A/N: Hi there! I'm back and so very sorry about taking so long.

But here it is guys...and it's very, and I mean very well betaed.

I took suggestions and someone is helping me and we took like almost two weeks going over this one, so I hope you like it, just as much as I do.

And I wanted to thank Kavi Leighanna for all she did, the help, patience, time, effort, and attention! You are a love. Seriously.

Well, here it is. I told you I wasn't giving it up.


Season 3 Episode 11 = Birthright

"I think you are the most qualified to take care of that." Rossi pointed to Hotch's office where the BAU unit chief had gone after getting back from wherever he had gone. Rossi decided to come talk to me after our team leader had stormed back and locked himself away.

We all stood awkwardly in the bull pen when Morgan broke the silence.

"He told me they were having problems, but he sounded so sure he was getting her back." And for a minute my eyes grew big, he was trying to get her back?

"I had no idea, he told me things were rough at home but I never thought of something like that. Not in a million years, they were high school sweethearts for God's sake." JJ spoke surprised.

That just made me feel a little bit worst after all I had slept with the man not even knowing he was still legally married, that he was trying to get back to his wife for all I knew now.

Garcia nodded at JJ and Reid just kept looking uncomfortable about talking about his boss's personal life. I knew no one had being expecting, because if they had they would have realized my surprise and discomfort had nothing to do with Hotch's divorce papers.

"Did you know?" I turned to Morgan as he asked.

"No. I mean I could tell there was something off, but still. I never would have predicted this." That was my story and I was sticking to it.

"Emily." My attention came back to the agent/writer in front of me and at what he was implying.

"You know what? Why don't you go and take care of it? After all my baggage tends to cloud my judgment isn't that right Agent Rossi?" That was the thing with me: if he wanted to treat me with disrespect in our personal lives like he did in the car that was fine. I was a professional. I could still work with him.

But don't come all friendly after me with hinting things and telling me what to do, I was getting a bit tired of man like this. I was apologizing for the profiling that was done by three people, if he chose to be an ass about it, I could be one too.

I got up from the chair and started rearranging the things on the desk, I could damn well pretend to be going home so he could leave me alone.

"I apologize if I offended you," he started what in my opinion was a load of crap from a man who just wanted to get something done.

"No need to apologize for what you believe in Agent Rossi, but this is a team and getting here just to be stepping on other people's jobs probably isn't the best way to come back." I picked up a few files and escaped before anything else could be said.

Hotch hadn't signed the divorce papers yet. Which meant that technically he was still a married man when we had had sex. Which made me a horrible, horrible person, especially if he was trying to get back to his family. Now here he had a one night stand with an easy employee on his belt.

Not that I was easy, or that I would tell a soul about it. But damn it, Hotch wasn't one to do this and I certainly didn't want to be the one a man did this with. Why did Hotch say that he was working on getting Haley back and then do something completely opposite?

Now the things that were already complicated were getting worse before it even happened again. And here I'd thought that a casual relationship would be a good idea and that it would go smoothly.

Being on this case, getting the same treatment as the others and realizing nothing would change with the team or Hotch and I had given me the push to accept that we should be fine.

Let's just say that now I had taken ten steps back. The disappointment in his face when he'd received the papers had said it all. The idea a of divorce was tearing him apart, and that would make this messy. I had never seen him look so lost and helpless before.

This was such a complicated subject that for now my plan of action was to run and hide, and maybe he would leave it alone too. After all it would probably hit him hard that she was the one that took the initiative, so maybe I was safe in the "don't have to take any actions now" sense.

And maybe it would be better for everyone, at least for a while. After all, I wasn't looking for anything serious. I had sort of fallen into the relationship with Liam and then our lives and how different we were kind of got in the way.

I left the door and peeked at my desk from near the elevators, all empty and problem free. I went back to gather my stuff and try to leave the office at a reasonable time. It wasn't that late, but most people had already gone home, even Morgan and Reid had gone "clubbing". I felt sorry for Reid.

I put the files back in my desk; no reason to take them home tonight, I would be back earlier enough anyway. I grabbed my phone and slid it into my pocket and slipped my coat on. It was getting colder outside.

I was about to lift my purse when I heard my name.

"Hey Prentiss, can you please come up for a minute?"

"Now?" He wanted to talk to me now?

"Yes, please."

I nodded and started going up, kind of dragging my feet and with both hands inside my coat pocket. Was there any other way to delay this conversation for a few days?

Maybe a bomb in the Capitol? Or a serial killer loose in the embassies? A phone call from his mother? Anything to buy me enough time to get the hell out of here.

