Chapter 31: Public Enemy

Emily moved her napkin to the table and smiled at her mother, "Well… we need to get this guy to the airport," she said, gesturing to Zac. He was in town interviewing for the WHO internship program and had been staying with Emily for the past week, and he'd been hassling Emily to arrange a dinner with Elizabeth. Work always tended to get in the way, but the night he was due to fly back, they'd managed to organise something that worked for everyone.

As she stood from the table, Emily leaned over to kiss Elizabeth's cheek, "Thanks for coming out for dinner."

Elizabeth smiled and squeezed Emily's hand, where it rested by her side, "Thank you for the invitation," she replied, standing when Zac moved around the table to give her a hug, "I'll see you next time you're in town."

"I have a friend's engagement party in Boston next month," Zac replied, "I can hop a flight over to DC before I go back to LA."

Elizabeth smiled and nodded, "Sounds lovely," she added, "Now go… we wouldn't want you to miss your flight."

Zac smiled and nodded, holding out his elbow for Emily, and they made their way towards the coat check, stopping to wave at Elizabeth before they headed out the door.

As they walked through the front doors of the restaurant, they both slipped on their coats, and then Zac put his arm around Emily's shoulders and squeezed. It had been a really nice visit with his grandmother, but he worried sometimes. He knew there were so many cracks in the relationship between his mother and grandmother, and he knew there was a lot that Emily had protected him from, but he also loved his Grams and thought that they both could try a little harder to mend the relationship. He had been trying since he was old enough to pick up on the tension, but each woman was as stubborn as the other.

"You know," he started, "You don't need to wait until I'm in town for an excuse to have dinner with Grams."

Emily huffed and shook her head, pulling her coat tighter around her waist and leaning her head on Zac's shoulder, "I see her when you're not here," she replied, "But work keeps me busy."

"Mom," Zac urged, "She's really trying… you have to give her that. Besides, with Pop out in the field again, she's lonely… she doesn't really have anyone except for us."

Emily sighed and glanced over at Zac, then turned her head back to the footpath ahead of them, "I know," she replied, "I'll try to do better…" Emily paused and wrapped an arm around Zac's waist, "… who's engagement party is it in Boston?"

"Oh, you remember Billy, my roommate from Yale?"

"No way!" Emily exclaimed, swatting at Zac's chest, "Who said yes to marrying Billy? Has he perhaps learned how to brush his teeth?"

Zac chuckled and shook his head, "It's been years since you last saw him. I can guarantee that his personal hygiene has improved since then," he replied, "Besides, I introduced him to his fiancée and she doesn't seem to have any issues with his ability to look after himself."

Emily tapped her chin with her finger and hummed, "Isn't he the guy who blew up your microwave by over-heating a whole potato?"

Zac laughed loudly and threw his hand over his mouth, "Oh my god… I forgot about that," he replied, "Well, now I know what I'm putting in my best man speech."

Emily giggled and shook her head as they reached the corner, and she let go of Zac to wave down a taxi. When the yellow car pulled up beside them, Emily turned back to Zac and reached up to fix the collar of his coat. She ran her hand over his hair and smiled, "I'm so glad you got a haircut before your interviews," she mused, "Your grandmother would have killed me if you'd come in looking like a hippie from the seventies."

Zac laughed and ran his hand through his hair, rolling his eyes, "Oh Mother."

Emily faked a frown as he opened the door, "I thought I told you never to call me that?" she joked as Zac reached over and pulled Emily into a hug, holding her tight.

"I'll see you again soon," he said softly, "I love you… Mom."

Emily stood back and smiled at Zac, gripping the sides of his face and pulling him towards her to plant a kiss on his forehead.

"I love you too," she replied, "Stay safe and call me when you land."

Zac nodded and slid into the backseat of the cab, closing the door and calling out through the open window, "I'll see you next month."

As the taxi started to drive away, Emily waved, watching it disappear around the corner. She stood in place, watching the spot where the taxi had disappeared, and shoved her hands in the pockets of her coat, thinking back over the past week.

