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

[24Me]

Oh. My. Gosh.

This is so good-it literally gave me goosebumps! You are an incredible author!

Sad, sneezy Hotch and caring Emily...be still, my heart!

[ToothTen]

Dang, that was fabtastic, hit everything that I love! First I was like "aww s'cute snuggly Hotch", then we got to lovely sneezy Hotch, then poor sad, sick, angsty Hotch. And even though I am usually a Jotch person, you write him with Emily so beautifully that I'm sold

Also I loooove your spellings, they are perfect for Hotch in my opinion

[darkness-is-the-light]

This next part tells you the truth... But takes a twist at the end.... Strap yourselves in.

Part 8

His whole body shook, plagued by the emotions. Emily continued rubbing his back, murmuring soothing words. But something made her heart crack just a little bit. What if what she had said pushed him over the line? What if something she did caused this? Was what she said too out there? Did she cross a boundary?

She was grabbed out of her thoughts when Hotch suddenly tore out of her grasp. Prentiss watched his eyes flutter closed as he jerked forward, sneezing twice into his elbow. “Huh’PSHH!! Huh’PSH’iew!!!” He took a deep breath, attempting to calm down, though he coughed harshly, the sudden large amount of air irritating his throat. Touching his throat, he felt a surge of pain run through it.

“Bless you,” Emily murmured.

“I’m sorry,” Hotch whispered, gazing down at the floor.

“What’s bothering you?” She asked softly.

“Haley…” Hotch squeezed his eyes shut, “and I… got divorced…” He trailed off.

“Oh Hotch,” She murmured sympathetically, feeling her heart shatter. If she had only known that her friend was going through a lot of pain. He had gotten divorced. She now knew why he was staying at the office so late, and why he was having trouble sleeping.

“I’m a horrible person,” He mumbled.

“No you’re not.” Emily objected.

“I’m the reason why she left. I wasn’t a good husband.”

“Yes, you were. Everyone knows that you loved her deeply and still do.” Prentiss said.

“I was never there. How about Jack? He’s going to grow up knowing that I’m never there and that I was never there.”

Prentiss saw another tear roll down his cheek, “It’s not like we can help it. Our job is very demanding. But you’re helping other people. There’s a meaning to all of this chaos.” She paused, looking at him in the eye. “She’s only afraid that you’ll get hurt. I don’t agree with her decision. She shouldn’t have done something like that. But, she doesn’t hate you.”

A long silence deemed between them until Hotch spoke up, “I don’t know how to do this…”

“Yes you do. Even if you’re not married anymore, you can still be there for her and Jack.”

“I guess,”

“You know.” She corrected, “Hotch, neither I, nor the rest of the team would let you slip. None of us want to see you hurting.”

Emily spoke the truth. She didn’t want to see him hurting.

Hotch glanced up at her, “You mean that?” He seemed surprised.

“Truly.” Prentiss confirmed.

“Thank you…” He trailed off, his eyes becoming unfocused. He turned to the side, pinching his nose shut, jerking forward with two stifled sneezes. “Hgnxt!! Hgnxt!!! Sorry,” He whispered.

“What for?” Emily asked, “Bless you by the way,”

“Helping me,” He said simply.

“It’s no problem, Hotch,”

~~

He felt like an idiot. He should’ve been able to deal with it himself. He had practically embarrassed himself in front of a member of his team. What if someone else had seen that, someone with higher authority? What if he was accused of being unfit to run the case? He could’ve gotten himself into a lot of trouble. All because he was too weak.

Unable to take the pain of the world. He had to be alright. He had to be alright. He had to be alright. He needed to be alright. He needed to be focused. It was mandatory for him to be focused. What would someone like Strauss do if they found out that the boss and unit chief of a certain team wasn’t thinking strait? Could his ability to run the team be compromised?

These were thoughts that ran through his head as he stared in the mirror. Get a grip, Hotchner, he thought. He knew that this was all his fault. If he had been around more, Haley wouldn’t have left. If that didn’t happen, he wouldn’t be in this position right now. He knew that Emily had helped, slightly. Though he could play it safe around her. No one knew what he was going through or could help, at the moment. How could they know?

TBC…

[24Me]

Oh this is lovely! My poor Hotch, though... Nice work!

[darkness-is-the-light]

There probably will be an update tonight or tomorrow. I'm sorry for the wait. My school year just ended and I've been busy.

[ToothTen]

How did I miss this?? Great as always, poor Hotch...

[darkness-is-the-light]

I'm sorry for the wait, I've been quite busy the past few days. This part is significantly longer and has more sneezing in it. I hope you like it!

