A/N: Thank you to SussiRay for looking this over. This is the second installment in the "Let's Shake Things Up" series. It's based on 3x04 "Children of the Dark" (original writing/events are in italics). Got the idea from reviewer HPforever-after!

Emily and Hotch started gathering case files in preparation for their trip back home from Denver.

"I could take her," Emily said after a cautious glance at Hotch.

"Take her?" Hotch asked, brow furrowed.

"Carrie…To D.C.." Emily explained as if it were such a simple concept she was shocked Hotch had to ask for clarification.

"You mean to live with you?"

No, Hotch, to send her out on the streets. "Yeah."

"Why would you want to do that?"

"I have room, money, and you know, she's smart. Two, three years, she goes to college," Emily explained with a smile.

"Prentiss." Emily stopped stacking up files and gave Hotch her attention. "This is the job, and I need to know that you can be objective," he said earnestly.

"And I need to know that I can be human," Emily said in disbelief at Hotch. Neither spoke a word for a long moment as they stared at one another.

"JJ heard from the family and they're on their way from L.A.," Hotch informed Emily. He seemed almost happy about to report this.

"Oh," Emily said, doing a poor job of masking her disappointment. Hotch read her loud and clear and despite his attitude toward the situation, gazed at Emily with sympathy. Maybe pity. Emily nodded as if convincing herself that was she was about to say was true. "That's…that's great."

—

Hotch was on the phone in the jet, asking Haley to wake Jack and put him on the phone. JJ sat across from Emily, who sat in her own little world. They exchanged weary smiles once Emily realized she had a travel partner.

"You okay?" JJ asked.

"Yeah," Emily sighed.

JJ nodded, contemplating how to word this to Emily. "They're good people. Carrie's family."

Emily nodded. "Good. I'm glad," she managed to say sincerely.

Emily gazed out the jet window before JJ added, "I think it's a good idea, though."

"What's that?"

"You…Kids."

Emily rolled her eyes a bit.

"I can see it," JJ said.

Emily didn't look convinced. "Yeah?"

A very reassuring nod and grin from JJ spread a dreamy smile across Emily's face. She looked out into the dark again.

—

"Prentiss. You're here late," Hotch remarked when Emily stepped into his office shortly after touch down. He'd thought he'd be the only one to come back into the BAU. Thought everyone else had headed home. Early would have been a more proper term. It had to be four by now.

"So're you," Emily countered.

"I guess I am. What's up?" he asked absentmindedly, thumbing through a report and signing his name here and there.

"What we talked about earlier, about Carrie…" Emily started, wringing her hands as she leaned against the doorframe.

"Yes?" He looked back up.

Emily bit her lip. Now that Hotch was watching her, she felt more apprehensive and questioned her decision to come talk to him. "It hurt."

"Oh." Hotch set down his pen. "Do you want to sit down?"

Emily shook her head, her curls bouncing from side to side. "No."

"Well, I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

Emily nodded slowly, staring at the carpeting now. To be truthful, she felt silly now. But she'd already opened up the can of worms, so she figured she might as well get it all out in the open. "Wanting children doesn't make me bad at my job, or weak."

Hotch's forehead wrinkled. "I never said it did."

"You implied I wasn't being objective."

"Because you offered to adopt a child involved with a case we were working on. That's completely different from having your own children or adopting a child by other means."

"Right. Of course." Emily nodded, kicking her toe into the floor and crossing her arms. "You know, that wasn't some impulse decision, to adopt. I do want to be a mother someday."

A hint of a smile showed at the corners of Hotch's lips. "I know. I can tell."

"Any objections?" Emily asked a little more lightly, a smile playing at her lips as well. She found herself suddenly wondering what her children might look like if fathered by Hotch. Married, Emily. Married. He's married. With a kid. The marriage may not be the best, but it is a marriage.

Watch it, Hotch thought. You're married. "I think that…you would make a great mother. Not that I'm one to judge parenting skills. Not the best father in town," he said about himself.

"Hotch, you're a great dad, given your career and its limitations. I heard you on the plane tonight, asking to talk to Jack. It was sweet."

