Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 29: Meaningful Little Things

It had been about three weeks since Bay had been released from the hospital and things could not be going better. Emily's little "happy full of energy" girl was back, and while her beautiful hair was still rather short, she looked more beautiful than Emily had ever seen her…she was running around and playing all day long. Emily had forgotten how much energy Bay had; however, she couldn't be happier to have her little baby girl home, healthy and ready to live again. Emily wanted to wait a little before she enrolled Bay back in school. Bay was not very confident about her short hair, and after all that her daughter had been through, Emily felt a few months of home schooling and spoiling with her mommy wouldn't hurt.

Things were settling down little by little, even things between her and Aaron. She still found it really hard to believe they were finally together, and while there were still some trust issues, she wanted to be with him. She couldn't lie to herself…she loved him more than anyone she had ever met, he had always been the man of her dreams and regardless of all the struggles they had experienced, they were finally together and trying to make things work.

They were both back to work now, and Emily's mom was helping them with Bay while they were away on cases. Aaron was sure Bay couldn't be in better hands than with the Ambassador, and while he knew Emily worried like crazy about Bay, he was confident she was fine. It was, of course, very hard for he and Emily to be gone for three or four days every week right after their daughter had been released from the hospital, unfortunately neither he nor Emily had any more vacation or paid time off available, and Emily was still the Unit Chief, so it was even more difficult for her to find the time to be with her daughter. Over the last couple of weeks, Emily had been thinking about what to do with her situation, and she finally had come to a conclusion and was convinced it was the best solution to their situation.

Friday night, Emily came home around eight o'clock; she had had a very important meeting with Strauss and the BAU Directors and she was really tired. All she wanted to do when she got home was to see her boyfriend and child. Aaron and Bay were waiting for her at her apartment, and since he knew her meeting would make her late that night, he offered to take care of Bay and made dinner for them. Emily stepped into her apartment tiredly throwing the keys in the basket on table by the door and dropping her messenger bag on the floor. Her head was pounding with a migraine, and she had never been more exhausted. She was greeted with the smell of amazing food and then she could hear small feet rushing down the stairs.

"Mommy, you're home!" Bay screamed, jumping into her mother's arms catching her by surprise and almost knocking her to the floor.

"Hey, monkey!" She smiled, hugging her daughter tightly…as difficult as her day had been, her daughter always put a smile on her face.

"Did you have a good day, baby?" Emily asked, after she placed her baby girl back on the floor.

"I did, and daddy and I made dinner for you, and he got me another pretty horse." Bay exclaimed, showing her missing tooth smile. (She had lost one of her first teeth a few days ago).

Emily rolled her eyes smiling just as Aaron came down the stairs as well to greet her.

"Hey, sweetheart." Aaron said as he kissed her cheek.

"Hi, honey." She smiled tiredly.

"Do you want to go upstairs to shower and freshen up while I set the table and serve dinner?" He asked gently, pressing a kiss on her lips.

"That would be great, thank you, Aaron." She kissed him back, then headed upstairs.

Ten minutes later, Emily came back downstairs showered and wearing sweat pants and a tank top. Aaron had just served dinner and was feeding Bay the spaghetti and meat sauce and salad he had made. Emily smiled, walking around the table and leaning down to kiss Bay's forehead and Aaron's cheek. Then, she sat down to eat dinner with them.

"How was the meeting, baby?" He asked, taking a bite of his food.

"Long…and…" She sighed, and Aaron immediately knew it was bad news.

"That bad?" He asked, concerned.

"We can talk when Bay is asleep." She said gently, squeezing his hand. Aaron just watched her…he was concerned and by the look on her face, whatever she was about to say was probably very bad news.

After they put Bay to sleep, Aaron headed downstairs and opened a bottle of wine. He knew that relaxing a little would make her feel better about her day, so he poured two glasses of wine and headed upstairs to Emily's room. She was getting her clothes together for her next day at work, and she still looked really tired; he smiled and placed the glasses of wine on the dresser and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Come sit with me for a little while, let's talk, baby." He said, kissing her neck and hugging her tightly against him.

"I'm not sure I want to talk about it." She said, turning around and looking at him with questioning eyes.

"What is going on, Em, what happened?" He asked, concerned.

"It's complicated and long, and Strauss is furious with me. I think I might have set her against me for the rest of my life." She finally blurted out.

"Come sit down, baby, you know you can tell me anything." Aaron said, as he pulled her to the small couch Emily had in her room and handed her a glass of wine. After she had two large sips she exhaled and looked at Aaron tiredly.

"I resigned." She replied, watching Aaron's face drop.

