A/N: Surprise, I'm actually not done with this series. I'll probably just keep it open from now on so I can just update whenever I want. Feel free to drop story suggestions in the comments or message me.
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"How do you know she's so young?" One of the officers asked.
"Witness statements say the killer was extremely petite and looked no older than eighteen." Emily stated. "They say she was about 5'1". However that's just an estimate."
"Be on high alert. Despite the fact that the unsub is young and petite, she should be considered armed and extremely dangerous. That is what makes her blend in so well. No one would ever guess that someone so young could harm you." Derek spoke.
"This unsub is violent and shows no remorse at her crime scenes. There are extensive amounts of overkill on all of her victims. However, it was all done while their children were asleep. People in the community have started calling her 'El Susurro', meaning 'The Whisper'."
"After drawing up a geographical profile, all the murders happened within a forty mile radius," Reid explained while showing the map with the estimated radius. "So we can assume that the unsub lives within the same area."
"We will be holding a press conference shortly if any of you want to join as well as set up a tip line. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask." JJ smiled flatly before walking away, cueing everyone else to disperse.
The team made their way back into a conference room. Emily let out a long sigh as she sat down in one of the chairs. She placed her head in her hand as she closed her eyes. "You ok?" A low male voice asked.
The female FBI agent looked up to see her boss looking down at her with his stern light brown eyes. She looked at him through her long, dark lashes before quickly looking away from him, afraid that he'd see her blush. The two had gotten closer ever since their deal, but it had only made Emily's growing feelings stronger. "Yeah." She sighed out. "I'm fine. Just tired from the case. Six women have been killed since we've gotten here. Who knows how many were killed before we got here. The local PD has found five bodies so far, and Reid estimates that based on the violent nature of the murders, the unsub has killed at least fifteen bodies."
Keeping his distance, Hotch took a couple steps closer to Emily. He sat down across from her in a chair, neatly folding his hands in front of him. As Emily's gaze remained on her lap, Hotch couldn't help but admire her features. Her curled raven hair cascaded over the smooth skin of her bare shoulders. Her dark eyes stood out against her pale skin and lightly painted lips. The dark circles under her eyes proved that she was tired beyond belief. "Prentiss, you remember our deal right?"
"Yes, I do. And I told you, I'm fine." Emily's voice became sharp and somewhat annoyed. She knew her boss was just looking out for her, but there were times where he felt more like a parent than a boss or a teammate.
Cases involving women always effected Emily more than others. It didn't matter if they were the victims, the unsub or both. Emily promptly stood up from her chair, brushing the hair away from her face. Hotch looked the brunette woman up and down as he stood up. She was wearing a navy blue, short sleeve, v-neck shirt and dark gray cargo pants with black boots. "I think I'm going to head to the hotel. I haven't slept in days." Emily sighed as she leaned against the doorframe.
Hotch simply nodded as he held the door open for his agent. "Let me drive you to the hotel. I don't want you driving like this."
Emily gave him a slightly confused looked before uncrossing her arms and pushing herself off the wall. "Ok."
Hotch and Emily silently made their way to their hotel. The drive was silent as the two checked into their hotel. Hotch thanked the front desk lady for their keys and the two took the elevator. Like the drive, the two remained silent in one another's company. They walked the hall together, only to discover that they were just a couple doors down from one another. As Emily inserted her key card, she looked to her right to find her boss looking at her with a slightly softened expression. She could tell he was trying to keep up his strong façade, but his eyes were warm and filled with worry. She gave him a small smile before entering her room to shower and get ready for bed.
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As unit chief, it was Hotch's responsibility to look after his team. It was his job to make sure they were at the top of their game to solve cases. But it wasn't part of his job to lie awake at night and think about a certain brunette agent who was sleeping a couple doors down. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how often he thought about Emily in general.
Just as Hotch was about to fall asleep, he heard someone quietly knocking at his door. He rose from his bed and made his way to the door and opening it. The last person he expected to see on the other side was Emily Prentiss. She stood there shyly, dressed in an FBI t shirt and black shorts. Her raven hair was tossed from her sleep. She crossed her arms over her toned frame protectively. "Can I come in?" She asked in a low, soft voice.
