Chapter 5

Hotch turned the lamp off and climbed in the other bed lying on his side facing her.

He finally relaxed enough to drift off to sleep only to be woken up to Emily saying something he couldn't make out. He glance at the clock and noticed it was only 12:45. With the light shining in through the window he could see her moving around on the bed.

"What is it Emily?" he said but got no reply so he sat up and listened.

"Come near my team and I will end you." Hotch realized that she was dreaming.

"No Ian; don't hurt him, I'll do whatever you want. Please just don't hurt him…Please…" she begged crying out softly in her sleep.

Hotch got up quickly and made his way over to her in the dark and sat on the edge of the bed beside her.

"Emily wake up sweetie." He said as he grabbed her shoulders shaking her gently.

"No… NO Ian stop it burns. Please don't AUGH." She was screaming this time and he shook her harder, tears coming to his eyes knowing she was dreaming of when Doyle had branded her. The pain she must have felt was just too overwhelming for him that he could not hold back his tears.

"Emily wake up. Emily." He said louder this time.

Emily jerked straight up in the bed screaming, tears running down her face.

"It's ok. It's ok Em. He can't hurt you anymore. It was just a nightmare. It's ok, it's ok." He repeated over and over pulling her to him, hugging her he pushed the damp hair back off her face. She wrapped her arms around his waist and just sobbed, crying letting go of all the pent up emotions she had been trying to compartmentalize over the last year.

There was a soft knock on the door.

"Yeah?" was all Hotch said before the door opened and Rossi stuck his head inside.

"I heard her screaming, is she ok?" Dave said with concern in voice.

"Just a nightmare Dave, I'll make sure she's ok."

"I'm … sorry Dave…I didn't mean…to wake you…" Emily said between sobs.

"It's ok kiddo, I was just worried that's all. Do you need me to get you anything?"

"No than you Dave, I'll be fine I promise it was just felt so real that's all."

"Ok if you're sure I can't get either of you anything I'll be going back to bed, night you two."

Dave shut the door back behind him and turned coming face to face with JJ and Penelope.

"Dave what happened, is she ok? We heard the screams." JJ said worriedly.

"Yeah she is ok she just had a nightmare, from the looks of it though they're not new to her."

"She'll be ok won't she Dave? I mean she's strong right? Maybe I should have gotten her to talk about what she was feeling harder. I always ask and she always says she is fine and that there is nothing to worry about." Penelope said looking down at the floor.

"She will be fine, after everything she has gone through it's not surprising that she is having nightmares. I think the one person that can help her through this and has been where she is at is in there with her now and I know he will do everything in his power to help her. I know he loves her and I know she loves him, now they both just need to realize it and everything else will be fine. There is nothing more healing than the power of love."

"Since when did you become such a romantic my dear Mr. Rossi?" Penelope said smiling at him.

"Oh I've always been a romantic my dear, why do think I've been married three times. Not one of my ex-wives had a chance to say no after I got a hold of them." He laughed and headed back to his room.

The two blondes followed shortly after, once they listened to make sure Emily was ok.

"I'm sorry I woke you Aaron." Emily said as her sobs began to subside.

"Don't apologize, why didn't you tell me you were having nightmares Emily?" pulling her closer to him holding her against his chest as she laid her head into the crook of his shoulder.

"I thought I was handling them ok."

"How long have you been having them Em? Has been the whole time?"

"Yes." She said softly against his neck.

"You should have come to me Emily. I would have done something to help you. Why didn't you come to me Emily?"

"Because I didn't want you to think I was weak and couldn't handle it. I was afraid you would pull me from the field thinking I couldn't do my job."

"I never would have done that Em. I care about you and I want to help you. I know this hasn't affected your work but you need to work on this before it does. I am only saying this because I have been there and I know how it can run your body and your mind down, so will work on it together ok."

"Ok…. Uh Aaron… will you hold me till I go back to sleep? I feel safe when you hold me…please?"

"I'll hold you as long as you need me to Emily."

Hotch pulled the covers the covers back and slid in beside her, pulling the covers back up around them. He scooted down on the pillow and Emily slid over closer to him.

Hotch wrapped his arm around her stomach and pulled her flush against him. They lay there with Hotch's hand resting on her stomach, unconsciously stroking her stomach lightly and they drifted back to sleep in each other's arms.

Emily awoke to find herself draped over Hotch's chest with her ear pressed against his heart and her leg thrown over his thigh. She laid there listening to the steady beating beneath her. Her hand was pressed against the center of his chest under his t-shirt and she couldn't help it as she ran her fingers through the curls beneath her hand.

After a few moments of just enjoying the feel of him she slowly untangled herself from him trying not to wake him. She took her IPod from the nightstand looking at the clock as she picked it up. It was only 3:15 so nobody would be up yet so she grabbed the throw blanket off the back of the chair and made her way out of the room without waking Hotch, or so she thought.