Chapter Text
They don’t know how he got away. How Foyet was able to disappear in the time between the gunshots over the phone and Aaron making it to his old home. The scene was like something out of a horror movie, Haley’s body upstairs and blood everywhere.
Jack was, mercifully, alive. Aaron knew that was only because Foyet had run out of time, that if he had been only a few minutes later he would have also made it to the house to find his son dead too.
Haley’s funeral was one of the worst things he had ever experienced. His son was too young to be in a black suit, or to truly understand what was happening. The looks of sympathy from everyone made Aaron burn from the inside out.
Emily was his saving grace. Her quiet but forceful love keeping him upright. Their relationship, still a secret from everyone else in their lives, was precious to him. The thing that had kept him going in the long months he was separated from his son.
She keeps a close eye on him during the funeral, never too far away. The others don’t question Jack finding solace in her arms at the wake, her ability to speak to children and make them feel safe well known to everyone.
Aaron gets a call from Strauss as the wake draws to a close. An apology that sounded genuine over the phone, and a request that he came to the office with the team and Jack. Instinct tells him to bring Jessica along too, part of him sure he knows what is coming next.
When they get to the BAU there are agents they don’t recognise in the conference room. One of them introduces himself as Agent Rooney as they walk in, suggesting they all take a seat as he apologises for Aaron’s loss. He identifies himself as a US Marshall.
“I know you’ve just buried your ex-wife Agent Hotchner, and our timing could be better, but we do believe the safest place for you and your son is under our protection.” Agent Rooney says, his voice sympathetic but firm. Leaving no room for argument.
Aaron nods, running his hands through his hair as he looks over at Jack, fast asleep in Emily’s lap. Worn out from the day's emotions. He can’t bring himself to look at Emily, knowing if he meets her eyes he will break, hating that George Foyet might just take another woman he loved from him.
“You too, Agent Prentiss.”
The silence in the room somehow becomes thicker, almost choking him as the rest of the team look at him. Confusion and shock on their faces in equal measure. He does look at her then, and she’s staring at him. Nothing but reassurance and love for him that he knows he doesn’t deserve. Not when their best kept secret has been torn open in seconds by a stranger.
“Wait, what?” Derek asks. “What’s this got to do with Emily?”
“On account of their romantic relationship. She’s in just as much danger as Agent Hotchner is.”
Emily clears her throat, looking over at Jessica. “Can you take him?” She says, tilting her head towards Jack, a small smile on her face. “Maybe to Aaron’s office.”
“Of course.” Jessica stands awkwardly, not needing to be profiler to feel the tension in the room, to see the fury on Derek’s face as he stares straight at Aaron. She gently takes Jack from Emily, the boy not even stirring as he was transferred into his aunt’s arms. She leaves the room, and no one speaks.
Aaron looks to Agent Rooney, the man who was asking him to turn his life upside down in a matter of minutes and they have a silent conversation.
“I’ll give you guys a moment.” He says to the room before he turns back to Aaron. “You have 10 minutes, then we should get you out of here.”
The door closes behind him and the BAU is left alone, all of them looking between Aaron and Emily, waiting for an explanation.
“I’m sure you have a lot of questions.” Aaron says, his voice even, looking around the room.
“Damn right I have a lot of questions.” Derek seethes as he stands, righteous anger running off of him like water, all aimed at Aaron, threatening to crash over them all. “How could you involve her in this?”
“Morgan-” Dave tries to interrupt, to stop their brief window of time being lost to anger, keen to get an explanation before that time ran out.
“Your family was put into witness protection and you, what?” Derek continues as if Dave hadn’t spoken. Stepping towards Aaron and shaking off JJ’s hand. “You decided now was the time to start fucking someone who works for you? He killed your wife.”
“That’s enough.” Emily interrupts, putting herself between Derek and Aaron, reaching back to grab her boyfriend's hand. It doesn’t go unnoticed by the others. “We don’t have time for this Derek, and this,” She says, using her spare hand to indicate between her and Aaron, “isn’t as new as you might think.”
