JJ and Spencer looked up from Henry and Cat when a door was heard upstairs. They both let sympathetic smiles grace their faces when they saw Elizabeth with her arm around her daughter, a small on Emily's face.
Emily sucked in a deep breath as she realized everything was quiet in the living room and dining room, and saw her husband and father walking slowly towards her. "Are you ok, Em?"
She nodded slowly and smiled as Hotch took her in his arms. She breathed in the familiar scent of his chest and snuggled her head into the crook of his neck. "I'm fine. Just needed a little breather." She picked her head up and smiled at her husband, kissing his stubbled cheek lightly. "Thank you, though."
Hotch smiled before giving his wife a quick peck, feeling Cat's arms encircle his legs. He laid his hand on her curls as he continued to stare at his wife. "Well what happened?"
Emily bit back a smile as her lips closed in on Hotch's ear. "She told me she loved me."
Hotch's eyebrows raised at that. He watched as his wife backed up slightly, a satisfied grin spreading across her face as her eyes lit up like a happy child. "She told you that? Really?"
The brunette smiled wide as she nodded, picking up Cat and setting her on her hip. "I was just as surprised as you are."
Timothy Prentiss made his way up to his daughter, and bent slightly to whisper into her ear. "Everything alright, sweetheart?"
Emily nodded as her father kissed her cheek. "I'm ok. Thanks daddy." She turned to everyone else, who were all staring at her from the living room couch and fireplace. "Ok, why don't we go back to dinner? Ok? That sound good with everyone?"
Five minutes later, Emily and the table were laughing at something her father had said, the kids laughs quiet from not knowing the actual joke.
JJ smiled as she saw a real smile appear on Emily's features, and she felt herself grow wet as she watched Emily look her way and wink. She choked slightly on her water, and gave an appreciative smile as Emily's father patted her back. "Thank you, Tim."
Timothy smiled as he slowly rubbed the blonde's back. "No problem, sweetie. Tell me something? Why do you, Spencer and your son all live here with Emily and Aaron?"
JJ and Spencer let their eyes widen as they looked over to Hotch and Emily, who just had easy smiles on their faces.
"They moved here when they sold their house, daddy. We just have that kind of relationship where we don't mind being around each other every moment of every day, you know? And besides, all the kids are like brothers and sisters. They get along great."
Emily's father nodded and smiled to the brunette couple who had answered his question.
Elizabeth shook her head as she set her fork down next to her plate. "I'm sorry, but may I bring something into the conversation?"
Hotch nodded before Emily could interject, and smiled at his mother-in-law. "Go ahead, Liz."
The older woman smiled before looking between her daughter and her youngest granddaughter, that sat quietly in her chair. "I had a very detailed conversation with my Katie, and she told me about her mother being in a certain situation with Auntie JJ last night." She watched as all the adults eyes widened, and the kids went silent, along with her husband. "Can I just be brought into the loop here? Because from what she told me, it doesn't sound like the two ladies were just talking about the dirt they have on their husbands."
Hotch shook his head slightly as he bent down and whispered in his wife's ear. "You have dirt on me?"
Emily sent her husband a glare before turning to her mother, shaking her head with a nervous smile on her face. "I don't know what she was talking about, mother. Nothing happened between me and my best friend."
Spencer set his fork and knife down before quickly wiping his mouth with the napkin that had been set in his lap. "Emily, maybe we should tell them wh-"
"What? Tell them what?" Emily shook her head as she took a sip of her drink. "Nothing's going on so there's nothing to talk about. Isn't that right, JJ?"
JJ just looked around the room, and shook her head slowly. "Emily, maybe Spencer's right."
Emily shook her head as she wiped her wet fingers on the hem of her dress. "Right about what? There's nothing to be right about because there's nothing going on." She looked to her husband with pleading eyes. "Aaron? Will you help me a little here?"
Hotch shook his head as he whispered in her ear. "I think Spencer and Jen are right, Emily."
Emily threw her napkin down as she growled in her husband's ear. "Aaron Hotchner, I just had my mother tell me she loves me for the first time in my whole fucking life, and I do not want her disowning me. Not now." Emily shook her head, watching as her husband looked into her tearful eyes. "It's not fair, Aaron."
"Emily I ju-"
The brunette abruptly stood, her chair sliding back and hitting the wall. She shook her head as she looked pointedly at everyone that seemed to be staring her way. "This is not fair, and I wont have it."
She began her journey out of the room, only to hear the tearful voice of her youngest daughter. "Mommy?"
Emily turned back around, a lonely tear sliding down her cheek. She watched as Katie crawled out of her seat and walked right up to her. "I'm sorry I made you mad, mommy. I didn't know you would get sad."
Emily shook her head as she stared down at her upset daughter. "It's fine, Katie. Now sit and eat your dinner, I'll be back. Ok?"
"But I want to go with you, mommy. I don't want you to be sad."
"Katie, I said to sit back down. I'm fine."
"But momm-"
"KATHERINE, SIT BACK DOWN!"
Everyone's eyes widened at the raging woman, before their eyes cast down to the young girl that stood in front of her mother. Emily immediately regretted her words when she saw her daughter's bottom lip tremble, and her feet begin to fidget, "Oh, Katie…"
Katie let out a wail before running up the steps, sobbing as she slammed her door and flung herself onto her bed.
Emily shook her head as she felt the guilt well up inside her. She grumbled a 'shit' as she took off her heels and threw them near the front door, and jogged up the stairs.