Having Zac in town had been so wonderful. Granted, Emily had only just returned to DC from Florida the morning after he'd arrived, but the little moments they'd had together while he was here were wonderful. Binge-watching their favourite shows, cooking up a storm together in the kitchen, and lots of catching up on his life in LA.

But his presence had created another problem. Zac being in town had meant that Emily couldn't visit Hotch and Jack as much as usual, and even though it had only been a week, it felt like something was missing.

Emily had been spending more time with Hotch and Jack, finding moments to help out where she could… where Hotch would let her. The practical offers were accepted without too much of a fight. Emily had cooked many dinners for the boys and done many loads of laundry to help out. She'd also taken Jack on countless walks and adventures, to give Hotch time to go to appointments and catch up on the work he had to bring home with him.

The practical stuff was easy. The emotional stuff, not so much.

Hotch still tended to keep things to himself, but Emily had been finding ways to get him to talk to her. Those methods often involved Emily offering up parts of her own history in exchange, a way to balance the scales. At this point, except for Zac's existence, there wasn't much that Hotch didn't know about her.

Emily smiled, it was a beautiful thing, having someone to trust. And Emily was believing, more and more, that she could finally trust Hotch with this one last, most important, piece of her life. She just had to find a way to tell him.

She realised she'd been standing in the same place for too long and needed to start the journey home. They'd caught a cab to dinner, but she thought it might be a nice night to walk the fifteen minutes back to her apartment. The weather was still cold, but Emily had always enjoyed the cold.

Just as she turned the corner, Emily heard her name.

"Emily!"

Emily turned and saw Hotch waving to her from across the street. She smiled and waved back, walking back to meet him at the corner.

"I was just thinking about you," Emily said softly, reaching out to squeeze his hand as he stepped up onto the footpath, "And here you are."

Hotch smiled and gestured with his thumb over his shoulder, "I was just having drinks with a friend across the street," he replied, "What are you doing out?"

Emily shrugged, "I just had dinner with my mother," she replied, "Heading home now."

"Would you like some company?" Hotch asked, figuring that they lived in the same neighbourhood, and it would just make sense for them to walk together. Besides, he would never turn down an opportunity to spend more time with Emily. She'd been uncharacteristically absent from his life for the last week, with the exception of work. And seeing her at the office was not the same. Hotch wasn't generally a physically demonstrative person, but he'd been missing the opportunities that Emily's presence in his apartment usually offered for a hug or an arm around the shoulder.

Hotch had been wondering if he'd done or said something wrong, something to scare her off. He'd been worried that she might have felt like she was doing too much for them, or that Hotch was starting to depend on her too much. His other theory was that she'd started seeing someone new and was spending time with them. And after the debacle with Peter, Hotch had resolved to steer clear of Emily's romantic life. She didn't need him interfering with her relationships.

And what Hotch had just seen made him wonder if he was right on that last theory. He and Jim had just been leaving the bar and had stopped on the footpath to say goodbye when Hotch had seen Emily walking down the street with someone. He didn't get a good enough look to identify the mystery man, but he'd had his arm around Emily and she'd kissed him goodbye. It wasn't a romantic kiss, just one on the forehead, but seeing it had still made Hotch's stomach turn.

Emily smiled and squeezed Hotch's hand, breaking him from his musings, "Safety in numbers, right?"

Hotch chuckled and nodded, "My thoughts exactly."

Emily stepped back and they started down the footpath, enjoying a moment of peace. She couldn't quite believe that she had been thinking of Hotch, and he had appeared out of nowhere. What were the chances? They walked in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the cool air and each other's company. Over time, the silences between them had become more comfortable, neither of them feeling like they had to fill the time with endless conversation. It was nice to just be with someone, and Emily knew that Hotch appreciated it too. Their lives were overly articulated, and they liked to give each other some time without the pressure to talk.

After five minutes of walking in silence, Emily tapped Hotch with her elbow and offered him a smile.

"So, who was the friend you were meeting?" Emily asked, glancing over at Hotch.

"Just an old friend from law school," Hotch replied, impulsively reaching over to place a hand on Emily's back as they passed a large group, "We try to catch up every year… talk about life and work."