Part 9

“Hotch?” Morgan called, watching the older man gaze at the victim board in front of him.

Hotch turned around, “Yes?”

“I know this isn’t good news, but, they found another body.” Morgan informed.

Aaron felt his heart drop. Another victim, because he was taking too much time thinking of himself.

“Alright,” He sighed.

~~

“Her name is Kathrine Peters. She was walking home from a party. The next day her friend tried to get in contact with her, even went to her house. There was no sign of her.” The police chief explained.

“Did any of her neighbors recall seeing her?” Morgan asked.

“No one. They were all asleep.”

“Look at the way her make-up is smeared.” Reid noted.

“The Unsub might’ve attempted to wipe it off.” Morgan suggested.

“Or it could’ve smeared when and if she was crying.” Hotch said.

“That could be a possibility too.” Derek agreed thoughtfully.

“Either way, it shows that the Unsub could care less about what happened to her, but didn’t want to get caught.” Reid added.

“Obviously there’s no sign…” Aaron trailed off, turning away from the other two agents, snapping forward with a restrained sneeze. “Huh’PSHH!” He took a sharp breath, snapping forward once again with an unrestrained, desperate sneeze. “Huh’PSHH’iew!!!” He sniffled a few times, turning back around to face the other men.

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

Hotch nodded, “Excuse me. As I was saying, there’s no sign of remorse.” He finished.

“Which is strange, since at the other dump site, there was a sign of remorse,” Morgan said.

“This could’ve been a woman who had a resemblance to someone who angered him deeply.” Reid suggested.

“Morgan, call Garcia and find out if she can find any women who died and had the resemblance of Kathrine. I know it’s a little bit broad, but it’s all we have.”

Derek nodded, walking away, calling Garcia.

“All we know so far is that this Unsub has a rage against women with blonde hair. But he doesn’t want to make it known, so he tries hard to hide their bodies.” Spencer said.

“Hopefully Garcia can find something.”

Reid was going to say something else, but stopped when he saw his boss turn away once again, stifling three sneezes. “Hgnxt! Hgnnxt!! Hgnxxt!!”

“Bless you,” Reid said.

Aaron snapped forward once again with two more sneezes. “Huh’PSH’iew!! Huh’PSHH’iew!!!”

“Bless you again,”

“Thank you. Excuse me,”

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

“Yes,” He answered quickly.

Spencer could now hear the congestion in his voice. Was Hotch sick? Or was he fine? Now that he thought of it, he remembered him sneezing a few days earlier when they were talking. It didn’t seem like it was a coincidence for Hotch to sneeze. He didn’t ever sneeze. Reid knew that Emily was rooming with Hotch. Maybe he could ask her. She’d probably know.

~~

Reid saw Emily walking in the police station. “Emily!” He called, attempting to get her attention.

Prentiss glanced up, “Yes?” She asked.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” He asked.

“Sure,” They walked into one of the offices they were allowed to use, closing the door. “What do you need?” She asked.

“Has Hotch seemed…off to you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Is he sick?” Spencer asked after a short silence.

Emily sighed. She didn’t know if she should tell Reid about what was happening with Hotch. She knew he didn’t like people knowing his business or worrying about him. But this time, maybe the others could help her. “Yeah,” She confessed, “For a few days,”

“Why doesn’t he go to the hotel and rest?”

“I don’t know, but please don’t tell any of the others,”

“Why?”

“He’s not going to like the attention.” She said.

“But he’s sick,”

“I wouldn’t bring it up to him.”

“Emily, he can’t push himself while he’s sick. That’s going to weaken his body.” Reid stated.

Prentiss couldn’t stop the words before they slipped out of her mouth, “It’s not only that,”

“What do you mean?” Spencer asked.

“Never mind,” She mumbled.

“Tell me,”

Prentiss sighed deeply, “Hotch and Haley got divorced.” She murmured.

Reid looked shocked, “Is that… is that why he’s been so irritable lately?” He asked.

“Yeah, he’s taking it really hard, as I would too.” Emily said.

“He hasn’t told anyone but you?” He asked.

“No. He doesn’t want anyone worrying about him. He wants the team to be able to do their jobs correctly.”

“I think Rossi might know.”

“Why do you say that?” Prentiss asked.

“He was trying to force something out of him.”

“And you know that how…?”

“I sort of heard them talking for a second when I was getting more coffee. But I didn’t know what they were talking about.” Spencer explained.

“I don’t know how to do this,”

“What?”

