What? another chapter? Aren't you lucky?

Thank you all for the encouraging reviews

"I don't understand what the problem is, honey. It's the first time in five years that my parents are in the country for birthday and they want to have dinner with us," said Emily.

"I said no, Emmy. Your mother doesn't like me, anyway. I refuse to spend the evening with her and her fake smiles towards me," James replied.

"Fine, then you can stay home, but I am going to dinner with them."

"You are not going anywhere," said James as he grabbed her wrist and stopped her from walking away.

"Let go of my arm, James. I don't need your permission to have dinner with them." Emily pulled her wrist from his grasp.

"You are not going, Emmy." He pulled her shoulders sending her off balance and crashing to the floor. She landed hard on her back. Raising her right hand to the sore spot, just above her waist she rubbed where she could already feel a bruise forming.

"You have got to stop doing this, James. I will not stay here anymore and let you hurt me."

James crouched down and took Emily's chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him. "Let me make myself very clear here, Emmy. You will never leave me. I won't allow it. You are going to stay with me and be the perfect wife that you and I both know you are." He picked her up from the floor and laid her on their bed and proceeded to lead her in her role as the "perfect wife".

Hotch woke up to the sound of soft sobs coming from Emily. She had turned in her sleep and her back was resting against his chest. "Em?" He put his hand on her shoulder unsure if she was still sleeping.

"I just had a nightmare, Aaron. Please go back to sleep. I'll be fine."

"I can't go to sleep when you are this upset."

"I'm fine," Emily insisted as she turned in his arms and gave him a kiss.

Just like she had a few hours ago, Emily buried her face in his chest. After a few minutes Hotch felt and heard her breathing even out as she fell back to sleep. Closing his eyes, Hotch allowed himself to drift to sleep as he prayed for the end of this case to come swiftly so that the healing she has been putting off can truly begin.

--

They all met down in the hotel lobby at 7am and stopped off at a diner for breakfast on their way to the station. They spent the breakfast time joking with each other. They were all happy to see a smile appear on Emily's face that they all made the unconscious effort to not speak about the case or Mirelli.

Their brief moment of ignorance was interrupted when JJ's phone rang. They all feared that there were more bodies discovered. When she hung up the phone JJ told them that the call was from the ME and thanks to the computer repair job that Garcia performed the day before, they were successful in obtaining the identities of all of their victims.

They all entered the SUVs once again as they journeyed back to the precinct. JJ had informed them that Mirelli was out of the station helping to notify the families of the death of their loved one. As they all gathered in the conference room, Hotch asked Garcia to run computer searches to see if any of the women had similarities between them.

Five minutes later, Emily started to feel the effects of too much morning coffee. She walked over to JJ, "Hey, JJ, will you come with me to the ladies room?"

"Sure," she replied as she followed her.

"I think the unsub is local," said Reid as he was looking over the map in the conference room. "The bodies were found along a local running track. He wanted the bodies to be found. That's why they were not buried too far in the ground."

"He knew that there would be a heavy rainfall that would reveal them," added Rossi picking up on Reid's thought pattern.

"I can't find any connection between these women," said Garcia.

They spent the next few minutes bouncing ideas back and forth before Morgan glanced up towards the main room in the station. "Shit!" he exclaimed as he saw a pissed off JJ standing in front of Emily, who he can tell from her eyes, was upset. Mirelli was standing in front of them.

Hotch followed Morgan's glance and saw the confrontation. "Dave -"

"I'm on it," said Rossi as he left the room.

"What's going on?" asked Garcia as her view was blocked by Morgan's body.

"Mirelli is confronting Emily again," answered Reid.

"Garcia, get me everything you can on his background," ordered Hotch.

"Besides a few restraining orders, his record is clean. He was deputy chief for about ten years until he received the job offer to be chief," Garcia answered.

"Who is listed on the restraining orders?" asked Reid.

"It's a sealed file."

"Unseal it," ordered Hotch.

"Yes, sir." Her fingers stopped as a light gasp escaped her lips. "It's Emily. Three of them – Chicago, St. Louis, and there is one for D.C."

"You didn't know about this?" asked Morgan.

"She never mentioned it," Hotch answered.

He looked out towards where Emily and JJ were standing before. He noticed an angry Rossi walking protectively behind the two women. "Reid, close those blinds in this room. I don't want anyone from this station to be able to look in here." Reid nodded and stood to follow his Unit Chief's orders. At the same time JJ and Rossi were leading Emily into the room.

"Em, you okay?" asked Morgan.

Seeing her reluctance to reply Hotch asked Rossi what happened. Rossi put his hands up in the air, "I got to them and JJ was giving him a lecture on female respect and office protocol."

Hotch knelt down in front of Emily and took hold of her hand. "Em, baby, please look at me."

She still didn't respond, "JJ?" Hotch turned to her for answers.

"I looked around the precinct as we walked into the restroom. He was nowhere to be found. When we left to come back to the room, it was like he was stalking the rest room just waiting for us to come out. He was near a desk just looking at us with a smile on his face," JJ replied and she started to relay to them what had happened when they walked out of the ladies room.

JJ and Emily came out of the ladies room laughing about some joke that was passed between the two women while they were inside. Emily stopped when she saw Mirelli leaning against the desk in front of them.

"I've been hoping we could get the chance to talk. You know catch up on old times." He winked at her.

"We need to focus on finding the Unsub that killed those women, James," Emily replied as she felt herself starting to shake.

"I know and I have no doubt that your team will find him. Are you close to a profile?"

"We should have it very soon," replied JJ trying to lead Emily to walk passed him.

"Looking forward to it. I've always loved watching you in action. I do hope that you will be safe, Emmy."

"He lent in close to whisper something in her ear. Her whole body tensed a look of fear came to her eyes. I went off on him on proper protocol with female workers and then at that point Rossi came by." She looked towards Rossi, "You must have scared him off because he couldn't move away fast enough from us."

"What did he say to her?" asked Morgan.

JJ shook her head, "I don't know. I couldn't hear it." Emily mumbled something from the chair she was sitting in. Her head was down which didn't help them to understand what was being said. Hotch squeezed her hand,l "What was that, sweetheart?"

Emily spoke softly, "You know how clumsy you get. He said 'You know how clumsy you get.'" She lifted her head and made eye contact with JJ, "It's time."

"Are you sure?"

Emily felt her eyes water, "I can't put this off any longer."

"Alright," said JJ as she squeezed her hand. "Take your time."

Emily stood up and walked towards one of the windows. Taking a deep breath, she started, "Tomorrow would have been our tenth anniversary."

Oh no, she didn't just go and leave another nasty cliffhanger, did she?

Unfortunately so!! *slaps hand* Bad Karen!! LOL.