Emily did her best to rub off the marker that had stained her youngest's Barbie shirt. The kids had been coloring and making collages before they had to leave the house, and little Eleanor had ended up scribbling on the sleeve of her pink shirt with a dark green sharpie.

Sighing, the mother of three set down the washcloth and looked into her daughter's caramel eyes. "You're gonna have to go and change your shirt, baby."

"No!" Ella's big eyes grew wide, her little lips forming a well-practiced pout. "It's my favorite, mommy."

Emily nodded her head. "I know but mommy has to try and get that marker off before you can wear it."

"No it's ok!" The four year old rolled up the ruined sleeve, bunching the material around her elbow so the marker wasn't showing. "See?" Ella looked to her mother with a grin. "Ta da!"

Emily bit her lip to keep from laughing at the delight on her daughter's face. "Alright baby. You go and get your bag so mommy can take you over to daddy's."

Standing once her youngest ran up the steps of their home, the brunette woman ran a hand down her face. She and her ex husband had only been divorced for just over a year and the chocolate eyed mother was still trying her best to get used to her house being empty every other weekend, her bed missing a once willing participant, now only holding an empty space on its left side.

The mother of three spun around at the sound of footsteps clamoring down her stairs. "Hey be careful!" She holstered her youngest up onto her hip before leading the other two children out the door, helping everyone get buckled into their seats before driving off.

Emily had to admit it; she was nervous. Her ex husband would usually come and pick up the kids from her house and take them out or just be with them there. But now his new house was finally furnished and all the rooms for the kids were supposedly finished, so it was his first time having them for an entire weekend on his own.

Pulling up to the address she had written down, the brunette woman peeked out beneath the sun shield to take a look at the new house. It was a beautiful white two-story home, a delicate picket fence locking in the new beauty on the block.

She felt her heartstrings tighten. It was just what she and the older man she once called her husband always wanted.

Helping her children out of the car, Emily led them up the stoned path to the front door. She hiked her youngest up onto her hip and grinned, pressing a warm kiss to her cheek. "Wanna ring the doorbell, baby?"

"Ok mommy!" Ella leaned forward and pressed the button hard, her eyes widening when the light in the little button lit up. "I did it!"

Emily grinned, tickling the four year old's stomach. "Yes you did, sweetie."

The chestnut haired girl at her mother's side looked up to her older brother, her teeth biting nervously into her bottom lip. "You think it's nice in there?" the six year old asked.

"Yeah," said her older brother, nodding to himself. "It's gotta look good. Dad spent like months working on it."

Kaitlyn vigorously nodded her head, smiling up to her mother that stood staring at the freshly painted door. "You think it'll look nice, mommy?"

Emily smiled, rubbing her hand over her daughter's soft hair. "I sure hope so, Kay." Her body immediately tensed at the sound of the lock unlatching on the other side of the door, and her eyes were met with those of her ex husband's when the front door finally opened. "Hi Aaron."

The older man nodded gently, giving a cautious smile to the brunette before him. "Hi Em." A grin spread over his face when Kaitlyn came rushing into his arms. "Hey there my little princess! I've missed you so much," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her shining hair.

"I missed you daddy!"

Ella reached out, smiling a smile without her two front teeth as her father took her from her mother's arms. "Daddy!"

Aaron hugged his youngest as tight as he could, tickling her pudgy little tummy to get her to laugh that laugh he knew she could. "Hey ladybug. Is that a new barrette?"

The four year old nodded, placing a hand on the blue barrette that was nestled between her curls. "Mommy got it for me for my birfday, remember?"

Aaron's jaw dropped, his eyes wide with mock surprise. "I completely forgot! It sure is pretty."

Emily smiled gently at the interaction, her hand nudging her son just slightly to get him to go inside. "Come on honey."

The eldest of the Hotchner children looked to his father once he finally walked over the threshold of the new house. "Hi dad." Jack's face finally captured a smile when his father took him into his arms. "I like your house."

Aaron ruffled his son's sandy blond hair, looking lovingly down into his nine year old's dark blue eyes. "Why don't you and your sisters go on upstairs and find your rooms?" Waiting until his children were out of the room, the father of three finally looked up to face his ex; she looked even more beautiful than on their wedding day. Her hair dark and straight, hanging just past her shoulders to brush the swells of her breasts. "Hey."

"Hi," she smiled. Her fingers played nervously before her body, her eyes staring up into those she fell in love with. "So the kids have their clothes for the weekend, and Ella brought her markers. But please be careful," she chuckled nervously. "She got marker all over her shirt today and we don't need another ruined shirt."

The older man nodded. "Of course." He moved to give his ex wife an entrance into his new home. "Would you like to come in?"

Biting her lip, Emily shrugged. "You know, maybe on Sunday when I come to pick them all up. I have a doctor's appointment to get to across town."

Concern was evident on Aaron's stoic face. "Is everything alright?"

"Oh everything's fine," she nodded. "It's just a checkup." Her eyes met his, her heart fluttering at the love she saw in his light orbs. "You always did tell me that I needed to remember to do things for myself. I thought I should go and just get everything checked out because I haven't in a couple of months."

Aaron looked to the younger woman with compassion clear in his eyes. "I hope everything comes back normal."

Emily smiled gently. "Thank you." She gestured back to the car she had parked in his driveway. "Well I'll let you go. Have fun."

The father of four nodded, sharing a smile with his ex wife. "Bye Em."

Emily practically sprinted back to her car and slammed the door once she was seated, her heart racing as she looked to the now closed door her family had disappeared behind. "Bye Aaron."