Fic: Reluctant Generosity (1/1 Criminal Minds)
Title: Reluctant Generosity
Author: thefrogg
Beta: hawkdancng
Rating: FR13
Summary: Hotch and Haley talk about Emily.
Author's note: Occurs a few days after Earnest Victory.
"Aaron?"
Aaron grunted.
"Aaron," Haley said again, tugging the newspaper out of her husband's grasp. "What's wrong?"
"Emily," Aaron answered without thinking, then stopped and blinked.
"Color me surprised," Haley said with gentle sarcasm.
"JJ came to talk to me about her." He stared at the wall, eyes unfocused.
"And?"
"Emily is nothing if not professional. Polite, well spoken, creative, resourceful..."
Haley smiled sadly. "And beneath that so-professional exterior, she's broken beyond belief."
Aaron's lips thinned to a white line.
"Aaron, it wasn't your fault. And it's not your job to--"
"If I don't make the effort, then who will?" He shook his head. "I'm not a miracle-worker, I just...Every time I think 'this is it, this is the real Emily Prentiss', she says something, or does something and I realize it's just another layer."
"You're right about that," Haley said, pouring herself a cup of coffee. "She's the most closed-off person I've ever met." She laughed a little. "And that's saying something."
Aaron only raised an eyebrow at the jab. "What do you think happened to her?"
Haley lowered her gaze to her mug. "You work with her."
"So? You've met her often enough to have an opinion."
"I'm not qualified to make that kind of judgment call."
"Haley, you know that's not true..."
"I was a high school counselor, Aaron, that's hardly--"
"A high school counselor with a doctorate in psychology."
"You know why I never went into practice, Aaron," Haley said quietly.
Aaron shut his eyes and took a deep breath. "Yes, I do, and I'm grateful for that. I still think you should at least volunteer for the crisis hotlines again."
Haley glanced up, then looked away, pushing her chair back to walk halfway across the kitchen.
Aaron waited for an answer that wasn't forthcoming, then offered, "I have my theories about what happened. But I've been turned upside down and inside out, and I can't do anything if I don't know --"
"Rape, but you knew that, with as sexually... closed off isn't even the right word. Barricaded. Ready for a siege. Probably by someone she trusted, someone she looked up to." She stopped, sipping her coffee.
"And?"
"And -- political, if I don't miss my guess. Ambassador Prentiss was involved in some kind of cover up, even though I'd bet quite a bit that Emily spent a significant amount of time in the hospital, afterwards." Haley turned to glare half-heartedly. "Happy now?"
"No, not really." He watched as Haley stood there, arms crossed, fingers digging into flesh. "How old do you think she was?"
"Thirteen? Fourteen? Early enough that she was uncertain of her own sexuality." She took another gulp of her coffee, holding the dark liquid in her mouth for a long moment before letting it trickle down her throat. "So. How close did I get?"
Aaron turned to stare at the wall again before he answered. "Every day I go into the office, and I see her, and she's got this look in her eyes, like she's begging me to prove to her I'm not going to stab her in the back. And every day I ask myself how the hell I can prove a negative."
"And yet, if she didn't, she might not have been strong enough to turn the tables on Strauss."
"No," Aaron said softly, bitter realization making his eyebrows twitch. "If she hadn't, she wouldn't be there at all."
~~~the end~~~
Previous: Earnest Victory
Next: Earnest Appreciation
Author: thefrogg
Beta: hawkdancng
Rating: FR13
Summary: Hotch and Haley talk about Emily.
Author's note: Occurs a few days after Earnest Victory.
"Aaron?"
Aaron grunted.
"Aaron," Haley said again, tugging the newspaper out of her husband's grasp. "What's wrong?"
"Emily," Aaron answered without thinking, then stopped and blinked.
"Color me surprised," Haley said with gentle sarcasm.
"JJ came to talk to me about her." He stared at the wall, eyes unfocused.
"And?"
"Emily is nothing if not professional. Polite, well spoken, creative, resourceful..."
Haley smiled sadly. "And beneath that so-professional exterior, she's broken beyond belief."
Aaron's lips thinned to a white line.
"Aaron, it wasn't your fault. And it's not your job to--"
"If I don't make the effort, then who will?" He shook his head. "I'm not a miracle-worker, I just...Every time I think 'this is it, this is the real Emily Prentiss', she says something, or does something and I realize it's just another layer."
"You're right about that," Haley said, pouring herself a cup of coffee. "She's the most closed-off person I've ever met." She laughed a little. "And that's saying something."
Aaron only raised an eyebrow at the jab. "What do you think happened to her?"
Haley lowered her gaze to her mug. "You work with her."
"So? You've met her often enough to have an opinion."
"I'm not qualified to make that kind of judgment call."
"Haley, you know that's not true..."
"I was a high school counselor, Aaron, that's hardly--"
"A high school counselor with a doctorate in psychology."
"You know why I never went into practice, Aaron," Haley said quietly.
Aaron shut his eyes and took a deep breath. "Yes, I do, and I'm grateful for that. I still think you should at least volunteer for the crisis hotlines again."
Haley glanced up, then looked away, pushing her chair back to walk halfway across the kitchen.
Aaron waited for an answer that wasn't forthcoming, then offered, "I have my theories about what happened. But I've been turned upside down and inside out, and I can't do anything if I don't know --"
"Rape, but you knew that, with as sexually... closed off isn't even the right word. Barricaded. Ready for a siege. Probably by someone she trusted, someone she looked up to." She stopped, sipping her coffee.
"And?"
"And -- political, if I don't miss my guess. Ambassador Prentiss was involved in some kind of cover up, even though I'd bet quite a bit that Emily spent a significant amount of time in the hospital, afterwards." Haley turned to glare half-heartedly. "Happy now?"
"No, not really." He watched as Haley stood there, arms crossed, fingers digging into flesh. "How old do you think she was?"
"Thirteen? Fourteen? Early enough that she was uncertain of her own sexuality." She took another gulp of her coffee, holding the dark liquid in her mouth for a long moment before letting it trickle down her throat. "So. How close did I get?"
Aaron turned to stare at the wall again before he answered. "Every day I go into the office, and I see her, and she's got this look in her eyes, like she's begging me to prove to her I'm not going to stab her in the back. And every day I ask myself how the hell I can prove a negative."
"And yet, if she didn't, she might not have been strong enough to turn the tables on Strauss."
"No," Aaron said softly, bitter realization making his eyebrows twitch. "If she hadn't, she wouldn't be there at all."
~~~the end~~~
Previous: Earnest Victory
Next: Earnest Appreciation