I know you guys really want to see more team members make an appearance, and I promise you those chapters are definitely on the way! My classes for this semester have ended, so I'll probably have a lot more time to write and update in the coming months : ) As always, thank you all SO much for your kind reviews. I was kind of nervous to write this one because it deals with some pretty heavy stuff, and pretty much every piece of medical information I know I get from Grey's Anatomy (or my mom, who just so happens to be an EMT!), so I hope I'm doing alright!
XxxxxX
Emily brought George with her to visit Elizabeth three more times that week. It made both Elizabeth and George so happy, that Emily didn't really mind that most of the time she was out in the lobby reading; like she was doing now while she let the two older adults have some time together.
Emily had been back in DC for almost a month and a half, and she was still trying to get used to her new routine. Normally, even drastic life changes didn't affect her very much since she grew up with everything around her always changing. But it seemed that no matter how many days in a row Emily did the same exact thing, when she woke up, she always had to remind herself that she was going to visit her sick mother.
The phone in Emily's pocket began to vibrate. Confused, she pulled it out and looked, smiling when she noticed it was Hotch. Emily stepped outside to answer it, accepting the call just before she would have missed it.
"Hey," Emily smiled. She and Hotch had been talking nearly every day. Sometimes they would talk on the phone well into the night; but other times it was just a couple of texts throughout the day. Emily wanted to do better about keeping in contact with him; she didn't want to ruin their friendship.
"Hey, yourself," Hotch replied.
"What are you doing, calling me in the middle of the day?" Emily asked playfully.
"Well, everyone else is taking a lunch break. Also, I have to give Jack an answer to the question I'm going to ask you in a few seconds as soon as I call him after he gets to Jessica's after school." Hotch told her.
Emily laughed, knowing Jack had probably schemed something up for them to do tonight. "Oh do you? What are you supposed to ask me?" She wondered, intrigued by the whole conversation.
"Since it's Friday, Jack was wondering if you'd like to come over tonight and eat pizza and watch a movie with us?" Hotch offered.
"Jack was wondering, huh?" Emily quipped.
"Both of us would love it if you came, Emily. Seriously. Jack's been dying to see you again, and inviting you over was his idea," Hotch admitted. "But I guess I could put up with you for a few hours, if I have to." He added.
Emily rolled her eyes and laughed again. He was always making her laugh these days, and she welcomed it greatly. "Yeah, I think we can play nice for Jack. I'd love to come." Emily said.
"Great!" Hotch responded happily. "I should be home with Jack by 6, if you wanted to swing by around 6:30 or so." Hotch told her.
"Okay, I'll be there." Emily said with a smile as they said their goodbyes and she pocketed her phone again. She reentered the building with a smile plastered on her face. She probably looked ridiculous, but it was kind of hard for her not to be excited. She really missed them, but she hadn't realized just how much until she had seen them after being away for so long. She missed everyone, actually. She knew Hotch was keeping her return a secret; but she was starting to think that maybe it was time to let everyone know. Maybe she should start letting more people in, she thought as she headed up to her mother's room to check on her and George. She found them exactly as she did every other time she had gone to make sure they didn't need anything: sitting together on the bed laughing, telling Emily that they were completely fine and she shouldn't worry so much and that she should go do something for herself.
Emily couldn't help but smile as she left the room. She felt like ever since Elizabeth had started letting George back in her life, that she was having more lucid days than not. Maybe he had something to do with it, maybe it was just coincidence; whatever it was, Emily was happy that her mother didn't seem so sad and lonely anymore.
XxxxX
At exactly 6:35pm that night, Emily knocked on Hotch's apartment door, two pizza boxes in hand. She had offered to just pick it up on the way, despite Hotch's futile protest.
When the door opened a few seconds later, Emily was greeted with both Hotchner boys' smiling faces.
"Hi, Emily!" Jack said excitedly.
"Hi, Jack!" Emily said as she passed the pizzas over to Hotch so she could give Jack a hug. "Have you grown since last week?" She asked him. He probably hadn't, but she could swear he looked taller.
Jack just laughed. "No! Maybe you got shorter." He said very seriously.
Emily couldn't help but laugh in response. "You're probably right about that," she said with a wink.
"Jack, why don't you and Emily go pick out a movie while I put this in the kitchen?" Hotch offered.
"Okay!" Jack agreed as he took Emily's hand and led her into the living room, where a whole stack of Jack-friendly DVDs sat on the coffee table.
"Do you think we could watch all these in one night?" Emily asked jokingly. "I'm sure you dad would love it if I gave you all kinds of sugar and stayed up all night watching movies with you, don't you think?" She said, knowing Hotch could hear her, stealing a glance into the kitchen. Hotch was just smiling and shaking his head.
"Definitely!" Jack agreed, playing along with Emily.
"You can pick two!" Hotch called into the living room.
