The next morning Emily was meeting up with her mother for coffee. She walked into the café carrying Emma and quickly found her mom. "Emily!" Elizabeth called out. Emily smiled and hugged her mom. "Hey Mom. How are you?" she asked. Elizabeth nodded and smiled. "I'm fine thanks. And how's my baby girl?" she asked, in that cooing tone that made Emily laugh. "She's good. She's getting bigger," Emily said, brushing back Emma's hair as her mom placed multitudes of kisses on her cheeks. The ladies sat down and ordered their drinks.
"So, you sounded nervous on the phone when you called on Wednesday. Is everything ok? Work's not too difficult?" Elizabeth asked. She'd been concerned during their weekly call but Emily had assured her that she'd explain all on Saturday. Emily smiled and shook her head. "Work is fine. Work is great. I thought it'd take me longer to pick it back up but apparently it's like riding a bike," Emily said.
Elizabeth smiled and nodded. "I always thought you were destined for greater things but seeing you talk about being back at the BAU, I see I was wrong. You were meant to work there. I can see the excitement in your eyes," she said. Emily thanked her mom. She knew it had to be hard for a mother to watch her daughter do such a demanding and dangerous job. But ever since she'd rejoined the team she'd noticed a shift in her mother.
"So what is wrong Emily? Because you still seem nervous," Elizabeth asked, thanking the waitress as she set their coffees down. Emily smiled and cleared her throat. "Uh… well. I want to tell you something. And I don't want you to get upset or angry or think that I'm making a mistake." Elizabeth nodded nervously. She was hoping that Emily wasn't about to tell her she was taking Peter back. Oh that would be horrible. But rather than getting worked up speculating, Elizabeth simply waited. "Uh. I've been seeing someone for about six months," Emily said. Elizabeth grinned. "You have?" she asked. Emily nodded. So far so good, she thought to herself. "Ok, are you planning on keeping this man a mystery?" Elizabeth asked. Emily shook her head.
"It's Aaron Hotchner," Emily said quickly. Elizabeth knew that her face was covered in shock. "Before you say anything, we've discussed how this effects our work and even had a conversation with Director Levinson. We assured him that we'd keep our home and work lives separate. So there will be no repercussions at work. I can stay on the team provided we don't let the two mix," Emily assured her mother. Elizabeth took a deep breath. "Ok. So… does he treat you well? Because as much as I would be concerned about your career, I'm your mother and I still get to worry," she said sympathetically.
Emily's jaw dropped before she picked it up and smiled sweetly. "He does. He treats me very well. At my request we're taking things very slowly and he respects that. He loves that little girl and I love his son. We… we're becoming a family," she said quietly. Elizabeth smiled and kissed the top of Emma's head. She could tell by the way her daughter was speaking about Hotch that he was exactly what Emily needed.
After they'd finished their third coffees Elizabeth looked at her watch. "Well, I'm sorry Emily but I've got to get going. I have an appointment at 12:30," she said, standing up. Emily nodded and smiled, taking Emma back. "Alright. So I guess we'll see you next Friday night for dinner?" she said. Elizabeth nodded and smiled. "And you'll check with Aaron to see if he and Jack can join us? Your father and Natalie will be in town also so we might as well make it a family affair," Elizabeth suggested. "If we're in town I will drag them along. Although I'm sure that Aaron would LOVE to meet Dad again," she said.
Elizabeth smiled and nodded. While she and Simon had divorced, they remained friends and he had told her about the first time he met Aaron Hotchner, at a joint defence forces ball. He had been quite impressed with the younger man. "Alright. Well, call me and let me know if they're coming. In any case I'll see you Friday," Elizabeth said, hugging her daughter. "See you Friday mom," Emily replied, turning and watching her walk out of the café. Emily turned to Emma and smiled. "Ok! Who's ready for the park?" Emma grinned and jumped up and down. "Pawk. Pawk," she said excitedly. Emily chuckled and kissed her daughter's head.
