"Mrs. Hotchner?" The brunette looked up, a small flutter in her stomach, it still amazed her how that still happened after all this time. She stood up, before walking over to her doctor, along with the smiling teenage boy next to her.

"Will he live?" She asked jokingly, smiling at boy, who was nearly taller than her now. The nurse laughed before she explained that it was nothing too serious. After giving Emily a prescription to get and after Emily paid, the two headed back to the car.

"So how worried were you?" Declan smirked from the passengers seat. Emily leered at him before pulling out of the place.

"Oh, I wasn't worried at all." Emily said, turning the radio up just the tiniest bit, a smile on her face.

"You've always been a terrible liar." Declan said, laughing at her. She smacked him in the arm without taking her eyes off the road. "Hey!" He exclaimed, jokingly rubbing his arm.

"Ah, I miss pre-puberty you. You didn't talk back as much." Emily joked, stopping at a stop light. The two looked at each other for a moment, smiling like idiots. She looked back up when the light changed and just began to press the gas and enter the intersection when suddenly she was slamming on the brakes as some asshole ran a red light. The car spun, and when it stopped the car was out of sight and her knuckles were white from gripping the wheel.

"Mom, are you okay?" Declan managed, shaking her slightly, his hand nearly gripping her shoulder, a car horn blarred, and Emily nodded before she continued driving. "Mom, do you want me to drive?"

"Um, yeah." She finally managed, pulling in a gas station parking lot and parking. Emily got out the car as the two switched sides, before Declan finished getting them home.

"Hey, we're home." Declan annouced, Emily smiled at him, before bringing her hand to her face.

"We didn't get your prescription!" She said, sighing loudly.

"I'll live." He told her, pulling her car door open and extending a hand. She smiled, letting him pull her up.

"How about we don't tell Aaron?" She asked him as she unlocked the apartment door.

"How about I don't tell him myself." He countered. She nodded her agreement, before walking in, putting her purse on the counter.

"Jack should be home soon, and I have no idea about Aaron but wanna watch a movie?" Emily asked, curling up on the couch, and Declan knew he'd be sitting on the chair as she stretched out under a blanket.

"What movie?"

Declan jumped and Emily shot up before Aaron Hotchner waltzed into the room.

"Aaron?" Emily smiled, nearly tripping as she went to hug him.

"Hey." He managed, kissing her forehead.

"Why are you home?" She asked, it was Friday but even so Aaron Hotchner, still working tirelessly for the BAU, was never home early.

Emily Prentiss on the other hand, had quit the BAU in 2012. With so much time of her hands, she couldn't quite figure out what to do with herself. Finally, she got the idea to go visit a then nearly thirteen year old Declan. They hadn't spoken since Ian's death, and she was really sorry about that. Sometimes she wished she could have contacted him throughout the years, but she never worked up the courage. That night had been the first time she'd seen him since he was four, at an airport with Louise. He was scared, crying, clinging to her tightly as she had to watch him leave, unable to explain to the child what was happening. She hugged him tightly, tearing welling in her eyes before she hugged Louise, as she promised her the boy would be safe. Seeing him on that air strip, watching him take his father's bloody hand killed her. It hurt her to watch him do that.

She had volenteered to drive Declan home that night, since she was the only member of the team who was fimiliar with the area where he lived, having lived there herself when she'd first got back to the states. Away from her team she let the tears falls as it was just her and Declan in the car. When they stopped in front of the house they both sat in silence, neither moving before Declan reached over, taking Emily's shaking hand in his. Her emotions were very out of her control as he did so and she pulled her hand away, only to pull the boy into an hug.

After that they shared awkward smiles and kind words, Declan went into the house and she watched as he was welcomed home by the father who raised him. Emily Prentiss continued to cry as she drove home, knowing there would be no one there to greet her when she arrived except for a small black cat.

In early 2013, Emily Prentiss was still single, unemployed. She had taken on many jobs yet she had never grown attached to any, she never wanted to stay at any of them. It was in this time she realized how smart it was to stock pile money all these years instead of spending it all on something ridiculous. It was only when she ran into a familiar face that she realized what she could have now that she wasn't working at the BAU. Aaron Hotchner had just about literally ran into her at the grocery store one day, and they got to talking as they walked around the store, and at the end of it, Hotch had invited her out to dinner.

That was what started the life she had now. A simple conversation in a grocery store. After that first date, Aaron Hotchner had decided that since they could finally be together, they would, and Emily had no problem with that. That was until she got an unfortunate phone call. John Cohler, the man who'd been raising Declan all this time, was in the hospital, diagnosed with a terminal cancer. She'd gone to see him, and he told her that if anything were to happen, he wanted her to take Declan in. She'd agreed, not knowing then that only a few weeks later, a fourteen year old would be moving into her downtown apartment.

Her life was growing a little more stable, as her and Hotch grew more and more close, she moved back into the house she rented all those years ago, this time able to buy it. Declan was a very adaptable boy, and having not to change schools helped a lot. They had gotten into runtines and just when everything was peachy, Hotch proposed, and even though Emily had said yes, she immdiately called JJ, scared and panicked. Thankfully her best friend was able to calm her down and she went through with it. After that Hotch and Jack moved in as well, and they became the family they were today, with Declan sixteen, and Jack being 10.

"Morgan was sweet enough to help with my paperwork." Hotch told her, and she smiled at him. "He was almost eager when I told him what today was." She smiled.

"You remembered." She said, turning to Declan. "I'm gonna assume you don't remember that one year today Hotch and Jack moved in here."

"Well, unlike you, I don't remember everything." Declan said back, not moving from his chair. Hotch gave him a look.

"Well, I was gonna go pick up Jack at school, and I made reservations for dinner." Hotch annouced, smiling. And so he left, and Emily and Declan put on a movie. Emily was very excited to be doing something as a family. It's not like they didn't go out at all, but with Hotch and Emily's conflicting work schedules, it was hard sometimes.

They had decided to take two cars, this way they could go get Declan's prescription, and Hotch and Jack could get there on time for their reservation. The roads were almost bare as the rain started to fall and there was a comfortable silence in the car.

"Hey, mom." Declan suddenly said.

"What?" Emily asked, turning up the heat.

"I love you." She glanced at him, the sudden declaration had her smiling. It's not like he hadn't said it before, but Declan wasn't one to outrightly say 'I love you' often. He was more one to show his affections through simple gestures or gifts.

"I love you too, kiddo." And that was it. That was the last thing she said. After that there was nothing but a blinding light, and they were spinning. Someone screamed. It all happened so fast, and then there was darkness.