Untold Truths

by Doodle19

Emily has been keeping a secret, several actually. And they're all starting to come out. Wall by wall, the protective shield Emily created for herself comes crumbling down. Secrets have a way of affecting everyone, and this one was no different.

26. Holmes' Hijinks Quarantine

I do not own Criminal Minds, only the characters I have created in that world.

Good news first. I've got a clean bill of health. So, besides the cold I'm currently fighting, because, well, I could never be just completely normal, I'm relatively healthy. Bad news is, this chapter kicked my butt, took names, and then kicked it harder… But, after staring at all 16000+ words for two weeks, trying to get it right, I figured I had to just upload or drive myself crazy. It still feels… I don't know, not right but I hope it doesn't' disappoint. I'm my harshest critic. Also, I took some creative license on this chapter. I did the research, but the made up stuff seemed more fun. So we'll go with the semi-realistic feel. You'll understand after reading. (Maybe).

Chapter 26: Holmes' Hijinks Quarantine

Monday morning came too quickly for the BAU team. But they were all happy to be getting Emily back, so that made the start of the work week funk a little more bearable. Garcia even baked cupcakes. Emily insisted there be no party like the bubbly blonde wanted, but there was no doubt in her mind that Garcia would make some sort of fuss. She was returning, essentially, from a medical leave that acted as her suspension. They could celebrate her return, but they didn't need to be reminded of the reasons for the absence. They weren't clear on the details either. Was she on full duty? Desk duty? They weren't sure, but they'd take her in whatever capacity she was offered.

Emily was actually struggling with the decision to go back, which was surprising for her. While she was bored at home and craved the action and intensity, not to mention the company, her work provided, she was also a little nervous. It wasn't the possible danger or the threat of injury. She could deal with that; mostly. It was more about letting her friends, her family, down. She didn't want to fail them, especially not in the field where she could potentially get them killed. And she still held some self doubt. She questioned whether they all truly forgiven her and trusted her. On occasion, she questioned her abilities as well. Maybe she wasn't ready to be back. What if she let them down? What would happen then? And what would happen if she got one of them hurt? Or worse…

Maybe she wasn't ready. Maybe she needed more time. Maybe she should never go back… She felt a panic attack coming on. Her chest was tight, her body heavy, and her breaths were shallow and rapid. It wasn't the first one she had since the night she left the hospital, and it wasn't the worst, but the timing wasn't ideal. She couldn't have that happen at work. Sure, Claire gave her techniques to deal with it, and she could, but was it enough? She was really considering whether her return was a good idea. Maybe it was time to permanently retire from the FBI world. But she loved it so much… How could she just give up in something she loved?

Emily wasn't the only one having doubts tough. Charlie didn't want her to go back either. She really wasn't ready for mommy to start traveling again. The way she saw it, the last time Emily was really at work, she ended up sleeping for a long time and that took her away from her. She didn't want that again. She didn't want mommy to go away and she loved having her around all the time. It was nice. She never knew any different before. Her mom always seemed to be there and, while she missed her when she was gone, she knew she'd always come back. But after everything, she was questioning that. What if mommy didn't come back? That possibility felt very real. And in her little five year old brain, it wasn't quite so rational and logical, it was just the scary thought that the one person she loved more than anything, who had been with her through everything, who had done everything for her, could be taken from her. Because of that, she didn't want her to go back, but it made mommy happy to work. And she liked seeing mommy happy.

"Are you sure you have to go to work mommy? You could stay home forever. I can stay too!"

"We talked about this Charlie. Mommy's going back to work today."

"But I don't want you to." She sulked, adorably so.

"I know baby. I know…" And she did know. She was scared too. "Nothing will be different." She wouldn't promise. She knew better than to promise that.

"But you won't be home all the time anymore."

"No, I won't. I'll be at work with everyone while you're at school."

"Will you still come get me after school?"

"Sometimes."

"I like when you pick me up."

"I do too." She assured her.

"Then why can't you always do it?"

"Well, when I go back to work, I don't get out until after you're already home, but sometimes I'll get out early and I'll surprise you just like I used to."

"Sometimes you'll have to go away again, right?"

"Sometimes I will go away on cases, and you'll stay here with Sarah. And Will said that on weekends that he doesn't work, you can stay with him and Henry if you'd like."

"But what if you get hurt again?" Emily's heart was about to burst. Her kid just had a natural ability to do that.

"I'm going to try really hard not to let that happen because, more than anything, when I'm away, I just want to come home to you."

"And I want you home…" She said with a pouty face.

"I promise you that I will do everything I can to always come home to you."

"I know mommy. But don't let the bad guys hurt you like last time. It made me really sad and we couldn't play together anymore. I didn't like it."

"Can I tell you a secret?" Charlie nodded. "I didn't like it either."

"Mommy?"

"Yeah Charlie?"

"I love you." She said, jumping from her seat and into her mother's more than welcoming arms.

"I love you too Charlie Bear. More than you'll ever know."

Pulling away from Emily, Charlie searched for her mother's eyes. "Mommy, do you like working?"

"I do."

"More than being with me?"

"No. There's nothing I like more than being with you. You know that."

"Going to work makes you happy?"

"Most of the time. Why?" Emily asked curiously.

"I want you to be happy mommy."

"I want you to be happy too."

"You can go to work, but you have to be really, really careful. Promise?"

Laughing, Emily responded, "Promise."

It was a weird start to a Monday that only got weirder, but it was a good one too. She didn't need Charlie's permission, but it sure made her feel a lot better to know her daughter was ok with it all. She didn't think she could do it otherwise, because, first and foremost, her daughter's peace of mind and well being took precedence; even if that meant a parting of ways with the BAU. It would pain her, but it would relieve her at the same time. As confusing as that was, it made sense to her.

"You ready?" Emily asked as she cleared the breakfast dishes.

"Uh huh." Charlie answered, finishing the last of her juice.

"Go get your bag and sweater. It's time for school." And it was time for work. She really hoped the day went better than her morning. Panic attacks, upset children… It was going to be a long, interesting day.

The ride in felt different. After dropping Charlie off at school, she drove on the familiar roads, but it felt different. It wasn't the first time she had been to the FBI building since Doyle. It wasn't even the second. Hell, she had been going two to three times a week for some time. And still, it felt different. Maybe it was because it was the first time she'd be staying, the first time she'd actually be working in months. Or maybe it was simply because so much had changed. A lot really had changed…

She got there early. That wasn't unusual, but for her first day back, she just wanted a few minutes to herself to get reacquainted with the building she once spent so much time in that it felt a little like a second home; a building that did give her a family. It felt good to be back though. Stepping out into the employee lot, breathing in the, somehow very distinct, FBI air was refreshing. It felt like she was supposed to be there even if she wasn't sure she belonged. But, she reminded herself, that maybe, it was the only place she did belong; the only place people understood her and accepted her just as she was.

Knowing that didn't make her feel completely at ease, though, and that was why she needed a little time there without the pressure of meeting with Hotch or being happy at whatever soiree Garcia was throwing. She just needed to find her rhythm again. It was just the first day. It was ok to feel a little out of sorts. It was expected even, but she wouldn't let it show. Once she was in the company of others, all doubts had to be stowed away or they'd just fuel the doubts of others.

The familiar sounds and smells in all their glory made her a little more comfortable. On a normal day, if she didn't have too much paperwork she needed to finish, she'd head to the gym or get a head start looking over the new files on her desk. Then they'd have the briefing to go over any pressing cases. Sometimes that meant being called away, but, more often, it was more about coming to a consensus with their profiles before they were sent to the different stations around the country.

That was what she anticipated for her first day. It was so far from what she got… What she did get, she wasn't expecting at all.

Instead of starting with her self-reflecting, office reacquainting, peace, she was met with Morgan and Rossi. As she took a seat at her desk and started unloading all the files she had from her bag, they walked in. She should've anticipated they'd all show up early too. "Look who it is." Morgan joked.

"Hi Morgan."

"Hey Princess." He greeted her with a hug.

Releasing Morgan, she moved to hug Dave. "It's good to see you back here." He said.

"It's good to be back."

"Baby girl's going to be upset she didn't beat you here. She was so sure you'd be in a little later today. Said she hacked the system and everything to see what time yo were due back."

"Yeah, well, not everything's in the system."

"What are you doing here so early anyway?"

"I have a meeting with HR. Have to update some papers and get a new badge. What do you think?" She posed. "Camera ready?"

"Hot mama." Morgan said. Dave kindly agreed, making it clear he would've chosen a more eloquent way of saying it.

"You look good. Like you again."

"Thank you, both of you."

"Ah, crap." Morgan said as he looked at his watch. "I have to meet Penelope to help her out. Try to act semi surprised. It's good to have you back." Kissing her on her cheek, he quickly left her and Dave alone.

"I'm glad we have a minute just the two of us."

"Yeah, why's that Rossi?"

"I wanted to talk with you."

"About what?" She was a little nervous.

"We've talked and I know I've asked before, but I've never really checked in with you. How are you doing Emily?"

"You ask me that all the time Dave." She laughed, playing it off like it was nothing, but she could see the real concern on his face.

"But now I'm asking how you're doing, both physically and mentally."

"I'm doing well. I'm ready to be back at work, all my doctors agree, and I feel ready. I wouldn't be here if I didn't believe that."

"I know, but I still had to ask."

"I would never do anything to put this team in jeopardy; not again, not if I can help it." She felt the need to defend herself once again. Even if they weren't attacking her, she was attacking herself and so she had to defend herself too. "Trust that." Although only to herself, she added, "Even if you don't trust me…"

"We all understand why you did what you did. We would've done it too if it was for someone we loved."

"Somehow, I don't think that's true. I'm sure you guys would've handled things better, and I wish I did too, but I'm here now and that's what matters."

Rossi leaned in a little closer, edging more toward the edge of the desk he was resting on. "And what about the panic attacks? Had anymore of those?"

