Morgan lead Emily through the winding hallways up to Lucy's ward with a hand on her shoulder in a gesture of comfort that she ordinarily would have balked at. The circumstances, though, were anything but ordinary...

JJ and Hotch were waiting outside Lucy's room, clearly trying to maintain neutral expressions so as not to upset Emily – as if she didn't know them well enough to see right through their attempts... For her part, though, she said nothing. There was nothing to say.

JJ swept her into a comforting embrace as soon as she got close enough, whispering something in her ear that Morgan couldn't hear. Emily nodded hollowly, but didn't smile, didn't react at all. Hotch's gesture was much more stoic, but perhaps more poignant, for his having lost Haley. Emily accepted it just as stoically.

She took the last few steps towards Lucy's room, nodding to the officer posted there, then paused, once again shaking like a leaf. She glanced over her shoulder at Morgan who offered her what he hoped was an encouraging smile. Her return expression could only be described as a grimace.

She reached for the door handle, trying to hide the way her hand shook and failing miserably. She looked like a woman headed to the gallows and he couldn't say he blamed her...what waited on the other side of that door was proof that she'd failed to protect her wife when she'd needed her most. At least, that was the way he knew she'd take it, even if there was nothing more any of them could have possibly done to prevent it.

With a long slow exhale, she pushed the door open, taking a trepidatious step inside.

Lucy looked up suddenly at the sound of footsteps and the fear in her eyes nearly killed Emily on the spot. She wanted to run over and sweep her wife up in her arms and murmur assurances in her ear that she was sorry and she'd never let anyone else lay a hand on her...she resisted the urge, though, not entirely certain Lucy would accept it just then.

"Hi, Ella," Emily whispered, using the nickname she'd coined for her wife to tease her about their Cinderella-esque meeting. Her voice was so soft it was barely there at all lest she startle her. She knew all too well the feelings that accompanied spending so long looking over your shoulder, expecting harm at the slightest misstep. She hated being the reason Lucy knew what that felt like.

"Emily..." Lucy choked out and, in spite of the tears that immediately filled her eyes, it was clear she was overjoyed to see her again. "Emily," she repeated, voice trembling almost as much as her hands. "I'm so sorry..."

Emily was at her side in the next second, reaching for her hands. "No, Lucy, no!" she urged. "You have nothing to be sorry for!"

"But I..." she started to argue, tears streaking down her cheeks.

"No, Lucy," Emily insisted. "Nothing that happened was your fault. If anything, it's mine. I should have been honest with you, told you what was happening – maybe then this wouldn't have happened."

"Em..." she murmured. She chanced meeting her wife's eyes, but was unable to face all the emotions swirling there, just as quickly averting her eyes. She glanced down at her belly, slowly stroking a hand over it.

Emily, for her part, felt like she was choking as she watched Lucy's shaking hand land on her belly...choking on the knowledge that she could have prevented this and had failed. "Lucy, I..." she started.

Lucy interrupted, "I'll put it up for adoption."

"Wh-what?" she stuttered, not having expected that.

"I don't want you to have to raise his baby. Not after what he did to you. I could never ask that of you."

"Lucy... That's... That's not what..." she struggled to form a coherent thought.

"We'll try again," she promised as if that were her main concern.

"Lucy, I don't care who fathered this baby," Emily insisted, finding her tongue again. "I care that it's a part of you and if you want to keep this baby, I will love it more than anything in this world. But only if it's what you want."

Lucy finally met her eyes, searching desperately for something there, though she wasn't entirely certain she knew what it was she was hoping to find. "I... I don't know," she admitted at length. "He..." She heaved a sigh. "I want to love this baby, but I don't know if I can."

"That's fair," Emily assured her. "No one could possibly expect you not to have mixed emotions right now. You've got time to figure it out. We've got time." She offered a faint smile.

"You don't have to..." Lucy said emotionlessly, eyes flicking away again. "What happened... I wouldn't blame you if you could never look at me again."

Emily rested a hand against Lucy's cheek, forcing her to meet her eyes. "Lucy, I need you to listen to me. I don't care what happened – I don't care if you went along with what he wanted, I don't care if you didn't fight him, I don't care if this baby looks exactly like him. I don't give a damn about any of it. I care that you came out the other side. I care that you're here today. I care that I still get to hold you in my arms and tell you I love you because I do. I love you more than life itself because you are my wife and you're alive. Okay? Don't ever doubt that."

Lucy nodded slowly, eyes never leaving hers even as tears slid down her cheeks.

"Good," Emily said firmly. She seemed to doubt herself then. "Can I... I mean, is it alright if I hold you?"

She nodded again and, in the next second, she was engulfed by Emily's embrace, holding her so tightly she could barely breathe. It took her a few moments to work up the courage to return the embrace, slowly wrapping her arms around Emily's shoulders, heaving with silent sobs.