A/N: Just a one-shot starting with Henry's first birthday. Some family fun and a photo (you know i love em). Please read and review.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Criminal Minds.
She couldn't believe her baby was one year old already. The past year had gone so fast. When JJ swung open the door she was greeted with the smiling faces of Morgan, Garcia, and Reid. "Where's the birthday boy?" Garcia cried out. JJ stood back in the doorway and let them in. She led them through to the lounge where her boys were playing. Henry stood and toddled his way over to Garcia, wrapping his chubby arms around her legs. Garcia grinned and picked him up, covering his cheek in kisses. "The other's aren't here yet?" Reid asked. JJ shook her head. "Rossi's running late and Emily's picking Hotch and Jack up," she explained. She wasn't sure if Hotch and Jack were even coming. It had only been four months since Hayley's funeral and she wasn't sure if they were up to it yet.
Hotch sat on the couch with Jack, watching Superman. He looked at his son, eyes fixated on the TV, and smiled. He thought about the past four months, how Jack had gradually gotten used to his mom being gone. Hayley's sister had helped as much as possible, arguing that it would have been what Hayley wanted.
And then there was Emily. She had been there for everything. She had helped him through his divorce, helped him with Jack, taken care of him when he first returned home, and picked him up for work when he'd finally come back. She had also been there for both Hotch and Jack following Hayley's death. Hotch couldn't understand why she stuck around but was so grateful she did. He couldn't imagine, didn't want to imagine, what his life would be like without her.
Hotch heard the knock at the door, interrupting his thoughts. He walked over and checked the peep-hole. As he opened the door he smiled. She was dressed in a knee-length white skirt and floral top. "Hey, You guys ready?" Emily asked. Jack jumped off the couch when he heard her voice, and came running to the door. Emily knelt to pick him up and hugged him tight. Hotch nodded and looked at Jack. "Let's go," he said, grabbing the gift and Jack's bag from the table. Emily led them to the street where her car was parked and they all climbed in.
"You're here! Come in you guys," JJ cried out. She hugged Emily tight and picked Jack up for a hug. After she put him on the floor she wrapped her arms around Hotch's neck and hugged him too. "I'm so glad you made it," she said. Hotch smiled and looked at Emily. JJ grinned and nodded. "I guess I should thank Emily when I get the chance hey?" JJ asked. Hotch smiled and started to blush. "Ok, the birthday boy is this way," JJ said, taking Jack's hand and leading him down the hall.
After everyone had stuffed themselves full of burgers and salads, it was time for the cake. JJ sat with Henry in her lap. Will stood behind them and the three of them blew out the candles. Emily had Jack in her arms and swayed as the group sang "Happy Birthday." Hotch looked at them and smiled. "OK, We need a photo of everyone. Honey can you set up the camera?" JJ said to Will. He nodded and put the camera on the tripod. Morgan, Garcia and Rossi stood on one side of the family, with Hotch, Emily, and Reid on the other. Emily was still holding Jack. Will pressed the button and everyone smiled as he ran to get into the shot. With a flash, there it was.
"Ok, one more guys," JJ said, tapping Will's hand. He smiled and obliged. He pressed the button, ran again and… FLASH. Henry had put his finger in the icing of the cake and was holding it to his dad's nose, his mom laughing at her boys. Morgan had his arm around Garcia and holding rabbit ears above Rossi's head. Jack was throwing himself into Reid's arms, provoking a surprised face from Reid. And Hotch had his hand on Emily's hip, whispering something in her ear. Emily's jaw was dropped and a smile was starting to spread across her face.
JJ reached up and wiped Will's nose, laughing as Henry tried to reach for the cake again. Rossi playfully slapped Morgan's head and Garcia pretended to mediate. Reid reached over and took Jack from Emily. She was still stunned and in shock when Hotch took her hand and pulled her towards the empty kitchen. When he closed the door behind them she finally said something. "Can you please… uh… say that again?" she said, unsure whether she'd heard him right. Hotch put his hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Thank you and…" he paused and her eyes widened, "I love you." Emily raised her eyebrows. "Did you just… I mean… What?" she asked. Hotch took a deep breath. "I understand if you don't feel the same. And I understand if it's too much. But I had to tell you. And I know that there must be a million questions running through your head right now, especially asking yourself if this is just because of what's happened in the past year. And, believe me, I've thought about that too. But I don't care what the reasons are anymore Emily. I love you and I want you to know how much I appreciate the support and care you've given Jack and I over the past year," Hotch said. When he'd finished his monologue, Emily took a deep breath. "I love you too," she said grinning. Hotch smiled and put his hands on her waist. "We can talk about this more later. We should probably get back to the party," Hotch said. Emily was speechless and he had to laugh. He took her hand and led her back to the party.
