Chapter 6: Tides are Changing and Danger's Lurking

Aaron was staring intently at the legal documents in front of him. It had been bad for a while, but he thought they were working on things. Then Haley went and threw him for a loop. She set up a sneak attack and had those papers delivered to the office late Friday night after he dropped Jack off at home and she knew he would be there alone. When he went home that night, the house was empty and some of their things were gone. So there he sat, reading it over for, what must've been, the hundredth time since he got them when he heard a light rapping on the door. He didn't see anyone when he exited the elevator, so he didn't know who it could be.

Not yet looking up from his papers he called, "Come in." As he finished reading the last few lines, he could hear the door slightly open and timid footsteps creep in. Slowly looking up he saw that it was a nervous looking Emily. He should've known it was her. She was the only other person to ever willingly be in the office that early. Something was going on though. He could see it in her face. "Prentiss… What can I do for you?"

"Hotch." The tone of her voice gave away that it was something of importance, something serious. He heard her take the deepest breathe he ever heard from her before saying words no man, no matter what situation they're in, wants to hear. "I think we need to talk…"

"What's going on Emily?" Concern etched into his masculine features.

"Is that a case you're working on?" She wanted to change the subject already. Maybe she hadn't told him because she wasn't ready to have him be involved in her life. That was selfish; she knew that. But being involved with Charlie meant being involved with her to some degree and she really wasn't sure she could handle that. It was one of those situations where if she feels anything about him, anything other than how she should feel about her unit chief, she'd be forced to feel everything she might think about him. She carried a crush for him with her for over ten years, she had his child; it was safe to say the feelings ran deep. And, as much as it pained her to admit it to even herself, she may very well love him to some degree. She just wasn't sure whether she could allow that feeling, because she'd remember how secure she felt in his arms that night, how right she felt, and then she'd want that again. But this time she would know he's married and know that it can't happen. She did, after all, spend the previous five years avoiding social situations where they'd be thrown into awkward positions leaving them alone together. That was the only way they were able to coexist. When in doubt, use avoidance. Letting him know, letting him in, would be like opening the floodgate, and once it's opened, everything just comes pouring out. Would telling him about Charlie do that? Could she deal with it if it did? Could she deal with the disappointment if he wanted nothing to do with her or, more significantly, if he wanted nothing to do with their daughter? Because in the end, it was all about Charlie. Every decision had to be about Charlie.

Taking a deep breath before exhaling, clearly leaving something out, with finality he said, "No, it's not a case." The air in the office was tense. And because of that, she was worried about him, and he was worried about her. Neither of them seemed to be their normal selves.

"Oh, ok." Maybe she picked the wrong time. She did. She told herself that she did. Telling him on a Monday morning would screw up the rest of the day, no, the week. They'd be forced to see each other every day after without the two day grace period of the weekend to act as a buffer, and his reaction could change their whole team's dynamic. Innocent people could die if they were called on a case and their heads weren't in it. She really worked herself up thinking about that. She couldn't hold that on her conscience. It was like she was a teenager again feeling every single insecurity that existed.

"You said we needed to talk. Take a seat and tell be what about." Obliging, she took the seat directly in front of his desk. His frown seemed deeper and his eyes darker. That only made the feeling in the pit of her stomach stronger.

"Is something wrong Hotch? You haven't been yourself lately." If it was even possible, he was smiling even less. He didn't smile much to begin with, so that spoke volumes.

"Everything's fine Prentiss. Is there a problem?" He was just as eager to change the topic as she was. He didn't know what she was dealing with and she didn't know what he was dealing with, but they both desperately wanted to keep the topic averted from their issues. So if the focus was shifted in their direction, they tried to redirect it. It defeated the purpose of Emily's reason for being there, but that didn't matter.

"No problem sir." Sir… that's what, or who, the little girl reminded him of. She reminded him of Emily. They both said it the same way. They had the same impeccable manners. There was something about Jack's new friend that was so Emily like. He didn't know what to make of that, or even why he was still thinking about Charlie, but she remained on his mind and the fact that she was so much like Emily made him even more curious.

Emily picked up on the way he was looking at her and became self conscious. Was there something in her teeth? She skipped breakfast that morning so it was unlikely. After a silent stare down between the two, Hotch finally spoke up. "What is it you needed to talk about?"

