Hard to Love {A Hotchniss Story}

Chapter 28

The case took longer than expected, almost three weeks. But Aaron was patient and he was very careful around Emily while also trying not to show her that. He knew she'd feel pampered and she rarely liked or admitted she liked that. But after those three weeks passed, Emily went into Aaron's office late at night after everyone had gone home. He was just finishing some paperwork on the case when she entered the room.

"Hey." Emily said as she closed the door behind her. "I'll let you finish first." She said when she saw that Aaron started to put aside the papers. But after her words he finished them within the next ten minutes while Emily thought of their upcoming conversation. She couldn't say that she was scared about how Aaron would react. She was scared of all those memories and feelings coming back.

"Done." Aaron pushed aside his papers and went to sit down next to Emily on the couch in his office. "Is it time?"

"Yeah." Emily swallowed hard. She felt grateful when Aaron grabbed her hands and held them in his to encourage her to speak. "I worked undercover for a bit over five years to catch Ian Doyle, an international terrorist. I had to gain his trust and eventually I did, as Lauren Reynolds. During those years I was in a so-called relationship with Doyle in order to make him trust me and get inside information. That's how I met Declan."

"The boy." Aaron nodded when Emily stopped. She looked terrified for whatever reason and he wasn't sure how to help her with that. "In the end you arrested Doyle, but why didn't you keep Declan?"

"I couldn't." Emily felt her tears rise, the subject was sensitive to her, more sensitive than what her father had done. "He's close, not close enough, but not too far."

"Why couldn't you?" Aaron asked again. "They didn't let you? Does he live with his biological mother?"

"No." Emily shook her head. "I can't be too close to him in case Doyle escapes." She swallowed hard.

"He can't escape." Aaron then preceded to ask about where he was imprisoned and he wanted all the details Emily could offer.

"He tried four times and once he was close, really close." Emily whispered as tears formed in her eyes. "I can't risk Declan's life. And I'm scared for you, for the team."

"You said he knows you as Lauren Reynolds. There's a great chance that if he escapes, which he won't, that he won't even know who you are." Aaron wanted her to feel as safe as possible even though he didn't know all the details, however, he planned on getting them. But Emily couldn't just believe him, she was terrified and despite not having heard of Doyle before, Aaron knew he had to be careful.

"You don't know him the way I do." Emily slightly shook her head. "He's crazy Aaron, crazy for money, crazy for power and just crazy." Tears began rolling down Emily's cheeks as she spoke. "I don't care about me, I really don't, but Declan and you, Jack, everyone else. You're all everything to me and if anything happens to any of you because of me I wouldn't be able to forgive myself, not ever."

"Oh Emily!" Aaron pulled her into his arms as she started sobbing.

"I'm sorry I'm such a crybaby-"

"Don't Emily!" Aaron stopped her from talking. She wasn't a crybaby, she was incredibly strong and finally she had someone with whom she could share all her problems. Aaron was glad to be there especially because he knew he could do the same around her and he told her that. "It's ok Em, ok?"

"Yeah." Emily said after hearing Aaron tell her how strong she was and how she deserve to finally express all her feelings about the things happening in her life or the ones that had already happened.

"Can I ask you something?" Aaron asked her after a little while and Emily nodded. "Was it just the case that made you think of this or did something happen?"

"I've been getting calls from the Interpol." Emily finally admitted. She was going crazy about that because they never called before, except when Doyle attempted to escape from prison. And even those times she was scared to answer.

"You have to call them back." Aaron said in all seriousness. "It could be nothing, -"

"It is about him." Emily cut of Aaron. She could barely sleep those past nights because of it. She was frightened and as much as she wanted to know why they were calling about she also didn't. "If he escaped I'm leaving."

"You're not." Aaron stated firmly. "You have better chances with us Emily. We can focus on catching him if he escaped. We can put you in protective custody, we can do it better together than you on your own. But you don't even know if it's about him."

"Then let's call them back."