A/N: And this is it! Thanks for all of the lovely reviews on this story. Keep them coming! I am planning the chapters for the next story, but not quite ready to post, so I'll get those chapters written and probably start posting in about a week. Check the profile for updates, as there will be some additional characters coming up in the next story as well.

Chapter 20: Let The Story Begin (The Story, by Busby Marou)

Hotch closed his briefcase, locking it before he picked it up from his desk, then stooping down to grab his ready bag. Even though their last case had been local, Hotch had driven down to North Carolina for a couple of days, to consult on a serial arsonist case they were managing in a small town on the coast, and as a result his ready bag needed a mid-week replenishment. As he made his way down the hall, towards the stairs, Hotch checked his watch, figuring he had a minute or two before Emily would be there to pick him up. They had decided that, since they were keeping their relationship to themselves for a little longer, they at least wanted to make use of the limited time they had between cases. They needed to keep their hands to themselves during cases, and with kids to look after, they wouldn't always able to make a weeknight date.

So, with that in mind, they were testing a creative way to get some quality time together, outside of work and away from kids. Emily was picking Hotch up for work nice and early, so they could stop somewhere and have a breakfast date.

As Hotch made his way up the stairs, stopping to place his briefcase and ready bag down on the floor by the entry hall, he ran over their plan in his head. If anyone from the team asked why they were driving in together, Hotch figured they could just say they lived in the same neighbourhood, so carpooling made sense. It was good for the environment, good for their wallets, and good to have some company on the commute from DC to Quantico. He didn't care if the team believed these explanations, just so long as that was the messaging if anyone outside of the team overheard or asked questions.

"Almost done with your oatmeal, buddy?" Hotch asked, running his hand over Jack's head and kissing his hair, "I've told Caleb's mom that you can have a sleepover with him tomorrow night, and I will pick you up from Caleb's house Saturday morning if we're back in town."

Jack nodded, his mouth full of oatmeal as he smiled up at his dad.

"I'm so jealous," Jessica remarked, "I wish I could have sleepovers at my friend's houses."

Jack giggled and shook his head, "Grown-ups don't have sleepovers Aunty Jess!" he exclaimed.

Hotch snorted and sipped the last of his coffee, looking up at the ringing of the doorbell, but before he could even get to the door, Jack beat him to it. He swung the door open and giggled as Emily lifted him up off the ground, tickling his sides and placing kisses all over his cheeks. Just as Emily was settling Jack on her hip, Hotch joined them at the door. He leant forward to kiss Emily on the cheek, chuckling at Jack's rambunctious laughter, and he moved aside so she could make her way over the threshold.

Emily led the way, carrying Jack on her hip and listening intently as he told her all about his plans for the sleepover at Caleb's house. Just as they turned the corner into the dining room, Emily stopped when she saw Jessica. She had a smile on her face, but Emily wasn't entirely sure the woman wasn't about to lop her head off. Hotch had told her that Jessica knew, and that she was completely on-board with the situation, but Hotch was also fairly naïve when it came to women, so Emily was glad to see for herself if the reaction was genuine or not. She was prepared for a fight if it came down to it, but she really hoped that wouldn't be the way this would go down.

"When Aaron told me," Jessica started, moving over to pull Emily into a hug, "I was so… so happy."

Emily lowered Jack to the floor and returned Jessica's hug, squeezing her tight, "Thanks Jessica," she replied softly, looking back at Hotch's smiling face, "That means a lot."

Jessica shrugged and shook her head as she stood back from Emily, squeezing her hands tight, "You make these two really happy, and that's all a sister and aunt could ask for."

Emily huffed and nodded, smiling down at Jack as he stared up at the two women. She opened her mouth to speak, but Jessica beat her to it.

"Well… if you'll excuse me, I need to get this little guy off to school," Jessica said brightly. She looked up at Hotch and tipped her head, "Let me know if you get a case and I'll make sure to pick Jack up from school this afternoon."

Hotch nodded, leaning over to kiss Jessica's cheek before he stooped down to pick Jack up, "Have an awesome day at school," he said softly, kissing Jack's cheek and squeezing his sides, "I'll see you when I get home."