Looking around her first, Emily answered, "No, no none of those." Not in a while, and hopefully not ever, though they might rear their ugly head again. That morning didn't count; she stopped it before it really began and it was just a momentary lapse. It just didn't count. "I'm ready to be here. I really am, and I appreciate everything everyone has done for me. I wouldn't be here without all of you and you have no idea how much it means to know I can count on you. So please, for my sake, let's forget that ever happened."

"How about we don't forget, and instead, we just move on? We're all happy you're here; not just back at work, but here. We love you Emily and we just want you safe."

"I know Dave. I appreciate it."

He held out an arm for her to take, "Let me walk you to HR?"

"Sure. Thanks Dave. And thank you for just… Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

It took her an hour to get affairs in order, so to speak. She signed this, updated that, sat for a quick photo. And after telling her that everything was set, the not so happy man behind the desk told her the new badge wouldn't be ready until the end of the day. Until then, she had to deal with a temporary badge that came with its own set of security issues; new protocols and all. But it was a hassle she'd willingly endure. She was back. She had to keep repeating that to herself. It almost felt a little unreal.

For months she was homebound and then limitedly mobile. And then she had a little work at home thing going on, but she missed actually being in the throes of it. But being there, being back, was different in an unexpected way. Since early on, after a few moments where she really had to consider if the BAU was for her, she found her place. She found a mold she fit into with those people and, after years on the job, she was questioning her place. Yet, even with all the self doubt, it felt good to be there.

She made her way back up to the offices. It took a little longer. Temporary badges really were a bitch. But making her way through the bullpen and having Garcia, "stealthily" lead her to the conference room. Hearing the happy calls of "Welcome back" made her feel right again. Sharing the moment of her return, truly being part of her team again, that was what made the doubt start to fade. There was still work to be done and she hadn't been tested in the field, but it felt like the first hurdle was cleared and it was onto higher jumps.

On the table was a colorful arrangement of cupcakes each with a neatly written Garcia letters spelling Welcome Back Emily. Leave it to Garcia to do the one thing she didn't want and make her happy it happened. She was sure there'd be times in the future where the questions would come into play and the past would be brought up, but then, it was all about celebrating with her family. The small chit chat about what she missed around the office, the latest water cooler gossip… It was all music to her ears.

"I know this has been fun." Hotch interrupted. "It's safe to say we are all grateful to see you here again, back on your feet, but we all have work to do, and Emily," he waited for her full attention, "I'd like a word with you in my office."

"Sure Hotch. I'll be right there."

As she steeled herself, unsure what was to come, she excused herself from the party. She'd apologize for bailing on the cleanup and silently thank Hotch for that later. She shook off the nerves. The cat calls and teasing, the "Just back and already in trouble" from Morgan, and the adorable obliviousness that was Reid… She knew she was home. She hoped the feeling stayed. Working with Hotch after everything was going to be a challenge, but whatever happened in his office was the first test.

"You wanted to speak with me sir?"

"Sit down Emily." He said it in such a nice demanding way; it almost didn't seem like a boss' command. And then he smiled. "Everyone said it, but we're happy to have you back."

"I'm happy to be back."

"Dr. Lozano gave me these." He held up her file.

"What exactly is that?"

"Her findings. Everything said in your sessions is to remain private unless you give permission that says otherwise, but when an agent is sent to therapy for whatever reasons, a report is given to the agent's superior once they're cleared."

"What does it say?" She was curious and anxious. There was a lot she didn't want him to know; so much she hoped remained away from him and the others.

"In short, it says that you're ready to be back."

"But what does it say?"

"It says, 'Confident in her ability to return, made strides to normalize her life as well as her daughter's, reconnected with mother…" He gave her a skeptical look. He knew their relationship. Emily and her mother were just two people who didn't always get along.

"What? It's true. Mother has been very understanding and she loves Charlie. That's where we reconnected." She used the word loosely.

Accepting the answer, he continued. "Doing her best to move on from incident, reclaiming her life, mending friendships, and thinking about getting a dog… Thinking about getting a dog?"

"What can I say? Charlie knows how to grate on you until you give in to what she wants."

"She wants a dog?"

"She hasn't stop asking since she met Clooney. I tried to convince her to want a cat because they're easier to take care of when I'm away, but her little heart is set on a dog. It's not going to happen."

He smiled. He really did love hearing about Charlie. "What kind of dog?"

"Hotch… Aaron… As much as I love talking to you about our daughter, we really should focus on this so I can get back to work."

"You're right." He didn't want her to be, but she was. "Is there anything you want to discuss? Anything you think we need to go over?"

"No, I think we covered it all. Dr. Lozano seemed to tell you everything you needed to know." She guessed. Was all that really necessary? "And, like I said, I'm ready to be back. I went through the physical therapy. I kicked by own butt into shape, and I even talked it out with a stranger. I did my part."

"You did." He agreed. If anything, she surprised him. They were a lot alike, and therapy wasn't in their realm of normal, but she did it. She proved him wrong.

"So that's it? We're done here?" She stood.

"Please Emily, sit."

"Ok." She took her seat again. What else was there?

"You've come along away. We've all seen you go through this amazing recovery and we've seen the pain you overcame and the internal struggles you tried to hide." She tried to intercede, to defend herself, but he just went on. "And we've seen you strive. Now you're back, and everything seems ok. You're going to go weeks... months even, feeling fine. Then you're going to have a bad day. Just let me know when you do." Hotch said as he welcomed her back into the team. They were both determined to be ok; to make the whole situation ok. So the hug wasn't too awkward. "And when you do have one, I'll be here to talk, to hear you out, or to just keep you company if that's what you need. You have a support system Emily. Use it."

"I… I will." She was slightly unsure of what to do next. Did she leave? Was he finished? Why was she feeling all warm and fuzzy?

"Emily."

"Yeah Hotch?"

"I know things are still…" He made a hand gesture that didn't quite convey the words. He didn't know the right word either.

"Complicated?"

"Right, things are complicated between us, but I think we can agree to leave that outside the office."

"I think that's best. We can deal with our issues in our own time. Here, we are just profilers, not co parents."

"I'm glad you feel the same."

"Me too." She stood from her seat once more and made her way to the door. Before she got there, however, a loud beeping sounded through the room. The beeps, much like that of an alarm, were accompanied by flashing lights in the distance, seen only through the slightly pulled blinds.

"What the hell is that?" Asked Emily, somewhat worried.

"I… I'm not sure."

"Not sure? How can you be not sure?" They both looked to each other before moving to the door to find out what was going on outside that room. They had to know what was happening. Unfortunately, the building had other ideas for them. When Emily reached for the handle, it wouldn't turn. She jiggled and jiggled the knob but it barely moved. "It's not opening." She said with panic. Being back and talking to him; that was all fine. But the idea of being locked in a room with him, forced to talk and confront the situation made her feel claustrophobic.

"What? What do you mean?" Pushing her out of the way, he took her spot and repeated her actions to the same conclusion.

"Because I didn't try that…" She just watched him try again, turning left and right still not getting it to budge. "Do you believe me now?"

He just gave her a look and said, "I just had to see for myself. It was never about believing you." It seemed to be a bit of a double entendre, like an answer for more than one question. But that was his answer as he continued to fondle with the door handle and the alarm blared through the building.

It was affecting everyone. Just down the hall were three other BAU members being locked in a room. Morgan, Reid, and Rossi were all on clean up duty. JJ and Garcia left a few minutes earlier to bring some things down to the bat cave. That left them with the grunt work since Hotch stole Emily away and ended the party early. They were in the middle of putting away the last few leftovers when the noise alerted them. They all stopped, freezing in their respective locations, and looked around. "What is that?"

"Is that the new system they installed?"

"What's going on?" They put down what they had in their hands and started to make their way across the room to the door, but they weren't fast enough. The glass doors were shutting by themselves. By the time they got there, the locks clicked and they were stuck.

"Looks like we're staying a while." Dave joked. "Better get comfortable."

"Man, what the hell is this? What kind of security system just locks us into rooms? What if a man has to use the bathroom?"

"Well, a majority of people can hold it for…."

"There's a statistic for that?"

"There are basic numbers for everything Morgan. It's all a matter of calculation. Some just aren't conclusive."

"Alright boy genius. If we're going to be stuck in here for God knows how long, I don't want a math lesson. Does anyone know what's going on? I have no signal on my phone. Can't make any calls."

"They'll tell us sooner or later. For now, you might as well find a spot and get comfortable. We'll be here a while."

"You know, this could be…" Reid went on spouting some of his crazier ideas.

JJ and Garcia were stuck too, though, their commodities were a bit better. "At least we got stuck in here with my babies. We have internet access, games, movies; the whole nine yards. I wonder where everyone else is stuck. Do you think this is serious? Oh my God, are we going to die? I can't die yet. I'm not ready for that."

"Relax Garcia. I'm sure it's nothing. Maybe it's a practice run for the real thing like the routine drills they do every so often. I don't know. Can't you hack into something and find out?"

"I can try."

Before Garcia could do anything, maybe five minutes into the alarm, a robotic voice came over the sound system. "This is an emergency. Please remain calm and stay where you are until assistance can arrive. This is an emergency. Please…" The voice went on repeat for several minutes. It wasn't a fire. That much was clear. What kind of emergency required them to be locked in? Was it a bomb threat? Anthrax scare? They knew how bad those could be. Reid almost died the last time they faced that.

"Well, that was informative." JJ said sarcastically.

"What do you think it is? Should I still look? Maybe we're better off not knowing. I need my pandas. Where are my baby pandas?"

"Relax, please. We're not going anywhere, not right now anyway. Let's just make the most of it."

"How are you so calm?"

"One of us has to be, and, until we know otherwise, I'm treating this like a fire drill. It's meant to be taken seriously, but there's no actual danger. I mean, someone would tell us if there was a real threat."

