Hotchniss - Bonds, Deals and Running

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The team, though weary, took a moment to process the relief of resolving the case. Emily felt a wave of conflicted emotions wash over her but remained stoic as they prepared to return home, reflecting on how this case tested their resilience.

As the team wrapped up the case in Philadelphia, they boarded the jet back to Quantico. The weight of the last few days pressed heavily on Emily's chest. She settled into a seat near the back, trying to focus on the files scattered across her lap, but her mind drifted to the events surrounding the case, the innocent lives lost, the families left shattered.

Everybody else has fallen asleep, tried after the case they had to deal with, except Emily... and Hotch.

Hotch, sensing her distance, approached and took a seat across from her. "Emily," he began, his tone both professional and concerned. "You seemed... off today. Do you want to talk about it?"

Emily met his gaze, feeling the familiar tug of their unspoken connection. "I'm fine," she replied too quickly, a defensive reflex she couldn't help but revert to.

"Prentiss," he pressed gently, the sincerity in his voice cutting through her facade. "You know we made a deal. If you're having a bad day, you tell me."

She hesitated, her heart racing. The memories of her past flashed before her eyes: the stifling expectations of her mother, the betrayal she felt from the priest who had judged her when she had confided in him. The tumultuous time when she had been pregnant, the pain of her choice, she had buried it all deep, unwilling to revisit that hurt.

"I'm sorry about my unprofessionalism again." She started "It's just, this case hit a bit too close to home," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What's wrong?"

"Tell me," he urged softly, leaning in.
She took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts.

She looked around to find everyone peacefully sleeping, trying to runaway from every thing that had happened that day.

"When I was younger, I found myself in a situation where I... had to make a choice," she started, the words tumbling out before she could stop them.

"I had a friend... Matthew. He was there for me when I needed someone, and when..." she faltered, her heart pounding.

"I got pregnant, and I couldn't tell anyone. My mother had such high hopes for me, and I was terrified of what it would mean for her, for me."

Hotch's expression shifted to one of compassion and understanding, a stark contrast to the stern demeanor he often wore. "Emily, I'm so sorry. That must have been incredibly difficult for you."

"It was," she said, swallowing hard.

"Matthew helped me find a way out, but after that... he changed, as you know. He started using drugs, and it spiraled for him... I lost him."
Tears pricked at her eyes, but she fought them back.

"I'm glad you told me" His face unreadable as usually, but tone sincere. He remembered the case of Matthews death. "I'm sorry about Matthew's death, as well, again. And for how i tried to pull you off his case, back then when you found out about his passing, too. I should've known there was more to that story when I saw you in my office that day."

Emily looked down, feeling both vulnerable and strangely liberated. Her thoughts went back to that time, she had to grieve her best friend, someone so close, who had been there when no one else was... a member of her family. She looked distant, deep in her mind, for a moment, but she, then, snapped out of it, back to the present. Her thoughts rushed to back to the just closed case. "I guess I just... I thought I could handle it, these past days. But seeing these girls, what they went through, it just brought everything back."

He nodded, the understanding in his gaze grounding her. "It's a lot to carry. But you don't have to do it by yourself."

The plane hummed steadily through the sky, the quiet intimacy between them filling the space. Emily felt a flicker of warmth in her chest, the invisible thread that bound them pulling tighter.

"Thank you, Hotch," she said softly, meeting his gaze again. "For listening."

"Always," he replied, a faint smile breaking through the weight of the moment.

As the jet continued its journey, they both recognized the deeper connection forming, yet neither dared to acknowledge it fully. Instead, they shared a silent understanding, a promise to support one another through the darkness that sometimes comes upon their lives.Hotch made his way back to the seat he had taken at the beginning of the flight.

Emily's POV:

Emily felt the familiar ache of vulnerability settling in her chest. Talking about her past had opened a door she thought she had firmly shut, and she wasn't sure she was ready to face what lay beyond it.

She stole a glance at Hotch, who was flipping through the case files with his typical intensity, his brow slightly furrowed in concentration. There was something about the way he immersed himself in work that drew her to him, a steady anchor in the chaos of their lives.

They shared a bond that ran deeper than most, forged through years of shared trauma and victory. But even as she acknowledged that, she quickly pushed the thought aside. She couldn't afford that, especially not with someone like him. Hotch was focused, dedicated, and above all, professional.

Hotch's POV:

Meanwhile, Hotch's mind was racing as he caught Emily glancing at him. He felt a familiar warmth spreading through him, a blend of admiration and concern.

She was strong, but he had seen the cracks in her armor, especially during this case. There was something haunting in her eyes, a reflection of his own struggles, perhaps?

As the jet continued its flight, both of them sat in silence, burdened with thoughts unspoken. The invisible bond binding them tighter felt heavier, but neither of them could fathom what it meant.

Each was lost in their own world of denial, neither able to acknowledge the feelings simmering just beneath the surface. They had work to do, cases to solve, and lives to save, but the truth that they were, in their own ways, desperately connected lingered in the air between them, waiting for the right moment to break free.