A/N: Thank you for the reviews! This chapter is a lot of fluff but it sets up for the next chapter…Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 15: Red Returned

February 2013 (Present Time)

Garcia cautiously moved to the table in the middle of the small café where both Emily and JJ sat waiting for her. Having planned this girl's lunch before she pushed the brunette on the date with their boss she was slightly worried about Emily's reaction to her and many times she thought of cancelling but she was better to face the music now than on Monday at work. Reaching the empty chair she greeted the agents with a smile. "Hey ladies."

Emily looked up at her with a scowl. "Em, before you…" Garcia started but was cut off when the brunette raised her hand.

"Garcia, I know. I know he came to you and I know you were just trying to help." Emily forgave with a soft smile.

Taking a seat Garcia smiled happily. "So you had a great time huh?" Garcia was hoping this would happen but she knew her best friend was very determined to keep away from Hotch. She spent hours consoling the brunette the night the couple broke up. Emily was broken and Garcia held her as she cried.

May 2012 (Flashback)

Garcia jumped at the loud knock on her door. "Hold on!" she yelled to the uninvited intruder of her personal time. Climbing off the couch and making her way to the door the knocking didn't slow. Swinging the door open with her mouth open and ready to yell at the intruder she froze. "Emily"

Emily's face was red and puffy with fresh tears streaming down her cheeks. Without a word Garcia wrapped her arms around the woman and held her up as Emily's body racked with sobs. After a few minutes standing at the door Garcia managed to get the brunette inside and closed the door behind them.

Emily's crying slowed and she looked up at Garcia "H-he…" another sob broke her voice.

The blonde shushed the woman softly and rubbed her back. She had no clue what happened but for her strong, compartmentalizing friend to show up in the shape she was in Garcia was sure it was big and not at all good. "It's okay Em. I'm here."

Almost an hour later Emily wiped her face and sat up from her position on the couch and looked at the blonde and whispered "He doesn't want to be with me. He told me to leave."

Garcia's heart broke for her friend. "What? Why? Did you fight?"

Emily shook her head. "No he just… out of the blue said he wanted to… break up. Penelope what am I going to do?" tears pooled in her eyes again.

Stunned speechless all the blonde could do was pull Emily into another hug and told her it would be okay but inside she wasn't sure what was going on.

February 2013 (Present Time)

"I had a nice time." Emily nodded with a smile as the server came over and took their order.

"So our lovely double agent how did you get roped into all this?" JJ asked once the server left. She knew what happened but didn't know the details.

"Well our stoic boss came to me and asked for help wooing our Gumdrop and I just felt compelled to do so. But honestly Emily I'm sorry I lied to you and I'm just thanking my lucky stars it all worked out." She laughed making the others join her.

"Me too. I'm not really up to killing anyone." She laughed. "So were you the one that told him to use the red comment? Because I have to say I nearly melted right there in the office." Emily asked taking a sip of her water.

Garcia raised an eye brow and so did JJ. "What red comment?" the tech asked.

Emily eyed her for a moment and saw the confusion. Chuckling softly and shaking her head she smiled "So that was all him." she deducted. "Well, let's just say he loves when I wear red."

Both the blondes choked out a laugh while Emily giggled and took another sip of her water.

-CM-CM-

Hotch was elbows deep in a stack of expense reports when Garcia came barreling into his office with a stack of files and her pink and purple coffee mug Monday morning. "Morning" he said not taking his eyes off his work.

"Good morning sir. Here is the next round. I placed the urgent ones on the top. Please let me know as soon as possible and just so you know our beautiful baby Mama is wearing red this morning." Garcia sang as she placed the files on his desk.

Hotch's head snapped up and his face reddened. "Excuse me?" he choked out.

"What?" she questioned with a look of innocence which he was not buying for a second. As he glared at her she smiled. "We ladies had lunch on Sunday and she might have mentioned the small comment you made last week that you neglected to tell me about. And by the way you have officially graduated from Penelope Garcia's school of dating. Congratulations!"

"Really?" he tried hard to keep his face neutral but inside he was jumping up and down like the geeky kid in school that the prom queen looked at.

"Yes sir. She couldn't stop smiling. She didn't give me too many details about the date but she did say that she was happy she went with you. So I guess our mission is over. But just a word of warning, don't break her heart again…sir."

"I won't." he smiled kindly and sent her on her way.

He sat back in his chair with a goofy grin. He was excited to see Emily again but he didn't want to rush her. It was her ball game and if she said go slow then he was determined to do so. But he was planning on asking her on another date as soon as he could. He figured they would do the dating thing for a while until she was ready to move forward.

Seeing his coffee mug empty he grabbed it and headed to the small kitchen and if he just so happened to pass by a certain agent's desk so be it.

-CM-CM-

Emily watched in envy as Morgan and Reid poured their coffee and fixed them up. Coffee use to be her strength in the morning but going without for almost eight months was driving her crazy. Most would think her addiction would go away in that many months but it hadn't. She still craved the dark liquid and often thought of just having one cup. But if she did she wouldn't stop.

Rubbing her swollen belly she reminded herself why she gave up her addiction. Her eyes caught those of Hotch's as he came walking over from his office with his mug in his hands. Growling low she rolled her eyes "Not you too."

"Good morning to you too, Prentiss." He said in his Agent Hotchner voice moving to the counter. "Is there a problem?"

"She's just sad Hotch. No coffee makes Mama grumpy." Morgan mock pouted at the brunette then took a sip and made a point to moan as the liquid made it down his throat.

"I hope it burns you." Emily scoffed crossing her arms over her chest.

Hotch chuckled. "Do you hope the same for me if I get a cup?"

Emily eyed him. "Yes. It's just not fair." She whined.

"Emily you do know doctors now say pregnant women can have one cup of black coffee per day." Reid chimed in.

Emily sighed. "That's the issue. I can have a cup but I won't stop at just one. And besides this kid doesn't need any caffeine, she is bouncing around in there like my organs are trampolines. I don't want to give her anything bad so I just suffer."

"What a good mommy!" Morgan patted her head and received a punch in his arm for it. "Ow" he said rubbing his wound and making his way to his desk and away from any physical harm that might come to him.

"Does she move often?" Hotch asked stirring his coffee.

"Yes. All the time here…" she took his free hand and placed it on her belly. "Feel that?" she asked watching his face brighten with a soft smile.

"Yeah…" he said in wonder. The small tap under his hand made his heart speed up. Feeling the movements always stunned him. Before Jack was born he would spend time talking to Hailey's belly and feeling for the little taps of his unborn son. It amazed him every time.

Emily stared at him. His normal stress lines disappeared from his forehead and his dimples peeked out. "Amazing huh?"

"It is." He smiled at her as he took his hand away. Looking around him he noticed the other agents had now gone back to work…Alone! "I was wondering if you would like to go on a date with me next Saturday." He nearly whispered not wanting other's to overhear. Work was work and personal life was to stay out of the office but he could wait any longer.

With her mouth hanging open to answer Emily was interrupted by Strauss walking up to them.

"Agent Hotchner I need to see you." She waited for his nod then turned away and walked to her office. "Now agent." She threw over her shoulder when Hotch neglected to follow her.

"Answer later" he said quickly to Emily then followed the Section Chief to her office.