When they returned JJ was handing out cake on plates. Hotch stood next to Morgan and Rossi and chatted as they ate. As she handed Emily a piece JJ looked at her friend who was grinning. "What was that all about?" JJ asked. Emily shook herself from her stupor and took a moment before answering. "Oh, he just wanted to thank me for all the help I've given him and Jack. Not that it's a burden. I'm happy to help out. It's what team-mates do," she explained. JJ smiled and shook her head as she looked at Emily watching Hotch and the guys talk and laugh. "No, it's what women in love do," she said. Emily looked at her and smiled. "We'll see," she said.
The party was winding down, so much so the birthday boy had fallen asleep. Will picked him up and carried him upstairs to his bedroom. JJ and Emily started to clean up. Hotch rolled up his sleeves and walked into the kitchen, soon followed by Rossi. As they started to wash up, the girls carried the plates and glasses in. Emily passed Hotch a pile of plates and smiled as their hands touched. He smiled, then startled when Rossi whipped him with the tea-towel. "Hey!" he cried out. Emily laughed and reached her hand into the sink, splashing Rossi with soapy water. He waved the towel in front of his face, "I surrender!" he cried out. Emily hi-fived Hotch and walked out of the kitchen.
Hotch turned and watched her leave before returning his focus to the dishes. "What's going on with you two Aaron?" Rossi asked. Hotch smiled and looked at the water. "Nothing," he said quietly. Rossi rolled his eyes. "Aaron. I've known you for years, Emily too. That," Rossi said, gesturing with his hands, "Was not nothing. It was most definitely something." Hotch smiled and shook his head. "I guess we have to figure it out before we can try explaining it," he said. Rossi nodded, "Alright. I concede. But aside from Jack, I demand to be the first to know when you figure it out," he said. Hotch smiled and nodded. "Alright. Once we've told Jack, then we'll tell you Dave." Rossi smiled.
After the house was cleaned up from the party, the others started to leave. Emily, Hotch, and Jack were last. "This was fun. We should do it again," Emily said. JJ nodded as she and Will walked them to the door. "Absolutely," JJ said. As she hugged Emily she whispered in her ear, "Let me know how it goes." Emily stood back and nodded. Hotch shook Will's hand as he held a sleeping Jack in his arms. "Goodnight you guys, safe drive home," JJ said. Will wrapped his arms around her waist and they watched as the three of them walked to Emily's car. Emily put her hand on Hotch's shoulder as they walked and JJ smiled.
When they arrived at Hotch's building Emily looked in the back where Jack was asleep. She turned to face Hotch and smiled at him. "Alright. Well…" she said. Hotch smiled. "Alright. I guess I'd better get him in his own bed," he said, nodding towards Jack. Emily nodded. "Do you want to come in and talk?" he asked. Emily shook her head and patted his knee. "No. It's getting late and I think we both need to think about it and sleep and come back with fresh minds," she said. Hotch pouted and Emily leant over, "Poor baby," she said, smiling as playfully pulled at his cheeks. "Alright. I guess you've got a good point," he said. He sighed as he unbuckled and opened his door. Emily jumped out and ran to the other side of the car. "Before you pick up your son," she said, wrapping her arms around his waist. Hotch pulled her close and kissed the top of her head as he held her. "Goodnight Emily," he whispered, "I love you." Emily smiled as she leant on his chest. "Goodnight Hotch. I love you too," she said. They reluctantly pulled apart and Hotch leant in to pick up his sleeping son. Emily gently closed the door and handed Hotch Jack's bag. He leant down and kissed her forehead one last time. "Goodnight," he whispered as he turned. Emily watched them walk up the front steps and into their building. She smiled before she turned and climbed back into her car.
A sliver of sun crept through a crack in her curtains. Emily rolled over and smiled. It was a quiet Saturday morning, and she had nothing planned. Except of course to contemplate the pros and cons of being in a relationship with Hotch, and then meet up with him and discuss. They had decided via text message to spend the day thinking about it all, then come together that night and talk about it.