“How to help him,” She clarified, “I think he’s trying to avoid me,”

“He’s not used to anyone being worried about him and helping him. He may feel trapped inside of his mind.” Spencer said.

“I know he doesn’t want me to worry about him, but he needs to know that neither I, nor anyone else on this team want to see him hurting.” Emily sighed.

“I know he’ll trust you enough, you’ve seen him in a bad state already. But in order for you to do what you need to do, I tell the team, but tell them not to push any issues.” Reid explained.

“Spencer, thank you,” Prentiss said.

“I know that you want him to open up. It’s the only way for it to work.”

“But thank you again. It will really help.”

~~

“Hotch,” Emily called.

“What?” He asked; his voice firm.

Prentiss flinched at how he addressed her, “Try to get some sleep.” She said gently.

“Prentiss, we’ve gone over this before. I don’t need you to tell me what to do.”

“Hotch, it will only benefit you. You’ve barely been getting any sleep lately. Your body needs it.” She was standing her ground.

He needed to know what was right.

“Prentiss—“ He started, but she cut him off.

“I’m not going to stop until you agree to go to sleep.” She warned, “I’m not going to sit here and watch you beat yourself up. You’re not going to damage yourself.”

“Fine,” He said, not wanting to fight.

“Thank you.”

~~

She woke suddenly, not knowing why. She heard his sudden sneeze. “Huh’PSHH!!” Then another, and another. “Huh’PSHH!! Huh’PSH’iew!!!” She then heard the harsh coughing, then three more desperate, wet sneezes. “Huh’PSh’iew!! Huh’PSHH’iew!!! HUH ’PSH’iew!!!” When she got to the bathroom, he was blowing his nose wetly.

“Bless you,” She mumbled.

Hotch turned around quickly, “Sorry,” He apologized sheepishly.

“You should stay back here in the hotel today.” Emily said.

“I can’t. We have to get the Unsub.” He replied.

“There are other members of this team you know.” Emily quipped.

“But what will you tell them?” Hotch asked.

“Umm… well… I think they already know.” She said.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, uh, I told Reid. He was getting suspicious and I had to. But he promised that he would tell the rest of the team to not push any issues.” Prentiss explained.

“But I still have to go.” Hotch said.

“Well, I guess we’ll see how you feel.”

~~

When Emily saw Hotch next, she knew he wasn’t alright. (Even though he wasn’t already) He snapped forward into his cupped hands, sneezing twice, “Huh’PSH’iew!! Huh’PSHH’iew!!!” Next a wet rattling cough shook from his body. He took another sharp breath, snapping forward with two more wet sneezes, “Huh’PSSH’iew!! Huh’PSSHH’iew!!!”

“Bless you,” Emily murmured.

Hotch looked up, meeting her eyes. His eyes were glassy, showing how bad he felt.

“You’re not going in today,” She said.

Aaron’s voice was hoarse, “I have to,”

“No, you don’t, and you’re not.”

“I have to,” He repeated, standing up quickly, but swaying dangerously.

Emily grabbed Hotch’s forearm, “Woah,” She helped him sit back down. He turned away slightly, barely covering two wet sneezes. “Huh’PSH’iew!! Huh’PSHH’iew!!!” She saw some of the spray in the air. “Bless you,” She said, helping him lay down, “Just go back to sleep,” She said gently.

He nodded slightly, placing his head down on the pillow, closing his eyes. Emily ran her hand through his hair, feeling the sweat on his forehead. After a few minutes, she heard his breathing even out. When she knew he was asleep for sure, she grabbed her cell phone, walking into the bathroom. The only person she could think of calling was Rossi.

“What’s wrong, Emily?” Rossi answered.

“It’s not with me. It’s Hotch.” She said.

“What’s wrong with Aaron?”

“He’s really sick. I think it might be the flu. I obviously can’t have him come in today.” She explained.

Rossi sighed, “I had a feeling this would happen.”

“Why?”

“Did he tell you about him and Haley?” He asked.

“Yeah,”

“He’s pushing himself to hard. He’s beating himself up about Haley.” He said.

“I just want to help him.” Prentiss sighed.

“You are. You will help him. If you need anything, just call me.”

“Alright, thanks,” She replied.

TBC…

[ToothTen]

I like the interaction between Reid and Emily, and of course Rossi knows everything

Poor Hotch overworking himself... Not gonna lie though, I love the fact that the sneezes are getting too big and wet too hold back and he has to give in to his body

[jezebel215]

:-) so happy

[darkness-is-the-light]

Thank you for the replies, they mean a lot. The rest of the parts from here on will be longer. I hope you like this part!

