"No Richard please!" the crying woman begged, following her boyfriend to her door. "Richard just wait!"
The author paused. "Emily, I-"
"You turn around right now," Emily ordered, her eyes red and puffy as she waited for the man she loved to face her. "What are you doing? Why are you doing this?" she sobbed.
Castle set his bags down and turned on his heel. "Emily, don't cry."
Emily scoffed. "What do you want me to do? Pop a bottle of champagne?" She picked self consciously at the hem of her suit jacket and shook her head. "Why are you breaking up with me?"
He walked forward and hugged the crying woman tight to his chest, his heart breaking as her arms quickly wrapped around his waist. "You know that I love you."
"Do you?" Emily questioned, pulling back just enough to look up into the older man's eyes. "If you loved me, why would you break up with me?"
"That's why I'm breaking up with you; because I love you."
The brunette mother's head shook as she tried to get the information straight in her head, and both looked toward the door when they heard the knob turning.
"Hey Em, I got those candies you said that the twins liked," came a smiling voice from the doorway, the grin on Hotch's face disappearing when he saw the two in the foyer. "What's going on?"
Emily huffed, pulling herself from her boyfriend's arms and wiping the back of her hand under her nose. "Aaron, now's not a good time."
Castle shook his head. "No, you should stay," he nodded, his hand reaching out to the older man when he saw the father of the twins get ready to turn back out the door. "This concerns you too."
The brown eyed woman slowly shook her head, grasping the author's hand as tears poured down her cheeks. "Please don't do this," she whispered.
"How long have we been together, Em?"
Emily frowned, not knowing where the sadly smiling man was going. "Almost four years."
Castle caressed the younger woman's hand with his fingers. "And how many of those years have we been happy?"
"All of them," the mother of two nodded.
Hotch stood idly by, his hands clenching around the treats he had gotten for his children as he watched the couple's interaction.
"I have loved you ever since I saw you that first time in France," the writer breathed, "and I've been so lucky to be able to call you my girlfriend. But I can't do that anymore." He hated to see the sadness in the younger woman's eyes and he tightened his hold on her hands. "I love you so much, but I know I'm not the one for you."
Emily's jaw dropped, her eyes wide as she felt him slipping away from her. "Why not?"
The author heard how broken Emily sounded, and he did his best not to break down along with the younger woman. "I'm not the one you're meant to be with, Emily. We both know this."
Hotch's stance stiffened.
"I see the way you two are with each other," Castle stated, gesturing between the two dark haired parents. "You have kids together, and that will always draw you back to one another. But the way he makes you smile?" the author laughed humorlessly, looking down to the ebony haired woman. "I've never seen you look so happy. Not with me, anyway."
Emily's lips quivered as she cried. "Richard," she whispered. "I love you."
"I will always love you, and that's why I'm letting myself out of this relationship. I'm letting you be with the man you really love."
Emily's wide, puffy eyes flickered over to those of her boss.
Castle smiled. "I know he makes you happy, and I know I make you happy. But who can you see yourself marrying? Who can you see yourself having another kid with?"
"Richard, I love you."
"I know you do," he nodded. "And we can still talk, and we can be friends. You can call me and talk to me whenever you need to or want to, ok? I love you."
She covered her gaping mouth as the older man walked out the door, and her eyes sealed themselves shut and she cried as Hotch stepped up and took her in his arms.
"Don't cry," Hotch cooed, running his hand along her back as he hugged her tight. "It's going to be ok."
Emily's fingers clenched the Unit Chief's suit jacket. "I'm sorry you had to hear that," she hiccupped. "I'm so sorry."
The father of three pulled back slightly, kissing his ex's forehead. "You never have to be sorry."
"I get what he was saying," she tried, shrugging slightly as Hotch's eyes softened. "I know what he meant. I've missed being with you."
Hotch slowly nodded his head, hearing their children laughing up in their room. "I've missed being with you too."
"But I love him," Emily said. "I love him so much, and I do love you, I will always love you, but before we could even think of going further than we have in the past month, I have to get over this."
The older man smiled the best he could. "I would wait forever for you."
Emily's lips pursed, the mother of two stepping up on her tiptoes so she could press a small kiss to her cheek. "Thank you."
"How about we clean ourselves up and get up to our kids, huh?" he laughed, wanting to put a smile back on his ex's face. "I can hear their excitement from down here."
"Yeah," Emily breathed, her arm wrapping around his waist and his around her shoulder as they made their way toward her kitchen. "Sounds like a plan."