It's A Family Thing
Disclaimer: I, in no way shape or form, own anything connected to Criminal Minds only CBS does.
Summary: Emily shows up late to the BAU for family...
A/N: Yep, thanks to my spring cleaning this one decided it needed to go under the Emily/Dave series. I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks for reading, don't forget to leave a review.
"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." Dr. Seuss
Emily sighed as she stepped into the service elevators of the Federal Building. A slight shiver went through the dark haired agent as she grasped onto the new coat that her friend gave her.
Ever since the blonde analyst turned down Kevin's proposal she'd become clingy with her friends. More particularly the two female members of her team.
Emily understood the woman's need for comfort and attachment. She just wished she wasn't at the receiving end of it this time.
Walking out the elevator, Emily quickly scanned the dark bullpen of the BAU keeping an eye out for the stoic Unit Chief who had been the star of her many fantasies.
Emily took a deep breath, as she quickly made her way over to her desk.
If it hadn't been for her two blonde friends insisting on having a girls night after the draining day of working on case files, she'd be at home now. It wasn't even another happy night out of drinking and dancing.
No, and that's how she found herself now standing in her workspace with a new make over.
All she wanted was to be at her home alone, in front of her television drowning her sorrows in mint chocolate chip ice cream and alcohol.
She should be at home, straightening her slowly growing dark locks and washing her face full of make up, but then she got the text message from one of the BAU office agents about Dave so she had to run back to the Bureau.
She looked up relieved to see Hotch's office lights were off and looked over at Dave's.
"Dave?" she silently called out, worried for her older friend, "Dave?"
Looking around, she went over to her desk and frowned. She always was a tidy person, by force of habit, but her desk was in slight disarray.
The dark haired woman sighed placing the files back together when she lifted up the final one she paused. A framed photo was there sans the photo, she gave a slight shrug then put the empty frame in her desk.
"Emily?" she heard causing her to stumble and almost hit the desk only to be caught by strong arms, "Are you all right? What are you doing here so late?"
"Hotch" she said, surprised as the man tightened his grip on her, as he helped her stand up, "I didn't realize you were still here."
"I wasn't" Hotch sighed, "I got a call about Dave."
"He called you too?" Emily asked furrowing her eyebrows before turning her head at their colleague's office, "Is he even here?"
"Yeah" Hotch said, watching as she removed her new dark coat, and nearly licked his lips at the sight of her low cut, dark red, form fitting dress, "Why are you all dressed up?"
"Huh?" she asked, looking down and chuckling, "Oh this?"
"Yeah" he asked, his stomach knotting at the idea of her having a date and that caught him by surprise, "You have a date or something?"
He always had been attracted to his brunette agent, but tried to remain professional and appropriate but seeing her like this dressed like that, it was enough for him to drag her to his office and not leave until Monday morning.
"Yeah, I was having a threesome with Ben and Jerry and Jack Daniels" Emily snorted, "This was Garcia's idea of transferring her Kevin issues onto me. With a major make over."
"Ah" Hotch said, relieved at the idea of her not seeing anyone, "That sounds fun."
It wasn't like he wanted her to be alone, but... he didn't want any other man to claim her as his.
"Not really" Emily muttered looking at her appearance, "I feel like a grown up version of Barbie."
Hotch chuckled at that, which made the brunette narrow her eyes, "Any idea where Dave is? I just want to make sure he's all right before I go home and wash this goop off my face."
Hotch recomposed himself, "I don't know, I was about to check his office when I saw you come in..."
The two agents were interrupted by the loud crashing coming from their friends' office.
"What the hell was that?" Emily asked, rushing up the catwalk with Hotch close behind, trying to keep his eyes from not drifting to her long lengthy legs.
Hotch opened the office door and Emily gasped, "Oh my God."
Hotch rushed in, helping Dave off the floor, and wince when he could smell the retching odor of scotch on his older friend.
"A little help, please" Hotch quietly asked Emily.
The brunette kneeled down, grasping onto Dave's arm while the drunk man murmured causing the two to pick up the inebriated man and settle him back onto the couch.
"What did he just say?" Hotch asked looking over at Emily.
"Carolyn" she whispered softly.
"Oh" Hotch murmured sympathetically, as they watched the older man come to, "Dave?"
"Aaron, Emily" he drunkenly, "You came. Yay, you came."
Emily kneeled down next to the couch, "Why didn't you tell us that you were still having a hard time about Carolyn?"
Dave's eyes wandered over to the brunette's face, "It's her birthday, or at least it would've been if she were still here."
"Dave" Emily said, placing a warm hand on his cheek, "I'm so sorry."
"Did you know that we had a little boy?" Dave whispered, "A little boy who wasn't long for this world. Carolyn never wanted to try again for a child and we divorced not long after that."
"I didn't know" Emily whispered, "I'm sorry."
Dave could see Hotch sit beside Emily on the carpet in front of the long couch, "I always wanted to have children, but my marriages after Carolyn didn't last long."
"Dave come on" Hotch said lightly, "Lets get you home."
Dave reached over on the carpet, "No, I don't need to go home, but I need a drink."
"A drink isn't going to help you through your problems" Hotch told him, grabbing the decanter, "Come on, Dave."
"You know I always wanted a daughter?" Dave told them, "Maybe that's why I connected to you Emily, because you're like the daughter I always wanted. I love you like my own kid."
Emily smiled at that, "I love you too, Dave."
Dave smiled at that, looking over at the brunette beside him, "You look nice. Garcia's magic?"
"How'd you know?" Emily chuckled.
"Who do you think redecorated my office?" Dave told her, causing the two agents to actually notice the changes in the office.
