Halloween

"Nothing on Earth so beautiful as the final haul on Halloween night."~ Steve Almond

It was around eight o'clock when Hotch, Emma, and Jack finally arrived home after a fun, prosperous night of trick-or-treating. Given his father's temperment and occupation, Jack's evening most definately consisted of the latter rather than the former and his pillow case was evidence enough of his rather large haul. At the age of six, Jack was still the epitome of childhood cuteness and dressing like his father was just the added edge he needed to charm the ladies and score extra candy. He ran into the living room, plopped onto the floor, and turned his bag upside down. He squeeled in childlike abandon as a blizzard of Reeses, Kit Kats, M&Ms, Snickers, bubblegum, and a plethera of other goodies tumbled forth.

As he picked up a family-sized package of Kit Kats, Aaron approached, doing his best to surpress a smile. If Jack looked adorable, his daddy looked sexy and cozy in a hunter green cashmere sweater, jeans, and tennis shoes. He knelt down beside his son, who was miliseconds away from embarking on a major sugar rush.

"Jack, sweetie, it's past your bedtime. Why don't you go change into your pajamas and brush your teeth and I'll save your candy for tomorrow."

"But *Daddy*, it's Halloween and I want my Halloween candy now!" Jack protested, crossing his arms stubbornly in front of him, his bottom lip in full fledged pout mode.

"Yes Jack, I understand you want to eat your candy, but I need to make certain it's safe first. Verification of sweets is an important part of my job. All FBI agents are trained in candy safety."

"Really?" Jack asked, looking at his daddy in awe. He was fascinated by every aspect of his father and the idea of big, strong FBI agents checking out candy definately passed this six year old's cool test.

"Yes really," Aaron said, a smile actually slipping past and slowly spreading across his ruggedly handsome face. "I promise you, buddy, that when you wake up tomorrow, I will have thoroughly examined each and every piece of your candy and it will safe to eat."

"My candy will have the BAU's seal of approval?" Jack asked, looking even more excited.

"Absolutely buddy."

"Can I have candy for breakfast?"

"If I say yes, will you eat your fruit and drink your milk?"

"If I say yes, can I have candy?"

Aaron laughed. "Go get ready for bed. I'll be there in a few minutes."

Jack jumped to his feet and scampered off, stopping briefly to give Emma a quick hug. Emma looked beautiful in a cranberry, v-neck wraparound sweater and dark skinny jeans. She wore a wide black belt and black round toed black shoes. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she still wore her jacket. Aaron disappeared into Jack's room, setting his alarm clock and picking out his clothes for the next morning while Jack brushed his teeth and put on his Spongebob pajamas.

A few minutes later Aaron came back into the living room, his son tucked into his warm bed and fast asleep, his unconscious thoughts focused on candy and all things candy-related. As Aaron walked back into the living room, his shoes now removed and in his bedroom, he immediately noticed Emma was still wearing her jacket.

"You're not leaving already, are you Emma?" Aaron asked, trying to mask his disappointment.

"It's late, Aaron, and we both have work in the morning. Besides, you just put Jack to bed and I don't want to wake him."

"You could light fireworks in my son's room and he wouldn't so much as roll over," Aaron said, wanting to set her at ease. "besides, I was hoping you would stay a while. We could have dinner and perhaps wine in front of the fireplace afterwards. And if promise to stay I might let you have some candy..."

"Aaron Hotchner, are you using your six year old's candy as bribery?" Emma teased, mock horror on her face. "besides, I heard you swear you were going to thoroughly examine the candy for his use only. What would he say if he knew his much-idolized FBI agent was pilfering his beloved candy?"

"Emma, my son is six and at that age, kids will believe anything you tell them. He'll never suspect a thing."

"You are one corrupt agent, Hotchner. What would Strauss say?"

"I think she's much too occupied with her broomstick tonight to care about something as insignificant as candy. I think this time of year her kind are too busy avoiding falling houses and conjuring spells."

Emma laughed and removed her jacket and shoes before following Aaron into the kitchen. They prepared a quick meal of risotto and agreed to dine in front of the fireplace. As Emma spread a nearby blanket onto the floor and arranged their meal, Aaron placed a jazz cd into his cd player. As the sexy, smoothing music filled the air, he walked over to the fireplace and worked quickly to fix a fire. His efforts were soon rewarded and he sat back on the blanket, resting his back against the sofa.