"And old age?" Emily teased, resulting in a jab in the side from Hotch. She giggled, "Just kidding."

"And what about you?" Hotch asked, ignoring Emily's teasing and subsequent giggling.

"Oh… my dad is back in the field, so I thought it would be good for Mother to get out of the house," Emily replied, "She's still struggling with letting him go back, after what happened in Tehran."

"Naturally," Hotch added, "Where is he this time?"

Emily shrugged, "We never get to know that… at least not until he gets back."

"That must be stressful," Hotch replied, using a sudden bust of cool wind as an excuse to move his hand up to rub Emily's shoulder, "You know as well as I do how dangerous that work is, and he's her husband. She's bound to be worried about him… like she's bound to be worried about you and the work we do."

Emily furrowed her brow and nodded, leaning into Hotch's side, "I guess I forget sometimes," she replied, "She's such a diplomat, and, growing up, I never saw her emotional. I guess that's made me think that she just doesn't get emotional."

The more she thought about it, the only time Emily had ever seen anything resembling true, human emotions from her mother was when Emily had Zac. Ambassador Prentiss had become a grandmother, and first smiles, first steps, first birthdays… the Ambassador would become Elizabeth. And Elizabeth cried and smiled and laughed.

But Emily always thought that it was only Zac who brought that out in her.

"I worry that Jack is going to think the same about me when he's older, that he never saw me upset or happy or anything other than…" Hotch's voice trailed off and Emily wrapped her arm around Hotch's waist. He looked over at her and smiled, "I'm working on it."

Emily smiled softly and nodded, squeezing Hotch's side, "How is Jack? It's been like a whole week since I saw him last."

Hotch huffed and shrugged, "He's doing ok," he replied, "He's been having some trouble sleeping lately."

"Is he back in your room?" Emily asked as they turned the final corner onto Emily's block. She knew it had been an issue when Haley had first died, but over time Jack seemed ok with going to his own bedroom to sleep. At least, that was on the nights that Emily was there to tuck him in. She couldn't know if Jack got up in the middle of the night to go into Hotch's room.

"He's been on and off with that," Hotch replied, "He's ok if I read with him first… or if we talk to Haley."

Emily wrinkled her brow and looked to Hotch for more information. He hadn't told her about this before, and she was curious what he meant.

"We do this thing where I light a candle and Jack talks to Haley…" Hotch paused and shrugged as they neared Emily's building, "… he tells her about his day and talks about what he remembers about her. I think it helps him to not forget her."

Emily smiled softly, "That sounds like a beautiful way to keep her with him…" Emily paused and tipped her head, "… Does he do the same thing when you're not there to put him to bed?"

Hotch shook his head, "No… I don't think Jessica feels comfortable doing it. It makes her sad," he replied.

"Do you think it's something Jack could do on his own?" Emily asked, "I mean, obviously you don't want him playing with a lighter or matches, but maybe you could get him one of those realistic battery-operated candles for when you're not there to put him to bed."

Hotch's eyes widened and he nodded, "I think we could work something out… it's definitely worth a try." He squeezed Emily's shoulder and leant over to kiss the top of her head, "What would I do without you, Em?"

Emily huffed and patted Hotch's stomach with her spare hand, "I honestly don't know, Aaron."

Hotch scoffed at Emily's sarcasm, but he was being serious when he'd asked the question. In minutes, she had solved a problem that he'd been fixated on for weeks. Just like that. It was amazing how simple the solution was, but it was genius in its simplicity. He could definitely talk to Jack about continuing this ritual, even when Hotch couldn't be there with him. If he got into the habit of talking to Haley before he went to sleep, even on nights when Hotch got home after bedtime, he might just feel comfortable staying in his own room for the night. It might just be enough to keep the nightmares at bay.

Hotch wondered if they could go to Target tomorrow to check out their options. Jack should pick out the candle and they could set it up in his room before bedtime.

"What are you thinking about?" Emily asked, tapping the side of Hotch's head gently with her fingertip.

"I was just thinking, we could take Jack to Target tomorrow afternoon to look at some candles," Hotch explained, raising an eyebrow and smiling, "If you'd like to join us?"