They'd returned from the park and Emma had crashed. It was about four and the sitter would be there at six-fifteen. Emily thought she'd relax, run a bath, and just try to shake the nervous feeling. As she lay back in the tub, the warm water soothed her muscles and the music helped her mind drift. An hour later she climbed out of the tub, feeling so much better. She dried off and walked into her room.
Before getting dressed she decided to set up her room. She put the candles out along her dresser and on the bedside tables. She pulled her teddy out of the closet and hung it on the back of her en suite door. When the room was set up she smiled and turned back to her wardrobe. She pulled out the black dress and hoped it would look as good tonight as it did the other day when she and the girls had bought it. She slipped into it and smiled, looking in the mirror. She quickly did her make up and combed through her curly hair. She knew Hotch preferred it curly so she decided to skip the straightening.
Just as she was picking up her shoes from the floor she heard the doorbell ring. She looked at her watch and saw that it was 6:04. She smiled as she walked downstairs. Emma was in her crib and stood up. "Hotch is here!" Emily called out to her daughter. Emily hurried down the hall and checked the peep-hole. God he looks good in a suit, she thought to herself as she opened the door. "Miss Emly!" Jack cried out, launching himself at her legs. Emily rubbed his back. "Hey Jack Jack. How you doing?" she asked. He looked up and smiled. "It's a sleepover!" he cried out. Hotch laughed and Emily grinned. "Yes it is. Emma's in the lounge room in her crib, why don't you go say hi?" she said, taking his backpack off. He ran down the hall and excitedly said hi to Emma.
Hotch walked through the door and put his hand on Emily's shoulder. "Hey," he said quietly. Emily smiled. "Hey back," she replied. "You look… beautiful," he said, looking down. Emily smiled and blushed. "Thanks. You look… wow. It never ceases to amaze me how good you look in a suit," she said, rubbing her hands over his biceps. Hotch smiled and leant forward to kiss her quickly. "Here," she said, gesturing to the bags, "I'll go put your stuff upstairs." Hotch nodded and handed her the bags and watched her walk upstairs. He smiled as he walked into the lounge to say hi to Emma.
Emily came back downstairs to find Hotch and Jack sitting on the floor playing with Emma "What time's the sitter coming?" he asked. Emily smiled and sat on the couch next to him. "They should be here any minute," Emily said. Hotch smiled and nodded. The doorbell rang a few minutes later. "I'll get it," Hotch said, jumping up from the couch. Emily nodded and reached over to get her shoes.
Hotch walked down the hall with a shocked expression on his face. He pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "Morgan is the sitter?" he asked incredulously. Emily grinned when she saw her friend. "Hey Morgan, thanks so much for this," she said, giving him a hug. He chuckled and nodded. "Well, since you're old and won't be out too late I figured I'd still have a chance to hit the clubs after you guys get home," he teased. Emily smacked his arm. "Need I remind you that you'll be turning forty in as many days?" she asked.
Morgan turned to Hotch. "Hey, don't look at me. At the moment I'm not the boss… she is…" he said, pointing to Emily. Morgan chuckled, "You're whipped," he teased. Hotch shrugged his shoulders. "Look at her. Do I care?" he said. Emily shook her head. "Alright. Well we shouldn't be back too late. Emma's been fed and had a bath. She woke up from her nap about a half hour ago so she should be fine till about 7:30, 8pm. If she needs anything to eat or drink before then there's fruit chopped up in the little containers in the fridge and there's some milk in there too. Jack's stuff is up in his room," Emily explained. Morgan nodded.
"Yeah, he was gonna wait to have dinner so… just order something for yourselves," Hotch told his friend. Morgan shook his head at the notes Hotch held out. "No way man. I'll pay for dinner. This isn't a job. This is a favour for you two. You deserve this," he assured his friends. Hotch reluctantly put the bills back in his wallet and nodded. Emily smiled and hugged Morgan. "We'll see you when we get back," she said. He followed them to the door and closed it behind them.
Hotch took Emily's hand as they walked through the foyer. She looked up at him and smiled. "I can't believe we've waited six months to have a date on our own," she said excitedly. Hotch smiled and nodded. "I know. But… the important thing is that we're here now," he said. Emily nodded and squeezed his hand. He led her to his car that was parked on the street and smiled as he opened the door for her.
