Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Twenty One: Getting Away

March 2013 (Present Time)

Emily looked up at the window as Garcia and JJ tapped on it lightly. She smiled at her friends as they seemed to melt looking at Lily asleep in her bed. She wished they could come in but Lily was still too little and some of the other babies were still sick so visitor time was only for families. Hotch was an exception.

Carefully closing the incubator Emily made her way out of the NICU and into the hall with the blonde women. "Hey guys" she embraced them both with a hug.

"How is my little angel tonight?" Garcia held Emily's hand still gawking at the baby.

"She's good. What are you doing here? Not that I'm not happy to see you but Morgan said you got a case." Everyone had been by everyday but after Morgan said they had a case she figured they would be gone for a few days.

"We do but it's not our normal case. We have a special case but we need you for it." JJ smiled at Garcia sharing an evil look.

Emily tried to back away but Garcia still had her hand. "No, whatever this is no. I'm not leaving this hospital so whatever you have cooked up no." she eyed the blondes but neither showed surrender in the near future.

Garcia pulled at Emily's arm and much to Emily's resistance managed to pull her to the restroom a few feet away. "Now Gumdrop you have been in this place for days and frankly you need out. And I know you don't want to leave that precious baby but luckily we found someone who can be with her so you can have some fun." as Emily opened her mouth to protest JJ placed her hand in the air.

"No, you are leaving even if we have to carry you. Now put this on and please run a brush through your hair." JJ told the brunette with a look of disgust and handed her a black dress on a hanger and a bag with hair supplies and make up. "There are no windows or other exits so please don't take too long. We will be right outside."

After the blondes made their exit Emily looked at herself in the mirror hanging over the row of sinks. "Man you really do look bad." She ran her hands through her unruly locks. Sighing softly she look at the dress. It was loose and flowed down nicely, she just hoped it didn't mess with the healing scar on her belly too much. "This is gonna suck!" she groaned stomping into the empty stall.

Outside the restroom JJ and Garcia had their noses pressed up against the glass with big smiles on their faces pointing at the babies. "Ms. Garcia?" a confident voice came from behind them.

"Oh, Mrs. Prentiss." They both turned to the woman. "So glad you could do this for us, I mean Emily." Garcia corrected. Soon after Hotch's call for help the group decided to call the ambassador to come be with Lily while Emily was away. And luckily the woman agreed. They just left out the part of her daughter being forced into it.

"Where's Emily?" the older woman asked looking around for the missing brunette.

"Uh…she's in the restroom getting ready. Here is Lily though." JJ said bringing her attention to the infant in the window.

"She is darling. Don't you think?" Elizabeth ran her eyes over the baby.

"She is." They both agreed now all three of them gawking.

A throat cleared behind them taking their attention away from the baby and onto the brunette. "So how do I look?" she asked. "Mom what are you doing here?" she asked but had a feeling she knew what the ambassador was doing there.

"Great!" Garcia squealed. "Now let's get you going." She tried moving Emily but she wasn't going.

"I'm sitting with Lily while you're out. Didn't you know?" she asked eyeing Garcia.

The blonde huffed "Okay, yes your mother is here to sit with Baby Girl and no," she turned to the ambassador "Em didn't know because this was supposed to be a surprise."

The older woman smiled "Haven't left the hospital dear?" she chuckled softly as her daughter huff and rolled her eyes.

"No"

"Well now is the time I'm here to see my granddaughter and you are going out. Have a nice time." Elizabeth followed JJ over to the nurse's station to get all signed in. Hotch had already okayed everything with the nurses so Emily's mother could be let in.

"Come with me please we don't have much time." Garcia pushed Emily along.

-CM-CM-

Hotch looked in the mirror one last time checking his tie. "You look good. Don't be nervous." Dave said turning the man to help with the tie. "Everything is going to be fine."

"I know but…don't you think this a little much?" he said looking around at the hotel room Dave paid for. It was bigger than his apartment with a kitchen and three bedrooms. Then his eyes landed on the dining table set for two. Candles lit the room nicely and the girls even placed flowers throughout the room. Even though he asked for help he didn't expect this.

"Aaron, do you want to woo her or not?" the Italian asked with a questioning brow.

Hotch chuckled "I'm not sure I want to woo her but I do want to take her mind off Lily. She's been stuck in that room for a week. It's time she gets out but… we are pizza and a movie kind of people."

At the knock at the door Dave smiled and went to get it. "Too late" he sang. Hotch looked around one last time and quickly grabbed a rose lying on the side table. Steeling his breath he nodded for Dave to open the door.