Emily smiled widely and nodded, "I'd love to!" she exclaimed squeezing Hotch's side. An afternoon with Hotch and Jack… what could be better?

Just as Hotch had been enjoying the warmth of having Emily in his arms again, they reached the front steps of her building. He reluctantly released his hold of Emily's shoulder as she took the first step up towards the front door. But instead of continuing up the steps, she stopped on the first and turned to face him.

Hotch felt cold at the loss of contact and reached out to hold her hand. He hadn't realised until tonight how much he'd missed this time with Emily, those moments where he could share what was going on for him, what was worrying him, and get a cuddle in at the same time. Sure, they had Jessica coming by the apartment, spending time with Jack when Hotch couldn't be there. And Rossi had stopped by the other night for a drink after Jack had gone to bed. But Hotch wasn't about to ask either of them for a cuddle on the couch.

"So what about you, Aaron?" Emily asked, squeezing Hotch's hand gently.

Hotch frowned, "What about me?" he asked, confused by the question, his own thoughts having distracted him from the flow of the conversation.

"Well… you always seem to be thinking about what Jack needs, you're an amazing dad like that…" she paused and tipped her head, "… but you also need to make sure you're taking care of yourself. It's like that thing they taught us in our psych classes at college. You need to make sure you put on your oxygen mask before you help Jack with his."

Hotch smiled and reached up to push a stray strand of hair behind Emily's ear, "I know… it's just a lot harder to do than it is to say."

"Can I do anything to help?" Emily asked, "I know I haven't been around much this past week, but that's just because I had someone visiting from out of town… but maybe this week, if we don't get called away on a case, I can bring around ingredients for pizza and we can make a big mess."

Hotch smiled and nodded, "That sounds perfect… I know Jack would love it." If Hotch was being honest with himself, he would love it too. He'd been alone in carrying this weight of Jack's returned sleeping disturbances, and in the few minutes that he'd been talking about it with Emily, that weight had been lifted.

Emily nodded resolutely, "Great… well you let me know which night works for you guys, and I'll be there."

She leaned forward to pull Hotch into a hug, leaning her head on his shoulder. It had been a pleasant surprise having Hotch join her on the walk home, and she was grateful for the chance to spend some time with him. She wasn't ready to say goodnight just yet, and while she could invite him up to have a night-cap, she worried about the connotation. She worked hard to maintain a friendship with Hotch, and while she might have an occasional, fleeting thought about something more with him, she knew it couldn't happen.

Their work… Jack… Zac… the rules… the relative recency of Haley's death…

There were too many reasons not to risk ruining their friendship by acting on her crush. That's all it was… just a little crush. But to Emily, even the fact that she had those fleeting thoughts was enough to try and keep their interactions as innocent as possible. A cuddle on the couch after Jack went to bed was one thing. A scotch shared on her couch was another.

With that thought, Emily pulled away from Hotch, reluctantly, and offered him a soft smile, "Thanks for the company, Aaron," she remarked, resisting the sudden urge to run her fingers through his hair. She pulled her hands away from Hotch's shoulders and brought them back to her side, shoving them in her coat pockets where they would behave.

Hotch was unaware of the thoughts running through Emily's mind… the thoughts that were identical to his own. From where they stood, his hands on her waist and her head at the same height as his, he could just lean forward and...

He would be lying if he said he hadn't thought about shifting his relationship with Emily. Those thoughts inspired by their close friendship and the level of trust he placed in her. She was his closest friend, which could serve as a beautiful foundation for something more… or it could lead to even more heartbreak if things didn't work out. And that last thought was what stopped him from making any sudden changes to their dynamic. He had a track record for being terrible at relationships, and he would hate to lose what they had already.

With that thought, Hotch removed his hands from Emily's waist and cleared his throat, "How about we pick you up tomorrow and head to Target from here… about 1?"

Emily nodded, "Perfect," she replied, wishing she could find another excuse to stay here with him. But the moment was over, and she needed to get inside before she did something stupid.

Emily gestured with her thumb over her shoulder, "I should get inside before we both freeze… I'll see you tomorrow."

