"Hi," Emily's voice was neutral as Jack rushed forward to cling onto her legs. She watched as the young boy's mother took in the scene before her and glared. Emily reached down to lift Jack onto her hip and turned hesitantly back to Haley.

"What are you doing here? Aaron didn't tell me you were working on any cases." Haley's eyes flashed angrily as she saw how excited her son was to see his father's colleague. This was not normal, considering that Jack had been to the office only a handful of times. They couldn't possibly be this close. "And where is Aaron?"

Like he'd have to anyway, she thought with an internal sigh. Instead, she put on a polite smile and shook her head. "No cases. We were just eating a late lunch since we just got back from one. He left a little while ago to get Jack some movies."

"Finding Nemo?!" Jack's voice made Emily smile and she tickled his side as she nodded.

"Yup and a few others."

"You were eating lunch together?" Haley broke through her son and Emily's conversation quickly.

"Yes." Emily thought that keeping it short and sweet would be the better way to go with this.

"Emmy is Daddy's special friend," Jack added with an innocent grin.

Emily stared down at the young child in her arms and sighed loudly. Alrighty, then. "What Jack means is—"

"Oh, I know exactly what he means, Agent Prentiss. You did know that this was Aaron's weekend with Jack, right? Because he doesn't get many with his son."

Emily cocked a brow at Haley. "Yes, I'm completely aware that Aaron has him for the weekend. He told me on the flight back. I was going to head home when Aaron asked me to come over and see Jack."

"He invited you?" Haley seemed somewhat reluctant to accept that. She continued to glare at the tall, brunette woman holding her child so easily. How much time had her ex-husband's little girlfriend actually spent with her son? They seemed comfortable to be in each others arms, despite the tick tension hanging in the air between the two women.

"He did." Emily nodded.

"How long have you two been together?" Her tone was bitter and Emily didn't like it at all. What made Haley think she was superior to her? Emily was a good person, she always tried to put everyone before herself and succeeded easily. She took care of her boyfriend's son as if he were her own. She was trying her hardest to be as civil as she could be to his ex-wife as well. She sure as hell wouldn't let herself crack under Haley's scrutinization.

"That's none of your business. I'm sorry but if there's nothing more, I'd very much like to get back into the apartment."

Haley actually seemed startled at Emily's rudeness. I apologize, your highness, Emily thought as she reached out for Jack's small blue suitcase and his bag of books and toys. Haley released them to her and reached out for her son. Emily set him down and took hold of the bags as she placed them just inside the door.

"Bye, baby. I love you," Haley told her son as she pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Love you too, Mommy." He flung an arm around his mother's neck and then released her to scamper through the open door.

"Tell Aaron to drop him off at my mother's Sunday," she told Emily quietly, a whole lot politer than before.

Emily nodded and sighed as Haley turned to leave. "Haley, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so snobbish, it's just..."

"Awkward? Yeah, and you were right. It's none of my business. You know, I have to go."

Emily waited until Haley reached the elevator and had stepped in before she turned around and headed in to look for Jack. A loud crash from the next room had her slamming the door and running to find the small Hotchner.

"Oops..." Jack's voice rang out.

Emily laughed as Jack came dragging the broom into the kitchen, where she was throwing away the shattered picture frame that he had knocked over. She crossed the room to help him out. She reached for the broom and he willingly gave it up with an exhausted sigh.

"I'm sorry, Emmy. Will Daddy be mad at me?" His voice was tiny as he asked her and she gave him a reassuring smile.

"No, Jack. Daddy won't be mad; it was an accident," she replied as she placed to broom back into place in the small closet Hotch had in his kitchen. She closed the door with a muted click and reached down to tickle Jack's sides. The little boy giggled and gently pushed at her hands, but when he realized she wasn't going to stop, he squealed and darted for the living room.

Jack collapsed onto the sofa with Emily right behind him. "Tickle monster," he screeched through his laughter. "Tickle monster!"

Emily laughed along with him as she finally let him go. He was starting to lose his breath. "The tickle monster is tired," she said as she collapsed back against the dark cushions. "And she's too old to be chasing Jack around the apartment."

Jack giggled at her and shook his head violently. "You're not old, Emmy! That's Uncle Dave."

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. No need to encourage Jack to repeat this anywhere else. "That he is, but let's just keep that between the two of is okay? We don't want to make Uncle Dave feel bad. He still believes he's the stud he was back in the 70s."

"What's a stud?"

"Nothing you need to know about just yet," was her quick cover-up.

Jack stared at her for a moment before shrugging. "Okay."

There was a long pause as Jack turned away from her and stared down at the sneakers covering his feet.

"Emmy?"

"Yes, Jack?"

"Why don't you and Mommy like each other?"

The question startled her. She shifted, unsure of how to answer his question. How did you explain to a four year old child that you didn't get along with his mother? All because Haley had bitter feelings toward the woman her ex-husband had fallen in love with shortly after their divorce. Hotch had explained to her then that his and Haley's marriage was long over, that they hadn't been in love with each other for quite some time. But Emily wasn't so sure the same went for Haley, her attitude today proved it.

"We do like each other, honey. It's just a bit complicated for the two of us. She's not happy that your Daddy and I are happy together." And she has to act like a bitch to prove it. Of course, she would never say that out loud. She never took Jack's love and friendship for granted and she wasn't going to ruin it because she had her own bitter feelings toward her boyfriend's ex-wife. She had kept her mouth shut for the past few months while her relationship with Hotch had grown more serious, and she was going to continue to do so. Hotch had told that he loved her and only her and she believed him completely.

"But she has Mr. Jacobs. Why is she mad that Daddy has you?"

Emily smiled at the fact that Jack still referred to Haley's boyfriend so formally. "I'm not sure, baby, but it's better that you don't ask her about it okay? She and I both love you very much, just like Daddy, whether we're friends and like each other or not."

Jack simply nodded his head as he crawled into Emily's lap. "Okay. I love you too. Emmy? I'm sleepy."

She cradled him in her arms as she stood, careful to not jostle him around. "Alright, sweet boy. It's off to take a siesta."

"What's that?" He asked sleepily, his words slurring together.

Emily grinned and shook her head as she made her way carefully to Jack's room. "It's Spanish for 'nap'," she whispered.

"Oh, okay." And he was out like a light.

Emily pushed the door open to his room with her elbow. She expertly switched the tiny body into one arm and pulled the covers back to his bed before setting him down on it. She pulled them back up to cover his sleeping form and watched him for a few seconds. She turned to leave and left the door wide open in case he were to need her.