Hard to Love {A Hotchniss Story}

Chapter 19

Dinner with Jack and Aaron was everything Emily needed before that party her mother was throwing. The whole team was there and as they walked through the doors of the entrance Emily felt like she was going crazy. It was a well known feeling for her but every time she saw her parents that feeling would overwhelm her. She was very agitated and her breathing increased. Emily always managed to not let people know about it, but her team knew.

Aaron reached for her hand and held it in hers as they walked around, socialising. Well he was doing the most talking, Emily just said a few words every once in a while. Her eyes were searching for her parents. The moment she saw them she unintentionally squeezed Aaron's hand. "Excuse us." He smiled at the people he was talking to and walked away with Emily. "Yes Em?"

Emily was silent. She stopped in her tracks and Aaron did the same. He saw Elizabeth and Matthew, her parents. They were walking towards them. "Emily, Agen Hotchner, what a pleasant surprise." Elizabeth smiled widely but she didn't try to hug or shake hands or anything of the sort.

"How are you doing Emily?" As Matthew asked that question Emily felt Aaron's grip around her hand tighten, but only slightly. She was happy he was that protective of her, but she couldn't show it because in those moments she felt much more sick to her stomach and scared. She always felt scared around her father, even though years passed and she knew she could've taken him down if necessary.

"Aaron and I would like to talk to you after the party is over." Emily said simply, ignoring her father's question. She barely looked at her parents but they agreed.

During the party Emily was rather absent despite physically being there. She hated everyone there and at some point during the night she began hating herself, she began questioning herself why she was there and what the point of it all was. But luckily she had Aaron by her side, he just made small talk with everyone and made sure they went out for some fresh air every once in a while. He didn't ask anything, he didn't try to make her talk, he was just there and it was all she needed.

Eventually the moment to talk to them came. Almost everyone left, the only people that were still there were the catering workers, the team and Emily's parents. They were all in the same room, Emily's hands were shaking even though Aaron was holding them in his as they say down on the couch. "What is it that you want to talk about? And why so formal?" Elizabeth asked.

"My abuse and formal because it's about abuse, you know, sexual abuse." The words left Emily's mouth before she had the chance to process them. She couldn't stop herself, it was like someone else was in control of her.

"What are you talking about?" Matthew had the audacity to ask and Derek clicked his tongue as he walked around for a few short moments.

"With all due respect Sir, the one you've put Emily through." Derek said simply and noticed the panic in Matthew's eyes. He was just caught by surprise, he didn't expect Emily to have told them about it.

"What have you told them?" Matthew asked looking directly at Emily. He was getting anxious not knowing what exactly she said.

"The truth." Emily began to lose her nerve. "How you used to walk into my room and rape me. For you know, years and years and years." She could feel tears welling up in her eyes. But as much as he hurt her then and it impacted her now, she finally felt safe because she had her real family behind her.

"I definitely did not-"

"Oh shut up!" JJ said without hesitation. "You've been walking around like crazy knowing this is what Emily wanted to talk about. And you knew about what he did." JJ didn't mean to hurt Emily by addressing those words to her mother, but by the way Elizabeth looked during that conversation it was impossible that she didn't know about it.

"Your posture, the look in your eyes, the way you've been playing with your fingers." Spencer added. "You knew Mrs. Prentiss. Why didn't you do anything?"

"Don't tell them." Matthew watned, he couldn't not do it because he was under the impression that his wife would give in. And he wasn't wrong to be scared about it.

"He's right Mom." Emily could feel tears rolling down her cheeks. "Don't tell your daughter why she wasn't enough, why you didn't love her enough to help her."

"Emily..." Aaron had nothing else to say. He just wanted her to look at him and she did. The tears in her eyes, the hurt on her face, he began thinking that confronting them would only hurt her more. But there was no going back anymore.

"Elizabeth-"

"I'll tell you, I will. I'm so sorry."