Emma was sitting across from him, her back against an armchair as she tucked into her meal. As she ate, Aaron observed her, his dark eyes boring into her. She noticed him staring at her and she could feel her cheeks starting to match the color of her sweater. As she lowered her gaze to her bowl, Aaron spoke.

"I'm glad you agreed to stay, Emma. Our work schedules have been so erratic lately and I feel like I haven't spent enough time with you. I'm sorry if you feel overlooked."

"Nonsense, Aaron, I know how important your career is to you. I feel the same way about mine and unfortunately, people in our position can't always leave the world behind at five o'clock."

"Five o'clock? If I'm out of the office at nine I consider that an early evening."

"If I ever left work that early I would feel as if I was slacking in my responsibilites."

Aaron's mouth twitched, relating to her workaholic mentality. It was so refreshing to be with a woman who not only understood his life and career, but at times worked more hours than him. He loved the fact that if he had to leave on a case at a moment's notice, she was so understanding and accomodating. With his schedule, it was difficult to plan things in advance, so he appreciated Emma keeping things flexible. Her workload was as heavy as his, so he was in a position of having to postpone plans or meet late, which was both foreign and kind of exciting.

When they would meet at two o'clock in the morning at an all night restaurant or coffee shop, it felt as if they were engaging in some sort of clandestine affair. They had been to each other's homes a number of times and he quite enjoyed her pristine, all white apartment. Tonight, however, was Emma's first time meeting Jack and Aaron was so relieved it went well. In order to avoid tension, he simply told the youngster that Emma was a friend of his and to Emma's credit, she went along with it. They both wanted to take things slow, which was understandable given their respective histories, and felt easing Jack into the equation at the same gradual pace was best.

"I'm so pleased things went well with Jack this evening. He really took to you," Aaron replied.

"I really took to him as well. He's a sweet kid."

Aaron smiled slightly, nodding in agreement. He set his bowl and wine glass aside, his meal no longer of interest. He moved closer to Emma and took her hand in his.

"Jack is the most important person in my life, Emma, and for so long he has been the focal point of my personal life. After...well, I just assumed that it would be just Jack and I, and I was fine with that, even if I felt lonely at times. Meeting you and having you in my life has been one of the biggest surprises and thrills in my life. Slowly but surely you have healed my heart and brought peace to my life and mind. Emma, I hope you know just how much I adore you."

"I adore you, too, Aaron. I'm so glad I met you and that you're in my life. After Collin...I never thought I would love again, but you have changed all that. I'm ready to move on and would love nothing more than for you and Jack to be a part of my future."

Collin Dier was Emma's highschool sweetheart and friend from childhood. They met in kindergarten and were the best of friends, their bond even surviving the dreaded cootie stage, until ninth grade, which was when their bond turned from platonic to romantic. They were soon an item, exclusive only to each other. They were discussing marriage before they were allowed to drive a car and they were the hottest couple in their school. For the first two years of their relationship was carefree and their future full of possibilities. Then everything changed.

At the start of their junior year Collin needed a sports physical so he would be eligible to play football that year. A strapping 6'4 and 225 pounds, Collin was the picture of health and All-American, blonde hair, blue eyed good looks. Everyone that knew him fully expected the young, physically fit athlete to pass the exam with flying colors. Instead, his physician informed him he had stage three brain cancer. The news obviously came as a shock to not just Collin, but his parents as well.

Collin was their only child, a miracle baby conceived ten years into their marriage after they were told they would never have biological children. Shannon and Justin Dier centered their entire lives around their son, so the prospect of losing him was earthshattering. The news was heartbreaking for Emma as well, since Collin meant the world her. He was the only boy she had ever dated, ever loved. The moment they heard the news about Collin's condition, Emma, Shannon, and Justin made it their number one priority in life to nurse him back to health.

Emma accompanied him to chemotherapy, doctor visits, and spent several hours of simple down time with him. Treatment hit the once physically fit, rip quarterback hard. His golden, wavy locks soon became a thing of the past, as did his killer physique. He went from 225lbs to 100lbs and it seemed as if the weight loss would never stop. The nightmare lasted for a year and a half until he finally went into remission.

Emma and his parents were thrilled and her commitment to him only solidified their relationship. They became engaged on the Fourth of July, weeks after their highschool graduation. Their two families were celebrating together and as the sun set, Collin asked Emma if she wanted to go on a boatride to watch the fireworks. She agreed and the lovebirds had a wonderful time rowing around the lake, taking in nature's tranquel beauty as the sun disappeared over the horizen. As soon as the sky darkened, the fireworks started.

