Triangle of Emotion, Gideon/Prentiss

[mcgarrygirl78.livejournal.com]

Watched DVDs this weekend, was inspired.

Title: Triangle of Emotion

Author: Montiese

Category: Drama/Missing Scene
Characters: Aaron Hotchner, Jason Gideon, Emily Prentiss

Pairing: Gideon/Prentiss

Rating: YTEEN

Spoiler: The Big Game, Revelations

Summary: “I'm not superhuman, I have feelings.”

 

 

Emily nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt the strong hands grip her shoulders. Her breath hitched in her throat a moment before she relaxed, leaning into his touch.

 

“Its freezing out here,” Jason whispered in her ear, nuzzling her earlobe. “You should be wearing a coat.”

 

“I'm fine.”

 

“You're not fine; you're shivering.”

 

“That has nothing to do with cold…you scared me half to death. It’s dark and we’re hanging out at a murderer’s house; forgive me if I'm a little on guard.”

 

“What are you doing so far away from the house?”

 

“I didn’t want mom to catch me.” Emily held up the clove. “I didn’t want the flack.”

 

“You're stressed.”

 

“Don’t profile me, Jason.”

 

“I'm not.”

 

“You are.”

 

“We’re all stressed…why should you be any different. Someone we care for is hurting and we can't save him.” Jason slid out of his jacket and put it over Emily’s shoulders. “You're shivering.”

 

Emily deeply inhaled the scent of him from the material before taking a long drag from the cigarette. He moved closer to her.

 

“JJ asked earlier how I handle it.” she whispered.

 

“Handle what?”

 

“The job. She said I came from a desk job and I had not once lost it out in the field though we have surely seen some gruesome things. Hotch was standing behind me and said I hadn't flinched. They both wanted to know why.”

 

“What did you tell them?” Jason asked.

 

“That I compartmentalize better than most. What if…what if I am hiding things?”

 

“I don’t understand.”

 

“My emotions, Jason. What if I am not properly in touch with my emotions?”

 

“You know better than that.”

 

“But…”

 

“You know better than that, Katya.” He softly kissed the nape of her neck. “What do you want to do? Do you want to get to a crime scene, scream, cry, and flail your arms?”

 

“Of course not.”

 

“Expressing emotion is about more than tears…much more. We all do it everyday. It’s a shared joke, reading an old favorite book, sending an email, calling a friend or loved one to tell them you care, cooking, dancing, making love. There are a million ways to do it and I see you do it all the time. Emotion does not equal falling apart; at least it doesn't have to. JJ was attacked by dogs that had just torn a woman to pieces; surely her emotional state would be different than yours.”

 

Emily shuddered just thinking about it. Her stomach turned thinking of Reid in the hands of that maniac, being tortured when he had done nothing at all. It was easy to detach when the person was a stranger, when you had to do your job and push past the horrific nature of it. When it was a friend…Emily didn’t quite know what to do. Well, Reid was not quite her friend but they were all a team.

 

“You just need to rest.” Jason said. “We all do actually.”

 

“I want to be in your arms tonight.”

 

“I want you in my arms, always.”

 

“Its not going to happen.” She watched the smoke come out of her mouth and fly away on the chilly breeze. “Whose brilliant idea was it to work from here? I have to look in his mirrors to see my reflection, curl up on his couch for power naps, and put my Diet Coke in his fridge. This was not a good idea. I just want to be in your arms tonight, Jason.”

 

“I know, Katya.” He felt they were a safe enough distance from the house so he slid his arms around her waist. “We’re going to get Reid and get the hell out of here. We’re close.”

 

“If he hurts him…”

 

“He already has; but he won't break him. The kid is stronger than he looks.”

 

“No one is that strong.”

 

“You have to believe.” Jason replied.

 

“Are you frightened?” Emily asked.

 

“Yes.” he could barely whisper the word but he knew she heard him. “I'm not superhuman, I have feelings.”

 

“I know that. Dammit.”

 

“What?”

 

“Half the time I crave my bed and all I want tonight is a stupid hotel room. Just an hour, a couple of hours; I'm sorry.”

 

“For what?”

 

“Nothing.” Emily shook her head. “It is cold out here.”

 

“I told you.”

 

“And you love being right.” she glanced back at him as she took the last drag from the clove. Emily would've considered having another, or at least half of another if she was alone. “You should get back…you don’t have a coat on.”

 

“You're wearing it.” he was smiling a bit now, just a little bit.

 

“I’ll be in in a little while. Go on, I'm OK.”

 

Jason didn’t want to leave her. It wasn’t just about Reid. It had been two days since Hankel took Reid and though taking a break was out of the question, he too wanted to hold on. He wanted her in one of his pajama shirts, watching the eleven o’clock news or lying in his arms as he read before bed. Perhaps sitting at his kitchen counter flirting over a cup of hot tea. This case was tough for them all.

 

Emily took hold of his hands and moved them from around her waist. She walked forward, not far but enough to break the connection between them. Jason got the message loud and clear. He was holding on too tight, she did not want to feel like it was alright to fall because it wasn’t. He had no right to give her that false sense of security, especially right now.