"I moved." That was the first thing that sprung in her mind that actually worked in her situation, so she just spit it out.

"Ok." That was an issue for human resources, and while he was happy to be informed about his team's living situations, especially with one he shared so much history with, that fact didn't merit a closed door early morning meeting.

"I bought a house. So I uh…" She wasn't going to tell him. He seemed to be in a worse mood than usual and appeared like he wouldn't be receptive to such big news. Nope, she was definitely backing down. "I was going to ask if I could leave early tonight. If we have a case, then obviously that's out of the question, but otherwise… They're delivering furniture and I want it all in before the holiday." He had a feeling there was more going on in her head, but she was hard to read; harder than the rest of the group. To him, it was easy to see that that was an excuse, a cover for her real reasons for being in his office before the workday even officially began, but he didn't have enough space in his mind to question her about it. She'd talk if she wanted to talk. For the time being, he'd let her chicken out.

"I don't foresee a problem with that."

"Ok then, thank you sir." She abruptly stood from her seat. She wasn't going to tell him so there was no need to stay there. "And uh… Tell Jack and Haley I said hello." She didn't realize that she was delivering such a low blow. He didn't know when he'd see them next or if Haley would even let him anywhere near Jack until they worked things out.

"I will." When he saw them again, he would. He watched as a frazzled looking Emily Prentiss left his office in a hurry. Sometimes he just didn't understand women. What he did understand was that he was missing something. There was something she wasn't saying. Whatever it was wasn't about moving and he couldn't figure it out. Just a few seconds earlier he told himself he'd let it go, and he would, but it was bothering him more than it should have.

Emily felt a little dazed as she headed into the still empty bullpen. She couldn't do it. But she prepared for it all weekend. She was a wreck, nervous with anticipation and anxiety possibly ruining any fun her and Charlie could've had. She was pretty sure her behavior had a domino effect on the girl. They were both going to have ulcers and Charlie was about five minutes away from starting a mother daughter nail picking session. And all of that was for nothing. Absolutely nothing came of it, except her new found knowledge of her cowardess.

Back at her desk, mentally beating herself up, she was startled by a hand on her shoulder. "Sorry." JJ apologized waving her hands up in surrender as she watched her friend practically jump from her seat. "I called your name a few times, but you didn't answer." JJ saw, for the first time, a mix of unreadable emotions clouding her friend's face along with a growing tiredness. "Emily, is everything alright?"

"It has just been a long day." That concerned JJ.

"Emily, it's barely 8:00."

"I know."

"Did something happen?" She didn't want to give too much away, but talking with JJ seemed to help her.

Spotting Reid, Morgan, and Rossi getting coffee from the break room and seeing Garcia headed to her lair, Emily knew it was safe to continue. "I saw him. I was going to tell him."

"But?" Her early morning eagerness was irritating to an already agitated Emily.

"I need coffee, strong, strong coffee."

"But you needed coffee?"

"Jayje…"

"Let's go. We'll get you a large, extra strong cup of coffee and you can tell me all about it." Standing, she allowed JJ to drag her toward the then vacating break room.

"There's nothing to tell."

"There is or you wouldn't have been so spacey."

They were huddled at the table sipping their coffee as Emily explained without really explaining. "I ran into him this morning." She vaguely recounted, neglecting to add the fact that she planned for them to have some alone time. Her friend was curious and eager to hear the rest and Emily gave her most of it. She told her that he seemed to be in a bad mood so she decided against telling him.

"But you are going to tell him soon, right?"

"I would've told him just now if I didn't think it was such a bad time."

"Alright then. The sooner the better though. It has already been years."

"Right, anyways, Thursday's Thanksgiving."

"Yes I know."

"What are you doing for it?"

"Nothing special, just dinner. I didn't even buy half of what I need yet."

"I know it's last minute, but I was wondering if the three of you would like to join the two of us. It's nothing fancy, just dinner, maybe a few drinks. There's no pressure to say yes."

"Sounds good. I'll talk to Will, but I'm sure he'll be ok with it." They talked a bit more before walking back into the bullpen and joining Morgan and Reid. They were all joking and laughing when they saw Rossi exit Hotch's office followed by Hotch himself heading for the elevator. Him, leaving early; it just didn't happen.

"What's going on Rossi? Where's he going?" Morgan asked as Dave approached them. After releasing a deep sigh, he went on to explain as much as he could.

