Author's Note: This story is a pinch hit for bouncing off the walls again in response to the Christmas Fic Exchange from CCOAC.

This is a gift written especially for destinyisms and the following prompts were requested: Carol of the Bells, Decorating the Christmas tree, Christmas lights, and snow. All of them will be used.

Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to review the last chapter. I love reading your thoughts!

"I should probably call a taxi," Emily said softly as she carefully moved Jack's head from her lap and lowered it to the couch as she stood. She absently leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.

"Why?" Hotch asked, doing the same with his sons' legs as he made his way to his feet. Poor Jack; he wished his son was awake. He didn't get nearly enough female affection now that his mother was gone, and he would have loved it coming from Emily.

She laughed nervously. "It's late," she reminded him.

"I mean…why…when I can just drive you home?" he clarified.

But Emily shook her head. "I don't want to wake Jack." And she certainly didn't want to be in a vehicle alone with her boss.

"We don't have to," Hotch informed her. "There's a girl in the apartment next door who watches him for me once in a while, and I'm going to see if she can sit with him while I bring you home."

"Ok," she said with a nod, sending up a silent prayer that the girl wouldn't be available. Her hope was squashed when Hotch hung up the phone less than a minute later.

"She'll be right over."

They rode to Emily's in silence, and when Hotch pulled into her driveway, she tried to make it out of his vehicle before he could walk her to the door…if he even planned to. "Thanks for today," she said as she jumped out of the still running truck and quickly closed the door behind her.

She heard the engine stop and then a slam as Hotch closed his door and smoothly caught up with her. "You're welcome," he said softly.

When she reached her front door, she turned to face him. "Why are you doing this?" she asked.

"Because it's the polite thing to do," he said dryly.

Emily shook her head. "No—not walking me to my door. This whole…Christmas tree thing. Why did you bring me along with you? And…why did you bring me home so that I could help you decorate it, and drink hot chocolate, and spend time with your son when…it's probably something I'll never get to do again?"

Hotch tilted his head to the side thoughtfully as he studied her face. "Because I thought you'd enjoy it," he said softly.

She sighed. "I did enjoy it," she told him. "That's the problem. Next year…when it's time to put up my tree…I'm going to remember this. I'm going to remember spending a fantastic day with you and Jack and…" Emily winced. "Now I've said too much," she whispered.

"I think you've said just enough," Hotch disagreed.

"Why?" she pressed.

"Because you need to have a good Christmas memory. And for some reason that I can't explain…I need to be the one who gives it to you," he said candidly.

"Hotch—"

He gave her a stern glare.

"Aaron," she corrected quickly. "You really didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to."

She nodded slowly, and then, before she could think twice, Emily wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. She felt his arms encircle her waist and he kissed her harder as he pulled her body against his. When her lips parted, his tongue thrust forth, tangling passionately with hers. He tasted like hot chocolate and mint mixed together.

Somewhere in the distance, she could hear the cars as they zoomed by, and she knew that she should have felt colder than she did, but something about him warmed her from the inside out. She groaned in protest when he pulled away and lowered his forehead to hers, his breathing labored.

"I'm sorry," Emily whispered. "I shouldn't have done that."

"Yes, you should've," he informed her, his hands moving to grip the front of her coat. "It's about damn time one of us did. I just wish it would've been me."

Emily laughed as she looked down at his hands. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"You have this…annoying habit of leaving when things get…dicey," he told her. "I don't like it."

"Do you want to come in?" she asked, the words spilling from her mouth in a rush.

Hotch shook his head and she tried to step back, but he was still holding her jacket.

"Right," she said, embarrassed. "Of course you don't. I shouldn't have…I…" She sighed. "This is what I get for being so inexperienced with boys. I thought—"

Hotch used her coat to haul her back against him and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "First of all, I'm not a boy. I'm a man," he said calmly as he broke the chaste kiss. "I was putting the signals out there, and you were reading them perfectly. But I can't stay the night because I have to get home to Jack."

He could have left it at that and walked away, playing it safe. But Aaron Hotchner had been playing it safe his entire life, and where had it gotten him? He'd ended up divorced, and his ex-wife had lost her life because of him. He was tired of taking the safe road. Just once, he wanted to be reckless. And so came his next words. "If you want to make plans for tomorrow night—"

"I do," Emily said quickly.

Hotch chuckled. "I'm glad to hear that."

"It's Christmas Eve and you'll want to spend it with Jack, so if you call me once he's asleep—"

She stopped when Hotch began shaking his head firmly.

"No?" she asked in a small voice.

"That's not how this is going to work," he informed her.

"How…is it going to work, then?" she asked cautiously.

"I want to spend my Christmas Eve and Christmas day with Jack and with you," he informed her.

Emily winced. "Ho—Aaron, I can't intrude on your holiday."

"It's not an intrusion, Emily," he said determinedly, then sighed as he loosened his grip on her jacket. "My son had a mother who constantly doted on him. It's been over a year since he lost her, and I haven't seen him smile as much as he did tonight…in a long time. So I'm selfish. I want to see him smile as much tomorrow. And you know what?"

"What?" she asked softly.

"I want to see you smile, too."

Emily took a deep breath, then nodded. "What time do you want me to be there?" she asked.

Hotch grinned at her. "When I pick you up."

"I can drive," she insisted.

He shook his head. "No. I can't have that nasty habit rearing its ugly head," he teased.

Emily laughed nervously, still not sure she'd made a wise choice. "Tomorrow, then."

Hotch smiled tenderly. "Tomorrow."