Prentiss
We got one movie in before we stopped the night to decide on pizza. We couldn't decide on what we wanted, so we got four different pizzas. Way too much for us, considering the three of us could hardly even eat one pizza together, but we were sad so it was okay. Everyone's allowed a little too much food once in a while, right? Garcia was sad because we were; it was like it was contagious. All three of us already had red eyes and cheeks from the first movie and my cheeks already hurt from the dried salt of the water.
I stood in my kitchen and they sat on the stools at the counter island. I poured us all a glass or soda each. We'd decided that we didn't feel like drinking at all. JJ was constantly checking her phone, and I realised that I was too. Normally, Hotch would be texting me or even calling me if he wasn't with me. Now, silence.
"It just sucks you know, like, at least you two have each other while you're on cases. I have my computers." Garcia said.
"But you can always call us." I smiled at her as I placed their glasses in front of them.
"I consider it but you're always working so hard or you're sleeping and I really don't like interrupting either of those things."
I heard a knock on the door and assumed it was the pizza, "Can you please get that, Jayje? Money's on the coffee table."
"Yeah." She stood up and got the money before walking towards the front door down the small entry hall.
"So Reid asked something when we got off the plane earlier today and I want to ask your opinion on it. Do relationships ever last?" I watched Garcia as she thought about the question.
"I think you need extreme dedication and time, and time isn't exactly a thing anyone in our team has much of."
I nodded and looked up when I heard more than one set of footsteps. Morgan, Reid and Rossi walked in behind JJ. "We have company."
"Oh god." I looked away from them and wiped my eyes where my mascara and eyeliner had run.
Morgan laughed, "Don't worry princess; we've seen you cry before."
"Yeah, not nearly as much or over something so stupid."
"Ordering too much pizza was a sign." Garcia said.
"How much did you order?" Reid asked curiously as he sat down beside her.
"Four large ones." She answered him.
"Do you want alcohol, soda or water?" I asked them.
Rossi looked at our glasses and raised his eyebrows, "I'm surprised the three of you aren't drinking…"
"Well I don't want to forget about it, I just want to sook about it for a night."
He smiled and kissed my temple as he walked to the cupboard and got six glasses out. Was he going to pour us alcohol anyway? He filled three of them with soda and past two of the glasses to Morgan and Reid. Then he filled the other three with water and placed one in front of Garcia, one in front of JJ and one in front of me "Hydration."
Tears dripped from my eyes again and he hugged me, "You take such good care of us." I laughed and wiped my eyes when I pulled away. I wiped my finger over the few teardrops I had left on his shoulder, "Sorry."
"Don't worry; I wore my tear shirt."
"You have a tear shirt?" Garcia smiled.
"I work with three very important women," He raised his eyebrows, "They're all very strong, but everyone has their bad days."
"Weeks." I said quietly.
"Months." JJ added.
"I don't even know why I'm sad," Garcia shook her head, "It's contagious with these two."
I heard my phone buzz in the living room and I ran from under Rossi's arm to it quickly, jumping over the back of one of the couches as I did. I looked at the text but it wasn't from Hotch, it was from Will. My shoulders slumped and the hope was gone, but I opened the text anyway.
"I assume you heard about JJ and I. Make sure she's okay for me please? Let her know that I'll call her in the next few days."
"She's with me now. I'll tell her. If I were you, I wouldn't let her go and vice versa…"
"Thanks." Was all he replied with. I put my phone back down and dropped my head into my hands.
"Not him?" Morgan asked.
I shook my head and stood back up. I heard another knock on the door and JJ went to stand but Reid stopped her and went himself.
"Guys suck." I said quietly.
"Hey, we came to support you tonight." Morgan raised his eyebrows at me.
"So if that wasn't Hotch, who was it?" Garcia asked.
I looked at JJ, "…Will."
"What does he want?" JJ's back straightened.
"He just asked me to make sure you were okay and to tell you that he'd call sometime within the next few days."
She smiled and looked down, "Do you think he'll forgive me?" She asked.
"…Jayje, I don't even know what happened for him to forgive."