"Haley left him." He clarified. "And she took Jack." Emily felt for Hotch. He was already missing out on one child's life because of her, but he lost the other one as well. Yet, she was still glad with the decision she made that morning. Telling him then would've been like rubbing salt into the wounds, very fresh wounds.

"So she sent the papers Friday?"

"He came here to finish up some work after bringing Jack home after Henry's party. A currier came to his office. As soon as he got them he went to talk to her and they were gone."

"Gone?"

"They're staying at Haley's sister's place."

"What about school?"

"It's temporary. He only had two days this week because of the holiday, so he won't be missing much. And I think she lives right outside of town so the drive to school wouldn't be much longer."

"Happy Thanksgiving Hotch." Emily said sarcastically. Maybe she made the wrong choice. Telling him could make him feel better… or so much worse. She was so confused. She literally thanked god for the few days off. It would give her some much needed extra time to figure things out. She needed to figure out which side of the fence she sat on; tell him now or tell him later.

Before any of them knew it, it was Thursday. No one had heard from Hotch since he left that day, but they respected his privacy enough to know to leave him alone and not ask any questions. He had things to work out and needed to be away to do that. That was ok, but Emily really wanted to see him, to know that he was ok, and to be there for him if he wasn't. Despite all the lies and whatnot, they were still friends beyond colleagues. Putting that aside to enjoy the holiday, she made one last wish that Hotch was out there enjoying the day as best he could with at least one of his children. She'd have to live with herself if he had to spend it alone and in misery when she could've done something about it.

JJ and her men arrived early that morning. The two families were getting closer and Will was happy to share the holidays with them. JJ insisted on coming over early and helping out. Emily told her it was unnecessary and could've easily used her stubbornness to win the battle, but it didn't seem like a fight she wanted to win. The company was always welcomed. If the rest of the team knew about Charlie, she would've invited them all as well. "Maybe next year." She told herself.

"All the kids are outside playing." Emily stated, returning from the back door.

"Will included?" She joked knowing he'd enjoy the backyard playground and chasing the kids just as much as the kids themselves would.

"Yes, him too." They went about their chores, finishing up the menial tasks like peeling potatoes and preparing the vegetables.

"Did you ever get around to talking to him yet?" JJ decided to break the comfortable silence with a possibly uncomfortable question.

She took a moment to think about it before issuing a suitable and honest answer. "It hasn't been the right time."

"Will it ever be the right time? I mean, it hasn't been the right time for the past five years, almost six if you count the months you were pregnant."

"He's having an exceptionally hard week. Now really is not the time."

"Tell me about him."

"What?" That one caught her a little off guard.

"I haven't asked for a name, and I won't. Although if you wanted to confide in me, I'd gladly listen. But I'm going to respect your privacy. I'm just asking for some details. Girl talk… So tell me about him." She was pushing a little, and she knew that, but she had questions and wanted to know more. She narrowed down the suspect pool. There were several guys who could fit the profile as she knew it. She didn't know who worked with her mother all those years ago, but she did know of a few people who were married with a kid at the time of the infamous party. One of them was her boss. She wanted to know more about him so she could narrow it down even further.

"He's handsome." A few details wouldn't hurt. Emily had covered her trails for years. There were no tracks to follow, no clues to unfold.

"Yeah?"

"A smile that could melt your heart."

"What else?" This was the idle girl talk that JJ loved almost as much as Garcia. The resident computer geek would've been pestering them with questions and enjoying the gab session a little too much. It made her wish that she was there with them. Emily felt the same way. She wanted to tease them with the details without giving too much away. She wanted Garcia to do that thing she does where her voice gets a little higher and she practically begs for more.

"You know, you're starting to sound like our prying little tech goddess."

"Is that what we're calling her these days?"

"I kind of wish she was here trying to beat me into submission with her own brand of harassment."

"I know me too… But enough of that. What else?" They could've talked about Garcia's absence or she could've listened to Emily's, rather generous, sharing. JJ chose the latter.

"Fine. He's a little older than us. A work ethic like I've never seen. He's devoted and thoughtful and everything you'd want for the father of your child."

"Then why isn't he here?"

"You know why he isn't here."

"I do know…" It came out almost sullenly. It was like she was expecting something different and maybe she was. She knew Emily had her reasons for not telling, but she still wished she would. At the same time, tough, she knew she got more out of the brunette than most. So that was something. "Ok, tell me more."