Hotch smiled and nodded, realising that the night had come to a natural end, "See you tomorrow," he said softly, taking a step back.

"Text me when you get home so I know you're safe," Emily urged.

Hotch nodded and stepped back again, "Goodnight Emily."

Emily turned and walked up the remaining steps. It took everything in her, but she finally made it inside the first door, and she turned to watch Hotch through the double-sided window. He paused for a moment, staring up at the building, before he turned slowly and started his way down the street. He disappeared around the first corner and Emily let out a sigh, banging her head against the glass and realizing she needed to do something to rid herself of this crush before she lost her best friend.

"And what happens if this draws the unsub to Meg?" JJ asked, staring at Rossi for an answer.

Emily looked over at JJ, then at Rossi, realising this was becoming a battle of wills. She knew that tone from JJ. It meant she was not happy with this idea and was getting ready to dig her heels in.

"We keep her with us," Rossi replied, looking between JJ and Emily, "We take the bastard down."

JJ shook her head, not convinced that this plan wasn't going to get Meg or Sophia killed. She rolled her eyes and looked to Emily, who responded with a gentle nod.

"Uh… JJ," Emily started, glancing at Hotch, who nodded, before returning her gaze to JJ, "Why don't we go and talk strategy?"

JJ nodded gratefully, standing from the table and following Emily out the front doors of the station. Emily paused, looking in both directions, before she decided to take JJ down the footpath a little. She found a secluded spot, outside the fence of the station parking lot, and turned back to JJ.

"What's going through your mind right now?" Emily asked gently, leaning her shoulder against a fence post, watching JJ pace back and force on the sidewalk. Her presentation was concerning for Emily, and she thought she knew why. Cases involving families often hit JJ hard, and it was often her job to help the families understand the findings of the investigations as they unfolded. This meant that JJ had to find ways to connect with them, and tasks like this were made more difficult by those connections.

"This woman has just lost her husband, and now we're asking her to put herself and her daughter in the unsub's cross-hairs," JJ replied harshly, "Rossi… Hotch… Morgan… they don't get it because they don't have to try and convince these families to take these steps. They don't have to spend time with these families, get them to trust them, and then break that trust by asking too much…" JJ paused and sighed, "We're asking Meg to put herself at risk, and for what? The chance… the extremely small chance... that the unsub will be watching and will make a mistake?"

Emily raised her eyebrows, amazed at JJ's honesty. She didn't think she'd ever heard JJ say so much all at once, outside of a press conference or a ladies' night, and it surprised her. JJ had obviously been holding a lot of that in for a really long time. And while Emily could understand what JJ was saying, she didn't think now was the time to process the different experiences between male and female agents. That could wait for a drinking session with Garcia, which Emily would propose once this case was done.

Emily and nodded, "What is it about this plan, specifically, that worries you the most?" she asked, studying JJ's face, "Is it asking Meg to do it, or is it the way that the guys will want it done?"

JJ sighed, "I think it's that I know the wording Hotch and Rossi will want Meg to use, because they'll want her to piss the unsub off enough to make a mistake. But I don't think Meg should say what they want her to say."

Emily nodded, "Ok… well it looks like you don't have a choice right now. You'll have to at least try to convince Meg to do this press conference… so what can we do to make you feel comfortable with asking her to do this?"

JJ frowned and shoved her hands in her pockets, "I don't know. I guess…" she paused and shook her head, "I guess I could write the statement for her. Make sure we get the wording just right… make sure it's something that I, as a mother, would feel comfortable enough saying, not the wording a bunch of profilers would want her to say."

Emily nodded and smiled, "Ok, so you write what you think needs to be said, and I'll drive you over there," she said resolutely. She reached down to take JJ's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, "You don't have to do this, you know… we can find another way."

JJ shook her head, "I need to at least try," she replied, looking down at her boots and then back up at Emily, grateful for her support. JJ tipped her head and smiled sadly, "Ok… I'm ready."

Emily returned JJ's smile and reached up to squeeze her shoulder, gesturing in the direction of the station, "After you Agent Jareau."

"It's so messy!" Jack squealed with joy, mushing the sauce over the pizza base, "It's squishing in my fingers!"