Hotch stood away from the door, his eyebrow furrowed slightly in confusion. He couldn't help but look Emily up and down in her innocent state. Her face completely void of makeup and the baggy clothing made her look younger. Her long, toned legs stood out to him, and he felt a heat rise in his cheeks. Emily walked passed Hotch and stood in the middle of his hotel room, arms still crossed over her chest. He could've sworn he saw tears glistening in her brown eyes. "Emily?" Hotch simply asked, trying to catch his teammate's gaze.
"Remember when you said to come to you if I have a bad day?"
"Yes."
Emily gave Hotch a flat smile and chuckled to herself. "Well, I'm here."
Hotch crossed his arms and shifted his position, showing Emily that he was listening. "This case is really getting to me, Aaron." She never called him by his first name. And as odd as it felt, it felt right all at the same time. "I know it's part of the job, but this unsub is so young. We've rarely dealt with killers this young. And the murders are so violent. What could've happened to her to make her like this?"
By now, Emily had sat down on the edge of the white king size bed. Hotch sat beside her but kept his distance. "Just because it's part of the job doesn't mean you're not allowed to be human." Hotch shrugged.
"Yeah, but you keep yourself together almost all the time."
"Maybe I shouldn't. Some cases are harder than others. We all have cases that get to us more than others. It's normal, but yes, it's part of the job."
Emily simply nodded as she looked down at her fingernails, which she had began picking at again. Hotch noticed this and was tempted to reach out to stop her but that would've crossed the line. But the line between intimacy and professionalism had been crossed as soon as he let her into his room. "Have you been picking at your nails again?"
The brunette woman looked down at her torn fingernails and chuckled. "Yeah, force of habit. It's hard to stop."
"I understand."
The two sat in silence for some minutes. It wasn't uncomfortable nor comfortable. They simply sat in the dimly lit room quietly before Hotch looked up to hear a sniffle coming from Emily. He watched as a single tear fell from her cheek. And then another. And another. Without any hesitation, Hotch scooted forward and wrapped his strong arms around Emily. He felt her tears begin to soak this t shirt as she cried into his chest.
She was strong. They both knew she was, but there were times where her strong facade had to come down, even if it was just for a night. They were similar in that way. That mask helped shield them from the intensity of their dangerous job. It kept them calm. But sometimes it wasn't enough. As Emily continued to quietly cry into Hotch's shirt, he gently rubbed her back, careful to not let his hand travel too far down. As her snobs began to settle and her breathing slowed, she sat up from his embrace, gently pulling away. The brunette woman looked up at her boss with sad, yet content eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to show up like this, but JJ has been having a hard time with Will. And Reid never sleeps well when he's paired with Morgan. And you were right here."
"It's ok. I'm just glad you told me."
Emily and Hotch sat in silence as he held the woman in his arms tightly. He hated seeing her like this, but there was a comfort he felt in knowing Emily trusted him enough to come to him when she could've easily gone to JJ or even Spencer.
Surprisingly, the two had an underlying bond that Hotch got secretly jealous of at times. There was something that connected Spencer and Emily that he would never understand. No one on the team could. The two often went to see foreign films together on the weekends, and although Emily had made it clear the movies bored her beyond belief, there was no one she'd rather watch them with.
After a couple minutes, Emily's breathing was no longer shaky just slightly staggered and somewhat even. She pushed away from Hotch, dropping her hands back in her lap. She quickly wiped away the last of her tears and sniffling. She gave him an embarrassed and shy smile. "I...I'm sorry. I should leave. I'm sorry I bothered you."
Emily stood up to leave but was stopped when a hand gently grabbed her arm. She looked down to see Hotch looking up at her with his concerned brown eyes. "Emily," Hotch began. "You can...stay here if you want."
The unit chief regretted the words as soon as they came out of his mouth when Emily didn't respond right away and just looked at him. She didn't know what to say. They had already crossed the line of professionalism when Hotch let her in his hotel room.
But finally, Emily gave into her desires...sort of. She simply nodded before walking over to Hotch's unmade bed. She laid down and pulled her legs closer to her chest as she grabbed the pillow. Hotch slowly eased in next to her and pulled the covers over the two of them. He placed an arm on her waist, and when she didn't pull away, he pulled her closer where her back was pressed against his chest. "Don't get any ideas." Emily said softly.
Hotch could hear Emily grin. He let out a low chuckle before holding her just a little bit tighter. They were both able to sleep peacefully for the first time in months with each other. A wave of calm washed over them both as the tiredness overtook their bodies.
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