Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter posted. Hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

CHAPTER 16

That evening, Emily sat in Natalie's room rocking her to sleep while humming a lullaby. Looking down at her young daughter, she ran her fingers over the infant's soft dark curls as Natalie lost her battle against sleep. Feeling the infant's sucks wane, Emily gently pulled her nipple out of the infant's mouth before easing her shirt down.

Cuddling her daughter, Emily continued to rock, wanting the infant to be completely asleep before attempting to transfer her to the crib. She had learned the hard way that an irritated accidentally woken Natalie was 10x harder to get back to sleep.

Leaning her head back on the chair and closing her eyes as she continued rocking, Emily thought back over the day.

When she had stopped back over at the bullpen after meeting with her team to check with Aaron about going to lunch, Blake had mentioned that he had left 30 minutes earlier for a meeting.

Reid had then interjected that he had arrived that morning about 15 minutes after she had left, arriving just as they were starting conferencing. Noticing her expression, he asked if she wanted to go down to the cafeteria with them. Realized it had been a while since she had eaten lunch with the team, Emily agreed to join them.

Shortly after all of them sat down at a table Emily got a call about an incoming consult. Before she left, JJ had offered to take the sandwich and bottle of water Emily had bought for Hotch to his office when she returned to the bullpen. After saying goodbye to her friends, she took her lunch up to her office to eat while reviewing the new consult.

Then in the late afternoon, she had stopped by Garcia's office so she, Garcia and JJ could make concrete plans for the long overdue girl's day, planned for the upcoming Saturday, work permitting as always.

When she arrived at Garcia's office a few minutes early, she immediately noticed Kevin was there debating something with Garcia. That was until he became eerily quiet and became pale when she greeted them. A few seconds later, he told Garcia he needed to leave and quickly circled around Emily being careful not to walk too close to her as he made a beeline for the door, mumbling something about searches and kids.

She had then spent the next 10 minutes trying to convince Garcia that she hadn't threatened Kevin again. Geez you threaten a guy once and now every time he is acting nervous, it was her fault.

However, Emily still felt she had been completely justified in having chewed him out that day.

She had gone to Garcia's office for her to run some searches having forgot that Kevin was covering while Penelope had been at the NSA for the week attending an interagency conference.

As she had waddled her 8 month pregnant self into the office, she missed the jacket that was lying on the floor and the pair of shoes that were hiding under the jacket. After tripping when she stepped on it, Emily was barely able to catch herself on the edge of a desk before she hit the floor.

After catching her breath, she lit into him about the complete state of chaos of Garcia's office. In addition to the jacket and shoes, just about every available surface was covered with coffee mugs, to go cups and take out containers. Stacks of various files were piled up in a few places on the floor as were various manuals.

She had told him that it was an FBI office and not a frat house, temporarily forgetting she was describing Garcia's colorful and eccentric office as such.

Walking up to him, she quietly said that he was going to step away from the computer games and return Garcia's office to its normal pristine level of cleanliness. That she would be back in 2 hours and if it wasn't done, well then she'd decide at that point what to do with him. He gulped and nodded his head before she had walked out the door, forgetting why she had gone there in the first place.

Not surprisingly, when she got back to the office 2 hours later, the office was cleaned up and Kevin had just finished vacuuming the carpet. Emily had stared at him for a couple of minutes before nodding and told him not to let it happen again.

However, she didn't know what his problem was today. JJ had arrived during Garcia interrogating her and couldn't hide her amusement by their banter. After they refocused on the reason they were all there, they quickly decided to have a spa day as they all felt the need to relax after a stressful month.

That settled, Emily headed back to her office for the rest of the mostly uneventful afternoon before leaving to ride home with Aaron.

In the car, she immediately noticed that deep furrows on his brow that usually meant he was worried. Along with that he was still as quiet and pensive as he had been that morning. Just as she was going to ask, her phone rang.

It was the mayor of the town for the consult that she had taken at lunchtime. The initial consult request had been from the town's police chief with whom she had spoken to earlier in the afternoon. She reiterated to the mayor what she had told the police chief about the consult process.

As they finished their call, she made sure that he had the name and contact information for the Unit Chief whose team had been assigned the case. After she hung up, she quickly texted that Unit Chief to give him a heads up about the call. As she looked up from her phone after sending the text, Emily noticed that they had just pulled into the driveway which extinguished any opportunity to ask him.

Emily's eyes popped open and was brought out of her musing when she heard a noise in the room. Looking around she could see that Aaron had opened the door and stepped into the room. He walked over towards her and whispered, "Is she asleep?"

