Hotch sat in his office busy with paperwork. A knock came to the door. "Come in." He said without looking up.
"Hey you!" It was Liz, who walked in smiling.
"Hey, I was just about to come see if you wanted to get lunch." He smiled back at her.
"That sounds really good, can we talk first though?" She asked.
"Sure, what's up?" He set down his pen and closed the file giving her his undivided attention.
"Well, I'v been thinking." She wasn't sure where to start.
He raised an eyebrow wanting her to continue.
"I-" she started, she suddenly felt really dizzy but she blew it off. "I was wondering--" another wave of dizziness. What is going on? She thought. She wasn't nervous she felt fine a minute ago. Dizziness again. She leaned on the chair and tried to relax. Aaron noticed she grew pale.
"Liz are you alright?" He stood up.
She breathed. "I'm fine, I just--I'm really--I'm really dizzy." Then before either of them could comprehend the situation Liz fell to the floor. Aaron ran to her kneeling at her side and checked her pulse.
"Liz?" He shook her gently. Nothing "Liz?!" He called again. Nothing. "I need some help in here!!" He yelled. He continued to shake her gently calling her name again and again. Not even a flinch. She was breathing, but her pulse was weak.
Rossi came running in. "What happened?" He rushed to the two of them.
"I don't know, she just collapsed." Aaron explained, panic apparent in his voice.
"Get to the SUV." Rossi instructed.
"We need to call an ambulance!" Hotch told him.
"It'll take them twice the time, get her in an SUV, Aaron, now."
Aaron scooped her up from the floor. She groaned. "Stay with me Liz." Aaron whispered. Aaron and Rossi made their way outside with Liz. The team sending questioning looks as the nearly ran through the bullpen to the elevator. Simon, realizing it was Liz Hotch was holding, followed closely behind. "What happened?" He asked scared to Rossi.
"We don't know, we got to get her to a hospital, now."
Simon had a few ideas, but he kept his mouth shut.
Aaron sat in back holding Liz closely to him, trying not to panic. Rossi and Simon climbed up front and turned on the sirens, then peeled out the parking lot.
----
Liz's eyes slowly fluttered open to a dimly lit room. The grey walls, the smell, she immediately knew where she was. She scanned the small room, And spotted Simon in the chair in the corner asleep. "Simon?" She whispered.
He looked up. "Hey you're awake, how do you feel?"
"Like shit. What happened?" She questioned. "How long have I been out?"
"You collapsed when you went to talk to Hotch, you've only been out a couple hours."
"What? Collapsed from what?"
He handed her a cup of water. "Dehydration." He frowned.
She took a sip."Huh?" She knew why, now she just chose to play dumb, hoping he didn't.
He sat down at the end of her bed and she sat up. "If I ask you something will you give me an honest answer?"
"Of course. Simon what's going on?"
"Liz have you been drinking?"
She glared at him, not wanting to answer. Yes I have been. She didn't want to admit it to him though, he was the reason she had stopped four years ago, he helped her get sober after she started drinking following Haley's death. She didn't want to admit it to him now, however because she didn't have a reason to be drinking, she just did it. "Elizabeth." He said sternly.
She sighed. "Yeah." She put her head down ashamed and defeated.
"Why? Liz you promised you wouldn't do that anymore."
"I don't know Simon, it just made me feel better." She admitted.
"You were doing so well, almost four years sober, why now?"
"I don't know Simon!" She snapped. "It was just a relapse. I'm fine, I'll be fine, just let it go okay?! It was a one time thing."
He wanted to believe her, but he knew better, she'd do it again, he knew that. If she became to stressed, if someone got hurt, if someone walked out of her life, she'd do it again.
"Promise?" He whispered.
"I promise." She said again calm.
He got up from his spot on the bed. "Do you need anything?" He asked changing the subject.
"I'm really hungry."
"Anything you want in particular?"
"Whatever you get is fine."
"Alright, I'll be back kiddo. Sit tight."
"Not like I can go anywhere."
"True." They laughed.
He kissed her forehead before leaving the room.
She sat alone for several minute before the door opened. Aaron.
"Hi." She breathed.
"You scared me half to death Liz." He went to her and hugged her.
"I'm alright. I promise." She said into his shoulder. He released her after a minute or so, too soon for her preference.
"What happened Liz, you were fine and then the next thing I knew you were on the ground."
She took a deep breath. He didn't know. He hadn't known before either, she had to tell him.
"Aaron, I have to tell you something." She took another deep breath. He could tell that what she was about to say was making her nervous. She was afraid he would get mad.
"You don't have to tell if you don't want to," he rested his hand on hers reassuringly. It helped, it calmed her nerves.
