Disclaimer: This is my first Criminal Minds story. For the sake of this particular tale, Haley and Hotch are already divorced.

I don't own anything Criminal Minds.

Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine.

Under the shadow of each other, people survive.

-old Irish proverb

He couldn't get the sounds of the blows falling on her out of his head. Aaron Hotchner had seen (and heard) some horrific things on the job, things that would haunt his memory forever. But it was different when it impacted one of his team. His eyes had stung with unshed tears as he had thrown his earset to the ground in frustration. He knew they were doing the right thing by not rushing in there but being helpless was something Aaron Hotchner absolutely hated.

Rossi had felt the same way too - he could see it in his old friend's eyes, while he was trying to control the situation and stay calm. Dave hated hearing Prentiss's cries as much as he did.

Damnit, they were family and you do not touch his family. Not ever. He could take the pain, he was used to it. And he knew they were used to it too - but he still hated seeing his family hurt. When you strike at one of them, you strike at all.

He kept his thoughts to himself. Prentiss could handle herself and she absolutely would not appreciate being coddled or babied. But there was something in her tone, the moment when she said that she could take it, that instantly triggered his protective instincts.

He kept looking away from the ambulance where she was sitting, getting checked out, deliberately trying to ignore looking at her face, battered from Cyrus's fists. He kept tamping down the desire to put ice on her puffed up lip himself, to touch her face and examine each bruise himself to ensure that they weren't going to leave permanent marks.

Hotch, where the hell is that coming from? You're MARRIED, for Christ's sake. She doesn't need you playing Sir Galahad. She can save herself. Has saved herself.

From his corner in the shadows, he observed Emily (somewhere along the line she had become Emily...he wasn't sure when) shifting uncomfortably in her jet seat. Most casual observers don't pick up on the nuances that he does, so they wouldn't notice the grey pallor to her skin, the look of pain and discomfort in her eyes, and the almost imperceptible wince when she has to move around. The doctors said she would be fine, but she had suffered some severely bruised ribs - one cracked - and she was going to be in pain for awhile, which, to her chagrin, meant staying out of the field.

He watched as she reassured Reid that it wasn't his fault, giving him a beautifully warm smile that, dammit, he wished was directed at him. Even though he noticed that the smile didn't touch her eyes.

As Prentiss got up to get something from the back of the jet, Hotch's eyes narrowed as he saw her favoring her right ankle, hand gently cradling her side.

--

Emily inhaled deeply, trying to blot out the memories of the last few days, trying to focus through the excruciating pain of her injured ribs and the pain in other places that she didn't dare let the doctors and nurses examine.

She wasn't a victim. And she'd be damned if she'd be treated like one. That being said, she felt like shit. And trying to walk was a bitch, especially with what felt like blades stabbing in her side, and excruciating pain in the small bone on the top of her foot.

She always used to joke with her sorority sisters about the dreaded walk of shame after a massive party and not being able to walk straight legged the next day. They had all done that and, luckily, gone home with nothing more than some hickeys and twinge between their legs.

This felt nothing like that. The pain was sharp, and hot, and sore. Emily wanted nothing more than to go home and scrub for days. To soak in the bath, as if that could wipe away the memories as well as the discomfort.

Feel the hot water pound her body. Maybe it could pound the memories of Cyrus's hot breath on her skin away. Oh god, what if they find OUT.

She had resolutely ignored the blood. And refused further examination beyond the treatment of her cracked ribs and foot.

Suddenly, her stomach started to church. Fucking fish - who the hell was cooking fish in the microwave. Lurching to the bathroom, she barely made it to the head before losing all the contents in her stomach.

"Prentiss, are you ok?"

Emily closed her eyes.

Aw, fuck.Not Hotch. ANYONE but Hotch.

--

The weight of his hand on her shoulder didn't feel heavy, or wrong. Emily thought that despite everything she had been through, maybe, just maybe, she would be repulsed by such a gesture.

but she wasn't. It felt right.

And maybe because it was so rare for him to reach out, show gentleness, that she instinctively reached for his hand.

Even though she felt like hell, her face was damp, and she smelled like vomit.

"Sure, Hotch," Emily gave him a weak, mocking two thumbs up, "I feel great."

"You look great." He commented wryly, trying to lighten the mood.

Emily rolled her eyes.

Hotch crouched down to get at her eye level, like he would with Jack. "Prentiss," he said softly, "are you really all-right?"

Because that's what she had told him.

Time after time. Coming out of the burning building, helping Cyrus's people out of danger, sitting in the ambulance.

I'm fine. Why do you keep asking?

Because I know you're not.

Her lips formed the word "yes", but what came out was "no."

Dammit.

"You know you don't have to pretend with me, Em...Prentiss."

The minor slip didn't escape her attention.

If I want to stay in the field, I do. If I want to stay next to you, I do.

Now WHERE the hell did that come from?

He gently rubbed her shoulder and handed her some ginger ale.

"Are you magic, Hotch?" She grabbed it greedily and started to toss it back.

"Easy, Prentiss." He sounded slightly amused. "You're going to throw it right back up."

She gave him a gentle glare.

"Don't tell me what to do, Hotchner." But the rebuke had no bite and she was smiling faintly.

A door slammed heavily behind both of them and she froze. Her body felt like was under water and she was struggling to make it to the surface. All of a sudden, the gentle hum of the jet just seemed so loud and Aaron's...Hotch's voice sounded like it was really really far away.