Half an hour later, Morgan's phone rang again.
"Morgan."
"Derek, how the hell do we get inside this building?" Rossi quipped. JJ and Hotch were with him.
"076342. It's the door code. When you get in the elevator, press 26. The passcode is 963418."
The team had never been to the complex. Only Penelope had ever been inside. She was also the only one who knew about their relationship. Like a ton of bricks, the reality hit Derek.
Looking at a large framed photo of the three of them at Christmas, clearly more than friends, he panicked.
"Guys!" He turned to his girlfriend and boyfriend. "The team is about to find out about us."
"I think they pretty much figured it out earlier today, babe." Reid twiddled his thumbs absently.
"That's the least of my worries right now." Emily said haughtily. She was sitting on the couch, cross-legged. Morgan had retrieved some matching sweats from his wardrobe. He and Spencer had also located bottoms fro themselves. Derek was wearing a pair of light jeans, and Spence a pair of plaid pajamas.
"Baby, that's not what I meant." Morgan was backtracking. "We knew this day would come. Now is just an odd time."
The conversation halted then. A loud ding signaled the lift's arrival.
"Wow!" JJ was the first to speak. "Whose apartment is this? It's gorgeous!"
Reid averted his gaze. Emily just bit her lip self-consciously. Derek was the only one not obviously avoiding the question.
Hotch's eyes scanned the room quickly. All three of their duffels were stacked in the corner. Above the sink, there were three small hooks. From each one hung a simple white coffee mug. The initials 'D' 'E' and 'S' were printed on each one. Finally, his eyes fell on a large photo sitting amongst the books and trinkets. Emily was in the center, with Clooney-Derek's dog- in her lap. To her left was Reid, and Morgan was on her right. Each man was playfully kissing her cheek. She had a lopsided grin on her face. It was a stark contrast to the mood in the room now.
"Uh, JJ. I think they all live here." He blared his eyes, still fixated on the photo.
"Guys, listen." Morgan started. "This isn't exactly how we wanted to tell you."
"Some of us didn't want to tell you at all." Reid said sarcastically, clearly indicating Morgan.
"It's complicated." Emily said flatly. Her knees were pulled to her chest.
"You can explain it later." Rossi sat down beside her. "This isn't why you called us over in the middle of the night."
"No." Derek answered for her. "Baby," he looked at Emily, "you don't have to do this."
"I do." She looked sternly at Derek. "Please sit down." She looked at Hotch and JJ who were still standing near the door. Reid had taken the spot on Emily's other side, and Derek was leaning against the kitchen counter. It didn't take a profiler to know that his refusal to sit, crossed arms, and tight jaw were indicators he did not agree with Emily's decision. Hotch joined him, sitting in Reid's stool. JJ was the last standing. Eventually, she sat down on the ottoman before Emily. She took her hands softly.
"You can tell us anything." She said quietly.
Emily spoke slowly, retelling her abduction, Maggie's death, and her first rapes.
Her breathing was shaky when she mentioned the photos.
"How were you supposed to save them?" Hotch asked from across the room.
"By letting him torture me. He was an apprentice of The Replicator. He knew all about our personal lives." She stood slowly. JJ leaned back, giving her room. Slowly, she lifted her shirt, stopping just below her breast. Hotch needed no more details. The cuts splayed across her alabaster skin mimicked his exactly.
"Oh my God." JJ breathed.
"To save Jack?" Hotch questioned. Tears welling up his eyes. When she shook her head yes, he walked toward her. Wrapping her in a tight hug, he whispered,
"I love you, Emily." She knew he meant it. Backing away to give her some room, Hotch sat in a wingback chair, closer to the group. When she was seated again, she spoke.
"After the beating, and the stabbing, he told me about the second half of our 'game,'" she spat sarcastically.
"For every three loved ones I saved, I had to choose a team member for him to kill."
Her eyes were welling up. Instinctively, she scooted closer to Dave. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders protectively.
"Wait," Dave said. "You only told us two."
"She already saved Henry." JJ said flatly. Her eyes were locked on Emily's. "Didn't you?"
"Yes." Emily squeaked.
JJ took over the story, giving Emily a break.
"When I was still in charge of case selection, I ignored a case in Phoenix. By the time someone caught the Unsub eleven women had been murdered. The case was identical to the one we just worked. I don't know how I didn't see it." Her tone was apologetic.
"Saving the kids was my priority." Emily explained. Everyone in the room nodded, understanding.
"You don't have to do this part, Emily." Derek said from the counter. His voice was gruff.
"He gave me an hour to choose one of you to die." Emily started.
"Derek's right, Prentiss." Hotch said from the corner. "You don't have to do this."
Ignoring them both, Emily pressed on. "I couldn't pick you." She looked at Aaron. "Jack could not lose both his parents."
"My decision wasn't about killing one of you, it was about choosing the one most likely to live." She sounded like a TV Evangelist, preaching on Sunday morning.
