Author's Note: Hey guys. I'd like to thank you all for the reviews, they really helped me to improve this story. I just wanted to clarify one thing. As I already said before, I'm not american, I'm brazilian, so our way of writing is diferent from what you guys are used to. We usually don't use quotations in dialogues and that's why I didn't use it here. But since you guys may having difficulty to follow the story with the dialogues I'll try to get used to it and start using them ok? As I said, your reviews help me to get this better, in every ways. Thank you for all the inputs and compliments. Here is Chapter 3!

Chapter 3

After taking a quick shower Emily put some sweatpants and a loose FBI shirt and went to the kitchen. Earlier that day she had gone to the grocery store to pick some things to supply her fridge, knowing that Hotch would need real food in his recovery and not just the take outs she was used to.

Luckily she was really good at the kitchen and actually enjoyed cooking. She picked some breast chicken to make some chicken parmesan. She also made a salad with vegetables. When she was finishing Hotch came from his bedroom.

He smelled the food from the corridor and went towards the kitchen. He stopped at the door frame and looked at her. He never thought he could connect her with domesticity but seeing her there, so comfortable and free he couldn't help but smile.

"I'd never take you as a cook Prentiss."

She startled a little with his voice. Taking a deep breathe she turned to look at him.

"You obviously don't know everything about me Hotch". She said with a small smile. "I actually like to cook. Very much. It's just that usually I don't have time or motivation to do it often. It's not very nice to cook like this just for myself."

"I understand. And I'm glad to serve for something". He replied with a tight smile. "But you don't have to bother with this every day".

"I talked to you doctor, she said you needed substance and real food. And it's not any bother. My pots and stove are happy to being used. It's almost ready, can you serve the table? I already put the plates on the bottom shelf. Forks and knives are in the top drawer."

She turned off the stove and arranged the food on platters to put on the table while he put up the plates. She brought a couple of cups and an orange juice, his favorite, and sat on the table. He served her and himself and took the first bite, failing in repress the moan at the explosion of flavors.

"Prentiss, this is incredible!"

She let out an embarrassed laugh and started to eat as well.

"Thank you. It's a family recipe. I hadn't done this for months."

"Well, it's amazing. And this salad too. Don't tell him that but it's so much better than Sean's. And he calls himself a chef."

She laughed at this, serving the juice.

"I wouldn't go that far. I'm not a professional. But thanks."

"Oh I'm telling you. Way much better". He took a sip of the juice before looking at the bottle. "This is my favorite, how did you know?"

"You said once on a case when we we're eating breakfast at the hotel". She said looking down at her food. She almost choked when she felt his hand took hers on the table. She looked at him with wide eyes and saw an odd look on his face.

"Thank you Emily. For everything. I know I've been a lot harsh with you and you don't deserve it, so I'm sorry. Thank you for going after me and finding me, and for staying with me and offering a place for me. Thank you for clean the bedroom and for the food and the juice. I really don't deserve this from you, so thank you."

After his speech Emily found some difficult to find her own voice. After a few seconds of just eye contact she blinked, squeezed his hand a little before pulling back and said.

"You don't need to thank me Hotch, that's what families do". She looked down and continued with a soft voice. "And I know things are not easy for you right now and it won't be easy for a while but you have to know that you're not alone. We're all here, ready to help you. You just have to let us."

She looked up and he held the stare for a few seconds before giving her a nod and a smile. They continued to eat with little chat about nothing important. After they finished he helped her to doing the dishes and cleaning the table. She cleared her throat and looked up at him.

"Well, I think I'm going to bed. Do you need anything else? Is everything ok with you room?"

"Yeah, everything is perfect. I'm just going to take a shower, take my pills and sleep too."

"Ok, good night Hotch". She said, leaving him at the kitchen and going towards her bedroom.

"Good night Prentiss." He said, watching her leave.

He was reading one of the books that she had left at the bedside table when he heard. A single scream coming from the room at the end of the hall. With all the strength he could find he went towards the bedroom, as fast as he could, and turned the knob to find it unlocked. Stepping in the room he found her asleep, twisted at her bed, tangled with the sheets, her brow frowned and tears escaping from her closed eyes. Little whimpers we're still heard and soft cries and unintelligible pleas. Approaching more closely he finally could understand what she was saying.

