A couple of weeks on from when Emily had made coffee for Hotch, The team had finally gotten around to rescheduling the meal at Dave's that had been postponed for quite a while.
They had agreed, that as Jack would be attending, to hold the event on a Saturday so they would be able to have dinner earlier than they would on the Friday, to help keep to the little boy's bedtime routine.
In anticipation of the fact that Dave would most likely not be serving the most child friendly food, with regards to mess, Hotch had packed a spare change of clothes for his son. A good thing too, as the toddler had ended up covered from head to toe in sauce by the end of the meal.
Once he had changed his son, Aaron took the little boy into his arms and made his way back into the room where the rest of the team were gathered, drinking and chatting.
As soon as they had entered, Jack wriggled in an attempt to escape his father's grip. Once on the ground, the child immediately sort out the attention of the female brunette who he had barely left alone from the moment they had arrived.
"Hand." Jack spoke firmly, holding his hand out to Emily.
"Jack, don't be so demanding." His father scolded softly. "Emily, please let me know if he's bothering you. Don't feel like you have to let him drag you around all evening."
"Oh, don't be silly Sir." The female agent smiled over at her boss, before grinning down at his son. "How could anybody not want to be dragged around by this adorable little man?"
"Emmy. Come." The toddler pulled at Emily's hand as he began walking away.
Aaron Hotchner stood and watched in awe as his son led the woman over to Dave's large fish tank and started pointing to all the different fish, telling her the colours of them. He witnessed as Emily listened intently, smiling as Jack poked his finger out at all the same fish over and over again, spouting out the colour. Emily beamed down at him happily, telling the little boy which fish was her favourite and then laughing as Jack kept changing his mind about which one his favourite was, every time a different one swam passed.
After getting an approving nod from Dave, Emily reached for the pot of fish food, by the side of the tank, before lifting Jack up into her arms and helping him to throw some food into the water.
The little boy laughed almost uncontrollably as the fish all swam around hectically, racing to eat the food on offer, earning a toothy grin from the lady holding him.
"She's, unintentionally, making it very difficult for you to push aside your feelings for her, isn't she?" David Rossi questioned, coming to stand beside Hotch.
Aaron cast a sideways glance at his old friend, before returning his attention to the scene playing out before him. "Yes, she is." The Unit Chief answered honestly.
The pair remained silent watching the woman and child for a short while longer, before Dave let out a small chuckle as Jack got over excited and managed to splash his hands hard against the top of the water, effectively soaking his material covered arms, as well as the front of Emily's shirt.
Hotch panicked a little at first and rushed over to apologise to his subordinate, slowing his pace as he witnessed her laughing at the situation. He came to a halt behind them and stared as Emily held Jack backwards, pretending she was going to dunk his head in the water, while the toddler playfully squealed.
"No Emmy." He cried out, with a chuckle, grinning at the woman holding him.
The female agent pulled the child away from the open top tank and instead began to tickle his side, causing the youngster to giggle loudly.
"Daddy help!" The little boy screamed out through his giggles, as he spotted his father near them.
"Okay Jack, I'm here to help." Hotch smiled and took a step closer as he too began to tickle his son.
"No, Daddy. No." Jack managed to call out in between uncontrollable fits of laughter.
Emily could feel her grip loosening, as the little boy wriggled in her arms, so quickly placed his feet on the floor, worrying she may drop him.
With his new freedom, Jack swiftly ran away from the tickling hands, still laughing as he scurried off.
The two dark haired agents watched as the boy came to halt in front of where Penelope Garcia was sat, before the blonde pulled the little boy onto her lap.
"I'm sorry about your shirt." Hotch was the first to speak, as he gestured to the wet patch on her chest.
"It's only water, Sir." She assured him, fingering the damp fabric. "No harm done. It will dry in no time."
"Thank you, by the way."
"For what?" Emily tilted her head to the side slightly.
"The way you are with Jack." Hotch answered. "He's really taken with you and you're amazing with him."
"He's an amazing kid." She beamed, casting a glance over at the small child.
"You'll make a great mother one day." He told her with a smile.
Against her will, a light blush coloured Emily's cheeks at the compliment. "Thank you, Sir."
A small frown fell upon the Unit Chief's face, confusing his subordinate.
"What wrong?" She questioned.
"Nothing." He shook his head, letting a sigh escape him. "I just… I was hoping we'd reached a place where you would feel comfortable dropping the 'Sir' a little more. At the very least when we're outside of work."
"Sorry, force of habit." She explained. "I don't mean anything by it. It just kind of slips out, I don't even realise I'm saying it most of the time."
Hotch nodded in understanding.
"Let's rewind and try that again. Tell me I'll make a great mother again."
The male chuckled quietly, before complying with her request. "Emily Prentiss, you will make a great mother one day."
The female agent grinned at her boss, before replying. "Thank you, Aaron."
Aaron Hotchner's eyes widened at the sound of his first name falling from her lips. He hadn't been expecting that. Hotch? Yes. Aaron? No. She had told him, after all, that calling him 'Aaron' felt too intimate. The corners of his mouth tugged up into a smile as he found himself flashing his dimples in her direction.
"You should smile more often, Sir. It suits you. Oh shit, I just did it again, didn't I?"
Hotch laughed loudly, as the woman in front of him rushed to apologise. "It's alright, Emily." The male agent stared unashamedly at her. He knew that she would be able to read his feelings, as would the rest of the team if they were watching.
Aaron had always masked his emotions and hidden his feelings from a young age. But more and more often recently, when it came to Emily Prentiss, he had found himself simply dropping his walls and allowing her to see everything. It was an irrational behaviour for him. What shocked him even more was the fact that, when he realised what he was putting on display, he didn't care who saw. He knew he should care, but he didn't.
Not too long ago, Hotch never would have dreamed of asking the question he was about to ask. He knew how open and vulnerable it would make him sound. But he had to know.
Emily turned away from her boss, her face coloured a light red colour. Obviously, he'd been staring too long. "I'm gonna go and get another drink, would you like anything?"
"Can I ask you something first?" Hotch drew her attention back to him once more. "I apologise in advance if this question is going to make you feel uncomfortable. I never want for you to feel that way, but I just have to know. When I kissed you, you told me that I never stood a chance with you." He paused, taking in a deep breath before continuing. "Is that still the case now?"
Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Hotch… I don't… what?"
"Look, I know I've only recently been given your forgiveness and I'm not delusional enough to think I could earn your affection easily after what I put you through. I'm not asking for a promise of any sort. I just need to know. Is there any hope, whatsoever? Even the smallest amount. Do I stand a chance with you?"
Emily pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she thought over his question. "Even if I were to completely erase our past, we work together, Hotch. I may be willing to admit that I consider you attractive and that there might be the smallest chance I could develop feelings for you, but any form of romantic relationship between us could negatively impact the team. So, I'm inclined to say no. I don't think a romantic relationship between you and I would be the best idea." She answered, her heart dropping as she witnessed the pained expression cross his features. "Although saying that, if you want me to be completely honest, I've always been a big believer of the phrase 'never say never'."
She offered him a wink, before making her way over to the drinks cart.
It wasn't much, but it was enough. He had a shot. A tiny shot, at that. But still, it was a chance a few months back he never could have expected. It was hope.