Dave scooted up on his couch, placing his hands to his head and moaned.
"Dave, I'm going to get you an aspirin and some strong coffee, ok?" Emily said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Just stay right there."
"No, I don't need any..." Dave started to say but the brunette was already down in the bullpen before he uttered the sentence.
"You could've told me how you were feeling, Dave" Hotch said, sitting down in the empty visitor's chair, "No one more then I understands what it's like to lose a wife."
"Ex wife, Aaron, ex" Dave said, looking up, "Not yours, mine. I still loved Carolyn, always have. Even after all these years, she was the one woman who I know was meant to be my soul mate."
"Well, why did you divorce?" Hotch asked.
"She couldn't handle it, losing our son..." Dave started, then shrugged "She closed herself off after that, said she didn't want any more children and left me."
"You never told me any of this" Hotch said, surprised that his friend kept so much hidden.
"Because I tried to move on" Dave said, "But you can never move on from true love, no matter how hard you try."
Dave raised his head up to look at Hotch, "You should learn from my mistakes, and tell her how you feel."
"Who?" Hotch asked.
Even though Dave was still seriously nursing his intoxicated state, he gave Hotch his best stare, one that told him that he wasn't kidding.
"Emily. I see the way you look at her" Dave said, "And don't go denying it. I had the same look on my face the first time I saw Carolyn. It's like being blind and seeing the light for the first time, a first sunset. You're in love with her."
Hotch ran his hands through his hair, looking into the bullpen to see Emily in the break room holding the coffee while searching for aspirin.
"God is it that obvious?" Hotch murmured.
"Only to me" Dave said, "But then I know that look. I've worn that look, and believe me, Aaron it'll be better for you both if you told her the truth."
"I can't just drop all this on her" Hotch protest, "Besides you're half drunk and probably don't even know what you're saying..."
"God, I'm not saying go out and propose to her" Dave said with an eye roll, "But go ask her out to dinner, a movie, hell even a cup of coffee."
"But what if she doesn't feel the same?" Hotch murmured to himself, "What if she rejects me? That I couldn't live with."
"Jesus, Aaron" Dave said, "And you call yourself an Alpha male? Be a man and make the first move. March down there and tell her..."
"I'm back" Emily said with a smile, "Sorry it took so long, who knew aspirins would be scarce at the BAU?"
"Not me" Dave muttered, taking the coffee and pill, "Thanks, sweetheart."
Winking at him, "No more late night binge drinking, ok? You give us a call when you need to talk."
"I promise" Dave said, sipping the hot liquid, "If you do me one favor."
Raising an eyebrow, she looked over at Hotch, "Anything. What?"
"You're too beautiful to be heading straight home" Dave said, watching the woman's face turn to confusion, "Dance with Aaron."
"What?" both Emily and Hotch said, in unison.
"Enlighten a man who misses the sound of laughter" Dave said, "I've missed out on my chance for happiness but I'd like to see you two happy and..."
"Dave" Emily said slowly, "I don't think that would be a wise idea. We're colleagues and I don't think that its a good idea to be dancing in the BAU."
"Emily, dear" Dave said, pressing a warm hand to the brunette's cheek, "Humor me, please. Go dance with Aaron."
"Dave" she repeated, only for him to give her a stern stare, "All right, Dad."
Dave chuckled at that grabbing the remote to his small cd player, hitting a soft song that he didn't really recognize.
"Sorry" Emily murmured, placing her hands behind Hotch's neck who wrapped his hands around her waist.
"It's ok" he said, feeling the nerves rush through her, so he pulled her closer in his arms so that her head rested against his chest.
He felt a smile grow on his lips.
The two slowly swayed back and forth in the room, both reveling at the contact of being in each others arms.
Hotch could feel her relax against him while he wondered how he had missed out on this before. He felt like this was how it was always meant to be, her in his arms.
As he ran one of his hand over her back, he heard her breath catch and he pulled her closer to him just as the song ended.
"Hotch?" she whispered softly, as he lifted her face up to look at him, "What are you doing?"
He just smiled and kissed her nose, leaning in about to kiss her only the sound of light snoring pulled the two agents from each other.
Emily walked over to the small cabinet, pulling out a quilt and putting it on Dave, giving the older man a smile before dropping a kiss on his cheek.
"I love you, Dave" Emily whispered before turning and seeing Hotch with a smile on his face.
"Come on" Hotch whispered, taking her hand, "You really love him like a father, huh?"
"Yeah" Emily said, looking at their connected hands, "He would have been a great father. Definitely better then my own."
"He is a father" Hotch said, squeezing her hand as they made their way back into the bullpen, "You heard him, he thinks of you as his daughter."
"I'd like to think that too" she said, grabbing her coat, and purse, "I guess I'm going to head home now. You take care."
Emily walked away from him, and Hotch's mind screamed at him to say something, anything.
"Emily" he said, watching her turn around, "Would you like to get something to eat?"
"You want to grab dinner?" she repeated, with a smile on her face, "Are you asking me on a date?"
Hotch couldn't hide the small smile on his own face, "I guess I am. Do you want to?"
"I'd love to" she said, watching him walk over to her, and taking her hand again as the two walked out of the bullpen towards the elevator.
"See Carolyn, happy endings do exist" Dave said, watching from the blinds in his office, "And I think you would've liked Emily too."
Dave set his old wedding photo of him and Carolyn down on his desk, next to the one of him and Emily.
He turned watching his two friends from his office window, happy that they could get their own happy ending.
Alex Haley said, "In every conceivable manner, the family is a link to our past, bridge to our future."
THE END
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