Ok so this is the next chapter, and it's after "52 Pickup". This is more of a team chapter than a Hotch and Emily one, but I'll probably add a few scenes at the end. Oh and JJ's on maternity leave now.
It's the end of November 2008. Emily's 38 and Hotch is 43.
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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked" – Bernard Meltzer quotes.
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The team all laughed and joked among themselves as they stood in the elevator, waiting for it to bring them to the sixth floor of the BAU, where they knew Garcia would be waiting to greet them like she always did after a case.
The case had been almost easy compared to some of the cases they'd dealt with in the past so they were all in a good enough mood to stay behind to do some of the paper work that was probably spilling off their desks by now.
Once they'd all greeted Garcia they each headed towards the coffee machine for an injection of caffeine before going to their desks and offices, throwing down their go bags and sitting in their chairs, pulling the nearest file towards them with a sigh... no matter how good their mood was they still didn't like paper work.
The minutes ticked by slowly, no one but Reid making any real progress with their work as they were all too busy continuing their messing from earlier to get any work done. Even Garcia and Rossi had come out of their offices after an hour or so, deciding to join in the fun rather than sit on their own.
Soon after the two agents joined the team, Jordan left Hotch's office and walked down to the bullpen, wanting to talk rather than work after the conversations he'd had with Hotch, which had left her in a noticeably good mood.
Hotch left right behind her to refill his coffee cup, but got a little sidetracked when Reid picked up his phone, hit speed dial and engaged in a very un-Reid like conversation.
"Hey. How you feeling?"He asked who ever was on the other line.
The team listened closely, but also trying not to make it to obvious, as he talked to the mystery person on the other end of the phone line.
"I'm glad your stay at the hospital wasn't too terrible then." Reid said again, not noticing the looks the team exchanged as he spoke.
"Didn't the last victim go to hospital?" Jordan whispered to the team as she stood at Morgan's desk, watching Reid.
"She sure did." Rossi replied with a smirk, watching Reid intently as he spoke.
"Alrighty, back to bar tending, all right." Reid said, just as a mysterious package was handed to him.
"And she was a bar tender." Morgan told the team with a sly smile.
"Morgan shush, I want to find out what the hell this is about." Emily told him.
"Well that's, um, that's very exciting news... what is the new job path?" Reid asked.
The team then watched as he began to open the package, still on the phone, and pulled out what looked like a business card... what the hell was going on?
"Yea, it uh, it is my card!" Reid said, almost laughing as he looked at the card in his hand.
The team were now completely in the dark as to what was going on... and none of them, bar maybe Hotch, liked being left in the dark when it came to gossip.
They waited another few minutes as Reid and the mystery person talked, even Hotch seeming to take an interest into whom Reid was taking to, and once he said his goodbyes and put his phone down they swarmed his desk like a hive off bees.
"Well hello there sweet cheeks." Garcia said brightly, as she sat herself down on the edge of the young genius's desk and smiled at him. "Who was that you were talking to?" She asked, skipping all small talk.
"What are you talking about?" Reid asked, pretending to play dumb.
He didn't think his plan through though, as Morgan quickly leaned over him and snatched the business card out of his hand.
"Oh look here! There's a kiss mark on the back of this!" Morgan exclaimed excitedly as Reid tried in desperation to get the card back.
"So, you going to tell us, or are we going to have to guess?" Emily asked as she stared the young man down with a sly smile.
Reid sighed... there was no point trying to hide it from them, they were the best behavioural minds in the world after all.
"Her name is Austin... she's the bar tender from Atlanta... that's all you're getting from me." He said, not looking any of the team in the eye as he spoke.
"Oh looks like Emily wasn't the only one who found love on this case." Morgan teased, referring to Viper.
This earned him death glares from both Hotch and Emily and a crimson blush from Reid, who wasn't dealing to well under the interrogation.
"So are the two of you a couple yet?" Rossi asked, deciding to steer clear of Morgan teasing Emily about Viper, especially in Hotch's presence, as he knew how uncomfortable Hotch had been about the whole situation.
"Well I'm not sure yet... she lives in Atlanta and I live in DC... it's complicated." Reid told the team.
"Wonder boy, don't be ridiculous! JJ and Will made it work, Henry being the proof of that, so don't use distance as an excuse... go for it." Garcia told him happily.
Reid looked up at his friends with a small smile on his face. He knew they were right, he was just afraid to admit it... but he knew what he had to do.
"Ok... I'll call her and ask her to come and visit this weekend, how about that?" He asked the already smiling team.
"Perfect!" Garcia squeaked, as the rest of the team nodded their heads in agreement.
~.~.~.~.~.~
Later that evening Emily stood and watched as Hotch searched his pockets for the keys to his apartment so he could let both of them in.
He'd been more quiet that usual on the short journey from the BAU and unfortunately she had a fair idea why as well.
Once they had entered the apartment and put their bags in the corner beside the door, Emily took one final look at Hotch before wordlessly leading him over to the couch and sitting him down. She then sat beside him, curling her legs under her body and moving as close as possible, before taking both his hands in her own.
"You ok?" She asked simply, knowing that if she asked him too much too soon, he'd just brush off her question and shut her out.
"Yea... fine." Hotch told her quietly, not quite making eye contact.
"Aaron," Emily said quietly, reaching up and tilting his head slightly so he was looking at her, "I know that you're not... so please just tell me."
Hotch sighed, and took Emily's hand away from his face, kissing the palm lightly before he placed it down on her knee.
"Today... when Viper was flirting with you, I... I almost lost my cool." He admitted, looking slightly ashamed.
"Sweetheart, it's ok to feel jealous every now and then." Emily informed him, smiling slightly at the fact that he was so protective of her... even if primitive behaviour would normally repel her.
"No its not... because when you were going to the club I was tempted to not let you go just so you wouldn't be around him again Emily." He said, sighing again.
"But you didn't." Emily told him. "Even though you wanted to let your heart rule your head you didn't... and that's what makes you so damn good at your job."
"It's also what made my marriage fall apart." Hotch reminded her.
"Yes it was... but the difference this time is, I know the job we have, and I'm there with you, so I know how this job makes you who you are, and changes you a little every day you do it... some days for the better, and some days for the worse, but it changes you, and no one is immune to it, but underneath it all you're still the same... it just takes a bit of digging to find that, and I'm willing to dig Aaron... if you'll let me." Emily told him, hoping that this would get rid of all his fears.
"What did I do to deserve you Emily Prentiss?" Hotch asked after a moment, a small smile on his face.
"I guess you just got lucky." She told him, before pulling him close and giving him a sound kiss.
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There we go, I was thinking that Hotch probably has some insecurity about his relationship, especially after Haley, so I thought this chapter would be the best time to resolve some of them... next chapter is "Demonology" so I'll resolve some of Emily's then. Tell me what you thought! =)