"No, you should know. After Haley died, I started drinking and for two years it started to get really bad, especially when you started pushing me away, I just felt alone, and isolated and drinking helped me cope. It was stupid." She paused. "When I met Simon he helped me get sober and took me to a counselor and it helped, a lot, and I quit..." She looked up to meet his eyes. Tears brimmed them, and she hated that she made him cry.
"You relapsed didn't you?" He asked holding in tears.
She nodded yes.
"It's my fault." He said.
She shook her head no. "No Aaron it's not. Not at all, I swear."
He put his head down, trying to hide that he was crying from her, but she'd already seen.
"If only I hadn't pushed you away. If I'd been there for you like you were for me. Liz, you stuck by me and helped me and continued to help with Jack and I treated you so badly. I'm so sorry."
"Aaron Hotchner, look at me." She took her free hand and put it under his chin and raised his head so he'd look at her. "This is not your fault. Sure the first time it had a little something to do with you, but this time, Aaron it was all me, this job stressed me out I needed something to help." She wiped away a tear from his cheek. "You wanna know the truth? This would've been a lot worse had we never talked that day at dinner, had you and Jack not come back into my life the way you did. If anything you helped it from being worse. This is not your fault okay?" She gave him a reassuring smile.
He shook his head and smiled in return. She pulled him into a hug and they both calmed down, allowing the moment to pass. Aaron pulled himself together before pulling away to look at her again. He wanted to tell her he loved her. To blurt it out but he didn't and again he pushed the thought away.
"The team is in the lobby if you're up for some guests?" He said instead.
She smiled. "That'd be great. You can send them up."
Aaron pulled out his phone and sent a text to JJ giving them the okay to come up. Then he turned back to Liz. "Jess can stay with Jack, if you want me to stay here tonight?"
She smiled again. "I'd love that, but let Jess have the night off, I wanna see Jack too."
"You sure?"
"Positive."
"I'll call her later and let her know."
The team came through the door then, all smiles, happy to see Liz okay.
"You had us freaking out." JJ said giving Liz a hug.
"Just making sure you guys were paying attention." Liz replied laughing.
"Girl, I almost had a heart attack!" Garcia exclaimed.
"Don't scare us like that again." Morgan added.
"No promises." Liz giggled.
"Seriously Kid, I thought Hotch was going to pass out too!" Rossi pointed to Hotch, making fun.
"I was not, I was just a little...scared." Hotch defended himself, blushing. Luckily, Liz didn't notice.
"Sure." Rossi retorted.
"So when do you get to go home?" Reid asked.
"I think tomorrow. I don't see why they'd keep me any longer."
"Did they tell you what caused it?" He asked further.
Liz suddenly became nervous and looked to Hotch. He nodded, she couldn't tell them the truth, not yet.
"Just a dizzy spell." She looked at her team and gave a small smile of reassurance, then turned back to Hotch who nodded in approval.
Simon eventually came back with food and for and hour or so the team hung around. They laughed and talked and for a the time being nothing else mattered. They weren't worried about work or anything else, they were just enjoying the moment with one another. After an hour or so the team left leaving behind only Aaron, Simon and Liz.
"I'm going to go grab some clothes and pick up Jack, I should be back in like a half hour." Aaron announced standing from the chair.
"Okay, see you in a little bit." Liz smiled. Aaron left the room without another word.
Simon waited until Aaron was out of sight, "he's staying?"
"He asked."
"So I guess that means you don't need me to stay then?"
"In all honesty I don't neither either of you to stay, but you are more than welcome too."
"Nah, kiddo, I'll let you guys have the night. If you need a ride tomorrow let me know, the nurse said you should be out of here by lunch."
"I'll be sure to call you if anything comes up."
They sat there in silence for a minute.
"You want me to wait for him to come back?" Simon asked.
"You should go home and get some rest, I appreciate it, but you've had a long day, I'll be fine."
"You sure?"
"Simon, I'm positive."
He hugged her and kissed her forehead, then started for the door.
Just as he reached it Liz spoke up, "thank you," she whispered.
He turned to look at her. "For what?"
"For being there for me. For staying by my side, for even my worst moments. For helping me get back in my feet; for being my best friend. I love you, and you mean so much to me, and Simon I just wanted you to know that." She smiled, a tear rolling down her cheek.
"You're welcome kiddo, I love you too."
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight, I'll see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow, Simon."
And he walked out the door and she was alone.
Aaron came back a little less than an hour later.
"Liz!" Jack ran to her excitedly.
"Jack! Come here bud." She patted the spot next to her. He climbed up next to her and they chatted for a while. Aaron sat silently in the chair listening to the two of them. Happy to just be there watching them.
"Alright, you two," he said after a while,"get some rest."
They obeyed . Jack closed his eyes and was immediately asleep, but Liz looked at Aaron, and smiled. She held out her hand and he took it, and they fell asleep like that.