Emily got out of bed and walked into her ensuite. She quickly turned the taps on, allowing the warm water to fill her bath with vanilla scented bubble bath. She made her way downstairs and filled a glass with orange juice, grabbed her paper and ran back upstairs. She switched her i-pod on and hopped in the bath. As she let the warm water relax her and the juice and music refresh her, she contemplated what a relationship with Hotch would be like. She knew that if they tried, it would have to be a potentially life-long commitment. She couldn't imagine it being a short-lived romance or one-night stand. They both had a lot on the line, their jobs, and most importantly Jack. But Emily thought that the risks were definitely worth it. She loved Hotch to the point of pain. She could feel his heart breaking as he said goodbye to Hayley and had tried to support him over the past months. She knew that, if they could get through these trials, they could get through anything.
Hotch woke up to Jack bouncing on the bed. "Aunt Jessica's coming over today!" Jack cried out. Hotch sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Yeah, she sure is," he said. Jack threw himself in his dad's arms. Hotch picked up his son and slid out of bed. "Alright. Why don't you go get dressed and I'll get breakfast ready?" Hotch said. Jack practically jumped out of his dad's arms and ran to his room. Hotch walked down the hall to the kitchen and opened the fridge. As he poured the juice and sliced the bread he wondered how he should be considering these things. Should he write a list or just go to a quiet place and think. He thought the latter was best, and had asked Jess to take care of Jack that afternoon so he could do just that. He also wanted to give her a heads up. He wasn't exactly sure about how he should word it, but he knew he had to tell her.
Hotch and Jack had spent the morning together. They'd gone to the park, fed the ducks and played some ball. Then they'd come home. Jack was playing in the lounge room while Hotch folded the washing. When he heard the knock he walked to the door and, after looking through the peep-hole, he opened it. Jessica was the spitting image of her sister, except for her curly hair. "Hey Aaron," she said, smiling as she walked into the apartment. "Hey Jess," he replied as he closed the door. "Aunt Jessica!" Jack called out as he ran to his auntie. They hugged and Hotch smiled. "Uh, Jack, go play with your toys for a bit, I need to talk to Aunt Jess for a minute," Hotch said. Jack smiled and ran back to his lego-house. Jess frowned and followed Hotch into the kitchen.
"Coffee?" he asked. Jessica nodded and sat at the stool. "What's going on Aaron?" she asked. Hotch took a deep breath as he reached for the cups. "I need to talk to you about something. I've been thinking about it a lot and finally made a decision but I thought I should tell you so it doesn't seem like I was trying to hide it," he started. Jessica nodded and furrowed her brow, "Anything. You can tell me whatever you need," she said encouraging him. Hotch smiled and nodded. "I, uh. Well you know Agent Prentiss, from my team," Hotch started. Jessica nodded and smiled, "Yeah. I've heard about her. Jack's pretty taken by her," she said. Hotch nodded and smiled, looking at his son. "Well, we've been spending a lot of time together and well… We haven't had a chance to really talk about it but, I'm hoping that we're going to start dating," he said, holding his breath. Jessica nodded and waited for a moment. "Wow. I uh… I don't know what to say. I mean… It's been a long time coming I guess but…" she paused and Hotch held his breath. "But?" he asked. Jessica shook her head and took a sip of her coffee. "I guess I just want you to be sure. I mean, the last thing Jack needs is for you to bring someone into his life and then for her to leave suddenly," she said. Hotch nodded and paused. "I know. And that's one of the things that's made me pause. I realize I need to put Jack first, but… I don't want you to take this the wrong way," Hotch said, looking at her. Jessica shook her head and gestured for him to continue. "I love her," he said, "And I made the mistake of letting Hayley get away. I can't let myself make the same mistake again." Jessica raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Aaron, if you've found that, then grab a hold. You let Hayley get away. Don't let it happen again," Jessica said, patting his arm. Hotch smiled and nodded.
Jessica was playing with Jack in the lounge room while Hotch got ready. He threw on some jeans, a shirt, and some sneakers. As he walked down the hall he heard his son's laughs and smiled. "Alright," he said, kneeling next to Jack. "Aunt Jessica's going to stay with you while Daddy goes out alright?" Hotch explained. Jack nodded and wrapped his tiny arms around Hotch's neck. "See you when you get back," Jessica said, standing up. "I've left the team's numbers on the fridge. If for any reason you can't get a hold of either of us, call one of them. And our doctor's number is there too…" his voice trailed off as Jessica nodded. "It's all fine," she said as they walked to the door. "Good luck," she said. Hotch smiled and said goodbye.
