It was late evening and she had no intention of going out because she was tired as hell. This year the Christmas party wasn't bad but it stil tired her out so as soon as they got back home, she went to her room, took her shoes off and then her clothes followed. She laid on her bed in just bra and panties for a while before she decided the bra was too much so she got up, picked a random extra large t-shirt and put it on.

She felt a whole new level of freedom as soon as her girls were out of jail.

She put the lights out and laid back on the her eyes and rested.


In her office, Elizabeth was catching up with the work she left behind during the past two days when the doorbell rang. It's late. Who could ever be? she pondered but then pushed the thought away and went back to her paperwork.

Doorbell again.

"Is anyone going to-" she didn't finish the sentence because she remembered that the maid had the week off so she got up herself and walked towards the door "Emily! Are you dead or something?" she yelled to the quiet house and then opened the door.

"Hello Mrs Preniss. I'm- uhm- I'm sorry to be here so late I just-" why was he so nervous? "Is Emily home?"

"Who are you?" Elizabeth asked skeptical.

"Oh! Right!" he took out his hand "I'm Aaron Hotchner, a friend of your daughter's. It's a pleasure to meet you" Emily's mother looked like someone who did not kid. She was uptight and looked as powerful as she was.

"The pleasure is mine, Aaron. Please come in" she let him in "I hope you'll excuse me but I've got some work to do" she told him where Emily's room was "I hope my daughter will be a better host than I was. Either way, make yourself at home" she smiled coldly and left "Excuse me".

Aaron watched her disappear behind a closed door and then looked around. The house was huge and beautiful and definitely rich. He climbed the stairs and arrived outside what he hoped was Emily's room.

He knocked.

"What?" he heard a tired and annoyed voice.

"Uhm, Emily? It's Aaron" he said softly leanind over the door.

Emily shot up straight up. Her eyes wide.

She ran to the door and slightly opened it "Aaron! Hi! What are you doing here?". She hid her body behind the wooden door and only showed her face.

"Uhm, I wanted to show you something. I'm sorry I should have called. I thought it would be nice to-I should have called" he looked embarassed.

"NO! It's fine. You're fine. Just give me two seconds and I'll be right out"

He smiled at her. She closed the door once more and once more, in the last but also first ever two minutes he's been in that house, he's found himself alone in the huge house.

It must be really horrible for her.

The house didn't look homey at all, on the contrary it was cold and full of fancy forniture but nothing ever looked so empty to Aaron.

She came out and gave him a shy smile, putting a stand of hair behind her ear "I'm sorry. I was- just- uhm"

He chuckled "I get it don't worry. And again, I'm sorry. I really should have called or asked first"

"Aaron it's fine. It's just that I'm not really used to it"

He nodded and for a couple of seconds they just stood in the rich hallway looking at each then she cleared her throat "You said you wanted to show me something?"

"Oh yes! Yes. Come, let's go" he suddenly looked very excited and he felt even more excited than he did before now that he had a taste of the reality Emily lived in every single day.

She followed him like a shadow "Put your coat on"

"What?"

"Come on. Do it"

She did what she was told and went outside with him. He opened his car's door and took out a box.

"What's that?" She asked hugging her middle to try to shield herself from the cold.

"Come look" he had the biggest smile she had ever seen and even if she was skeptical she got closer to him, never taking her eyes off him in hope he would give something out with a look or an expression but he didn't so when she looked inside the box, she was absolutely, completely and utterly surprised.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed "It's so cute"

Aaron's eyes lit up "It's yours" he said and she looked at him confused and in disbelief "What?" she whispered.

"Merry Christmas Emily" he said in a soft and sweet tone.

They looked at each other in the eyes and she had to bite her lip and look up in order to keep her tears at bay and not smile like an idiot.

"Aaron you didn't have to-this is-"

"I wanted to. JJ hinted to how much time you spent all by yourself and that your mother travels sometimes and I actually surprised myself by remembering that we actually talked about it the night you came to the house so I thought this little cutie here could keep you company"

She couldn't keep the tears anymore and to hide them from him, she reached down into the box and picked up the small kitten, still wrapped up in his purple blanket."Where'd you get-" she checked the kitten's legs "him?"

"At the shelter. They found him at the park with his siblings. He's the only one that survived"

"That's s sad!" she exclaimed cuddling the small cat "Yeah. When I saw him I just knew he was perfect for you"

She looked at him again. "Thank you Aaron" she said hugging him while still holding the cute animal.

She rested her cheek on the shoulder and he touched her back with his hands and suddenly it wasn't winter anymore.
The warmth the touch of their bodies provided made it a hot spring day.

"I loved the pen" he whispered in her ear and that was her clue to pull back. She gave him a Montblanc with his name engraved on it."Well, someone like you totally needs his cool pen" she said smiling at chuckled and looked at the kitten fast asleep in Emily's arms, against her chest.