"I want to tell him JJ." There was no holding back for Emily. Everyone was still outside as they were finishing up. They were all alone and she had no excuse not to open up. "I've been trying. I've been coming up with ways. But it never seems right. There's always something in the way. There's always something that stops me."

"Something like what?"

"Something like his bad week or my own insecurities."

"What kind of insecurities?" Now they were getting somewhere.

"All the what ifs…" Emily turned away from JJ acting like she was working on something over the sink. "What if it's too late? What if he doesn't believe me? What if he wants nothing to do with her?"

"Or you?"

Scoffing, Emily simply said, "No…" Maybe was the real answer. She didn't know. She could've wanted more but she wouldn't let herself. "Not me. It's about her. She'd be devastated if he knew she was there, got to know her, and then wanted nothing to do with her."

"Do you think he'd do that?"

"No, but that doesn't mean it can't happen." Her voice was quiet, but JJ could hear that it was so much more than what she said.

"Tell me more about him?"

"What more is there to tell?"

"What was he like when you were younger? You said he worked for your mom."

"I was a nineteen year old with a crush and a penchant for breaking the rules. He was a hard working, caring, and extremely tolerant man."

"Tolerant?"

"Anyone who works for my mother has to be. You met the woman. Wouldn't you agree?" She gave an eye roll and a subtle nod before she talked.

"Did you love him then?"

"I didn't know him well enough to know one way or the other."

"Did you love him when you ran into him the second time?"

"I had unresolved feelings for him. And things felt… I felt…" Emily Prentiss was at a loss for words.

"Felt what?"

"Everything felt right. He made me feel right and invulnerable and I have no idea why." JJ had a pretty good idea why.

"What about now?"

"What about now?" Emily repeated her question.

"Do you love him now?"

"Ok, I think we've talked this to death. Let's move on."

"Come on. Do you love him now?" The biggest grin appeared on her face with Emily's lack of answer because that was an answer in and of itself. "You do, don't you?"

"I'm not saying I do, but what if I did? What would that change?" What if she did? He wasn't married anymore. But she was still his subordinate. There'd always be reasons not to feel.

"It might not change anything, but it could explain a lot."

"Explain what?"

"I've gotten to know you over the years. You are by far the strongest, most well put together, independent person I've ever met."

"Not that I don't appreciate the compliments, but what's your point?"

"This has got you scared. You've found every reason not to tell him… because you're afraid."

"Ok JJ. I think you've started too early on the wine. You're officially cut off."

"I haven't had any wine yet Emily."

"Then you're not getting any later."

"Did I hit a nerve?" Ignoring the comment, Emily just finished up the last vegetable in her hand and took off her apron.

"I'm going outside with the kids for a little while. Why don't you stay in here and make sure nothing burns?" It wasn't a question as much as a plea. So to make sure JJ couldn't say no, she quickly slipped out of the kitchen out through the door in the living room, and into the backyard.

"Mommy!" Charlie yelled as she barreled her way to Emily. "Come play."

Kneeling down, Emily asked, "What are we playing?"

"We're playing tag. Mr. Will's it. You have to run mommy. He's coming." Emily didn't get a chance to respond because Charlie grabbed her hand and pulled her into the game at full speed. The kids and Emily ran around as Will chased them. He tagged Henry and then they all ran from him. The cycle continued for a while until Emily broke it up.

"Ok guys. I know you like to play outside, but Will looks like he could use a break."

"Please can we stay outside?" The children pouted.

"I'll give you fifteen more minutes. You know the rules. No leaving the yard. Don't open the gate. And when I call you to come in, you come."

"I know mommy I promise."

"Me too." Henry added.

"Ok. Be good and stay where we can see you." The two energy filled kids ran straight for the jungle gym as Will and Emily started to go back to the house.

"Thank you."

"Go watch the game Will. Relax, have a beer. I'm going to head back into the kitchen. I don't think it's safe to leave JJ in there alone for too long."

"Good idea." While tasked with keeping an eye on the children, Will took a seat in front of the TV and got comfortable. Emily walked into the kitchen to see JJ stirring something on the stove. She quietly snuck in and took a seat at the island.

"Sorry I left you to fend for yourself in here."

"I think I managed just fine."