Emily frowned at seeing Dave opening the door. She pretty much figured it was Hotch who set it all up but no there was Dave. "Uh…hi." She said.

"Oh don't worry Em, I'm not staying. Your prince is in there." He kissed her cheek and walked down the hall.

Emily shook her head and took a step inside. "Wow" her eyes went wide taking in the room. When they finally landed on Hotch she smiled. He always looked good in a suit, she sighed. "Hey"

"Hey" he grinned. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks I guess. I was pretty rudely told I was not lookin so good at the hospital. You know you could have said something instead of sending the twisted sisters after me." She joked walking towards him.

"Yeah sorry about that. Not all of this was me." He gesture to the room itself.

"I guessed that." She laughed. "So how long am I barred from the hospital?"

Hotch reached for her hand and she happily gave it. "Just tonight. Your mother and father are taking a shift each with Lily. I just thought you need time to let your mind rest and relax. Lily is fine and…" he moved her to the window. "We are right across the street from the hospital so if anything does happen we're here."

She smiled up at him. Although she didn't want to be away she was glad he was with her. "Okay but at first light we are going back." She told him sternly then turned back to the room. "It's beautiful"

"It is but not really us. I don't know why I gave the rains over to Dave but he just wanted us to have a good time." Hotch walked to the table and pulled out her chair. "Hungry?"

"Yes, the cafeteria is nasty." She told him as a shiver went through her thinking about the food she had consumed the past few days. At least the pudding was good.

He chuckled and went about preparing their meal. Not only did Dave get them a nice room but he also made them his famous lasagna. They ate in comfortable conversation but both ended up bring Lily and medical issues into it. It was inevitable they both had her on their minds.

After a small clean up they moved to the couch. "Getting tired?" Hotch asked after her second yawn.

She nodded slightly. It had been a long day and an even longer week. Though she ached to see her daughter all she really wanted to do was pass out. Sleeping at the hospital didn't lend its way to a peaceful rest. Monitors beeped constantly and babies cried nonstop.

He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in close. "I'm glad you came." He whispered laying his head on hers.

"Me too. It was nice to get away." A smile crossed her lips. "Thank you" she whispered.

"For what?" he questioned leaning back on the couch and pulling her back with him.

"For everything, you're amazing." She said snuggling into his warmth. A calming wave settled over her in a matter of seconds when his arms wrapped around her. "You are great with Lily and you're great with me."

Hotch chuckled. "I'm not doing anything. I told you before I left that I love you. That means doing whatever you need me to do."

Emily held his gaze for a moment "I love you too but…" she lingered biting her lip.

He snapped up quickly. She wasn't going to pull away from him again. "You are going to have to get over whatever is holding you back. I'm not trying to push you into this but for heaven's sake Emily I love you and you love me. That's all there is to it. I will apologize for the rest of my life for hurting you but I will not apologize for protecting you. I will do anything for you. Anything."

"But it's not just me anymore Aaron." She countered sitting up.

"You think I don't know that. I've been in that room falling in love with that little girl for a week." he got off the couch. Pacing was the only thing keeping his temper down. He was tired of her pulling away just as they were getting somewhere.

"I know that and you don't know how much that means to me but…" she stopped dropping his gaze. Everything happened so fast the she didn't have the time to stop and think about why she really was holding back from him. It wasn't that he broke her heart though she hated that but she finally understood why he did it and forgave him. But the real reason she was hold back was her daughter. That sweet precious baby was everything to her but she wasn't Hotch's.

"But what Emily?" he hooked a finger under her chin bring her eyes back to his.

Emily bit her lip again. "She's not yours." She said so softly he barely heard it.

Hotch smiled gently his face softening "Yes she is. She may not be my blood but she is my heart." at his words Emily stared at him. He leaned down to her "I love Lily just like I love Jack and I will for the rest of my life. You love Jack even though he isn't yours." He pressed his lips together and took her hands in his. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side. I want to spend the rest of my life watching Jack and Lily and any other baby you want, grow up and have families of their own. I don't know how else to tell you that I want this."

Emily tears flooded her face as she captured his lips with hers. The kiss was slow and passionate each pouring every ounce of love they had for the other into it. As Emily slowly pulled away she opened her eyes to his dark ones staring right back "I want that too. I want you and our kids."

Hotch's face brightened as he pulled her into another kiss.

A/N: Yay! Happy Hotly! Let me know what you think!