife." The explanation was weak, full of holes but it was the best plan they had with so little time.
"Debra Wilson played that game and it got her killed, Prentiss." Derek pleaded, hoping to sway his partner.
Emily dipped her head at Derek, cut off from saying anything by Hotch's authoritative voice.
"Alright, keep his focus off the crowd long enough for us to take him down." The slight waver in his voice barely showed the fear and teeth-grinding annoyance Hotch felt at Emily having to play undercover again.
"You guys better have my back." She scoffed, voice shaky.
"We will."
Derek dipped his head, turning to dash back up to the SWAT agents and explain their plan of attack. Hotch glanced down at the vest in his hands then back up at Emily who was staring at the club doors, mentally prepping herself.
"You know, you don't have to do this," Hotch paused a second as Emily swivelled her head, frowning at him. "Well you don't. There are other ways to get James, you know."
"Of course I know, I'm thinking of them all now," Emily returned, looking back at the building. After an awkward beat, she glanced back at Hotch whose face was creased in worry.
"But all of those would be less effective. I can handle this for as long as it'll take you guys to get in position." She smirked up at him, flashing her teeth in the pale moonlight. "Unless you'd like to seduce him?"
"Funny, Prentiss."
"I try, sir."
Hotch shook his head, folding up the vest and gun and turning to check up on Derek who was still explaining his directions.
"You'll probably go into the club in 5. Can you be ready by then?" Hotch glanced down doubtfully but seeing the look on Emily's face, his doubts disappeared, leaving him trying not to smile at the annoyed look on her face.
"I'm always ready to hit on random strangers in clubs, Hotch."
OoOoOoO
Hotch paced the club, ignoring the few woman who moved in close to him, attempting to pick him up with annoying lines and cheap perfume. Music blared, the sound in his bad ear slightly muted and fuzzy. But none of it mattered as Emily ran a hand through her hair, stepping forward and engaging James in conversation. There was no way for Hotch or Derek, who was halfway across the club, to hear what was being said, but the body language spoke for itself.
"Don't take your eyes off of her, Morgan. Don't even blink." Hotch growled into his watch, gaze never wavering from the red shirt and slight figure. A chuckle came across his earpiece along with a cheerful, "Yeah, okay, man."
Hotch paused, glancing around the corner to where Emily was, leaning casually against the bar. In any other situation he would have been almost falling over himself staring at her smile but one glance at James' stance and Derek's piercing gaze forced him to stand rigid, eyes focussed on the UNSUB and Emily as the interacted.
Across the room, however, Derek's eyes were trailing back and forth lazily between Emily and Hotch. The possessive alpha behaviours his Unit Chief were exhibiting rivalled Derek's own, something he would definitely be laughing about with Garcia later. A pang of sadness shot through him as he realised that Garcia wouldn't be able to pull JJ down to talk after the case was over. Derek sighed, toying with his straw. Guess they'd have to settle with making fun of Pretty Boy.
James stepped away, hand raised like he was getting defensive. For a moment Hotch and Derek were poised, but both calmed as they watched Emily smoothly transition him back to casual. The two men's eyes met across the room and both breathed a sigh of relief.
Suddenly, the conversation between Emily and James slowed, the man finally turning towards the agent, eyes fixated on her. His hand raised into his jacket pocket and Emily's face dropped into a frown, her body frozen in place.
"Move." The word didn't even need to be said, but Hotch felt instinct take over as he rushed forward, time slowing to a fraction of a second as his mind conjured up images of Emily being shot right before him.
For a moment everything was a whirlwind of activity, Emily's face in the center of it all, stricken by the fact that someone had just died before her very eyes. Hotch pulled her away from the club, taking her out into the night air again and waiting for her to calm down.
"You ok?" Hotch's breath puffed out in front of him, a cloud of words that floated up between him and Emily.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"
The barest trace of a smile played across Hotch's lips as he answered wryly, "Well you did just watch a man get killed."
"Yeah, but he wasn't a very nice man." Emily licked her lips, opening her eyes and looking up at Hotch who shrugged his jacket off and handed it to Emily who took it gratefully.
"He did seem to be a pretty terrible date."
"Married men usually do make the worst boyfriends, or so I've been told." Emily deadpanned as Hotch stifled a laugh, turning his head away and looking up and watching James' body be taken away.
"You know, I really don't mind cases like this very much, Hotch." Hotch turned, looking back down at Emily.
"Cases like what?"
"Just ones that involve me going undercover. I trust you and whoever else has my back. I promise I won't die on a case." A smile turned the corners of Emily's mouth and Hotch had to bite his cheek not to smile back.
"But I care. Death's always a possibility for this job."
"Which is why you should stop freaking out when I take these cases." Emily raised a challenging eyebrow and Hotch relented, dipping his head.
"As long as you try to avoid doing undercover cases."
"I will if you try and smile more often." Hotch snorted at that, rolling his eyes.
"Yeah right, Prentiss."
"One can only hope, sir."
The Writer – Ellie Goulding
