Chapter 11

December 11, 2008

--

Hotch looked up as Emily knocked on his door. "Come in."

"Anne called."

"Anne?"

"Carrie and Emmy's mother?" She waited until he nodded to continue. "She can't pick up the girls. Do you mind if I call it early tonight?"

"Not at all." And it was the honest answer. Emily pulled way too many late nights as it was and he had noticed. It was only an hour and a half until quitting time anyway.

"Thanks," she said with a genuine smile. She dropped a piece of paper onto his desk. "Directions, if you're still coming."

"What time?"

"Seven thirty," she answered over her shoulder. It was obvious she was in a rush to pick up Emmeline and Carissa. "I'll wait outside."

"It's cold outside," Hotch replied, arching an eyebrow.

She smiled. "I've been in colder."

He always forgot she lived in Russia. "Okay."

"Thanks, Hotch. I'll see you later."

It sounded odd to his ears, but made his heart jump. It felt surprisingly good to hear a woman say she'd see him later. It felt better, much to his surprise, to hear that woman say it.

"Daddy!"

But nothing sounded better than that.

"Emmy!"

Emily grinned widely at the little feet that raced towards her. "Jack!" She swept the small body up against her, hugging the little boy tightly. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Daddy said there were going to be Christmas songs!" Jack exclaimed, his small arm wrapped around her neck, the same way Carissa's often did.

Emily laughed. "There are!" she agreed. "And hot chocolate!"

Hotch smiled as he approached them, still mind-boggled to find how easy it was for Jack to relate to Emily. His son could talk about nothing but the dark-haired woman whose neck his arms were currently wrapped around since Hotch had mentioned Emily and the concert over dinner. The music, it seemed, was only secondary.

"Hey," she greeted with a smile, adjusting the four-year-old on her hip like she'd done it a million times. With two young nieces it wouldn't come as a surprise.

"Hello," he replied. Now that he was closer, he noticed the slight tension in what should ahve been relaxed shoulders and the slightly dishevelled hair, like she'd been running her fingers through it over and over again. "Everything okay?"

"I've been trying to get a hold of Anne," she answered, following him into the much warmer lobby of the elementary school. "No answer anywhere."

He wasn't exactly sure what to say. "I'm sure she'll make it."

Emily sighed. "I wish I had your faith,' she said. "And I can't fault her. She does everything for her girls."

Her worry made his heart and stomach do funny things.

"Emmy," Jack's hands went to her cheeks.

She laughed, her entire demeanour changing as she remembered the child she was carrying. "There's another Emmy here tonight," she told Jack.

Jack wrinkled his brow. "Two of you?"

--

"No," Emily corrected gently, trying to avoid meeting Hotch's eyes. He was standing right behind his son, right in her line of sight and it was a little disconcerting. She'd invited him to the concert and while she knew that, her time with Emmeline and Carissa had also given her time to go over her last couple of days. She'd wished for Anne then, another woman to talk through this with. Because every since she'd spent the early evening entertaining the younger Hotchner, the elder had been almost constantly at her side.

Hadn't he been the first one to share his unfortunate side of Christmas?

Hadn't he made sure, through all of their case work, that they made it to the gift wrap?

And she could definitely still remember the feeling of his body against hers only two nights before as she fell asleep in the freezing Bozeman police station. There was a memory she'd definitely filed away. That, and his rumpled appearance the next morning and the easy way they'd managed to find conversation that wasn't the case. She like seeing this side of Hotch, the side that was human and not cased in the Superman costume he put on as the BAU unit chief.

"Miss Prentiss!"

Emily subconsciously took a step slightly closer to Hotch at the voice that rang through the crowd. There had been more than a few days she'd had to race by the school right after work to pick up Emmeline and Carissa from the after school program Emily had insisted on when Anne had to take her second job. The principal ran the program and, the first time Emily had been by with Anne's permission to pick up the girls, had made no secret of how he had yet to find the right woman to settle down with. "Mr Paulson."

"How many times do I have to ask you to call me Steve?" he asked with a wide smile.

She felt inexplicably better when Hotch stepped closer.

"You brought a friend."

"Hotch, meet Mr Paulson, the principal."

Steve Paulson raised an eyebrow. "Hotch is an odd name."

"Nickname, short for Hotchner." Hotch's words were clipped and to the point. Still, it had the effect Emily had wanted. Having a nickname for the man beside her when she was so formal with the man in front of her had the perfect reaction

"And who is this?"

"Jack," Jack answered solemnly, tightening his hold on Emily's neck. She tried not to wince.

"We should probably head inside," Hotch said, sparing Emily any further conversation. "Find seats."

Emily shot him a grateful glance.

"I'll see you after the show, Miss Prentiss," Steve Paulson called as she felt Hotch place his hand on the small of her back. She'd analyze why she felt calmer with him so close later. For now, she had a concert to focus on.

"Auntie Em!"

Hotch's eyes widened as Emily spun away from him, Jack and the couple they were conversing with at the twin shout. She knelt down as the smaller girl reached her first and wrapped her arms around the small body.

"You were fantastic," she praised.

