A/N: I don't have profound knowledge of how life in Washington DC was in 1935 but only the very basic historical informations. Nonetheless I decided to write this story and since nobody ever write fanfiction for any other purpose that having fun doing it I hope you can bear with the inaccuracies that might emerge every now and then. In this chapter, as well as in the following ones (which I already began) I am mainly going to outline where the characters stand in this time to get the plot started.

I'm not sure how frequent the updates on this story are going to be but they are going to come... sometime... someday.

I hope you like it and would appreciate any kinds of comments or criticism.


Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come.

- writer Anne Lamott


"Aaron", the dark-haired waitress greated him with a cheerful but, after her eight hour long -with no end in sight- shift, tired smile, "you're late, I didn't think I'd see you today."

After a salutatory nod he took a seat at the counter. "Busy days."

"Days?", she answered, giving him a questioning look, "weeks, if not months. You used to show up here around six."

"And you used to leave around six thirty, Emily. Seems I'm not the only one doing extra hours."

"Well, what shall I say? We're badly off ever since David lost his job so I need to make up for it as good as I can. I don't have a choice."

"Neither have I."

"Maybe - who would I be to judge your ethics without knowing much about your business?"

Emily knew Hotch was a broker but that was already all there was. They didn't ever talk about his or her work in detail but she gave a crap whether he was corrupt or honest, utilizing or upright anyways - it was nice talking to the serious, somewhat grave man and exchanging personal matters with someone who was too close to not care at all and yet sufficiently distanced to give helpful advice, despite knowing it wasn't necessarily what the collocutor wanted to hear; and ever and anon the zenith of her day.

"All I know for sure is that you are here, even though you have a family with whom you should spend the little free time you've got rather than with me."

"It's past Jack's bedtime anyways. I suppose he's already sound asleep."

"Haley won't go to bed just yet though." She sighted, giving him time to answer even though she knew he wouldn't use it. Maybe it was a sign of slowly evolving closeness that his problems had begun to bother her too already a while ago but she wouldn't push anything. "Now... as usual?"

"Yes, please."

She began to pile toast, fried eggs and bacon onto a plate and filled a large mug with freshly brewed, steaming coffee and a splash of evaporated milk before she slid them both over. "Other men have this for breakfast."

"What should I be taking?"

"Club Soda, Scotch, Bourbon... everything that helps people forget their worries and fall asleep a little faster." She smiled and fixed herself a coffee as well.

"No way I'm getting started on this again." The niggling voice in the back of his head said otherwise though.

"No way I'll ever let you touch anything like that. A glass of hot milk would probably do the trick just as well", Emily scoffed while Hotch stopped the topic with a wave of his hand. Never had she hesitated to quip about serious issues, keeping it respectful though, and it was the first thing he had liked about her. "So why are you not home?"

"Haley and I have been having... problems lately. Remember how I told you about the business lunch we attended last Sunday?"

Emily furrowed her brows. "Yeah... you said the both of you were looking forward to meet that supremo of yours. What about it?"

"We kissed each other, accordingly unobnoxious of course and we were smiling, talking, even joking and... in love."

"If you're talking about you and Haley here... good for you."

"No. I mean - yes, sorta. For one day we were a happy couple with the paradigm of a son but it was pure business. If I continue to climb up the greasy pole like I do right now I'll spend even less time with Haley but I'll smooth her way through life big time. She'll be nice, I'll get what I've been dreaming of for years and she'll get a lot in return."

"So what you're having is a partnership of convenience."

The problem Emily didn't know how to deal with was that while Hotch and Dave knew each other and were brief friends she hadn't met Haley before. All she knew about the omnicious woman was what Hotch had told her about her and Emily refused to judge a person she hadn't even seen ever in her life. And while it was obvious that the unfortunate development of their relationship bothered Hotch, Emily had noticed that his attitude towards his marriage seemed to change ever and were the times when he was just bitter, blaming Haley, then himself, then the entire society. Sometimes his words spoke of the love he still felt for this woman and the desperation as he had to face that loving someone wasn't enough to successfully spend a lifetime with each other. And then again he just sat there and missed his wife and didn't go home to her though...

"And whenever we're not in public it's quiete a disputing one." He shook his head, desperately wanting a Scotch. Emily served him another Coffee instead, sesning his weakness like she had many previous times. "When it began it was love. And what have we become today? We're taking advantage of each other and are both too enduring to end it. Dammit, we didn't only lose our love, our respect for each other went missing about the same day... I just don't feel like coming home to our hushed fights just yet and Haley wouldn't be pleased to see me either."

"Have you considered to separate?"

Hotch let out a short laughter, devoid of amusement and delight. These hadn't been part of his daily routine since quiete some time. "You make it sound as if we had a choice."

"I don't see how you wouldn't have one."

"What about my career? Our condo?" He sighted and took a mouthful of eggs. "She would probably take it all and people don't particularily like men who failed their personal life; not to mention the trouble my family would be making... And Haley is cathoilic, she wouldn't let it happen and I cannot afford it either."

"Then even at the risk of sounding like a broken record - you have a son and, as long as he's livivng at the same place you do, no good excuse to not be with him. I bet he needs his father. Badly."

"Doubt it."

"Why would you?"

"I don't think Haley talks much about me and the few times we actually get to talk I see I'm losing him."

