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Lacy here. So, here it is. What we all thought was Emily's final episode. What was going to be the end of all my series. Upside, it's not ending and she is coming back. Downside, we still have to go through Lauren. And I can say, with certainty, that it will be heartbreaking. Possibly more so then the episode itself. *sighs* Sorry. I don't have anything else so...yeah.

Disclaimer: I own Beth and Mal.

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~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Aaron shut his eyes as soon as he heard Reid repeat part of Emily's conversation to Tsia from days before. He knew he was going to have to tell them and they were not going to take it well.

Walking over to Emily's desk while the others speculated, Aaron pulled open her drawer and removed her gun, badge and phone, his heart breaking a bit more with each item.

"Aaron,"

Aaron turned to his friends, his family, and showed them Emily's things.

"Why would she do that?" Morgan asked.

"To protect you." Aaron said.

Dave frowned. "Us? What are you talking about?"

Aaron leaned against Emily's desk with a heavy sigh. "Emily was part of the team that brought down Doyle the first time."

Morgan glared at Aaron. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Aaron returned the glare. "Because we had it handled, me, Emily and her old team. It wasn't until these recent murders that things got out of control."

"Oh come on Hotch," Morgan spat. "that's bullshit and you know it!"

Aaron pushed off Emily's desk. "Believe what you want, Morgan, we did what we did to make sure he never came after any of you. We did it FOR you."

Morgan gave a bitter laugh. "You really expect us to believe you hid this from us because you were protecting us? We can protect ourselves, Hotch. Your precious wife screwed up and you wanted to make sure no one knew."

Aaron shot towards Morgan but Dave grabbed him, just barely holding him back.

"Back off, Morgan." Reid growled. "You're upset, we all are. But that is no reason to take Hotch's head off and attack Emily. They did what they felt was right and don't even try to deny that you wouldn't do the same thing."

"No, I wouldn't have." Morgan shot back. "I would have trusted you guys enough to tell you."

Aaron fought against Dave. "We do trust you, Morgan but Doyle isn't a normal unsub. Until we knew where he was and what he was planning, no one outside the original team could know and even then it was for their own safety."

"Then why do you know?" Morgan asked.

Dave rolled his eyes. "Oh gee Morgan, maybe because they're married? Use your damn head and stop acting like a child. It doesn't matter who knew and it doesn't matter why. What matters now is finding Emily and Doyle, taking Doyle down and getting Emily home safe." he looked back at Aaron. "Go up to your office and cool down."

Aaron broke off his glare at Morgan to look at Dave. "We don't have time."

Dave gave him a hard look. "We'll make time. The last thing Emily needs is for you to go into this pissed off. Now go."

Aaron exhaled and nodded. Dave let him go and backed off. Before anyone could blink, Aaron punched Morgan in the face.

"Never talk about Emily like that again." Aaron said before marching off to his office.

Reid looked at Morgan, who was nursing a bloody nose. "You asked for that."

Garcia glared at Morgan, arms crossed. "If Hotch hadn't done it, I would have."

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Dave could feel the tension rolling off of Morgan as they moved through Aaron and Emily's apartment. Aaron had told them he knew Emily had information on the case there but for his safety, Emily hadn't told him where. He gave Dave his keys and told him not to come back until they found the information.

"So she asked you to stop here yesterday." Dave said, trying to make conversation.

"Yeah to change her boots," Morgan said. "and get whatever else she needed I guess."

"It's never easy you know," Dave said. "having to, uh, dig through a friend's life. But that's not what's bugging you, is it? You're still caught up on Emily and Aaron keeping this from us. Not to mention you're angry that Emily crossed the line with Doyle."

"She slept with a terrorist for a profile." Morgan said. "And instead of coming clean with us about her dirty laundry, she just ran with it." he scoffed. "I'm surprised Hotch can even look at her, knowing what she did."

Dave walked over to Morgan and shoved him back. "Alright, let's get this settled, right now. Back off Emily and Aaron. They were keeping us safe. As for what Emily did, Aaron loves her and he knows it was long before anything happened with them so he can look passed it. He trusts her and respects you. Can you say the same thing?"