"I knew Dave was the only one of you keeping a level head. He's also least likely to wander off alone. So, I chose him." Reid held her hand tightly. He knew her pain. He had to choose a team member to die once, too. Finding strength in Spencer's squeeze, Emily looked up at Dave.
He was smirking at her. "You did the right thing, kiddo." The relief on her face was apparent.
"I'm so sorry." She whimpered, throwing her arms around his neck. His beard scrubbed against her cheek as she embraced him.
"That's why he was at the precinct." Derek explained.
"So, no one is in danger, Hotch." Reid smacked. "If Emily had thought they were, she would have said something immediately."
Hotch knew he was right.
"Emily," Hotch rarely used her first name, but it was flowing easy tonight. "I'm so sorry I dragged you through this."
"Don't apologize Hotch." She scolded lightly. "I needed to tell you."
"Plus," Morgan's mood had lightened, "when else could we have to you about us without you totally flipping out."
"Actually," Hotch said, "I'm not surprised at all. Well, I am a little about Reid. You and Prentiss do a terrible job hiding your flirting."
"Really?" JJ looked surprised. "I'm surprised about Emily. Reid and Morgan are so obvious! With their 'discreet'" she used her fingers to form quotation marks in the air, "hand holding."
Rossi laughed at them. "I already knew about Emily and Reid, but I had NO IDEA about Derek's involvement."
"Wait!" Reid jested. "How did you know about Emily and me?"
"The way she talks about you. When we go out to a gallery or the opera all she talks about is how much you would love it, or hate it."
"I don't do that." Emily said defensively. They all laughed at her fake pout. It was significantly more realistic with her already busted lip sticking out.
"For real, guys." JJ said sternly. "What the hell?"
"That's what I said at first." Reid shrugged.
"Emily and I started dating about three years ago." Derek started, as he walked closer to the group. "It was great, for like a month."
"It was longer than a month!" Emily punched his arm as he flopped down beside Spencer.
"Let me tell this part." The banter between them was playful. Emily felt like a weight had been lifted. She no longer carried the burden of Hardwick's torment.
"Emily is great." Morgan switches to a first tense retelling of the story. "She's great company during a ball game. Nice piece of ass to show of to the boys." She rolled her eyes. "Excellent in the sack."
"Enough." Emily scolded, taking over the story. "It was never right. Some part of Morgan's heart was so wrapped up in Spencer that I couldn't reach it."
"Emily was obsessed with him on a more primal level." Derek was only looking at her now.
"Anyway." Emily continued. "After the abduction case in Hartford, Reid comes over to Derek's apartment. I thought he was the pizza guy, so I opened the door."
"Wearing nothing but one of Derek's t-shirts." Reid picked up the conversation.
"He stands in the doorway looking so stunned and scared and adorable." Morgan chuckled at the memory. "Em is just looking at him, because she's terrified of what's gonna happen next."
"I don't really remember the next few minutes." Emily confessed.
"The next thing I'm sure about was Spencer cracking open his third beer and looking straight at Emily and he goes: 'You're kind of a bitch.' I swear on my life, guys." Morgan is clearly enjoying this.
"I knew that Spence had a thing for Morgan. But, not until after we were together." Emily explained.
"So, Derek is all 'Why you hatin' on my girl?'" Spencer does his best Morgan impersonation, throwing his arms around like a gangster with an inner ear problem.
"Spencer gets this insane confidence from somewhere." Emily says dramatically.
"He just tells me. 'I'm in love with you.' Just like that." Morgan finishes off the scene.
"It was so intense. For like ten minutes, they just stared at each other." Emily picked up. "Then, Derek looks at me. I know what he wants. We've talked about it a million times. He wants Spencer Reid in his bed, with me."
"She does this thing with her eyes. They sparkle, I swear. I know I've got permission…"
"So he kissed me." Reid finished.
"That's pretty much the story." Derek looked around the room.
"Great story, but I have a question." Rossi's hand was still wrapped around Emily's shoulder. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"It was so complicated. For a long time we didn't even know what we wanted. By the time we did, it had been secret for so long." Emily explained.
"Spence has been dying to tell you all." Morgan added. "I'm the main reason you didn't know before now."
"Do you not trust us?" Aaron was genuine in his question.
"It wasn't that. I guess I just didn't know how to do it. I've never had to tell someone that I've fallen in love with one person, much less two."
"We know now. That's what matters." JJ said cheerfully.
"There is a little boy at home I need to kiss on before bed." JJ said, rising from her seat. "Emily, I'm so glad you're okay. I'm so happy for the three of you!"
"I'll ride down with you." Rossi said to her. He kissed Emily's head softly. "You call me if you need anything." When she nodded, he looked at Morgan and Reid. "Anything." He reiterated.
Climbing into the elevator, Rossi and JJ waved goodbye until the doors were tightly closed.