"Painful Truth" - (Criminal Minds fic for ToothTen) - Finished 7/28 - [12 Parts]

[darkness-is-the-light]

This story is dedicated to the wonderful ToothTen, I know she was waiting for a story as I promised and I just couldn't wait any longer. So... here is part one. I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.

Emily Prentiss sat at the round table in the conference room, glancing at her boss every few moments. Something had been… off with him lately. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but he had been more withdrawn than usual. Something was plaguing him, something only he knew.

For the past couple days, he was in the office well past ten o’clock at night, but was also there in the morning before everyone else too. Prentiss wondered how anyone could spend that much time at work and still stay sane. Especially if it dealt with children, since he had a young one at home too (Even though it still would be bad no matter what if children were involved). Emily was torn out of her thoughts when someone’s voice cut through.

“Prentiss?” It was Hotch’s voice.

Emily’s head jerked up quickly, “Yes, sir?”

“Are you alright?” He asked.

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I have a lot on my mind.” Prentiss explained.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No, I’m alright.” Emily assured.

~~

At the police station in Trenton, New Jersey, Prentiss paid close attention to her unit chief. He started to look more and more tired as the day dragged on. This was very unusual since Hotch was always alert and focused. She glanced over at Hotch and noticed that he was rubbing his temples. He then rubbed his nose slightly, his eyebrows knitting together in frustration.

Aaron pinched his nose shut and jerked forward in what looked like a stifled sneeze. Emily heard a quiet sigh of relief come from her boss, signifying that he did in fact sneeze. This was strange because in all of the years she had known him he had never even had the slightest sniffle. Minutes later he jerked forward with another stifled sneeze, though this time it wasn’t completely silent. “Hgnxt!!”

Prentiss got up, walked over to Hotch, and sat down next to him. “Is there anything you’d like me to look for in particular in the files?” She asked.

“Yes, I’d want you to see if there is anything similar between the three victims. This would consist of the places they were before their murders, anything in resemblance between the family members, and anything else you can find.” Aaron explained.

“Alright, I’ll get to work.” Prentiss periodically glanced up at her boss while she was reading the file in front of her. Everything seemed fine until an odd expression came over his face. He pinched his nose shut, jerking forward with a silent sneeze. After that he immediately got back to reading the file in front of him, acting as if nothing had happened.

That’s strange, Emily thought. Hotch would never let himself show any vulnerability around any member of the team. He had always kept a serious expression on his face, with a pensive gaze. Working with the best profilers in the country would cause a problem with your personal life. Aaron always kept inside his shell to prevent others getting into the information that he wanted to keep private.

Prentiss glanced up again when she saw his sudden movement from the corner of her eye. Hotch pinched his nose shut one again, jerking forward with a silent sneeze. His breath hitched quietly as he snapped forward with a restrained sneeze. “Huh’PSHH!”

“Bless you,” Emily offered.

Aaron nodded, “Excuse me,”

Emily opened her mouth to ask him if he was alright, but closed it when she thought better of it. She knew he would claim he was fine and keep doing his work. He could be so stubborn sometimes.

TBC…

Edited March 8, 2016 by Sophie83540

[ToothTen]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! It just so happens to be the day after my birthday, and this is a wonderful present!! It's great so far-- love the stifles, and I also love seeing that "TBC"

[jezebel215]

this is great!!!

I <3 hotch

[24Me]

I think I've died and gone to heaven!

This is so amazing, Sophie! I'm in love with sneezy, stoic Hotch-throw angst in there and I'm one happy girl! Please continue this!

[darkness-is-the-light]

​Thank you for the nice replies, they mean a lot to me. This part has no sneezing in it, it starts really getting the plot involved. Plus I've added Garcia onto the case so that the plot will have an easier set up for me. But otherwise, I hope you like this part!

Part 2

“Good work today everyone, we’ll pick back up tomorrow at seven a.m. But for now, let’s go check into the hotel and…” Aaron paused briefly, clearing his throat, “And get dinner.” He finished. He felt a prickling sensation in the back of his throat, if he opened his mouth again, he would end up coughing. Hotch cleared his throat again, though the itch only got worse. He had no choice but to bring his fist up to his mouth, coughing slightly. This would have to do before he could drink anything.

