Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Really does mean a lot.

So I wasn't going to update this, but then I got this weird inspiration and realized I do actually like this story. Idk. I go through these weird phases and think my stories are crap, so I don't update forever. But whatevs. I'm back. Well sorta. I'm actually going away for most of the summer, so maybe I'll be back sometime in August. Who knows.

Well anywho...

Chapter 5

He was crying.

And they were laughing.

He was tied to a pole, wearing nothing but his boxers, while they stood around him, laughing! Tears threatened to fall, and only then did he realize that he was cold. Really cold. He wasn't embarrassed, though he should be. Instead, he was angry and upset that he had believed her. The prettiest girl in school. Why would she ever ask him to meet her behind the stadium? On some level, he had convinced himself that maybe she really did enjoy his not-so-secret Santa gift, but now he knew the real reason.

Their faces were large and everything blurred as they laughed mockingly at him. One by one they turned into demons, their eyes red with cruelty. And in the blink of an eye, they disappeared and he took their spot.

Now that he was no longer tied to a pole, he glanced around. Morgan, Hotch, and Rossi were standing next to him – laughing at a girl. He recoiled in shock when he realized that it was Emily who they were laughing at. Tears glistened in her eyes. Not once had he seen Emily Prentiss cry, and yet she was crying now. The sight of it made him feel sick

Betrayal, hatred, and anger contorted her face, and Reid shook as she spoke one word so soft he hardly heard her.

"Why?" she said. "Why?"

Reid woke up with a start as he landed heavily on the floor of the plane. For one horrible moment, his stomach dropped inside of him at the realization he didn't know where he was. But then his eyes focused on the familiar windows and the kind faces of his friends, and he realized that he was on the jet.

"Reid? Are you okay?"

He blinked rapidly to clear his pounding head, and when the person hovering above him slowly came into focus, he stumbled backwards. "Emily," he gasp out as he struggled to sit up, but he only managed to whack her in the head with his.

"Ow. Shit. Ow," she said as she winced in pain.

"Ow," Reid echoed. "God, how hard is your head?"

Emily slumped down beside him on the floor. "Ow. Damn it. Why do people keep banging heads with me? First Hotch, now you. Ow."

Both Reid and Morgan shot Hotch an incredulously glances, but Hotch refused to meet their sharp gazes. Thankfully, their eyes didn't stay on him long, because Morgan adverted his attention back to the young doctor.

"Another nightmare?" Morgan asked in a way that clearly showed he didn't believe it.

But from the way Reid visibly shook and the way he scooted away from Emily, Hotch knew that Reid truly did have a nightmare. This time it wasn't fake or to just get Emily's attention. Morgan must have noticed this too, because his gaze actually softened, and he apologized with a silent dialogue.

"Are you okay?" Emily asked him again.

Reid stared at her for the longest time before answering, "Yeah."

But he didn't sound so sure.

"Here, Em," Morgan said, pushing his cold water bottle against her forehead. "It will feel better." And in a way only Morgan could, he gave her a smile that could lighten up anybody's day, and then the man gazed into her eyes longingly.

Something inside of Hotch snapped then. He just couldn't take it. Emily wasn't around for their amusement. She was their friend. And friends don't treat friends like shit. "Emily," he said, and no one missed the way he used her first name instead of her last. "Do you want to play chess?"

It was a long shot and everybody knew it, but only Morgan was angry enough to call him out on it. "You never play chess."

"I want to play now," he practically growled.

"With Emily? Why not Reid or me?" Morgan shot back.

"I asked Emily."

"I don't want to play," Reid spoke up.

And because Rossi couldn't help himself, he added, "I will." As a result, everybody sent him a death glare, to which he laughed.

"Are you okay?" Reid asked Emily, who looked ready to kill someone. "I'm sorry we hit heads."

Morgan's head instantly snapped towards them. "Yeah? Are you okay? You guys really hit each other hard."

"Are you sure you don't want to play chess?"

"Enough," Emily shouted suddenly. "Damn it. Enough."

