A/N: Hey, I'm back! I know I normally post everyday but with the semester starting over here I had a lot of work to do and the updates will take a little longer. I'll try to keep posting every two or three days. But I promise I'm not going to abandon this fic. This is the morning after they discussion, with Hotch trying to do some amends. We have a little drama with a lot of Hotch's pov. Hope you guys like it! Next chapter he'll be back to work.

Disclaimer on Chapter 1.

Chapter 7

The next morning Emily woke up by 6 with a smell of coffee with pancakes. She got off the bed and went to her bathroom to brush her hair and teeth. Arriving the kitchen, she found Hotch finishing breakfast, already showered and dressed in jeans and a blue t-shirt. She breathed heavily and closed her eyes. After her outburst yesterday how they were going to act? She knew she said some things that should never be said to her boss. But at the moment she only saw red. She was so mad and frustrated that the words just came out without her allow it.

And now there was this awkward environment and she didn't know how to react.

He sensed her presence at the doorway and took a deep breath and turned to greet her. He knew he had to change his behavior towards her and he was going to start now.

"Good morning. I made breakfast." He put the pancakes at the table and served the coffee. He saw how uncomfortable she was and chose to go with a neutral ground before touch the last night's discussion. "I had to go to the hospital today, to remove my stiches."

"Thank you." She said taking a pancake and a cup of coffee. "Yeah, I know. I already spoke to Dave yesterday; he gave me the day off to go with you".

Another slap on his face. God, why he had to be such an asshole? "Thank you Emily". He said with a sigh.

"No problem. We can go to your place to pick some clothes too. I did the laundry but Dave only sent sweatpants and t-shirts and these jeans you are wearing. You may want pick some more now that the stiches will be off and when you'll be cleared to drive". At each word he felt his chest contracting and tightening. She was killing him! "And I also saw that your toiletries are ending and we could stop to buy some too…"

"Emily…" She stopped and looked at him. He sighed, stood up and knelt in front of her, taking both of her hands in his. "Emily, I wanted to thank you. For everything you said to me last night."

"No, Hotch. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything to you. I have no right to judge you…" He interrupted her before she continued.

"Yes you should and yes you have. You made me realize what an ass I have been these weeks and I needed that. You were right. You are right. I need to stop staying at home, catatonic, without doing anything to find Foyet. I didn't even know you guys were working on him and I can't begin to tell you how much this means to me. And you were right when you said I wasn't acting like myself. I let him affect me and get inside of me, change me. And you, by just being beside me every day took the most of it. So, I'm sorry again. For everything I said to you. And thank you for making me see this, for not giving up on me. I certainly don't deserve but thank you".

"Yes, you deserve it. Like I said last night, you were just not being you. But you deserve it. And none of us are going to leave you. I'm not going to leave you."

He looked at her intensely and gave her a small smile. She reciprocated and squeezed his hand. "Thank you Emily. And I'm back."

"I'm glad. Now let's finish breakfast so we can leave." He nodded and surprised her by giving her a light kiss on the forehead.

"Yeah, let's hurry up". He said with a smile. The first step was done and he had high hopes that things would get a little better from now on.

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After Hotch removed the stiches and did some tests the doctor said he should stay another ten days out of work before return, first just on the office or in the precinct if they were on a case and then, after another ten days, do another tests to clear him for full job.

They went to his apartment to get a new bag with clothes and some of this other things and then stopped to buy his toiletries, food and other things to the house. They decided to have lunch at a small restaurant nearby her apartment and spent all the time talking about work, what they found about Foyet's profile and other little things about themselves.

At the end of the day they were both at the living room, eating Chinese they had ordered and watching some old movie on TV when Hotch looked at Emily. She was laughing at something the characters had said on the movie, her eyes were sparkling and he couldn't help but stare her. God, she was beautiful. He turned to the TV again, to avoid being caught by her.

He thought about their day, how she had helped him at the hospital and everything. They really had a good day and things seemed to be changed. She still appeared to not trust him one hundred percent. Or at least not trust the he wasn't going to slash at her anytime. But he knew they had moved thing forward and he was determined to keep moving things on this direction.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Two days before Hotch be able to return to the office he was sitting at the couch, looking through some files of Foyet's case that Emily had brought to him. He was waiting her for dinner. With the team getting back to normal routine Emily spent the whole day at the office, leaving food precooked on the fridge for him and managing to go home for lunch sometimes.

He heard the key on the lock on the front door and smiled. She had managed to get home early that day.

"Hey, I'm home."

"Hey. You're early…" He said, looking at his watch.

"Yeah. I just came to get my go bag. We have a case in Texas and we're leaving in one hour."

"Oh…" He said. She knew that he was upset to be let behind on a case.

"Just one more case. Then you can come back to work and I won't be leaving without you".

"What is the case?"

"Three bodies were found with their arms and legs broken and a burn mark at the left cheek. They were found within 2 weeks of difference and a woman is missing since yesterday. She fits the victimology." She said while packing her bag. He stood at the doorframe of her bedroom looking at her.

"And what it's the victimology?" She looked at him with an exasperated face. "C'mon, it's not like I'll be helping with something. I'm just curious. And I'm almost cleared to work".

"Fine. All brunettes, pretty, at their late thirties and early forties, fair skin, brown eyes and fit."

