Episode: It Takes a Village
Darkness crept over the bullpen as Emily walked in. She sat down at her old desk, vacant except for a computer that had been wiped of all information. With an exhausted sigh, Emily leaned back in her chair and rubbed at her face. It had been a long day of hellos and goodbyes and she wasn't even sure where she could go to now. Hotch had called her back two days ago and for the last few nights she'd stayed at his place, sleeping in the guest room and being careful to avoid him as he worked under the guise that she was still dead.
A small part of Emily wished that everything could finally fall into place but the realistic part of her told her it would never happen. Emily tried not to think of the fact that he'd flown in to see her in the hospital before she'd "died". Hopes like that couldn't be considered.
"What are you still doing here?" Emily was shaken from her thoughts by Hotch descending the stairs from the catwalk and out of his office, striding towards her and partially engrossed in the case file he was holding.
"I wasn't sure where to go," Emily bit her lip awkwardly, feeling terrible as she watched Hotch's expression change to mentally kicking himself for forgetting that she had nowhere to stay.
"I can't believe I forgot that," Hotch hissed, tossing the case file onto the nearest desk. "You can stay at my place until you get settled I suppose."
"No, Hotch, after all you've done I can't-"
"Prentiss, I insist."
Emily's smirk glowed in the shaft of moonlight that came through the darkened bullpen windows.
"Well, if you insist..."
"I do. Now, let's go home. You have a long day of not being dead tomorrow and I wake up at 6 and get to work at 7 and don't intend on waiting for you."
Emily laughed as she followed Hotch out the doors, her mind tamping down the fact that he'd just referred to his home as their own.
OoOoOoO
Tossing down her jacket onto the sofa, Emily collapsed onto it, yawning as she did so.
"Maybe it's just because I had to get rid of my apartment but I think I already consider this place a kind of home." The words were spoken in the half-asleep state that Emily had found herself in ever since the whole Doyle adrenaline rush had ended.
"Maybe it can be," Hotch replied quietly. It took a moment for Emily to process this but when she did her eyes jerked over and met Hotch's, surprised that he had breached into the territory that they'd silently agreed not to touch until everything was smoothed over.
"Wha- what do you mean?"
"Emily, I don't think you realise what happened while you were away. For half the time I stayed in America with the BAU I was so distracted that I could barely even deliver a profile. Rossi was practically running the Unit by the time I left to go overseas to Pakistan. I had almost lost credibility as Unit Chief because I was constantly thinking about you. The only contact I had with you was through JJ and the most I heard was 'She's fine' or 'She moved'. Every day I didn't get an update from you I wondered if maybe you'd died in the field. Actually died. And if you had, what would I have said to the team? Nothing. They were already grieving you and if you'd actually died all I would be able to do would be to grieve with them. Then I moved to Pakistan and I wondered; I clung to the tiny thread of hope that with all your moving around maybe, just maybe you had come to Pakistan too. So I searched. Every day I didn't have an assignment I combed each and every shop and stall and street and alley looking for you and wondering if you'd be there too."
Hotch stuttered to a stop, his eyes falling to a small spot on the sofa that was worn through, threadbare from Jack sitting there and watching cartoons early every Saturday morning. Emily didn't speak, didn't prompt him as Hotch swallowed thickly and continued.
"And then Derek called me, told me he'd been searching and found Doyle. I called JJ after and she told me you were in Italy. I got her to call you and ever since then I've been scared. I've been scared you weren't going to come home and I've been scared you weren't going to come back to the BAU. After everything you've been through, after everything I've out you through all I have wanted to say to you is come home now." Hotch's steely gaze lifted and locked upon Emily's. Neither of them faltered as Hotch spoke, voice hardening with need.
"Come home now because I love you and there is no way in hell you're going to leave again."
There was no nervous beat, no awkward pause and no lull between the Unit Chief's harsh tone and Emily pulling Hotch into a hug. She buried her face into his neck, tears threatening to spill over his dress shirt as he pressed his face into her shoulder, lazily leaning his cheek against her neck.
"I never knew. I never knew you'd done all that." Her voice was shaky but powerful, vibrating against Hotch's skin and forcing him to answer.
"Just promise you won't leave."
"Never."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Hotch smiled against the fabric of Emily's shirt, turning his head, kisses trailing up her neck as Emily sighed gently, the feeling of being home washing over her. Hotch's lips ran up along her jawline, nose nudging her head back so he could kiss her, taking her bottom lips between his own, and relishing the fact that this, everything, was his. Forever.
"I love you too, you know." Emily's voice was silvery and soft against Hotch's mouth and he just smiled in return, taking his time with an answer.
"I know."
Giant Hands – Dog & Panther