"His name is Sergio by the way. At the shelter they said you were free to change it"

"Nha, I like Sergio plus I would naver change his name. It would be weird and confusing"

He nodded, proud of the choice he made.

"Well, I guess I should go" he said awkwardly.

"Actually" she interrupted him "Would you like to come inside? We could have hot chocolate or whatever you want and give this little one some milk"

He smiled. "I'd love that" she said in a whisper and together they walked back inside.

It was easy to talk with him, they made hot chocolate and pop corns and watched Friends. The latter brought on an argument that probably was going to change things between the two of them forever.

"They were on a break!"

"It doens't matter Aaron!" she burst out laughing.

"But they weren't together anymore! It doesn't make sense"

"They weren't completely broken either"

"Yes but she said she needed time"

"And when they tell you they need time, you give them time so that you can mend your relationship and not destroy it beyond repair by sleeping with another girl. If that's what he wanted he should have said "No Rach look. I wanna screw other girls so let's call it off. It's either in or out. Plus, if he really loved her as much as he said he did, he would have never even thought about doing that to her. That's not love."

"Would you be saying those words even if it was the other way around?"

"Of course!"

There was a moment of pause and Emily knew she won the argument. Their eyes went back to the screen when Emily found herself smiling without any particular reason. She looked over to where Aaron was sitting and saw that Hotch was frowning "Are you going to pout and hold a grudge forever?" she threw some popcorns at him.

He gasped faking shock "You did not just do that"

Emily giggled and suddenly saw an evil grin on Aaron's face. He wiggled his finger and before she could run away from him he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him.

"NO AARON PLEASE!" She laughed out while he tickled her on her sides. She started kicking her legs like crazy and desperatly tried to take his hands off her but the fit of laughter made her movements a lot less smooth and at some point she gave up, totally out of breath.

"Please, please stop it" she had tears in her eyes. He was laughing with her but the tears made him stop.

"I'm gonna have mercy on you" he whispered and reached out to wipe her tears and they got lost into each other's eyes once was laying on the couch and he was sitting beside her, trapping her between his side and legs and the couch.

Their faces were only inches apart and it was just so hard to look away. He got completely lost in the light her eyes were sending out in that could see the laughter in those beautiful orbs and it was too much for him.

Beth.

Then why did he want to kiss her if he had Beth?

"I better get going" he said in a tone so low he wasn't sure she bit her lips and sat up "I don't think it's wise to be driving too late" She nodded even if she wanted to tell him to stay.

He would be another bad decision but not for the same reasons Ian was.

But because she was a mess and she really cared about him so she didn't want to mess him up was too. He was too good and too kind to be ruined by her.

"I'll walk you out" she got up and walked ahead of him. He followed a bit behind her and cleared his throat when they arrived at the door.

"Good night Emily" he attempted a smile to which she responded with a similar attempt "Good night Aaron, and...than you again. Truly. I can't even put into words how much this means to me" she put her hands on her heart and let him go.

When she closed the door, she leaned on it and closed her eyes.

breathe.

When she opened them again, she hit the door and left. Damn it.


She was laying awake in her bed tossing and turning and trying to fall asleep but she couldn't because every time she closed her eyes she saw Aaron's and would get always a little closer to lose her mind.

Idiot! she though while staring angrily at the ceiling You were getting better. It was getting better BUT NO! You had to screw up do you always have to screw up?Idiot! Idiot!She squeezed her eyes shut and held her face in her hands. She was so done with herself.

And they say men can't keep it in their pants.What am I? A pregnant horny thirty-something lady? She slipped the pillow from under her head and screamed into it. "Screw it" she sat up and threw it across the room. She then looked down at the box that was Sergio's temporary sleeping arrangment and saw the sleeping kitten.

Aaron was right.

He would help.

She felt already better so she picked him up and cuddled him "I'm a mess Sergio" she whispered to him while stroking his black fur.

"And I keep messing things up even more and more" she looked at the sleepy but now awake kitten "It's like...I can't function normally"

"What is wrong with me?" she said in a broken whisper and smiled sadly when he purred "Yeah...you're right. I should probably sleep" she said and got under the covers with Sergio attached to her.

"I could really use that pillow I threw earlier. No chance you're actually a dog that plays fetch uh?" she looked down at the black feline in her arms and chuckled when she saw that he was already sleeping once again "Yeah...I thought so" she closed her eyes and whispered "I wish I could fall asleep that easily too" she said punching the other pillow. She used two and usually the first one was harder than the once she actually slept on.

She gave up and decided she didn't didn't care about the pillow or any mess she's ever done in her life.

She closed her eyes, let all the shit go and fell asleep.