AN: Thanks so much for feedback on this story. I would like to answer some of the questions I received on the last chapter.

Hotly4ever: I think there was a delay with the comment showing up as i didn't see it until yesterday. The adoption papers will make an appearance but with them comes some twists and turns.

Guest: It will be someone on the team. There will be some clues in the coming chapters.

Sazzita: In a later chapter, there will be some context to what was going on around Emily's adoption. It won't be an excuse for the Ambassador behavior because there is no excuse but a few more pieces to the puzzle.

rmpcmfan: Thanks for all your comments. They will all stay by her side. Can't guarantee there won't be any more bad surprises.

Geraldfan: Sinclair will mostly be a thorn going forward. There will be a period of adjustment as both parties dealing with the revelation and fall out but they will be OK.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

CHAPTER 7

Hotch quietly opened the door to Jack's room and walked into the room. Emily was sitting in a chair holding Jack with her eyes closed. The only indication that she was awake was the she was continuing to slowly rock the chair.

Throughout the evening, Emily had been unusually quiet, spending most of the time with the kids. Jack seemed to sense something was bothering her and alternated between playing with Henry and cuddling with his mom. When it was bedtime, he had asked for Emily to put him to bed when usually he wanted his dad whenever Hotch was home in the evening.

It hadn't taken the team long to deduct that something had happened with Emily after the funeral. While always attentive to the kids, she generally wasn't clingy with them. Throughout the evening, each of them send Hotch concerned looks which he had just shook his head. It wasn't his story to tell.

After Emily had taken Jack up to bed, he had addressed the elephant in the room. He only confirmed that something had happened and to give Emily a few days to process it. They all nodded, knowing that their brunette friend wouldn't talk until she was ready. Everyone left shortly afterwards, making Hotch promise to call if either of them needed anything.

As he walked closer to the chair, Hotch could see Jack sleeping under his blue fleece Shrek throw blanket cuddled up to Emily. Hotch turned the covers down on the bed before turning back and tapping Emily on the shoulder. Her eyes popped open and she looked up at him.

"I'm going to put him in his bed." he said as he leaned to pick Jack up.

"Please not yet Aaron." Emily whispered tightening her hold on the sleeping child. Hotch stood back up and gave her a pointed look. "Em, he needs to be in his bed. And after today, you need to get some sleep too." He kneel down in front of her and placed his hand over one of hers before says quietly. "There is still the whole weekend for you to spend time with him Em." He wasn't at all surprised after what the learned today that Emily was overcompensating with her own adopted child.

Emily sighed and nodded as she loosened her hold on Jack so Hotch could pick him up to place on his bed. After covering Jack up with his comforter and placing a kiss on his forehead, Hotch held out his hands waiting for Emily to take it.

After Emily stood up, he pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. He placed his arm around her shoulders as they walked out of Jack's room, pulling the door closed behind him.

As they walked towards their room, Hotch said, "OK beautiful, I'm going to start a bath for us before bed."

Emily stopped suddenly outside of Natalie's room. "I should check on her" she said as she reached for the door handle.

Hotch sighed before coming up behind her. He placed his hand over hers before she could open the door and said softly, "I checked on Natalie before I came into Jack's room and she is sound asleep." Emily stopped and rested her head on the door before nodding. "OK." Then she turned back and they continued to walk into their room.

After they crossed the threshold of their bedroom, Hotch turned and closed the door. Walking into the bathroom, he started the water in the large spa bathtub they had both fallen in love with when they toured the house before buying it.

As the water level rose, Hotch poured in some lavender bath salts, knowing Emily found this scent comforting and would help her relax so she could sleep. He turned after putting the bath salts away to find Emily still had not entered the bathroom. Frowning, he turned and walked into the bedroom to find Emily sitting on the side of the bed looking at the floor.

He walked over and stopped a few feet in front of her before saying, "Em, the bath is almost ready."

She looked up and gave him a sad smile and a nod before standing up and walking into the bathroom with him.

As they entered the bathroom, Hotch walked over and turned off the water before turning his attention back to his wife. He walked back over to her and started to undress her before holding her hand as she stepped into the tub.

