Written by ilovetvalot on fanfiction.net
Note: Spoilers, Season 5, 5x01!
No Surrender
“Damn it, Aaron! Snap out of it!” Rossi said angrily from his spot beside the bed.
Clearing her throat as she stood in the doorway of the hospital room, Emily said softly, “Rossi, why don’t you go grab a cup of coffee. Take a break.”
Glancing up to the woman standing just inside the door, Dave’s face clenched. “That might be a good idea. Otherwise, I may finish what Foyet started with our patient here,” Dave growled, glaring down at Hotch’s neutral face. Brushing past Emily on the way out, Dave grunted, “Good luck, Prentiss. You‘ll need it.”
Nodding, Emily’s eyes found Hotch’s across the room. “You know, you’re making the pursuit of unhappiness into an art form,” she told him quietly.
“Do you see something here to jump up and down about, Agent Prentiss?” Hotch asked bitterly.
Crossing the room to the vinyl chair beside the bed, Emily sat down, crossing her legs and arms as she stared at the still handsome man laying in the bed. “As a matter of fact, yes, I do.”
Snorting derisively, Hotch glared at her. “By all means, share, Prentiss,” he said, sweeping out a bandaged hand.
“You aren’t dead, Hotch,” Emily informed her boss quietly. “You lived to fight another day. Another day to protect Jack. To protect Haley. Another day, period. Foyet’s victims aren’t usually so lucky.”
“That’s because, for him, this is more satisfying than my death. I get to WISH I was dead every day of my life. You don’t understand. You don’t have children,” he told her dismissively.
“Yeah, thanks for pointing that out to me, Hotch,” Emily said tightly. “But, if you were dead, who’d hunt him, Hotch. You’ve been inside the bastard’s head. Whether you’re willing to admit it or not, you’re our best chance at getting this bastard. You get him, you get your son back. So save the self pity and get busy! Stop wasting all of our time!” she demanded.
Looking away, Hotch whispered, “I feel like he stole my life from me.”
“Then take it back, Hotch,” Emily returned in a hard voice. “Or surrender your son. Choose one.”
Jerking his head back to look in her eyes, Emily saw that she’d broken through the carefully constructed barriers Hotch had erected between himself and the rest of the world. “Never. I will never give up my son. My father threw me and Sean away. I will NOT make his mistakes.”
“Glad to hear it,” Emily nodded, satisfied that at the very least, the man in the bed sounded more like the man she’d grown to love since joining the BAU. “Have they said how much longer you’ll be here since I went home to take a shower?”
“According to the last doctor through him, as long as there are no complications tonight, then tomorrow,” Hotch confided.
“Good,” Emily nodded. “You’ll be more comfortable at home…or maybe at either Dave’s place or mine. You really don’t need to be at home.”
“No, Emily,” Hotch said, shaking his head. “I’m not going home. Tomorrow, the hunt is afoot,” Hotch said, staring out the window into the dark night. “I won’t surrender,” he murmured, more to himself than to her.
“No, you won’t. We won’t let you,” Emily said, reaching forward to hold his hand. And, for the first time that day, he heart unclenched as Hotch slowly squeezed her fingers.
Note: Spoilers, Season 5, 5x01!
No Surrender
“Damn it, Aaron! Snap out of it!” Rossi said angrily from his spot beside the bed.
Clearing her throat as she stood in the doorway of the hospital room, Emily said softly, “Rossi, why don’t you go grab a cup of coffee. Take a break.”
Glancing up to the woman standing just inside the door, Dave’s face clenched. “That might be a good idea. Otherwise, I may finish what Foyet started with our patient here,” Dave growled, glaring down at Hotch’s neutral face. Brushing past Emily on the way out, Dave grunted, “Good luck, Prentiss. You‘ll need it.”
Nodding, Emily’s eyes found Hotch’s across the room. “You know, you’re making the pursuit of unhappiness into an art form,” she told him quietly.
“Do you see something here to jump up and down about, Agent Prentiss?” Hotch asked bitterly.
Crossing the room to the vinyl chair beside the bed, Emily sat down, crossing her legs and arms as she stared at the still handsome man laying in the bed. “As a matter of fact, yes, I do.”
Snorting derisively, Hotch glared at her. “By all means, share, Prentiss,” he said, sweeping out a bandaged hand.
“You aren’t dead, Hotch,” Emily informed her boss quietly. “You lived to fight another day. Another day to protect Jack. To protect Haley. Another day, period. Foyet’s victims aren’t usually so lucky.”
“That’s because, for him, this is more satisfying than my death. I get to WISH I was dead every day of my life. You don’t understand. You don’t have children,” he told her dismissively.
“Yeah, thanks for pointing that out to me, Hotch,” Emily said tightly. “But, if you were dead, who’d hunt him, Hotch. You’ve been inside the bastard’s head. Whether you’re willing to admit it or not, you’re our best chance at getting this bastard. You get him, you get your son back. So save the self pity and get busy! Stop wasting all of our time!” she demanded.
Looking away, Hotch whispered, “I feel like he stole my life from me.”
“Then take it back, Hotch,” Emily returned in a hard voice. “Or surrender your son. Choose one.”
Jerking his head back to look in her eyes, Emily saw that she’d broken through the carefully constructed barriers Hotch had erected between himself and the rest of the world. “Never. I will never give up my son. My father threw me and Sean away. I will NOT make his mistakes.”
“Glad to hear it,” Emily nodded, satisfied that at the very least, the man in the bed sounded more like the man she’d grown to love since joining the BAU. “Have they said how much longer you’ll be here since I went home to take a shower?”
“According to the last doctor through him, as long as there are no complications tonight, then tomorrow,” Hotch confided.
“Good,” Emily nodded. “You’ll be more comfortable at home…or maybe at either Dave’s place or mine. You really don’t need to be at home.”
“No, Emily,” Hotch said, shaking his head. “I’m not going home. Tomorrow, the hunt is afoot,” Hotch said, staring out the window into the dark night. “I won’t surrender,” he murmured, more to himself than to her.
“No, you won’t. We won’t let you,” Emily said, reaching forward to hold his hand. And, for the first time that day, he heart unclenched as Hotch slowly squeezed her fingers.