Part 10

Emily walked back into the “bedroom”. She sat on the bed that she called hers, gazing over at her sleeping boss. There was a thin layer of sweat covering his forehead. She wouldn’t doubt that he had a fever of over one hundred degrees. He hadn’t really shown many symptoms until the last two days. She assumed that he was attempting to keep them in check. But he now had to give in to his body. It was demanding the attention.

She sat in silence, listening to his deep breathing. She thought about how distraught he was. And how sad it was that it took sickness for him to admit what was really going on with him. To top it all off, how he felt trapped, thinking that he couldn’t let anyone else help him. That he didn’t feel comfortable talking to anyone else on the team. It struck her hard. The rejection had felt worse than anything else she had been through in her time on the team.

If he hadn’t had the sickness on top of it, how long would he have waited to tell someone? Would he even tell anyone at all? Or would he bottle it up inside? These were all questions that roamed through her mind. They would probably never be answered. And she knew that for a fact.

She felt bad for him. Even though he was hard to deal with (Only because he was an effective boss), and that he could a stick-in-the-mud type person, sometimes mean, and even insulting, she knew deep down that he was a nice person. That he only wanted the best for his team even though they didn’t always agree with his decisions.

Sometimes she forgot that he was human, and that he had emotions too. Sometimes she forgot that he would need help too. It wasn’t until now that she saw the different side of Aaron Hotchner. The side he kept hidden deep down, the side of him that needed someone to be there for him, the side that needed comfort and support. She didn’t know if she was the right person for the job. But she was going to try to be everything that he needed. She was going to try and make him see why it’s okay to call out for help when you need it.

She wanted to make him understand that some people are not out in the world to hurt you, but to help you. He needed help. He had to get help. There was no other way to put it. He needed to be cared for. She wasn’t going to sit around and watch him hurt himself. She wasn’t going to watch him neglect his health. When you need help, your body will do anything it can to get attention. It will cry and scream for the attention that it needs.

She sure as hell knew that his sickness was that way. His body wanted the attention. Craved it. But he wouldn’t let that happen. So his body went against him, no matter how hard he fought. And it would keep going against him until he was mentally stable. People always say that the body is not in tune with emotions, but the truth is, it is. It knew when something was wrong and would send a message out to you to get help.

Emily was torn out of her thoughts when she heard Hotch turn over, letting out a sound that sounded very similar to a whimper. But he remained sleeping, nonetheless. The next sound was a wail, almost like a cry for help. Emily got up, glancing over at Aaron, there were tears running down his face. She gently sat on the bed next to him, running her hand through his hair. “Shh,” She whispered, even though she knew he probably couldn’t hear her. But she knew that he did when his deep brown eyes opened, gazing up at her. “Are you alright?” She asked softly. He nodded slightly, making her aware that he at least a little bit more coherent than he was before.

Suddenly his expression changed, his eyes become unfocused. He took in a sharp breath, snapping forward with two desperate sneezes. “Huh’PSH’iew!! Huh’PSHH’iew!!!” Emily felt the bed shake with the force. “Bless you,” She said. He took another sharp breath, his breath hitching desperately. “Huh…Huh…Huh” He took one final sharp breath, snapping forward with another two sneezes. “Huh’PSH’iew! HUH’PSHH’iew!!!” He sniffled wetly, feeling his nose run. Emily reached over, grabbing a few tissues out of the box, handing them to Aaron. “Bless you,” She murmured. He took the tissues, blowing his nose harshly. The blowing irritated his throat, making him cough wetly, aiming his head down towards his chest. Emily rubbed his back soothingly, feeling the cough shake his body. When he stopped, she asked, “Are you okay?” He nodded, touching his throat, feeling a shooting pain.

“Yeah,” He said quietly, his voice strained.

“You were crying,” She murmured.

“I was?” He asked, his face looking ashamed.

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, you are human, you know?”

“Well…yeah,” He whispered. After a short silence, he asked, “Everything’s alright with the case, right?”

“Oh, Hotch. Don’t worry about the case, they have everything under control.” She said, “All you need to worry about is getting better. That’s your number one priority.”

“I guess you’re right,”

“I am.” She confirmed.

“Does the team know?” Hotch asked suddenly.

“About you being sick, yeah,”

“No, about… well… you know,”

“I think they may.” Emily said. She saw his eyes close, his body stiffen.

“Who did you tell?” He asked calmly.

“Reid,” She stated.

“Why?” He asked.