Uh. He looked at her with a frowny face. "So, they're basically you?"

"What?" She looked at him, confused.

"Like you said, brunette, pretty, fair skin, brown eyes, in good shape, you're describing yourself Emily".

She seemed to think for a while and then sighed. "Yeah, ok. But that means nothing. We all fit the victimology once in a while." She said getting her bag and passing through him out of the bedroom. "Anyway, I have to go. There is still food at the fridge and I did the laundry and changed your sheets yesterday so it'll not be a problem. The way he is leaving leads behind I think we won't take too much time to get him so I'll be home soon, ok?" She said at the front door turning to look at him.

He approached her and put a hand on her elbow holding her in place. "Please be careful Emily. I do not like this case with you so close to the victims."

"I'll be fine, I promise." She assured him. He gave her a nod and pulled her into a hug. They didn't were touchy usually but since his apology he made sure that there were a few hugs and holding hands, even a couple of kisses on her forehead. He released her and she gave him a smile before leave. He stood a few moments looking at the closed door, wishing more than ever that he would be with her on this case. He could only hope that she would come back home at one piece.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

It took them three days to catch the unsub. Three days, a concussion and a cut on the forehead to Emily. As she approached her front door she took a deep breath. He is going to freak out.

She entered the apartment and heard the sound of the TV on her living room. He was watching the news and greeted her without turn around.

"Hey, you're home. How was the case?" He put the TV on mute and got up to look at her. When he saw her with a bandage on the head his eyes widened and he asked worried. "What a hell happened to you?"

She winced before answer. "Well, we had apprehended the bastard and I said that I should do the interrogation because I had more chances to break him. And I did. But he was so pissed that he managed free himself and push my head at the table before Morgan got in to stop him".

"Shit! Are you ok? Did it take stiches?" He said taking her face in his hands to look at her wound.

"No, no, just a slight concussion and a headache".

"Damnit Emily. I told you to be careful". He said with a huff and put her into his arms. "You have to wake up every two hours?"

"I know. I'm sorry. Yeah, the paramedics said that I shouldn't be alone."

"Well, you're not. I'll wake you up".

"There is no need Hotch. You know they say those things but we never follow."

"I don't care. I'll wake you up every two hours." He said leaving no room for arguments. "Did you eat something?"

"No, I'm not really hungry."

"But you have to eat. You go take a nice bath and I'll do some blueberry pancakes to you. It's not real dinner but at least you'll eat something."

"Hotch…" She started to deny but he shook his head.

"Go. I'm starting the pancakes."

After eating the pancakes, Emily went towards her bedroom, sensing Hotch following her closely. She stopped at the doorframe and turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow.

"So… Are you going to get in the bed with me or what?"

He shot her a look. "No, smartass. I'm tucking you into bed and then I'm going to my room. But I'll be back to wake you up now and then."

"Hotch, really… It was just a small concussion. There's no need…"

"I don't care Emily. Now go to bed." He shoved her into the room and helped her to get into the sheets. Leaning in he kissed her forehead and gave her good night, before leaving to his room.

Two and a half hours later he was knelt down at the side of her bed, gently shaking her. "Emily… You have to wake up." She groaned and he bit back a smile. "C'mon, open your eyes." She did and found his own black eyes looking at her. The corners of his mouth were slight curved upwards and he spoke softly brushing her hair. "There you are. You have to stay awake for a couple of minutes ok?"

"Ok…" She said with a sleepy voice. "Did you sleep at all?"

"A little bit. Are you in pain?"

"No… I took the pills before sleep." She answered with a yawn.

"Ok, you can go back to sleep now." He smirked at her sleepy smile and watched her fall asleep again. He stood at the foot of her bed, watching her sleep for a few minutes. He really didn't know when or how she had become so essential to him. He started to admire her after she quit to not betraying him when Strauss asked. He saw her grown as an agent and as a woman. He always knew that she was an attractive woman, just never allowed himself to think about it. But looking at her like this, so fragile and small… He wanted nothing more than get into the bed with her and hold her, take all her pain and her fears away. He thought about everything she had done for him. He thought about everything he knew about her. He thought about everything he wanted to know about her. Closing his eyes he sighed. Somewhere along the way he let her break through all his barriers and get into his mind and his heart.

But did she deserve to get involved with someone so broken? Suddenly all the resolve he had made days prior were replaced by his doubts about himself. He had already lost Haley, hurt her and put his job above his family. Could he risk hurting another woman? Did she even think about him this way? Maybe she was just too good for him. Maybe she didn't deserve a man damaged like him. He had proved already that he could hurt her and mistreat her when he was on his bad moods. Why to risk to increase this suffer? For a chance to happiness? Maybe he wasn't bond to be happy.

Looking at her sleeping Hotch knew that he couldn't bring her into his mess. At least not before fix some of the damage he had inflicted on his soul. Not without know for sure that he was capable of make her happy. And not before find Foyet and bring his son and Haley back. Otherwise he was just putting another possible victim on his hands. Not that living with her all this time hadn't already made her one. God! He sat at the armchair across her bed. He had to protect her, clean all this crap he had being put on and bring his family back. Only then he could think of trying to work on his own happiness. If he was lucky enough, with the beautiful brunette lying on that bed.

A/N: Wow, that was long! I hope I have compensate the delay. Let a review, please!