Emily laughed and looked from Jack's elated face to Hotch's worried one, as Jack held out a tiny, sauce-covered hand towards his dad.

"Don't you even think about it, buddy," Hotch warned his son, with a smile forming on his face. He couldn't fight it though, and his dimples emerged as he held up his hands in defence.

Emily laughed again and shook her head, walking over to the chair that Jack was standing on while they made their pizzas at the kitchen counter. She walked over and picked Jack up from behind, carrying him over to the sink and holding him there while she helped him wash his hands.

As the water ran over their joined hands, Emily's phone began to ring, and she looked to Hotch, "Can you get that please?"

Hotch grabbed Emily's cell from the dining table and looked at the name before he held it up, "Uh… Zac," Hotch said, frowning and holding the phone out to Emily.

"Oh… answer it! Quickly," Emily said, tipping her head for Hotch to come over. He hurried over and pressed the green button, then held the phone up to Emily's ear.

"Zac?" Emily said quickly, leaning her head to hold the phone to her shoulder, while Hotch took Jack from her. Hotch held a tea-towel out for Emily to dry her hands and she smiled at him.

"Mom! I got in!"

"No way," Emily exclaimed, resulting in a quizzical look from Hotch. She held her hand over the receiver and whispered to Hotch, "I'll just be a minute."

Hotch nodded and watched as Emily walked into the living room. That name, again… Zac. Hotch still didn't know who this guy was, but Emily had assured him that she was taking a break from dating, so Hotch didn't think he was a boyfriend. He didn't want to eavesdrop, so he helped Jack back onto the chair and they continued to work on their pizzas.

"I got the call about ten minutes ago," Zac replied, "I can't believe it!"

"Tell me more," she urged, "Do you know where you'll be posted?"

"They mentioned something about the north Pacific, but I won't be moving there until after I graduate," Zac explains, "In the meantime, I have to complete some online courses on international relations and the UN system, and I have a list of practical things I have to get done as well."

"Practical things like what?" Emily asked, "Like a medical clearance?"

"Amongst others," Zac replied, "That's the easy stuff… I have to get a criminal history check done as well."

"Well that I can definitely help with," Emily added, "Do you want me to call my contact from Interpol? I can ask them for a report."

"That would be amazing, Mom," Zac replied excitedly, "You have no idea how helpful that would be."

Emily smiled and nodded, turning back to check on the boys and noting the look on Hotch's face. He was clearly trying his best not to eavesdrop, and she would have to reward him for his efforts later.

"Ok, well leave it with me," Emily replied, "I'll send through the report once I have it back from Sean."

"Thanks Mom," Zac added, "Ok… well I need to go and prep for a class I'm teaching tomorrow… I'll talk to you later."

"Congratulations, Zac," Emily said softly, dropping the volume of her voice, "I love you."

"Love you too Mom."

Emily heard the click and she looked down at her cell, grinning widely. Damn her kid was good. She huffed and shoved it into her pocket, before she turned back towards the kitchen.

"Good news?" Hotch asked, glancing up curiously from the pizzas he and Jack were decorating.

Emily passed them and went back to the sink to wash her hands again, and with her back turned, she replied, "Yeah… someone I know just got a job with the WHO."

"That's great news," Hotch replied, "Did I hear you say something about Interpol?"

Emily turned back and smiled, "Yeah… I need to reach out to a contact there to get some information," she explained, ignoring the frown Hotch was throwing her way, "Now, what toppings are we putting on these bad boys?"

Jack giggled, oblivious to the tension between the adults, and pointed to the first pizza, "This one has pepperoni and mushrooms," he explained, looking up at Emily for approval. When she ruffled his hair and smiled, he pointed to the second pizza and scrunched up his nose, "This one has green stuff and bacon."

Emily chuckled and stood behind Jack, reaching around him to point, "The green stuff is pesto… pesto is the besto," she said, resulting in another giggle from Jack, "And the bacon is actually pancetta… can you say pancetta?"

Jack furrowed his brow and tapped his finger on his chin, "Pancetta?"

