Dave set a small dab of cologne to his neck before setting the botte back down on his dresser. He smiled to himself in the mirror before adjusting his tie so it went a little to the left; just the way Emily liked it.

The author made his way into the living room and poured himself a glass of scotch, sitting down in his favorite recliner and staring over to the opposite wall.

On that wall hung his son's hospital blanket and cap, his hospital bracelet just beside his mother's.

A familiar ache panged at Dave's chest as he thought back to the two loves of his life. Most of the memories were happy, but there were those that could be ever so gruesome and scarring to his heart.

But that was the great thing about Emily.

Here was a woman who had lost her two young children at the hands of a robber that had broken into their home, and she couldn't do anything but brighten up his day. Every tme they were together, there was no way he couldn't smile along with the younger woman.

And those little girls of hers were just beautiful; they had even started walking around him. The group of four spent as much time as they could at his home; so much time that he even had child-proofed his own home. Rylee and Imogen were those two tiny lights that shined beside the beautiful, bright Emily in his life.

He turned his head to the ringing of his home phone and quickly picked it up, putting his scotch down on the coffee table before him. "Hi sweetheart. Let me guess; the mighty Aaron Hotchner found another reason for you to stay home?"

"Dave?"

The author immediately sat up straight. "Emily? What's the matter?"

Emily cried into the phone she cradled in her hand, wrapping her free arm around her knees as she sat against the headboard of the bed she and her husband shared. "Hey. I'm not gonna be able to go tonight, I'm really sorry."

Dave gave a small sigh. "Emily why are you crying?"

The brunette woman felt her chest tighten at the warmth the older man could bring her even if it were over the phone. "He hurt me, Dave."

"He what?"

Emily nodded against the phone, her lips quivering. "He grabbed my arm and pulled me across the room before slamming my wrist down against my kitchen counter." She let out a sob, her arm tightening around her legs. "It really hurt."

"Emily..."

"I'm sorry Dave, but I can't come."

Dave shook his head. "Emily where are you? Where are the girls?"

Emily sniffled. "We're home. Aaron doesn't want us to leave right now."

"He hurt you!"

Emily shook her head against the phone. "No, I don't want to anger him; I don't know if he's been drinking."

Dave let out a huff as he stood from his seat, pacing the living room floor. "Emily you need to get out of there."

"But I can't, Dave. I'm really sorry." Emily gave a small bite to her lip, hearing her husband's cursing from the kitchen downstairs. "Kisses?"

The older man felt his heart break at the crack in the brunette's voice. "Kisses, sweetheart."

Emily covered her lips with shaking fingers as she hung up the phone, letting the phone fall to the bed before she dropped her head to her knees.

Dave gave a grunt before flinging the telephone across the room, not flinching at the sound of the plastic breaking against the wall. Without a second thought, the brunette man made his way to the foyer, taking his jacket from the coat hanger and walking out the door.

...

Emily wiped her eyes as she made her way to the bathroom. She had cried for maybe fifteen minutes after she had hung up on her best friend and her eyes just refused to keep leaking; she had no more tears.

The brunette let out a small breath when she saw how red and puffed her eyes were; how messy her hair was and how dark the circles under her eyes were.

As she began fingering the remains of her tear tracks away, her ears perked up at the sound of the doorbell downstairs. Were they expecting anybody? The brunette gave a small shake of the head as she thought, making her way out of the bedroom.

Emily's eyes widened, her body freezing on the staircase when she saw her friend and her husband fighting just inside the front door. She watched in shock as the author gave a blow to her husband's stomach, causing him to double over in pain. "Dave!"

The older man looked up, his eyes heavy with rage as Aaron stood straight once again. "Emily! Get the girls and get out!"

Emily felt her heart be ripped from her chest when her friend took a blow to the chin, and she found herself quickly racing down the steps. "Stop it! Get off of him!" She cried out as she did her best to get her husband off of the older man. "Aaron stop it!"

"Emily just go get the girls!"

The brunette cried when the author took another blow, this time to his eye. "Aaron stop it! Please stop it!"