"I know," She nodded, "But I'm not going to tell you. I was just looking for reassurance."
"Then yes, I'm sure he'll forgive you." I gave her the reassurance she wanted.
Silence fell momentarily as Reid walked back in with the pizzas.
"You know Morgan, I don't think I ever thanked you." I said, looking at him beside Garcia.
"...For what?"
"For saving my life multiple times when Doyle had us."
He shrugged his shoulders and had a smug smirk, "Oh yeah, it was nothing. Easy."
I smiled, "Well thank you." I picked up the boxes and walked out of the kitchen with them.
We all sat down on the living room and started eating the pizza. I put the next movie on at their request and it took us five minutes to decide on one that JJ, Garcia and I all felt like watching. After we ate the pizza, Garcia snuggled up with Morgan, JJ sat beside Reid and rested her head on his shoulder and I lay beside Rossi, his arms around me. He let me cry into his shirt as we watched and he only laughed at me a handful of times.
Once the second movie finished and then the third, it was past midnight. My phone rang and I sighed. I sat up slowly and picked my phone up. I saw Hotch's name flash and I accepted the call quickly, jumping up and holding it to my ear, "Hotch?" I walked away from them as they looked at me and I stood in the kitchen.
"Hey…I was just calling to check up on you. Considering how fast you picked up, I'm assuming you weren't asleep."
"No, I've been watching sad movies with the team all night."
"Well…how are you?"
"Why does it matter?"
"Emily—"
"Hotch, I'm never going to be able to even act okay if you keep checking up on me."
"I said we should see other people; I didn't say I necessarily wanted to."
"Then why would you say it?"
"Because it's better for you this way. Jack—"
"Don't. Do not bring Jack back into this again."
"Can you please just let me know when you're free next?"
"Why?"
"Because I need to talk to you."
"Why?"
"Because I do!"
"Okay…please don't yell at me again. I hate yelling."
I heard him sigh quietly, "I'm sorry."
I looked behind me to the team. They were watching and I assumed they could hear me; the kitchen and living area weren't really far from each other.
"I need to go, but I'll call you tomorrow."
"Okay. Have a good night."
I closed my eyes and hung up. Tears overflowed again and I failed to keep the sob that had risen in my throat back. I put my hand over my mouth and put my phone down. A wave of nausea overcame me and I leant on the counter with one hand and lowered myself to the kitchen tiles. I always felt sick when I was extremely upset.
"Em?" I heard JJ ask as she ran across the floorboards. She reached me around the counter and knelt at my side, hugging me, "What did he say?"
"He's making me so confused." I shook my head.
"Has he changed his mind?" Garcia asked as she and the others walked over and sat down with me. It seemed strange, having my team around me for unconditional support while I was crying over our boss. I don't think anything like this had ever happened with us before.
"He said "I said we should see other people; I didn't say I necessarily wanted to" and then he asked me to call him when I was free because he wanted to talk to me. When I picked up the call, he claimed that he was checking up on me."
"So he still cares, he just isn't sure if it's best for you."
"No, he doesn't think it's good for Jack."
"How can you not be good for Jack? I think you're what Jack needs." Garcia said quietly.
I took a breath and wiped the tears from my cheeks, "I don't want to talk about it anymore."
"I thought it was unusual that you were discussing it in the first place. You're normally more of a suffer-in-silence type." Rossi said.
"Sometimes a girl needs to let it out." JJ said.
We had watched another movie after Hotch's call and I had fallen asleep lying beside Rossi. I woke with my head was on his shoulder, his arms were around me again and I could hear his quiet, steady breathing. He was asleep. I sat up carefully to not wake him and looked to the couch that sat towards my right. Reid was asleep partially sitting up and JJ was asleep across him. On the couch across from me, Garcia and Morgan were asleep in each other's arms. I picked my phone up from the coffee table and looked at the time. It was 10:13 am. I stood and glanced at Rossi to make sure I didn't wake him before walking to the kitchen quietly. I started to boil water and got six mugs out of the cupboard.