Prentiss was taken aback. She didn’t exactly expect him to react that way. “It kind of slipped out,” She confessed, biting the inside of her lip.

“I thought you weren’t going to tell anyone about that.” He whispered.

“I’m sorry, but I had to.” She apologized.

“Now everyone will know. You know how much attention that will bring me?”

“Hotch, you’re not thinking straight. You need help, both physically and mentally.”

“But I didn’t ask for you to tell. I thought you were going to keep it a secret.” He muttered.

“Hotch, you need to realize that we care about you. We only want to help you.” She said.

Hotch opened his mouth to say something else, but closed it, “Never mind,” He said, turning away from Emily.

Prentiss felt her heart drop. She placed her hand on his arm to comfort him.

“Don’t touch me,” He snapped.

Emily retracted her hand from his arm, “Okay,” She said quietly. “Can—“ She started but he cut her off.

“Just… just leave me alone…” He trailed off.

Emily got off the bed, walking back to hers, sitting down, focusing on the wall in front of her. She glanced over at him when she heard him sneeze twice, watching his body jerk forward. “Huh’PSH’iew!! Huh’PSHH’iew!!!”

“Bless you,” She murmured. She knew that he wouldn’t reply, she had offended him. She had betrayed his trust. She knew she shouldn’t have told Reid. But deep down she knew she had to. The only thing that plagued her is that he probably would push her away. But she knew that she kind of deserved it, even though she didn’t want to admit it.

~~

The next time Aaron woke up, he noticed that Emily was staring at the wall, probably lost in her thoughts. He sighed deeply feeling the guilt rush to him. The deep breath made him cough harshly. He sat up, attempting to stop the coughing. This caught Emily’s attention, who glanced over at him, concern etched on her face.

After a few seconds, he felt the vomit rush up in his throat. He rushed off towards the bathroom. Emily followed him quickly, kneeling down next to him, rubbing his back soothingly. When he was sure he was finished, he layed back against the wall. Emily flushed the toilet, careful not to look, then stayed on the floor.

Hotch tried to say something, but his voice only came out in a whisper, “Emily,” He called.

Prentiss still heard it though, “Yeah?” She asked, glancing at him.

“I’m sorry,”

“I’m sorry too,”

“I didn’t mean…” He trailed off, his voice giving out.

“I know you didn’t,” She said, “I shouldn’t have said anything,”

“I—“ He forced out, but he had officially lost his voice.

“Don’t force it,” Emily said, “Come on, back to bed,” She said.

Halfway back, Aaron stopped abruptly, loosely cupping a hand around his nose and mouth, jerking forward with a restrained sneeze. “Huh’PSHH!” He sniffled a few times, still feeling the itch in his sinuses.

“You done?” She asked.

He shook his head, jerking forward once again with two more sneezes. “Huh’PSH’iew!! Huh’PSHH’iew!!”

“Bless you,” She murmured.

Getting back to the bed, she had him blow his nose, hoping it would make the congestion better. “Just relax,” She murmured. She listened to his breathing, thinking about what he had said. Maybe he would let her take care of him the way she wanted to. Hopefully, this would be the plan.

TBC…

[24Me]

Oh Hotch...! Emily, why did you have to tell, and Aaron, why are you so prickly? The FEELS! I have the FEELS!

Anyway, amazing as always! So glad the updates are getting longer-more to happily read over and over until the next one!

[jezebel215]

so good to come home to an update!!!!!!!

[ToothTen]

I was just rereading this beautiful piece (again), and noticed that I hadn't commented after this update!! Just wanted to let you know that I'm still loving it!

[darkness-is-the-light]

Hey guys! I'm finally back after my short hiatus. I just got back into writing because sometimes I'm a little too lazy. But anyway, I hope you like it!

Part 11

Emily strode into the bullpen, noticing everyone doing their own separate things. Reid and Morgan were talking. JJ and Rossi were having their own conversation. She couldn’t find Garcia. She was probably in her “Batcave”, as they sometimes called it. Prentiss Glanced at Hotch’s office, finding the door closed, the blinds down, and the lights off.

Emily walked over to JJ, “Where’s Hotch?” She asked.

JJ sighed, “Uh… I think Rossi would do better at explaining it than me.”

Confusion was etched on Prentiss’ face, “What’s wrong?”

“Emily, Hotch left,” Rossi said.

“Left for today?” She asked.

“No. I mean he’s not coming back. He left the Bureau.” He informed.

“What. Why?” She asked quickly.

Rossi sighed, “Well, you know that Hotch and Haley got divorced, right?”

