"Little do you know" - Hotchniss

high hopes

Emily had been back at work for two weeks then, and it really made her feel like coming home. Around the team, she could be herself. Of course, she was also herself around Kaia, but it did not look good for her and Josh's relationship at this time and mostly, she just rushed through her apartment to not face him, especially not in the morning. He still hated her work and did not accept it. A part of her understood him, he was worried, but she also wanted to have her freedom.

Hotch was more than thankful that she was back. Working without your best friend for over a year had been even harder than he had expected. He had heard how JJ had whispered "Thank God, you're back. He was going insane without you here" to Emily at her first way back. Had he really been this weird in her absence? He hadn't even realized that.

Somehow, he was still hoping for Emily and Josh to end her relationship. He didn't want that at first, he wanted her to be happy. But he had soon realized that she had become really unhappy and stressed due to his problems with her job. He was making her unhappy, and she knew it as well, yet nothing had happened. Hotch knew that he should just give her up, concentrate on Scarlett's and his relationship, forget his feelings for Emily. And that was the point where he had decided to take the next step in their relationship.

"I cannot come home right now, I'm on a case!", Emily snapped. She was talking to Josh on the phone, and he obviously wanted her to come home.

"I'm not having this discussion right now", she spat. "We will talk about this when I get home. Don't forget to bring Kaia to my mother later!"

And with these words, she hung up. God, how mad she was. Never ever in her life Emily had experienced a man as naive and childish as he was.

"Everything okay?", Hotch asked and looked at her, concerned.

"He's driving me nuts", she sighed and closed her eyes for a brief second, rubbing her forehead with her hand.

"Headache?", he whispered and handed her a coffee.

"I feel like my head's gonna explode", she mumbled and thankfully took the coffee.

"Let's go home", he then decided. "It's way more relaxed there."

"If I go, I should directly head home", she sighed and took a sip of her coffee. "I have a very mad Fiancé waiting for me."

"Emily, you are exhausted", his voice turned serious. "You have to relax, and if it's only for half an hour, you have to get a break from all of this. Jumping between work and troubles at home is not very healthy, I experienced it myself."

She knew that he was right, but she felt like it was her duty to drive home now. "Okay", she gave him a small smile. "But he will never find out, okay?"

"My mouth is sealed", Hotch grinned and they made their way to his office, collected their jackets and bags.

A short time later, they were sitting on the couch in his house. Emily had known that he was right, but she had not expected how much she had needed a time off, like this.

"Thank you", she whispered, as she took a slice of pizza out of the box in front of her. "Why do you even know me so well?"

He gave her a small smile, not answering her and brought a slice of pizza to his mouth.

The answer was obvious. He knew her so well because they had known each other for such a long time, going through so much shit together, which had always brought them closer and closer. And another, huge factor were the feelings which were hiding in both of them. They strengthened this special connection, even though neither of them knew that the other felt like this, too.

And as they just sat there, Emily suddenly asked herself if there was any sense in her relationship to Josh left. It was not a real relationship anymore - it was more or less a duty to both of them. And maybe she should really try to tell Aaron about her own feelings some time.

"I think I will end this relationship", her eyes widened as these words left her mouth.

"What?!", Hotch choked.

"Josh and I, we - we just don't fit, right?", she stuttered. "Even my mother told me. I know, we have been in a relationship for over a year now, we are even engaged, but it doesn't feel right at all.."

Hotch just looked at her in disbelief. Had she really just said this? How should he react?

"I'm so sorry", he then just whispered and pulled her into a hug. She had not expected him to reacted like this, but she then felt that he did it right. A certain sadness overcame her. If she really break up with Josh, she would take Kaia her father away. But she just could not take it anymore.

She kept clinging to her best friend's shirt, small tears forming in her eyes. Why was this so complicated?

They just stayed like this, until Emily eventually fell asleep, Hotch doing the same some minutes later.

It was about an hour later, when Emily woke up again.

"Shit", she whispered, trying not to wake Hotch. Carefully, she pulled out of his arms and silently left to the wardrobe. Pulling out her mobile phone, she discovered that she had several missed calls from Josh. She decided to not call him back, she would be home in some minutes anyways.

As she took her jacket, she accidentally pulled Hotch's with it as well. It fell to the ground, and she let out a small sigh as she picked it up. A little 'click' out of his jacket's pocket made her furrow her eyebrows. Without another thought, she slipped her hand into the pocket and gasped as she pulled out a small, black box. Scarlett was engraved into it.

Emily's mind started spinning. 'No', she thought. 'Please just be a bracelet or something else.' She found herself begging to God as she slowly opened the box. But her prayers weren't heard. She stared down at a beautiful ring, not able to breathe constantly. It felt like she had eaten broken pieces of glass.

Only one hour ago, she had seriously thought about breaking up with her Fiancé and to tell Aaron how she felt soon, and now she was standing there, with the engagement ring he had bought for someone else. How stupid of her to get her hopes up this high. Of course he would never feel the same as she did. He had Scarlett. He was fine.

Quickly, she closed the box again and dropped it back in his jacket before quickly leaving his house, tears streaming down her face.

And once again, timing ruined it for them and they kept missing each other.