"Sir?" I asked as I entered and he made a sign for me to close the door. Oh please no. I turned to do as he asked when he started.

"Emily I want to make sure you aren't uncomfortable with what happened earlier." Me uncomfortable because you are clearly not over your wife and this divorce is getting you so out of your tracks that you slept with your subordinate?

"No, not at all." Great, can I leave now? This was so beyond awkward. I looked at the door and saw that I was way closer to the desk than the exit. I took a couple of steps back. Why had I walked so close to the desk?

"Good I just want to make sure this won't affect our situation."

"As in?" Was he serious? He still wanted to do this?

"As in I'm not giving this up."

I sucked in a deep breath. "I think you should think this over, you know. Figure things out, it's still a pretty intimate situation to be in. Especially for you, fresh out of a I don't know how many years marriage."

"Almost twenty years. And I do think things before I act Emily, I thought you knew better then that. I run my life the way I run this unit and carelessness is not an option on either one. I'm serious here I know what I want. And who I want it with."

"Look I'm just saying we should think about it again. Come on Hotch, we did what we did while you hadn't even filed for the divorce, you're a married man for God's sake." I was starting to get anxious over the fact I was the only one that seemed to be looking at the big picture here.

"Besides Haley I've only being with one other person, so believe me when I said this: I'm positively sure about this." He stood up and walked around and sat on the edge of the desk.

That wasn't what I'd been expecting. He had only been with two women, and one of them was me? A handsome, well-built man like him who was also nice and strong was that inexperienced? It was a crime! I probably looked like… Mary Magdalene of the BAU compared to him.

It seemed like he was so sure, but Morgan's phrase about how he wanted Haley back came to my mind. I didn't want to be a home wrecker, if there was a chance for them to reconcile, they should, for Jack. I looked at the top of his desk and saw the divorce papers, and an idea came to mind to make him think this over one more time.

I walked over to his desk and opened the file, on the doted like that had his name under it was missing the signature. It could mean a lot of things, I knew, but he had to think this over one more time, just so I could be sure I wasn't helping end a family for a sweet little boy.

"Emily it doesn't mean that…"

"Just please, think this over again. We can talk about it again in a few days." I walked out before he could try another excuse. This had to be easier, smoother, guilt free for the both of us.

It wasn't that I didn't want to do this, he had done every single thing to make me want this. That night had totally consumed my thoughts, how he had become a demanding man in ways I had no idea he could be. We had fun, we enjoyed each other. But should I be egoistic enough to want this fling to go on? We could never have a full relationship, I wasn't going to let it become that, but the complications of how would it work troubled me.

I walked over my desk and, after grabbing my purse, I walked out of the bullpen. I had to smother my curiosity and my will to look back. I hated being this amped up about something.


As I got home I felt the weight of this last case and just a little pissed off at the men in the BAU, luckily Morgan and Reid would stay out of it this week. They had a very protective streak when it came to Garcia, JJ and I.

Putting on my silk robe I decided that I had neglected the jacuzzi in this apartment so many times in the last few months that it probably wasn't even working. It was absurd how much the lack of time and routine makes you forget about the good things. But trying to use it now was one of the best ideas I had for a while. I needed to decompress. With that thought I decided to make tonight a very relaxing one. Getting a bottle of wine and a glass I took both things to the edge of the Jacuzzi and came back to get something to eat while I enjoyed my night.

As I stood in the kitchen and tried to decide what went well with wine there was a knock on the door. I knew who it was, there wasn't much guessing and I seriously considered not even answering.

I mean, I didn't owe him anything and I seriously didn't want to deal with this right now. But the knock was insistent and I got closer to the door so I could confirm it was him, I was right. He was here.

"I can see your shadow, open the door." he said in his 'I'm your unit chief' voice.

"Hotchner, I don't think you listened the first time. Go home."

"You really want to do this with me outside the apartment? Open the door Emily."

"I don't want to do this at all!"

"Open it." He was getting pissed, and I could understand why. If our roles were reversed I would be too. But come on, I was trying to do the right thing: get him back with his wife and all that.

Finally opened the door and he walked inside as if running from someone, and didn't even stop to acknowledge the situation or me. He was in a mood, apparently and went to the living room to pace. I folded my arms and followed inside. I sure as hell wouldn't start this particular conversation.

So I decided to let him pace to his heart's desire and just go back to the kitchen and look for my snacks, nothing was getting in the way of Jacuzzi time tonight!

I was totally focused into my debate between popcorn and chips, when Moody came to the kitchen and stood there staring. I could feel him behind me, but I still didn't look over. I wasn't mad at him, or at anything, but that didn't mean I was necessarily in the mood to have a long, hard conversation about how this would resolve itself.