"Well Jack, looks like I owe you one all-nighter when you're a little older." Emily said. "What ones are your favorites?" Emily asked the boy.
Jack looked at the stack of movies in front of him, a look of pure concentration on his face. Emily bit back a smile; he looked so much like Hotch when he made that face.
"I like these," Jack said as he picked up Cars and Toy Story. "Have you seen 'em, Emily?" He asked her.
"You know what? I haven't. But if they're your favorites, then I think we need to fix that. What do you think?" Emily asked.
"Yeah! You'll like them. Dad likes them, too." Jack informed her as he went over to the TV and put one of the movies in the DVD player.
Emily smiled, imagining Hotch watching an animated children's movie and enjoying it. It was a nice image, Emily had to admit.
By then, Hotch had come into the room with the pizza and plates for them all. They all sat on the couch, Jack in between the two adults.
The three of them ate pizza and watched all of Cars and half of Toy Story before Hotch looked over and noticed that not only had Jack fallen asleep, but so had Emily. He smiled, Emily was leaning against the back of the couch, her arm draped around Jack's shoulder. Jack was cuddled close to Emily, and Hotch didn't have the heart to make either of them move at the moment.
Hotch turned off the movie, and started cleaning up their mess from dinner. He decided to leave the dishes in the sink for the night, not wanting the noise to wake Jack or Emily up. He threw the pizza box away, and was straightening up in the kitchen when he heard someone come up behind him.
"Need any help?" Emily asked softly.
"No, I think everything's been taken care of. Lucky you, you slept right through dinner clean up," Hotch joked.
Emily laughed lightly. "That was my plan all along."
"Jack still asleep?" Hotch asked.
Emily nodded. "I felt bad moving him when I woke up, but I thought you might need some help. He didn't even stir when I moved him, though."
"I'll go take him to his room. I'll be right back." Hotch said quietly. Emily nodded in agreement and went to sit on the couch after Hotch took Jack upstairs.
A few minutes later, Hotch returned.
"That," he said with a sigh. "Has to be the last time I carry him up those stairs."
Emily laughed. "He's grown so much. He'll be as tall as me before long."
"Tell me about it." Hotch said as he sat down next to Emily, neither of them realizing how the other had moved just a little bit closer when he sat down.
"So," he said after a beat of silence. "How was your week?" Hotch asked.
Emily shrugged. "You know, the same. I think George coming with me a few days a week is really going to do my mom some good. They're so cute together, they're like teenagers." Emily smiled. "Although, I kind of feel like a third wheel, but it's worth it if she's happy." She added.
"What do you do when they're together?" Hotch wondered.
"A lot of sitting by myself and reading." Emily chuckled.
"All alone?" Hotch asked.
Emily nodded. "I want to give them their time, you know? But I don't really have much to do if I'm not with my mom. I've cleaned the already spotless house, like, three times just this week!" Emily laughed.
"Emily, you know that on days when you're feeling like you're a third wheel," he used her term with a smile, "You could just call up anyone on the team. They'd love to see you, and I would be more than willing to give someone a longer lunch if it meant they got to spend time with you." Hotch told her.
Emily bit her lip. "You know, earlier I was thinking that it might be nice to see them. Or, at least, tell them that I'm here. I feel like I'm lying to them, and I guess I technically am. But I've asked you to keep this huge secret from our friends, and that's not really fair. Besides, I miss them." Emily admitted.
"Everyone misses you. They'll be really happy to see you, not under these circumstances. But still." Hotch told her. "Also, I think Rossi might be onto us." Hotch added.
Emily had to laugh out loud. "You make it sound like a secret love affair or something. How does he know? He doesn't seem mad, does he?" Emily asked, suddenly worried.
"No, he's not mad. He just noticed that I was on my phone a little more than normal. So he came into my office and started asking me questions. He probably bought it, but then you called me. I'm not entirely sure if he saw your name on the screen, but I'm sure he did. He's Rossi. He sees everything." Hotch joked. "Anyway, the past few days he's been asking me if I've heard from you and if he'll get to see you any time soon." He informed her.
"Oh," Emily said. "Do you think anyone else will be mad that I didn't tell them? I mean…after the Doyle thing and me coming back and then leaving again…" She trailed off.
"Emily, no one's going to be mad at you. I'm sure they'll all understand your reasoning. Don't worry about it, okay? You don't have to tell anyone until you're ready. This secret love affair is safe with me." He said seriously.
Emily smiled. "You're a real charmer," She said dryly. "I do want to tell them soon, but not right now." She told him.
"That's okay." He told her with a reassuring smile.
The two of them spent a long time just talking. They talked about whatever came to their minds, some of it personal; but most of it little random things. It was nice; both of them needed the mindless, yet somehow fulfilling, conversation.
After a while, Hotch noticed Emily practically falling asleep mid-sentence.
