Hotch slowly pulls away, wiping his eyes as he turns around to hide the fact that he was teary-eyed from Emily. He gains his composure and turns to her, giving her his signature stern look. "It is not your fault, Emily. You have nothing, and I mean nothing, to be sorry for. How do you want to handle this?"

"Handle what?" Emily almost chuckles as she wipes away her fallen tears. "Nothing happened, Hotch. Not in front of them. This is my weight; I can carry it." The strength in her voice finally returning, Hotch sees the switch from emotionally depleted to detached right before his eyes. Sighing, he nods to her. "If that is what you want Emily, no one will know. You will need support. I am asking you to come to me when you do." "I will, Aaron. Promise." Emily says as her thumb runs softly along the top of his hand. The use of his first name made Hotch feel strangely at ease. Alongside the gentle rubbing at the top of his hand, which he can see is Emily's way of offering silent support to him, he feels grateful for the tenderness in this awkwardly intimate moment. Her awareness that offering silent support is what he needs even as she is suffering so greatly herself enamors him, as he feels the heat of shame and panic still gnawing on him from his admission of one of the ugliest moments of his life. One he does not want to revisit, not now. He is thankful that she knows him well enough to respect that. After the admittedly awkward exchange of intimacy, Emily wipes her face and stoically returns to the pen- bravely standing tall to face whatever comes next. Hotch half smiles at her demeanor, even if it was partly façade.

He feels a longing for connection with Emily, though there was already one there. They were more than colleagues, friends even. At a level that Aaron rarely let his subordinates reach. Emily offered to be there for him after his stabbing, and that she was. She reached out often, she stopped by with coffee, she made it known that she was there for him. It stirs a butterfly-like sensation in his gut when he thinks of their embrace earlier, how she relaxed into him although she had tensed with the other men. He pretends that his thoughts of her strength, resilience, compassion, and beauty were friendly thoughts. He suppresses the way he wants to hold her again, feel her relax into him and take away some of the pain he knows she is feeling. It was not his place. He was her boss and she had never shown him any sign of wanting more than that. He knew his feelings were one-sided and unacceptable, especially considering what she is going through right now. He just wishes that he didn't miss her so much when she had just left and was only a room away.

"It's been a long ass day, anyone in for drinks? I'm buying first round!" Morgan projects as he sees the team finally all enter the pen gathering their belongings for the night. "I'm in!" Garcia quips, followed by yeses from JJ, Rossi, and a reluctant Reid (who honestly was just longing for some more family time). "I'm in, but only if you buy me a second round too" Prentis says lightheartedly. "You're on" Morgan replies, heart smiling that she felt well enough to go out with them. Things were getting closer to normal. "I'll come as well" Hotch stated from the back. Everyone looked at him surprisingly- he had never attended one of their after hours get togethers. They all smile and there are some cheers and wooing jokes made at his expense, while Emily just smiles to him. Part of her knows this is for her and she immediately feels more secure in this experience. JJ Places her arm around Emily's shoulder as they all head towards the elevator.