"Would they? Would they Jayje? We couldn't even tell our families when there was the looming threat of death by Anthrax and a potential terrorist attack. What would make this different?" That was not a comforting thing to say or think.

"You're right, but we still shouldn't panic."

"Well, I'm panicking." She said all flustered countless scenarios, all bad, running through her head. "JJ, I'm panicking! Do something. Distract me. Don't just sit there."

"Do you want to see a picture I took of the kids?" JJ pulled out her phone. What better distraction than adorable little faces?

"Yes! Do it. Show me now." JJ did as told knowing how Garcia could get.

Truth was that they were all a little panicked. They didn't know what was going on or what could possibly be happening to them. And, with their line of work, there were a lot of options to ponder. It was just that they were all better at not showing that hint of fear than Garcia was. She wasn't trained to be a drone. She just was who she was and that was ok. That was something they loved about her. And JJ, though used to it, would have to adjust to being stuck with the team worry wart for an unspecified amount of time while dealing with her own fear. Each and every one of them would be stuck somewhere, with people they knew and didn't know at all. It was their time to talk about things they normally wouldn't or just never found the right time to bring up.

Back in Hotch's office, he and Emily were just sitting there. Emily was lounged on the sofa and Hotch was uncharacteristically slouched in his chair. The alarm noises had stopped shortly after the voice told them it was an emergency, and, since then, they remained in silence. It seemed to be a running theme for them. There was so much that could've been said or should've been said, but they always chose to say nothing.

"So…" Emily said as she watched him play with his phone. "Any word yet?"

"No. Just a jammed signal and a dying battery."

"Dying battery huh? That doesn't sound like the Aaron Hotchner I know."

"I stayed the weekend at Haley's. My charger was at home and I figured I'd be able to use the one I had at the office."

"You stayed at Haley's?" She didn't know why that seemed to bother her. It made no sense. It definitely shouldn't have had any effect on her whatsoever. But she was feeling something. Jealousy? No, no it couldn't be that. "How was that?"

The question made him shift. Did he tell her about the conversation he had with Haley? "Fine."

"Good." They didn't understand why it was so difficult to just talk. At one point, though only in a colleague/friend capacity, they were so good at it. Conversation once seemed so natural between them. But things had changed.

"Today was supposed to be an easy first day back." Emily said after the boredom of counting ceiling tiles got to her.

"What's so hard about sitting around doing nothing?"

Maybe it wasn't the nothing she was doing, but the one she was doing nothing with. "It was supposed to be an easy day. I'd come in, fill out some papers, work on a few files, and, if luck was really on my side, I'd get out in time to pick up Charlie from school. I wanted to show her things wouldn't be too different; that I wasn't going anywhere…" He knew, at some point, that she was more talking to get it out than talking to him directly, but he wanted to hear it.

"What do you mean?"

She moved herself into an upright position, more like the professional she was. "She's scared that I'm not coming home. Once in a while, I just want to be able to get her from school and take her to dance. I just want her to know that I'm still here; that being at work won't make me absent. I don't even think that's the problem. She's just…"

"She's scared that you're going to get hurt again." He finished for her. He felt that too, and, if he was a betting man, he'd wager the rest of the team would feel that way for the first few cases.

"Damn it," she huffed and threw herself back into the couch, "I'm actually going to have to buy her a dog. You know, that is if we don't die of some airborne disease flowing through the vents right now." Her head popped back up. "You don't think that's what's happening, right?"

"No," he laughed, "I don't think that's what's happening. I'm sure it's nothing."

"Yeah… Yeah, me too. It's probably nothing." They settled in, unsure how long they day would be, and got comfortable.

That seemed to be a running theme throughout the building. There were agents stuck on every floor slowly being evacuated. There were issues being dealt with, both involving the lockdown, and the people stuck inside. All they could do was find a comfortable position, settle in, and find console in the, hopefully, friends they were stuck with.

With Morgan, Rossi, and Reid, they were spread out through the room. Rossi was sitting in the only comfortable chair claiming his back hurt and the old man shouldn't be forced into some rickety, unstable piece of crap. It was a lot like his new shoe argument; one of those things that couldn't really be taken seriously, but not something to argue about. Reid was sprawled out on the floor, head leaning against the wall and feet spread before him. Derek took the counter. He liked it. He had the best view of the outside. If anyone came into the bullpen, he'd see it. He liked having that control and ability. And, though they weren't squished together at the small table, it still felt like an intimate gathering. It was still three friends, like they were hanging out or chilling at a bar; happy with the company they kept.

"Did you know there's an average of 800 kernels of corn per cob, usually arranged in 16 rows?" Reid asked. That was the third in a series of random facts he was throwing out at them. They had nothing better to do, so they didn't tell him to shut up yet, but they didn't know how much they could stomach.

"What did you read Pretty Boy, Agricultural Digest?" Morgan joked.

"As a matter of fact…" He teased. "No. It is just a detail I happened to come across in my reading. Did you also know that in Paraguay, two people can legally duel as long," he enunciated, "As long as they are both blood donors?"

"Why would anyone know that?"

"Wait, is that true?"

"Yes, it is."

"How does that make sense?"

"Well you see…" The conversation of random facts would lead to bigger, more important things. The panic had passed, for the most part. There was still a hint of residual fear, but they hadn't heard anything. They were taking that to mean no news was good news. And they still had power, so that was a plus too.

Though, for a second there, Garcia lost connection to her computers and it caused a little bit of mass panic within her. "They should've said something by now." Garcia stated as they both sat in the swivel chairs, lounging, feet up like it was one of their girls' nights. It was familiar and comfortable, and, for a while, the talking made them forget about everything, but then Garcia wanted to check on something. She needed to, just to keep her mind from wandering to the terrible what ifs. A few clicks of her keys and she became a little frantic, "JJ, it's not working. I can't… I can't connect to anything. It's official. We're dying. We're dying and they just don't want me to find out how."

If it weren't so sad and possibly true, JJ would've found more humor in it. "I don't think that's what's happening here." She knew how her friend could get. It was better to keep her calm. "The lights flickered before, maybe that messed with everything. Try again."

"Jayje, you're a genius! I could just kiss you." Garcia excitedly went back to her systems and rebooted it. A few clicks and a little patience, and they were back in business. "It's all working. I'm so proud of you my babies." She spoke to the computers. "I can only access our floor's cameras without hacking though, and that would set off internal alarms. I don't think I want to do that right now. This new system they put in sucks. Oh look, Morgan, Rossi, and Reid are all in the break room."

"What about Em and Hotch?"

"I don't see them. They probably got locked in his office after he so rudely whisked her away. Sometimes I think if we just shoved them in a closet, locked the door, they'd just go at it like rabbits and be done with it. They can be so uptight. It would help them. We should do that one day. They both need a good time. It would relax them. Oh… Oh! I have an idea. Maybe we should find Mr. No Name New York and get Charlie her family. Apparently he knows how to rock her world. But, we should kill two birds… Let's not kill anything... We could help two friends out. It could be a friends with benefits type thing. He could just bend her right over his desk and take her right there."

"Garcia…"

"Come on Jayje. You know they'd probably be good together. And I know that it's one of my crazy imaginary fantasy worlds, but think of the possibilities. Those two would have some beautiful babies. It's be like…. Oh! Mini Charlies! Imagine how cute they'd be!"

Without over thinking Garcia's words, JJ responded. "You're crazy, you know that?"

"I have been told and drug tested."

"I'm sure you have." JJ laughed.

"So, should I try to find out what's got us locked up like poor animals ready for slaughter?"

"How exactly would you do that?"

"Well Jayje, if I told you, I'd have to kill you. We don't really want that. Just remember, I'm the oracle of knowledge. I can find all."

JJ had some questions… Maybe they could put the time to good use and she could have Garcia help find her find some of those answers; it was kind of her idea anyway. Maybe she'd leave there with a little less confusion and a little more fact. "Maybe we should just try to get in touch with the team first. You know, before we do anything illegal." Oh, she'd get her questions answered, but it'd have to wait. She had a feeling it was going to be a long day. And, for some odd reason, she was ok with that. For just one day, she could be ok with that.

But not everyone could feel the same way. Emily was a bit rattled by it all. Her mind immediately went to the worst case scenario and, even after a chunk of time had come and gone, she still couldn't school her emotions. It was her first day back, and she was spending it locked in the office with potential danger lurking both inside and out of the door. So, she found herself pacing as Hotch simultaneously watched her and his cell phone. Neither seemed to give him answers.

But he couldn't make the phone have service, he couldn't make the office phone work, and he couldn't magically make the messages come, so he turned his attention to something that could be fixed; Emily. "Why are you pacing?"

Emily stilled, faced him, and snapped, "Why are you not?" She didn't mean to be harsh. She just kept thinking about Charlie and how simply coming home late on her first day back would upset the child and damage her further. And Emily made a promise to herself a long time ago that she would not damage her daughter with her own issues. And abandonment was one of her issues. Then there was the small, but existent, chance that it was a serious situation and she wouldn't be coming home at all. Emily didn't even want to consider what that would do to Charlie. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok. Just relax. We're fine." She was reluctant, slowly beginning to move to and fro once more. He was getting dizzy watching her movement, and, though he didn't need to be, still worried that she'd collapse or relapse or just generally hurt herself, so he made the decision to get up, walk to her, and get her to stop. In front of her, he put a hand on each shoulder to still her. "Look at me." She didn't. "Please look at me." Slowly, she kinked her neck in his direction, her eyes slightly glazed, but barely noticeable, and her focus just a little off. "I know you're scared for so many reasons. This is the last place you want to be; stuck in here, just you and me. I'd be here anyway, but the point is, we're stuck together, and I don't not like your company." He smiled and she did too. It was working. "While you were on leave, they put in new locks, upgraded the security, and now there's this whole new system. This could be anything. It could be serious, but I honestly don't believe it is. We haven't had the chance to go over new protocol yet, so I can't tell you what this means and I can't promise there's nothing happening, but I'm here, and we'll get through this." He had released her once he saw her tense body hunch in the slightest as she relaxed. "You're not alone. I'm here, and, if you want to talk, we can do that." Especially since there were a few things he wouldn't mind discussing…

Moving away from him, Emily reclaimed her seat and Hotch sat in one of the visitor's chairs right by her. "For the record, right now… I don't not like your company either…" He'd take it.

