The sun beat down heavily on the friends that sat around their boss' new pool. The backyard wasn't as shaded as it used to be because of the trees that had fallen from the hurricane that had brushed through the spring just before, and the kids were not enjoying it.

"Daddy, is too hot."

Hotch gave a laugh, looking down to his son who sat on the edge of the pool. "Is? Is too hot?"

Jack quickly nodded his head, not even realizing his tiny mistake.

The unit chief pouted just as his son did. "I'm sorry, bud. Why don't you go under the umbrella with your Aunt Jen and Aunt Emily?"

The blond boy's eyes widened before he shook his head. "I can't! Abby is there, daddy."

"Aunt Emily's daughter?" Hotch watched as his son nodded. "What about her?"

Jack shrugged. "I don't wanna hurt her."

Hotch's eyes softened on the small boy. He knelt beside his son, running his hand through Jack's blond hair, feeling one of his friends standing behind him. "Jack you're not going to hurt her."

"But she's real small."

"Jack buddy, Abby was just born, of course she's small. But you know what? She's gonna need someone strong to protect her."

"Aunt Emmy?"

Hotch gently nodded his head. "Well yes, but someone else too."

"Abby's daddy?"

The unit chief frowned. "No buddy, you know that Abby's daddy isn't in the picture. Guess again."

"Henry?"

"Ok Jack, you're missing the point." Hotch smiled to his son when he heard a laugh from behind him. "Its you."

Jack's small eyes widened. "Really?"

"Oh definitely. You gotta be the strongest ever to help take care of Abby, and you're super strong right?"

The blond boy immediately stood up, his tiny chest puffing out. "Uh huh!"

Hotch smiled to his son. "So you go in the shade and take care of Abby." He let out a huff before standing back up and turning to face his friend. "Ok, that took just a little longer to explain than I thought."

Rossi let out a laugh before lifting his beer bottle to clink with the younger man's. "What's sad is that I just might have to teach Jack's father the exact same thing."

Hotch frowned. "I'm sorry?"

"Come on Aaron, its not necessarily a secret."

"You've lost me, Dave."

Rossi rolled his eyes at the younger man. "You like Emily."

Hotch's eyes widened at his friend's statement. "I do not."

"Oh Aaron, don't use that shit with me. Its pretty damn obvious how much you like her with all those looks you send her? And that dream you were having on the jet last week that had you moaning? Tell me it wasn't about Emily."

The younger man silently shook his head.

"Maybe instead of Jack going and taking care of Abby, you should go and take care of her mom." Rossi chuckled. "Her super hot mom."

Hotch's eyes practically bugged from his head. "Dave!"

"What's all the screaming about?"

Both men turned to see the brunette mother standing there in her brand new sun dress, her straight hair pinned back at the sides.

Hotch quickly shook his head. "We were just arguing about the horse race last night. Mine got third while Dave's won."

Emily smiled wide, patting the author on his arm. "Well I've never known David Rossi to lose." She bit her lip before turning to her boss. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Hotch nodded, shooing Dave away with a wave of his beer bottle.

Emily laughed before linking her arm with the brunette man's. "Don't make Dave move if he doesn't want to." She led him over to the edge of the pool and took the pins from her hair. "Ready for a swim?"

The unit chief nodded dumbly, his eyes widening as he watched the brunette mother shed the sun dress from her body. Her red bikini was practically molded against her skin, her legs going on for days.

The younger woman's eyes squinted as she looked up to the older man. "Hotch? You ok?"

Hotch coughed slightly before nodding his head. "Yeah, I'm good." He instinctively held out his beer. "Do you want one?"

Emily felt herself laugh before shaking her head, pointing to her chest. "Still breastfeefing, remember?"

"Oh, of course."

Emily bit her lip, her dark eyes roaming over her boss' face. "Are you sure you're ok?"

Hotch nodded, setting down his beer and quickly peeling off his shirt. "I'm good. Ready?"

The brunette smiled. "Yeah."

The pair made their way into pool, gently settling into the shallow end of the pool. Hotch looked to the younger woman, watching as she dipped under and came back up soaking wet. "So what did you want to talk about?"

Emily smiled to the older man. "Well a certain blond boy came up to me and told me it was his job to protect my four month old."

Hotch felt a smile appear on his face. "Really?"

"And then he said that because Abby didn't have a daddy that maybe his daddy could be her daddy too."

The older man felt his face fall. "Oh."

Emily sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. "And I heard you and Dave talking about me. Called me a 'hot mom'."

Hotch quickly shook his head. "Dave said that, not me."

"Do you want to tell me something?"

The unit chief sucked in a deep breath, his eyes connecting with the new mother's. "I don't want this to ruin our friendship."

Emily shook her head, moving closer to the brunette man. "Just tell me."

Hotch felt his heart fall into his stomach before slowly nodding his head. "I find you attractive."

Emily felt herself smile at the declaration. "Oh really?"

The older man nodded. "Yeah. And I had a plan to ask you out a couple months ago, but then you informed us that you were pregnant and I thought I lost my chance."

The brunette woman gave a small shrug. "Ask me."

Hotch felt his heart stop. "What?"

"Ask me."

The older man smiled, moving a step closer to the new mother. "Emily, will you do the honor of going on a date with me?"

The brunette woman bit her lip. "No."

Hotch's eyes widened. "What?"

Emily let out a laugh before bringing the older man closer to her, her hands grasping his. "I'll tell you what. If you can beat me in a race to the deep end and back, I'll go out with you."

The older man smiled against the brunette's cheek. "And if you win?"

Emily felt herself blush before quickly beginning her swim.

...

JJ's eyebrows furrowed at the sight of her best friend and boss swimming the length of the pool as fast as they could. "What's goin' on there?"

Rossi laughed, taking the money from Derek's reluctant hand. "Money in the bag." He smiled when he saw the unit chief pick up the new mother and spin her around, and he gently nodded his head. "David Rossi aways wins."