"Emily, why don't you stay here? I can't let you drive when you're about to fall asleep talking about aliens." Hotch said. How they'd even gotten to the topic of aliens, he had no idea. But somehow, here they were.
"What about Jack?" She asked before yawning for the five hundredth time, despite her efforts to not do that.
"I can just wake you up before I wake him up. But even if you were still here when he got up, I don't think it would confuse him at all. He knows you and I are friends. However, I think he thinks you are more his friend than my friend." Hotch smiled.
"I am more Jack's friend than I am yours, don't you know that?" Emily quipped.
Hotch playfully rolled his eyes. "Well, then, if he wakes up and sees you're still here, I don't think it'll be a problem." He told her.
"Mm," Emily mumbled, leaning back against the couch and closing her eyes. "I'm too tired to argue about it, so I guess you win tonight, Hotchner." She told him.
"Good, because if I sent you home tonight I would be worried about you falling asleep at the wheel. Do you need clothes?" He asked.
"No, this is fine." Emily said. She was wearing yoga pants and a t-shirt, that would be fine to sleep in.
"Okay. I'll go get you a pillow and a blanket, and an extra toothbrush. The toothbrush has Spider-Man on it, is that okay?" Hotch asked.
"I would be offended if you allowed me to use anything but a Spider-Man toothbrush." She replied. Hotch shook his head and headed off to get Emily's things. Ordinarily, she would have offered to do that herself, but she was so tired she couldn't think about moving. She'd been sleeping pretty well lately, but there was just something about being with Hotch and Jack this evening that had truly allowed Emily to unwind; which caused her to realize exactly how tired she was.
A few minutes later, Hotch emerged from upstairs. He put a pillow down at one end of the couch, and the blanket at the other.
"I put your toothbrush in the bathroom down here, I didn't think you'd like to sleep with it." He said.
"Very astute assumption, Agent Hotchner." Emily retorted with a laugh, her eyes still closed.
"Alright, well, I'll see you in the morning, okay?" Hotch said.
"Thank you for tonight, I've had a really nice time. I'm sorry I'm literally falling asleep as we speak." Emily said, her voice quiet and tired.
"Any time, Emily. Goodnight." He said as he retreated back up the stairs for the night.
Reluctantly, Emily opened her eyes and forced herself to stand up and go brush her teeth. No matter how tired she was, the thought of not brushing her teeth after eating so much pizza wasn't something she wanted to do.
When she returned to the couch, she pulled the blanket Hotch had gotten for her up over her shoulders and lay down. She wasn't even sure her head had hit the pillow before she had fallen asleep.
XxxxxX
At 5am, Emily found herself awake. She couldn't really figure out why, because 5am was certainly not a time that she would like to see. Ever.
Sighing, Emily sat up when she realized she wasn't going to be able to fall asleep. She went into the kitchen and found her phone sitting on the counter.
But of course, it was dead.
She sighed again, before remembering where Hotch kept a spare charger. She headed back into the living room and fished it out of the coffee table drawer, plugging her phone in an outlet by the couch and sitting back down.
At least now she could see if Clyde had found an official replacement for her yet. He had been sending her the files of people that had applied, and had let her read them and choose people she thought would handle the job the best. She had sent him her top two people a few days ago, and she hoped by now maybe he had replied to her. That would at least give her something to do for a bit while she waited for Hotch to wake up.
Finally, her phone started back up and she noticed she had a lot of missed calls.
Twelve missed calls, to be exact.
Two from Elizabeth's nursing home, Six from George, and the rest from some number that Emily didn't recognize.
Instantly, she feared the worse. She felt her eyes start to burn and her breathing started to quicken. She took a breath, forcing herself to regain composure and only freak out if she had to.
She decided to call George's number first.
He answered on the first ring.
"Emily? Where are you?" He asked.
"I'm- I'm at Aaron's house." Emily said, her voice cracking. "I didn't mean to stay the night, I fell asleep..." She explained.
"It's okay, Emily. It's just… it's your mother." He said.
"What happened?" Emily asked. "Is she okay?"
"I got a call a few hours ago, apparently she woke up around 1 this morning and…and she was, well, you know, not herself," George explained, and Emily knew exactly what he meant. She had probably woken up and thought she was in an embassy somewhere and that she had something important to do. That was usually what happened, anyway. "And she… she fell. They had to admit her to the hospital." George told her.
"What hospital?" Emily demanded.
"Georgetown," George answered, knowing that no matter what he said now, Emily wasn't going to listen.
"I'm on my way." Emily said as she hung up the phone. She left Hotch a note, but she didn't allude to the crisis she was currently having. She just told him that she woke up early on her own and that she would talk to him later.
She didn't need to worry him yet, she didn't even know what exactly was wrong with her mother, but that was the only thing on her mind as she quietly crept out of Hotch's front door and down to her car.