Again, a smile appeared on both their faces. It was truly a sight. "Good to know." He leaned into his chair. "So a dog huh?"

"Don't even get me started on that. She has been asking for a while now, but she just doesn't understand that mommy's not always home to take it for walks and make sure it has food and water. She says she's a big girl and can do it herself, but she's just not big enough yet. I'm really trying hard to convince her that she wants a cat that we can name Sergio. Cats are more self sufficient; a liter box and sustenance."

"Sergio?" He asked.

That was one person, or two, who were relatively normal. They still had a long day ahead of them and the confined space and quiet would force them to put it to good use, but Hotch was just satisfied he got a smile out of her. And, though their current conversation wasn't really earth shattering or newsworthy, it was about their daughter and it passed the time. He was happy with both those things.

Time seemed to move along; not quickly, but it was happening. Emily and Hotch carried on with random conversation bouncing from one casual topic to the next, most of which revolved around their children or old cases. Garcia and JJ were faring pretty well, but JJ was getting a little annoyed. Garcia kept playing with the computer. One minute she'd show Jayje some ridiculous role playing game she had or whatever app she had on her computer and the next she'd go back to trying to hack into the new security system and find out what was causing the lockdown. None of that was the issue though. Just every time Garcia came close to getting the answer, she talked herself out of it and JJ had to come along for the draining ride. Doing nothing had never really been so much work. As for the boys, well, Reid was being Reid.

"If you yelled for a total of 8 years, 7 months, and 6 days, you'd produce enough sound energy to heat a cup of coffee." Reid spouted.

"That's a lot of work for a cup of coffee."

"Emily's the only one of us that would probably work that hard for her double shot this and that."

"You know JJ's order too, or just one of the coffee fiends?"

"Women and their coffee."

"Oh yeah? Is that how you serenaded wives two and three, with coffee?" Morgan teased and Rossi followed up with a witty retort.

"It would actually make sense to use coffee as a courting device." They looked at him like he grew another head. Sure, coffee was great, but it wasn't exactly a magic mate maker and Reid was lacking in that department. "Though, once illegal in three countries throughout time, there are over 50 different species of coffee beans, which are the seeds in coffee cherries. Though not commonly seen in grocery stores because of coffee's popularity, the cherry is quite delicious, very tart. It's said to taste light and sweet and described to taste like honey, peach, and sometimes watermelon. And each year over 500 million cups are consumed. It's the second most traded commodity. Thus, coffee can be a way to attract a female or male."

"Enough with the facts Reid. I love ya man, but enough is enough. It was ok for the first hour and I tolerated it after that, but I can't take it anymore. And as interesting as the history of coffee is, let's talk about something else." Reid took no offense. He was used to it.

"Like what? You want to talk about Sunday's sundae?" Morgan brushed him off.

"Well, since we were speaking of Emily, how's everyone really feeling about her being back?" Morgan broached the topic carefully. It was a sensitive subject.

"You don't want her here?" Rossi asked in a fatherly manner.

"It's… It's not that. She is my partner. She is my friend, and she is family, but she still went against us. She left us like open targets to fight a fight that shouldn't have been fought."

"That's not how it went Morgan." Reid declared. He had issues with Emily still, they all did, but he understood it too. He knew Morgan did as well. "She was trying to protect us. He threatened us and she did what she needed to, to keep us and her daughter safe."

"I get that. But that's another issue. She lied about her. We've been colleagues… No," he corrected himself, "we've been friends, like family, for years and we didn't even know the girl existed. What's up with that?"

"Didn't you talk to her about this?"

"Yeah I did, just like you did, but she's a vault. She tells you enough, but not all. Am I upset that she slept with the guy for a profile, hell yeah. Am I upset that she didn't trust us enough to let us help her, you bet your ass. But I still want her here. I still want her in my life. I just want her to make me understand."

"I'm sure she has a reason for being so secretive. You have to remember Derek that that was how she was raised. I ran into Ambassador Prentiss at an event or two, and she doesn't seem like the type of mother that garnered an open and nurturing environment. Her whole life had a political veil. There are things she doesn't know how to say. There are things she may never actually be able to tell you, but she's still Emily. You have to decide if that's enough."

"Of course it's enough. Seeing her in that basement, I didn't care what she did. I didn't care that she almost killed those men or that she literally shot a guy in his ear. I just wanted her to live. And she did. She's here. And I've been there for her. I support her. Hell, I've even talked to her and I've helped her, but I still have my questions."

"There will always be questions."

"You know…" Reid began but was cut off by Derek.

"I swear to god Reid. If 'you know' is followed by some statistic or little known fact that we don't care about right now, I might have to hit you."

"Ok, well, then I won't follow that up, but…" He got quiet, looking to the ground. He wasn't a completely opened book, he didn't just go around talking about feelings all the time and he was very selective when he did, but he wasn't a vault like Emily and Hotch. He was ok with talking, especially with the people he worked with who were just as much kin as his own mother, and more so than his father ever was. "I avoided Emily for a while because I didn't understand things. I need to understand things. I'm a man of science. She was there for me when I needed her, pushed me when she knew I needed to be pushed even if I didn't know it, and listened when I talked. She even lets me shoot off some facts without interrupting sometimes." He gave a pointed look. "Everything that happened seemed so random. We didn't see it coming and that was what got us the most. But I don't want to lose her again. So, I'm not going to take that chance. I may never get the answers I want and she may never tell me everything I want to know, but I experienced life without her in it and I don't want that again. For whatever reasons, she kept Charlie a secret, and maybe we'll find out the real reasons behind that, but if not, I still have my friend, and now I have a niece of sorts too."

"And Charlie's great, but can you really just put everything behind you? Can you forget that she put us in danger? Can you trust her out in the field?" Could he trust himself to keep her safe? Could he trust himself to not let her slip through his fingers again? He couldn't handle it if she got hurt on his watch again.

"How can you not?" Rossi finally spoke up. "She almost died trying to protect us. No, she did die to protect us and her daughter. Yes, she lied to us and trust is something we all have to rebuild, but it could've been worse. What if we didn't get Doyle? If she happened to survive, she'd be put in hiding, she'd be dead to the world, and we'd never see her again. We'd all be forced to live that lie. What if she wasn't here right now? Would you be focusing on the wrongs? Because you're right. She did the wrong things for the right reasons, but she was willing to sacrifice herself. She was willing to go on a suicide mission, risk losing her life and the opportunity to watch and be a part of her daughter's life, to protect all of us. That makes her a hero in my book. What does it make her in yours?"

"I don't know man. I want her here. I helped her get back here, but I don't know. I just… I don't know. She's my partner and she left me in the dark. I could've helped her. It didn't have to happen this way."

"She had help from someone who was there, from someone who was in danger just like she was. That was the safer choice. Clyde isn't my favorite person. I don't know him all that well. But I'm happy he was there for her and he helped her. She couldn't come to us, but she had him."

"But I'm her partner." If Rossi didn't know better, if he wasn't the seasoned profiler he was, he would've assumed the emotion Morgan was projecting was jealousy, but it wasn't that. No, it was definitely something else. He was hurt. He was hurt that she felt she couldn't go to him; that she was willing to put their safety above her own and it almost cost her more than any of them were willing to pay.

"If she had told you about everything, if she came to you as soon as she knew what was happening, would it really change how you feel now?"

"Yes." He said definitively. "Maybe."

"Maybe you would've made things worse."

"Hold up. Are you saying it was better she didn't give us any warning? And how would I have made things worse?"

"I think what Rossi's trying to say," Reid interjected, "is that we don't know if knowing would've changed the outcome. Us being in the loop sooner could've caused more harm than good. Or we could've prevented it from happening. We just don't know."

"Fine, let's say you're right. I still have issues with things. And it won't change anything. I still want her here, but we all have some adjusting to do. I've gotten some answers, but I'm still looking for more."

"We all are. I have questions and things that need clarification, but I'd rather have her with us."

"It's clear that we have to be open to the idea that Emily may never give us the answers we want, but we have to give her that chance. We don't know what she'll say until we ask. But, let's give her a chance to settle in. We all agreed that we wanted her back. We all told Hotch that when we had that meeting. Has that changed?"

"No." Reid and Morgan answered in tandem.

"Good, then let's give this a chance. Let's give her a case or two to settle in and see where things are. It's an experiment and we all have to do our part. Now, I don't do this for just anyone. My mansion is mine, but in a few weeks, after we all had a little time to get back into the swing of things, I'll talk to Hotch, I'll have a dinner party. It will be like team bonding. It could be good for us."

"Yeah, or a terrible idea."

"You got a better one Reid?"

"No, I'm just wondering how much alcohol will be consumed at this dinner party. And can you actually cook? Emily and I have a running joke about that."

"You do, do you?"

"I'm just trying to make sure we won't be poisoned."

"I'll have you know, I'm a culinary master of Italian cuisine."

Their talk easily went back into lighter territory. Emily came up a few times after that, but it wasn't about what happened and it certainly wasn't bad. Actually, everyone came up. They felt a little less pressure weighing on them. There was a game plan in motion. And they wouldn't be without their ups and downs, but they really just had to see how things went. And instead of dwelling on it, they talked about everything else. It wasn't avoidance. There wasn't any of that. It was just off their chests and they didn't need their whole day spent worrying about that. They had to believe things would get back to normal and they didn't need to air anymore of their feelings on that. Instead, they talked Henry and Charlie and Jack and weekend plans. Morgan talked about his last disaster of a date which led to teasing of Reid for his lack of a social life and Rossi for his quiet abundance of courtships. It was normal. It was male bonding. It was simple.