After a few run of the mill productions, something happened that took Emma's breath away. As she stared into the evening sky "Emma, Will You Marry Me?" appeared in white lights, an homage to her favorite color. The image completely stunned her and in between sobs of joy she gladly accepted. The sight of the ring Collin slipped on her finger also caused more tears to flow. Collins family wasn't as well off as Emma's, especially after his health crisis, so he had his senior ring refashioned into an engagement ring.

The once large, gold band was remade into a dantier with the stones resting in the center. The ring featured rubies and sapphires in honor of their birthstones, so he had the gems fashioned into two larger ones with the remaining miniature diamonds surrounding the bigger stones. Once the happy couple reached shore, well wishes were given and plans began for their bright future together. Emma and Collin planned to marry after college graduation and for two years their lives went as planned. Unfortunately, fate intervined, as it always tends to do.

Two years after their engagement Collin's headaches came back with a vengance. His doctor confirmed the cancer was back and this time it was in stage four. Collin underwent chemo again, but this time it was too late. He went to different physicians and they each told him chemo would be ineffective and he would have at most eighteen to two years to live. After hearing the news, Collin and Emma decided they didn't want to waste more time and made plans to marry immediately.

They made plans for a Fourth of July wedding and three days before they were driving back from the court house after picking up their marriage license. Emma was driving the vehicle, a cheery red jeep, and they were listening to a mixed cd of their favorite love ballads. They still hadn't selected a song for their first dance, so they were taking a long drive and discussing the pros and cons of each song. Out of nowhere a thunderstorm exploded from the sky. The rain was pounding down hard and Emma and Collin were rushing to close the roof.

Emma had the wipers on, but the rain was coming down too hard and she couldn't see anything, much less the side of the road so she could pull over. To make matter worse, they were on a winding road, so it wasn't long until Emma lost control of the jeep and they tumbled down the edge of a cliff. When the jeep finally crashed onto the ground below, it burst into flames. Collin was able to manuvere his way out pretty easily, but Emma was trapped in her seat, unconscious and bleeding heavily from the impact. It took Collin ages to pull her out, but he did, pulling her to safety as the rest of the jeep was engolfed in flames.

Emma suffered a concussion, two broken ribs, and several bruises from the accident and was required to remain the hospital for a week. Collin, however, suffered a much worse fate. He suffered an aneurysm and inhaled a great deal of smoke while rescuing Emma from the jeep. He called 911 as soon as he pulled Emma to safety, but it was several mintutes before help arrived. Collin suffered major blows to the head, as well as considerable smoke inhalation. By the time help arrived, he had suffered an aneurysm and was laying dead beside his beloved fiancee.

Emma blamed herself for the accident and fell into a severe depression. For six months the only time she left her bed was to attend Collin's funeral. For years she replayed that incident in her mind, wondering what she could have done differently, wondering what small nuance on her part played a part in her fiance's demise. Even after she slow emerged from her depression, romance was the last thing on her mind. She threw herself into work, refusing to let anyone penetrate the fortress she had built around her heart.

She continued to hear her engagement on her left ring finger until recently, when she starting dating Aaron. Never in a million years did she believe she would love again, but Aaron was so kind, amazing, and supportive. He understood how it felt to lose the person you love most and brow beat yourself into insanity while wondering what could have been done differently. Slowly but surely he was helping her realize she deserved to be happy and could have a life outside of her office and newsroom. For years she had only been able to envision a life with Collin, but now she had different visions for her future, ones that included a sexy brooding FBI agent and his adorable young son.

Aaron moved closer to her, reaching behind her head to unleash her ponytail. He threaded his fingers through her hair, planting soft kisses on her jaw line before moving his lips to her neck. As his mouth continued to caress her soft, sweet skin she closed her eyes and moaned. Aaron's touch always made her melt, but since they were taking their relationship slow their physical intimacy hadn't progressed past a few intense kisses.

"At first I felt guilty about being with you," Emma said, feeling desire pool between her legs. She sighed as Aaron started sucking on that special spot on her neck. "I...I...thought..."

"I know how you feel, Emma," he said, his dark eyes boring into her sparkling blue ones. "I hated myself for what happened to Haley. I know how it feels to blame yourself for the death of someone you love, but I also know how amazing it feels to move on and find love with someone else."