"I have no doubts."

"Are we going to finish our conversation?"

"What conversation?"

"Come on Emily."

"Ask me questions once I have a few drinks in me. Maybe I'll be more inclined to answer."

"I'll remember that."

"Moving on. Let's check the turkey and see when we can eat."

"Sounds good." Everything was done just a few hours later. The two families merged as one and celebrated the time honored tradition of Thanksgiving turkey and other foods fit for a feast. They all talked and drank; the adults did at least. The kids had sparkling cider in wine glasses to feel like grownups. And as the night was winding down and bed time was approaching, Emily took a good look at the scene in front of her. It seemed almost perfect. She and her daughter were surrounded by people who were the best friends any one could ever ask for and couldn't be more family if they were actually blood. But no matter how perfect it was, there was still something missing, two someones, actually. Having Jack and Aaron there, with full knowledge of who exactly Charlie was, would have made the day whole and then it'd be truly perfect. The rest of the team would've been a nice addition to the scenery too.

Around nine, once dessert and coffee were long finished and the movie they watched together had ended, both children were asleep in their mother's laps. They had a long day filled with activities and food, so they were exhausted. It was good to let them sleep. Will was half asleep as he turned on some manly show that JJ and Emily had no interest in. They didn't really care though. JJ had plans of her own. As Will was seconds away from passing out from food overload, Emily was in the kitchen wrapping up leftovers and cleaning dishes. JJ went in there about fifteen minutes later thinking that was enough time for Emily to get some stuff done. In her hands were an unopened bottle of wine and two glasses.

"Can I open this?" Her voice pulled Emily from her own thoughts and made her stop what she was doing. Seeing what 'this' was, Emily knew what she was trying to accomplish, but gave her consent.

"Trying to ply me with liqueur?"

"If that's what works to get you to open up."

"It just might. Either that or make me loose. It depends on what kind of mood I'm in."

"Well, what kind of mood are you in?"

"Let's find out." She responded as she opened a drawer and pulled out the corkscrew to pass to JJ. "Shall we?" Taking the two glasses in her hand as JJ started to uncork the bottle, the women moved to the dining room table. Finally getting it open, JJ poured each of them a glass.

They sat in a comfortable silence, one that only could be felt among friends. Emily swirled her glass and took in its aroma like a wine connoisseur as she and JJ were in a stare down of sorts. It was like they were trying to see who would break first. But Emily knew what she wanted and decided to indulge her, just a little. She'd concede and be the first to speak. It helped that she was finishing up a rather large helping of the expensive grape concoction. A little extra of the smooth burgundy liquid always made the words come out a little easier.

"I do you know?" It was ambiguous enough to get the conversation started without going all in just yet.

"You do what?"

"You asked me earlier if I love him, and I do. It's not that kind of love, not the way you want it to be, but I care about him. I want him to be happy and safe, but that's as far as it goes." She couldn't tell whether or not she was lying. Did she mean it? Yes, she meant what she said, but whether or not it was total honesty was a different question completely. Did it go beyond the feelings a mother has for her only child's father? Maybe it did. But was she willing to experience that? No, she wasn't.

"Wait, what do you mean 'not the way you want it to be'?"

"You're trying to make this into some epic love story and it's not."

"That's not what I'm doing."

"In a way, it is." She poured them both another generous serving of wine and took a few sips before continuing. "Part of you is just curious, and I'll feed that curiosity. You deserve to know more than I've been telling you, but I have to be ready and I'm not."

"Ok, I understand that. But what about the other part of me?"

"The other part of you sees this as some romantic fairytale. Like he and I are long lost lovers torn apart by circumstance only to find and lose each other once again. Only in that encounter they create this beautiful life that she's keeping secret from him. You think they'll come together for a happy ending after finding each other one more time. But that's not the way real life works."

"But it could."

"It could, but it won't. He has another family to look out for and other people to love. And one day I'm going to tell him about Charlie, and that will change things, but it won't change anything between us. It can't."

"And why can't it?"

"It just can't."

"But why?"

"Because of the past, because of the present, because of the lies… Because of many things, it can't."

"At least I got you to answer the question. You talked. That's a good thing. I should bring alcohol to all our little pow-wows."

"Maybe you should."

"Maybe I will."

"We'll have to have the next girl's night at a bar."