Morgan held Dave's look. "I honestly can't say."

Dave shook his head and stepped back. "Then treat this exactly how Aaron said. Like any other case. Pretend you don't know Emily. That might actually be better for her in the end." he moved out of the room. "She doesn't need someone watching her back that she can't trust."

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Emily listened to the voice mail from Garcia and let the tears fall down her face. Hearing that Aaron and Morgan had gone at each other was the last thing she wanted. She knew Aaron was just defending her and Morgan was upset about the fact that they kept this whole thing from them but they needed each other right now. They didn't need to be fighting.

Shaking her head and brushing away the tears, Emily refocused. Dave could handle the team and Aaron would be okay. She had a mission to complete.

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Emily came to and heard Doyle coming up behind her. She tried not to tense as he put his hand on her neck but she was tied up and he had the advantage and was seriously pissed with her.

"Where's my ring?" he asked.

Emily exhaled, somewhat heavily. "I flushed it."

Doyle reached down and Emily tried to keep her hand fisted but he easily overpowered her and all but tore her wedding and engagement rings off.

"I spent seven years in hell," he started. "because of that ring." he reached down and started unbuttoning Emily's shirt. Her breathing got shallow and panicked. "So now, I'm gonna give you another gift." He unbuttoned it just passed her bra. "One you won't get rid of so easily."

He pushed the shirt open, exposing her chest. Emily tried to calm herself down but her only touch stone to safety, her rings, had been taken.

"A four leaf clover should be a nice addition to your other tattoos." Doyle said as he pulled a wheeled table over. "You still have two, right?"

Emily thought of the tattoos and to calm herself, remembered the first time Aaron had seen them. Remembered how he'd taken his time tracing them and showing Emily just how much he liked them.

"Yup," Emily said. "and that's enough ink, thanks."

Doyle laughed. "Ink?" he turned the machine on. "No Koreans can't afford ink. No, no, they brand themselves."

Emily's breathing grew shallow again. Shit.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Aaron went plowing into the room Clyde had been put and before the Brit could register his being there, Aaron had him against the wall and had punched him twice.

"You told her nothing would happen to her." Aaron growled. "And now Doyle has her. How is that protecting her?"

Clyde struggled against Aaron. "If she had listened, none of this would have happened! If you had both listened, she'd be here! This is not my fault!"

Aaron grabbed Clyde by his jacket and slammed him into the wall again. "Do NOT lay this on us!"

"Hotch!" JJ ran into the room and grabbed her friend by the arm. "Hotch, calm down. This isn't helping."

Clyde smirked. "I don't know, he seems to be feeling better."

JJ glared at the man. "Shut up or I leave the room and have the cameras turned off."

Aaron pulled away from Clyde. "Did you betray her?"

Clyde straightened his jacket and wiped his lip. "I hope you know that hurt."

Aaron growled, low and deep. "Answer my question, Easter. Did you betray us? Did you betray Emily?" Clyde just rolled his shoulders. "If you help us and we save Emily, we can talk about a deal but if anything happens to her, I will destroy you, you can count on that."

Clyde leaned back, relaxed. "You know, she may have said you're the best but I'm not impressed."

Aaron just barely stopped himself from going at the man again. JJ's hand on his arm helped. A lot.

"We'll get Doyle with or without you." Aaron said. "Pack lightly. Guantanamo gets humid."

Clyde laughed as JJ and Aaron turned to leave. "Nice try. But, I'm curious, if I'm a sociopath, I should feel no empathy, correct?"

Aaron turned back to him. "You're not the sociopath, Doyle is. I thought you were a better profiler."

Without another word, he followed JJ from the room.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

"If you want to stop that man," Clyde said. "you have to put a bullet between his eyes yourself. Can you do that? Can you break your oath, Agent Hotchner?"

Aaron didn't hesitate. "I'd do anything to bring Emily home."

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Dave looked at Aaron. "Can you do this?"

Aaron gave Dave a hard look. "She is my wife. Whether I can do it or not, I am not staying behind. Don't even think of asking me to, Dave."