"You what!" He exclaimed in shock.

"I didn't resign from the BAU, I just…resigned as the Unit Chief…I stepped down." She said, sipping on her wine again.

"Why, Em, why would you do that?" Aaron asked, surprised. Emily had done a remarkable job so far, in fact, now that he really thought about it, he loved her being the authority of the BAU.

"Because I can't do the job, Aaron. I just can't." She said, as he took her hands softly.

"What are you talking about! You have done an excellent job...even better than me; the BAU has never worked more smoothly." Aaron said, truthfully.

"I'm tired, Aaron, it's an amazing job, don't take me wrong, but these past few months, I have been so stressed and crazy busy between the BAU and Bay in the hospital, and honestly I can't do this anymore." She said, looking at him deeply.

"Baby, but Bay is out of the hospital, and I'm here. I can help you with anything you need with Bay and the BAU…you have me…I don't want you to give up this dream." He said kindly.

"This wasn't my dream, Aaron, the first reason I took the job was because Strauss tricked me into it, and second, I knew it was the only way to keep from getting you fired and to keep the team together. If you had stepped down, then you would promote internally again, this was your dream, Aaron. It was everything you ever worked for. I only took the job temporarily for you." Aaron was stunned and so touched when she was finished talking.

"You don't know if I'm going to get the job back." He said, looking down.

"You already have. Director Crammer has already made the decision. I'm stepping down, and you'll be promoted again...it's on paper." She finished, as she emptied her glass of wine.

"Emily, I…" He didn't finish before she cut him off.

"No, Aaron, I'm doing this for many reasons, for you and for Bay…she deserves her mother home. I've already failed her enough. I need to be there for her, and honestly, I need a break…I'm so tired of everything. I just want to lift a little bit of weight off my back."

"If this is really what you want and only what you want, I'll support you."

"It is." She said softly, looking down.

Aaron pulled her into his arms without knowing what to say, he knew very well Emily had stepped down just so he could get his job back and that was all. He also knew very well what this meant, not only had she pissed off Strauss deeply, but she probably had put her against her, and now the bitch would make her life impossible at the BAU. Aaron knew very well Strauss had attempted to use Emily to get rid of him, and while Emily had never given Strauss any information against him, or even attempted to help her, by resigning from the Unit Chief's position, she had not only given him back his job, but she had made Strauss's worst nightmare come true, and he was sure Strauss had set her rage against Emily. This only told him how much she really loved him, and he couldn't be luckier to have a woman like her in his life, and he would spend the rest of his life making it up to her, and making her happy, no matter what he had to do.

"Let's go to sleep, baby, okay?" Aaron suggested gently.

"Yeah, I need some sleep, it has been a long day, and tomorrow, we have a longer day with the kids." She smiled. They were supposed to have the entire weekend to be with Jack and Bay, and Emily was really looking forward to it.

Aaron pulled her gently up from the couch, and they headed to bed; before they lay down, he pulled her gently into his arms.

"I love you, baby, thank you for being such an amazing woman." He said, kissing her lips…Emily was about to protest, but he silenced her by kissing her passionately until he left her breathless.

"I love you, too, Aaron."

They got under the covers and fell asleep in each other's arms; as much as Aaron wanted to made love to her that night, he knew she was exhausted and probably not in the mood for it. He would make sure he would give her a memorable weekend with the kids.

The following morning, Emily woke up feeling a lot better, her migraine was gone and she was finally able to get a full night's sleep. She quickly realized Aaron was not in bed with her, so she slid out of bed and went straight into the bathroom to freshen up and brush her teeth and then she headed downstairs. She saw Aaron and Bay working in the kitchen making breakfast and she couldn't stop the big smile from popping out…she had dreamed many times about mornings like this, and now her dreams were coming true. Emily walked further into the kitchen and smiled even wider when she realized Bay's face was covered with flour.

"Good morning, guys, what are you up to?" She asked cheerfully.

"Mommy, we're making pancakes." Her little girl replied.

"I see that, and they smell amazing." She said, kissing Bay's cheek and then walked next to her boyfriend.

"Good morning, pretty lady." Aaron replied, pulling her into his arms for a passionate kiss.

"Hello there." Emily said, deepening the kiss.

"Yuck! You guys make me sick." Bay said, looking at them.

Aaron and Emily both burst into laughter, after that, they ate breakfast together and then proceeded to get ready. One hour later, they were all showered and ready to spend their day together. They had plans to go to the zoo and then make dinner for the kids; Sunday morning would be spent watching movies and cuddling on the sofa with the two kids.