"I love you Daddy," Jack said brightly, wriggling out of his dad's arms and running over to grab Emily around the legs, "I love you to Emily."

Emily ruffled Jack's hair and kissed the top of his head, "I love you too, Jack-in-the-box."

"Ready to go to school, Aunty Jess," Jack said, running to the front door to pick up his school bag and bouncing as he waited for her to catch up to him.

"I'll see you two later," Jessica said, racing over to get to Jack before he ran out the front door.

"Bye Jess," Hotch said, while Emily waved after her.

As the front door closed, Emily looked over at Hotch with a smile and he made his way over to her, reaching up to squeeze her shoulders and running his hands down her arms. The contact made Emily shiver and she chuckled nervously. It seemed that Jessica was legitimately happy with the way things had turned out, but Emily knew that this situation would still be a little uncomfortable for her. She made a mental note to find some time to have a conversation just with Jessica, to make sure that she was ok with this change and give her a chance to ask any questions she might have. While Hotch referred to Jessica as his little sister, she would always be Haley's family first.

Hotch tipped his head to the table and smiled gently, "Let me just clean up the table and then we can get going," he said softly.

Emily nodded, watching as Hotch quickly picked up Jack's breakfast paraphernalia and made his way into the kitchen, stacking the items in the dishwasher and switching it on. He made his way back to Emily and reached out for her hand, starting them towards door and collecting his things as they made their way down the hall. After stopping for a moment to lock the door behind them, Hotch and Emily made their way down the front steps and across the yard, but before they walked out of the gate, Hotch stopped and Emily looked up at him with a furrowed brow.

Hotch leant down and placed his lips on Emily's, kissing her gently as he squeezed her waist. Her hands came up to grip the sides of his face, her thumbs running over his cheeks as she inhaled the scent of his aftershave. He didn't want the kiss to get out of hand, so he reluctantly pulled his lips away from hers, placing a quick peck on her lips and smiling as she opened her eyes. Emily furrowed her brow in confusion and Hotch shrugged his shoulders, looking down at Emily's lips.

"I just wanted to make sure we started off the day with that," Hotch explained, reaching up to wipe the slight smudge of Emily's lipstick on the corner of her mouth.

Emily chuckled and nodded, mirroring Hotch's actions and wiping the lipstick that had smudged on his lips, "I like your thinking, Agent Hotchner… god knows when we'll get to do that again."

Hotch huffed, turning and taking Emily by the hand as they walked through the gate and over to her car. He tossed his things in the back seat and then climbed into the passenger seat, looking over at Emily with a smile.

"I'm really glad you told Jess..." Emily remarked as she started the engine and pulled on her seat belt, turning the car away from the curb, "But how did it really go?"

Hotch shrugged, reaching over to rest a hand on Emily's thigh while she drove, "It was good… she seems ok with it," he replied, leaning his head back against the seat, "She said that she likes you, and she thinks that you make me and Jack happy, so that makes her happy too."

Emily nodded and smiled, reaching down to grip Hotch's hand where it was resting on her leg, "And how about the plans to tell the team?" she asked, "I assume you still want to find some way to tell them away from the office?"

Hotch nodded, "I don't want it to seem like we're hiding things, so the sooner the better," he explained, "And I definitely don't want to have a personal conversation in the BAU… so once we figure out when and where, I say we rip off the bandaid."

Emily snorted and glanced over at Hotch, "It's not like it's a bad thing, Aaron," she replied, "From what Tom was telling me, the guys will be on-board, and I know the girls will be thrilled."

"Alright… well let's see how today goes, and if we don't get a case, we invite them around to my place on Saturday night…" Hotch paused and shrugged, "And if we do get a case, we still invite them around, first chance we get."

"Why so keen Colonel Mustard?" Emily joked, turning onto the highway. They had agreed to stop at a café in Woodbridge for breakfast, not in DC but also not in Quantico, a nice spot to mark their transition from Aaron and Emily, to Hotch and Prentiss. They were trying this habit on for size, and if it worked, they would make it a regular activity. At least with breakfast, there was no pressure like there was on a typical dinner date. A peck on the lips and holding hands were about all the public displays of affection that were appropriate at that time of day.

