A/N: Hey everyone, I'm Amanda-JJ's sister-and since she is in Paris at the moment (yeah, you're allowed to hate her) she has asked me to post the two chapters she has ready on her computer, so I'll probably post the next one Friday or Saturday. She apologizes for forgetting to post this one before she left, she got busy and spaced it off. She'll be back on Sunday and she will try to finish up the story as quickly as she can!

Chapter 25: Violet (Hole)

We cannot destroy kindred: our chains stretch a little sometimes, but they never break. ~ Marquise de Sevigne

September 2012

Hotch and Emily arrived in DC early in the morning. Hotch figured she wanted to shower so he took her straight back to his apartment. He wanted to call Jack and Ella but he knew he couldn't, they had to take care of Doyle first and he didn't want to burden the kids, it wouldn't be fair.

Hotch opened the door to his apartment, Emily walked in and just looked around, a huge smile present on her face.

Hotch furrowed his brow as he looked at her, "Are you okay?" He asked.

Emily smiled, "Yeah, I'm great. It just, it feels so good to be in a familiar place."

Her response caused Hotch to smile, he decided to just be quiet and let her take in her surroundings for a moment.

"I'll get the bathroom ready for you." He said, heading down the hallway.

"Thank you." Emily said, making brief eye contact with him but continuing to walk around the room. It was exactly as she remembered it, simple furniture, simple decorations; the only thing that had changed was the pictures. She picked one up; it was of Jack, Hotch, and Ella on their first day of school for the year. Her eyes filled with tears thinking about how she had been so upset to miss it. She held back the tears, she wouldn't let herself cry right now, she would be seeing Ella soon and she just had to keep that in mind.

Hotch walked back into the room, "Everything's ready."

Emily turned to him and walked over, smiling at him, and as she walked by she grabbed his hand in her own. "Thank you, Hotch."

He smiled at her and replied simply, "Always."

She squeezed his hand quickly and released it, making her way to the bathroom to get ready.

An hour later they were ready to leave, Emily had taken the first long shower she was able to have in seven months and it had felt wonderful.

Hotch was finishing up getting ready when he found Emily in Jack and Ella's room. She was sitting on the toddler bed that had been Jack's before and was now Ella's.

Emily was holding a cardigan of Ella's that must have gotten thrown on the bed when Ella and Hotch were packing her bag for her stay at JJ's. Her eyes were red and puffy.

Hotch came to sit down across from her on Jack's bed. He just sat there, waiting for her to be ready to talk.

"Hotch, what if she hates me for this?" She asked, her voice quivering with fear.

Hotch reached his hands out and took hers in his own.

"Emily, that's not going to happen." He said, his voice confident and sure.

She finally looked up at him, "How do you know that? She thinks I'm dead. How is this ever going to be okay? What if she can't forgive me?"

Hotch squeezed her hands in his own, trying to reassure her with his actions. "Emily, every night I'm home, Jack, Ella, and I read bedtime stories together, after that they talk to their moms. We light candles and they both get a turn to tell their moms about their day and what's going on in their lives. Every time we do this Ella ends her conversation with you by saying how much she loves you and how much she wishes you were still here. Trust me," Hotch said, his eyes reaffirming how serious he was, "She could never hate you for what you did because you did it to save her and I know she's only four, but she understands that, you have to believe that. She loves you more than anything in the world."

Emily nodded her head, the tears still falling from her eyes. Hotch moved to sit beside her and she fell into his open arms, finally letting herself cry the way she wanted to. Hotch held her until her sobs were calmed. He squeezed her reassuringly and they both stood up from the bed.

"You ready?" He asked, extending his hand for her to take.

She managed a smile, took his hand in hers and nodded her head; it was now or never.

Hotch had called JJ on the way to Quantico and she was going to call everyone into the conference room and explain the situation. The whole car ride over had been silent; they were both anxious about the impending conversation with the team. They both knew it wouldn't be the most well received news but she hoped that they would eventually forgive her.

They arrived at the BAU and Hotch texted JJ, wanting to make sure the entire team was in the conference room, he would have felt terrible if any of them were to see Emily before they could explain.

They made their way to the BAU, Emily hadn't let go of Hotch's arm since walking into the building. He turned to her but didn't speak, she knew he had to walk into the conference room first, she reluctantly released his arm and he gave her a small smile and walked into the room.

They were all clearly confused, Hotch walked in to the room, they all looked up, studying his appearance, he hadn't shaved yet and he was just wearing cargo pants and a t-shirt, he hadn't felt like wearing a suit.

Everyone was silent, staring at Hotch. He cleared his throat, preparing himself to speak. They all had known he was coming back because of the Doyle situation, they just had no idea he had made a stop along the way.

"If you could all sit down." Hotch said, indicating for everyone to take a seat. "Seven months ago I made a decision that affected this whole team. After Emily was stabbed by Doyle she had lost a lot of blood but they managed to stabilize her, after that she was covertly transferred to Bethesda, her identity was strictly need to know. There she recovered and when she was well enough to travel she was relocated to Paris."

Hotch paused for a moment while Garcia interrupted him. "Wait, so she's alive?" She asked, her voice hopeful.

Hotch nodded his head, "If any of you have a problem with this please take it out on me. I made this decision to save Emily's life and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I understand if you are mad but right now I urge you to push those feelings aside because right now we have a chance to end Ian Doyle for good and I know you all want that.

At that moment, Emily came through the doorway, for a moment everyone just looked at her. JJ's face lit up in a smile, Garcia was smiling but was also beginning to cry, Morgan looked a mix of shock and lost, while Reid and Rossi just looked shocked and happy.

Garcia was the first to run to her. She enveloped her in a huge hug and although it took Emily a minute, she sunk into the hug, a great comfort from her fri

Reid was next, he wasn't as enthusiastic but it was obvious he was trying to hide the tears that were now streaming down his face as he pulled her into a hug.

Then there was Morgan, who just looked at her like she was a ghost.

Emily's eyes got sad again when she turned to him. "I'm so sorry." She said, moving toward him and cautiously putting her arms around him, he hesitated but hugged her back.

"You're alive." He said, looking at her, she could tell he was still in shock.

"I am and I promise to explain everything to you guys soon but right now we need to find Declan. Please?" Emily asked.

The team members nodded and jumped right into telling her everything they knew.

Hotch watched silently from the corner of the room, he knew Morgan was going to be furious with him and he hated that given the level of friendship they'd ascertained throughout the past few months, but the most important thing was that Emily was okay and he knew it might take a while, but eventually they would all come to that same conclusion. He smiled as she talked about the case like she had never been gone, they had a long fight ahead of them but he knew that she was back for good, they wouldn't let her down again.

My Mama always said you've got to put the past behind you before you can move on. ~ Forrest Gump

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