The plane went deathly silent, the only sound coming from the soft hum of the jet's engine. If a pin dropped you would have been able to hear it, and this was why no one even dared to breathe. They could see how mad she was now, and though it was rare, it still happened and nothing good ever came out of it. It was as simple as that. You didn't want to get Emily Prentiss mad. Enough said. If she wanted too, she could make your life a living hell. She didn't even have to pull a few strings to do it.

"Emily…" Rossi tried, but she only cut him off.

"No. Don't Emily me," she shouted at him, practically hysteric. And then she whirled on Morgan so fast, he had to grab her arm to keep himself from falling over. However, she just roughly shrugged him off her, to which he did actually end up falling into the chair next to him. "I don't know what the hell you guys are up too, but that's enough. Just stop it. I don't like it."

"Emily," Morgan tried, "we are not –"

"Bull. I know something is up. I'm not blind." God, she was angry. Sure she had gotten mad before, but never had she gotten mad at them. "Hotch is mad at you for some stupid reason. You and Reid won't leave me alone. You're always there. Always. Just hovering over my shoulder. Stop it." She paused suddenly, but Hotch should have known that Rossi and him wouldn't get off that easy. "And you two. I know you know what's going on. All of you have been just so annoying this case. I don't know what you guys have got yourself into, but I know it involves me, so just stop. Leave. Me. Alone." And with one final huff, she roughly sat in the seat farthest away from all of them.

The rest of the plane ride was spent in silence.

----

It wasn't until after the long trip and after they entered the BAU, did Emily finally begin to cool off. For the last few hours, they had been afraid to even talk to her. When she was mad, she was mad. Morgan once said that she made a guy from the State Department cry by only using her words. Something told Hotch that Morgan wasn't lying about it either.

But this outburst of hers made Hotch wonder what she would have done if she actually knew about the bet. They'd probably all be dead. Or worse. She'd leave. Emily was strong, and a damn good FBI agent. Then he thought about their almost kiss. He didn't want to lose her over something this stupid, so the moment she left to go home, he had the guys stick around for a meeting.

Which was why they were in the conference room at ten o'clock at night, instead of at home in bed.

"I think you know why we're here," Hotch began.

Thankfully, Reid actually agreed with him. "I think this should stop."

Morgan's face was nothing but triumph. "Yes!" he shouted, pumping two fist in the air. "I win."

Everyone glared at him. "No. No one does," Hotch pushed sternly.

"Lover boy, quit. Therefore," Morgan reasoned, "I win. How much money was it Reid?"

Reid looked mortified. "That's not fair!"

"There is no more bet," Hotch reassured.

"A bet's a bet. Morgan wins. There. It's over," Rossi said, and because he liked to stir the pot, he added, "Unless someone else takes Reid's place."

Everyone turned to Hotch, who masked a face of horror. "What? No. I will not do that to Emily."

"Dude," Morgan reasoned. "She's not going to find out."'

"I don't care."

"I'm not paying him," Reid argued.

"I win!" Morgan gloated. "Fair and square."

Hotch pinched the bridge of his nose. "For the love of God. When will this stop?"

"As soon as Reid pays up," Morgan told him.

"What!? I'm not paying."

And because the day couldn't get any worse, all hell broke loose. Morgan and Reid started arguing with each other, while Rossi smirked in the corner. Hotch wanted nothing more than for this to be over with. Over and done, but if Morgan won, there would be no end. They would never hear the end of it, and then eventually Morgan would let it slip while talking to Garcia. From there, Garcia would confide in JJ, and then they'd both tell Emily. The thought of her finding out about this made him sick. But Morgan wouldn't gloat about something he lost.

So before Hotch could stop himself, he took some money out of his wallet, and slammed it on the table, making everybody jump. "I'm in."

Okay, so in reality they probably would have just dropped the bet, but then there wouldn't be a story. Now would there? I dropped Reid out because someone mentioned that he probably wouldn't be in this, or he'd be the first to drop out because of the way he was treated in the past. So that's why he's not in it, but don't worry. He's still a big part. Garcia and JJ will be coming in soon.

Oh btw, since I have no idea where i'm going with this story I made a poll. I just want to see what you guys think. So vote (and review) away.