Hotch chuckled and shook his head, "I honestly just want to make sure we limit the secrets from now on," he explained, his expression growing serious as he looked over at Emily, "We've had enough secrets on the team to last a lifetime, and I don't want this to become another issue that requires another cooking class at Rossi's house. I don't think he can take it."

Emily huffed and nodded, squeezing Hotch's hand, "Ok… well as much as we need to figure this out, I'd really like to be looking at you when we do, so how about we put a pin in that topic until we're sitting down for breakfast," she suggested, resulting in a nod from Hotch, "Now tell me about this Caleb kid… do we trust him?"

"I don't understand what the big deal is, Hotch," Emily remarked, turning the car onto Hotch's street, "All I'm suggesting is that we wait a little longer before we tell the rest of the team."

Hotch let out a sigh and shook his head as Emily pulled her car up to the curb, "First of all, Emily," he replied, "We're not at work now, so that's not my name…" Emily chuckled and Hotch paused, smiling and leaning over to kiss his girlfriend, "… second of all, we are going to get caught, and I don't want this to seem like a dirty little secret."

Emily rolled her eyes, "How will we get caught?" she asked, holding onto Hotch's tie and running it through her fingers, "It's not like we're going to ever start making out on a case. And we just wrapped up a case in St Louis and didn't get caught doing anything inappropriate."

Hotch chuckled and shook his head, "You sound disappointed, Em," he teased, "Should we make some rules to stop you from knocking on my hotel door at night?"

Emily rolled her eyes again, worried that if this conversation went on for much longer, they'd roll right out of her skull, "You know I didn't mean it like that, Aaron..." she paused and pinched his nose, "... I just meant that we weren't holding hands in the station or while we took down the unsub. We didn't say or do anything that might even hint at a relationship."

"Why are you suddenly so hell-bent on keeping this to ourselves, especially when Rossi already knows?" Hotch asked, reaching up to squeeze Emily's hand, "You know that JJ and Garcia will be over the moon, so why not let them celebrate with you?"

Emily shrugged and shook her head, staring at intricate pattern on Hotch's tie while she formulated an answer. She didn't want to break Rossi's confidence, and she knew there was more to his current situation than he'd shared with her, so she wanted to make sure he'd talk to her when he was ready. The last thing he needed, if things when south with Carolyn, was to feel like he had to avoid Emily because she'd broken his trust. Emily just wanted to give him a few more days to figure out his situation with his ex-wife, and then she'd know if it was ok to flaunt their new relationship or not.

"Em… sweetheart…" Hotch's voice broke Emily from her thoughts and she looked up to find him staring at her, worry on his face, "… you're not worried that… that we won't make this work, are you?"

Emily tipped her head to the side, shaking it as she bit her lip. She used Hotch's tie to pull him closer, placing her lips on his and kissing him softly. As they pulled apart, Emily reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, offering a small smile, "That's not it at all, honey," she replied, "I promise… I just think we should wait a little longer."

Hotch sighed and nodded, tipping his head towards the house, "Do you want to come in for a little while?" he asked, "Jack's at his sleepover tonight, so we could… talk."

Emily chuckled and nodded, "I think a… talk… would be perfect," she replied, placing a quick peck on Hotch's lips before she turned back to slide out of the car. Emily quickly walked around to the curb, waiting for Hotch as he grabbed his briefcase and ready-bag from the back seat, and when he joined her, she held out her hand and linked their fingers together.

"Are you hungry?" Hotch asked, "I have no idea what we have in the house, but I'm sure we could whip something up."

Emily shrugged, hitting the locks on the car door as she and Hotch headed towards the gate, "I probably should eat, but I'm not really that hungry," she replied, squeezing Hotch's waist when he dropped her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Well, let's at least have a look," Hotch explained, leading Emily up the steps and unlocking the front door. They walked down the front hall and Hotch stopped by the staircase to drop his things on the floor, then he led Emily into the kitchen. He opened the fridge to see if there was anything appetising and smiled when she wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. They were falling into a level of comfort Hotch hadn't expected less than a week into this relationship, but it was comfort that made him feel like this really was it. This would last.

"Would you look at that," Hotch remarked, taking out a Tupperware container and opening it, "Comfort pesto."

