7 years - Hotchniss

three years before

Hotch was brought back to the harsh reality as a woman left the room, probably a nurse. She jumped slightly as he urged forward, his voice shaking as he exclaimed: "How is she?"

"Sir, I am not allowed to give any information yet", she replied calmly. "You should-"

"I need to know", he interrupted her, still panicking. "There has to be something you can tell me."

"I'm afraid I can't", the nurse sighed. "I'm really sorry-"

"Just something", Hotch begged, his hands trying to make hold of her arm as she continued to walk.

"Hotch, let her go", Morgan intervened and he obliged. Tears continued streaming down his face as he watched her walk away. He didn't even recognize the blood on his hands, which had already dried. Her blood.

Three years ago:

"There's still blood on your hands", Hotch pointed at Emily's left hand, where she hadn't washed the blood off completely.

"Oh, shit", she sighed. "I'm going to head to the toilets before we leave. Are you almost ready?"

"I'm not really in the mood", he admitted and leaned back in the chair behind his desk. "You better go without me."

"No", Emily replied sternly and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Her eyes glanced down at the ring at her finger, which he had gotten her after she had proposed to him. He was the typical alpha male; his ego still hadn't made peace with the fact that she had proposed first. "You'll come with us."

The team had decided to head to a bar after they had returned from a case in Milwaukee, but Hotch was not really in an extroverted mood, as usual, so he decided to pass. However, his fiancée was not having it.

"Em, please", he rolled his eyes. "I still have a lot stuff to do and I am really tired. I'll pick you up from the bar though."

"But you said you'll join", she almost whined. "And the reports can wait until tomorrow. Loosen up a little?"

She had put that puppy-eyes look on, the one he was never able to say 'no' to.

"Don't give me that look", he groaned and looked away.

"Well, I just want you to tag along", she shrugged.

"How about I'll join later?", Hotch supposed. "You go now, and I promise I'll be there in at least two hours."

Emily let an unpleased sigh, but nodded: "Fine. But don't you dare to be a second late!"

"I'll promise", he smiled as she walked around the desk to kiss him. "See you later, Mrs. Hotchner- to-be."

"Hey, we never agreed on Hotchner!", she protested but smiled as she left his office.

They had been engaged for a year then, but they hadn't planned anything concerning a wedding yet. Neither of them had felt like the time was right, there was just much their work demanded from them and they definitely wanted to marry without any stress and hurries. So they had decided to just wait until time was in their favor.

Emily had always dreamed of a small wedding, with just her closest friends and family, at some beautiful, small place. She had been to many big weddings with hundreds of people when she was younger, and she had grown to hate them. It was just all too much, and to impersonal to her. Additionally, her wedding was supposed to be something intimate and private, and she only wanted to share this with her closest people.

Hotch had been very happy when he had learned that his fiancée wasn't thinking about a big wedding, as he himself hated big events with a passion. If it was up to him, it would just be Emily and him with some random priest, no other people needed.

About half an hour later, Emily found herself at their usual bar, surrounded by her team and many drinks.

"Hey, how about we play a game?", Morgan suddenly suggested, a wide grin plastered all over his face.

"If you say 'truth or dare' now, I'll punch you in the face", Emily replied. "This game sucks."

"I was actually thinking about 'Never have I ever'", her friend shrugged.

"What's 'Never have I ever'?", Reid asked.

"Oh, kiddo", Rossi laughed. "Someone says something, for example 'Never have I ever dyed my hair'; and if you have done so, you have to drink." He pointed at the glasses in front of them and Reid nodded.

"I'm in", Garcia cheered and the others also agreed.

Emily rolled her eyes but nodded, silently wishing that Hotch would join them any minute.

"I'll go first", JJ smiled. "Never have I ever snuck out when I was a minor."

Unsurprisingly, nearly all of them took a sip.

"Never have I ever had a One Night stand", Garcia followed, her eyebrows wiggling. This time, all of them drank.

"You had a One Night stand?", JJ grinned as she nudged Reid's shoulder softly.

"Why's that so surprising?", he shot her a confused look, causing all of them to laugh.

"Come on, I want more spicy questions", Garcia squealed, definitely not entirely sober anymore.

"Oh, I have a good one", Morgan grinned and winked at Emily. "Never have I ever done it in the office."

Emily felt that suddenly all eyes were on her, probably expecting her to drink as no one else did so.

"Oh, come on, guys", she gasped. "Definitely not!"

"Relax, princess, you can tell us", Morgan grinned.

"Once more, no", Emily chuckled. "Who do you think I am?"

"What's going on here?", Hotch suddenly stood behind her, one hand moving to rest on the small of her back. A relieved smile formed on Emily's lips. Finally.

"Just a weird game", Reid explained. "Do you want to join?"

"Do I have a choice?", the Unit Chief sighed, slightly regretting that he had actually joined them.

"No", Garcia grinned and Hotch took place next to Emily, his arm moving around her to rest on the backrest of her chair. As she moved closer and leaned into him, he whispered into her ear: "I heard what they asked just before I joined."

She looked up to him, a warning look on her face, but none of the other had heard him since they were already continuing their game.

"And I think you're a liar", Hotch smiled wickedly, his voice so low that Emily could hear him. "A huge liar."