Thankfully, no one had noticed. They were all engrossed in their separate little conversations. Hotch guided the team out of the police station and to their SUV’s. Then they were off to the hotel.

Reaching the hotel, Aaron had realized that things might not have been in his favor. The team had to double up, meaning that Hotch would have to share a room with another team member. He wasn’t very fond of the idea, but it had to be done, there wasn’t anything else the hotel management could do.

“I’m not sleeping with Reid, he talks in his sleep.” Morgan announced.

Spencer looked down at the floor, attempting to look like he was deeply hurt. “I don’t talk in my sleep.” He objected.

“If only you could hear yourself. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a decent night’s sleep rooming with you.”

“Boys, behave.” JJ said.

“Hey, sweet cheeks, you wouldn’t be rooming with him anyway. I called dibs on you a long time ago.” Garcia spoke to Derek seductively.

“I can always count on you, baby girl, always.”

“Emily, do you want to be my roommate?” JJ asked.

Prentiss knew that she wanted to keep an eye on Hotch and this would be the perfect opportunity.

“Can we switch it up this time?” She asked politely.

“I guess…” JJ trailed off, disappointment washing over her face.

~~

After dinner, the team had settled in their rooms, ready to get some sleep after a long day. Thankfully the rooms had double beds; that was one of the only good parts of sharing rooms. There would at least be some privacy and comfort to each agent.

Emily glanced over at Hotch, who was reading a file, sitting on “his” bed. Deep down she knew that Hotch would try to stay up as long as possible, then go to sleep when he could only get a few hours in. “Hotch?” She called. But he didn’t respond. “Hotch?” She called again.

“Yes?” He asked.

Emily bit her lip; she didn’t know how he was going to respond to her suggestion. “How about you try and get some sleep.”

“Prentiss, I am capable of knowing when I should go to sleep.” Aaron replied firmly.

“But, I mean, you worked all day like the rest of, your body needs rest.”

“Agent Prentiss, I didn’t ask for your suggestion.” He spoke coldly.

“But-“ She started but he cut her off.

“Go to sleep.” He ordered.

“Fine,” Emily caved, “Goodnight,” She murmured, rolling onto her side away from Hotch.

TBC…

Edited June 11, 2014 by Sophie83540

[24Me]

Shame on Hotch for being so mean! This is written so well, please please please continue!!!!

[darkness-is-the-light]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! It just so happens to be the day after my birthday, and this is a wonderful present!! It's great so far-- love the stifles, and I also love seeing that "TBC"

This might also be something you're interested in... http://www.sneezefet...showtopic=55729

[darkness-is-the-light]

Here is the next part! Not really any sneezing, sorry I need to put more in. But I hope you like it even though!

Part 3

Aaron stayed up well past the time Emily went to sleep. Prentiss had told the truth, Hotch was staying up past the time he usually went to sleep. He was exhausting himself day in and out. In the line of work they were in, sleep meant everything. You had to be on top of your game all the time, which required a lot of energy.

Hotch glanced over at Prentiss when he heard he roll over in her sleep, now facing him. She looked so fragile in her sleep, something that was strange to see, especially coming from her. Emily had always put a brave face on, taking things head on.

Hotch knew that he had treated her wrong. She was only concerned and wanted to help, but he didn’t want the attention. He was always so scared about people getting into his business, especially other profilers. But Prentiss wasn’t only his subordinate, she was his friend. Friends don’t treat other friend’s that way. He knew that he had probably hurt her feelings, but he didn’t know how to make it right.

~~

Aaron glanced at the clock on the bedside table, twelve a.m. He could feel himself fully drain of energy. There was a deep throbbing in his head that made staying up even worse. He decided that it probably was time to quit and at least attempt to get a few hours of sleep.

~~

Jerking awake, Hotch gazed around the room, remembering where he was and why he was there. He rubbed his hands over his face, glancing at the clock, four-thirty a.m. Hotch trudged into the bathroom, though careful enough to not make too much noise for the sake of Emily sleeping.