“Yeah,”

“He couldn’t deal with the guilt. He was almost never home because this job is very demanding as you know, and he didn’t want to stay at a place where he knew it ruined his relationship.” He explained.

“Why would he throw it all away like that?” She asked.

“I’m not sure.”

“I tried to help him… I guess I failed…” A frown crossed Emily’s face.

“Emily, don’t say that. It was his decision.”

“I should’ve done a better job. I should’ve done better…” She trailed off. She had failed him. She didn’t do enough. It was all her fault.

Emily jerked awake, gasping for air. She glanced around the room, looking at her surroundings. She remembered that they were on a case and in the hotel. Prentiss had a sigh of relief when she saw that Hotch was sleeping soundly in the bed next to hers. He was there, everything was alright.

“It’s all my fault,” The words circulated around her mind, repeating over and over again. She saw the flash of her dream rush before her eyes. Emily shuttered at the thought of her dream becoming true. She had to prevent that from ever happening. She had to be there for him. She needed to be there for him.

It was that moment when she realized that a tear had stained her face. She brushed it away, feeling heat rush to her face. She had been crying. The dream (or nightmare) had hit a nerve deep down in her. She had cared for her boss more than she thought she did. Prentiss had always wanted to make sure that her boss was doing alright. Even from the beginning she wanted his approval, and one way to do that was to make sure he was fine.

Emily stood up and walked over by Hotch. She gently sat on his bed, gazing at how peaceful he looked. It was now that she realized how much younger he looked in sleep. The constant frown on his face vanished, replaced by an untroubled expression. It was nice to see him in this state. She cherished the times when he wasn’t so uptight. There was innocence in him, but he rarely ever showed it. Prentiss knew it was there and wished that he would show it more. That would show that he was human. He needed to know he was human and that it was okay to not be okay.

Emily gazed at him in sympathy as he mumbled a few words incoherently, tossing roughly. She heard the whimper, then, the clear word, “No,” It was mumbled, but Emily still heard it loud and clear. Repeating it a few times, he tossed once again, facing Prentiss once again. She saw the distress etched on his face. The tears ran down his face as he tossed once again.

~~

“Hey Kid, do you know why Prentiss and Hotch haven’t been here?” Morgan asked.

“Why are you asking me?” Reid questioned.

“Rossi wouldn’t tell me, he said that I ‘shouldn’t be worrying about it’.”

“And you expect me to know…?”

“I saw you were talking with Emily the other day.” Morgan said.

Reid sighed. Even though he said that he would tell the team not to worry, he didn’t feel right telling anyone about it. Hotch could get mad at him for releasing this information. “I don’t think I’m allowed to say.” Reid replied quickly.

“Kid, I’m a member of this team too, you know,”

“Yeah,”

“Tell me,”

“I can’t” Reid said.

“Why?” Morgan asked.

“I… I just can’t,”

“Oh, come on,”

“Hotch would get mad at me,”

“Hotch isn’t here now, is he?” Morgan quipped.

“No, but I can’t,”

“Reid,”

Reid took in a deep breath, he wasn’t going to stop. He was going to pester him until he told. Spencer exhaled slowly, “Fine. Emily isn’t here because Hotch is sick and she’s taking care of him.” His words were jumbled and quick.

Concern was etched on Derek’s face, “For how long?”

“Since the case started.” Reid informed.

“Why didn’t he tell anyone?”

“You know how he is with appearances,” Reid said.

“I guess you’re right,”

~~

Emily noticed after the first few moments that Aaron was having a nightmare. She placed her hand on his arm, shaking it gently while calling his name. Hotch woke with a gasp, eyes darting around the room. She could hear his breathing in erratic gasps, struggling to become even once again. Emily rubbed his arm gently, “You’re okay, Hotch,” She paused, “Take deep even breaths,” She ordered softly. Aaron started taking even breaths, but stopped abruptly when he turned away, coughing openly.

“Just calm down, it’s alright,”

She heard the words come out in a quiet rasp, “I’m sorry,”

“For what?” Emily asked, confused.

“For being sick,”

Prentiss sighed, “Hotch, you can’t control that. You’re human, it happens.”

The words were so quiet, Emily almost didn’t hear them, “But you’re stuck here, with me,”

There was a flash of anger in her eyes, “You are not, and I mean not, a bother to me.” Her tone was firm.

“I feel like an inconvenience,”

Emily pinched the bridge of her nose, not understanding why he wouldn’t give in for a matter of seconds. “Aaron,” Calling him by his first name had the possibility of getting through to him.

Hotch glanced up, “I’m sorry,” He whispered, looking down once again.