They even talked sports, which left Reid a little clueless. For once, he wasn't the genius in the room. He was the water boy trying to keep up with the starting players. And they had fun with that. But Reid threw in his two cents, adding what little he did know from his various reading materials. It wasn't much, but it got him by without too much ridicule. And then they moved onto literature, which put Morgan on the outs. Sure, he read, but his idea of a good read was Vonnegut or something fun. The classics and that kind of thing just weren't his style. He wasn't totally sidelined, just temporarily benched for parts of that conversation.

Even with the quiet moments, they were distracted. They were completely oblivious to the panic they once felt when the doors first closed on them. And that was what they needed. Things that needed to be said were said, and they were having a god time; a better time than they could've hoped for in such a situation. At least they weren't stuck with people they didn't like.

Emily and Hotch were doing ok too. It was just quiet, almost uncomfortably so. They were doing well at first, but they were still a little shaky. The sad part was they were actually doing their best to make conversation. Maybe they were trying to hard because they ended up sitting on the same sofa just looking anywhere but at each other. When the office phone rang, it took them both by surprise. He wasn't aware that it was working again; then again, he also hadn't checked it. "I should get that." He excused himself from his place next to Emily.

"Yeah, answer it." It was a slight reprieve.

"Hotchner." He spoke into the receiver. "Yes ma'am." Emily wondered who it was. By his choice of words, she assumed it was Strauss, but she'd have to wait and see. "Really?… No, that's great…" There were a mess of single words and phrases. "Uh huh… Yes… Ok…" Things like that. Emily was very curious. Maybe they'd finally get out of there. "Yes, thank you ma'am." He hung up with a shit eating grin on his face and a shake of his head. He couldn't believe what idiots could manage to find their way into the FBI employment.

"What, what is it?" Emily asked. If he was smiling like that, she wanted to know why. "Who was that?"

"That was Strauss." He answered.

"And talking to her makes you that happy?"

"No." He laughed again.

"Then what is it?"

"We're still on lockdown."

"Yeah Aaron, I got that. But why are we still in lockdown?"

"Some idiot down in the lab thought it was a good idea to play with chemicals."

"Ok…." She considered herself a fairly smart individual, but she wasn't following, and she definitely wasn't finding the humor in that.

"In doing so, he created a toxic substance."

"Are you trying to tell me the air we're breathing right now is toxic?" Because that wasn't a laughing matter. What was wrong with him?

His laugh got louder. "The fumes set off an alarm. The alarm tripped another alarm and the system went into overdrive. Then… and I think this is the best part…" He just continued laughing. If she hadn't been with him for the last few hours, she would've thought he was high. It must've been prolonged exposure. Was she next? Did the air make them go crazy?

"Hotch… seriously… What's going on?"

"When the alarm went off, the guy spooked. The chemicals set off the quarantine trigger and in the lab, apparently, that means loud, continuous beeping, robotic warnings, the works, and he freaked."

"So we're in a quarantine?" Why didn't that make her feel any better?

"Yes…" That freaked her out a little more. "Well, no. No we're not."

"I don't understand."

"We're in quarantine because of a false reading. Whatever he used set off something, even sent out warnings to the CDC, who came here by the way. According to Strauss, they're still here."

"Seriously?" He nodded. "I'm not really seeing the humor in this Hotch."

"The guy panicked. He didn't want to get caught and he didn't want to be locked in with the possibly dangerous mess he made, so he tried to get out. He forgot about the new security system and, again, he set off an alarm. He swiped the wrong badge, punched in the wrong code. He made it seem like someone was trying to break in; poorly at that. And then he started fiddling with the buttons." Was it weird that hearing him say 'fiddling' kind of made her giddy?

"So?"

"So he was read as an intruder. With the new system, that meant floor lockdowns so they could clear us one at a time and so the intruder can't get into any other area. Unfortunately, that also means other occupants can't get out."

"So we're in a normal lockdown?"

"And a quarantine."

"All because of one guy?"

"It's funny right?" No, not really.

"Sure." Ok, maybe a little. "But if they know what's going on, why are we still trapped?"

"Apparently, it might be a while. There are quarantine protocols that need to be followed and they still have to clear us floor by floor."

"They couldn't just override the system? They know it's not real."

"No. Strauss said that's just not how it works. Believe me, this is the one time I think she'd actually help us if she could. She's stuck with that quote, unquote 'creepy accountant' guy and all the other department heads in a budget meeting."

"So how'd she find out?"

"They heard the commotion and made it into the lobby before the lockdown then got stuck together again in that room just by the entrance. That room is small, and you know that one guy doesn't stop talking."

"How come we can't use our phones?"

"Part of the system is a phone jammer. The office phones should have been ok, but cell phones were supposed to be blocked. I don't know exactly, but Strauss assures me they're doing everything they can to resolve the situation."

"I don't think I find that comforting."

"Me either, but she ranted about how she was going to hunt down whoever chose the new security system. Since it was installed it has been nothing but trouble. It was too sensitive, too extreme, too this and that. It was nice to see her stressing for a change."

"I believe it. I'd be pissed too. Isn't a security system supposed to be better than this? I mean, really, how can we do our job if we are stuck in rooms instead of out on the floor? And how safe can all this be?"

"Honestly, I think the biggest problem is that we weren't aware of the kinks and flaws. We're on a level 3 lock down for nothing. That's the equivalent of a hostage situation or something. Level 4 is terrorist like situation and 5 is a nuclear disaster or like security threat. I honestly am not sure how this all works. It's a little ludicrous."

She nodded. "So, we're stuck here?"

"Yes."

"You should probably try to let the team know. Are cell phones usable? Mine's at my desk."

"Uh…" He searched his pockets and then moved to his desk. "Yes, there's service now." He quickly sent out a mass email that read Not an actual emergency. Still stuck for now. Everyone go home as soon as released. Talk more at tomorrow's briefing. -A. Hotchner. "Hopefully they have their phones on them."

"Hopefully."

They sat across from each other once more, not doing much of anything. They didn't know where to go next, so Emily broke the silence. She wouldn't, no couldn't, sit there in silence for however long they had left. "So, now that we know we're stuck in a hostage quarantine situation for no reason, what do we do with ourselves?"

"We could talk."

"We could." And they would…

Hearing the phones beep was like music to their ears. They still had questions, but they didn't feel so in the dark and so nervous about the possibilities. It was a relief for sure. And it instantly made everyone calmer; more themselves again. The men were seemingly unaffected. They raised a glass of the left over sparkling cider, wishing they were in Rossi's office to break open the hard stuff, and toasted to knowing they'd live to see another day and then just went about their chatting.

For Garcia, it was like winning the lottery. There was a five minute rant about how they were going to be ok, there were no evil, clown mask wearing, hostage takers waiting to massacre each and every employee in the building because of some stupid vendetta or a gas toxin released into the water supply meant to paralyze them so a band of merry serial killers could have their way with them. The things she said, even in her Garcia way, made JJ wish she was looking at case files instead of the depravity that Garcia had been exposed to, accumulated, and spit out in one big graphic mess. She had to cut her off.

"Hey, PG, want to do something fun? We're stuck in here and we know it's nothing, why not put our time to good use?" It was her perfect chance to delve deeper into the mystery that was Emily Prentiss' past. And, she had no doubt, that Penelope Garcia was the best woman for the job. Who needed men when she had a woman?

"Oh, like what?"

"You can find anything on your computer right?"

She gasped, insulted. "Why JJ, are you questioning the awesomeness that is this bombshell package? I'm hurt, hurt I tell you."

"So that's a yes right?"

"Right, but if you question my skills again, the only thing I'll help you with is finding the names of a few good financial advisors to help you through your poor fiscal choices and terrible credit score."

"Remind me not to mess with you."

"You better not." Garcia joked. "So what's this task you wish to bestow upon this goddess of knowledge?"

"It's something from over a few years ago and I don't know how public it was. That won't be a problem right?"

The buxom blonde gave her counterpart and intense glare. "Jayje, what did I just say about questioning me? I'm about one second away from erasing your identity."

"You can do that?"

"JJ!"

"Ok, ok… I have clues and I need to solve this mystery."

"So we're playing detective. OH! You can be the Watson to my Sherlock or you can be the Sherlock to my Holmes."

"Those are both men Garcia."

"Haven't you ever wanted to be a man? Just for a day?"

"No."

"So it's just me then?" JJ nodded. "Ok. You can be Nancy Drew then. Or, or Irene Adler. She's a lady detective right?"

"Garcia, focus."

"Ok, I'm focused. What do you got?"

"February 14th, 2006."

"Valentine's Day? Are we looking for a lover? Does Will know you have taken up with another man?"

"Yes, I want to tell him I had his love child. The child's in hiding, waiting for daddy to come." She didn't realize how much truth could've been in that statement for Emily. Charlie was that child and she was searching for that dad…

"Funny, but seriously. What do you need?"

"There was a party at the ambassador's home I think. Can you get a list of who attended?"

"Ambassador as in Ambassador Prentiss?" She looked intrigued. "Does this have to do with Emily? Is it about Charlie? I need details. Details Jayje!"

"Calm down. It's just a person find. Emily told me about this guy in attendance that… Let's call it a scavenger hunt. I have the bread crumbs and you have the technology. It will pass the time." And get her answers she had been dying to have…

"But I get more details later?"

"One thing at a time." JJ smiled. Hopefully by the end of the day, she'd have some sort of cover story all set and ready to go because, if they found what she was looking for, or even just narrowed down the large pool of potential donors, Emily wouldn't be happy that they went searching through her business. She wouldn't be happy that they knew, and she wouldn't be happy that she wasn't the one to tell them when she was ready. Not to mention, Garcia, while capable and trusted and very loved, wasn't the best secret keeper. She could and would, but people knew better than to ask if they didn't have to. "First we need a list."

