𝐓𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐲 𝐀𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 | hotchniss

"𝐈𝐕𝐘"- Grieving for the living

I know "ivy" is about an affair and infidelity but I really like the other alternative in analyzing the song- that it's also about someone having trouble letting go of a deceased loved one and feeling guilty for moving on. | So when reading the "ivy" chapters keep that in mind!
Anyway happy reading thank you for 9k reads!

Episode:
5x10 | "The slave of duty"

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They were fortunate not to attract attention the entire time Strauss was walking around. It could have been seen as strange to her to see the amount of time Emily spent with Jack and how close he was to her, but Emily seamlessly integrated herself with the rest of the team and family members, avoiding any unwanted attention from Strauss— their secret was safe.

But of course nothing can go unnoticed by her.

"I'm guessing this is her, right? Emily" she said, gesturing with her head towards the team table where Emily was sitting.

"Yes, Mom, that's her," Sean answered before Aaron could. "I hope you can postpone your investigation for now, though" he said. Aaron was grateful that his brother had said that instead of him, he could only imagine her reaction to that.

"Of course! I would never..." Rose exclaimed loudly and shook her head. "I can't believe you think I need to be reminded of that" she said, offended by her son's comment.

"She seems really lovely, Aaron" she added more softly. Her eyes were still red from Haley's funeral.

"Do you have a place to stay?" Aaron asked, avoiding talking about Emily and attempting to find a way to end the conversation. He loved his family and appreciated them coming over, but he was not in the mood to discuss anything at the moment.

"I've booked hotel rooms for us tonight, so we're all set" Sean declared. Aaron nodded in reply. "Alright then, I'll go see how Jack is doing. I'll talk to you later" he said, directing his reply more towards his brother than his mother. He tried to leave before she could respond, but he failed. "Actually..." Rose interrupted him as he predicted, preventing him from walking away. "I'm planning on sticking around for a while..."

"Mom..." Sean sighed. Despite Aaron's initial reluctance to discuss anything, she insisted on staying, Sean started to wonder whether his mother really didn't understand basic social cues or if she was just pretending not to. It was clear to him that his brother needed time, but there she was, imposing and invading his space.

"You can stay at my place" Aaron stated. "Jack will be happy to see you," he added. Rose smiled in return, and this time she didn't stop him from leaving.

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"What do I do?" Emily asked herself quietly, looking at Aaron with his brother and an unfamiliar woman. She didn't realize that she could be heard until she received an answer she didn't ask for, sparking a new discussion.

"There's nothing we can do. We just have to wait him out," Morgan said, staring blankly at his glass. "Do you think he'll ever come back?" Spencer asked with a worried expression. "Would you?" JJ responded, adding to the uncertainty

"Emily, did he say anything about what he's going to do?" Penelope directed her question to Emily, causing her to refocus on the conversation she didn't want to engage in. "He didn't really speak to me about it. It's too early, Penelope" she answered, feeling a bit annoyed by the question.

Emily wasn't sure if she was bothered by it because it reminded her that she didn't have the answers or just because it was insensitive
She hoped it was the latter