"Garcia would love that." Their conversation didn't follow any sort of direction after that. Maybe it was all the wine or the simple flow of the night, but their conversation would go from lighthearted and fun one minute to serious and deep the next. It went on like that until Emily let some of her thoughts about the Hotchner clan slip out of her mouth.

"How do you think Hotch is doing?"

"I don't know. It has to be hard. They've separated before…" Emily cut her off. That was news to her.

"They did? Where was I when this happened?" She was sure she would've noticed that.

"It was before you came to the BAU."

"How long before I came?" The thought crossed her mind. Maybe he wasn't as much of an adultering ass as she thought he was. If he was separated, maybe they agreed to see other people. That would make her feel better about herself and her choices. At least, it would make her feel better about her lack of questions and complete trust in a man who was practically a stranger.

"About a year I guess. Why?"

"No reason. I just thought I would've known about that." Was it weird that a part of her was relieved? Charlie wasn't conceived in a brief affair with a married man. That alleviated some of the tension that knotted her body. For lack of better words, it made her feel like less of a whore.

"Ok." She didn't know whether she believed her. Her eyes told a different story and she looked too deep in thought for it to be nothing. It was obviously something.

"I cut you off before. I'm sorry. What were you going to say?"

"I was saying that Hotch has to be taking it pretty hard. They've separated before, but this time Haley left with Jack. They're not going to work through it like they did before."

"I wish there was something I could do to help him."

"You know Hotch. He wouldn't accept our help even if we could offer it." But she had to do something. Didn't she? Wasn't there some sort of moral obligation? She had to return the favor to a man who had given her so much. Never mind the fact that she didn't want to see him suffer and that she genuinely cared about that man.

"I wonder how he's dealing with everything today."

The truth was that he wasn't dealing very well. He'd never show it, and when he went back to work on Monday, no one would be the wiser, but he was suffering. He knew things with Haley weren't going well. They tried and tried, but unlike before, they couldn't work anything out. The littlest of things would set them off. This separation was more permanent, and it was necessary. He knew that. Haley knew that. And Jack knew it was over too. After taking off from work that Monday, he went to Jessica's to see Jack and Haley, mainly Jack, but he needed to talk with her too.

"Hey buddy." He greeted his son once he got the go ahead from his newly estranged wife

"Hi daddy." Jack said with a smile. He hopped off his chair and ran to his father in order to give and receive the biggest hug.

"I've missed you."

"I missed you too." Jack walked back away from his father to sit on the bed he currently called his. "Where have you been dad?"

"Well that's part of why I'm here bud." He joined his son on the bed, turning him so they were facing each other. "I really wanted to see you, but I also need to talk to you."

"About what?"

"Mommy and I have been very unhappy with each other lately."

"I know. You fight a lot." They tried to keep that away from him and shield him from it. Obviously they haven't done a very good job of that.

"We did fight a lot, but I want your mom to be happy and she wants me to be happy. So we're not going to live together anymore."

"What about me?"

"Well, for right now, I'm not going to see you as much as I normally do."

"But why?" He looked so sad and that killed Hotch. All he wanted was to be around his son as much as he could.

"You're going to be staying here with your mom and Aunt Jessica while we figure things out. But I promise I'm going to call and come see you as much as I possibly can." He was upset. His face showed it, and obviously Jack sensed it.

Patting his father's back while pulling him into a hug, Jack said, "Don't be sad daddy. Everything's going to be ok."

Hotch was proud of his son. It wasn't just about that conversation or how, even in an emotionally trying time for himself, all he wanted to do was make his father feel better; it was about so many things. He and, mostly, Haley raised a good boy, and he was going to turn out to be an even greater man. That conversation though, was only one thought in a sea of many that were swirling in his mind. That wasn't how he pictured his life. His son should be there with him. Haley and he were having problems for some time, so part of him saw the divorce coming, but it didn't lessen the blow. All he knew was that he and his son should've been having a meal as a family. He should've been able to balance work and home. But he didn't and that was why he was there alone on a holiday made for groups of kin and friends.

Needless to say, his day wasn't going so well. He woke up alone and spent the day alone. There were offers, mainly from Rossi, but he needed to face the day alone to get used to the vast emptiness that was once filled with a wife and child. Things were changing for him and he had to face that. Fortunately for him, the few stiff drinks he sucked down dulled the ache. He was thankful for the vacation time. It was much needed. But at the end of his first Thanksgiving without them, he found himself in a place much like the one he started it in; lying on his half of the cold bed, staring at the ceiling.

