Back to you - Hotchniss

did I ever tell you?

The next case rolled around quicker than expected, and before the team could blink twice, they found themselves in Utah the next day. Five girls had already been abducted and killed, and one was still missing. Emily had managed to avoid Aaron as much as possible, and on the plane, she had tried to keep her mind occupied by beating Reid mercilessly at chess.

"Okay, listen, we can't lose any time", Hotch said after they had all left the jet. It was snowing, and they all shivered in the cold air.

"Rossi, Reid, you go talk to the parents of the last victims", he advised and handed Rossi a pair of car keys. "Morgan, Prentiss, you go and set everything up at the local police station; JJ and I are going to the cabin where the last two victims were held."

"Wouldn't it be better if I go to the police station?", JJ intervened. "I talked everything through with the officer who is responsible for the case."

Hotch hesitated. JJ was right, but if he chose Derek to accompany him to the cabin, it would be obvious that he was avoiding Emily, which would present him rather unprofessional.

"Okay", he said through gritted teeth and furrowed his eyebrows. "Emily, you're coming with me then."

These words took the brunette by surprise, but she didn't respond. Instead, she just wordlessly nodded and watched JJ and Derek leave to their SUV before following the Unit Chief.

The car ride was completely silent, and Emily kept staring out of the window to her right.

"The snow is getting worse", she then stated, rather cold, trying to sound unbothered.

"They announced a storm for later today", Hotch commented. "But I expect that we'll be back at the hotel by then."

"I hope so", she muttered, watching the snow falling and falling.

The cabin was already completely cleaned up, the smell of germicide was hovering in the air and even though both of them went trough everything they could find, it wasn't really helpful.

"Nothing", Emily sighed after a while. "Maybe they were brought here by chance?"

"What do you mean?", Hotch asked.

"Maybe something didn't go by plan, and he had to bring them here", she explained. "He kidnapped them together, and this was the first time he took two at once - maybe he overestimated himself and had no choice but hide them somewhere, and found this place here in the woods."

"So his plan was to go somewhere else with them", Hotch continued her thought. "He passed this place by accident, but where did he come from and where did he want to go?"

"We need a map", Emily replied.

"I'll call JJ, I'm sure they'll have one at the police station", he nodded and took out his phone. "Then we can check what's close to this place."

"Maybe you can do that while we drive back", Emily suggested, as she wasn't very fond of spending more time with him alone.

Hotch just nodded, so she quickly made her way over to the door. Just as she had opened it, an enormous gust of wind and snow blew directly in her face, leading to Hotch immediately rushing towards the door.

"Are you okay?", he asked while pushing himself against the door, having some difficulties closing it as the wind was really strong.

"What the fuck was that?", Emily gasped and beat the snow of her coat.

"I believe that is the storm", he stated flatly and the lock of the door finally clicked into place.

"You said that it would start later today!"

"That was what they said on the news", he replied, taking out his cellphone. "JJ? Is everyone back yet? (...) Okay. (...) Yes, the storm has already risen, I don't think that we'll have a chance on driving back yet. (...) Yes, we'll wait. Listen, take a closer look at the map of this forest and what lies close to it. We've come to the conclusion that he only passed this cabin randomly, it wasn't the actual plan to leave the girls here. (...) Thank you. Call me if you got anything."

"If you just told her that the two of us will stay here until the storm has passed, I'm going to make you the next victim in this cabin", Emily snapped as soon as he had ended the call.

"You're free to leave, if you want to", he shrugged. "Have fun in the tons of snow. I, for my part, will wait until the storm has passed, like a reasonable person."

Emily let out a scoff and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Right then, she was wishing that he had taken JJ with him instead of her.

Hotch sat down on a chair, his eyes scanning the cabin once again. Emily leaned against the opposite wall, her eyes fixed on the storm which passed in front of the window. As the silence was growing too heavy, he finally spoke up.

"I think I have to apologize", he said, his voice still calm and collected.

Emily turned her head to face him. "What for?"

"I guess I went like a bull at a gate at you yesterday", he sighed. "But I thought it was your right to know."

"Am I supposed to thank you now?", she asked, the pain in her chest increasing once again. Quickly, she looked out of the window again, he shouldn't see the pain in her eyes.

"What did you expect me to do, Emily?", he sighed. "You left me. Did you expect me to stay for myself until the rest of my life?"

Once again, Emily realized that she had absolutely no right to be mad or jealous. This was her fault; she was responsible for it.

"No", she then sighed, rather embarrassed. "As I said, I'm happy for you, really. It's just... the thought of you with someone else is not that easy on me. But I will get used to it, it's fine. You deserve to be with someone that makes you happy after all."

She was completely honest with him, and this surprised him. He felt like she had grown in the past year, just as if she had gotten more mature.

"I never said that you didn't make me happy", he then replied. "Because you did. I hope you know that."