Emily jumped at the knock at the door. She was reading through an email from her mother and closed her laptop before she stood up. He'd sent her a text with the details. He'd said to dress casual so she wore jeans, a "Donkey-Kong" t-shirt, and sneakers. When she opened the door she smiled. She hadn't realized Hotch even owned a t-shirt but there he was, at her front door, with a t-shirt on. "Wow," she said, grinning. Hotch smiled and nodded. "I know. I own a t-shirt. Granted it's about twenty years old and has the Abbey Road cover on it, but it's a t-shirt," he joked. Emily smiled. "I just have to grab my bag and I'm good to go," she said. Hotch nodded and followed her inside her apartment. She picked up her bag from the kitchen bench, her keys from the hook, and smiled at him. "Ready?" he asked. She nodded and followed him to the door.
"You wearing socks?" he asked as they walked down the hall to the elevator. Emily lifted her jean leg to reveal her ankle socks and Hotch nodded and smiled. "Socks?" Emily asked. Hotch shook his head. "No hints. Just wait," he said. Emily smiled and nodded. She reached over and slipped her hand in his, intertwining their fingers. Hotch smiled at her.
When they arrived in the car park Emily grinned. "Alright," she said, climbing out of the car. Hotch smiled as they walked to the building. "Two pairs of shoes, one lane please," he told the attendant. She nodded and handed them their shoes then pointed to their lane. "Do you want to grab the bowling balls and I'll grab a couple of drinks?" he suggested. Emily nodded and found their lane. He joined her a moment later and handed her a beer. She turned to face him and grinned. "What?" he asked. Emily shook her head, "I'm just surprised. I was expecting a very serious sit-down dinner," she said. He frowned. "Disappointed?" he asked. She shook her head and smiled. "Not at all. I love this," she said.
They'd played a couple of frames when Hotch decided it was time. They'd finished their game and were sitting back, relaxing before starting another. He turned to her and smiled. "So do you wanna talk now?" she asked. He nodded and opened his mouth to speak. "Before you say anything," she said, putting her hand on his knee, "I just want you to know that I've put A LOT of thought into this. I want to give this a try and, while it would hurt and be tough to deal with, I understand if you don't feel the same. But I needed you to hear that before you said anything," Emily said, repeating the monologue she'd been rehearsing all afternoon. Hotch put his hand on her back and smiled. "I do feel the same way. I even told Jessica before I left home. I want to give us a try, a real try, and see what we can make of it. I understand we're two very broken people who don't have much to offer, but I love you Emily," Hotch said. Emily reached over and patted his leg again. "Alright. Now that we've decided that, let's figure this out. As they finished their last game, they discussed how they were going to make their relationship work given their work, Jack, and Hotch's own struggles.
Hotch held Emily's hand as they walked up the hall towards her apartment. They had had a wonderful night and were getting more used to each other's touch. In fact he loved something as simple as holding her hand. Emily turned at the door and smiled. "Well, I guess this is it," she said. Hotch nodded and smiled. "I'd invite you in but I'm guessing you should be getting home to Jack," she said. Hotch nodded again. "Yeah. I promised him we'd spend the whole day together tomorrow," he said. Emily nodded and smiled. "Well I have a fun day of washing and cleaning and catching up on emails. Should be a blast," she joked. Hotch smiled. "Well. I guess I'll see you Monday," he said. Emily nodded and bit her lip. Hotch grinned and leant in to hug her tight. Emily rested her head on his shoulder and frowned. She was hoping for a kiss but was determined to go as slow as Hotch needed. "Goodnight Emily," he said, pulling away. "Goodnight Hotch," she said as he turned. She frowned and turned to walk into her apartment. He turned as he walked and watched her open her door. As she closed the door she leant against it and hung her keys on the hook.
There was a knock and she smiled as she opened it, "Forgetting something?" she asked when she saw him. He nodded and smiled as he put his hands on her waist, pulled her close to him, and kissed her for the first time. As their lips met Emily couldn't help the smile from growing. She put her hands on his hips and pressed his body against hers. He reached up and ran his fingers through her hair and could feel her smiling as their lips danced. After a minute of kissing they both needed air. Hotch leant his forehead against hers and smiled. "Alright. Goodnight Emily," he said standing back. Emily smiled. "Goodnight Hotch," she replied. He walked back down the hall and she closed her front door. She touched her lips and smiled. "I love you," she whispered.
