It's late – too late to be in the office, really, except Jack is sleeping over with a friend and he has a pile of paperwork he'd rather do here than at home. He's on autopilot – checking and signing and filing – when his phone rings. He answers without checking the called ID. "Hotchner."
Emily's incredulous voice greets him. "Are you still in work?"
He grimaces. "I might be. Jack's on a sleepover," he adds, although he's sure she knows that.
"Yeah," she says, something exasperated in her tone. But there's a smile too. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I just thought I should get it all done while I don't have anything –" He shakes his head and checks his watch. She calls him at past midnight her time and he's talking to her about paperwork. He pushes the files away to one side of his desk and leans back in his chair. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm good," she says, her voice soft and relaxed. "Tired. I'm in bed, actually, I just wanted to talk to you – do you have time?"
"Of course."
He sits back and listens as she tells him about work, a case she's worried they're going to have to put on the back burner. She does this sometimes. She can't get too specific – neither of them can about open cases, but they've become incredibly adept at sharing just the right level of detail. "I don't want to let it go," she says, and when he closes his eyes he can see her rolling over onto her back, the phone held at her ear as she stares up at the ceiling. "We've had no new leads in months, but I can't just…"
He sighs. "I know. That's never easy." He pauses, just listening to her breathing for a while, then adds, "If there's anything I can do to help…"
"Thank you," she says, and there's something new in her voice that makes his heart speed up a little. "I really… I don't think there is, it's not something I can justify a BAU consult for. But I appreciate it." They're quiet a little longer, and he closes his eyes again, because with his eyes closed he can pretend he's not alone in his dark, silent office far too late at night, with Emily an ocean away. "Hey," she says, almost a whisper. He realises she's falling asleep, and his chest clenches painfully. "Miss you."
He swallows hard. "I miss you too. Goodnight."
"Night."
She doesn't hang up, and he stays on the line until she's been silent for a few minutes, then presses 'end call' and puts his phone down on his desk. He stares at it for a second, then a voice breaks into his silence. "Was that Emily?"
He looks up, spins his chair a little to face Rossi. "Yeah," he says. "How… How long have you been standing there? I thought you'd be home."
Rossi shrugs. "You'd think." He comes in, sits down on the other side of the desk. "You're in love with her."
He shakes his head, eyes fixed on his desk. "She's happy there."