“How long?” Penelope asks, looking at them with tears in her eyes. Emily sighs, knowing part of why her friends were upset was because they had kept it secret.
“Since the case with Emily’s friend Matthew.” Aaron explains, squeezing Emily’s hand tightly.
“You went to look for her.” Dave says, a look on his face that said he was putting it all together in his head. Analysing the moments between them he had witnessed since, seeing them in a new light. Aaron’s answer is a nod.
“Why did you keep it a secret?” Spencer asks, looking confused.
“At first we were just trying to figure it out, and by the time we knew we were both in it for the long haul…” Emily stops, memories of walking into her boyfriend’s apartment to find him missing and blood on the floor racing back to her. The loving concern and panic she had choked back, pushed into a box until they were alone at the hospital days later.
“Foyet attacked Hotch.” JJ finished for her friend.
“Yeah.” Emily replies, a sad smile on her face. “And then we had to keep it a secret.”
“To keep Emily safe.” Aaron says, staring right at Derek, his eyes practically burning through him. “But if the marshalls know then Foyet does too.”
There’s a knock on the window, Agent Rooney pointing to his watch. Their time is almost up.
“It’s only for a while, right?” Penelope asks, tears now tracking down her cheeks. “Once we get him, you can come back.”
Emily breaks away from Aaron and pulls her friend into a hug, which Penelope gladly returns. They said their goodbyes, rushed and too fast for a group of people who considered each other family. So many questions still unanswered between them.
Aaron leaves the room first, in search of his son and former sister-in-law, unsure how to explain how she would be losing Jack again. Emily smiles at the others, a vague wave at them before she leaves for the foreseeable future. She’s only a few paces out of the conference room when she feels a hand on her arm, turning to see Derek right behind her.
“You could stay.”
“Derek.”
“We could keep you safe, Em.” Derek says, imploring his friend. “Make sure you’re not alone, take it in shifts.”
“Derek.” She repeats, smiling fondly at him. “I can’t stay.” She looks to Aaron’s office, watching through the open blinds as he explains everything to Jessica, the woman crying as she holds her nephew, her last remaining connection to her sister. “I have to go with him.”
“You love him?”
“Yeah. I do.” She hugs her friend. “Look after them, ok?”
“Always.”
_______________
They arrive at their new home, Jack fast asleep in Emily’s arms, still wearing their outfits from Haley’s funeral. Aaron puts down the bags with their few belongings before he gently closes the door to the apartment behind them, ensuring the lock is secure as they take in their surroundings. Emily settles Jack onto the couch for now, the little boy grumbling slightly as he settles down.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” Aaron says as she turns to look at him. He’d loosened his tie at some point during their flight, his suit crumbled. Emotions she couldn’t fully decipher on his face. He looked so tired, so broken, that it cracked her chest open. She wanted nothing more than to hunt Foyet down and kill him with her bare hands for what he had done to the man she loved.
“Sorry for what?” She asks softly, walking over to him, cupping his face in her hands, trying to soothe the worry from his skin.
“For this.” He replies, throwing his hands up to indicate the apartment they were in. The place they would call home until Foyet was caught. “For your life being turned upside down because of me.”
“This isn’t happening because of you, honey.” She implores him. “This is happening because of George Foyet. Not you.”
He leans forward to press his forehead to hers, his hands on her back “Are you still sure I’m worth it?”
“Yes.” She answers quickly, firmly. Not a shred of doubt in her voice. She kisses him quickly. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
_______________
It takes 6 months for them to get Foyet. It feels long and drawn out. In the end he targets Derek again, the new official Unit Chief of the BAU, and they are ready for him. For all the pain he had caused, the destruction he had brought to their lives. It all ends quite simply. Two bullets to the chest from Derek’s gun.
The team waits to hear from Aaron and Emily, excited for them to finally be coming home. They contact Agent Rooney who explains they had left the safe house. Lingering concerns that Foyet had somehow got to them wouldn’t go away itching at the back of the teams minds.
A couple of weeks pass, and there's been nothing. Derek is sitting at his desk, Aaron’s desk, when there's a knock on the door. He looks up to see Dave in the doorway, his eyebrows furrowed.