Emily leaned up to place a kiss on the side of Hotch's neck, smiling as he shivered from her touch, "Mmmm… comfort pesto is great," she replied, "But I'm not really that hungry right now."

Hotch chuckled, turning around and dropping the container on the island counter, wrapping his arms around Emily's waist and capturing her lips in a deep kiss. He backed Emily up so that she was leaning against the counter, her back arching slightly as he ran his tongue along the roof of her mouth. Hotch had been cataloguing Emily's preferences for a week already, and he could almost guarantee a moan if he followed a few easy steps. He knew that Emily wasn't looking to move too fast but making out like a couple of horny teenagers was more than fine with Hotch.

Emily ran her hands up Hotch's chest, meeting at the nape of his neck where her fingers began to play with his hair. Kissing him was becoming her all-time favourite activity and she couldn't get enough of it. Hotch seemed to know exactly what he was doing and if Emily didn't put some firm boundaries in place, things could get extremely heated extremely fast. It wasn't that she couldn't wait for the day when they could be more intimate, but there were about a hundred steps between what they were doing now and that eventuality. She still wasn't confident enough in her new body, the one that showed scars from her time in Boston… and her heart had even more scar tissue that needed time to heal. So far, Hotch had been wonderfully patient, but Emily was worried that he'd be ready to move ahead before she was ready.

"Oh my god."

Emily and Hotch broke apart at the sound of Zac's voice, Hotch turning away and wiping his mouth while Emily bit her lip and dropped her chin to her chest.

"I'm… uh… I'm sorry guys," Zac murmured, shoving his hands in his pockets and shifting his eyes nervously, "I just heard the front door and I thought it was Dad, but…"

"You don't have to be sorry Zac," Hotch replied, "We just got back from St Louis and we going to heat up some dinner."

Zac nodded, pursing his lips and trying his best to avoid eye contact with either of his parents. To say this was awkward would be a gross understatement. He'd just walked in on his parents making out in the kitchen, and if this had happened a year ago, Zac would've been making jokes with his mom about it… he tipped his head to the side… though, if it had been a year ago, he wouldn't have Hotch for a dad. So really, this was the only time that this particular set of circumstances would be able to make him feel this uncomfortable.

Emily pat her hands on her thighs and smiled nervously, first at Zac, then at Hotch, "I think I'll just get out of your hair," she said, aiming for nonchalant but bordering on shrill, "I'll see you later," Emily said, leaning over to kiss Hotch on the cheek before she started out of the kitchen.

"Mom, wait," Zac said quickly, reaching out to tap her arm. When she stopped and turned back, Zac had no idea what to say, but he didn't want her to leave just yet. He furrowed his brow and let out a sigh, watching his mom's face carefully, "Since you're here…" he paused and shrugged, "… maybe we could talk?"

Emily's eyes grew wide, glancing at Hotch who was standing at the threshold of the kitchen, a supportive smile showing on his face. She turned back to Zac and nodded quickly, "We can talk," she replied softly.

Zac nodded, "Cool… uh… do you want a beer?" he asked, pointing to the fridge as he started to walk over, passing Hotch, "I bought some Krombacher on my way home tonight."

Emily smiled, "Yeah, I'd love one, thanks," she replied, looking at Hotch who was just watching the whole scene play out in front of him.

Hotch had no idea what to say, or if he should say anything. He figured that he and Emily had been giving Zac space, and if he was ready, Emily should definitely take the opportunity. Zac had so many questions and, even though he'd asked Hotch some of them, Hotch didn't think it was his place to answer. All he could do was give them the time now to talk.

"I'll head downstairs and leave you guys to it," Hotch said softly, patting Zac on the shoulder as he accepted a cold beer from him. He made his way past Emily, reaching down to squeeze her hand and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, "Come downstairs when you're ready," he whispered, before he picked up his bags and disappeared down the stairwell.

Zac returned to Emily's side and gestured towards the living room, Emily following her son around to the couch and taking a seat on the far end of the seat. He looked down at his beer, opening the cap and taking a sip. He thought about where to start and then he remembered something he'd done a long time ago, when his mom was first gone. When he'd first gone to speak with Hotch, after meeting him at the cemetery, Zac had written a list. And for some reason, he'd kept it, stowing it away in his wallet for safe-keeping. Until right now, he had no idea why he felt compelled to keep that list of questions, but now it would come in handy.