He wouldn't tell her where he was taking her, he wanted it to be a surprise. They pulled up in the carpark of the waterfront park in Georgetown and she frowned. Hotch chuckled at her face. "I need you to stay here for a little bit. Here's your book, and here's your iPod. I'll come and get you soon," he said, handing her the items. Emily frowned and Hotch smiled as he leant over to give her a quick kiss. She watched him as he got out of the car and walked down the path. He disappeared around a corner and Emily wrinkled her brow.
Hotch had hurried over to light the candles and thank Rossi, while Emily had been sitting in the car. "Good luck Aaron," he said quickly before he hurried off. Hotch had told Rossi that he wanted to surprise Emily so when he'd asked him for the favour, Dave couldn't say no. All he had to do was go to the park and sit there with the food and blanket until they got there. Hotch was surprised he'd agreed. It really was a team affair. He'd found out that morning that JJ and Garcia had helped Emily find an outfit, Rossi had helped with the park, Morgan was looking after the kids, and Reid had even helped. Hotch wanted to find a song and Reid had helped him figure out i-Tunes. Hotch huffed to himself. It was clear that the team really did support their relationship.
Just under five minutes later Hotch came back to the car and found Emily listening to her music. He opened the door and held out his hand. She smiled and took it as she hopped out of the car. He took her hand and led her a little way down the path. Suddenly, he stopped and stepped behind her. He held his hands over her eyes and she sighed. "Aaron…" she started but Hotch hushed her. "It'll be worth it, I promise," he whispered in her ear. He started them walking again and turned the corner. He dropped his hands and glanced around to watch Emily's reaction.
Emily's jaw dropped. They were at a waterfront park, looking out over DC. Hotch had set up a picnic blanket with candles and music. He led her over to the blanket and helped her sit down. "I brought you a coat just in case you got cold," he said, holding it out. Emily smiled and nodded. "Aaron, this is incredible," she said. Hotch sat down next to her and smiled. "I hoped you'd like it," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist. She reached over and squeezed his knee. "I love it," she leaned over to kiss him, "I love you." He smiled into the kiss. "I love you too Em." When they pulled back he smiled and raised his eyebrows. "Alright so for dinner, we have…" he opened the bag and showed her. "McDonald's! Oh you're a man after my own heart!" she cried out. He laughed and pulled out the burgers and fries. "But just so it is a little fancy I brought the good soda," he said. Emily grinned as he poured them drinks. She unpacked the fries, tipping them onto a napkin. She handed Hotch a burger and smiled.
They talked and laughed as they ate. Emily asked him the basics, favourite colour (blue), favourite icecream (choc-mint), favourite eighties band (Blondie). They talked about their relationship and how they thought they were going, where they wanted to get to. "Aaron, you know how much I love you. And I know it's only been six months but I can't see myself with anyone else. I want to marry you and… eventually I hope that'll happen," she said honestly. Hotch smiled and nodded. "I want all that too," he replied, sighing as he ran his fingers along her arm. Emily smiled and leant back against his chest as the boats went past. She rubbed her hand on his knee and sighed.
It was about nine and they'd been there for a couple of hours. Hotch patted her shoulders and he stood up, holding his hand out to her. She took it and he pulled her up. "Dance with me?" he asked. Emily nodded and giggled when he excitedly bent over to the CD player. When the tune started she smiled. "How did you find it?" she asked. Hotch smiled. "That's a secret I'll never tell," he said, pulling her over to him. She smiled as she put her hand in his and leant her head against his chest. Just like that night in San Francisco she sighed as the voices of Sara and Ingrid sang what was quickly becoming their song. As they danced in the park, with the sounds of the city and the music, Emily felt so free. She loved the man who was holding her. And she knew he loved her too. She was back home and with the people she loved. She had her beloved job back. And she had her little girl. She felt so lucky.
