Emily had no idea what had come over her. She’d just kissed her supervisor in the women’s bathroom of a Seattle precinct. Sure, it had pretty much been simple pressure and release, but she’d still done it and it had still crossed that proverbial line.
There were a million things she knew she could chalk it up to. She could blame it on her over-emotional state, but she had a feeling that was exactly why he’d pulled back. She could blame it on the need for contact, for a reminder that she wasn’t dealing with this alone, but that just seemed like it was belittling the friendship they’d built. Or, she could blame it on the moment of heat that had settled in her stomach when she thought he was going to kiss her first. That was more likely the reason.
Still, she kept her gaze out the window as they drove to the airport, deliberately keeping her gaze away from his. She’d been trying Leah’s cell phone since they’d gotten in the car, but, against sixteen-year-old stereotypical behaviour, had kept it off. What was she going to do if they didn’t get to her in time? What if security let her go for whatever reason? Well, besides her wringing someone’s neck. She sighed as she hung up Hotch’s phone again. Hers was still being processed.
“I need a new phone.”
Hotch didn’t reply. Emily’s stomach froze. Had she made a mistake? Had she read him wrong? She liked to believe she could read him after what they’d been through. It took her a few moments to realize his hands were shaking on the wheel. Why? It actually scared her.
So she said nothing for the rest of their ride to the airport, simply watched the passing scenery debating what one earth was going on in his head and why the heck she was so off-kilter. And whether Leah was going to be in the airport when they got there. Emily knew the young woman could be persuasive when she wanted to be.
It wasn’t until the airport was in sight that Hotch spoke.
“We do this calmly,” he told her, not looking at her. “We do this together.”
“And if he’s there with her? If he’s holding a gun to her head?”
“Emily, security is holding her, I’m sure she’s fine.”
“She’s still not answering her phone,” Emily almost protested, even as she took her time getting out of the car. Her hand went to her gun, force of habit, really.
He came around the car and grasped her elbow. “You go in there, gun drawn, panicked and anything could happen. The last thing we want to do is spook the public.”
Emily closed her eyes, knowing he was right, trying to focus herself. She wanted Leah, that was all, and if security did have her, then Hotch was right and she was probably in good hands. JJ would have made sure they release her into no one else’s custody. Emily took a little bit of comfort in that. Still, her pace was quick as she followed the signs to the security office, hand already in her pocket for her badge before the man had to even ask for it.
“She’s right in there.”
She’d been calm and collected enough going through the airport, she figured she’d met Hotch’s criteria, so she wasn’t as careful as she opened the door to the room the guard had directed her to. “Leah!”
“Aunt Em!”
Emily held the thin body tight her own, hugging the girl as close as he could. She was safe. Safe and alive and that was all Emily could even think about asking for. She was so thankful they’d gotten to her in time, that it was a long flight from Quantico to Seattle. She pulled back, her hands on the girl’s shoulders. “Don’t you dare ever do that again. Never. Ever. Ever.”
“But he said he had you,” Leah said back. “It was your phone from your number.”
Emily pulled the girl close again, wrapping her arms around her tightly. “You always, always ask for the person they say they’ve kidnapped. Specifically for this reason.”
“I’m sorry,” Leah said softly, her hands fisting in Emily’s shirt.
“I know, honey,” Emily replied, feeling her body relax slightly. She knew her anger at Leah was simply her protective instinct and fear blending and manifesting itself. She looked up as Hotch rested his hand on her shoulder.
“Leah, what can you tell us about the man on the phone?”
Leah looked up at the man over Emily’s shoulder, noting how close he stood to her ‘aunt’. “Um... I know it was familiar,” she said. “I just... I’m not sure where from.”
“From the first time, maybe?” Emily asked gently. “In Chicago?”
“I don’t know,” Leah admitted. “I don’t know if I can remember much about it.”
Emily exchanged a look with Hotch. Trauma would have blocked out any old memories, that much they were both sure, but Emily knew Hotch was sure what had held her concentration this time. “What did he tell you to do?”
