Just a Box of Souvenirs (4)
A/N Well, I actually finished this over a week ago, then forgot to post it. I feel terrible now. Thank you to all you awesome people out there who reviewed this story and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Also, just saying that the cork thing is what my Dad used to tell me when I was younger :)
It was well past midnight when I reached for the fifth item on the table. The pain was numbed now; I was lost in a blissful cocoon of happy and love filled times. I knew I would be tired at work tomorrow but I couldn't stop. It was as though seeing these things, reliving these memories, was becoming an addiction. I was addicted to Emily. And as I clung to the scrap of paper in my hands, ready to immerse myself in yet another memory, I knew I always would be.
/+/+\+\
8 months, 4 weeks, 3 days.
Emily was pissed off. I could see it in the way she signed her reports a little too fierce, held herself a little too stiff and spoke a little too harsh. And I wasn't the only one who had noticed it: all the people down on the bullpen were shooting wary glances her way and the only one who dared to approach her was JJ. I think she was feeling stupidly brave.
It didn't take a profiler to see what was wrong, however. Just three desks away, Morgan sat, cradling an ice pack to his face, slowly rolling his chair further and further away. The sight was comical and I snorted unattractively as I tried to hold in the laughter. As much as it was funny to watch, this whole situation was seriously reducing the amount of work my team were completing. They all needed time to cool off. Sighing, I stood up and headed towards the door.
"Right, all of you, go to lunch, now. If I see you back here before half hour is up I'll make you work victimology for a month."
The collective groan was expected and as they begun to shuffle themselves towards the elevators, I knew that the threat was sufficient. I also knew, however, that a time out alone wouldn't curve Emily's mood. It was time for drastic measures.
I took the stairs leading to the main door, knowing this time that tasteless Bureau coffee wasn't going to cut it. The queue in Starbucks was luckily quite short and I wondered why. As the nearest coffee shop to the academy, it normally had a line which stretched into the streets. I checked the hands on my watch. Ah, I thought, I sent the guys for lunch at 11am. What sort of FBI team couldn't behave until normal time?!
I purchased the biggest muffin I could find: a gigantic concoction of chocolate sponge, chocolate chips and chocolate sauce. Hurrying back to my office, I dropped the coffee and muffin, along with a note I had written earlier onto Emily's desk.
They all entered the bull pen again at the same time: dead on 11:30. Damn workaholics. Their mood had lightened slightly; the swelling on Derek's face had gone down considerably. Emily's expression was confused when she spotted the three items on her desk. She walked over and picked up the note, eyes scanning it quickly: Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward. (Kurt Vonnegut) PS. If Morgan throws something at you again, I'll punch him myself .I wouldn't want you to break another nail, Emmy.
Emily let out a short laugh and her eyes rose up to meet mine through the blinds, smiling softly at me. I returned it, mouthing 'I love you' to her, to which she mouthed 'me too'.
"Hey Emily, is that a love note? Have you got a boyfriend?" Reid's excitable chatter cut through their silent conversation. Morgan joined them, catching sight of her muffin.
"Princess, is someone trying to fatten you up?"
Emily leant back in her chair, grinning, before flipping Morgan off. She was definitely feeling better.
/+/+\+\
I glanced wearily at the next object as I reached for it. It was the penultimate one. I was getting closer to today and yet that filled me with dread. Because today there was no memories of Emily and I. Today, it's almost like there was not an Emily and I. Today, I wanted nothing more than to do everything she wished for. Today, I had no idea why I didn't want to tell the team.
I grabbed my next object greedily, needing to be once again submersed in a time where Emily and I was not just a memory.
/+/+\+\
2 months, 2 weeks, 6 days.
I popped the cork as Emily sat across from me, shaking her head and grinning.
"I thought we said we only celebrated the big anniversaries?" she said, frowning at me
"Sweetheart, 18 months is a big anniversary! It's a year and a half."
She pouted at me as I poured the champagne into her glass. "Aaron, we have a case tomorrow morning, we can't show up hung-over..."
"Then we'll only have the one glass."
"But-"
"No offence, Em, but just shut up and drink the God damn champagne."
She threw a glare my way but her gaze softened as she gestured to the empty plates from the 3 course meal I surprised her with. "Thanks," she whispered and I shrugged sheepishly in response.
As she rose to get up from the table, I stood up and grabbed her, twirling her round before pulling her to the couch with me as she let out a high shriek of surprise. We sat in silence after that, me content to have Emily tucked on my side and Emily staring at my hands as I twirled the cork from the champagne through my fingers.
She placed her hand over mine to still me, gazing at me as she spoke softly: "Penny for your thoughts?"
