A/N: Little bit of fluff in this chapter. Please review!
"Em'ly! You're here!" JJ screamed as she threw her tiny arms around her older sister's waist. Elle put a hand on her friend's back to keep her from falling backwards at the unexpected hug. Emily mouthed a 'thank you' to her.
"Derek!" Spencer too came flying out and launched himself into Morgan's arms.
"Hey there Pretty Boy," Derek laughed at his enthusiasm. "What's got you two peanuts so excited today?"
"We made choc'late fudge today, and Ms. Todd let us eat it too!" JJ answered. Ah, sugar, that makes sense, the older kids all thought.
"Well that sounds delicious, butterfly! Guess what?" Emily said dramatically.
"What?" JJ asked. The sugar was definitely still pumping through her veins.
"We are all going to go to the park! Doesn't that sound like fun?" JJ gasped.
"Really?! Are Ellie and Luke coming too?!"
"You bet we are. You really think I'd let you have all the fun without me?" Elle chimed in as she picked her up. JJ giggled.
"I'm going to call the Hotchners to let them know we're headed over there," Derek informed them before stepping away, Spencer still in his arms. JJ had her arms wrapped around Elle's neck, her face buried in her auburn hair. Emily smiled at her best friend being so protective of her little sister. I wish we could be more than friends, she thought.
"You crazy kids ready to go?" Derek asked, returning with Spencer from his phone call.
"Yeah!" JJ lifted her face from Elle's neck in excitement. Elle smiled at the blonde 6 year old.
"Well then let's get a move on!" Elle said as she moved towards the door. She held it open so Emily could hobble out. The team made their way towards the park a few blocks away. Derek and Luke led the way, with Spencer walking next to him. He had insisted that he would walk, not be carried. Elle and Emily took up the rear, with Elle matching Emily's much slower pace. Unlike Spencer, JJ had no problem hitching a ride from Elle.
Turning the corner, they entered the beautiful park. JJ and Spencer immediately took off towards the playground equipment.
"We're going to head back by the lake if you need us," Elle told the pair as they moved towards the coast of the pond. With a bit of difficulty, they sat down on the ground looking out towards the water.
"I've always loved the water," Emily said, with a hint of wistfulness in her voice. "Before my parents died, we lived in a bunch of different countries. We lived in France, Russia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Spain, and Greece, and those were just a few. My mother always made sure that no matter where we were, we would find a river or a lake or the ocean, any body of water, and visit it as a family. We would make a whole day of it, packing a picnic lunch and just spending time together. They're some of my fondest memories, and when I went into the foster care system I think the thing I missed most would be those days by the water. I keep the pictures we took there in a small box in my bag. They're some of the only things I have left of my parents."
Elle just sat there, listening. Emily had never talked about her parents before, not even mentioning them in passing. She never talked about her past or her time in foster care. Now that she thought about it, she really didn't know that much about Emily.
"I lost my dad when I was 8," Elle started, drawing Emily's attention from the lake. "He was a police officer. One day, he told me he was going to teach me how to ride a bike. I was so excited," she said with a small laugh. "I saw the other kids in the neighborhood riding, and I wanted to be just like the big kids. The day finally came, but the police station called him in. There was an active shooter situation and they needed all hands on deck. When he told me, I yelled at him, and said I hated him. Later that day, he was shot in the line of duty. He bled out on the way to the hospital. My last words to my father were 'I hate you.' I so desperately wish that I could go back and tell him I loved him instead."
"He knew."
"What?" Elle asked, not expecting those to be the words that came out of her mouth.
"He knew you loved him. You were eight. Kids say dumb things, but he still knew you didn't mean it."
"You think?" She asked, looking up to meet Emily's dark brown eyes.
"I know," she replied softly.
"How old were you?" Elle asked, changing the subject. Emily raised her eyebrow. "When they… you know."
"Ten. Car crash. Bounced around the system for the past three years. Why do you ask?"
"I don't know a lot about you. You never talk about yourself, ever. Either you give some vague answer or change the subject."
"I don't know. I just always feel like no one would care if I did tell them, so I didn't bother. I don't know a lot about you either."
"Well, I'm Elle, I'm 13, and I have a little sister named Annie. I like mac and cheese, seeing as I'm a human. My mother's a single mom, I'm fluent in Spanish, I'm gay, I'm trying to learn French so that I can understand my best friend's random secret conversations, but she seems to like to torture me, and has started having secret conversations in Italian too."
"Just be glad I haven't broken out the Arabic yet," she joked with a giggle.
"Ha ha," she said sarcastically. "What else? My favorite candy bar is Twix, I guess. Your turn."
"Twix? You're serious? That is the most basic candy bar you could choose."
"What?! They're good! Now, your turn."
"Alright, fine. I'm Emily, I'm 13, currently I have a little sister named JJ, a little brother named Spencer, and a big brother named Derek. Mac and cheese is an incredible food, of course. I'm a foster kid who currently lives with Haley and Aaron Hotchner. I'm fluent in Spanish, Russian, French, Italian, Greek, English, and Arabic, plus ASL. I'm a lesbian, and I love Hershey's Cookies and Cream bars, the best candy bar. I also love to torture my crush with different languages."
Elle's face froze for a second as she processed what she just heard, before her eyes widened with happiness.
"Really?" She whispered, almost like if someone else heard it wouldn't be true.
"Yes, really. Hershey's Cookies and Cream is the best candy bar in existence," she grinned. "In all seriousness though, yes. Really. If you don't feel the same way, I get it, I just thought you should know-"
"Shut up, of course I feel the same way! Are you kidding me? Emily, I've had a crush on you pretty much since your first day here! Ask Kate or Garcia, they called me out on it immediately."
"Seriously? This isn't some cruel joke? Because if it is, I will be so mad."
"It's not a joke, Emily. I want to be your girlfriend, and I hope you want to be mine." She sat there, quite stunned at this sudden revelation. "So… will you go out with me?"
"Uh, yeah. Yeah, absolutely." Elle smiled. She didn't see flustered-Emily that often. In an attempt to ease her nervousness, she grabbed her hand. It definitely accomplished the task. Emily met her eyes and instantly relaxed. They sat in silence for a few minutes, looking out at the peaceful water.
"Hey Hop-a-long and Company, JJ and Spencer are tired, so-" He stopped when he saw their interlocked hands. "When did that become official?"
"About 5 minutes ago," Elle said with a grin.
"Yes! Hey Luke, you, Haley, and Aaron owe me 20 bucks!"
"What? You guys were betting on us getting together?" Emily asked, befuddled.
"Well yeah. Anyways, you two lovebirds, JJ and Reid wore themselves out, so we're heading home."
Elle helped Emily stand up and move back to the sidewalk. After they walked the few blocks back to the Hotchner house, Derek promptly walked in and announced, "You guys owe me 20 bucks, it happened today in the park!"
"That was fast," Hotch said from the kitchen.
"Fast? That took way longer than I thought it would," Haley retorted. Elle and Emily just rolled their eyes. If this was their reaction, they didn't want to think about Garcia's.
"Ha ha, very funny," Elle said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "I should get going, bye Em!"
"Bye Elle!" She replied. Derek threw an arm around her shoulders.
"So, you and Elle…"