Thanks for the reviews, y'all! So glad you're enjoying my story so far. Btw, Stella WILL NOT be a rebel child, although she and Emily may have some problems on occasion.

After a quick dinner of spaghetti, toasted French bread, and a tossed salad, Stella decided to take a shower before bed and Emily decided to clean up the dishes before Hotch came over for coffee.

Emily still wasn't sure why she'd felt compelled to invite him over. He was her boss and he had merely been surprised by her request. Still, he had hurt her feelings and she still couldn't understand why it had gotten off with her so bad. Why did Aaron Hotchner's opinion matter so much to her? Why was it him she always looked to for approval? He was her boss, and no matter what she felt in her heart, she couldn't let that interfere with anything else.

Thirty minutes later, a solid knock sounded on Emily's front door. She went to answer it as Stella came partway down the stairs in gym shorts and a t-shirt, still toweling her hair off.

"Who is it?" the seventeen year old asked, her voice tinged with hysteria. Her foster parents' murder had started like this—a crazy man knocking on their front door.

"It's just Agent Hotchner," Emily assured her. "He's coming over for coffee."

Stella nodded and quietly went back up to her room to finish getting ready for bed.

Emily let Hotch in and was surprised to find that he'd actually changed out of his suit. He was wearing jeans and a navy polo and he looked downright…handsome.

"Thank you for letting me come by," he told her quietly, running his fingers through his hair. "I feel really bad about what I said."

Emily smiled and shrugged. "It's fine, Hotch. You were only voicing legitimate concerns." She headed for the kitchen where a pot of coffee was brewing.

Aaron followed her. "Yes, but you had valid points, too. I've been married and I have a son. J.J. has a baby. Rossi's been married several times, and he's probably not the best example." Hotch stopped for a moment to smile and Emily laughed softly.

"Anyway," he continued, "most of us have, or have had, some sort of family. All except you, it seems." Hotch leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen. "You never talk about your personal life, Emily."

The fact that he used her first name not lost on her, Agent Prentiss struggled to find the words to reply with. "Well…I guess…I try not to involve my personal life in work, not even by talking about it." Emily leaned back against the counter. "The truth is, I don't have a personal life and I guess that's why I wanted to adopt a child. I'm lonely."

Hotch nodded in understanding. Ever since his divorce, he'd been alone more than usual and sometimes the silence nearly drove him insane. He left the TV on almost all the time just to have background noise.

"What I said, though—I was wrong. The truth is, Emily, I think you'll make a really great mother," Hotch told her, closing the space between them.

Emily looked up at him. "Thank you, si—Aaron."

When I had dried my hair and cleaned up my things in the bathroom, I walked back down to the main part of the apartment. Emily was sitting on the sofa with Agent Hotchner, who looked very different out of his work clothes. They were drinking coffee and talking about mundane, normal things.

"Hello, Stella," Agent Hotchner greeted me. "Are you feeling better today?"

I nodded. "Yes, sir. My bruises are almost gone." I was referring to the beating I'd been given by the man who abducted me a few days ago.

"That's good." He smiled comfortingly.

"Hotch just dropped by for a cup of coffee," Emily explained. "Would you like some?"

I shook my head. "No, thanks though. I'm tired, so I thought maybe I'd go to sleep, if that's okay."

Emily nodded and smiled. "Sure. Oh, and I've taken some time off from work, so maybe we can go shopping tomorrow."

I smiled a genuine, real smile for the first time in days. "That sounds like fun," I told her. "Goodnight, Emily, Agent Hotchner."

"She looks better," Aaron remarked to Emily when the girl had gone back to her bedroom.

"Yeah, but she's still scared. When you knocked on the door, she was about to call the cops before I could assure her it was you," Emily admitted, running her fingers through her long brown locks.

Hotch swallowed hard. He could smell the fragrance of Emily's shampoo as she shook her long hair. "She's going to need help, that's for sure. But, I think you're the best person for the job."

Emily looked up at him from beneath her long dark lashes and he caught his breath.

The next morning, after a night of little sleep for me, I got up and walked down to the main floor. It was early, not even six yet, but nightmares had plagued me whenever I tried to sleep, so I didn't figure there was any point in trying anymore.

Emily's apartment was nice—nicer than anything I'd lived in since my parent's death. Foster homes weren't the best places. I'd never had any new clothes, or anything other than the bare necessities. The families didn't even act like they'd wanted me. I was just another child going through the system until I was old enough to take care of myself.

I could look out the window at the bottom of the stairs and see all of Washington D.C., just starting to come alive in the early morning. It was breathtaking to see all the cars and buildings. I'd never been to any really big city, especially not the nation's capitol.

"You're up early," a voice behind me said.

I gasped and jumped where I stood. When I whirled around, I realized it was only Emily. She looked alarmed as well.

"I'm so sorry," she hastened to apologize. " I didn't mean to scare you."

I shook my head and gulped back the fears that had risen up in me. "It's fine," I assured her. "I was just lost in the view."

"It is beautiful," Emily admitted. "But sometimes I wish I didn't live in the city. I only chose this place because it's close to where I work."

"Your job—it takes up a lot of time, doesn't it?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. You'll be on your own a good bit, so I hope you're up for some responsibility," Emily told me.

I nodded. "Sure, it's fine. Alone isn't so bad."

"And don't worry; whenever we're gone, Garcia is always at the office and she loves company."

I smiled at the memory of the wildly dressed, exotic Penelope, whom I'd met the day before. "Okay. Sounds good."

Okay, so here's the next chapter. Another one will be up very soon. I'm really lovin' my story, as it's a mix. More characters from the show will be involved very soon, since they're all going to be a huge part of Stella's life from now on.