I walked upstairs and got dressed into a pair of jeans and a grey shirt. I tied my hair up without brushing it and walked back downstairs. I made coffees and jumped slightly when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked at JJ and smiled when she laughed at me.
"You were the first asleep. Rossi didn't dare move an inch."
I smiled and handed her a mug. I looked over to the living area and saw Reid waking up. JJ took another mug and took it over to him. I took two over, placing them on the table near Garcia and Morgan, both still asleep. I went back and took the last two mugs, putting one down near Rossi and sipping one.
I heard a knock on the door and put my mug down as I stood up. I walked down the entry hall and heard JJ waking the other three up. I looked through the peep hole of the door and saw Hotch on the other side. I closed my eyes and took a breath. I unhooked the chain and turned the locks. I opened my eyes and opened the door. I took an unsteady breath as I saw him.
"I was going to wait but Jack went with a friend and I couldn't concentrate on the paperwork. I need to talk to you."
"Em, who is it?" JJ called from the living room.
"You can come in but the team is still here." I said as I stepped to the side. He walked in and I locked the door behind him. I walked through and saw the team looking at him. Garcia and Reid looked awkward; the other three just greeted him with smiles. "Coffee?" I offered as I walked through. I didn't wait for his reply; I started making it straight away.
I handed him the hot mug as I walked past and I sat back down on the couch beside Rossi, lifting my own coffee and sipping it. The others were already sitting and JJ motioned for Hotch to sit with us. He walked over and sat down beside her, looking at the coffee in the mug.
I looked at Rossi, "Sorry for falling asleep on you."
"I was too afraid to move," He smiled in amusement before drinking the coffee, "And I didn't want to wake you because I didn't want you to start crying again. I've never seen you more emotional in the whole time I've known you."
"Okay, you can shut up now…" I said quietly.
"…Should we go?" Garcia asked, looked at JJ, Morgan, Reid and Rossi.
"No," JJ shook her head, "Come on, you think Emily will last a conversation alone with him right now?"
"She didn't even last a phone call." Reid shook his head.
"Okay, in all the years that you've all known me, when have I ever been okay with letting someone know when they make me upset?"
"…Never." Morgan said.
"Exactly. This isn't different, so you can all just stop talking about it."
JJ's phone rang and she reached for it quickly, "I'm borrowing your upstairs." She said as she stood and walked out quickly, holding the phone up to her ear.
"Will." Reid said quietly.
"I hope that works out for her." I said quietly. I heard another knock on the door and I looked around, counting my visitors in my head.
"Who else do you know?" Garcia asked.
"No one." I stood up and walked to the door again. I saw Jack on the other side through the peep hole. I didn't even know that he knew where I lived. Why was he here, anyway? I unlocked and opened the door, smiling at him, "Hey, what's going on?" I stepped out of the way and motioned for him to come in.
"I came about my dad. He thinks I'm with a friend but I just asked his dad to drop me off here." He said as he walked back down the entry hall.
"Jack?" Hotch asked a second before we walked into the open room.
"…Dad…" Jack said in a slightly shocked tone. Hotch sighed irritably and stood up. He walked over and grabbed Jack's arm gently, pulling him back towards the front door.
"He's sad and he misses you and he loves you." Jack said quickly as Hotch dragged him away.
"Jack!" Hotch scolded. He unlocked and opened the front door, apologising to me as he took his son out and closed it behind him.
Silence filled the room and I turned around slowly, looking at the majority of my team on the couches, looking in this direction. They looked as shocked as I did.
"What just happened?" I asked quietly.
"Jack said that Hotch is sad, he misses you and he loves you…" Reid said quietly.
"Yeah kid, that was rhetorical." Morgan said quietly.
I sat back down beside Rossi again and put my head in my hands. I closed my eyes and thought about what had just occurred and what was said. I felt Rossi rub soothing circles on my back lightly. I sat back and leant into him, dropping my head to his shoulder. I stared at the ground and table in front of me, thinking. I guessed I'd wait a day or two before talking to him again. There was just too much happening at once. I tried to bring my focus back to JJ; she would either come back down here in a mess of tears or she'd come with a beaming, unbeatable smile.