“I’m not supposed to tell.”
“Or what?” Emily asked with a gentle smile. “He’ll kill me? I’m right here, Leah, safe and sound. Just like you.”
“I have to go to Mom and Dad’s house. I’m supposed to meet him there.”
Emily felt Hotch step away, most likely to make the necessary call to have the house watched. Meanwhile, she took a good look at Leah. “Honey, you look exhausted.”
“I haven’t been sleeping,” Leah admitted.
That didn’t surprise Emily in the slightest. The poor girl had been through a lot in the last week or so. Nightmares were of no surprise. She held Leah close as Hotch finished his calls, one hand stroking the girl’s hair.
“Morgan and Rossi are going to the house with Agent Spring. They’ll be there when he comes.”
“Good,” Emily replied. She looked to Leah. “If it’s okay, I’d like to head back to the hotel with her.”
“It’s a good idea,” Hotch agreed. “Get some rest. I’ll drop you off on the way.”
Hotch had debated going back to the field office, but he knew they were in the middle of the waiting game. He hated the waiting game as much as the next agent, but they had nothing to narrow down whether their unsub was Tim Sivill, the seemingly normal soccer coach, or Don Hackney, the janitor they could put at every school across the country. So he’d elected to find a spot in the front lobby of the hotel to go over the case details until he was sure he could recite them in his sleep.
JJ had just faxed him the forensic information from Emily’s phone when his dark-haired subordinate stepped down the few steps to the lobby. She now looked as weary as Leah had. “Everything okay?”
“She wouldn’t let me leave. She’s terrified that she’s in a dream world and I have actually been kidnapped.” She took a seat beside him on the small couch, kicking off her shoes to cu rl her legs under her.
“Did she fall asleep?”
“Eventually, yeah,” Emily answered, hands lifting to her temples to rub circles on the skin.
Hotch let his hand fall to her thigh, squeezing slightly. “It’s almost over.”
“I know,” she agreed. “The ‘almost’ is the problem.”
“Soon,” he promised, his hand coming up to cup the back of her head.
Emily groaned as his fingers started scratching. “Thank you.”
Their friendship meant he knew how she often fell victim to headaches. It had only been after their friendship had grown and he’d taken to noticing those little things about her that he noticed her hands massaging her temples almost every case. When things got stressful, compartmentalizing gave her a headache. Usually, he couldn’t do anything because the team was around “ though he had taken to carrying aspirin for those particular situations “ but this time, with things that had been changing between him, it was easy for him to reach out and offer aid in the form of touch.
She’d left her hair down that day, as she often did, and he took the opportunity to run his fingers through it. It was one thing that put Jack to sleep pretty quickly when the child was restless. It seemed to work with her too. Emily’s head relaxed, lulling forward and his fingers moved down her neck, gently rubbing and stroking the skin while his mind went back to the forensic results and the case file.
“Anything in the file?”
She’d interrupted his thought processes enough to put his focus back on her, back on where they were. If it wasn’t for the case file in front of him, they could be on vacation together. The thought struck him so suddenly, his fingers froze on her neck.
“Hotch? Everything okay?” Her head tilted up, hair cascading over his wrist.
“Aunt Em? Agent Hotchner?”
Hotch’s hand moved away from her skin as Emily stood to go to Leah’s side. “Hey honey.”
Leah latched on to Emily’s shirt again. “Um... I remember where I heard the voice.”
“Oh?” Emily asked, stroking her niece’s hair.
The poor girl had quite obviously had a nightmare, even Hotch could tell from the other side of the table.
The younger woman nodded. “And you’re right, it is from Chicago.”
“Okay,”
“But it’s also from Seattle.”
That didn’t surprise either agent, but it was Hotch that grabbed one of JJ’s faxes and held it out for the girl. “This him?”
“Yeah,” Leah agreed. “That’s him.”
Emily arched an eyebrow. “Well that changes things.”
Hotch couldn’t agree more.