Author's note: here's a story we thought up together during one of our epic 2 hour conversations. May take a while for us to update the next chapters because we have huge workloads, stupid schools coursework! Anyway please review it and tell us what you think so far.

Disclaimer: We own nothing, Criminal Minds is not ours.... unfortunately.

CM Hotch/Prentiss... again

It was another one of those cases. The victims were all professional women, they were found in their homes after being brutally beaten to death, but it wasn't just that, they were beaten repeatedly and strategically. The punches were few, but were hard enough to cause internal bleeding in the lower abdomen. So technically, they all died from internal bleeding and not from the beating they received. There was no sexual assault so it was the brutality of the murders that got the unsub off, and that in itself was difficult for the them all to grasp.

The team were restless; the case had taken longer than they thought to break. Finally they were on the way to arrest a suspect. The case was local, which they were glad about, in a manner, as the last case they had, they were away for 3 weeks and didn't want to go away again at least this meant they were close to home.

Hotch, Emily and Rossi went in one SUV while Morgan, JJ and Reid went in the other. As they reached the UnSubs house and all jumped out, strapping on their vests they made their way towards the house, guns in hand.

They went into the house in pairs, Rossi and JJ took the front entrance with Reid and Hotch, splitting up so Rossi and JJ could take the upstairs with the others clearing the rooms at the front downstairs. Emily and Morgan took the back entrance with Morgan slamming his foot into the door to break it open; they then strategically searched the house before meeting up with the others outside in the back garden. It was a beautifully sunny day and so they all took of their vests to keep cool, the only one appearing to not be overheated was Hotch as always, in his dark suit. They talked about where the unsub could possibly be.

"He should have been here" Morgan announced "It doesn't make sense, where else would he be?"

Reid chimed in at this "Morgan has a point; he couldn't possibly have known we were onto him, I mean we didn't know until about half an hour ago."

"Well he isn't here, so we will just have to put up road blocks and look at his profile again, but let's get back to the precinct first." Hotch replied in his authoritative voice "Besides you all look like your about to die of heat exhaustion." He continued with a small smile and a raised eyebrow.

"Seriously Hotch how is it possible that you aren't boiling?" the others laughed and began to disperse their way back to the SUVs.

(Emily's POV)

The wheels in Emily's mind during this were turning double pace; she had a feeling that something wasn't right. Although it was true that she wasn't feeling at the top of her game today so that could be part of it, but still he should have been here…

She turned around to realise the others had all gone. Damn she must have stood their longer than she realised. She started to walk back to the front of the house when all of a sudden something grabbed at her arm. She turned around quickly only to feel a fist hit her on the side of her head. She fell to the floor with a thump. She was dizzy and disorientated but she just about made out the image of their unsub.

Shit!

Another blow hit her stomach as she staggered, attempting to stand up. It was Cyrus all over again. She fell to the floor again only to find the unsub had pinned her down so she could no longer move. She struggled but felt sharp pain again as he punched her chest. The blows kept on coming and all of her strength was leaving her. She couldn't feel anything anymore. The only hope she had was that Hotch and the others would soon realise where she was. As the wind was knocked out of her one more time she managed to whimper "Hotch…"

(Hotch's POV)

While the others had been talking, he noticed Emily zone out and go completely into her own mind, she had an amazing ability to do that, to compartmentalise and then, when she needed to, bring everything back to the surface and look at it in a new light. After announcing the team should all go back to the precinct, it would be pointless to stay there, and they knew who the unsub was so now all they had to do now was catch the guy. He left Emily there to think things through, he noticed that she wasn't feeling too well this morning and wanted to make sure she had a little time to herself, while making a mental note to query her on it later on tonight when they got home. He then headed back to the SUV he shared with Emily and Rossi. The men both stood there for a while, until Hotch felt his stomach churn. Something wasn't right she had been gone too long. He verbalised these thoughts to Rossi and then began to run.

Rossi and the rest of the team weren't far behind. When he got there the sight before him chilled him to the core, he was going to have nightmares about this for a long time. Emily was on the floor lifeless underneath the man he instantly recognised as their unsub. Without another thought Hotch produced his gun and pointed it directly at the man on top of 'his' Emily.

"Robert, this is the FBI put your hands above your head and step away from her!" he yelled. He knew the rest of the team had heard the emotion in his voice but he didn't care, all he was focused on now was Emily. The unsub raised his hand into a fist, as it made is journey towards Emily's stomach Hotch shot three times and the man's body fell lifelessly to the side of Emily's.

He ran over immediately falling at Emily's side and staring down at her.

"Emily! Emily! Wake up." He put a hand up to stroke her cheek and her eyes slowly fluttered open. He let out a huge sigh of relief. Thank God he thought. She was going to be okay.

"Are you okay? Do you need an ambulance? What hurts?"

"Hotch which question do you want me to answer first?" Her mouth turned up a little at the corners as she playfully mocked Hotch. "I'm okay, just a little sore, I don't need an ambulance, I'm sure I will be fine, although I may have bruised a few ribs I'm pretty sure nothing is broken."

Hotch smiled a little looking down at her. She was going to be okay. He was scared by how much she meant to him already. He knew that he wouldn't be able to survive without her anymore. She was everything to him, and to Jack. He couldn't loose her, he had already lost so much, he couldn't loose another woman he loved so much.

Yes we did just have Emily beat up... its mean we know but we know where its going from here, not making it up randomly, more to come. Please Review... :) please