Aaron moved his face towards Emma's and soon his mouth was over hers. She moaned into his mouth, a shiver running up her spine as his tongue started massasing hers. She ran her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer. As their mouth moved in unison, he ran his fingers through her hair, loving the feel of her soft, silky locks against his skin. He lowered one of his hands, tracing a finger up and down her neck before reaching down to cup one of her breasts.

She only wore a 34B an always wished for a more ample busom, but any self conscious thoughts flew out the window as she felt Aaron rub her swollen nipple through the fabric of her bra and sweater. It was difficult to have coherent thoughts of any kind the way he was touching her. Aaron broke their kiss and looked into her eyes, searching her gaze for a sign she wanted to continue. She wordlessly answered his question by removing her sweater, leaving the top portion of her body concealed only by a crimson push-up bra. Aaron reached behind her and unclasped the garment, letting it fall from her body.

Emma bit her lip and moaned as his lips moved lower, his tongue tracing her breasts before sucking a nipple into his mouth. She cried out, jumping slightly as his tongue flicked over her swollen flesh. He raised a finger to her mouth, wanting to silence her so as not to awaken his son. As his mouth worshipped her breasts, her tongue moved up and down his index finger before sucking it into her mouth, giving him a sampling of what was to come. Aaron sucked in his breath, holding back a moan of his own, removing his finger from her mouth.

She reached down and pulled his sweater over his head, her eyes drinking in the amazing sight of her bare, broad chest. As amazing as he looked clothed, he looked even more delicious bare and the dark dusting of hair on his skin was so sexy. She stroked his chest, her thumbs brushing over his nipples as she lowered her head to kiss his chest. Aaron moaned and pulled her back up, kissing her deeping as he laid her back on the blanket. He kissed his way down her body, her skin glowing in the light from the blazing fire.

He moved his mouth lower, licking and sucking her flesh as he made his way to to waist. He paused to remove her belt and unzip her jeans, pulling them down. Emma reached up and removed his belt, pulling his jeans down as well. She moved her hand up and down the front of his forest green boxer briefs, anticipation mounting as she felt the bulge that hid inside. Aaron hooked his fingers underneath the waist of her crimson bikini bottoms and she sucked in her breath as he pulled them down.

On organized, orderly person by nature, Emma liked to match her bra and panties to the color of her shirt. She wasn't nicknamed Type A by her mother for nothing. She watched as Aaron looked her over from head to toe. Somewhere along the way they had removed their socks, but footwear was the last thing on her mind as she watched the man she loved drink in the sight of her naked body for the first time. He looked deep into her eyes and rested a hand on her face.

"You're beautiful, Emma, absolutely beautiful," he murmured, lowering his face to claim another kiss.

"You're not too shabby yourself there, Special Supervisory Agent. Is sex appeal a pre requisit for joining the FBI?"

Aaron's mouth twitched in amusement and he kissed her one more time before moving to claim he most desired. He propped her legs over his shoulders and moved his face between her legs, kissing the flesh covered by a dusting of soft, dark blonde curls. He ran his tongue along her inner thighs before moving it on the seam that led to her most private place. Emma bit her bottom lip, doing her best to keep from screaming as his tongue began flicking against her clit. Her head began racing as he sucked her clit into his mouth, twirling his tongur around her swollen gland as his fingers disappeared into the folds of her wetness.

She wimpered, completely at his mercy as he explored the deepest regions of her womanhood. He easily found that velvety catch of nerves that never failed to send her over the edge. Between his fingers and mouth, it wasn't long until her mounted climax bubbled over, exploding into his mouth. A cry of pleasure escaped her lips as Aaron lapped up the rewards of his labor. The nector from her body tasted so sweet and he continued devouring her with his mouth.

She gripped his head tighter, pulling his face closer as his fingers left her body so his tongue could enter. Tears filled her eyes and fell onto her cheeks as one orgasm followed another. As her body gave one more shudder, Aaron removed his tongue from her mouth, removing his boxer briefs before kneeling on his knees. Now it was Emma's turn to do the oggling and Aaron was a vision to behold. His body was chisled and cut to perfection and more incredible than she could have imagined.

Her eyes moved lower to his most intimate place and the sight of his erection was definately worth the wait. He appeared to be around seven to eight inches in length and his length had plenty of width as well. She lowered her face and began kissing his perfect body, her mouth moving lower when he took her face in his hands.