Once Emily was settled in the tub, Hotch undressed himself before slipping into the tub in his spot behind her. Moving her hair off her shoulders, Hotch started to massage her shoulders before working down her arms before focusing on both her hands.

As much as wanted to make love to her as they did more times than not when they were in the tub together, he knew with how Emily was feeling it wasn't what she needed or wanted at the moment. Right now he knew that she was feeling sad and vulnerable and what she needed was closeness and affection more than anything.

As the water cooled, Hotch stood up and stepped out of the tub and wrapped an oversized plush towels around his waist. Holding out a hand, he helped steady Emily as she stepped out of the tub. After wrapping her in a towel, he squirted her favorite rose scented lotion onto his hands and started to work it into her arms and legs.

As he was working it into her legs, Hotch could feel Emily running her fingers through his hair. When he finished her feet, he looked up at her and she gave him a small smile, "Thank you for taking care of me, Aaron."

After standing up, he pulled her up to stand in front of him, "No need to thank me sweetheart. I'm here for whatever you need. Let's get some sleep. It's been a long day."

Hotch walked with her into the bedroom and pulled back the comforter on the bed. After taking her towel, he went back into the bathroom to hang it up along with his. As he reentered the bedroom, he saw that Emily was already settled in their bed. He turned off the room light before walking over and climbed into bed next to her.

As he settled into a comfortable position on his back, he felt Emily move closer. She placed her head on his chest over his heart, her arm over his abdomen and a leg over his. Unfortunately, as much as he tried to fight it, his body had recognized that the soft naked body of his wife was curled up next to his and started to react.

He inwardly groaned and started to run through sports stats with only some success. It wasn't surprising though with Emily lying almost on top of him. He knew if she felt his arousal that she would feel compelled to have sex.

He knew from experience that that wasn't going to help either of them feel better. He had discovered that during a horrible experience early in their relationship that when she was feeling vulnerable, he could not initiate sex.

It had been after a rough case, especially for the women of the team. On the way home, Emily had been staying close to him. Because of the hour, the team went straight home with plans to do the paperwork the next day. When they arrived at her apartment, they went to bed.

As she cuddled up next to him, he began to kiss her and she didn't stop him as he had come to expect if she wasn't in the mood. Generally if she wasn't in the mood or the timing was wrong, she would just tell him. However he quickly learned that when she was feeling vulnerable, she would go along with it regardless of how she was feeling.

As they continued, sensing that Emily wasn't getting as turned on as he expected, Hotch upped his efforts. He wanted to help her forget what she had seen over the last few days, even for a short period of time. However 10 minutes later, Emily was a sobbing mess and Hotch was upset and frustrated.

Once they were able to calm down they talked about what happened. Emily had just wanted to be close to Hotch. She hadn't really wanted to have sex. However she hadn't wanted him to pull away and leave her alone as previous boyfriends had done so she had gone along with what she thought he wanted. And then she felt that she was failing yet again because she hadn't even been able to give him what he was indicating to her that he needed.

Hotch was horrified that Emily had felt pressured into having sex with him. He had wanted to help her feel better but as it turned out she was feeling worse. He had reassured her that he wasn't going to walk away from her when she needed him. He had made her promise to be honest with him in the future because he never wanted her to feel pressured especially when it came to sex.

A small shake through Emily's body brought him back to the present. Tightening his hug around her, he felt a second shake followed by a sob. The tears he felt on his chest were an immediate bucket of cold water to his libido. In a heartbeat the arousal that he had been fighting since she cuddled up next to him was gone having finally gotten the message that it wasn't needed or wanted.

Hotch pulled Emily closer and completely on top of him, rubbing her back and whispering reassurances as she cried.

He had known she was going to need to decompress at some point from the emotional angst that all the revelations that the day had brought. Hopefully soon, she would open up and talk to him, even if it was to vent. He hated that she had curled into herself.

After holding her for he didn't know how long, Hotch could feel her body relax and from the rhythmic breathing, that she had cried herself to sleep.

Wrapping his arms around her, Hotch closed his eyes and allowed sleep to pull him under.

Next chapter before the end of the week.