Hotch woke to the sound of Jack in his bed. Not that it was the first time, since Haley died, Jack had been known for climbing into bed with his father, more nights than not. He knew it had to stop soon Jack was almost ten, but every time he saw jack's sad puppy eyes at three in the morning he gave in. What was different about today was he was talking, and someone was answering him.
The older Hotchner rolled over and opened his eyes. Blinking the sleep out of them, he saw Jack, in his Captain America pyjamas, on his tablet, Skyping, with non-other than Emily Prentiss.
Neither of them had noticed that he had woken up. It looked as if Emily was at work, she was looking not at the camera, but right beside. Typing could be heard and the floor to ceiling window, behind her was in full display on the screen, showing off the London skyline in the background. Hotch glanced at the clock at the top of the screen, 6:54, add the five hour time difference it should almost be lunch for Emily.
The thing that stood out the most for Hotch, was Emily's glasses. He knew she wore glasses, of course, but the only time he had seen them on her was when he worked for her mother and late after she took her contacts out and was reading.
"Emmy?" Jack asked, looking at the screen, puppy dog eyes out in full force.
"Yeah, buddy?" She asked back. Hotch could see her looking over from what must have been her laptop.
"When are you coming to see us next?"
Not seeing this ending well, Hotch chose that moment to 'wake up'. "Jack, Emily was just here, a couple weeks ago. She has to work, bud, it's not that easy for her to just drop everything and come over."
"Jack?" Emily asked, trying to gain the smaller Hotchner's attention. "You know, it will seem like less time if you keep yourself busy?" Jack looked at her confused, so she continued, "Bud, it's almost time for school." Jack looked at his father who nodded.
The youngest Hotchner, looked back at the tablet. "Bye, Emily." He said with a sad look on his face. "I love you."
A smile spread over Emily's face. "Love you, too. We'll talk later ok?" Jack nodded, handing his father the tablet and climbing off the bed.
When Hotch looked back at the tablet, the view on the screen. No longer was the background the midday London skyline, now it was the pale blue of Emily's office.
"So, I have to ask," He started.
Emily laughed, then finished for him. "The glasses?" She asked, a smirk on her face. Hotch nodded. "Serge thought it would be a good idea to knock my contacts off the table last night, and because you know me, I forgot to close them."
Hotch laughed. "Still the perfect man, Prentiss?"
She shook her head, looking away, then answered. "Even perfection has flaws."
He laughed, rolling out of the bed to get ready. "When do you think you can visit?"
Emily sighed, "I'm not sure, I have a meeting with an Ambassador tomorrow, then another one on Thursday, and my Mother said something about coming to talk about her retirement next week, and in the middle of all that, I have to fly out to Chad to see how a mission is going," She took her glasses off to rub her eyes, then continued. "And JJ and Garcia have been texting and emailing saying I'm neglecting them."
Hotch walked out of the walk in closet, pulling his suit jacket over his shoulders. "I know, they've been asking me about you too." he says as he picks up the tablet as he sits down on the bed.
"Oh, and the best part?" She stopped to close her laptop and lean back in her chair. "Clyde wants me to recertify."
"Recertify? I thought you had to be out of physical therapy for like, three weeks?"
"You do, but Clyde has this inter-agency training thing next month. But you know him, there's no way he's letting two broken fingers and hairline fracture in my wrist, stop him from showing me off."
"If you feel fine doing it, then I'm not going to stop you, but you remember what happened when I went against what the doctor said about my ears." As he was talking his eyes caught the time, quarter after seven, fifteen minutes to make sure Jack was ready and for breakfast. "I should go see what he's up to."
Emily nodded "Yeah, I should go too, I have a flight to catch." Emily explained, as she started to rummage in her desk.
Hotch looked at the screen confused. "You never said they were sending you out."
Hearing his tone she looked up. "It's nothing big, just a little meeting with Clyde about INTERPOL stuff, no big. I'll still be able to talk to you and Jack later" she explained.
"Ok, call when you get back."
A smile lit up her face. "I will, babe. I love you."
Hotch smiled back. "Love you, too."
After Emily hung up from talking with Hotch. Samuel walked in, holding a file out to her. "Everything you and Agent Easter will need to know for your meeting with Congress."
Emily nodded, taking the folder. "The jet ready?" She asked, grabbing her go-bag and walking out of the office.
"Yes, ma'am." He replied. "And your new contacts have been ordered, they should be here when you get back from Washington."
"Thank god." She stops and turned to him as they waited for the elevator. "The Ambassador is going to be here tomorrow at four. I should be back by then. If not, give her the file in my top left desk drawer." She said as the elevator arrived and she stepped in. "Call me if there's any news on the Hudson case-"
"I'll let you know, right away." Samuel said as the elevator closed.
Clyde was waiting with a car when she made it to the front entrance."Miss Prentiss."
"Clyde" She replied with a smirk, handing him her bag, and sliding into the car. He quickly made his way to put her bag in the trunk, then continuing to the passenger side. The drive short and Clyde spent the time entertaining himself, making comments on her glasses.
They make it through the airport quickly, and are on the jet by one. They do their own things in the jet, Clyde spends his time on the phone, so Emily takes a nap.
About half an hour out of DC, she's woken to a hand on her shoulder. "Emily, we're almost there, we have to brief" She fixes her hair the best she can without a brush and adjusts her glasses. They go through everything they need for the Congress meeting and are about to get off the plane when Emily turns to him, "When's the meeting again?"
"Five-thirty, so you have," He looks at his watch. "Three hours to waste. What are you going to do?"
She smiles at him. "I'm gonna see my boys."