"Why is there so much food on that tray?" Was the first thing out of his mouth. If he was going to ignore all this, then so would I.

"None of your business." I went for the bag of chips, the popcorn would be too weird with the wine. I stood on my tip toes and grabbed the bag from the cabinet, and after throwing it on top of all the other crap I started moving towards the balcony and more importantly the Jacuzzi.

"Emily." I just walked past him.

"Hotchner?"

And then going over the whole thing I stopped dead in my tracks. Crap this wouldn't exactly work while he was here right? After I had opted on no bathing suit, and for that reason, Mr. Cranky Pants had to leave.

"Are we going to talk or not?" I said putting the tray on the coffee table and settled in, as if that was the plan for the night.

I didn't want tell him I was having a private bath on the jacuzzi it would be a uncomfortable situation to just parade around next to naked, when I had just told him we should rethink our situation.

"What are you doing?" Hotch asked as he looked at me and then started looking around the apartment.

"Playing the harp." I replied rolling my eyes.

"Are you waiting for someone?" he asked. I was a little shocked and amused at the same time.

"Not that it matters, because it doesn't look like you will be budging anytime soon. But no, I am not waiting for anyone. Jeez, way to make me sound desperately single."

"Okay…. Let's start over. I didn't mean it like that." His shoulders sagged as he took another look her. "Something is off."

"What do you mean?"

"You are going to overeat without any drinks wearing sexy lingerie or just a robe on? Come on, you are waiting for someone."

"Are you profiling out of concern or because you feel left out? Just say what you came here to say." This was getting out of hand.

"Look…" He took a deep breath and sat down on the couch next to me. "The reason why I don't want to sign the papers, and why I didn't mention it is because if I do, I'll have to make Jack choose where he wants to live."

What?

He took a deep breath and leaned back on the couch his head looking up.

"Haley will probably file for full custody."

Oh my God.

"Hotch…"

"Haley called me and said she is thinking about asking for it since I have limited time for him."

"God, I'm so sorry Hotch. That…sucks." He gave a dry smile at my response, but I knew he was extremely hurt by this. The last thing he wanted was put Jack in a tough position.

"She... I just… He is my son too, you know? I just don't want to lose him, or make him think I prefer doing this job to spending time with him. I don't want him to hate me."

"Anything we can do? Or I can do for you?" He put his hands on top of mine, and I could feel the rest of the tension leave his body.

"Just don't act like this anymore. I'm not an irresponsible teenager and I'm not reckless." He put his hand on the back of my neck and I let him guide my face closer to his. "I want you."

"I..." He rested his forehead on mine and interrupted me.

"No, you don't get to question my decision on this."

My eyes flicked down to his mouth and before I could react he closed the distance between us. His mouth was still as dominant as the last time. I was so distracted that I didn't even feel him untying my robe, but as his hand made contact with my skin, pulling me to straddle his lap I could feel my face heat up.

"Tell me what you were doing tonight." he said in my ear and started sucking on my neck.

"A bath." my voice faltered as he slid two fingers to my center and started teasing me.

His fingers were agile and started a slow rhythm. Just like last time he enjoyed watching what it did to me, I could see it in the way he smiled. My breathing sped up, my hips moved in sync with his hand, and my mouth finally crashed against his smirk

I had been so close to coming but with a smug look on his face he took his fingers away.

"What kind of bath do you take so much food for Emily?" I tried pressing my thighs together, trying to get some of the friction he was denying back to my center. He grabbed my thighs sinking his fingers into my skin, making sure I wasn't getting off, in any way.

I dragged his hand back between my legs, pressing his fingers right against me. "Finish it and I may show you."

His mouth went back to mine and his fingers were back to stroking me at full speed. His mouth started moving down my neck, and he took one of my nipples in his mouth. It was all it took for me to fall over the edge.

He started running his hands up and down my sides as I rested my head on his shoulder, the man was good, there was no denying that.

"Can I know now?"

"If keeping things from you will get me this type of reward, I think I'm going to keep a lot of secrets from now on."

"Emily…"

"Jacuzzi."

"You have a jacuzzi here?" He raised one eyebrow at me.

"Yep, and there is wine with a glass, and all this food to take over there. So what do you think?"

"You were going to enjoy a jacuzzi, all alone? Isn't this a good trade?" he smirked.

"Rest assured that I know how to have my fun, even alone." I stood and let my robe fall to the floor. I picked up the tray and started walking towards the balcony and to my waiting Jacuzzi.

When I was far enough I looked back.

"Oh, and Hotch? Clothing isn't allowed."