Standing in front of the mirror, he stared at his reflection. He noticed the dark circles under his eyes, indicating that he wasn’t getting enough sleep. His pale complexion, he was naturally pale, though this time, it was more than usual. Overall, he just looked plain tired.

“Hotch?” Emily called sleepily, walking near the bathroom door, running a hand through her messy hair, squinting at the bright light.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, startled by her sudden appearance.

“Why are you up, it’s four-thirty in the morning?” She asked.

Hotch sighed, “I couldn’t sleep.” He wasn’t exactly lying.

“Oh, Hotch, you need to at least try and get some sleep.”

“I guess…” He trailed off.

“Come on,” Prentiss said, leading the way back into the ‘bedroom’.

Aaron laid down, facing away from Emily. He was focused on trying to take deep breaths, thinking that maybe this would relax his body enough to fall asleep. Though taking deep breaths let a gateway for his sinuses to gain a nagging itch.

He took a sharp intake of breath, stifling a harsh sneeze. “Hgnxt!!”

But even stifled, Prentiss was still coherent enough to hear it, “Bless you,” She murmured.

Hotch knew that in order to keep from everyone on the team knowing that something was wrong, he had to step up his game. He was Aaron Hotchner after all, and he was going to fight until he could fight no more.

TBC…

[ToothTen]

Mmm Hotch, will he ever just give in and let himself be sick?? Both of those recent parts were great, I'm loving this!!

[24Me]

You are so freaking talented-TEACH ME YOUR WRITING WAYS!!!! I love love love this story!!! Please continue!

[darkness-is-the-light]

Mmm Hotch, will he ever just give in and let himself be sick?? Both of those recent parts were great, I'm loving this!!

Hmmm... I don't know... Plus, thank you so much for the support I hope you're enjoying this as much as I am writing it.

You are so freaking talented-TEACH ME YOUR WRITING WAYS!!!! I love love love this story!!! Please continue!

Omg, thank you so much! Well, for starters, I write words down on paper.... XD

[darkness-is-the-light]

Here's the next part! It's longer and has more sneezing. I hope you like it!

 

 

Part 4

 

Emily’s alarm on her phone went off at six a.m. precisely. She ran a hand through her messy hair, yawning quietly. Glancing to her left, she found her boss still asleep; an unusual sight. Hotch was usually up before everyone else, with the exception of Rossi.

She desperately wanted to let him sleep. He looked so vulnerable in his sleep. For once she had seen something different than the mask he wore. There was nothing but peace and comfort showing on his face. But, she had to wake him up. There was a case they needed to solve.

Prentiss shook his arm gently, “Hotch,” She called. He didn’t so much as stir, “Hotch,” She called again. He stirred and opened his eyes, “It’s time to get up.” She spoke in a soothing voice.

Aaron suppressed a groan, but because he didn’t want to get up, but because he had let himself sleep past normal time. Plus, it didn’t help that one of his agent’s had to wake him up.

~~

“Good morning, Hotch,” Reid spoke quickly.

“Morning,” Hotch replied, clearing his throat.

“Could you pour any more sugar into that cup of coffee, Kid?” Morgan asked, gazing at the cup on the counter.

“I’m watching how much I’m putting in.” Spencer said.

“How have you not had a sugar overdose yet?”

“I don’t eat sugar.”

“It looks like you do.” Derek quipped.

“I don’t.” Reid insisted.

“Behave. This is the second time in two days.” JJ spoke firmly, raising her eyebrows at both men.

“Sorry,” Spencer mumbled, looking down at his feet.

“By the way, Hotch wants us all to meet in the bullpen.” JJ announced.

~~

“JJ-Reid, go to the morgue to find out details about the latest victim. Prentiss-Rossi, go talk to the victim’s family and see if they found anything unusual on the day of the victim’s kidnapping.” A frown appeared on Emily’s face; he was trying to avoid her. “Garcia, dig into the victim’s personal information. Finally, Morgan and I will go to the dumpsite.” Hotch announced to the team.