 

“Don’t stay out here too long.” He said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

 

“No.” Emily shook her head as she flicked the clove into the distance.

 

Jason stretched out his hand, knowing he couldn’t reach her. He sighed and started back to the house.

 

“Jason?” Emily turned to look at him walking away.

 

“Yes?” he turned.

 

She was looking at him and then beyond him to the house in the distance.

 

“Nevermind.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Mmm hmm.” She nodded, hugging his jacket tighter around her. “We’ll talk later.”

 

“I want to.”

 

“I know.”

 

“Don’t stay out here too long…you'll catch cold.”

 

Emily almost said ‘thanks dad’ but bit her tongue. Wearing a little smile, she turned around and lit another clove. Something had to take the edge off; she was drinking too much coffee. Jason started walking back to the house. Hotch stood on the porch, arms folded, full FBI badass stance.

 

“Is she alright?” he asked.

 

“She’s fine.” Jason gave a curt nod, standing on the top step.

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Yes. You’re worried about Prentiss’ lack of emotion?”

 

“Is she worried that I'm worried?”

 

“No.”

 

“She handles herself out in the field; I have no doubt of her abilities. She may think otherwise but it’s not so.”

 

“Good.”

 

“She shared that with you; the emotion thing?”

 

“She mentioned it in passing. They are all uncomfortable here…JJ almost shot her.”

 

“We don’t have a choice Jason…you know that.”

 

“I know. We just have to expect them to be a little high strung. They are concerned about Reid, we all are. Prentiss is fine.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

Hotch just looked at her out there in the distance. She was smoking those cloves she thought no one knew about. Obviously, Jason knew. What else did he know?

 

“If you want to talk to her, you should.” Jason said.

 

“I don’t know what you mean.” Hotch cursed himself for being unable to meet Jason’s eyes.

 

“Alright.”

 

“What did you mean?”

 

“Hotch, I don’t know what you're talking about.”

 

“If I want to talk to her I should.”

 

“You need me to explain that to you.” Jason replied.

 

Hotch didn’t say anything and didn’t look at him either. Jason sighed.

 

“You two knew each other?” Hotch asked. “Before she got this assignment?”

 

“I taught her at the Academy…she was one of the best.”

 

“Hell, you taught every one of us at the Academy.”

 

“There you go. All of my best students are now the best team in the FBI. Its cold out here, lets go inside. Where’s your coat?”

 

“Where’s yours?” he countered.

 

“I gave it to Emily…she wasn’t ready to come inside. She needs the air.”

 

“So do I. I hate being in there; it’s stifling.”

 

“Well I'm going in to give Garcia a break from staring at those screens. Maybe make her smile with a magic trick or two.”

 

“You're going to make Garcia smile?” a small smile crept across Hotch’s face. “This I need to see.”

 

“Well c’mon.” Jason gestured with his hand. “Emily will come back in when she’s ready. If we need her, we’ll come and get her.”

 

Hotch nodded. He followed Jason into the house, taking one last look at Prentiss before closing the door. He didn’t know that Jason was looking at him.

 

***

                                                                                                   

Comments

[hopskotch-hotch.livejournal.com]

Ouch! the scene between Hotch and Gideon was definitely tense, but Icould imagine them having that kind of interaction. Hotch plays his cards so close to his chest, you just leave it hanging right at the end (oh the suspense!) wondering how he's thinking about Prentiss - is it romantically, or just professional concern?

He didn’t know that Jason was looking at him.

what a stunning final line ;)

The interaction between Gideon and Em was fantastic too - I love him giving her his coat, and almost trying to profile her in his usual way, as she lets some of the tension she's feeling out, but like Hotch, still holds back some.


“Are you frightened?” Emily asked.

“Yes.” he could barely whisper the word but he knew she heard him. “I'm not superhuman, I have feelings.”

Woah, he probably wouldn't tell many people (if anyone) he was feeling like this. Perfect.

[mcgarrygirl78.livejournal.com]

Yay, I am so glad you liked it. I definitely wanted the tension but I did not want Hotch looking like the wannabe suitor because he is still married and was a loving and faithful husband to Haley. Still, we all know there was something between he and Emily from the very first moment....he held her at arm's length for a reason. Jason was secure in his position at the time but Hotch certainly was not.

The more I write Jason and Emily, the more I see that there was something deep between them. They may have wanted to hold back, as is their nature, but they didnt. Well, they did some but I think him telling her he was indeed frightened was not out of the ordinary. Just like she could tell him all she wanted was to be in his arms and it not be a sign of caring too much about him.

[secondheartbeat.livejournal.com]

GIGGIDY GIGGIDY!!! I thought the best part would be G/P in the cold and in need of comfort. NO NO! Au contraire, you minx! The best was the H/P with little need to squint and the nonchalant lyyyyying Gideon.

Kudos, brilliant! BRAVO!

I'm kinda glad to be back even more tonight.

[mcgarrygirl78.livejournal.com]

Well glad you liked it. I just believe there were cracks in Hotch's marriage way before Haley walked out and I am sure he had feelings for Emily though he would never have acted on them. There are few people more receptive than Jason Gideon so surely he noticed.

Its been my desire for a while to explore and manipulate the tension between the three of them, this was a good place to start.