Disclaimer – I do not own the rights to any of these characters.

Previously on Resolution Diary:

He leaned in and Emily met him halfway, kissing him gently, loving the way his lips felt against hers. They jumped apart as they heard the alarm for the front door sounding.

The alarm was silenced quickly, leading Aaron to believe that it was either Jessica or Jack, or perhaps both. Having been in the FBI too long, he held a long finger against his lips, making eye contact with Emily before they both quietly slid out of the bed. He signaled her, both of them moving with a fluidity that took years to perfect. She followed his lead, slipping to the door jam while he sidestepped to the wall next to the stairs across from her. He nodded quickly and she knew what to do without thought. He turned his body towards the stairs as she replaced him, her back gently meeting the wall where his had been.

"Dad?"

They both immediately relaxed.

"Up here, bud! I'll be down in one second!"

"Take your time," called a female voice.

For one second Emily's brain went into overdrive before she realized that must be…

"Jessica," he supplied for her. "It's Jessica."

Aaron knew Jessica spoke more for his benefit than actually needing to tell him to take his time. She had once been met with the bad end of his weapon; she announced herself every time after that. Emily looked to him, not knowing how he wished to proceed. She watched his eyes shift back and forth in their sockets, his mind working through every choice he had. She watched the resolve appear, his jaw setting.

"Would you mind waiting until I say goodbye to Jessica?" he asked gently, unsure how she was going to take.

She nodded, smiling sweetly, letting him know she understood. She kissed his cheek and disappeared into the bedroom with a wink. He couldn't help but laugh and shake his head. Her seeing where he was coming from meant more to him than she knew. Emily made herself useful, not even thinking twice about staying up in the room, cleaning and remaking the bed. She took the dirty towels they had used and put them in the hamper in the bathroom. She did wonder what was going on downstairs though…

"Jack!" Aaron yelled when he got to the bottom of the stairs.

"Hi, Dad!" Jack shouted, running full speed until he slammed into his father's embrace, his eyes squeezing shut in happiness.

"Hey, buddy, how was your day?" he asked, running a soothing hand over Jack's dirty blonde hair.

"Great! Mrs. Simmons said my paper on otters was the best she'd ever read!"

"Wow!" Aaron exclaimed. "That's so awesome! Want to go put it up on the refrigerator?"

Jack nodded and ran for his backpack. Jessica made her way over and they greeted each other, giving each other a quick hug and exchanged niceties while Jack was rummaging through his papers. There was a strange look on her face when they pulled apart.

"Juliette has a gun?" she asked, raising a blonde eyebrow.

Aaron looked at her like she had lost her mind. "Excuse me?"

A knowing look crossed her face. "It's a perfume. A nice vanilla perfume. I used to buy it a few years back."

Realization hit him like a ton of bricks. Jessica pulled her lips into her mouth to keep from laughing at the mortification on his face. She purposefully moved her eyes towards the stairs. The slightest nod was her answer. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree, which honestly surprised him.

"Would you like me to take Jack home with me?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant. "We only stopped by because we saw your SUV and he wanted to see you. I could always keep him and take him to school tomorrow. I'm sure Andrew wouldn't mind."

"No," he replied instantly, shaking his head. "I really appreciate the offer, Jess." She kept staring at him, waiting for more. He knew her main concern was Jack and she didn't want people in and out of his life any more than he did himself. At that moment Jack ran past both of them with his paper to put the on fridge and Jessica saw her opening. When she mouthed 'who,' he couldn't help the pride that rose up in him. "Emily."

Jessica's eyes nearly bugged out of her head and she threw her arms up in jubilation. "Finally!" she whispered fiercely. The surprise on his face didn't deter her. "About freakin' time, Aaron! You two have been flirting for years. I almost thought it was happening awhile back but then she stopped coming around. Jack was so upset. He'll be happy to see her. I'll be happy to see her when you're ready to allow us to be around each other. Until then, it'll be our secret."

"You really are the best sister," he said with a chuckle, leaning over and kissing her cheek affectionately.

"Love you, too, bro." She gave him a quick wink before Jack came racing back in.