"No, no, Hotch, please. You have to wake up, please wake up."

He felt a tug on his chest. She was having a nightmare with him. He knew that it must have been hard for her to find his apartment on those conditions and then find him at the hospital. Dave had told him that they had got in right the time he was coding and had found Emily crying outside his room.

He knelt down beside her and gently started to shake her, trying to wake her.

"Emily, wake up. It's just a nightmare."

She continued to cry and plead for him to wake up, to not die on her, to not leave her.

"Emily, wake up." He said with a raised voice and a strong shake on her shoulder. She opened her eyes wide, breathing heavily, trying to control her heart race. "It's ok, it was just a dream."

Apparently she got conscious of what had happened because she straightened herself and wiped her tears, trying to regain some composure.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry, did I wake you?" She said, trying to hide the shakiness on her voice.

"No, I was reading and heard your scream. Are you sure you're ok? You're shaking."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, don't worry. It was just a dream."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'd rather not. Excuse me." She got off the bed and went to the bathroom. She looked herself in the mirror and gripped tightly the counter, controlling her breathing. She splashed cold water on her face to calm the redness of her tears. When she came back to the bedroom she found him still sitting at the end of her bed, looking at her intensely.

"What you were dreaming about Emily?"

"Hotch, I…" He interrupted her:

"Please Emily. Tell me." She looked at him, breathed heavily and sat beside him.

"You were at the hospital. And you coded. And they couldn't bring you back. I kept calling over and over but you didn't come back." She said with a watery voice, looking down.

"I'm sorry you guys have to pass through this. It was just a dream though. I'm here. They brought me back."

"Yeah, I know. I think it'll just take some time to forget the image of you in that bed, with all those nurses and doctors trying to reanimate you. Or worse, your apartment covered in blood, your blood…" She shivered a little before continue. "I'm sorry. I'm pretty sure you're not interested on listen this."

"It's ok. I understand."

"I think I'm gonna try to get some sleep again. Dreamless hopefully."

"Ok. I'll go back to my room. Good night."

"Night"

The next morning Emily woke up with a smell of coffee, bacon and eggs. She got up and freshened up at the bathroom before going towards the kitchen. She saw Hotch flipping the bacon and then cracking more eggs on a pan.

"How do you like your eggs?" His voice startled her.

"Oh, scrambled is good. You didn't have too though. You can do too much because of your stiches. Let me help you."

"After the dinner last night I thought it would be good make some breakfast. You can take care of the bacon. I think I can do the eggs well. Did you manage to sleep again?"

"A little bit". She said looking down, confirming his suspicious that she didn't sleep at all. Trying to change the subject she said. "Now I'm the one who said I didn't take you as a cook."

"I'm not. Just for breakfast. It was always my meal. Haley did everything else, but if I was home breakfast was mine."

"I see. But I still think that it would be better if you didn't force anything for a while."

"It's just coffee Prentiss. I'm not invalid." He said in a harsh tone that made her flinch.

"Ok, if you're sure. The bacon is ready. I'll set the table." She said with a small voice avoiding eye contact.

They ate breakfast in silence, both aware of the tension between them. She finished her coffee and put her cup on the sink.

"I have to go to the office for a while. You'll be ok? Do you need anything?"

"No, don't worry about me. I'll be fine." He said, being careful to not sound to sharp again.

"Ok, I'm going to get ready."

She took a bath and dressed for the day, fixing her hair and make-up before returning to the living room. He was sitting at the couch, looking comfortable, reading a book carefully.

"Feel free to look at my bookshelf and also my DVD's collection. If you want we can go to you place to pick up some of yours too."

"Thanks, but that's not necessary. I've already look at your collections and it has enough to maintain me entertained for a long time.

"Yeah, well, I'm a nerd." She said with an embarrass laugh. "I'll be home by noon, don't worry about lunch, please."

She left before he could say anything. Closing the door behind her she leaned against the wood and sighed. She felt her eyes start to sting and blink a few tears that were trying to escape. She took a deep breath and went towards the elevators. The only thing she could think of was that she really hoped that all of this mess ended up soon.

A/N: Please, let a review. Thank you for reading!