You Were Never Alone

17 (❤The Bridge❤)

Winter is the cruelest season.

"Oh, you bastard!"

Blood glides, freely, down to the snow until it embraces it like an old lover.

"E-Emily?"

"Hold still."

The warmth is suffocating.
The cold is paralyzing.
She's running away.

"Dave?" He fights against the hands.

"Sir, I need you too stay still." They are stronger than him.

"Dave, she's gone." His lips are chapped. His body feels cold and sluggish.

"Son," Dave. "You have to let him go."

Hotch tries to seat up again and this time the hands lift him up.

Someone's, moist, hot breath whispers," you have five minutes," in his ear.

The world dips as the hands guide him to his feet.

"The bridge." He lips can barely form the words.

"She's at the bridge!"

The adrenaline is wearing off and Hotch no longer feels warmth in any fiber of his being.

"Emily!"

He stumbles along, he knows exactly where the bridge and that's a very good thing since muscle memory is the solitary thing keeping him on his feet....well that and whatever the paramedic shot him up with.

"No one loves you!" The hot venom of his father's breath washes over him. His venom of choice? Scotch. "Look at me boy!"

He will get to Emily.

《》

"Look at me dear," her mother's warm hand guides her tear stained face up. "I know you thought you loved him." She smiled almost... lovingly. "He was an example of what I call a test run. He was a building block." Her mother wipes away a tear that threatens to fall," you saw something you liked in him. Now," her mother edges closer. "One day, you'll find yourself the perfect copy of him. Maybe he'll be taller or shorter. You know what you look for in men. So all that's left now is a few heart breaks. Then, your one will come." Her mother stands and Emily thinks her mother's monologue is over but instead she pulls out to spoons and a carton of ice cream. "He's going to come through with the best smile you've ever seen. The best...everything. You'll know he's the one because he's going to break your heart like no one ever has."

Her black boots were not the best decision for this weather. They slip and slide over the rough patches of ice.

She knows where's she's going. She'd been to the bridge a thousand times... her favorite memories on the bridge are with Aaron and Jack.

《》

"Look up," the warmth of the rag against his cut skin burned but the way she held his chin ever so gently kept him from inching away. "Come on," she encouraged," let me see those eyes."

Miss Yale. The only person in his childhood to ever act as a caring parent.

"Ahh, there, that's a boy." She smiled kissing his forehead. He didn't notice it immediately but she had began to cry. "Oh, Aaron." He was then pulled tight in her embrace. "I promise you," she murmured into his hair. "One day, love will find you." Miss Yale was a real believer in God. "The Lord doesn't hurt us for no reason in particular. He test us, Aaron. This is your test, my dear little Aaron. I promise you, one day you will find someone who will love you like you've never been loved before."

Miss Yale died that summer. Breast cancer.

"Emily!" He can see his breath... he can see the bridge.

《》

"Why you little BITCH!"

Her whole world was thrown back as her head connected with the bookshelf in the living room.

"No, stop." She holds her arms up to protect her face but his angry fist to land blow after blow.

His cold hand slaps her and warm hot blood seeps down her face.

Those cold angry fists draw back-

"Emily."

She's drawn from the cold racing water under her feet to the warm tawny eyes of the freezing man before her.

"I'm sorry," he gasp.

With a small gasp he lowers himself to one knee," I know this is awful timing. I know you're mad at me and all.." The moon hits her ebony hair just so and on top of her head is a small illuminated halo. He smiles, his cut lip stings as he pulls at it," but I found the words. I-I need to get them out because they're like this flood and I can't keep them back."

He reaches back and pulls a small ring on a string out of his wallet.

"You're my everything, Emily Prentiss. When I wake up you're the first thing I want to see. When I fall asleep you're the person I want to fall asleep beside. If I could have the moon I'd give it. I love every single thing about you. The way your hair falls in your face and yet it's perfect. I love how you get cold at 71º-"

"Aaron?" Her tears are freezing to her face.

He smiles at her," I love the way 'I love you' rolls off of your tongue so easily. I love that you don't mind that I can't always say the words."

He clears his throat of the emotion slipping through," I spent my childhood being told that someone would love me. I knew what they really meant was they couldn't love me but there had to be some poor girl who would eventually fall for my-clumsy-withdrawn-self."

He smiles as another tear falls down her cheek. He knows these tears.

Happy tears.

"I love you more than life its self. And Emily Prentiss? I'm not done loving you." His brown eyes plead with her," I have nothing to tell you, except that I love you. I'm terrified that that's not enough. I'm terrified you'll find that dull."

He clears his throat and laughs uneasily," I know I love you. I love you more than simple words can express. I just... I have one question... Will you, Emily Prentiss, marry me?"

She wipes her eyes and nods," is the day long?"

He smiles, remembering that day at the hospital when he declared his love the first time. "Hey," he whispers," that's my line."

She pulls him to his feet and he lifts her off of hers.

She laughs as she wipes away a tear," you're still not off the hook."

He smiles," right. I am sorry."

He doesn't really deserve to be let off the hook.

"Well, prove you're sorry, don't run into burning buildings!"

He smiles," well at least I didn't set it on fire."

"It wasn't on fire until you ran in."

Yeah. This is defenatly the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with.

And that, my friends, is how you propose.

*bows in the distance*
-SH