~~

Reaching the dumpsite, Hotch and Morgan got out of the car. The sudden temperature change from the car to outside made Aaron’s sinuses itch. He focused on taking deep, even breaths. His breath hitched once, catching the attention of Morgan. Hotch felt his agent’s eyes on him. He squared his shoulders, placing his normal serious expression back on his face.

“There was a definite sign of remorse.” Morgan said, breaking the silence.

“From the way Anabele was placed, the Unsub obviously didn’t want anyone to find her.” Hotch added.

“But there’s no indication of how he got her out here. There are no tire tracks, drag marks, or blood spatter anywhere.” Derek replied, “How would someone carry another human being without any other help?”

“If that’s the case, he might have had a partner.” Hotch suggested, “Another person to level out the weight of the body would make her easier to carry.”

Something in the distance caught Morgan’s eye, walking near it, he moved the leaves that were on top of it, “A wallet,” He confirmed, “There’s nothing in it, but we should have it checked for prints. Maybe the Unsub messed up.” When Hotch didn’t respond, Morgan looked over at him, finding Aaron pinching his nose shut with his thumb and forefinger. He jerked forward twice with two silent sneezes. “Bless you,” Derek said.

Hotch nodded, “Excuse me,”

“So, as I was saying, we should have this checked for finger prints.”

“It’s not uncommon for Unsubs to become sloppy as the murders go on.” Hotch said.

“Anything can become a stresser for them. If that happens, they will become sloppy because they will only want to get the murder over with. It won’t matter who finds the body, or what they leave behind.” Morgan added.

“This could cause them-“ Hotch stopped abruptly when he sneezed again suddenly, barely having time to bring his hands to his face. “Huh’PSH’iew!!” He blinked a few times, dazed by the sudden sneeze.

“Bless you,” Derek said.

“Thank you, excuse me,”

“Are you okay?” Morgan asked, concern etched on his face.

“Yes, I’m sorry.” Aaron apologized, “Why don’t we go back to the police station and see what JJ and Reid found.”

“Alright,”

~~

“There were bruises and rope burn’s on Anabele’s wrists’ and ankles’, indicating that she had been tied up. Probably in a confined space because her Vitamin D levels were very low. She didn’t suffer that much, she died fairly quickly from six stab wounds to her abdomen. But what I find strange it that there were two different knives used in the process.” Spencer rattled off the facts.

“Which makes me think that there was a partner involved,” JJ added.

Hotch felt his head spin with all of the new information being thrown at him. His head throbbed, which made it worse all together. Plus, there was a constant itch in his sinuses. The triple threat.

“It makes sense, why would someone use two knives on a victim when they were all alone?” Reid asked.

Aaron felt the itch in his sinuses get worse by the second. He took deep breaths to ward off the sneeze, though it was no use, he was going to sneeze. Hotch pinched his nose shut, jerking forward with a stifled sneeze. “Hgnxt!” Once he let go of his nose he realized that it was a bad decision, the itch surged again and he jerked forward once again with a restrained sneeze. “Huh’PSHH!!”

“Bless you,” JJ and Reid said in unison.

Hotch nodded, “Excuse me,”

Great. Just what he needed. Others to see him in a bad state.

TBC…

Looks like Hotch might be loosing the fight...

Edited July 7, 2016 by Sophie83540

[24Me]

This is amazing! Is it bad that I'm rooting for him to lose? :)

[jezebel215]

i'm rooting for a loss as well

[darkness-is-the-light]

Looks like Hotch is fighting a loosing battle... *whistles innocently* Well... here's the next part. I hope you like it!

Part 5

Through the rest of the day, Hotch managed to not “embarrass” himself in front of any other member of the team, obviously by his standards. Though, he could feel himself starting to lose the battle. Every day he felt more and more tired, it seemed if it was impossible for him to feel well rested. His head throbbed constantly. There was almost always an itch in his sinuses, and a scratchy feeling in his throat.

By the time everyone went back to the hotel for the night, Hotch was absolutely exhausted. When he and Emily got into the hotel room, he didn’t even attempt to do any work. Aaron changed into sweats and a sweatshirt and crawled into bed. It didn’t matter of Prentiss was watching him or not, he could care less at the moment. He only buried himself under the covers and fell into a restless sleep.