“Can you come to the conference room for a minute?” Dave asks.
“Sure.” Derek says, standing up. “Everything ok?”
“I’ll tell you all at the same time.”
“Tell us all?” Derek looks across the gangway to see the rest of the team, including Penelope in the conference room.
“I’ve heard from Aaron.” Dave offers an explanation before he walks to join the rest of the team. Derek follows him in, too much energy running through him to sit down.
“What’s going on, Rossi?” Derek asks, his arms folded across his chest.
“When are they coming back?” Penelope asks, excitement rolling off of her. “We should throw them dinner or…” Her voice drifts off when she looks at Dave, the smile slipping from her face when he sees how serious she looks. “Why does your face look like that?”
Dave looks at them all before clearing his throat. “Aaron wrote to me.” He says, pulling a letter out of his pocket and throwing it on the table. Spencer grabs it quickly, opening the envelope to read it himself. “They aren’t coming back.”
“What do you mean they aren’t coming back?” JJ asks, her eyes fixed on Dave.
“They were in Arizona when they were in witsec. They’ve left, and are moving somewhere else.” Dave explains.
“But why?” Penelope exclaims, tears running down her face. “Why wouldn’t they come back?”
“For Jack.” Spencer says, having already read the letter. “They want to give him a fresh start.”
“I can probably find them.” Penelope says. “It wouldn’t be hard. Then we can go and talk some sense into them.”
“He specifically asks us not to do that.” Spencer says, putting the letter down.
“Then what are we supposed to do? Just take it?” Derek asks, throwing his hands up in the air.
“Yes.” Dave answers. “I think that’s exactly what we have to do.”
_______________
January 2011
“Emily.” Jack says, excitingly taking the last bite of his sandwich. “I want to go to the beach.”
“Jack.” She laughs, taking his plate from him and putting it in the sink. “It’s winter.”
“Daddy says it’s never cold here.”
Emily laughs, her husband as predictable as ever. When they had been in hiding they had posed as a married couple. When it was over, and they got the news that Foyet was dead, they decided to make it official. A quick ceremony with just them and Jack, their witness someone they had met at the courthouse.
“Oh well, if that’s what Daddy says.” Emily says fondly, leaning forward to kiss her step-son on his forehead. “Ok, buddy. We’ll go. But just for a bit.” She helps him down off of the kitchen stool he was sitting on. “And I need to feed your sister first.”
They had intended to go back originally, it had always been the plan to return to their lives. Discussions in a dark bedroom that had never felt like theirs about Aaron and Jack moving into her apartment until they could buy a place. Plans of a wedding back in DC with their friends, quiet jokes about how her mother would react. But when they found out that Emily was pregnant only days before they got the call about Foyet, everything changed. Something about that life no longer appealing to the two of them. Aaron lost sleep to fierce, realistic dreams over the prospect of losing Emily too.
They moved to California instead. Aaron gets a job at one of the universities to teach criminal justice. Emily does translation work from home. It wasn’t the life she had seen for herself, but it was theirs and she loved it.
As if she understood it was lunchtime, the 5 month old baby starts to cry from where she’d been napping in her bouncy chair.
“Ok, little one.” Emily says as she goes over to pick up the little girl. She scoops her up into her arms, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. “You’re hungry, huh?”
The doorbell rings, and Emily sighs, bouncing her daughter slightly as she continues to cry. She settles her on her hip, shushing her as she walks to the front door.
“We’ll just see who’s here, and then I’ll feed you.” She kisses the side of her head again, smiling at the scent of her baby shampoo as she opens the door.
Her smile slips off her face as she sees who is standing on her doorstep. Her blood turning to ice in her veins immediately, everything in her body telling her to slam the door shut and protect her children.
“Clyde?” She chokes out, holding her baby closer to her.
“Hello, darling.” He says, looking her up and down. “I have some news for you, and I don’t think you’re going to like it.”
She adjusts the baby on her hip, the weight of her daughter in her arms the only thing keeping her grounded. “Clyde.” She repeats his name, more worried this time than confused.
There was only one reason he would have sought her out.
“He escaped.”