Emily’s eyes softened, “Hotch… please stop thinking that you are wasting my time and energy, because you’re not.” She paused, waiting for him to look back up at her, “And if you were with the rest of the team right now, they’d say the same exact thing. Do you want to know why?” She asked.

“Why?” He whispered.

“Because we care about you,” She said gently.

Hotch closed his eyes briefly, opening them once again, he said, “I know,”

“Do you really?” Emily asked.

He nodded, “Yes, I do,”

“Will you let us help you?”

“Yes,”

“You better, I’ll be watching you,” She warned jokingly.

~~

Prentiss sat by Hotch for a little while longer, watching him sleep. Her attention was torn from her boss when she heard her phone ring. “Hello?” She answered, walking into the bathroom to not disturb Hotch.

“Hi, Emily,” JJ said.

“What’s wrong?” Prentiss asked.

“Nothing’s wrong. We have a suspect in custody, Morgan’s interrogating him now. It gave me some time to check up on you.”

She paused, “Matter of fact, what’s going on with you and Hotch?” She asked, “I haven’t been told anything,”

Emily exhaled a deep breath, “Things… things have been a little rough,” She admitted.

“With Hotch?” JJ asked.

“Have you ever seen Hotch sick?” Emily asked, coming off in a joking way, so she hoped.

“I didn’t know he was sick,”

“He has been since we started the case. But I think he was before it started.” Emily informed.

“So, he’s that bad, huh?” JJ asked.

“It’s not that he’s bad, it’s just… strange seeing him in such a vulnerable state.”

“He’s actually showing signs of being human?” JJ joked.

Emily laughed lightly, “Yeah…” She trailed off, hearing signs of life from the other room. She glanced in the bedroom after she heard two sneezes. “Huh’PSH’iew! Huh’PSHH’iew!!” But she saw that Hotch remained asleep.

“That sounds rough,” JJ said.

“You heard that?” Emily asked.

“Yeah,”

“I have a feeling it’s the flu.” Prentiss said.

“Oh, that has to suck,”

“Probably does,”

“Do you want me to stop by?” JJ asked, “I could bring some food for you, and maybe some medicine for Hotch.” JJ offered.

“You don’t have to. I don’t want you to end up getting sick.” Emily said.

“Emily, I have my flu shot, don’t worry. Besides, the quicker he gets better, the better for you.” JJ replied.

“Okay, but I have warned you. It may not be a pretty sight, and he might act like he’s fine.”

“I wouldn’t think anything less of him.”

“I know you wouldn’t,”

~~

Hearing the knock on the door, Emily almost immediately answered. “Hey, JJ,” She greeted.

“Hey. I brought you some food. I got you pizza and brought some soup for Hotch, considering the fact that he probably hasn’t been eating a lot.” JJ said.

“Yeah, he really hasn’t,”

When they walked into the bedroom area of the hotel room, JJ immediately saw the huddled, sleeping figure of her boss. Getting closer, she noticed his pale face combined with the red tinge around his nose. “Oh he looks so sick,” She murmured, feeling the nurturing side of her push through.

“I know, I feel so bad for him,” Emily said.

“I brought you a thermometer. I kind of figured you didn’t have one.” JJ offered.

“Thanks, I could really use it.” Prentiss replied gratefully, walking over and sitting on the bed, shaking Aaron’s arm lightly,

“Hotch, I need you to wake up for me,”

After a few seconds, his eyes opened, glancing up at her, “What’s wrong?” He rasped.

“Nothing’s wrong, I just want to take your temperature.” Emily informed. When the thermometer beeped, Hotch took it out and handed it to Emily. “It’s lower than I expected, but still high enough,”

“What is it?” JJ asked.

“101.5,” Emily informed.

JJ’s voice made Hotch turn his head, gazing at the young blonde. “JJ, what are you doing here?” He asked quietly.

“Don’t worry, she offered to bring us food; and medicine for you.” Emily explained.

“I have to get going, the team probably needs me.” JJ announced.

“Alright, thank you, for all of this,” Emily said.

“It’s not a problem,” JJ insisted, “Feel better, Hotch,” She said, walking towards the door.

Prentiss walked over to the door, “Bye,”

“Bye,” JJ replied.

After JJ left, Emily grabbed the medicine out of the bag. NyQuil. She knew he would need this. But she had to get him to eat something first, even though he would fight her. “Hey, Hotch, I’m going to need you eat.” She said.

He made a noise that sounded like a groan, “Do I have to?” He asked, sounding childish.

She sighed, “Yes, you do,” She said.