~~

Emily awoke with a start when she heard a loud, sudden noise. She glanced to her left, finding Hotch sitting on “his” bed. His hands were cupped around his nose and mouth as he jerked forward with two sneezes. “Huh’PSH’iew!! Huh’PSH’iew!!!” He blinked a few times, then jerked forward again with another two sneezes. “Huh’PSH’iew!! Huh’PSSH’iew!!!” He sniffled wetly afterward, not moving his hands from his face.

Prentiss got the message. She walked into the bathroom, finding a box of tissues on the counter. Walking out she pulled a few tissues out and handed them to her boss, placing the box on the bedside table. She waited for him to blow his nose, then asked,

“Bless you, are you okay?”

Hotch nodded, “Yes, thank you,” His voice was beginning to sound hoarse.

Emily glanced at the digital clock; it was two a.m. “Just try to get some more sleep.” She said softly.

“Okay,” Aaron sighed, getting back under the covers.

~~

As the morning was going on, Hotch was drinking more and more coffee. His energy was drained, and his limbs felt heavy. His body ached as well as his head. He desperately wanted to sleep for days and not get up, even then, he thought he’d still end up tired.

“Hotch,” Rossi called. But Hotch didn’t respond, staring down at the table they were sitting at. “Aaron,” He called again, once again, no response. “Aaron,”

Hotch jerked his head up, clamping a hand over his mouth, “I think I’m going to be sick,” He moaned, rushing off towards the police station’s bathroom.

Rossi sighed deeply, he had sensed something was wrong. Ever since the case started he had been off. Dave knew that something was wrong the moment Hotch walked into the police station that morning. He had looked tired, and even showed signs of being unfocused. Something very rare for the younger man.

Walking into the men’s room, Rossi found Hotch leaning against the wall, sweat covering his forehead. “Please let me bring you back to the hotel, Aaron.”

Hotch took a deep breath, “No, I’ll be fine,” He insisted.

“You need to get some rest.”

“I said I’ll be fine.” Hotch snapped.

“Aaron, you can’t neglect your health like this.”

“Dave, I’m fine.” Hotch insisted once again.

“You-“ Rossi started, but Hotch cut him off.

“Don’t tell me what to do.” Aaron growled.

“This is about Haley, isn’t it?” Rossi asked.

“What?” Hotch asked, caught off guard by the older man’s question.

“What happened with Haley?”

“This has nothing to do with her.”

“You haven’t to or about her in a while.” Dave said.

“This is none of your business.” Aaron stated, his face becoming more serious as time went on.

“Something happened.”

“Nothing happened. Get out of my business.”

“Aaron, I’m not leaving you alone until you tell me.” Rossi ordered.

“You don’t have authority over me.”

“This has nothing to do with authority, Hotch. I’m doing this because I’m your friend and I care about you.”

“Nothing happened. This conversation is over. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

TBC...

[24Me]

This is so amazing, and taking a wonderful horrible(for Hotch's health and emotional well being!) turn! I love this story so much!!!!

[darkness-is-the-light]

This is so amazing, and taking a wonderful horrible(for Hotch's health and emotional well being!) turn! I love this story so much!!!!

Thank you so much! I knew that what I'm doing was going to be like a slap in the face and make you say, "Where in the hell did this come from?"

[24Me]

Exactly! I didn't want to say it in case it came out offensively, but yes, I was SHOCKED when I read it! Love stories like that-nicely done!

[darkness-is-the-light]

Exactly! I didn't want to say it in case it came out offensively, but yes, I was SHOCKED when I read it! Love stories like that-nicely done!

Oh trust me, I wouldn't take it that way. Plus, I'm almost done with the next part. So it should be up in the next 20-30 minutes. Stick around.... *vanishes in darkness*

[ToothTen]

Dang, that middle-of-the-night scene had me grinning like a fool!! This is so lovely

[darkness-is-the-light]

Thank you for the comments! I know it's kind of strange having something else come into the mix, but I think it's worth it. For this part, there's a vomit warning, I have warned you. But... I hope you like it anyway!