Emily and Hotch were having their first sleep-over. They'd been dating for 3 months and Jack was spending the weekend with his grandmother in Maryland. Hotch held his go-bag in one hand and a bag of Chinese in the other. Emily had given him a key to let himself in. When he walked into the apartment he saw her in the laundry, the music playing loudly and she was folding clothes. He put his bag on the ground and the food on the counter and stood in the doorway to the laundry. As she turned to put the clothes in the basket she jumped. Hotch smiled. She reached for the remote and turned down the music. "How long have you been standing there?" she asked as she walked over and put her arms around his neck. He shook his head, "Not long," he replied. Emily smiled and kissed him quickly. "You wanna eat before the food gets cold?" he asked, nodding towards the kitchen. Emily nodded and smiled. "Let's do it," she said. While she grabbed the plates from the cupboard and set about serving up the food and drinks, Hotch reached into his bag and pulled out a DVD. He held it up and she squealed with delight. "Oh yay! You got it! The latest Star Trek!" she cried out. Hotch smiled and nodded. Emily handed him the plate of food and took the DVD. Hotch walked into the lounge room and sat as she put the DVD in and turned on the TV. She sat next to him on the couch and picked up her plate. When they'd finished eating, Emily put their empty plates on the table and lay her head in his lap. He played with her hair and smiled.
"Oh man that movie was good!" she cried out. Hotch laughed. Over time he had come to realize how big a nerd she was and he loved her even more. He patted her back and stood, picking up the dishes. "What's say we call it a night?" she suggested, yawning and stretching her arms. Hotch nodded and put the plates in the sink. "Alright," he said, picking up his bag. Emily took his hand and led him upstairs. Emily grabbed her pajamas and changed quickly. When she walked out of the bathroom, brushing her teeth, Hotch smiled. He had undressed and was in his boxers and t-shirt. Emily smiled and Hotch joined her in the bathroom. He sat on the toilet lid as he brushed his teeth and Emily sat on his lap. When they'd both rinsed Emily walked back into her room and Hotch followed. She pulled back the blankets and they both lay down. Emily lay her hand on his chest and he wrapped his arm around her. It felt so comfortable for both of them.
"So how was Jack when you spoke to him?" Emily asked. Hotch smiled and kissed the top of her head. "He's fine. He's getting spoiled," Hotch answered. Emily grinned and, as they spoke, she rubbed his tummy. She ran her hand across his t-shirt and started to pull it up, running her hand over his skin. He put his hand on hers to stop her, before sitting up in bed. "Hotch," she called out as he walked into the bathroom. She wasn't sure what had just happened. Emily stood and knocked on the bathroom door. "Hey, honey. What's going on?" she asked through the door. She turned the knob and realized he hadn't locked it. Hotch was leaning on the vanity, looking at nothing in particular. He shook his head. "It's nothing," he said, just above a whisper. Emily rubbed his back and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. "It's not nothing," she said, "Is it the scars?" she asked. He should've known he couldn't get it past her. He looked at his feet and nodded shyly. Emily smiled and touched his face. "Hotch, they're just scars," she said softly. Hotch shook his head. "They're ugly and..." his voice trailed off. Emily shook her head. "They're part of you. They're your story," she said.
She took his hand and led him back to the bedroom. She sat him on the bed and stood in front of him. She lifted her top so he could see the scar on her belly, "See this, I was in Cairo with my mom and had to have an appendectomy," she explained. She pulled back her hair and revealed a scar on her top right temple, "This one, it's from Milwaukee," she said, referring to the case in which she was hit in the head by a piece of 2X4. Hotch smiled and nodded. "Not finished yet," Emily said. She lifted her top a little more, revealing a scar on her left side. "These two here, they're from Cyrus," she explained. Hotch ran his fingers over the raised skin and sighed. "They're just scars. And I'm proud of them. They're part of who I am. They tell part of my story," she explained, "And they make me feel tough." Hotch smiled. She reached over and lifted Hotch's t-shirt. He took a deep breath as she ran her fingers over his chest. "These scars are part of your story Hotch. And without them, without some of the things they represent, we would never have met," Emily said. Hotch sighed and took her hands in his. He reached up and brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I love you Emily," he said as she leant down to kiss him.
As they kissed she put her hands in the air and he reached up and removed her t-shirt. She slipped off her boxers and he pulled her onto him. He rolled on top of her and slipped off his boxers, kicking them to the floor. Emily ran her fingers through his hair and down his back, sending shivers down his spine. He ran his hands over her smooth skin, finding places he'd only dreamed about before this night. As he found her she continued to run her hands over his body. She sighed as he made love to her and forgot about the physical and emotional scars of their pasts and embraced their present. As they fell asleep in each others arms, Emily traced her fingers over the scars. "I love you Aaron," she said, closing her eyes. Hotch kissed the top of her head. "I love you too Emily."