"The lamp has been rubbed. Your wish is my command."

"I think Hotch had the right idea about having you drug tested."

"Oh hush. You wouldn't have me any other way."

"I wouldn't, no."

"Good, now tell me what you know. Tell me anything. Better yet, tell me everything." JJ just gave her an 'I'll tell you a little, don't ask for more' kind of look. "Ok, tell me the relevant things. Anything to help me."

"There was a party or a gala or something for some big shot foreign guy."

"Aren't all Embassy parties like that?"

"I guess, but knowing the date has to help. Doesn't it?"

"Yeah. I'm going to try and get what you want, but I don't know where exactly they'd keep that information. Don't worry. Just let my magic fingers guide us."

"I wouldn't dream of doing it myself."

"Because that's what I'm here for." She said as she whizzed from one computer page to the next. "Come on. Come to mama." Garcia spoke to the screen as JJ watched in amusement. "I'm gonna get you." It took some doing. She had to find and track the original invitation back to its origins after finding out more about the actual party, and then she had to go through the caterers and party planners to find out which print shop they used. Once she did that, she managed to get a list of the names and addresses of all invitees. "So, I can't tell you for sure who was at the actual event, that list seems to be nonexistent. It's probably buried in some bureaucratic privacy crap, but I can tell you that these people were all sent invitations."

"That's great. How many names are there?"

"Not including the plus ones, there're a good 300 names on this list."

"Seriously?"

"I know. How big was that house?"

"Huge apparently." JJ's thoughts wandered off. That was a lot of names, but she had a lot of clues to add. It wasn't over yet. "Ok. Can you get rid of all the women? I just want the names of the men."

"I like it. All men all the time…" She too wandered. "Anyway, yes, I can do that." A few clicks and a new list appeared.

"How many names now?"

"193. Turns out, there are still more men in the political world than women. Feminists beware, we are outnumbered." That was still a lot of names.

"Ok, well, we have to narrow that down."

"Tell me what you want me to do sugar."

"Pull the names of anyone who worked for Ambassador Prentiss from…" She had to think back. If she remembered correctly, Emily said she was around 19 when they first met, when he first worked for, or was it with, her mother. Knowing Emily's age, she gave Garcia a three year gap to compensate for her memory. She wanted to get it right. "So anyone who worked for or with the ambassador during that time."

"For and with or just for her?"

"Either. Both. Just anyone who she had worked with whether it was an equal or underling."

"Underling, I like that word."

"Focus please." Garcia nodded and got back to work.

"That's still a big list Jayje. She went through people like a normal person changes underwear."

"Ok…"

"But, it did make the list a little shorter. Now there are only 108 names. Each of those men worked for her or with her in some way, shape, or form. The rest are just associates or big shots."

JJ was beginning to feel a little defeated. They only went through a few steps and she had a lot more information stored up, but it didn't really seem like they were getting anywhere. There was no giving up though. There was just work to be done. She wanted something tangible to bring up with Emily. Not that she was sure that was what she was going to so… She had to wait and see. "Well, how many of them worked for the FBI in 2006?"

"I think I see where this is going chick-a-dee."

"Alright, we'll see. Just do your thing." And her thing she did…

While their search was commencing, Emily and Aaron were deep in the throes of another conversation. For some reason, things always came back to one thing. Doyle… "You said you were nervous to be back. Is that because of Doyle? Because he hurt you and we allowed that to happen?"

Her body snapped into attention. No longer lying on the couch, her posture was straight in her seat. "You didn't allow anything to happen. It just happened. But I'm not afraid of Doyle." Not really, though he still haunted her from time to time. "The fact of the matter is that my past is messy. But it's also just that. My past is my past. With Doyle, it was about the need for revenge. A man, well two men, were out for revenge. Jeremy sold Ian the information. My information, because after years of suffering and living with the loss of the love of his life, the opportunity to right the wrongs he felt were committed presented itself." Tsia was taken from him; violently taken from him when she should've been protected. It was Emily's job and the government's job to protect her and they failed. "It's not right, but he did what he did. He became a mole. And Doyle was, Doyle wanted revenge against anyone he felt betrayed him; most of all, me. I was the women that caused him the most pain. To him, along with everyone else involved, I ruined his life. I made him fall in love. I played a part and maybe I played it a little too well. But this is where we are. I was lucky enough to survive when so many others died and shouldn't have. I just want to put it behind me."

"So then what's bothering you?" So much… "You want to be back right? You want to work a government job even though you don't have to? This is what you want?"

"I'm having some issues with our government. I'm not going to lie. Finding out they used our daughter, dangled her in front of him like bait… It makes me sick. They were willing to put her in harm's way, for what? To get a sociopath to talk? They knew he wouldn't. I'm sure he didn't. But they did it anyway. And that bothers me. It bothers me that my past hurt her, but I can't change that. But we have a job to do; a job I believe in. I still have shadows in my past and at any moment they could come back to haunt me. And it's the same for all of us. My daughter could be unsafe. She could be in danger. And I'm scared of that happening, but that doesn't mean I give up. And it doesn't mean I give her up. There's danger everywhere, but she's my daughter. I fight for her. Every day I fight for her. And I hope you do to. I hope you fight for her. And maybe, maybe just a little, you fight for me too." She didn't want to give him a chance to respond. More than she wanted to actually say was said and she didn't want to give him a chance to let it sink in. "But like I said, I want to move forward. So let's talk about something else."

"Ok." He could agree to that as her words, her confessions, were being processed. "I didn't stay with Haley over the weekend. Not really." It was weighing on him since he first brought it up. He felt this uncontrollable need to explain. In front of him was a beautiful woman who infuriated him, who, on many occasions, surprised him, who had the ability to understand him like so many others couldn't, someone who didn't try to change him or ask something of him he wasn't capable of giving, but still expected the best from him, who could easily match his professionalism and skill, who could have anyone she wanted and once wanted him, and someone who was, easily, more than he could ever have. Yet, he still felt some kind of claim on her. It was wrong. It wasn't him, but he liked her. He'd never admit it out loud. He'd deny it, and he barely even allowed himself to think it, but it was true. However, that was where it ended. That was where it had to end. And that was the extent of his conclusions. They were friends who had a kid together, thus the like.

"You don't have to explain anything to me. Who you see and don't see really isn't any of my business." Though, she felt like it was. "I would like a heads up if you're getting back together though. That would, in the future, affect Charlie, so a little warning would be nice."

"I don't think you have to worry about that." He laughed it off. "But I'll keep that in mind for future reference."

"Why not?"

"I believe we had this conversation before. Haley and I will always love each other and we don't regret the choices we made, but we're incompatible. We're not getting back together. She's actually dating."

"Good for her." His face scrunched and she noticed. "Right?"

"Yes. I'm happy for her."

"Are you? Are you dating?" She asked quietly. She wanted him to be happy, but she was hoping for a no. It was illogical and completely off base, but she wanted a firm "no."

"I'm not. We have some stuff to figure out before I add anyone else to the mix."

"Oh."

"So, I may have done something and I don't know how you're going to feel about it."

"What did you do?" She asked cautiously. Someone saying 'I may have done something' didn't generally bode well.

"I had an interesting talk with Haley while I was there."

"About?"

"You." He stated plainly, almost indifferent. He wasn't making it easy.

"Me?"

"And Charlie."

"What exactly did you say to her Hotch?" She was nervous. It was her secret for so long and the thought of more and more people knowing frightened her a little. She felt exposed and she assumed she'd have to get used to it because it looked like secrets were finally getting out. Slowly, everyone would find out. That was what she wanted; for it to be out there, but it didn't mean that made it easy.

"Haley, we need to talk."

"Aaron?" She asked nervously, a twisting feeling in her stomach.

Placing a hand on her back, he pushed her forward and said, "Let's go inside. I'll pour us a drink and we'll talk."

She needed a drink for whatever he had to say? "What's wrong Aaron?"

"We'll talk inside." They made it into the kitchen. He pulled out a bottle of Haley's favorite white wine and silently poured them each a glass.

"You're making me nervous. I know I wanted to know, but… You're just… you're making me nervous."

"Drink this." He handed her a very full wine glass. They would need a little unwinding. And he was about to dose her with a very bitter pill. "I think you'll need it."

"What is it? What's wrong? Is it Jack? He seemed fine." She heard it in his voice. Something wasn't right. And the way he was looking at her, with sorrow and with these apologetic eyes. She was scared."Did something happen that you didn't tell me about?"

"It's not about Jack. I mean, it does involve him, but indirectly. He's fine. He's Jack. It's about me."

"Are you… Are you sick?" They weren't together, but it didn't stop her from caring. She didn't want him sick or in pain. That would hurt her too.

"No, I'm not sick." He didn't elaborate.

"Then what is it? You're scaring me Aaron." She needed him to just say it… to just say whatever it was that he needed to. "Please, just say it. Whatever it is, just say it." Would she regret that? Would she regret ever caring about him?

"I uh…" He was usually so good with words, but how did someone tell his ex wife that, while they were still married although separated, he had a child with another woman? "I have a daughter."

After a moment of collective silence, a simple name slipped from her lips. "Charlie…" It wasn't a question. It wasn't an accusation. It just was. He was shocked though. How could she have known? She met her once, twice maybe.

"I'm sorry Haley… I'm so sorry."

"Aaron…"

"I told her about Charlie."

"Oh… fuck Hotch…" She didn't plan on swearing, but if ever a time. "Re you insane? Crazy? Looking to be murdered? Why did you do that?"

"I had to."

Calmer, she asked, "Well, how did she take it?"

"We had a lot to talk about and we did talk. She took it surprisingly well." He sighed. "At the very least, I bought us some time to figure out what happens next."

"So what you're telling me is that we have a band aid on our bullet wound?" She said, squeezing her eyes tight, trying to figure out how to heal their festering sore.