"I know I told you about my father, about how he drunk and had violent outbursts, but I never told you that he wasn't always like that. I barely remember it, but there was a time when he was like any other Dad, he would take me to Little League matches and go to all my meetings at school. There was a time when I truly felt like he loved me and my Mom, but it was a long time ago, before Sean was born even. Like I said, I barely remember it but this, this I remember crystal clear." I freed the cork from under Emily's hand and held it up in the air. "Whenever my Dad had a bottle of wine or champagne he used to save the cork for me. Later that night he would sneak into my room with the cork, which he would cut a slit in the top. He would give me a coin, nothing worth much, just a couple of cent. I would put the coin in the slit and he would tell me to close my eyes and make a wish, say that this was my lucky charm and my wish would come true. He stopped a couple of days after my 6th birthday. Guess after that there were too many corks to keep."
I looked up at Emily upon finishing my story but she just wordlessly grabbed the cork from me and went into the kitchen. She returned a few seconds later with the cork in one hand and a 5 cent coin in the other. "Make a wish," she said, passing them to me.
I shook my head, pushing them back towards her. She frowned slightly so I added: "You make a wish, Emmy." I watched as she closed her eyes, smiling softly as she slid the coin into the cork. She opened them and grinned at me.
"Well, what did you wish for?"
"I wished for many more big anniversaries to come." I wrapped her fingers tightly around the cork as I held her hand, leaning into to kiss her softly.
I pulled back, resting my forehead against hers as I looked into her eyes. "Keep it," I murmured. "For luck."
/+/+\+\
I smiled fondly at the cork, despite the fact it obviously wasn't lucky. We never did celebrate anymore anniversaries, in fact, only a few days after this we had a big fight over Emily's facial injury. I shook my head, clearing my mind of that memory, wanting to focus only on the good points of our relationship instead of the factors which lead to it crumbling down.
I picked up the solitary item on my dining room table, looking at the last item that Emily deemed important enough to make it into 'the box'
/+/+\+\
1 month, 4 weeks.
"Prentiss, my office." I called, leaning over the balcony of the catwalk. I turned and walk swiftly walked back into my office, but not before seeing Morgan mouthing 'you're in trouble' and her throw a ball of paper at his head. That's my Emmy.
"Hey, sweetheart, could you do me a massive favour?" I asked as she shut the door behind her. "Could you pick Jack up from school? It's just that Jessica called saying she has a job interview and I have a budget meeting with Strauss and no one else could do it."
"Shh, Aaron, quit rambling. I would love to pick up Jack," She paused for a bit as though mulling something over. "Only if I get a half day though."
I rolled my eyes but nodded my consent anyway. She ran over and gave me a quick peck on the lips. "Must go, love you Aaron!" she said as she practically ran out the office, towards the elevator.
The meeting with Strauss stretched on for what seemed like an eternity, and as I pulled up into the parking lot outside my condo it was dark out. I turned my key in the lock, fully intending to find both Emily and Jack crashed out on the couch. Instead, I found an energetic four year old come barrelling into me, pushing me into the door with a soft 'oof'.
"Come on, Daddy, come on. There's something real important I need to show you!" He said with all the serious the small boy could muster as he dragged towards the living room. Emily was lying on the couch; however she sat up with an amused look on her face as I was practically shoved through the doorway onto the sofa.
"Any idea as to what this is about?" I asked, raising my eyebrow in her direction.
She shrugged, "Super Jack over there refused to tell me."
"That's 'cause I wanted to show you and Daddy at the same time!" He brandished a piece a paper from behind his back, waving it in our faces. "I done a drawing at school today for you two!"
"It's 'did' sweetie and it's lovely. I have a question though: why have Emmy and I got grey hair?"
"'Cause you're old!"
"Hey, I'm not that old!" Emily replied indignantly.
"No, silly, you're old in the picture. 'Cause you and daddy are going to grow old together, right?" He asked, looking at me and Emily for confirmation.
I glanced over at Emily, who had tears shining in her eyes. "You alright, sweetheart?"
She nodded, pulling Jack into her lap, tickling him unmercifully. "I'm fine but you, Mr Hotchner, are the cutest little boy in the world ever."
"Emmy, stop!" Jack screeched.
I looked over at my son and Emily together, and smiled at how comfortable they were around each other and how they genuinely loved each other.
"Yes," I replied. "If I have anything to do with it, me and Emmy will be together forever and ever and ever!"
"Yay!" Jack cried happily. "Now, help me Daddy! Miss Emmy is tickling me!"
I stood and walked over to them, carefully placing the picture on the dining room table to stop it getting ruined. Jack looked up at me with pleading eyes, as I neared them. I winked at him, and then helped Emily to pin him down.
I could not wish for a better family.
A/N Just one more chapter left! And it's what you've all been waiting for... ;) Don't forget to click on that little review button. It feels unloved.