A/N: I know it's been quite a while since I've updated this story and for that I'm sorry... The good news is I'm back... LOL... I just haven't decided if I'm going to update once a week or up to three times a week... I guess we'll see how it goes... This chapter is short... I want to show what Hotch is thinking and feeling right about now...
Disclaimer: I don't own CM...
Hotch looked over at Emily and noticed that she had fallen asleep. He decided to leave her sleeping as he shut off his car and opened up the car door. After making sure he shut his car door as quietly as he could he made his way around to the passenger side. He opened up Emily's door and unbuckled her seat belt. He was glad to see that she was warming up. He knew that she would probably want a hot shower or bath but he thought it best to let her sleep.
He lifted her out of the passenger side seat and couldn't help but smile as she snuggled into him. He was happy that she seemed to sense his closeness and that she wanted to be even closer. After closing the passenger side door he made his way to his front door. He shifted Emily gently so that he could get the key into the lock and then opened up the front door. He was happy that there was a light coming switch next to him on the stand by the door. He put his keys on the stand and turned the light on before shutting his front door and locking it and resetting the alarm code. He couldn't believe that he was able to do all that with Emily still in his arms but he was happy he could.
He bypassed his living room and went over to the stairs. He smiled once more as Emily tried to snuggled further into him. He loved the feeling of her in his arms. He just hoped that he would be able to help her through everything she was going through. He wanted to be the one she turned too. He wanted to be the one to wipe away her tears. He wanted to be the one who held her when she cried he thought as he walked up the stairs and to his bedroom.
He laid her gently down on his bed after turning on the lamp by the bed. Then supported her back as he sat her up and pulled her coat off of her. He then took off her boots. He debated for a few minutes and then decided to undress her completely and put her in a pair of his sweats and a new shirt. After getting the clothes out of his dresser he walked back over to the bed. He smiled as he looked down at Emily who hadn't stirred at all while he removed her coat and boots. He sighed and then unbuttoned her pants and pulled them off quickly and slipped his sweats up and over her hips. He then sat her back up and took her shirt off of her and slipped his shirt on her. He laid her gently back on the bed and decided to take her socks off as well and then he covered her up.
He was proud of himself for undressing her and re-dressing her without blinking or thinking twice about it. He walked back over to his dresser and grabbed another t-shirt and a pair of sweats and went into the bathroom to change. After quickly taking care of his business he stripped out of his clothes and took a quick shower and dried off and the dressed in his t-shirt and sweats and headed back to his bedroom. He debated for a minute on whether to climb into his bed with Emily or go back downstairs and sleep on the couch or even in his spare bedroom but he decided to sleep in his bed and climbed in.
As soon as he laid down and shut the lamp off he sighed and got comfortable. He smiled though shortly after because Emily somehow ended up in his arms. He wasn't going to move her. He turned over on his side and wrapped his arm around Emily's side as he laid there thinking. He felt whole for the first time in a long time and he didn't understand why but he wasn't going to worry about it right now. Right now all that mattered was that Emily was okay and she was safe in his arms.
He vowed to himself as he held Emily that he would always be there for her. He vowed that he would make sure she knew that he was there for her. He wouldn't let her think for one minute or even one second that she was alone. If he had too he would move Emily in with him so that he could take care of her. He knew that Jack liked Emily and he knew Jack would approve of him moving in Emily in with him if need be. He smiled as he thought about how well Jack and Emily got on.
He drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face. He drifted off to sleep with Emily on his mind. He drifted off to sleep thinking that he very easily could fall in love with Emily. In fact he was pretty sure he was already in love with her but he wasn't going to pressure her. He would do whatever he needed to do to make sure she knew that he was her best friend. As he fell asleep he could have swore that he felt Emily's lips on his in a light brush but he thought that he had to have been dreaming. Little did he know that he had in fact Emily kiss him and that she was thinking along the same lines that he was.