Dave shook his head. "I wasn't planning on it. I just want to make sure you'll be able to make the right call when the time comes."

Aaron shifted but never broke his gaze on Dave. "If I have the shot, I'm taking it. Doyle has disrupted our lives and had Emily living in fear for too long. It ends tonight."

Dave patted Aaron's shoulder. "Let's get your wife back."

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

"Doyle!"

Ian Doyle turned and the last thing he saw moments before a bullet hit him square between the eyes was the face of a very pissed off Aaron Hotchner.

Aaron didn't blink an eye as Doyle's dead body hit the ground with a soft thud. The arms dealer and mass murderer had threatened his family, his wife and because of that, Aaron didn't give a damn if he broke the code he swore to uphold.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

"Hold on Emily!"

Aaron ran over to where Morgan was kneeling beside Emily and all but shoved Morgan out of the way.

"Emily," he grabbed her hand. "don't you leave me, Em. Our kids need you. Jack and Bethany need their mother." he ignored the tears running down his face. "I can't raise them without you, Emily. Do not leave us."

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Aaron couldn't focus and was having a hard time keeping his breathing even. They'd been at the hospital for almost four hours and still hadn't gotten any word on how Emily was. JJ had left moments before to try and get some and Aaron had the feeling if she had to beat information out of someone, she'd do it.

He looked around at his team. Dave couldn't seem to sit still but was keeping close to Ashley just in case the youngest agent got overwhelmed by it all. Reid was pacing and drinking coffee, which they all were. Morgan and Garcia hadn't let each others sides since they arrived.

They were all on the edge of falling apart but he knew he would fall hardest if they lost Emily. She was the glue now, for him and Jack. Her and Bethany. Without Emily, Aaron knew he'd fall apart again and he wasn't sure the kids would be enough to keep him together this time.

Seeing JJ come around the corner, Aaron was on his feet before anyone else.

"She made it through surgery." JJ said. "She's got a long recovery road ahead of her but," she smiled. "she made it."

Relief flooded Aaron and knocked his legs from under him. He sat down, hard, in his chair and held his head in his hands as tears fell down his face. Unlike hours before, they were tears of happiness, of relief. Emily was alive, Doyle was dead and, he looked at JJ and Dave hugging, if only for a little while, the family was whole again.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Emily slowly opened her eyes and smiled as she saw Aaron looking out the window of her room.

"Hey you," she said softly.

Aaron turned to face her and smiled. "Welcome back," he walked over to her and gently kissed her. "If you ever scare me like that again, you'll be taking my meetings with Strauss for a year."

Emily gave a weak laugh. "Yes sir."

Aaron held out his hand. "I have something for you."

Emily saw her rings sitting in the palm of his hand and smiled. "You found them."

Aaron nodded. "They fell out of Doyle's pocket after I shot him. I don't know why he had them but I gave them to you so I took them back."

Emily watched Aaron slid them back on her finger. "He took them as a way to shake me. I'll admit, it worked."

Aaron shook his head and combed his fingers through Emily's hair. "Don't talk about that now. There will be plenty of time later."

Emily shifted a bit. "Lay with me?"

Aaron smiled. "Of course."

Stretching out beside Emily, Aaron held her gently and rested his head against hers. Emily held his arms close and traced his wedding band.

"The kids?" she asked softly.

Aaron kissed her hair. "They'll be here tomorrow. I called Richard as soon as I knew what room you were in. He'll bring them straight from the airport."

Emily nodded, her eyes drifting shut. "The team?"

Aaron saw she was fading. "Later, sweetheart. Sleep."

Emily hummed as she drifted off and Aaron tightened his grip a bit. They were back together and nothing would separate them again.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

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*wipes face* So, it's done. I was outright sobbing several times during this. But it wasn't' as heartbreaking as I thought it would be. Oh, the Morgan abuse was my personal annoyance with his attitude coming out. He's just been so cocky and basically an ass since he took over for Aaron in season five that it's driving me nuts. Okay kids, now for the further good news. I won't be doing any more for season six but I will be bringing A&E back with Emily's first episode back next season. So let me know what you think, flame policy stands and thanks for reading.

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