CHAPTER 7

Emily collapsed into the couch in Hotch's, err their apartment. Hotch had just left to take Jack back to Haley's house after spending two days with them. And a busy two days it had been.

On Friday evening they watch Jack's favorite movie Shrek after a dinner of grilled cheese and tomato soup. He had started to doze off towards the end so they paused the movie for the night so he could brush his teeth and change into his TMNT pajamas. After getting him settled into his Spongebob themed room that she and Hotch had decorated months earlier with Jack's input, Hotch and Emily had also gone to bed after a long week at the BAU and the promise of an early wake up call by the resident three year old.

On Saturday after a breakfast of French toast, eggs, coffee and juice, the three of them had gone to the park on an unseasonably warm day. After lunch and Jack's nap, they played both CandyLand and Chutes and Ladder several times with Jack somehow winning most of the time. Before any of them knew it, it was dinner time and they all enjoyed the chili that Emily had started during Jack's nap along with homemade cornbread. After dinner, they finished Shrek before putting Jack to bed.

On Sunday, they played with Legos after a breakfast of pancakes, coffee and juice. After lunch and a nap, Hotch had helped Jack pack his backpack, remembering to make sure his teddy was in it so he could return Jack to Haley at the agreed time.

After resting for a few minutes, Emily got up and headed towards the kitchen and pulled the pot with the chili out of the refrigerator. Dividing the remaining chili into two serving sections, she placed the smaller containers in the freezer so that they could reheat it on nights after work when neither of them wanted to cook. Turning back to the counter, Emily put all of the dishes on the counter into the dishwasher before hand washing the larger pots. Once that was done, she took the chicken out she has placed in the refrigerator to thaw. She placed the pieces in a dish before adding a marinade. Then she covered the dish and placed it back into the refrigerator.

As she was cleaning the counters, the key started to juggle in the lock followed quickly by Hotch walking into the kitchen.

"Everything go OK." Emily asked knowing that his interactions with Haley could be challenging at times.

Hotch nodded as he answered, "yes. Jack told Haley about all the fun we had. Work permitting, I'll pick him up Friday at six."

As exhausting as having a small child in their small apartment was, they both enjoyed having Jack with them. Emily smiled and nodded as she answered, "good. I think we should try to do some Christmas crafts next weekend. Maybe some tree ornaments."

Hotch smiled at the suggestion as Jack liked to make things before he answered, "sounds like a plan but I should warn you to limit the tape that is out. He tends to go overboard with it."

Emily laughed, "I remember. Do you remember your birthday gift?"

"How could I forget! There must have been two rolls of tape on it." Hotch answered as he remembered the birthday present he received a couple of months earlier.

"Speaking of gifts…" Emily started before Hotch interrupted as he moved closer to her.

"...yes." Hotch answered as he tried to distract her with kissed up the side of her neck.

Before she could get caught up in what he was starting Emily stepped back and looked at him before saying, "we need to save time in the schedule next weekend for you to take Jack shopping for a gift for Haley. I know Christmas is still a few weeks away but this way he has it even if work interferes with visits."

Hotch groaned as thoughts of his ex-wife had thrown a proverbial bucket of cold water on what he had been attempting to start with his current wife. He sighed before answering, "you're right. But it's going to be hard to go shopping for her after everything."

Emily cupped his cheek before giving him a peck on the cheek. Resting their foreheads together, she said softly, "don't do it for her. Do it for Jack. No matter what happened between the two of you, she is still his mother. When he wakes up on Christmas morning, he will have a gift to give his mother that he picked out. And he will remember that you took him shopping to buy it. Same with her birthday and Mothers' Day. As he gets older, he'll come to respect you more that you are able to put your differences aside and not put him in the middle of the issues that destroyed your marriage."

Hotch nodded as she explained why she had made the suggestion. "You're right. How did you get so smart?" he asked.

Emily sighed before stating sadly, "experience. After my parents separated, they would each staff out my gift to the other. I really didn't have anyone to take me to pick gifts out until I was a teenager. I would have loved for each of them to put their differences aside so that I could pick out a gift for each of my parents that was truly from me."

Hotch nodded as she explained not wanting Jack to have the same experience. As hard as he would find it, he knew that it was something that he needed to do for his son. Leaning in to hug her, he whispered, "I'm sorry you went through that. I'll take him next weekend. Thanks, sweetheart."

As she relaxed into the hug, Emily turned her head and started to kiss up his neck as he had been during to her earlier. Now that that conversation was over, she didn't see any reason for them not to resume what he had started earlier. She stopped when she was next to his ear and said, "Well if you really want to thank me…"

"...Yes. What do you want me to do?" Hotch answered as he turned to look at her.

Emily patted his chest as she stepped back. Smiling she responded, "you could take the sheets off your son's bed so I can wash them this afternoon."

Hotch huffed before he replied, "tease. OK, let me go do that now." before turning to go towards Jack's room.

Emily laughed at his response before adding, "I'm not a tease. I was also going to suggest we take a nap after I get the laundry started. Dinner is marinating and the dishes are done."

Hotch stopped and looked at her with a raised eyebrow as he asked, "are we going to sleep?"

Emily smiled as she shrugged before she answered, "not unless you want to." then walked past him and into the laundry room. Before he could walk away, the shirt she had been wearing came flying through the door from the laundry room and landed at his feet.

He leaned over and picked it up before quickly walking to Jack's room to get the sheets that she had requested so they could enjoy the rest of the afternoon together.