Luckily for the rest of the team, their day was much brighter and much more fun. However, the day wasn't over quite yet.

At the Prentiss home, Emily and JJ were acting like amateur alcoholics sucking back their wine and reminiscing about this and that. In reality, they were talking about everything Hotch was thinking. The only difference between the two was the levity of their conversation. They focused on the lighter side of everything from the individual members of the team and the situation with Hotch and Haley, to their kids and Will, to Emily's nonexistent love life. There was a lot of nothing and everything being discussed as they sat on the floor in Emily's bedroom going through boxes and flipping through some old photo albums. Eventually, they realized just how late it was getting.

"I'm going to go check on the kids." JJ said as she stood from the floor.

"Good idea. I'll go make sure Will didn't flee our estrogen fest."

JJ couldn't contain the laughter after that one. "Ok, I'll be down in a minute." JJ walked into Charlie's room where they laid both children down after the movie. Charlie was snuggled with her monkey and Henry was sleeping soundly on the trundle bed beside her clutching one of her other stuffed animals as a proxy for his giraffe that was left at home. He wasn't waking up anytime soon.

When Emily got downstairs she saw Will sprawled out on the couch comfortably clasping onto the remote. He was such a stereotypical man sometimes. Putting her hand to her mouth, she let out a quiet giggle. "What's so funny?" She heard a voice approaching along with the sounds of footsteps getting closer.

"I think we left him alone too long. Look at him."

"Henry looks just as relaxed."

"Unless it's weird, why don't you just stay? There's plenty of room, we've been drinking, it's late and dark, and this way is just easier."

"Thank you."

"Of course. What are friends for?" JJ was about to say something when they were interrupted by the shrill ring of Emily's cell. It was a text.

What are you thankful for love? It sent chills down her spine, and it didn't help that it was immediately followed by another. See you soon. There was nothing particularly disturbing about the messages, but they were disconcerting nonetheless.

JJ noticed the change in her friend's behavior. She looked a bit overwrought and confused and JJ didn't understand why. "Who is that?"

"I don't know." She just wrote it off. It was probably a wrong number. The logic in her told her that that wasn't the case. The use of that word was too specific to her past. But that wasn't possible. He was gone, locked away in some Russian prison acting as his cellmate's bitch. So it just had to be a coincidence. Right? That was the only explanation she'd accept. "I think it was a wrong number. Someone had a little too much to drink and decided to send drunken texts. I'm just the lucky recipient I guess."

"I guess."

"I'm going to bed." Her words were abrupt, but she needed some time to herself. She was suddenly so much more sober. "I'll leave a set of pajamas on your bed. I might have a shirt or something for Will if he wants it. Stay down here as long as you like. Help yourself to anything. And I'll see you in the morning. Night Jayje."

"Night Em." She was a little confused. What just happened? They were happy and laughing one minute, then her friend got a few texts and the whole tone of the night changed. She'd think about it more later on. In that moment, she was trying to get Will alert enough to make it up the stairs.

After putting the clothes she promised into the spare room they'd be occupying, she checked in on Charlie. The sleeping kids looked so peaceful and perfect, but she still felt something was off. Emily couldn't quite put her finger on it. But even after a wonderful day full of friends and family, she couldn't quite shake the feeling that there was something wrong. There was something in the air and she didn't like it. A storm was brewing and it promised to bring nothing but rain and destruction. She could just feel it like a sense of dread looming over her head.

With a storm came a changing tide and in walked the lurking danger. Unsuspecting souls are susceptible to fall prey. Unfortunately for Emily, this predator had a specific target in his sights.

Yes, I'm evil. You can tell me I'm a terrible person for having her chicken out. But what kind of story would it be if things went smoothly. No it has to be bigger than an awkward hush. Hush conversation in the middle of the BAU. But it will happen. I promise it will.

There's a little Hotch in here. Next chapter should include more team action. I'm thinking about sending them out on a case. We shall see I guess. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors.

Thank you everyone who has added this story to alerts or favorites and to those of you who have given feedback. Opinions are much appreciated; feedback, input, whatever. Constructive criticism also welcomed. I hope you enjoy. Until next time…