"You know it's not her responsibility to make him love you."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know, you are your own master and I can't imagine Haley to be a bad mother. But mothers seldomly make good fathers, too. She needs to be there for Jack, yes, but she doesn't need to replace you at the same time. She won't be able to do that and all Jack will know is that his father provided for the family, sure, but that he wasn't ever there though."

"But I want to be there for him, I-"

"That's not enough. My father spent my childhood working his ass of to get a position in the White House and avoiding his family." She smiled at the memory and her smile too was showing the bitterness she felt more than any other expression. "He left a note saying I love you every once in a while but I knew I wouldn't ever meet his expectations and I stopped caring about his love as I grew old enough to realize it was his job to have a happy family. And look at what good it did me. I'm pretty messed up and the only thing I ever did well in was to disappoint him in every way there is."

"Your father was a fool be disappointed." The firmness of his tone flattered her. "And you are not messed up."

"Why, thank you. But I went to an elite school and graduated not only as the only female student but also as the grades validictorian. And yet here I am, doing double shifts in a diner where I serve people stale coffee and subprime toast while I still don't earn enough money to have as much as a secure existence."

Hotch raised his eyebrows in surprise and, as he had to admit to himself, admiration. He had known that she came from a rich family and that the relationship with them, especially her parents, was rather complicated, but her early academic career was news to him. Sure it had always been clear that the woman he used to talk to almost every night was helpful, understanding, funny, smart... above average for sure - but that clever, maybe even more intelligent than him? How many more people were underestimating her every day, maybe looking down at her while they should be looking up... Hotch felt how he blushed slightly as he realized how he had done so, too.

"I'm glad you work here."

"It's... well, it's what I chose a long time ago and I have to live with it."

"May I ask why you didn't do anything else? Something... you know, just-" He began to stammer but Emily only smiled. Seldomly did anyone act as awkward around her, mainly for they couldn't know what she was capable of and the only thing hurting her was that she couldn't blame these people. After all what had brought her here had been her own stupid, precipitant decision and what kind of promising daughter ruined her own future on purpose?

"You want to know why I'm performing a job every idiot can do okay in?"

"That's... that's not what I meant it to sound like."

"Never mind, it's what I want it to sound like - and it's the truth, by the way."

"So why did I meet you only 'cause I was told they serve good coffee here instead of... I don't know, reading about you winning the Noble price?"

Emily let out a short giggle but his question hadn't been a complete joke. Her face turned serious again and she failed to ban the bitterness fully from her voice.

"Frankly, I did it to piss off my parents. The one dream I and them had in common was that I would become a doctor and with my father's connections it could even have happened. If there is one thing that hasn't ever been a problem in my family it's sexism but it doesn't really make up for... hm, lemme think - the obsession with carreer, discipline, doing as you're told and ignoring everybody else's dreams, hopes and need for affection. And the willingness to sell your own grandmother to get what you want, of course." Her voice was dripping with both sarcasm and deep disappointment. "And before you say anything else - I am being serious. I threw my life away to not give them the satisfacation watching me being successful and thinking how my achievements were theirs too, would have meant. What a talent, right?"

"I'm sorry you lost such a chance."

Emily only shurgged and smiled again, honestly this time. "I can't waste time being sorry for myself and you shouldn't be either. For one thing I don't think you have it any easier and anyways, it was the dumbest decision I have made in my entire life and I don't expect to do anythng dumber -ever- but things could have turned out worse - so who am I to complain about stuff that other people dream of? I found the love of my life and meet good people every day. Just don't let it come that far with Jack. Love him before your love becomes nothing but a charade. You can't spend minimum time with him just because you don't wanna spend time with Haley. It would be the biggest possible mistake to make... you'd even top my own ones. Another coffee?"

He shook his head and searched his pockets for a few coins to pay the bill and leave her a tip. There still were eggs and some toast left on his plate but he wasn't hungry anymore. "No thanks, I won't sleep if I have another mug tonight. I'll see you tomorrow then. Have a good night, Emily."

She nodded goodbye but didn't bother to hide that she was worried. "You too... just make sure it really is your home you're going to."

"I didn't take as much as a step into a bar for over six months-"

"-and I remember this last time better than I'd like to, even though you probably don't. You were upset back then and I haven't seen you haven't been as upset again, until tonight."

Hotch frowned; it was true. That Emily seemed to be able to look right through people was a rather spooky ability of hers and she was about just as good at hiding the very same thing. He, on the other hand, had thought hiding was the one art he had brought to perfection... until he had met her and learned what hiding really meant. It meant that you can unburden your heart to somebody and learn more about the listener than vice versa. It meant that you can work in a diner and secretly be a prep school's female valedictorian.

"Nothing is going to happen."

"I believe you."

"Give my compliments to Dave."

"Sure. I don't think you'll give mine to Haley?"

"Maybe I'll take Jack here for breakfast some time, he might like a place like that. You're here Saturday morning?"

"I'm here every day at pretty much every time. But I'd like that."

"Okay, we'll be there."

As Emily put Hotch's mug and plate in the nearby sink and tried to imagine what Haley would feel like if he invited Jack but not her to breakfast, the broker stood up to leave the diner. He wasn't quiete looking forward to come home.


A/N: So far, we know Emily speaks english (obviously), italian, french, spanish -all four of which are using the latin alphabet-, russian -using cyrillic script- and arabic, using Anjad numerals. This equals six languages in three alphabets - this just got to be somewhat above average!