A/N: This story is set between S3 and S4. I've also added another character, which is Maya, Hotch and Haley's daughter. Anyway, this is my very first time writing a CM fanfic so I'm kinda freaking out. I hope you guys will like it. Also, English is not my primary language, so I apologize in advanced for any spelling/grammar mistakes. Please do not hesitate to correct me kindly on them. Thank you!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN CRIMINAL MINDS.

"C'mon kids! We gotta go! Mom's waiting." Hotch shouted from the kitchen. After spending Saturday with his kids, he got called for an urgent case. 3 dead women in Oregon in two weeks and two are still missing. Sometimes he really questions taking this job, especially when it takes away time for his kids. This is what led them to the divorce after all. But hey, such is his life, and he'll never trade it for anything if it meant making a safer place, not just for his children, but for everybody else's too.

"Ready dad!" Four year-old Jack shouted as he comes out of his room. He's always so enthusiastic, always so happy. He was followed by his older sister, 9 year-old Maya. Unlike Jack, however, the idea of going back to her mother after only spending one day with her dad didn't quite settle well with her.

Hotch thinks there's suddenly something so different about her daughter. It doesn't take a professional profiler to point a change in your kid's behavior after all. However, he still cannot pin-point what it was.

"Ready, Maya?" He asked her, but she only gave a sad nod.

Hotch knelt down in front of her. They've had this talk a million times, and his daughter is very smart. She understands that her dad has to travel away because people do bad things in different places. She understands that because of this, mom and dad would always argue and had to go separate ways. She understands that no matter where he goes or how long he's away, dad would always come back home. However, Hotch would not ever hesitate to explain it to her over and over again.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" He asked. But Maya knows that telling him would only cause him so much time. And he doesn't have that right now. So, she shakes her head and hugs him instead. "Be safe, dad."

He smiles at her daughter, always full of compassion and understanding. "I will. And I will always come back home to you guys. Remember that."

The drive back to Hailey's was uneventful. But when he dropped them off in front of their mother's house where Hailey was waiting, he could see the hesitation in his daughter's eyes. The fact that he cannot deal with it and talk to her about it burns him from the inside out.

/

"Hotch"

"Hotch" Emily called again, this time putting her hand on his forearm. They were sitting next to each other on the jet, debriefing the case with the rest of team before they land.

He snapped out of his thoughts. "What was that? Sorry." Everyone was surprised. Aaron Hotchner – The Aaron Hotchner - has zoned out. A first-time in the history of the Behavioral Analysis Unit.

"We were waiting for your input." JJ finally answered.

"Right." Hotch then told them where to disperse once they land.

"Hey. You good?" He heard Emily ask. God bless Emily Prentiss. He doesn't exactly know when it started, but he and Emily are very close. He considers her his best friend, and Emily considers him as his best friend. It was a slow and gradual process, really. When she first joined the team, he didn't exactly hate her, but he didn't like her either. As for Emily, just the fact the assuming man in front of her thought that she pulled strings to get to the BAU was enough for her to hate him at first sight. This, however, just made Emily more determined to prove to him that she deserves this – she deserves to be a part of his team, and she succeeded in that.

From then on, Hotch was continually impressed with her, not just on the field but just as Emily, a normal person. It started with coffee. It was shortly after his divorce. Emily could see that he was burying himself more and more into his work. She never even saw him take on break. As a human, she felt morally obligated to somehow take him back to earth, even just for that day. That was when she bravely asked him to join her for coffee out.

"Hey" she called from the doorway of his office.

"Hey. Come in." He said not even looking away from the files on his desk.

"Let's go get some coffee."

"I can't."

"That wasn't a question." She snapped, looking at him sternly, and boy did he give her a scarier look. It was a hard staring contest for a few seconds until Emily gave up. "Look, Hotch. I am not going to delve in your personal life. I'm not gonna ask you to talk about. I'm not even gonna ask you to talk at all if you don't feel like it. All I'm asking is for you to take a few minutes for a break. God knows when the last you've eaten. And if you get sick, if we ever find you in a hospital, sick because you've neglected yourself, I'm going to kill you, then Garcia's going to kill you, then JJ, then Reid, then Morgan, then Rossi. Maybe even Strauss."

