AN: Thanks for checking out this story. Unlike my other stories that have been published as WIP, this is a finished story for which I will be publishing regular updates.

I actually started this and another story at the same time as The Good Daughter. The Good Daughter came together quicker so I focused on it however frequently came back to this one when I was having writer's block. I realized in the fall that it was mostly done so over the last few months I've been working to finish it.

Please let me know what you think.

Disclaimer- I own nothing.

CHAPTER 1

Hotch and Emily were relaxing at the table in the restaurant after dinner with the team. Or at least most of the team. Garcia was still back in Quantico and Reid had skipped the team dinner to spend time with his mom.

The rest of the team had already excused themselves one by one for the evening. Morgan was planning to hit the clubs, saying he would see all of them in the morning. JJ had retired early, tired from the emotional case they had just help solve while in the last weeks of her pregnancy. Rossi had been the last to go, planning to spend the evening at the cigar bar housed at their hotel.

With it just being the two of them, they were enjoying their conversation and the wine they were both sipping. And now that they were alone, they had switched back to a topic that they had been bouncing around between them for the last few weeks- the future of their relationship.

Hotch had begun to see Emily in a completely different light when she had refused to spy on the team for Strauss.

In the following months, the two of them had become closer as Emily became his rock after Haley walked away from their marriage and he found himself suddenly needing to navigate through the process of a separation and then later a divorce.

More mornings than he could count Emily had brought him food and coffee after noticing on a couple of occasions that he was considering something from the vending machine breakfast. On many evenings they had gotten takeout and gone to her apartment to eat and watch a movie with him staying in the guest room because the thought of going home to an empty house was too painful.

When Hotch had agreed as part of Haley's divorce settlement to move out of the house, Emily had gone with him to find an apartment. And then helped him get settled once he had chosen one.

During what would have been the lowest times of his life during those harrowing months, there had been Emily holding him above water, refusing to let the despair at the crumbling of his marriage pull him under.

It was the day after he took her home from the airport after her and Reid had been held at the Colorado compound that Hotch admitted to Emily what he had concluded when they first arrived on the scene. He was in love with her and couldn't see a future without her.

His heart had melted when in response to his declaration, Emily has given him a brilliant smile and made her own confession. That she realized she was in love with him in New York in the tense minutes when they didn't know if he had survived the explosion of his SUV. It was later that night that they had made love for the first time.

As they finished their wine, Emily leaned over and whispered into his ear, "What do you say we head upstairs?"

Hotch looked at her nervously knowing what he had planned would have huge repercussions for the future of their relationship. "Sweetheart, would you mind waiting a bit before we head upstairs? I want us to make a stop or two first."

Emily sighed and said tiredly, "Aaron, I don't want to go to a bar, club or casino. I just want to be with you tonight."

Hotch reached over and stroked her cheek with his thumb before saying, "I'm glad to hear that. And we will, just a little later. Let's go for a walk." He stood up and walked over beside her holding out his hand and waited patiently for her to take it.

After walking for several minutes, they reached the spot that when he saw it the night before he knew that it would be perfect for what he was about to do.

Dropping down to one knee in front of her, Hotch looked at her and said, "Emily I love you and want to spend the rest of our lives together. Marry me?"

Tears came into her eyes as she reached out and pulled him back up onto his feet. Taking his face in her hands she responded, "I love you too Aaron. Yes, I'll marry you."

A huge smile came over his face before he leaned in to kiss her. As he pulled back and rested his forehead on her, he said quietly, "what would you say to getting married tonight?"

Emily pulled back away from him and looked at him critically before asking, "what? Why the rush?"

Hotch sighed and started to wonder if maybe it was too much too soon. Noticing an empty bench behind them, he put his arm around her shoulders and lead them to the bench to sit down. Once they were settled on the bench he turned to her and said, "because I want to be with you. Life is too short and I don't want to wait another day."

He paused looking down at the ground as he gave her a few minutes to consider what he had just asked. When she didn't respond, he took her hand and squeezed it before continuing, "but if you prefer we can wait and plan whatever type of wedding you'd prefer."

Emily looked up and over at him, taking in the concerned look on his face. She smiled back at him as she said, "let's do it tonight."

Noticing that he was still watching her intently, she continued, "I don't want a huge formal ceremony but Mother will insist on it. I want our wedding to be special for us, not a society event for her."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to have any regrets." Hotch said watching her intently.

Emily sighed before shaking her head as she said, "my only regret would be not marrying you tonight now that I know that you want this. I want to be your wife."

Hotch smiled at her before turning serious and saying, "OK, tonight. What about the team?"

Emily looked down at the ground thinking about the team. If they wanted to team there, they weren't going to be getting married that night. She sighed and looked over at Hotch and said, "I think we tell them after we get back."

Hotch looked at her surprised, expecting that this aspect would be a sticking point for her before he asked, "you don't want them there?"

Emily nodded as she responded, "only if we could have all of them and that isn't possible with Pen back in Quantico."

Then she sighed before continuing, "we could probably find Rossi if we tried. But JJ is most certainly already asleep. She looked really tired at dinner. I don't want to pull Reid away from his mom. And Morgan. Well I don't even want to think about what he is doing." She paused and looked down at the ground before looking back at him as she said, "I say we tell them when we are all together once we get home."

Hotch nodded as he said, "if you are sure."

Emily smiled as she stood up and moved in front of him. After he stood up and was standing in front of her, she said, "I am. I want to marry you. We can have a big party at home after we tell them. Tonight will just be about the two of us and what we want."

"OK, let's do this." Hotch said as they walked away.