Emily stood behind the older man and watched carefully how he interacted with their kids. She had been so afraid he'd be too mad at her that he wouldn't be able to focus on the twins, but here they were, Marc and Alisanne teaching their daddy their favorite hand games.

Castle wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's waist, his head resting atop hers when it fell against his shoulder. "He's good with them."

The ivory skinned woman nodded. "I'm so happy he is," she gushed, her voice filled with tears. "I knew he would be."

"You said he has another son?"

"Jack," Emily nodded, her eyes wide as she thought of the little boy. "He must be close to thirteen years old by now," she breathed.

Hotch shared a smile with his son, letting the twins both examine the watch her had chosen to wear that day. "So Marc, what's your favorite color?"

"Blue!" the young boy screeched.

"I like red," Alisanne shrugged, her tiny fingers playing with the clasp of her father's watch. "Maman likes purple."

Hotch smiled. "I know."

"You remember mommy?"

The Unit Chief smiled softly to the two children before him, their soft voices hiding the accent he knew they had. "I would never forget your mommy."

Emily felt herself stiffen in her boyfriend's arms, tears running down her ivory features.

"Mommy makes really good ronis."

Hotch frowned gently at his children, watching as they shared a smile with one another. "I don't think your mommy has made me ronis."

"My famous mac and cheese," the brunette woman nodded, a smirk crossing her face as Hotch looked to her over his shoulder. "You've had it many times."

"Macaroni," Hotch laughed, seeing his ex's eyes light up.

Castle watched the interaction with close eyes, his hand rubbing gently along the covered arm of the younger woman by his side.

"Ricky, mommy made you ronis?"

The author immediately broke out into a smile, nodding to the little boy. "Mommy's made me ronis so many times! I can't seem to get enough of them."

Marc's eyes widened. "Me too."

"Daddy!" the little girl called out, trying to get his attention back onto her. "Daddy, mommy already gots us a house."

"She did?"

Emily slowly nodded her head, seeing her ex's brown eyes looking back to her as the kids scrambled over to hug her legs. "I never sold the apartment," she shrugged.

His eyes flickered up to the beautiful brunette's, remembering the night they had had to say goodbye, not allowing themselves to leave Emily's bed until an hour before she had to leave. "Well at least I know where to go to visit them," Hotch said gruffly, gesturing to their shared children.

Emily shakily gave a nod of the head.

"Daddy?"

Hotch gave the little girl a smile and stood, hiking her up on her hip. "How would you like to have dinner with daddy tonight?"

Alisanne's dark eyes widened, shooting over to her mother's as she wrapped her arms tight around the Unit Chief's neck. "Maman!"

"That sounds great," the mother of two smiled. "Marc, does that sound good to you?"

The four year old nodded his head against his mother's leg.

Hotch held out his hand, his left arm firm under his daughter's butt so she'd stay in place, shaking the hand of the man who held his ex in his arms. "Aaron Hotchner."

"Richard Castle," the younger man smiled. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"You've heard of me?"

Castle gave a laugh, fingering the material of his girlfriend's jacket. "Probably as much as you've heard of me. I know your teammate Rossi, great writer, I've been on tour with him a few times."

Hotch gestured to the woman they obviously had both fallen for.

"Right," he said slowly. "And Emily's my girlfriend."

Emily bit down hard into her bottom lip, moving her gaze down to her son when both men looked her way.