Hotch smiled and held out a hand for a high-five, "Great job, buddy…" he paused and looked to Emily, "I think these are ready, Agent Prentiss, if you'd like to do the honours?"

Emily saluted Hotch in response, resulting in a third giggle from Jack in the space of a few minutes. She picked up the little boy and held him on her hip, while she lifted the first tray and turned back to the hot oven. Once it was safely inside, Emily turned back for the second tray and placed it in the oven too, then she closed the door.

"Alright," Emily exclaimed, "Now what should we do while they cook?" she asked, looking down at Jack.

"Spongebob!"

Emily groaned as she dropped onto the couch next to Hotch, her belly full of delicious pizza and her heart warm from time spent in the Hotchner house. She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed.

"Bedtime took longer than usual," Hotch said, resting his head on Emily's.

"Your son decided that one story wasn't enough for tonight, but we've read through all of his books already, so I had to make something up," Emily replied with a snort, "You may need to go shopping for some more reading materials before my next visit, otherwise I may end up giving him nightmares."

Hotch chuckled and reached up to wrap his arm around Emily's shoulders, "I think I could be persuaded to enter a bookstore next weekend," he responded dryly, "What story did you end up telling him?"

Emily rubbed her belly and sighed, "Oh, I told him an alternate version of Cinderella."

"An alternate version?" Hotch asked, raising his eyebrows quizzically.

Emily chuckled, "In my version, Cinderella's name is Cinderfella, and he falls in love with a princess."

Hotch laughed and shook his head, "Cinderfella?"

Emily scooted to the side so she could look up at Hotch, "What? I had to think on my feet."

She moved back to rest her head on Hotch's chest and closed her eyes, being lulled to sleep by the combination of the food, time spent with Jack, and Hotch's hand gently rubbing up and down her arm. She told herself that she'd just rest her eyes for a moment, but was shocked awake by Hotch's voice.

"Did you hear me?" Hotch asked, looking down at the top of Emily's head.

Emily blinked her eyes a couple of times to wake up before she responded, "Sorry… what did you say?"

"I asked about what you said earlier," Hotch repeated, "About calling your contacts at Interpol."

Emily furrowed her brow. She had figured this would come up again, but right now, she was too tired. She sat up and Hotch's arm dropped to the back of the couch cushion.

"I'm just calling to get a report for someone," Emily explained, "Nothing more."

"You know it's not uncalled for, for me to worry about you going back there," Hotch said softly, "I know you struggle with staying in one place for too long, and you've already been here for…"

"Almost four years… and?" Emily asked, scooting back on the couch, away from Hotch. She wondered if this was something that had already been on his mind, or whether it had only come up because of his, now obvious, eavesdropping. She wasn't ready to tell him about Zac, but now she might not have a choice.

"And…" Hotch paused and sat up, "I just want to make sure that you're not…" he dropped his head and felt his stomach turn. When he looked back up, Emily's face had softened and his heart skipped a beat.

"I'm not going anywhere, Aaron," Emily replied, "I told you, I'm here to stay…" she paused and smiled, reaching up to squeeze his shoulder, "You're stuck with me, like it or not."

Hotch nodded and pulled Emily into a hug, "You mean a lot to me, Emily. I hope you know that."

"Now I do," Emily smiled against Hotch's shoulder, "And you mean a lot to me too, Aaron."

Emily paused, holding the hug with Hotch for longer than she normally would. She really hoped the conversation was over, so she wouldn't have to share her secret, but if pushed, she could cut and run. She shook her head to shake that thought and decided to change the subject instead. When she pulled away from Hotch, she smiled and tipped her head towards the television.

"I've got time for an episode of Grand Designs, if you do?"

Hotch nodded and turned to grab the remote from the coffee table. While Emily found a comfortable spot, cuddled into Hotch's side, he flicked through the channels until he found the one they were looking for.

As images of lavender and sheep and a large wooden cottage flitted across the screen, Emily's eyes began to close. Hotch looked down at his side and leant over to kiss the top of Emily's head, and she sighed. He furrowed his brow, hoping that she was telling the truth about her plans to stay. He couldn't imagine his world without Emily in it, and he hoped never to have to find out.