Emily nodded and leaned down to give Natalie a kiss on her forehead. After she sat back up, Hotch leaned over and picked up the sleeping infant and gave her a kiss before placing her in the crib.

Stepping back from the crib, he walked back over to the chair and held out his hand which Emily took before she stood up.

After they walked out of the room together, Hotch stopped and waited until Emily looked up at him.

When she did, he said nervously, "Em, we need to talk."

Taking in his tone and serious demeanor, she answered quietly, "That sounds ominous. What's going on, Aaron?"

He placing his hand on her lower back leading down the stairs and into the family room. As they walked into the room, Emily sat down in an armchair while Hotch on the couch next to her.

Looking down at the carpet in front of him, Hotch sighed. Raising his eyes, he looked at her and answered slowly, "It's concerning what I was looking at in the office last night before you came looking for me."

Emily cocked her head before answering, "You looked worried."

"I was and honestly still am."

Emily leaned over and took his hand in hers. The profiler could see that whatever was going with this case was deeply affecting her husband, "What case is it? I've tried racking my brain and I can't think of any recent ones that would affect you like this."

Hotch squeezed her hand and shook his head, "It's not a recent case. When I went into the lockbox last night to take the envelope with the documents I needed for the meeting with the lawyers today, I found your adoption papers."

"You knew they were in there. I told you they were in the safety deposit box with the other items." Emily said with a growing edge on her voice.

Hotch nodded having heard the edge in her voice, "yes but it was the first time that I saw them and as a lawyer, I decided to look through them since there had been a lot of unanswered questions that have come up since that day in the lawyers' office."

Emily stared at him and then shrugged before saying, "I don't mind you looking at them. I even told you they were there. But that doesn't explain why you lied to me about looking at a case last night. Why didn't you just tell me the truth?"

As she said it, she tried to pull her hand out of his however Hotch tightened his grasp on her hand. He sighed thinking he should have started this conversation a different way. He looked down and took some deep breaths, realizing he needed to get them back on track because what he needed to tell her was going to be hard enough.

"I did tell you the truth Emily. That is what has me concerned."

Emily huffed at him though Hotch was relieved she stopped trying to pull her hands out of his. She then said with her voice a mixture of confusion and irritation, "I don't understand. First you said it was a case. Then you said it was my adoption papers and now we are back to it being a case. Which is it Aaron?"

"It's both. I'm sorry for putting you off earlier." Hepaused before continuing, "I thought I recognized names in the document and I wanted to verify it was the same people before I said anything. With everything you have been through recently, I didn't want to upset you unnecessarily."

"Who are these people? What did they do?"

Hotch squeezed her hands and waited until Emily was looking at him before calmly starting, "OK, I need to start at the beginning so please bear with me so I can explain how I first came across these names."

After Emily nodded, he explained, "before I joined the FBI, I worked in a federal prosecutor's office here in Virginia." Hotch took a deep breath and continued. "When I started, the DA had just started trying a huge case. The prosecutors' office had been working on the prep for 2 years after the arrest a judge, a lawyer and a social worker. They are the same three listed on your adoption papers." As he said the last part, her eyes met his with a look of shock.

"What were the charges?" Emily asked slow and measured, starting the realized why her husband was acting worried.

Hotch took a deep breath before he answered, "they were arrested for illegal adoption practices, falsifying documents, conspiracy, fraud, trafficking of infants and toddlers, and kidnapping among other federal charges as well as charges in multiple states. That along with there being a judge accused is what put it in federal jurisdiction."

Emily looked up at him with a look of horror on her face, "What? What are you saying? Was I was kidnapped?"

He shook his head as he said, "I don't know. When I first saw the names last night, that what I thought because that was the part that I remembered from the case. A kidnapping is how they were eventually caught however from what I had read in the information I've gathered today that isn't how they started. As they were investigated for thatkidnapping, the totality of their operation came to light."

Hotch stood up and walked over to where he had left his briefcase after Jack fell asleep because he wanted Emily to see the information he had gathered today. After placing it on the table in front of them, he opened it and took out her adoption papers and handed them to her after turning the signature page. He then pulled out the document from the prosecutor's office as well as the information that Kevin had forwarded to him.

Handing all of it to Emily, he sat back on the couch. From experience he knew that Emily needed to go through all of the document and information herself. It was the process that she needed to go through to try and make all of the chaos in front of her make some semblance of sense.

