Undercover Love

Soccer

As Emily Prentiss watched the love of her life direct the small rambunctious children around she fills a warm satisfaction fall over her. For the first time since the accident things feel right. Rossi and Hotch's little team of rugrats are reunited. Everyone's happy and energetic.

She's drawn from the calm facade as whistles are blown and yelling insues.

She, as well as the handful of parents watching, all stand and watch as coaches rush on to the field.

They all watch in fear for one coach to emerge with a crying child but one never comes. Instead, Hotch comes out of the pile carrying one of the team's two girls, who isn't crying. Instead she's holding his shirt tightly and holding back her tears.

"Hey Emily!" He motions her to him and of course she comes.

"You want bug juice?"

The little girl has both hands tangled tightly in his grey shirt and she's showing no signs of changing that.

"Mhm."

"Red or blue?" Dave asks holding up two bottles of the fought over juice.

"She wants red," Hotch says reaching for it. "Julian will want a red as well."

He twist the cap off and offers the juice.

"Do you think I can put a bandaid on this?" Emily gently tocuhes just above the skinned knee.

Little Maria's mother died when she was two years old. Her father does his best balancing being a government employed firefighter and a single father. Maria isn't even really his. When Maria's mother was eighteen she was raped and her father vowed that no matter what he would take care of that baby. That's why a twenty five year old has a six year old.

"Do you want me to call your dad?" Hotch asks positioning them so Emily can easily access Maria's knee. "Or do you think you can be brave like daddy?"

Maria takes in a shaky breath and nods," brave."

Rossi comes in with a high five," that's my girl."

Maria lets Emily cover her wound with a fire truck bandaid but she doesn't release Hotch from his duty of protector and comforter.

"Is the juice good?" Hotch attempts to draw her attention from the other kids. She looks rather bored now that she can't be out there.

"Makes my teeth red." She proceeds to show him her red tongue and teeth.

"Oh," he says, smiling at the red stained teeth.

She kicks her pink cleats, her father had searched for hours to find a pair she liked, and Hotch knows she's growing restless.

"Would you happen to want to go back out there?"

Maria nods a little but her iron grip.

"You'll have to let go of my shirt." He says covering her hand with his in hopes that she'll let go.

"Ok." She releases his shirt stands on her feet. "Can you walk me over?"

Coaching these kids is like having a small quadrant of Jacks. There's always a mess, always something to laugh about, always something to take your mind off of everything bad. Yet, they're all their own people. Quin, the other girl, likes to have her hair down in pigtails and tied with blue ribbon. Jacob wears pink cleats because little sister loves pink and so he does too. Kipton likes to walk on his hands while the others jog laps. Jordan's favorite activity is "see how high I can make it up the fence before Coach sees me and has a coronary". Lee enjoys brightly colored hair, everything from purple to green. Hotch has no idea how they manage with their team but they do.

"I'm glad you two are back."

Emily stop her cheering to look over to Rossi, who's goateed smile is bright.

She leans back enough to watch Aaron guide Maria back on to the field.

"It feels good to be back."

Rossi shoots proudly as Jack is passed the ball and the youngster runs with it.

"When does he come back to work?"

They had talked about that in car. They have to plan a wedding and look after Jack. So they made a pact. At any moment they can't handle what is on their plates or they're worried about the other they call "Jack". They both have to stop and consider what's going on. That way no one's feelings we pushed aside and they stay open with one another.

They made the agreement because Hotch starts in two weeks.

"Two weeks is what the P.T. guy said but the other doctor has to sign off and he still has to go back for a monthly check-up."

Rossi huffs," they might as well put him on one of those permanently."

Emily shakes her head," they'd put all of us on one."

"Put us on what?"

Hotch ambles over and smiles at Emily greeting her with a short kiss.

"Threat watch." Rossi says without skipping a beat. "Everyone wants us but we're to powerful to have ourselves split up. That's a nasty mix."

Hotch nods and smirks wearily at Emily. "I know you're lying Dave."

Rossi shrugs," worth a shot."

Their conversation is over as the side lines erupt in cheers.

Emily may not have her life back one hundred percent yet but it feels pretty damn close.

You know that feeling when you have a thousand ideas but not enough time to complete any of them? Yeah, you probably do, and it freaking sucks.
-S.H.