“Fine,” He mumbled, sitting up.

Emily handed him the soup and plastic spoon. When she was satisfied with how much he ate, she gave him the small cup of medicine. He eyed the cup warily, unsure if he should drink it or not. “Drink it. It will make you feel better.” After he drank it, he handed the cup back to her. “Good,” She praised. Prentiss could see after the first fifteen minutes that Hotch was trying to fight the medicine, attempting to stay awake. “Go to sleep,” When she was sure he was asleep, she started to eat her own food, grateful of JJ bringing it to her.

TBC…

[24Me]

Oh. My. Guuuuhhhhh.....

THIS IS AMAZING! I've been watching like a HAWK for an update, and it is fantastic and so worth the short wait! Thank you thank you thank you!!!! This is too good for words!

[jezebel215]

always SO good :-)

[jezebel215]

... also, it wouldn't be terrible if Emily got sick too...

[darkness-is-the-light]

Wow, I'm finally back. I'm sorry for the long wait. Well, uh, this looks like this is the end of this story. I didn't exactly know what else to do with this. But I hope this ending is fit. Thank you everyone for being a wonderful audience. I really appreciate it. @ToothTen, I hope this made you happy, I'll be glad to do it once again. It was really fun writing this story. I hope you like it!

Part 12

When Emily woke up, there was a faint ache in her head. I probably didn’t get enough sleep, she thought, sighing. She rubbed her forehead roughly, yawning quietly. Emily glanced over at Aaron, noticing that he was still knocked out from the Nyquil she had given him the night before. She knew there would be some time before he woke up again and knew that there wasn’t exactly anything to do in that dreaded hotel room. The only thing she could do was make the horrible coffee that they supplied in the hotel room. It’s better than nothing, she sighed.

When the coffee was finished brewing, she poured it into her mug and went to sit back down on her bed. Prentiss cringed at the taste of it, but knew that it was the only thing that would help her wake up fully. Placing the cup down on the bedside table, she leaned against the backboard of the bed. Emily rubbed her nose lightly, feeling her sinuses tingle. Pitching forward suddenly, sneezing openly into her lap, unable to bring her hands to her face in time. “Huh’psh’iew!” She rubbed her nose once again, sniffling wetly.

“Emily, are you okay?” Aaron rasped.

Emily’s eyes widened, she hadn’t known he was awake and had heard her. Clearing her throat, she turned toward him, “Yeah, I’m fine,” She could feel herself getting nervous, looking at his tired, yet concerned gaze.

“Okay…” Hotch trailed off, cupping a hand around his nose, snapping forward with two wet sneezes. “Huh’PSH’iew!! Huh’PSHH’iew!!!”

“Bless you,” Emily said, “How do you feel?” She asked.

“Better than yesterday, but still bad enough,” He answered.

“Good. At least you’re feeling b-better...” Her voice faltered at the end of her sentence as she turned her head, sneezing into her elbow. “Huh’Tissh! Huh’Tishh!!”

“Bless you,”

“Thank you,” Prentiss couldn’t help but feel fidgety looking into the concerned eyes of Hotch, once again.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” He asked.

“Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Never mind,” Aaron said quietly.

“You don’t have to worry about me, Hotch.” Emily assured.

“But I do,” He whispered.

~~

Two days later, the team was on their way home. The remaining members of the team had gotten a confession from the Unsub and found out where his partner was hiding. By that time, Hotch was almost completely better. Emily on the other hand… was far from feeling well. She was forced to admitting she wasn’t feeling well by a concerned Hotch, who had felt bad for infecting her after she had treated him so well. Prentiss was taking advantage of the couch on the jet, sleeping soundly beside the occasional sniff every once in a while. In the back of the jet, Hotch and Rossi occupied two seats furthest away from everyone else.

“You look like you’re feeling better.” Rossi said.

“I feel better,” Hotch admitted.

“I can’t exactly say the same about Prentiss though,”

“Good thing we’re off rotation for the next 48 hours when we get back to DC.”

“The kid will need it,”

A long silence dawned between the two men. Until Hotch said, “Look, I’m sorry,”

“What do you have to be sorry for?” Rossi asked.

“For snapping at you the other day. My behavior was inexcusable.”

“You had every right to, Hotch. I crossed an emotional line and you reacted the way any other person would. With anger,”

“But why did you keep persisting on getting an answer from me?” Aaron asked.

“Because I knew you weren’t going come out of your shell without a little help.” Rossi couldn’t help but smirk.

“Thank you,” Hotch said, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

“Anytime,”

The End.