He knew that he was starting to lose it. Heck, everybody knew, but nobody was brave enough to say a word. Except for Emily, because… Well, she's Emily. If there's a more stubborn person than him, it's probably her.

"So? Last chance, bud."

All Hotch could do was close the folder in front of him, sigh in defeat, and stand up from his office chair. Emily, though, was grinning in victory, and he remembers thinking that it was one of the most beautiful smiles he's ever seen.

"Yeah. I'm good. I just want to close this case immediately." He said dismissively. She knows he's probably pissed because his weekend with his children was cut short. Hell, even she was pissed. They were supposed to spend Sunday afternoon at the park – just her, Hotch, and the kids. They were supposed to have a good day.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. He looked at her and knew exactly what she meant. They don't even need words for them to know what the other wants to say. They're good like that. They're close like that.

Once they landed, the team immediately dispersed to their assigned posts- Hotch & JJ at the station, Reid and Dave at the latest crime scene, while Emily and Derek went to interview their lone witness at his house. As the day went by, they were not even close to getting this case solved, and if their timeline is right, another body would turn up in 48 hours. They can't afford that. But Hotch also knows that everyone his team was already dragging, and they won't be productive if they're dragging.

"We're obviously not getting anywhere tonight. Let's settle in for the night. I need everybody at 100% tomorrow." Of course, everybody agreed. But they all know nobody will be getting a full night's rest with this horrible case in their mind. So they drove two separate SUV's to the hotel and settled in. After saying their good night's, they all went to their rooms, ready to catch some shut eye.

Emily, however, had a different plan. Once she checked the coast clear, she went to Hotch's door and knocked. He's not even surprised, he knows it's Emily. They've done this a number of times – sleep together that is. Hey, they're bestfriends. There's nothing awkward or sexual about it, they were just two adults finding comfort in one another. So he opened the door to let her in.

"Can't sleep?" He asked.

"Eh." She shrugged while locking his door. He looked at her with amused eyes and a chuckle.

"What? I haven't seen you in 3 days and I needed a cuddle." She explained with a pout, which she knows was Hotch's weakness.

He laughed at her look. Although, he must admit, it really is adorable and it does get him. Oh boy. "Just get in the damn bed, Emily, before you kill someone with that pout." As usual, Emily grinned in victory and climb into the bed beside him.

Once they were settled – her body curled around him with her face buried on crook of his neck and his arms wrapped around her- he feels Emily start to relax as his hand was lazily tracing her back, and this makes him relax too. Really, other than his kids, she is currently the most important person in his life. Is he in love with her? He doesn't really know yet, but when thinks about it, it's not a totally absurd idea. For now though, he is content with what they have.

The rest of the team noticed their closeness too. Of course they have. But they also know that both have deeper feeling for each and it drives them nuts how Hotch and Emily seem to ignore it. It's rather obvious, even to someone who is not a profiler. When Hotch seems so tense, it is Emily who can calm him down. It is Emily who persuades him to take a break, or to join them in night-outs and enjoy a little. It is Emily who can knock some sense into him when he's being irrational. Aside from Maya and Jack, it is only Emily who can break his stoic face and make him smile in a snap. It's Emily. It's always been Emily.

For Hotch, though, he's aware. He knows the effect Emily has on him. He knows everything she's done for him, and he will be eternally grateful. He doesn't even know what he did to deserve her in his life. However, there's a part of him that's afraid that if they take it any further, they might lose this beautiful thing that they have. He just doesn't want to upset the applecart, as they would say. But he's not letting her go. Definitely not letting her go.

As he was lost in thought, he heard Emily mumble something. "What was that, Em?" He asked, looking down at her. However, he only chuckled when he realized she was just talking in her sleep. He ignored it, but after a short while, Emily said something again. "I really want the chocolate mousse, Aaron." He smiled at her. He really did love her quirks. So, he kissed her forehead and whispered "I'll get you some tomorrow, Em. Good night."