Although the information he had given her was in no way comprehensive it was a start and he hoped to have more details in the days to come.

After about 10 minutes, Emily asked without looking up, "You started as a prosecutor, what 10 years ago?"

"It was 11 years ago when I started and, from the reports, they were arrest 2 years before that."

Emily looked up at him and he could see her trying to process the information in front of her, "so I would have been around 18 when they were arrested. You said kidnapping wasn't how they started. How did they start and how long were they doing this?"

"From these records and the person I spoke to in the prosecutor's office today, the first case they were able to identify was about 3 years before you were born and they continued until they were arrested.

This group would offer money to people to sign over custody of their babies to them. This gave them a steady influx of babies available for private adoptions. They had an album that they would show people of a certain status and financial resources who wanted to adopt. The kidnappings started later when they didn't have enough babies to meet their needs or they didn't have a baby available to meet the specific criteria of a client.

Once a child was chosen, the lawyer would complete the paperwork. The social worker would falsify the home study documentation. Then the judge would make the changes to the birth certificate, approve the adoption and seal the adoption file.

The adoptive parents paid a large amount of money for the privacy, speed and no paperwork that would show the child was adopted.

Because of how they did the official paperwork, it was challenging to trace the kids back to the families. That is one of the reason the preparations for the trial took 2 years."

Emily sat in her seat as he finished describing what he knew of the operation without moving. A few minutes passed before she said quietly, "so they bought me is what you are telling me."

Hotch sighed as he had expected this part was going be particularly difficult for her to come to terms with, "I don't know the specifics for you but yes, that is how they worked. It looks that way from the adoption papers."

After a few more minutes she looked up at him and said, "my birth parents sold me or I was kidnapped. And the person who I thought was my father paid money to this lawyer to buy me.

I could never understand the claim of how my father could have just showed up with me one day having already adopted me without the Ambassador knowing with all the paperwork and visits we both know is involved with adoptions. But with him doing it this way, it really could have been a surprise. This group obviously didn't care about breaking laws so why not add forgery to the list as well."

Hotch took her hands back before saying, "we need to check further but that is where the evidence I've found so far points. Emily, this is why I didn't tell you last night. I didn't want to drop this news on you unless I was certain that I was remembering the right case with the correct defendants."

Emily sighed and nodded before standing up and pacing around the room. A few minutes later she stopped before asking, "Is there a way to find out what happened to me?"

Hotch looked over at her concerned as he asked, "Do you really want to go down this road, Em?"

Emily nodded and answering almost angry, "I need to know Aaron. I need to know what happened." She pauses before she said in just above a whisper, "I need to know who I am," before she started pacing again.

Hotch took in her determined expression and knew that he wasn't going to be able to say anything to change her mind. He did worry though because there were about 1000 ways this investigation could go wrong or she could get hurt. However, she was right. She had the right to know what happened to her.

Standing up and walking over to where she was pacing, Hotch placed his hands on her shoulders as he looked into her eyes, "Ok, if that's what you want. I'll call back my former colleagues who is still with the prosecutor's office to see if we can the records from that court case. Even if we can get it, it may take a few days."

Emily leaned in to hug him and whispered tearily, "Thank you."

"Do you want to tell the team?" Hotch asked.

"Yes but not yet. They have been a huge support for us, especially over the last month. I don't want to exclude them but I need some more time to wrap my head around all of this. And hopefully have some more information." Hotch nodded and they stood there until Emily pulled away enough to see his face and asked, "who already knows? You mentioned last night needing to talk to people today. And you were able to find this information today to show me."

Hotch took a deep breath before he said, "I spoke to Neil this morning while I was at their offices and he confirmed for me that it was that same case that I thought it was. Before I left, we spoke to Michael Donovan so he wasn't caught off guard when he's in court this week. Both of them have now seen your adoption papers." He paused before Emily nodded. Hotch then continued, "while I was meeting with Neil he mentioned it was an agent in the BAU that actually broke the case while investigating the kidnapping."

Emily looked up surprised and asked excitedly, "Do you know who?"

Hotch shook his head as he answered, "No, but I am trying to find out. This afternoon I ran into Cooper and asked him if he remembered the case. I didn't mention why I was asking or your involvement. He said it wasn't his case however cases involving kids at that point in the BAU were handled by either Gideon or Katie Cole."

Emily wrinkled her brow as she thought of where she knew the name before asking, "the head of Crimes Against Children in …. Baltimore?"

Hotch nodded as he answered, "yes, she used to be a BAU agent before she transferred there. Do you know her?"