"Auntie Jessica, are you staying for dinner?" he asked excitedly.

"Not tonight, sweetie, I promised your uncle I would help him with some stuff."

Jack knew not to pout or whine, so he gave her a sad smile and hugged her goodbye. Aaron walked her to the door, more grateful for her than he'd been in a long time. He thanked her and, with a brief shared look, Jessica left for the evening. Once the door was closed and the alarm reset, reality hit. He had told Jessica. She seemed to handle it well and he was hoping they would continue down that path. She had always been kind and even encouraged him often to start dating.

"How would you like some company for dinner?" he asked Jack as they put away his jacket and backpack.

He immediately perked up. "Who, Dad? Auntie Jessica just went home!"

"What about," he started, pausing for effect, "Miss Emily?"

Jack's face was priceless. "Are you serious? Miss Emily?"

"Very serious."

"Dad! Dad, please! Can she come over? I miss her so much! Did you tell her?" He was practically bouncing with happiness.

"I did. She misses you very much, too. She's actually here."

"WHAT?" he practically screamed. "Where?"

"Emily!" Aaron called, hoping she would hear him. Within seconds she appeared at the top of the stairs, her hair back in perfect place around her shoulders. Jack scurried up the stairs, nearly knocking her over as he threw his arms around her middle.

"Miss Emily!" he exclaimed. "I'm so happy to see you!"

"I'm so happy to see you, too, Jack!" She sounded just as enthusiastic, squeezing him back and kissing the top of his head. "How was school today?"

Jack reluctantly let her go, but grabbed her hand and led her down the stairs. "It was great! Mrs. Simmons said my otter paper was the best paper she'd ever read! Want to read it?"

"Wow! That's awesome! Of course I want to read it!"

Jack giggled as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "That's exactly what Dad said."

She glanced up at Aaron at the mention of him and she saw so much tenderness in the way he looked at them. Seeing his son and his newly crowned girlfriend standing there hand in hand did something to his soul that he wasn't quite prepared for. His heart felt so full that he was sure it would burst at any moment. They kept eye contact as Jack led Emily to the kitchen, forcing her to sit down and read his paper. Aaron took that time to order them a pizza, rummaging through the house and setting up a little movie night in the living room.

Emily was impressed that Aaron pulled out the couch, little trays with plates waiting for them in the middle. Before she could say anything, the doorbell rang and he grabbed their pizzas. He tossed them on the pull out couch and grabbing two beers and one cup of milk. Jack suggested How to Train Your Dragon, which was his favorite movie. He was appalled that Emily hadn't seen it and hurried off the bed and put the movie in before anyone could object. He looked hesitant for a moment before running upstairs while the opening credits rolled. He came back down with an armful of dragon stuffed animals.

"Here, Miss Emily! This one can snuggle with you. Dad said it was fine that boys have stuffed animals if they want them. But that I didn't have to tell anyone. Right, Dad?"

"Right!" Aaron responded firmly.

"I agree completely!" Emily added enthusiastically, realizing quickly that Jack was looking for approval. He looked relieved. "I love stuffed animals. What's this ones name?"

"Toothless! Oh, look! It's on!"

Emily tucked the black dragon under her arm and took her spot between the two Hotchner guys. They ate and drank in silence but it was oddly comfortable. Aaron cleared their trays about halfway through the movie, returning with small bowls of vanilla ice cream. Emily was surprised but happy when Aaron took her hand when they were done, tucking it under his arm and lacing their fingers together. Jack glanced over curiously, seeming to sense the change in their dynamic. Unfazed, Jack grabbed Emily's arm and scooted into her, resting the back of his head against her chest.

She hugged Jack to her and squeezed Aaron's hand, telling them both this was perfectly fine with her. They finished the movie and Jack ran to put in the second of the series, but his father stopped him, telling him it was time for homework. He pouted for only a second but ultimately took his things to the table in the dining room. He perked up when Emily promised to help him and convince Aaron to put in part two once they were done.

"Miss Emily," he said as they were going over his times tables sheet, "do you think you're going to come to dinner more now?"

She glanced to Aaron to guidance, who put down him paperwork and focused on his son.