Part 6

As the day dragged on, Hotch could feel himself getting more and more irritated. The question Rossi asked had hit a nerve. Aaron didn’t feel like it was acceptable for a member of his team to dig into his business like that.

But everything halted to an abrupt stop when Reid was rattling off facts as quickly as always. Hotch’s head hurt and the last thing he wanted to hear was someone constantly talking. He placed his head in his hands, “Reid, please stop talking.” He ordered as nicely as he possibly could.

“But, Hotch-“ Reid started, but Hotch cut him off.

“Reid, I’m serious.” Hotch mustered his best glare at the younger man.

“Aaron,” Rossi warned.

“No. He needs to learn when to be quiet.” He could feel his irritation boiling up, it wouldn’t be long until it boiled over.

“He’s telling us facts about the case.” Rossi stated, “Let him talk.”

Hotch was aware that the other members of the team were staring at the both of them, but at the moment, he wasn’t thinking strait. “Don’t tell me what to fucking do.” He grumbled, walking off towards an office they were allowed to use for work and slammed the door.

Everyone was wide-eyed, except Rossi. He knew this would happen. Emily, breaking the silence said, “I think I should go talk to him.”

“Don’t, let him cool off.” Rossi said.

“What the hell was that about?” Morgan asked, surprised about how his boss reacted.

“I honestly don’t know,” Dave sighed. Though he sort of had a clue.

Spencer stared down at the floor, “I should’ve stopped talking.” He murmured.

JJ placed her hand on Reid’s back, rubbing it soothingly, “Spence, you had nothing to do with this.” She spoke gently.

“But I annoyed him.”

“Spencer, he was just in a bad mood.”

~~

After a little while, Emily ventured into the office that she saw Hotch go into. Opening the door, she found the lights off. The only light was coming from the window. “Hotch,” She called. He was sitting with his back to her, staring out the window. “Hotch,” She called again. He didn’t respond once again.

Prentiss walked towards him, when she noticed something that shattered her heart. His eyes were blank, no emotions showed in them. There were a few stray tears running down his face. It seemed like he didn’t even acknowledge that she was standing next to him. She couldn’t help but place her hand on his back, whispering, “Oh, Hotch,”

Though the physical contact made him rush to wipe his tears, turning to look at her. “Sorry,” He apologized quickly, “What do you need?”

“What happened before?” She asked, attempting to get an answer from him.

“Nothing,” He replied meekly.

Emily frowned. He was trying to hide the truth. It concerned her more than shocked her. “Hotch, just tell me the truth. There’s no one else her but us. It’s not like you have to hide. I’m not going to judge you.”

“Can we please just drop the subject?” He part asked and ordered.

Prentiss opened her mouth to say something else, but closed it, thinking better of her. “Okay,” She sighed. He had closed back up again. There was no possible way for her to find out the truth now. Well, not for long at least.

~~

Aaron woke up with a start, gasping for air. He coughed harshly into his fist, the deep breath having irritated his throat. After a few seconds, he could feel himself starting to gag. He clamped a hand over his mouth, rushing towards the bathroom, feeling the vomit rise up his throat. Reaching the toilet he retched three times, his body trembling with the force.

Emily woke up suddenly, hearing an unusual noise. She glanced to her left, finding Hotch’s bed empty. Walking into the bathroom, she found him sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, sweat covering his forehead. She crouched down next to him, “Oh, Aaron,” She called him by his first name, something she had never done before.

She soon found out that he had vomited, flushing the toilet, careful not to pay that much attention. Prentiss, helped him stand up, which he did weakly. “Back to bed,” She said, guiding him back into the bedroom. Once she got him into the bed, she sat next to him. She gently brushed her hand through his hair, attempting to comfort him. He seemed to out of it to do anything about it.

Emily still continued to run her hand through his hair when she heard his breathing even out, meaning he was asleep. “Please feel better,” She whispered. After an hour or so, she felt her eyelids get heavy, closing slowly. She fell into a deep sleep, listening to Hotch’s deep breathing.

TBC…

Edited June 16, 2014 by Sophie83540

[ToothTen]

Angsty Hotch...

'Nuff said

I might just be in love with you...

[darkness-is-the-light]

Angsty Hotch...