"I'll be back in a second," Zac said, standing quickly from his seat and disappearing up the stairs.

Emily sat on the couch, feeling slightly awkward at being in the room on her own. She sipped her beer and waited, her breath returning to normal when she heard Zac's steps as he returned to the living room. He made his way over to the couch and sat next to his mom, close enough that his arm bumped hers, and he held out a piece of paper.

Emily furrowed her brow and looked up at Zac, but he stayed quiet, tapping the paper while he took a sip of beer. As she placed her own bottle on the coffee table, Emily started to unfold the paper and when she saw what was written, she let out a sigh and nodded. Of course Zac had a list... he was her son. As Emily read over the questions she thought about how to go through this, and then figured she'd start at the top of the list.

"Ok," Emily said softly, "Let's start with question one: Who was he…" she paused and swallowed hard over the lump in her throat as she sat back on the couch, bringing her leg up to sit under her and resting her arm on the back of the couch, "His name was Ian Doyle..."

Emily made her way into the kitchen, patting Rossi on the shoulder and smiling, "Thanks for having everyone around today," she said brightly, leaning over and kissing his cheek, "You're a good friend."

Rossi smiled and shrugged, "Well… when you told me that we would be celebrating, I thought it was a great excuse to crack open the champagne," he replied, pointing down at the cake, "I just didn't think that this would be what we'd be celebrating."

Emily wrinkled her brow and shook her head, grabbing the forks from the drawer and placing them on top of the pile of plates, "What do you mean?" she asked, "It's written on the cake."

Rossi chuckled, "I thought when you said you wanted to have the team around for cake, that it would say something like 'Hotch + Emily 4Eva'," he teased.

Emily snorted and shook her head, swatting Rossi's shoulder playfully, "You're ridiculous," she replied, "Can you really imagine Hotch agreeing to that, under any circumstances?"

Rossi shook his head, a wide smile on his face, "Yeah… probably not," he replied, turning to Emily and biting his lip as he pondered whether to share his news with her. She'd been a wonderful sounding board for him while they were in St Louis, and it was nice to have her opinion on his situation with Carolyn. Emily had always given him great advice before, and now she was back for good, Rossi was hoping to have that friendship back as well. His two go-to people were Hotch and Emily, but in this case, he felt like Emily would be the person who would give him some no-bullshit advice on his relationship. She'd call him out if he was acting irrationally, and she had the female perspective, which Rossi desperately needed.

Rossi looked down at the cake and read over the words again, "I'm having dinner with Carolyn tonight," he said softly, staring at the frosting and hoping to avoid any judgemental looks from his friend. Not that she'd be likely to judge, but Rossi wasn't going to gamble it. He thought it was a good idea, the dinner, but he knew that Emily might have some opinions she hadn't shared when they were talking in St Louis.

Emily bit her lip and played with the edge of the stack of napkins, contemplating her response. It was clear from Rossi's tone that this wasn't just a casual disclosure on his part. There was something more to it.

"Yeah?" Emily replied, "And what are you planning to say?"

Rossi shook his head and huffed, looking over to Emily and smiling sadly, "I have no fucking idea," he replied, "How do you tell your ex-wife that you want a second run?"

Emily shrugged and pursed her lips, "I guess you start with that and go from there," she replied, "Is that what you want?"

Rossi nodded fervently, "It really is… I've missed her, and I didn't realise how much until she was sitting across from me in that café."

Emily smiled and wrapped her arms around Rossi's shoulders, drawing him into a hug, "You'll know what to say when the time comes… you're pretty old, you know, and with old age comes great wisdom."

Rossi chuckled and squeezed Emily's sides, "You're a little bit of a shit, you know that?" he teased.

Emily laughed and shook her head, standing back from Rossi and smiling wide, "Yeah, and you love me anyway," she teased, "So what does that say about you?"

"Hey, you two," JJ said brightly, poking her head in from the patio, "Are you going to bring the cake out, already? Some of us are desperate for some sugar."