"Would you like that, Jack?" he asked, his head tilting to the side.

"Yeah! I mean…yes, sir, I would like that very much."

"What would you think about Miss Emily staying here for a little while?"

The sheer joy on Jack's face said it all. "Like live here with us?" Aaron nodded. "Are you serious? Is she going to stay forever? Can she stay in my room?"

They both had to work very hard to not laugh. "Not your room, bud. But at least for a few weeks, maybe more. We're not sure yet."

"Are you getting married?" he asked, his eyes getting wide. "Can I have a sister?"

Emily nearly choked on her own spit, coughing loudly into her arm to keep from laughing. Aaron looked like he was clearly out his element, shocked by the questions his son was asking. They made eye contact and she shrugged. Aaron finally decided his son was old enough to understand.

"Jack, I don't want to lie to you." The seriousness of his tone made Jack instantly sit back in his seat. "Miss Emily and I are dating – boyfriend and girlfriend. She's going to live with us for a few weeks so we can see what it looks like. I don't want you to get your hopes up, but I want you to just be yourself. Do you understand?"

"So you aren't getting married?" Jack asked, disappointed and still a little confused. "I thought you said you can only live together if you're married?"

Aaron ran his hand over his face. Emily thankfully stepped it. "Jack, what we want for you is that you don't live permanently with someone unless you're very committed, which would be marriage. Right now we have to figure out if that's what we want, and it's easier to do that if I'm able to integrate into you and your dad's life."

"So it's like a test?" he asked, interested now.

"Something like that," she said with a shrug. "We can't promise this will be permanent, so we aren't getting married and I might not be moving in forever. But, I can promise that even if I don't, I'll still come over for dinner sometimes. Does that sound reasonable?"

Jack nodded solemnly. "I'll be on my best behavior so you don't want to leave, I promise!"

"Jack, no," Aaron said immediately. "Just be yourself. You're such a good kid. If something doesn't work, it would never be your fault. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," he replied, nodding and relaxing a little. "I have to go to the bathroom."

Without another word, Jack slid out of his seat and unceremoniously left the room. Emily got up and stunned Aaron when she walked over to him and put her arm around his shoulders, hugging his head to her chest. He turned, letting her step between his legs, wrapping his arms around her thighs. She squeezed him a little and kissed the top of his head before pulling back. She gasped in surprise when he smacked her butt.

"Mr. Hotchner," she chided with a smile.

"Oops?"

She swatted his shoulder but winked when she sat down, letting him know she had enjoyed it as much as she had. She let out a heavy breath.

"I think that went well. Thank you for not putting us in an awkward situation of lying to Jack."

Aaron nodded in agreement. "I'm sure we made the right decision in telling him. I am concerned about if this goes badly, but we'll take it one day at a time. Jack is already so attached to you. I wasn't really prepared for that, but I can't say I'm not happy about it."

They shared a smile and reached for each others hand across the table. "Same. I can promise you right now that no matter what happens I'll keep a relationship with Jack going forward. I can tell he needs it just as much as I do."

"I appreciate that more than you know. He still has some rough days because of what happened. Jessica has been a lifesaver. He's still had a strong woman in his life but it would be nice to have another maternal figure for him. It truly takes a village and I feel like Jack has been so confined the last few years."

"I adore how much you love your son. It's very attractive."

Aaron was taken aback, but liked her boldness nonetheless. "You helping me with him is very attractive."

Emily pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and he nearly called Jessica to come and pick up Jack. He shook his head. "You're asking for it."

"I am," she said with a wink, giggled when he squeezed her hand. "This is nice; the excitement of a new relationship."

"It's very nice," he agreed. "It's different. It's been a long time since I've wanted someone."

"Me too."

Their conversation was cut short when Jack appeared, coming excitedly around the corner. "I only have one more page and then we can watch the movie!"

"Cool!" Emily exclaimed, reluctantly letting Aaron's hand go to finish helping Jack. He gave her a quick wink before going back to his paperwork.

As excited as she was to spend time with Jack, she could not wait until he was asleep

A/N – Whether one word or a million, please leave a review! It's so nice to see reviews and hear what you thought of this chapter! Thank you for reading!