Author's note: I've decided to do a 30 day drabble challenge - the link is on my tumblr - and I thought I'd collect them all here. I might not post one each day but I do plan to get through all 30, so enjoy, and if you have some time please review! These are writing exercises for me and I'm new to this, so I really appreciate feedback :)

Prompt: Accusation.

She snatches the keys from his hand. "I'm driving," she says unnecessarily.

"Prentiss -" he begins, and it's his Unit Chief voice.

"Shut up," she snaps, and she's surprised when he does. She opens the passenger door and glares at him until he gets in. She gets in her side, slams the door and turns to him. "What the hell was that?"

"I had to -"

"No, Hotch, you didn't."

"I made a tactical -"

"It was a stupid tactical decision! Listen, Hotch, you can't go on like this. You can't just keep throwing yourself into dangerous situations hoping to get shot. You're no good to yourself or your family or us in this state."

"Prentiss, you're crossing a -"

"Don't you dare 'Prentiss' me," she fumes. "Christ Hotch, you -" She stops abruptly as she feels tears threatening and glares at him until the moment passes. He glares back. "If you don't have a self preservation instinct, you don't belong in the field."

"My job is to keep people s-"

"Safe. Right. Exactly. The public, and your team, and yourself. I don't care how good you are – a Unit Chief on a suicide mission is no good to anybody. I'm sorry about Haley and Jack, Hotch, I am so sorry. But I know what you're doing and I won't let you do it. I won't let you go on like this."

He stares at her, stunned. "What am I doing?" he asks, putting an edge in his voice to keep the vulnerability out. She's disturbingly close to the bone.

"You think they're in danger because of you. You blame yourself, I get that. He wants to get to them to destroy you, and you think if you're gone then they'll be safe. But you're not about to just shoot yourself – that would hurt them. You think if you get yourself killed in the field then hey, they should have seen it coming, right? That's how you always thought you'd go. That way you die a hero."

He stares at her and he knows he should yell, he should tell her she's out of line, but instead he just stares. Then, knowing this is the wrong part of that speech to pick up on, he says, "Not a hero, Emily."

She registers his use of her first name, but it doesn't soften her. "Whatever. You think it'll screw them up less if you die in the field. I won't let you do this, Hotch."

He pauses a few moments, feels he should contradict her. He hasn't been trying to get himself killed, but he's certainly been less careful. Maybe even more reckless. She's right – he is no good to anybody. No matter what he does, no matter how hard he tries… So maybe he's done trying. "What are you going to do about it?" he says, looking down at his legs when he realises how childish he sounds.

"You mean if yelling at you doesn't work?" she says, and she can't help the smile in her voice. "Hotch, people care about you, you know. People need you. We… I care about you." He looks up, and she raises her eyebrows. "But if that's not enough, I'll tell Strauss."