Love

It was three days since that eventful day and Aaron had been off the extra oxygen for two days and was in fact making great progress. They predicted he'd be released the next day but they just wanted to keep him in a little longer for observation.

According to the doctors Emily was making great progress but she was still unconscious. She was due to awake today but as yet not woken up. They'd been informed the stitches would dissolve over time as her large intestine healed. They were impressed with the progress her recovery was taking and believed the stitches would be dissolved completely soon. They'd also taken her out of the straps as the healing progressed and she wouldn't harm herself more. It appeared the nightmares had stopped but they wouldn't know her psychological state until she woke up.

Rossi had assured Aaron everything was alright and Emily was going to get better and pull through but every time he saw her unconscious he tried to calm himself she would as not to cause himself more injury. He worried how she would react when she woke up to find him in the same room as him. How would she react to him? He hadn't meant to shoot her and he'd do whatever he had to to regain her trust.

He suddenly saw her stirring out of the corner of his eye and began to feel nervous. It was now or never. Now he'd have to face with Emily what he'd done under mind control and try to assure her he'd never meant it.

She looked over to him and her eyes widened. She backed away from him clutching the sheet close to her. She could remember vividly it had been Aaron that shot her and the blank look in his eyes as he'd done it.

"Emily, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to shoot you. I was drugged. An UnSub went around drugging authority figures and making them do his bidding. I was his latest victim," he answered looking down ashamed. He then looked back up and added, "You know I'd never do that willingly to you, Em. I love you."

She looked up shocked when she heard him say the three words she'd always longed to hear him say. She could see the guilt in his eyes and immediately knew what he said was true but he'd still shot her. She would try and move on but she didn't know whether she'd ever forget that look in his eyes. It had been the scariest thing that ever happened to her. She hoped one day she'd forget that look from those beautiful brown eyes and never see that blank look in them again.

"Aaron, I love you too," she answered quietly. He looked at her with slight hope in his eyes and his heart soaring a little but he was worried there was a but coming. "But I don't know if I can ever forget what happened..."

"I understand," he answered looking down trying to bite back tears.

"Aaron, I do forgive you..." He nodded still looking down. "I know you'd never do that to me if you'd had control of your own mind but it was the most frightening thing that ever happened to me. I don't know if I will ever forget the blank look in your eyes but I want to give us a chance."

He looked up at her with hope filling his heart and his heart soaring. "You'll give me a chance?" he asked.

"Of course I will. I love you."

He ran over to her and took both her hands into his own. "I love you too, Emily, and I won't let anything hurt you ever again I promise."

"I know," she smiled slightly at him feeling her heart soar as well. She then remembered her children and looked down nervously. Would he take them on too? She'd never told the team about the two children she'd adopted. How would he take them?

"What is it?" he asked worried.

"I have kids," she answered. He looked confused. Since when had Emily have kids. Had she been in a relationship since she left the BAU? They hadn't really been in touch since she left only to save JJ when she was kidnapped. "I adopted two beautiful children over the last four years. Stella four years ago and Oliver only two. I got them both when they were just babies."

He nodded. He felt even guiltier that he'd nearly taken their mother from them but the very fact Emily was telling him about them showed she wanted him to meet them. "I bet you're a wonderful mother to them," he answered.

"Thank you," she smiled slightly. "I'd love you to be their father."

"I'd love to be and I'm sure Jack would love to be a big brother," he smiled back.