Emily nodded as she said, "mostly by reputation but we have met briefly at a couple of meetings."

Hotch said, "I left a message for her since she was in the field today. Hopefully I'll hear back from her soon. Even if it was Gideon's case, she may remember something about it since we aren't going to be able to talk to him."

"Is that everyone you spoke to?" Emily asked.

Hotch shook his head slowly knowing the last person he spoke to may upset her, "no, because of the age of the case, the FBI records for it are in the archives. I was having difficulty accessing it from my workstation. I went down and to have Kevin access the archives and pull the records for me."

Emily head shot up when he mentioned Kevin and was upset when she asked, "why would you do that?"

"Because if I had gone to Dave or Garcia instead of Cooper and Kevin I was concerned they would have figured out in under 5 minutes that the reason I was asking about a old closed case that involved an adoption lawyer and judge somehow involved you. I didn't want them to know especially before I was able to talk to you. I didn't want you to find out that way while at the office." Hotch answered calmly as he caressed her face. As he explained, he could feel her relax and then nod at his rationale.

"OK. OK. I'm sorry. You're right."

"Can you say that again?" he asked jokingly.

Emily looked at him confused before asking, "say what?"

"That I'm right."

Emily rolled her eyes at him before saying, "Not funny Aaron. But that would at least explain why Kevin took off from Garcia's office this afternoon like a bat out of hell when I walked in and said hi. Penelope yelled at me afterwards for doing something to upset him." She smiling as she recounted the story from that afternoon to her husband. He chuckled, not surprised at Kevin's reaction. He only hoped that he hadn't mentioned to Garcia what Hotch had him searching for in the archive records.

Hotch smirked as he said, hugging her, "it is funny and you know it."

"Keep telling yourself that funny man." Emily said as cuddled up against him, holding him in their hug.

Hotch pulled back from her and said, "We can't do anything else tonight so, for now, we are going to go upstairs and relax in the tub and then we are going to bed." He held out his hands for her to take. After a few seconds, Emily nodded and took his hand. He then walked them through the rooms turning off lights.

Before heading up the stairs, he checked the alarm again. He had set it shortly before dinner when it was clear they were in for the night. The doors had been locked since nannies left after Will picked up Henry and Caitlin. He had done a second check as they did every night before taking the kids up to bed. Their years at the BAU had made both of them extra vigilant about security.

When they reach the top of the stairs, Emily stopped and waited for for him to look at her. When he did, she asked, "Don't you have some work you need to finish?"

Most evenings, they both spent time completing paperwork they hadn't finished during the day. It had been a compromise they had made in order for both of them to leave the office at a reasonable hour and be home in time to have dinner with the kids and for bedtime.

Although they both had the equal rank of Unit Chief, Hotch generally had more paperwork because his team worked in the field. Each time his team travelled for case, he had a pile of documents he needed to complete and submit in addition to the reports each member of his team completed.

He shook his head before he answering, "Not tonight. Let me go get the water started." Hotch kissed her hand and let go before walking into their bedroom.

As he walked away, Emily let go of the breath she had been holding, relieved. She didn't want to be alone right now.

A few minutes later, Emily sat down in the tub as Aaron slid in behind her and pulled her back against him. "Just sit back and relax. I've got you."

Leaning back into him, she closed her eyes and tried to forget, at least for a while, everything that she had learned that evening. She could feel her emotions settling as she felt the gentle circles he was rubbing on her arms.

Wanting more contact, Emily bent her legs up and turned to her right side, draping her legs over Aaron's right leg. Relaxng back into him, she rested her cheek on his chest over his heart and closed her eyes as she focused on his heartbeat. Aaron immediately recognized what she wanted and place one hand on her hip while the other started to rub the same gentle circles on her back.

As he continued, Emily still wanted to be closer to him. She lifted her head to look up at him. His hand stopped moving as he noticed her looking at him. As he looked at her questioningly, she reached between them and began to stroke him intimately as she said, "Aaron, I want you."

His eyes widened at her words and feel of her touching him, "Are you sure sweetheart?" He needed to ask however as he felt himself react to her touch, he was hoping that she was sure. He couldn't prevent the moan that escaped from him as he heard her whisper, "Yes." He smiled as he leaned down to take her lips in his.

AN: I will get the next chapter out as soon as it's ready, hopefully next week. In chapter 17, the team finds out when Hotch's plan of asking others outside the team for help gathering information backfires and someone else on the team other than Hotch recognizes the names of the judge and the lawyer