Emily snorted and shook her head, holding out the plates for Rossi to take, while she picked up the lighter to set the candles. Once they were lit, Emily lifted the cake from the counter and started towards the back door, stepping out on the patio as the rest of their family started to sing.

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday dear Aaron/Hotch/Dad,

Happy birthday to you.

Hotch rolled his eyes as Emily placed the cake on the table in front of him before she sat down on the sofa next to him. Declan sat on his other side, with Jack in his lap, holding the little guy's hands back from touching the frosting. Zac dropped down on the end of the sofa, next to Emily, resting his arm on the back of the seat and reaching over to pat Hotch on the shoulder.

As Rossi led them all in a round of cheers, Hotch leaned down to blow out the candles before he sat back, turning to Emily and wagging his eyebrows. She nodded and Hotch leaned over, placing a gentle kiss on her lips while she rested her hand on his cheek. As they pulled apart, Emily smiled brightly, inspiring an identical grin from Hotch.

"Thank you for my cake," Hotch said softly, his heart beating fast in his chest. Their secret was out. There was no going back now, and he wouldn't want it any other way. He wanted Emily, and he wanted their family, and now everything he wanted was right in front of him... or around him. And if anyone had anything bad to say about it, both he and Emily (and Zac) were trained in multiple martial arts and could kick their asses five ways to Sunday.

Emily pat Hotch's knee gently, holding out the knife for him to cut the cake, "Happy birthday, Aaron," she replied in kind, "Did you make a wish?"

Hotch huffed and nodded, raising his eyebrows, "Sure did, but I'm not telling, or it won't come true."

Emily snorted and shook her head as Hotch started to cut into the cake, sliding pieces on the plates as she held them out for him. As the plates were filled with cake, Emily handed them around to their friends, who were doing their best not to look completely shocked. It was exactly how they'd planned it… no big announcement, no big discussion… just a simple demonstration to their BAU family that things had changed. Emily knew that the time would come for inquisitive questioning from their friends, but for now, she just wanted to enjoy this time with her boys.

Eventually the others drifted off into their own conversations, milling about on the patio and eating their cake, while Emily and Hotch and their sons chatted about their favourite cakes. As Declan and Zac shared their love for Effie's red velvet cupcakes, Emily nudged Hotch with her elbow, smiling at the family they had managed to create. It wasn't a normal family by any means, but it was theirs. And Emily felt that nugget of doubt in her gut start to dissolve even more, until it was almost non-existent, as she watched them laugh together… her man and her boys… comparing cakes and icings and talking about the benefits of sprinkles and chocolate chips.

Henry scrambled up onto Zac's lap, asking if they could kick the ball around, and when Zac nodded, he lifted Henry up onto his shoulders and called out to Declan and Jack to join them. Before he moved away from the couch, Zac leant down, holding Henry tight so he wouldn't fall, and kissed the top of Hotch's head.

"Happy birthday, Dad," he said softly, "Love you Mom," he added, leaning over to kiss Emily's hair, before he stood up and made his way over to the large expanse of green lawn. When he reached the lawn, Zac gently lowered Henry down and jogged with him to where the ball was, showing him how to kick it really hard and laughing when the little guy fell on his face.

Emily sat back in her seat, leaning into Hotch's side and licking the icing from her lips as she watched their sons and Henry kick the soccer ball around the yard. It was a good day, and after the year that they'd had, Emily was so grateful for the good days. She promised to never take them for granted, ever again, and to always think back on this day when the doubt started to creep up. As she looked over at Garcia and JJ, smiling brightly at her friends as they grinned at her, Emily sighed.

Hotch wrapped his arm around Emily's shoulder as he leant back on the sofa, pulling her into his side and running his hand over her arm. She rested her hand on his leg and they laughed when Zac picked Henry up, holding him under his armpits and letting his feet kick the ball. Hotch knew this was it… they were a family now, no turning back. He watched their sons, playing together, and in that moment he could see their entire future ahead of them.

Hotch looked down to Emily, squeezing her shoulder and waiting for her to look up at him. He leant down to gently kiss her again, and as he pulled back, he let out a sigh.

"So, now what?"