Back to you - Hotchniss

better luck next time

Emily loved playing paintball with the team. It was a competition of the highest complexity factor, as all of them were excellent shooters and it was often just a matter of luck who would win. She herself held the highest rank, but Derek was coming dangerously close.

They had played for the first time on Reid's birthday a few years ago, and ever since, it had become some sort of obligatory for them to play at least once or twice a year. When Derek had suggested to go play, they all had been beyond thrilled, and after their plane had landed that morning, they had all written her reports in an unusual speed.

However, Emily wondered when this team-tradition had turned into a bring-your-significant-other-too-tradition, as she found herself on the field with not only her team, but Kevin, Will and Beth as well. Usually, she probably wouldn't have minded - but the past few weeks had been rather tough on her and she had really looked forward to this, and only the presence of certain other people already pissed her off.

After the countdown had hit zero, she made quick work of shooting Kevin before going into hiding. She watched how JJ shot Will - which was kind of ironic - and how Spencer shot Rossi in the back. Three were already out.

As Penelope left her hiding, Emily immediately targeted her with her paintball gun, but another shot hit the technical analyst first and colored her vest in light yellow.

"Ugh, seriously guys?", she squealed and left the field in order to join Rossi, Kevin and Will.

Emily quickly backed away around a corner, as the other shot had told her that someone else was rather close to her. In the distance, she heard many other shots, leading her to the assumption that Hotch and Morgan had probably encountered.

This left her with JJ, Reid and Beth. Oh, what would she give to be the one who'd eliminate Beth. Yes, it would be childish - but it would also make this day at least a bit better. Smiling at this thought, she continued to sneak through the field.

Her wish seemed to come true as she spotted the other brunette standing behind a wall. As she hadn't seen Emily yet, she had free ballistic curve.

Raising her paintball gun in order to target precisely, she discovered Derek in the corner of her eye. He was running away, probably in the need of new munitions after his shooting with Hotch. Emily knew that this would be her chance to eliminate him without any danger, and that this would grant her to stay on the first place - but her ego was too hurt in that moment.

"Hey", she whistled, which made Beth turn around in surprise. She was quick, but not quick enough - before she had even lifted her gun, Emily had already shot her chest five times and her vest was dripping from green color.

"Better luck next time", Emily grinned before backing away again.

In the next ten minutes, Reid joined the others who had already been eliminated, after being shot by JJ. Emily managed to eliminate Hotch, who had actually taken her by surprise, as she had expected him to be already out after encountering with Morgan. She didn't miss the glare he shot her as he left the field, and she knew that it had nothing to do with the fact that she had just eliminated him.

In the end, it was JJ who won. After she had shot Morgan - in a brilliant move, which had made them all at least a bit jealous - it came down in a gunfire between Emily and her, and as the brunettes munition had been rather empty, JJ had managed to eliminate her best friend, too.

"You could've won", Hotch commented dryly as he stepped next to Emily in line to hand her paintball guns back in.

"What?", she asked in confusion, before looking around. The others had already handed back their guns and vests and were enjoying a beer.

"You've heard me", he said without even looking at her.

"Well, you could've won, too, if I hadn't shot you", Emily shrugged.

Finally, he turned his head in her direction. His eyes glued to the pink color on her neck and in her hair, before he spoke: "You could've won if you had shot Morgan in that unique chance you had and if you hadn't wasted so many shots on Beth, you would've stood a better chance against JJ in the end."

Emily swallowed thickly. She hadn't expect him to witness what she had done, but she had obviously been wrong.

"I wasn't quick enough to get Derek", she then lied and avoided to look into his eyes.

"He didn't even saw you, he wasn't quick."

"Well, if you were there, too, why didn't you just shoot him?", Emily snapped.

"I was too far away", Hotch replied. "If I had been in your place, I would've taken him out without another thought instead of shooting Beth."

"So?", she then sighed. "Is that why you're in a such a bad mood? Because I shot your girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Well, regarding the amount of times you bring her with you, she might already be your wife", Emily hissed.

Hotch just scoffed and handed the items in his hand back before returning to the rest of the group without another word. Emily internally face palmed herself for her childish and impulsive behavior, wondering what had gotten into her lately. This wasn't her at all.

And maybe it was in that exact moment, that for the very first time, she allowed the thought to fully enter her mind instead of pushing it away: she had made a huge mistake, twice.