"I… What?"

"We're seconds away from bleeding out and we patched ourselves up with band aids to keep holding on. But, eventually, we're going to need something with a more permanent hold or we die."

"That's morbid."

"It's a euphemism."

"I'm sure Reid would have something to say about that."

"I'm sure he would too." She shook her head and leaned forward in her seat toward Hotch. "But this isn't about Reid."

"It's about us and our daughter." He stated. Yeah, they were really going to have to talk that one out. And that's what they'd spend the next few hours doing.

A few corridors down though, an equally important mission of sorts was taking place. Well, it was important to them at least. "So we're down to 13 men as our potential suspects."

"They're not suspects Pen." But 13 was a much better number of suspects. They narrowed the 108 to 25 after the factored in the job at the FBI. From there it went to 23 when they subtracted anyone younger than Emily. He was older. She remembered Emily saying that, and, it just made sense logically that he was. Then another 5 names got ditched because they were never married. And another 5 after that because they didn't have kids. So there were 13 names, none of which they actually looked at yet, but it was really beginning to pan out. "Last step. How many of those 13 were in New York while we were there for Sean's restaurant opening?"

"Aha!" She squealed. "I knew it. We're on operation booty call. We're trying to find Emily's illustrious lover! At first I thought we were playing 'Who's yo' daddy' to finally find the man behind the mystery that is our Emster, but, how could you possibly know all this when she's so tight lipped? New York lover though, she'd be more inclined to talk about him. Him she'd give details on." If only she knew they were one in the same. "Oh I love it when we go on hunts of hijinks and candy canes. This is so much fun." She was clapping; like actual and to hand loud noise clapping in excitement.

"Well you enjoy your fun now because I can neither confirm nor deny the purpose of this investigation… And you will never speak of this to Emily."

"Look at you, going all media liaison-y on me." People couldn't help but smile around that woman. "Don't go reverting back to old ways for too long. The profiler you is extra badass."

"Thanks Garcia. Now back to work. That was the last thing and then we have our final list."

"Fear not my pretty. Penelope is always here to save the day." Clapping one last time, she swiveled her way back in front of her screens and clickity clacked her way through cyber space. "Ok, travel records of all kinds. Trains, planes and automobiles… You know you liked that reference. Ok, I think I've… Nope, I know I've got it. Three! There are three names!" She turned to JJ. "And that, my friend, is how it's done."

"You're good, but we never doubted that."

"That better not change."

"So let's see these names." JJ moved her chair for a better view of the screen as Garcia pulled up three tabs, each containing a name and basic information.

"This is like the final reveal. It's so exciting." She said excitedly looking to JJ. "Why aren't you more excited?"

"Oh my God…" The words quietly escaped the blonde's lips.

"What?"

"Garcia, did you look at these names?"

"Well, no. That's like cheating. I just did my thing. I put in the information, set things on the right track. I was like the commander of a tiny microprocessor army." JJ's eyes had yet to leave the screen. Her mouth slightly ajar and her eyes focused, she just stared. "Jayje what is it?" Before JJ could react, Garcia was looking too. "Oh my God!" She said it in a totally different way. "The Hotch rocket has landed."

"Garcia."

"Come on JJ. That has to be a coincidence. They barely look at each other. They don't really talk. And, though I may have earlier suggested the idea, they are most definitely not bumping uglies." Her smile broadened. "But that would make for an awesomely awkward and highly entertaining conversation. I'd like to be a fly on that wall." Unsurprisingly to JJ, it was all starting to make sense. There were hints here and there. There were subtleties and little drops of this and that, but never anything concrete. And she let her mind wander to the possibility of them, at one point, being intimate, but she didn't think it was actually possible. How was it actually possible?

"You're right." JJ said unconvincingly, but Garcia bought it. Things were getting complicated. And Garcia wasn't stupid. She knew what was going on, but she also held the firm belief that Emily and Hotch were in no way capable of being more than what they were. They were friends, sometimes, and that worked for them. But there was no way he was Charlie's father. And even if he was, she'd feign innocence and pretend to unsee all she saw because she didn't want to step into that murky puddle. No, that was one mess she couldn't hack her way through. So she'd pretend there was no mess and step right on over it.

"I know I am. Besides, look at these pictures. Look at this guy. He is so Emily's type. I could even see him being Charlie's father." He was, possibly. Emily didn't have a set type, but the three men were all alike. Tall, dark, and handsome… The one Garcia pointed out was particularly good looking. "That's Agent James Monroe." She knew that. They worked with all of those men. "We worked with him on that child abduction case I think."

"Yeah."

"He's good looking." Rich dark hair, almost black, striking blue eyes… He definitely was that. "He's 42, was married, but got divorced in early 2006. He has a son and a daughter." Nope… Not him. Just a son. That was what Emily said. He had a son. There was no mention of a daughter and Charlie didn't count. "He really is some man candy."

"What about the other guy?"

"Agent Milo Rothsworth. He heads up the Anti-terrorism task force. You have to remember him. We worked with him on a few cases too, but that was a condition right? So all three are men we've worked with. He could pass inspection too. Thirty nine, gorgeous piece of man candy with abs of steel that rival my Morgan's and quite the charmer. Divorced his wife, but they share custody of their son Mark. He makes me want to stalk him and secretly have his babies." There was a possibility with him. "He was in New York with us I think. Apparently, he and Hotch went through the academy together and somehow he ended up friends with Sean." More in his favor, but JJ had a nagging feeling in her gut. Leave it to Emily to have the most complicated life. All the men were so similar; so Hotch. There was no doubt that one of the two, either Aaron or Milo, was Charlie's father. But which one? "JJ did you hear me?" And how exactly did Garcia know that Milo and Sean were friends through Hotch? Was that written down somewhere?

"What?"

"I actually said a lot of things, but the only thing you'll really care about was me asking you what you want me to do next. What do you want me to do with this?"

As JJ was about to answer, the door opened and a rather large and intimidating man walked in. "You're free to leave." He said. "The building is no longer in lockdown and this floor is being cleared." It shouldn't have had to be at all.

"Oh-kay…" JJ said to him.

"So?" Garcia asked once they were alone again.

"Delete any trace of the search. Forget we ever did this, and never ever mention a word of this to Emily. Me and you… That's it."

"You got it. Consider it done. Girlie Scout's honor."

"And thank you. You know I love you PG."

"Awe, I love you too buttercup."

"Why don't you go get the boys and see if they want to go get dinner? It's still early and I think we could use it. A drink too."

"I agree. Oh, maybe I could get there before big and burly and scare them. Wouldn't that be so much fun?"

Laughing, she simply answered, "I'll meet you at the elevators in 10."

"Okie dokes." She didn't know if her answers just led to more questions or not, but she did know it was one weird day. Long and confusing; that was what it was. And she was leaving there unsure what to do with the knowledge she was endowed. A part of her knew that if she went searching, she might not like what she found. And it wasn't that she didn't like it, but she sure as hell didn't know what to do with it. It could really mess up the team if it turned out to be Hotch. It could really cause problems…

It was a crazy day for her. It was really crazy all around; just a different kind of crazy. JJ and Garcia's day was for revelations. Morgan, Reid, and Rossi's day was one of resolution; or confession. And Hotch and Emily's day was still up in the air.

They spent a majority of the time working through that last talk. They were trying to understand what there was between them and their daughter and how to be a them without actually being an us. It was a lengthy talk that involved a lot of circling back and repeating. They delved further into what was said between him and Haley, though he certainly left some things out. Emily wasn't pleased that it was happening, but she knew it would happen eventually. She just wished it wasn't before she was supposed to have a play date with Charlie and Jack. It could've waited a couple of weeks and a little warning would've been nice.

So much was said, so many words, topics covered and exchanges made, and still it seemed they hadn't made much of a dent. They were finally up to the part about Hotch being more apart of Charlie's life. They both agreed they wanted that. They just disagreed on how to go about that.

"Loss is a part of life. People die, pets die… People leave… It happens. But she's five. She doesn't need to understand that yet and she already came so close to losing me. I don't want her to lose anyone. I don't want her to lose me and I don't want her to lose you." That was her fear. They'd get close. They'd get their father-daughter moment, and then poof! It'd be gone. She was worried for Charlie. And, though she trusted Hotch to an extent, she couldn't help but feel that was a real possibility. And he was hurt that she felt that way. He was trying to prove her faith in him right. He just wasn't doing the best job. But he acknowledged his mistakes. They both did.

"I know it seems rocky right now, but we're going to make this right. We're going to find this magical equilibrium and we're not going to understand why it took us so long to get there." He sighed. Somehow they ended up on the sofa together, knees touching and warmth shared. It wasn't doing anything to ease the tension. It was electric, like a reminder of past nights he was trying to forget. What was wrong with him? "You said you'd give me a chance, and I'm hoping you meant it. Our kid is pretty great. She's so much like her mother. And sometimes that bothers me because I know it's going to get her in trouble when she's older. But I want to be the dad she can come to. I want to be the one she can get a hug from after a bad day. I want to be there for her everything and be everything your father couldn't be for you and my father wasn't for me and Sean. That's what you said you wanted for her too right? Well we can give that to her."He gave her one of his dimpled smiles to let her know he meant it. She wasn't that easy though; not always. "We're going to do right by her. And she's going to continue being perfect. We'll all be ok." Yeah, it was working. That was where they were at and he was really working her good, but she wouldn't let her sway her. She had been testing his loyalty to their daughter and she had continuously been proven wrong again. She was afraid of that. She was trying to let go of it, but she couldn't. It just paralyzed her because she knew what it felt like and she'd never want anyone else to feel it. She seemed so afraid of so many things. Maybe that was why every time Hotch tried to broach the topic of their New York romp she quickly deflected? Was she afraid of that too? No, focus…

"You're a smooth talker Aaron Hotchner. You know the right things to say and the right time to say it, but it's not as effective as you think. You can say whatever, but if your actions don't back it up, then they're worthless words."