Emily was really excited about their plans; Jack had met Bay a few weeks ago, and she had been very nervous about Jack's reaction to her daughter, but to her surprise, Jack seemed to love the little girl. He was amazing to her and he accepted the role of having a little sister to watch after very well. The two kids bonded immediately and Emily and Aaron were really happy about that, so this weekend, they were planning to have a great time with their family.

The zoo trip was as amazing as Emily had imagined and even better, the two kids spent the entire day playing with each other. Jack, being the amazing boy he was, took his time explaining each and every one of the animals to Bay. He took her hand and led her through the whole zoo the entire day. They had lunch at the zoo and after lunch, they strode through the other half of the zoo. Around six pm, they headed to Aaron's apartment since he had offered to cook for them.

The kids watched a movie while Aaron and Emily made dinner and then they all sat at the table together to eat laughing and smiling the entire time. After dinner, they gathered around the sofa playing a game, having a great time; it was then Emily realized it was almost nine o'clock at night. Time had flown and they were having such a good time, she hadn't even noticed how late it was.

"Oh God, I didn't even realize it was this late! We should head home. Come on, Bay, thank Aaron and Jack for everything today." Emily suggested to her daughter.

"I don't want to go home, mommy. I want to stay here with Jack and daddy." Bay said, pouting with her puppy dog eyes.

"Why don't you just stay here, it's too late for you to drive back home anyway…just stay." Aaron offered.

"Yeah. Bay can sleep with me in my bed, it's big enough for both of us." Jack suggested sweetly, turning to face Emily imploringly.

"I don't know; I don't want to cause any trouble."

"You won't cause any trouble, we want you to stay, in fact, I am begging you to stay, please." Aaron pleaded.

"Please mommy, please." Bay begged.

"All right, we'll stay." Emily responded, since she had not seen Bay so happy before.

Jack and Bay fell sleep together in Jack's bed, when he was attempting to read a book to her. It was so cute Emily had to snap a picture with her phone. Jack had even let Bay borrow a pair of pajamas he had from when he was Bay's age. His grandmother had given them to him, and they had a dinosaur theme…it was his favorite pair pajamas and he had saved them as a reminder of his grandmother. Emily was so touched about his actions she wanted to cry.

After Emily and Aaron kissed the kids good night, they finally headed to his room. The minute he locked his bedroom door, he pulled the brunette into his arms assaulting her mouth fiercely. They stood there making out for a while until Emily finally pulled away breathlessly. His hand moved to play with the hem of her sweeter, and Emily knew very well what his intentions were.

"Aaron, wait." She said, trying to pull away from his assault on her mouth.

However, Aaron ignored her statement and pushed her back against the pillows and hovered over her gently, kissing her passionately.

"Aaron, please, stop." She begged breathlessly.

"What is it, baby?" He inquired, confused.

"It's just...the kids…they're in the other room." She stammered.

"I'm aware of that." He said, smiling at her.

"I don't want them to walk in on us, what if they wake up...and see us?" Emily knew she was babbling, Aaron laughed gently at her.

"Em, the kids are asleep, and I really doubt they will wake up after today's routine, besides the door is locked." He said, trying to go for her mouth again, but she pulled away again.

"Come on Em, do I have to tell you that I want you?" He asked with pleading eyes.

"I want you, too, it's just..." But Aaron silenced her by capturing her mouth again in a passionate kiss. He finally won, seducing her and pulling her sweater over her head gently and throwing it somewhere on the floor.

They undressed each other slowly between heated kisses, finally, with both naked they cuddled under the blankets and Aaron slid down the covers kissing down her body and between her thighs; Emily let out a loud moan as soon as his mouth touched her wet center and arched her back to him closing her eyes. Aaron continued to lick at her slit up and down, then he slid one of his fingers inside her and she couldn't stop her moans again.

"God, Aaron, stop, you're going to make me scream." Emily gasped breathlessly.

"That was the plan." He said huskily, making her laugh, she was trying really hard to be as quiet as she could, so they didn't wake up the kids, but it was impossible when he was doing so many delicious things to her with his mouth. She finally came with a strangled moan, burying her face in the pillow to shield her screams.

Aaron crawled back up to face her, kissing his way up and laughing at her flushed face; he loved when she looked like this, and knowing he made her that way, he simply didn't have the words. She captured his mouth in a sweet kiss as he got comfortable between her legs, he slowly slid inside her, making her gasp and placing gentle kisses on her lips.