Hotch finally relented and smiled. "I feel like I never see him. Sometimes just hearing him say 'Hi, Daddy' is what gets me through the day. No matter how things are going between me and Haley—" Too far.

Emily licked her lips. "I hope to have that someday. A little one to call home to. It would be nice not going home to an empty apartment, empty bed—" Did you really just say that, Emily?

Hotch gave Emily a subtle once-over. "I'm sure it won't be that way forever. You should know that, well…"

Emily wasn't sure she wanted to hear whatever it was Hotch had to say. They were already toeing the line between appropriate and inappropriate conversation topics. "What?" She couldn't help but want to know. Hell, she needed to know. Personal conversations with Hotch were once in a blue moon.

"Swear you won't file a complaint?"

"A complaint? All right. I'm intrigued. Go ahead."

"Any man would be lucky to have you. You're a catch."

"All right, Hotch, how many drinks have you had?" Emily said, chuckling.

"Not that it matters, but just one," Hotch said, bringing a glass of scotch into Emily's view. "Join me?"

Good idea? Bad idea? Definitely a bad idea. But it sounds like a great idea. "Sure." You don't even like scotch, Emily reminded herself as she lowered herself into a chair across from Hotch.

Hotch poured Emily three fingers and handed her glass over.

"Cheers," Hotch said, raising his glass to Emily. She echoed him quietly and took a sip. It burned her throat the whole way down, but she managed not to cough or sputter.

Emily nodded awkwardly and surveyed Hotch's office while he went back to finishing up his reports. "So," she said.

"So, have you been dating?" Hotch asked casually.

Emily coughed, having to put her drink down on Hotch's desk to avoid spilling it.

Hotch looked up. "Are you all right?"

Emily nodded, one hand on her chest and the other up to Hotch to signal she would be fine. She felt her face turning beet red while she continued to choke. "Sorry—" she coughed again. "Just went down the wrong pipe."

"Want some water?"

Emily shook her head, dragging in a long, careful breath. "I'm good." She smiled, then laughed at how her eyes were watering.

"Good." Hotch grinned and looked back down at his papers. "So, have you been dating?" he repeated.

Emily's eyes widened. She thought that by almost dying coughing she'd shelved that topic of conversation for another time. Better yet, forever. "Umm, well, kind of. I went out with a guy a couple weeks ago."

"And?" Hotch had been selfishly hoping for 'no.' But he couldn't just end the conversation because it wasn't going the way he wanted it to go.

"Let's just say it was only one date," Emily said alluringly.

Hotch was a master of managing his emotions, but he couldn't for the life of him hide his grin. "Oh yeah?"

"Let's just say," Emily said, taking another sip of her scotch, "that once he found out I was an FBI agent, he asked if I had handcuffs."

A deep belly laugh from Hotch echoed inside the room. "What did you tell him?"

"Well, I ordered the most expensive wine and the most expensive entree, ate, and left. Shame, too, because I really wanted to see the movie we were planning on seeing."

"That is a shame."

"So I went and saw it by myself," she admitted, taking another swig. "And it totally sucked."

Hotch frowned. "That's no fun."

"Aaaand, it's time for me to go," Emily said with a sigh, making a grand movement to get out of her chair. Once standing, she polished off her drink.

"You sure you're okay to drive?"

Emily waved him off. "I'm fine. You've heard far more about my personal life tonight than you ever needed to know. I'm more of a danger here than I am on the road. Besides, if you're suggesting I can't hold my liquor, then you're in for a surprise next time we all go out."

"We all already know you're a closeted alcoholic," Hotch said dryly. "Goodnight, Emily."

"Prentiss out." She flashed him a peace sign on her way out the door.

Hotch's gaze lingered as Emily walked herself out of the BAU.

A/N: Please review and thanks for reading :) Hope you enjoyed! I know nothing "happened," but he's still married, folks. I won't write him cheating. Something will happen once he's divorced though, I promise! ;)

These stories are meant to be independent (i.e., it should not assumed that the first story in the series happened when reading this one). This idea of independence will be more important in later installments, probably.