"I can't back them up when you choose to ignore me." Which she did; she ignored him as both her friend and boss for several days. There wasn't much he could do about that.

"I've apologized for that. You said you understood. We've moved on from it. If you're going to throw it in my face, I rather sit here in silence."

"Don't be like that Emily."

"How do you want me to be?"

"I want you to be you. We were having a civil conversation up until this point. Let's just get back to that."

"Let's. Where were we?"

"Well, why don't we skip ahead to what I want to know? When do we tell her? Now? Haley knows. Soon Jack will know. It makes sense to tell her now."

"Not now…" He looked hurt, devastated really, like she was intentionally trying to hurt him. That wasn't what she wanted to say; just what needed to be said. "This isn't about you, and it's not about me. Right now you're just Aaron, a guy she met a few times and liked, a guy who works with her mom, but you're not anything else. Jumping in and telling her you're her dad won't make the transition easier." She sighed. "You should get to know her first. She should get to know you. That way, when we do tell her, she'll be more open to the idea. She's a smart kid. She'll have a lot of questions, but if she knows you, if you spend more time with her, it'll be easier for everyone."

"Knowing that's true doesn't make it any easier."

"No, it doesn't. And I'm not trying to hurt you, but I want this to work. I want this to work for all of us and I just want her to be ok."

"I want that too." He said quietly, moving toward her; closer than they already were. He heard the love she had for their daughter in her voice and the concern she had for him and Jack earlier. It was more of an aphrodisiac and picturing her in those red lace panties she looked so good in. But he wasn't jumping her bones of anything; he just had to do something.

"What are you doing?" She asked. It seemed so random, so out of place, so them…

"Nothing." He assured her.

"You're getting all close and…"

"And what?" Hotch was memorized by her neck, pale and slender and open for the taking. He found his gaze drifting to it all day. If he were a vampire, he'd already have been feasting on it. And even though he was not, nor believed he ever could be, a creature of the night, he wanted his mouth firmly attached to that neck, ravishing it like his last meal.

"And closer…"

"For the record," He stepped even closer, his hand moving to her waist, the other to her back, "I will always fight for her." He went in for the kill, his face literally millimeters from hers as he pulled her to him. "That's what you said you wanted. Well I will. I'll always fight for her…" His mouth by her ear, he added one last thought. "And I'll fight for you too. Just let me fight for you."

"Fight for me?" She said, frazzled, the feel of her own warm breath emanating off his skin as he made contact.

It was heavenly. His warm lips gently grazing her plump, juicy, tender mouth… ready to suck on those lips like a lollipop, but he didn't want to be aggressive. That wasn't what it was about. That was New York and they weren't there anymore. Honestly, he didn't know what it was about; he was just compelled. Beyond reason, beyond circumstance, he was just compelled. And for lack of real rationale, so was she.

It started out slow, but it didn't make it any less passionate. The fireworks were going off with the simple touch of their lips, flesh against flesh as his hand lovingly roamed her back. They didn't expect it, but they welcomed it. Emily put up no fight when he made his move. She took the occasional glance at those pouty lips of his all day and it eased her to know he was feeling it too, though she'd question its legitimacy later.

. It was exhilarating in all its simplicity. They've had more fervent kisses. They had them together. And they've went much faster than the innocent kiss they were sharing, but it never felt more right. The kiss was every bit, if not more, meaningful than their nights together. Maybe it was simply being in the light of day that made it more sensual and exquisite, but it was right. However wrong it was, it was right.

They didn't know why they did it. Well, they did. There was this magnetic force that just pulled them together from time to time, but they didn't know why they gave in… again. The both had more self control than that. There must've been a reason they so easily became so careless around each other. They just didn't know what that reason was, or they did and were just too afraid to admit it. They deepened the kiss, his hold on her tightening in the slightest as he tipped her back into the cushions. They lacked all control. It was the wrong place to make out like teenagers, but they wanted it. They yearned for it. And boy did it feel good

So they let it happen. And it wouldn't go any further. A little petting and a simple kiss… They were in his office after all, but they needed the hold on each other. Besides, it was more than they ever could've asked for from such a tiny act of affection. A kiss… It was just a kiss. But it wasn't hurried and rough like it was in New York. And, as perfect as their first time together was, it wasn't as grand as that. But that was what made it right. Each time for them, whether kissing or sex, was different and appropriate for where they were in that moment. And each time was just as momentous as the last. And different as they were, there was a running theme through it all. They felt safe with each other. Above and beyond the deceit and complication and mistrust they were dealing with, there was this primal instinct to just hang on to each other like a life raft and believe in that.

It was a lot to put on a kiss. But the movement of his face against hers, his lips on her neck and mouth, hers doing the same, his smoothed, shaven skin brushing against her cheek… The way she moved in to nip at his collar then gave him a chance to follow up… They just knew what the other wanted and needed. At least in the moment, like all their moments they had the perfect balance of give and take. They gave and they took, but they weren't greedy. They were just right.

"Hey guys, we wanted to know if you wanted to grab something to eat with us." They didn't hear anyone come in. Truth was, they didn't hear much of anything but the sounds of their own heartbeats and heavy breathing. "Am I interrupting something?"

No promises, but I'm going to try to have 2 updates before Christmas. There will definitely be one, but I'm hoping for more. Also, I hope everyone (in America) had a nice Thanksgiving.

As promised, I did the one shot. I think it turned out ok. Thank you for everyone who read A Place to Call Home. I enjoyed writing it, and it kind of brought my muse back (not that I lost it, just sparked it more). So, I might do it again if we make it to 250 reviews, though, I'm not asking for them. If it happens, great. If not, I'm just grateful people read this.

Also, I feel a little stupid for saying this, but with the Author's notes and everything, I don't remember which comments for ch 25 I already responded to, so if I miss yours, don't take it personally. My brain's just a little fried at the moment. But, I'm pretty sure I got everyone. Be patient with me. I'm trying to get back on track.

greengirl82 This chapter isn't the longest, but I think I fit a lot into the words I used. And thank you, again, for being so understand. I get mad at myself when I see how much time has passed, but sometimes, I just can't help it. I will continue to try (and usually fail) to be quick about it, but it is what it is.

rmpcmfan Wouldn't that be nice? Press a button or say a few words and magically, they're all put together and figuring things out? To answer your questions, yes, I think they are all a little suspicious, but at the same time, there was so much else going on that it didn't really register. And, they don't really have reason to be too suspicious. Other than JJ and Garcia, no one really knows too much about Mystery man. And Rossi is always that know all, see all, but keep quiet kind of guy… right? Let's see what happens as she is around them more at work.

Cinnamonfa I love meddling Clyde too! I seem to use birthdays quite a bit in this fic, but it seems like the most logical reason to have all the characters I need in one place. I don't know. Plus, kids' birthdays can be ridiculously cute (though sometimes very annoying). Hotch was right. Two stubborn people is a brick wall make. That keeps things interesting though. I think they're slowly making progress. What do you think?

CalleighJ I'd imagine it would take a while to get through this story. Super long and we're not even done yet, but I like it like that. I'm extremely happy I could turn you into a Hotly shipper. That's a very high compliment. And thank you for the kind words. An ego boost never hurts. Also, thank you for the one-shot prompt and being the 200th reviewer. I hope I did your idea justice.

dcatt Believe me when I say I hate making you wait for updates. I know it doesn't appear that way, but I do. And I sympathize with you for my absence. I only hinted at Haley's reaction in this chapter. There's a whole other part of it that will come into play in another chapter. I like to keep people around. Should Jack know next? Or maybe Charlie? Or someone else completely? I don't know. What would be most interesting? Here's a little insight (Spoiler Alert) Charlie will find out in just a few chapters, but I don't know if it'll be how people expect it to be… whatever that means… Thank you for loving the UT world with me! I love my little bubble of Hotly angst and Charlie goodness.

HPforever-after Hotch is changing, they all are in ways. But you're right. There will be some residual jealousy there. Maybe from both sides? And they are going to have to get over that. I think that Clyde and Aaron have a lot of similarities. They want the same things for Emily and Charlie; they just don't know how to be with each other. It's another thing for them to figure out. But once they do, they could get along swimmingly. Honestly, if they weren't both such pigheaded alpha males, I'd see them as friends.

HGRHfan35 A girl does need that at times. For me, it's sitting in front of a screen typing word after word. That's a good way to characterize Clyde. Fairy godfather. My intention was never for him to get in the way. He is the peacemaker, the driver. He is fiercely protective because he had been there through it all, but he really does just want what's best. Hotch did steal the candles! Lol He had to find a way out somehow. And, come on, isn't seeing the ex a little panicked just a little bit of a bonus? He has to have a clever, kind of evil side too. All he did was hide some candles… What do you think about the Haley portion of this chapter? I left a lot of it out for later, but some of it's out there. He told her… Is he nuts? I think so. How could he not be? He's living in the land of women… He's drowning in them and all the baggage. And hurt feelings are a definite. But whose will be hurting? And I believe her reaction is true to character. You'll see it soon.

Emilyhotchnerforever I sent you a message. Did you get it? I believe I answered your questions as best I could. We will see Sean and Hotch's mom and Elizabeth again. Mick probably won't show up, but there's room for possibility there. I apologize that I said I'd update Sunday and didn't. Something came up and I just got back. So I apologize again, for that and for just generally taking so long.

leahloahla Thank you! Clyde isn't gone. I love him too much. He'll be back, but it was sad. Especially Charlie. She loves him. And Emily's going back to work. That should be interesting right? It will be hard, but, in the end, I think it will be good for her too. She needs her work. They all do.

Sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors.

Thank you everyone who has added this story to alerts or favorites and to those of you who have given feedback. Opinions are much appreciated; feedback, input, whatever. Constructive criticism also welcomed. I hope you enjoy. Until next time…