They made love that night for a very long time, reconnecting with each other and discovering new positions and what made each other weak in the knees. After a while, they laid in his bed in each other's arms…Emily barely had the energies to speak after such an intense session of lovemaking. He gently traced his fingers on her bare back kissing her forehead.

"I love you more than I ever loved anyone in this world; I have loved you for so long, and I just want to spend the rest of my life with you." Aaron told her, looking at her intensely, his eyes sparkling. Emily just looked at him quietly, she did love him, she knew that, but she was still having trouble believing his words.

"You don't believe me, do you?" Aaron asked, tilting her chin.

"I didn't say that; I just need time for us to get to that place again." She said sincerely.

"What can I do to make you believe me, I'll do anything it takes?" He asked sadly.

"I think we both have to work on this together." She replied, kissing Aaron lightly since he was pouting at her. Aaron exhaled and looked up at the ceiling.

"You know the night you left to go to London…the night we first were together? It was the most amazing night for me, it was then I realized I felt something for you…I realized I was in love with you." He confessed.

"Why didn't you say something?"-Emily asked incredulously.

"I tried, but you fell asleep after…mm." He didn't really need to said the words.

"I figured I would wake you in the morning with breakfast in bed and flowers and ask you to stay and give me a chance."-Aaron said sadly.

"But when I woke up…"

"I was gone!" She finished for him, speechless.

"There was no note, nothing left from you. I tried calling you, but you didn't answer." Emily closed her eyes remembering sending his calls to voice mail while she rode the cab to the airport.

"I'm so sorry." She said, still speechless at his words.

"There was nothing left from you anymore, I had lost you. I didn't even have you yet, and I lost you. The only thing I had left from you was the reminder of the most amazing night I ever had and something you left…well actually two things you left." Aaron said, looking at her.

"What do you mean?" She asked, confused.

Aaron sit up in bed and laughed gently.

"Promise me you won't laugh and think I'm a pervert?" He admonished her, a little embarrassed.

"Of course not, just tell me." Emily begged, sitting up in bed covering herself with the sheet. Aaron slid off the bed putting on his boxers and walking toward his dresser. He opened the top drawer and pulled out two small silk bags, one of them was very small the other one was a little larger. He walked back to bed and joined Emily handing her the bags. Emily looked at him confused, but she proceeded to open the bags; she first took the bigger bag, opening it with careful hands, as soon as she saw what it was, she couldn't stop laughing and instantly blushing at the content. It was a black lace thong, the one she had worn that night…she left in such a rush, she had forgotten to put her underwear on and she didn't even remember that until now.

"You kept this?" She asked, her cheeks red as a beet and smiling at him shyly.

"They used to smell like you, I don't know why I kept them…is that creepy? Please don't think I'm a pervert." All of a sudden, he blushed and Emily smiled leaning down to kiss him.

"I think it's actually very cute. I can't believe you actually kept them." She said, smiling widely. Then, he pointed to the other smaller bag. Emily took the bag and opened it, a gold object fell out into her hands, and this time she couldn't keep the tears at bay. It was her locket, the locket her father had given her, and she thought she had lost.

"Oh my God! Where did you find this?" She asked in shock while soft tears slid down her face.

"You left it at the hotel that morning, I think it must have fallen off your neck, and I found it underneath the pillows." Aaron said softly

"I thought I lost it, my father gave it to me. It is basically the only thing I have from him." She said in a shaky voice.

"I knew it was important, that is why I kept it…I planned on giving it back to you if I ever saw you again…but then I got attached to it, it was the only thing that kept me close to you, so when you returned, I decided to keep it for a while longer, and then with everything that happened…anyway, here it is." He said, looking at her. Emily just wrapped her arms around him and held him close while tears rolled down her face.

"I do love you, Aaron, more than I ever loved anyone, I want it all, as well I want to spend the rest of my life with you too, but I'm really scared,." She confessed.

"I know, but we will work together in this, I promise you; I'm scared, too, but I also know that my love for you is so strong that I'm willing to risk it all." He said, pulling away some and wiping her eyes.

"I'm willing to risk it all, too." She finally confessed, and he pulled her in for another hug. Emily opened the locket and smiled at the pictures.

"You know, Bay looks exactly like you when you were her age." Aaron confessed, making her smile widely.

"She is identical to you."-He added.

"She has your eyes and your dimples, and she definitely has your temper." Emily said as he placed the locket around her neck again.

"Oh, I beg to differ, she has her mother's temper, no contest." Emily poked him gently, and he started tickling her as they were both laughing hysterically.

They spent the rest of the night making love and talking about everything and anything. Emily finally fell asleep satiated and with a big smile, holding her locket close to her heart.