Ok so this is the next chapter, and it's Demonology. Ok so even I found it hard to put a good spin on how mean Hotch was being to Emily in this episode so this is my attempt. It's after the episode.
By the was my prompt to wite this chapter was a "Winnie the Pooh" quote, lol.
It's March 2009, Emily is 38 and Hotch is 43.
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"Good relationships get in big fights over big things and little fights over little things, but great relationships get in big fights over little things and little fights over big things." – Unknown.
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After what felt like hours Emily finally made her way back to her apartment, soaked to the bone from the snow that had been falling, and with a dried blood stain under her nose from the nose bleed, but she didn't care, she'd just needed to be alone and that's what her walk through DC had given her... alone time.
She was beyond pissed at Hotch for what he'd done and she knew that once she got home he'd either have let himself into her apartment, or he'd be waiting in his car for her, so she'd needed to clear her head first... and she had a little bit.
She'd honestly thought that when he'd told her that the team would help her find who killed Matthew that he was willing to pull down the professional barriers that they'd both agreed to put up after the Viper case... but apparently even though he knew all about Matthew and her past, he wasn't willing to do that for her.
She didn't expect him to understand how she was feeling, but she did expect him to know that shouting at her and treating her like a child wouldn't help... obviously even the great Aaron Hotchner got it wrong sometimes.
Once she got to her apartment she seen that the door had already been unlocked so she put her key back in her pocket, knowing he was already inside and waiting for her.
Once she got in she walked straight to the kitchen and began to make hot chocolate, completely ignoring Hotch, who was sitting on her couch staring at her, as she wasn't quite ready to talk to him yet.
She stood in her kitchen once her hot chocolate was made, not really feeling like drinking it, but not really wanting to talk either. She turned suddenly however, when she felt Hotch's presence behind her.
"Emily, I'm so, so sorry." He told her, looking deep into her eyes and placing his hands on her upper arms.
"I don't want to talk to you right now." Emily informed him with a slight crack in her voice, as she pulled away from his arms and walked over to her couch.
Hotch followed her however and sat beside her, though at enough distance as they weren't actually touching.
"Emily are you ok." He asked the second he seen the blood stain on her face, automatically reaching his hand up to touch it.
"I'm fine." Emily snapped back, swatting his hand away with her own and reaching up to try and rub the dried blood away herself. "It's just a nose bleed." She added, once she saw the worry in his eyes.
"Emily I honestly am sorry for how I treated you... I just... I didn't like seeing you like that." He told her, wishing that he could find the words to tell her what he meant.
"Oh yea, this case must have been so tough on you." Emily spat sarcastically.
They sat in silence then, Hotch trying to decide what to say, and Emily wanting to go back in time and change the last couple of days.
"Emily," Hotch started finally, "when I saw you standing in my office looking like a drown rat, a little part of me died because I knew you were hurting, and when you told me about Matthew... I made a vow that I'd do anything I could to help you get through it."
"Oh well you kept that promise." Emily muttered sarcastically.
"I know it may not seem like I was on your side, but I was... I had to make sure that you didn't do something that would ruin your career, because from what I've heard, Matthew wouldn't want you to ruin your life over him." Hotch told her, seeing tears form in Emily's eye as he spoke. "And it's not like I left you high and dry... it was me who told Dave to talk to you... I knew he wouldn't push you to tell if you weren't ready and that he wouldn't judge you if you did... I'm just sorry it wasn't me who could do all that instead." He told her, hoping she'd understand.
Emily sniffled a little after hearing this, and Hotch wiped a tear from her face while he waited for her reply.
"I know you only had my best interests at heart." She told him once she'd composed herself. "I just wish it was you I'd talked to and not Dave... I mean he's one of my closest friends, but it was you I needed." She told him sadly.
"I know Emily... and I am truly sorry I wasn't there for you, can you forgive me?" He asked, still a little uncertain as to whether or not he'd done enough.
"Yea, I think I can... just promise you'll never freeze me out like that again... with everything else that was going on I could have done without that." She told him.
"Never again... I promise." Hotch told her, as he took her hands in his own and gave them a small squeeze. "Though now that I am in loving boyfriend mode again, do you want to talk?" He asked her, knowing that she probably hadn't fully vented with Dave.
"I don't know." She told him truthfully. "I mean I thought I'd dealt with my past... but seeing Matthew, lying on that slab, and meeting John again, it made me realise how much of my past I've been hiding from, and how scared I've been of it." She whispered.
"Hey!" Hotch exclaimed, "You, Emily Prentiss, are one of the bravest people I know." He told her truthfully.
"You have to say that, you're my boyfriend." She said with a small laugh.
Hotch sighed, one of the few flaws Emily had was her low self esteem... it was a well hidden flaw, but a flaw none the less... and it was probably to do with her childhood, but whatever it was it sometimes annoyed Hotch when she put herself down like that.
"Emily, Promise me you'll always remember one thing;" He said as he pulled her closer to him, placing her hands on his heart. "You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." He told her, watching as a small smile crept over her face.
"Christopher Robin said that too Pooh." She laughed after a moment. "You're not the only one who reads to Jack you know." She added.
"Well I don't care who said it, they make a good point, because Emily you are one hundred times greater than you think you are." Hotch told her with a faint smile.
Once he said this, the smile fell off Emily's face and more tears swelled in her eyes.
"You know I think you're the sweetest man I've ever had the fortune of falling in love with." She told him sincerely.
"Good, because you're the greatest woman I've ever fallen in love with." He replied, before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a warm hug, placing soft kisses in her hair.
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Done... this was quite a depressing chapter, but don't worry, the next one will make up for it! Ok I also realised I didn't mention how Reid and Austin were getting on in this chapter, but it didn't seem suitable, so I'm going to mention it in the next chapter as well. Tell me your thoughts! =)