They got back home and opened the door. Morgan was sitting on the lounge watching TV. They thanked him for taking care of the kids and he nodded. He knew how much they needed this night. How hurt Hotch had been when Emily had left and how much Emily had missed him, even when she was with Peter. He wanted to show them his support and thought this would be a way he could do it. Hotch walked him to the door and said goodnight.
He turned the deadbolt and headed back to the lounge. Emily was standing on the bottom step. "Can you wait here and come up in a few minutes?" she asked. Hotch nodded and kissed her gently. Emily smiled and ran her finger over his lips before she hurried up the stairs. She checked in on the kids before she went into her room and started fixing things up. She lit the candles and switched off the light. She ran into her bathroom and quickly changed. Just as she switched off the bathroom light and walked out, Hotch opened the door.
He stopped. There were candles everywhere. And as he walked through the doorway he saw Emily standing there in a nightie. His jaw dropped. She looked gorgeous. The red material didn't leave much to the imagination and her black curls fell on her shoulders. Emily smiled at his reaction. She walked over and reached around him to gently close and lock the door. He could smell her shampoo as she gently pulled his jacket from his shoulders. His hands ran over the red silk and he felt her toned body beneath it. He swallowed hard as she stood in front of him and loosened his tie.
"Emily, are you sure?" he asked, his voice shaking. Emily looked him in the eyes and nodded. "I am. I want to make this special," she said. Hotch smiled and leant down to kiss her. As he pulled back he whispered, "Me too." She smiled and pulled his tie from his neck, working her hands over the buttons on his shirt. As she quietly undressed him, Hotch ran his hands over her body. He loved the way she made him feel. She unbuckled his belt and unzipped his fly.
She looked up at him and bit her lip. He couldn't wait any longer and pulled down his pants. He kicked them off onto the floor as he picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and squealed when he dropped them on the bed. He looked down at her beneath him and smiled. "You are so beautiful Emily," he whispered. Emily smiled and leant up to kiss him. "Make love to me Aaron," she whispered in his ear. That was enough to send him over. He quickly pulled his boxers off and, with one more kiss…
Hotch woke up the next morning. The sun was shining on his face and he looked over. Emily was sleeping. Their naked bodies were spooned against each other, limbs entwined. Hotch reached up and brushed her hair behind her ear. He smiled and lay there, watching her sleep. Eventually she began to stir and rolled over to face him. "Morning," she said sleepily. "Morning," he replied, grinning and kissing her bare shoulder. Emily smiled at his face and kissed his chest. "So… uh good date or bad date?" she joked. Hotch pretended to ponder for a moment. "Hotch!" she cried out. He chuckled. "Sorry…" he paused, leaning over to kiss her, "VERY good date."
He climbed out of bed and pulled his boxers on. "Where are you going?" she asked. He turned and smiled. He picked up his jacket from the floor and pulled the ring out of his pocket, holding his palm closed as he walked over to the bed. "I was going to give you this last night but… other things came up," he said. Hotch picked up her left hand and held the ring up and she gasped.
"Emily I know this seems sudden, and when I first started thinking about doing this, I thought that to. But I wanted to ask you this a few years ago and lost my chance. I can't promise to be the perfect husband. I can't promise you anything really. But I can ask you to come on this adventure with me. I don't want anyone else backing me up and there's no one else I trust more with my life than you," he slipped the ring on her finger, "Will you marry me?"
Emily picked her jaw up from the floor and grinned, nodding. "Of course I will!" she said, launching herself at him and kissing him. He ran his hands down her back. "Thank God!" he said. Emily grinned and kissed him again. "I love you Aaron Hotchner," she exclaimed. "I love you Emily Prentiss," he replied. She turned in his arms and he wrapped them around her stomach as they looked at her hand. She ran her fingers along his arm. "We're gonna be a family," she said quietly. He kissed her neck. "A family," he whispered.
A/N: So I'm not so good at the sex-scenes so I left that to your imagination.
I tried to think of ways that each team-member could help them with the date to show their support. And that's how it worked out. And again, remember that they've taken YEARS to get to this point so it's really not all too soon for him to propose.
Please read and review!