"Emma, I can't wait another moment. I need to be inside of you now," he said, kissing her passionately and lowering her back onto the blanket.

Aaron knelt between her legs and wrapped them around his waist, pulling her closer. Emma threaded her fingers through his short, dark hair, pulling him close for another kiss as she felt the tip of his arousal moving up and down her opening. He entered her slowly, both gasping as he claimed her inch by inch. Emma gripped his back and tightened her legs around his waist, the feeling of his large hardness filling her incredible. Aaron gritted his teeth and muttered a blasphemy, loving the feeling of her tight, warm, wet velvety grip.

He lowered his body over hers, setting the pace slow and steady as he moved inside of her. It had been so long since Aaron and Emma had connected this way with someone so the feeling of being united together was indescribable and overwhelming. Their hips moved in unison and they moaned and gasped at the same time. Emma's eyes watered as she felt her orgasm mounting once more. She was close to the brink and could tell Aaron was too.

As much as Aaron wanted to fill her with his desire, he wanted this moment to last as long as possible. It had been so long since he had felt the warm embrace of a woman and he had been longing for Emma for ages, so he wasn't ready for this to end. As her body shuddered and surrendered to ecstasy, his resisted, wanting to feel her even longer. Her body, her touch, her wetness was more amazing than he could have imaged and he wanted to prolong the experience as long as possible. He continued to move inside of her, moving his hips in different directions to increase her pleasure.

Their lovemaking lasted for ages. It was slow and erotic and neither one could get enough of each other. Finally, Emma wanted Aaron to join her in paradise, to feel the pleasure she was experiencing. She pushed him onto his back and straddled him, taking him deep inside of her. She moved her hands up and down his body, moaning as his arousal hit her g-spot over and over again.

She bit her lip and moaned as she came again, feeling her body shudder as the pleasure took over. She wasn't sure how many more of these intense orgasms her slender frame could take and she wanted Aaron to experience this as well. She moved her hips up and down and side to side, relishing the look of ecstacy on Aaron's face as he closed his eyes and bit his lip. He wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her closer, wanting to be as deep inside of her as possible. It wasn't long until he could feel his own orgasm mounting, so he flipped her back onto her back and began riding her, this time harder and faster.

With his climax eminent, the time for slow lovemaking had ended. He kissed her hard and deep, his hips slamming into hers as he felt himself surrender. Emma tightened her intimate grip on him and held him close as he exploded into her. He cried out, gripping her body as he filled her with his desire. She tightened her legs around his waist and held him close, neither one moving for a long time. Finally, his body lowered onto hers and his arousal moved out of her opening. He held her close, kissing her as his hands ran up and down her body.

Finally, they rose from the floor, deciding his bed was a much better spot for their post coital siesta than the floor. Aaron swepted her off her feet and into his arms, carrying her into the bedroom. The room was dark, so she couldn't see his room, but that didn't matter. She only had eyes for her handsome, amazing G-man. They crawled under the comforter and held each other close, exchanging a slow, deep kiss as they settled against the soft sheets. When their lips finally parted, they remained silent, looking into each other's eyes. As Emma rested a hand against his warm cheek, Aaron gently ran his fingers through her hair.

"Wow," Emma whispered, when she finally gained enough composure to speak.

"You were pretty amazing yourself, Emma," he said, rolling onto his back. She rested her head on his chest and fingered the short, dark hair as he held her close, stroking her head.

"Aaron, this was the most romantic evening of my life. The dinner, the fire...everything was so amazing."

"I wanted our first night together to be special. Neither one of us had been with anyone in a long time, so I wanted everything to be perfect."

"Aaron, you could have pulled me into an outhouse for a quickie and it would have been perfect because it was with you."

Aaron's mouth twitched and he sat up to open his nightstand drawer. Emma pushed herself upright, holding the blanket to her chest as Aaron found what he was looking for. He closed the drawer and turned to her, a black jewelry box in his hands. Her heart pounded as he gave her the box. She opened it, revealing a stunning heart shaped diamond pendant set in platinum. Her eyes widened, taken aback by the beautiful surprise.

"Oh Aaron, it's beautiful," she said, delighted with the gift.

"You already have my heart, Emma, but I thought this small token would further demonstrate the level of my commitment," he said, placing it around her neck.

"I am never taking this off," Emma said, pulling him close for a kiss.

"Good," Aaron replied, returning the kiss and laying her back onto the mattress. They held each other close and made love again until the sun rose.