"Almost," the elder said with a pout, crossing her arms over her chest. "I messed up."

"You did not," Emily replied. "You were both fantastic."

Hotch put Jack down at the same time Emily pushed herself up from her crouching position. She smiled at him.

"Hotch, I'd like you to meet Carissa and Emmeline, my nieces. Girls, this is Hotch and his son Jack."

"Hiya Mister Hotch," Carissa said immediately, the more outgoing of the two. She was a tiny girl with wide green eyes and brown hair. Her sister was taller, a swimmer, by her shoulders and Hotch would bet that it was all Emily's doing she'd gotten into it at all. Emmeline had the same brown hair, but dark brown eyes to match and the quiet demeanour that screamed protective mother.

Hotch's hand fell to Jack's head as he clung to his father's pants. "I believe we were promised hot chocolate."

"Oh, can we Auntie Em?" Emmeline spoke up hopefully. "Please?"

He had to admit, he liked that little sparkle in her eye. "If Mr Hotch is buying."

He pursed his lips, but figured it was a small price to pay for her company. She'd been grinning the whole way through the performance, pointing both of her nieces out to Hotch through the course of the night. Eventually, she'd all but welcomed Jack into her lap, where he sat to enjoy the rest of the show. In many ways, it bothered Hotch that Jack seemed so taken with her. It was bad enough that his subordinate was almost always on his mind – the fact that they'd been working a case for the last week and thus, had been in constantly close quarters aside – without adding Jack to the mix. Because the boy was completely enraptured with 'Emmy'.

"I'll watch Jack," she promised. "They should have trays for all of the cups."

The urge to lean over and kiss her cheek was strong as he went to walk away, if only because it seemed like such a family thing to do. Hotch was the type of man that liked taking care of his woman and his family and while she wasn't his woman – yet, his urges argued, and strongly against his logical mind – she still was, in a way, his family. And he would buy as many hot chocolates as she wanted if it meant he got to watch her in action with her nieces. She'd seemed more than motherly with them as she'd greeted them. He'd only been slightly surprised that they hadn't asked about their mother. As he walked back to the table, he figured out why. Emily was sitting with Carissa tight to her side, Jack on her lap and Emmeline across the table, cell phone pressed to her ear.

"Okay, Mama. We'll see you when we get home." She hung up the phone, staring at it for a moment.

"What happened?" Emily asked softly, smiling her thanks as Hotch set the paper cup holder down.

"Work," Emmeline replied dejectedly. "She's always working. So she can take Christmas off."

"I brought my camera," Emily told the girl softly as Hotch watched. "She can watch it with you when we get home."

No one had to say that it wasn't the same. Carissa was thankfully busy talking to Jack about some inconsequential thing and Hotch was glad neither was paying attention. Emmeline, it seemed, was wise beyond her years and understood what was going on. That was the end of the conversation, however, as Emily made a great show of passing around the hot treats. Then Hotch was treated to the show of his life. He hadn't gotten to watch Emily with Jack while they were in the office, but now, he was a party to quite the interaction. As a man who read body language for a living, he noticed both Emily and Jack were comfortable with each other. She had no problem reaching out to tickle him or reminding him that the drink in front of him was going to be hot and he needed to be careful. She didn't seem to even mind when both Jack and Carissa curled up against her sides, sleepy.

"It's late," he said softly. "I should get Jack home."

"To Haley's?" Emily asked curiously, sitting quietly as he came around the little table she'd found to pick up his son. She shifted Carissa easily into her arms while Emmeline took care of the garbage.

"Yeah," he replied. "I get him on the weekend."

"That's good," she said with a wide smile, holding her hand out for the ten-year-old.

"It is," he agreed as they made their way out into the frigid air. He had to admit, he was happy Principal Paulson hadn't made good on his word to find Emily after the concert. His car was first, but he walked by it to ensure Emily made it to hers safely. With Carissa in one arm and holding Emmeline's hand with the other, he didn't feel comfortable about her being able to defend herself. She didn't say anything, just carefully packed Carissa into the child's seat in the back of the SUV. Emmeline climbed in the other side.

"Thanks for coming," she told him softly, absently reaching up to comb Jack's hair back. The little boy didn't stir.

"Thank you for inviting us," he replied, voice very warm. He could smell her again and it was intoxicating. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She smiled. "I'll bring coffee. Because you bought hot chocolate."

He wasn't about to argue with her. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

He hadn't made it three steps before little footfalls stopped him. Emmeline almost collided with his side but stopped herself just in time.

"Thank you, Mister Hotch," she said. "For watching Aunt Emmy for us."

He smiled, a full blown smile. "It's my pleasure."

And as that little ten-year-old raced back to her aunt's car, Hotch made a decision. Emily was a woman whom only a fool would pass up. And last time he checked, he wasn't a fool.

I'm late. This is late. I hate being late.

I chalk it up to a no good, very bad, terrible, horrible day. Stress is a pain in my bum. I promise to try not to be late tomorrow, but I have to actually write tomorrow's in between an essay. Some sort of higher being willing, I should be able to do both.

Assuming I don't kill my roommates instead.

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