'Nuff said

I might just be in love with you...

Aww... thank you so much! It's a real pleasure to be writing this for you.

[24Me]

So amazing! I can't put anything into words right now, but it's so good!!!

[darkness-is-the-light]

I'm physically not going to say anything about this part. I'm just going to let it speak for itself...

Part 7

When Emily woke up the next morning, she felt a heaviness on her chest, a penetrating heat. She opened her eyes slowly, finding Hotch’s head laying on her chest, sleeping soundly. Prentiss saw that he had wrapped his arm around her waist. She would have never guessed that he was one to cuddle.

Emily didn’t even attempt to move, worried that even the most subtle movement would wake him. She gently slid her arm from under him, extending it, remembering what it felt like to have a part of her body free. Prentiss felt Hotch stir, then his body tense suddenly. He took a sharp intake of breath, jerking forward with an uncovered sneeze. “Huh’PSH’iew!!” He moved off of her in one swift motion, bringing his hands to his face to cover another sneeze. “Huh’PSHH!!!” Aaron’s breath was still coming in short desperate gasps. He took one final gasp, jerking forward with a final two sneezes. “Huh’PSH’iew!! HUH’PSSH’iew!!!”

“Bless you,” Prentiss said.

Hotch looked over at her, noticing that she was on the same bed as him. The memory flashed through his mind quickly. He had gotten sick during the night and she was trying to comfort him. He wanted to apologize for how delirious he might have been and that she didn’t need to attempt to comfort him. But he had a dilemma. He didn’t exactly know how to put it into words. The only thing he could muster out was a quiet and rushed, “Sorry,”

Emily didn’t know what he was apologizing for exactly. Was it the fact he was sleeping on her, or because of the sneezing? She just assumed it was for both. The only person who would know what he was thinking was him. Prentiss never knew what he was thinking. He just kept himself so… isolated from the team. Especially now more than ever. And she wanted to know why. Not as his co-worker, but as his friend. It worried her seeing him like this, embarrassed by the simplest things.

~~

Prentiss walked away from the police station’s coffee pot, holding a cup of coffee in her hand. She made her way to her boss, placing the cup in front of him on the table. “Here, this will warm your throat.” She said. Hotch only nodded, gazing back down at the file in his hands. “Hotch?” She called.

“Hmm,”

“Why won’t you talk to me?” The words slipped out of her both before she could stop them.

“No reason,” He murmured quietly.

“You’ve been avoiding me since this morning. What’s bothering you?” She asked.

“Nothing,”

“Look at me in the eye and tell me it’s nothing.” Emily ordered.

Hotch did his best to stare into her eyes, “It’s nothing,” He stated.

Prentiss could’ve sworn she saw a look of pain flash through his eyes. Her eyes casted down at the table, focusing on his hands as she saw them clutch around the file. “Aaron, put the file down,” She said. But it seemed like her voice meshed with someone else’s as the sentence was spoken. All her could hear was hers…

Emily saw his bottom lip quiver slightly, his hands trembling with a light force. A single tear rolled down his cheek, dripping down on the table. Then another one, and another. She could see him try to hold the tears back, but it was no use at this point. Prentiss heard a soft whimper come from him as he placed his head in his hands.

Emily stood up quickly, closing the door to the room they were in. She wanted him to have at least some type of privacy from the rest of the life of the station. Aaron let out a strangled sob, his body shaking with the force of emotions. The next sob came out in a sound more like a cry for help than anything else.

Prentiss knew that Hotch wasn’t very fond of physical contact, though at this moment, he needed it more than anything. She pulled her chair over by him, pulling his hands away from his face. There were tears staining his face as he sobbed harshly. Emily pulled him closer to her, wrapping her arms around his body, feeling his body shake.

She rubbed his back soothingly, whispering, “It’s okay, just let it out.” He was in a lot of pain that she or the team didn’t know about. Hiding it deep inside of himself wasn’t healthy. He would only inflict damage on him, which would push him lower into the hole he had dug from the world. “Shh,” She whispered. She wanted him to trust her. That he could have someone to come to. She was determined to make sure he was taken care of most of all.

TBC…